Joy is listed as the second fruit of the Holy Spirit. We are supposed to be producing the fruit of joy, but why don’t we? Where is the joy we are supposed to have as Children of God? Psalm 30:5 says “weeping may endure for the night, but JOY comes in the morning” Morning isn’t just a time with an AM beside it. Morning is when the light comes and you wake up! Are you spiritually awake? Could it be that we are still asleep because we don’t have the light or knowledge concerning what God’s word says about joy? Today we are going to explore a very common phrase and in the process discover why it is tied to the lack joy in our life. The concept behind this phrase is so powerful, we base almost all of our decisions on it. And yet we rarely ever actually think it or say it out-loud. It’s just built into our thoughts and our behavior. The phrase is simply this, “What’s in it for me?” Philippians 2:3-4 “3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Instead of following this spiritual law, we make the mistake of focusing our attention back on ourselves. The idea that we only respond to things that benefit us, is something ad agencies have known for a long time. Effective marketing campaigns are built around this concept. The hardest
thing to do is to separate someone from their money. But using this concept is how it’s done. For example, if I were trying to sell you this tumbler, I wouldn’t tell you about how much care went into making it. I wouldn’t tell you how clean the factory was. I wouldn’t tell you how good the company is to their employees. Because even if all of those things are true and would give you a good feeling about the product, it’s not enough to convince you to buy it. The purchase decision is driven by “what’s in it for me.” The marketing should tell you all about how your life would be so much better if only you had this tumbler. Just look at how much fun other people in the commercial are having while drinking out of this tumbler. You like to have fun, don’t you? You want the pleasure of a cold drink when you are out and about, don’t you? And certainly, your kids need to have one if the other kids have one...don’t they? What kind of terrible parent are you? This entire scenario was driven by, What’s in it for me. In the process it was helped along by jealousy and pride. If a company can market a product to you by triggering your desire for the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye or the pride of life...they win. Because it all comes back to the base question of “what’s in it for me?” The answer is that this product will satisfy the sinful desire in me. But will it? Or do you just move on to the next thing? This selfish desire to satisfy our flesh is robbing the joy from our life. Because it puts us in a continual search for the next thing. The thought is: I’d be happy if I could just....fill in the blank with whatever you’ve told yourself will do the trick. It’s all about you. Selfishness is such an easy trap to get caught in. Mostly because we enjoy being in it. But we don’t realize what it’s doing to us. The more we focus on our self, the less joy we have. The first step in overcoming the “what’s in it for me” lifestyle is to be aware of it... and then use it as a filter to judge your motives. It’s not just ad agencies who have used this sales method. Guess who else has adopted this marketing strategy? The church. The popular modern church understood several years ago that the best way to get people to walk down an isle and pray a prayer to apologize to Jesus was to tell them...what’s in it for you. You want to go to heaven don’t you? You certainly don’t want to go to hell, do you? These are effective marketing strategies. I don’t actually believe that most churches understand what they are doing. They are not marketing experts, they just found a thing that works and so they stuck with it. Now, if you accept salvation by grace through faith, will you go to heaven when you die? Yes of course, but here’s the problem with heaven as the only reason to surrender to Jesus...It makes everything all about you and how you benefit. It’s a very selfish way to view God’s reconciliation of humanity back to Himself. The premise that heaven is the priority and once you walk the isle and get your ticket, you’re done, is very dangerous for those who claim to be Christians. Because it make you believe that your only responsibility is to hold on till you die or Jesus comes back. You’ve taken care of the most important thing, which was heaven, or what was in it for you. It makes everything else that Jesus taught seem at best optional and at worst irrelevant. But is that why Jesus came to the earth and spent three years teaching about how we are supposed to live here as citizens of heaven? Has ignoring all the spiritual laws that Jesus taught in the Bible been better for you life or worse?
Instead of focusing on a selfish motive as christians, which is robbing us of our joy, let’s look at how we are supposed to focus our life in order to produce the fruit of joy. A long time ago, I learned in Sunday school the secret to having joy as a Christian. It is a simple formula based on the letters in the word JOY, and it goes like this. Jesus first, Others second...and then last, and most certainly least, You. In every situation you face, you just keep your priorities in that order. It wasn’t until much later in life that I realized how difficult this instruction would be. The idea here is that we are to keep the kingdom as our top priority, then followed by the well being of others, and then lastly our self. Does that sound like something we discussed a couple weeks ago? Matthew 22:36-40 “36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Did you notice the order? Love the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind...and your neighbor as yourself. Jesus, others, then you. That is the formula for Joy in the kingdom. The problems in our life start when we get the order upside down. We think of ourself first. Then mostly never get around to considering how it will affect others or the kingdom. The thing that will remove the joy in your life is selfishness.
Putting yourself first is what the world teaches us. Look out for number one. Do what makes you feel good. We want to be the top priority in our lives. It’s what our flesh wants. But that is not what the word of God teaches. The bible warns us over and over about being selfish. James 3:13-15 “13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.” Hang on a second, did you hear that? Jealousy is triggered by wanting for yourself what someone else has. Selfish ambition is demonic. This is serious stuff. James 3:16 “16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.” Verse 16 says that where jealousy and selfish ambition exists, there will be disorder and every vile practice. Does that sound like joy? No, it creates misery for you and those around you. Your life is out of order. When things are out of proper order there is chaos and confusion. Putting yourself first ahead of others and Jesus creates a cycle of chasing your own happiness which will continue to elude you. The more you chase it the farther away it will seem to be. You end up miserable and causing those around you to be miserable also. We are not supposed to be driven by a selfish desire for what’s in it for me. 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 “23 “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.” Can you stop seeking your own good and start seeking the good of others? What did Jesus do when presented with a situation where He could have called 12 legions of angels to rescue Him from those who came to arrest Him the night He was betrayed? He first submitted to the will of the Father and His will for the advancement of the kingdom. He prayed in the garden and said “Not my will, but Yours be done.” He did this even though He knew what was about to happen to Him. He put the kingdom plan first, the put the benefit of mankind second and put Himself last. You have intentionally not focus on and be driven by what’s in it for you. You have to focus on what King Jesus wants, what will be beneficial for others and then lastly for you. And here is the amazing part...you will get something for yourself...JOY. How often have we “shopped” for a church based on the criteria of What’s in it for me? Do I like the building? Do I like the music? Do I like the message? Was everyone nice to me? Is that not the process for making our desire to be served the number one priority? Will you find joy by doing that?
As a christian did you show up to a “worship” service to worship or to be worshiped? If you came just to be served and have all your wants addressed...so you can be happy, then you have come to be worshipped. That will not result in your happiness. That path leads only to disappointment and disillusionment. The goal of the kingdom is not to affirm you, celebrate you and accept you. The goal of the kingdom is to rescue you, transform you and redirect you. You are supposed to find a church...a body of Christ who is in need of your spiritual gifts. The kingdom expansion must be the first priority. Your gifting is for the benefit of others and if you choose a body based on their needs and not your comfort, you’ll find joy. That is how you should make every decision. You analyze the choices based on the priority of what’s in it for Jesus, what’s in it for others, then what’s in it for you.
Even in ministry, we can have our priorities in the wrong order. That actually may be the easiest place to get your priorities wrong. You can get so busy doing ministry...which is good, that you lose sight of the main calling to love people. I know that can be my challenge. I have to see people as the mission, not as obstacles to my mission. The reason it’s hard to see that we are misaligning our priorities is because the things we are doing are good things and they need to be done...but not at the expense of serving other people. We can be really good at doing church and really bad at being the church. We could put on a slick service and draw a crowd but completely miss the real reason we have been gathered. Hear me, when I say this. If you are serving here on a Sunday or Wednesday, your job duties at the church are not the top priority. The expansion of the kingdom is always the top priority. Your duties must be set aside when someone shows up and needs help, prayer or just needs someone to share a burden with. This is the work of the kingdom. Making coffee can wait. And this has to be understood and followed by all of us. Because what happens if you show up early for the service and there is no coffee or breakfast set up? Do you immediately get an attitude about the lack of coffee? Is that why you came? So someone could serve you coffee? Can you give your fellow brothers and sisters the benefit of the doubt and maybe assume there is a good reason that there is no coffee. Or imagine this...you go make the coffee yourself instead of complaining that no one has made it for you. Are we all here to work together, or have some of us come to serve and the rest have come to be served? We are called to put the kingdom first, others second and ourself last.
Jesus called out John the baptist as the greatest man born of a woman. That's a pretty good reference for ministry. John 3:26-30 ”26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” 27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.” John was doing a great work preaching kingdom repentance and baptizing people, so naturally some folks wanted to stir up trouble. They said, everyone is going after Jesus and leaving you. But John tells them that the kingdom work of Jesus must increase and he himself must decrease. The greater work of the kingdom came first, because that would help others more than he could. He put his feelings about the matter last. I’m sure he wondered what he was supposed to do now that Jesus was on the scene. What will happen to my ministry? Everyone is leaving to follow Jesus. He actually says that his joy is now complete. Do you have joy? Are your priorities in the right order? Can you look at your decisions through the lens of the question, What’s in it for me...and then move that thought down to third place behind the king and your neighbors? If you want to have joy in your life, that’s the formula.
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