Sermons
J.O.Y.: The Jesus Way
J.O.Y.: THE JESUS WAY
Sermon By Terry Siverd
Cortland Church of Christ / March 24, 2019
I am past due for a eye exam.
I pretty sure that I need a tune up on my lens prescription.
The computer screen is looking a little fuzzier than it used to be.
I have presbyopia (old eyes/presbyteros/elder eyes) – I'm having trouble seeing things up close.
Physically many of us encounter eye problems.
Spiritually-speaking almost every one of us has an “I” problem.
Mopia described a vision that see things clearest that are close up and close by.
We are myopic with an inordinate emphasis on “my” (excuse the pun) … “me” … and “mine”.
Metaphorically we are short-sighted.
It is so easy to become SELF-Absorbed, SELF-centered, SELF-indulgent.
If we listen to the call of the world we might come to believe that the goal of life is SELF-fulfillment.
I counted some eighty or so words in my dictionary that begin with the prefix SELF.
Thankfully our culture still seems to regard being SELFISH as a bad thing.
The problem is the verbiage regarding a focus on SELF can be tweaked ever so slightly and presented as a good thing.
It's okay to be: SELF-assured … SELF-confident … SELF-gratification … SELF-satisfied.
We seem to comprehend that it is bad to be both SELFISH and SELF-RIGHTEOUS,
but we often reason that quite a few other “selfies” are well worthy of cultivation.
One SELF word that we don't pursue nearly as diligently as we ought to is the concept of SELF-lessness.
Selflessness is The Jesus Way.
I never went to church camp as a child, but I have very fond memories of the early days
of our Camp Judson Youth Retreat - - singing songs in the old pavilion with such gusto.
For almost a decade straight we numbered c.160 strong (115 campers + 45 counselors + cooks) at our PM Devotionals
- - not counting visitors, which could sometimes be 20-50 people.
It was s-o-m-e-t-h-i-n-g!
The acoustics … the young voices … the zeal and energy. It was exciting and quite heavenly!
In the early days there was one song that was a staple: J.O.Y.
J.O.Y. was a acronym for Jesus first; Others second; Yourself last.
We often used it as a warm-up song to loosen up our voices and settle in for some more serious singing.
Joy, joy, joy, joy, joy, joy, joy … (the song opened with 22 joys).
“J” is for Jesus, “O” is for others; “Y” is for you, and you, and you an' you an you...
As we draw near to wrapping up of Job-Robbers sermon series, it is vital that we call attention to J.O.Y..
We will never taste true and full joy as long as SELF is on the throne.
As someone has noted, the way to JOY is to PUT SELF ON THE SHELF.
Many people are seriously mistaken in their quest for joy.
They work from a faulty premise - - “If I could only be KING, then I'd bask in the glow of abundant joy.”
If others would wait on me and serve me and be at my beck and call, that would bring me joy.
Being a king is not assurance of Joy. Think how many of the kings of Israel & Judah were miserable.
As we have pointed out in the past, real joy is seldom found when we go looking for it specifically,
rather it comes as a by-product of following Jesus, which includes (requires) serving others.
In fact you can't really spell JOY without emphasizing Jesus first and Others second.
True, there is a “Y” on the end, but the “you/yourself” only gets its standing
by being anchored to the foundation of Jesus first and others second.
I want us to look at three particular passages of Scripture this morning.
The first two are somewhat parallel.
MATTHEW 20:20ff
The mother of James and John made a special request of Jesus - - she wanted chief seats for her two boys.
Vs.25-28 / Jesus called them to Himself, and said, 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles exercise
authority over them. It is not so among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall
be your SERVANT, and whoever wishes to be be first among you shall be your SLAVE; just as the
Son of Man did not come to be served, but to SERVE, and to GIVE HIS LIFE as a ransom for many.
LUKE 22:24-27
There arose a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest.
And He said to them, 'The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority
over them are called “Benefactors”. But not so with you, but let him who is greatest among you
become as the youngest, and the leader as the SERVANT. For who is greater, the one who
reclines at the table, or the one who serves? Is it not the who reclines at the table?
But I AM AMONG YOU AS THE ONE WHO SERVES.'
Servant-mindedness and selflessness - - This is the Jesus way.
And this needs to become more and more our way.
We are not born this way, we have to undergo a transformation that sometimes takes years to learn well.
It's what we call coming to have the mind of Christ.
One more, third and final text - - PHILIPPIANS 2:1-9
If there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit,
make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility regard one another as more important than himself;
Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who although He existed in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond servant,
and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself
by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore also God highly
exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth and under the earth, and
that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
With humility regard one another as more important than self.
(He) emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant.
There is something about a self surrendered life that makes us joy-filled.
And there is something about emptying that is filling.
These are what we can a paradoxes, they sound contradictory, but they actually present true wisdom from above.
We can't cut the heart out of J.O.Y. (the big “O”/others) and expect to find real joy.
Could it be that we have been looking for joy in all the wrong places?
