Sermons
A Siphoning Of Joy
Series: Joy RobbersA SIPHONING OF JOY
Sermon By Terry Siverd
Cortland Church of Christ / November 25, 2018
A few weeks ago, we summarized our sermon series on the way of the cross, with a message titled, “A Pervasive Joy”.
After detailing various aspects of what is required in following Jesus - - things like, surrender, self-denial,
submission, sacrifice, servitude and suffering - - we closed with an important exclamation point.
Interwoven in and around all of these sometimes difficult assignments
to follow in the steps of Jesus, THERE MUST BE A PERVASIVE SENSE OF JOY.
Our primary text , if you remember was Heb.12:2, which states regarding Jesus - -
who for the joy set before Him endured the cross.
Jesus derived great satisfaction from being obedient to the Father.
John's gospel records a mission statement made by Jesus - - His own words about His lifework - -
My food/meat is to do the work of Him who sent Me (Jn.4:34).
I have come down from heaven, not to My own will, but the will of Him who sent me (Jn.6:38).
Contrary to the thinking of many, joy seldom comes when we pursue it directly.
Rather, joy comes to us as the by-product of faithful service to God.
Billy Sunday once said, If you have no joy, there's a leak in your Christianity somewhere.
It is this leakage of joy (or siphoning off) that I want us to consider this morning.
On the Sunday evening after our sermon, A Pervasive Joy, we conducted an interactive study
that included making a list of some things that have the potential to rob us of our joy.
The feedback was free-flowing. Our whiteboard was filled with lots of comments.
People & Politics … Grumbling & Grudges & Gossip … Death & Disease … Work & Worry …
Autonomy (wanting to be in charge) … Circumstances … Family Issues … Money … Things …and Sin.
In this season of joy, I want to spend the next few weeks (leading up to Christmas) talking about joy-robbers.
Most of us know better. I would think this would surely be the case with those of us who are Christians.
We know that it is wrong to permit these various things to siphon away our joy, but we often fall prey nonetheless.
As Donald Altman has observed: Keeping one's joy is a learned skill, it is not innate ability (we are not born with it).
Much of our “learning” stems from our determination to be filled up with The Scriptures.
Someone has said, “The New Testament is a book of JOY”.
Actually, we could say the same thing about all of Scripture.
It is the Bible, more than any other instructor, that guides us and empowers us to live a joy-filled life.
POLITICS
I seldom say anything about politics from this podium, and I think that's the way it should be.
I have my own opinions, as do most all of us, but politics is not a priority when it comes the preaching of the gospel.
We remain a divided country.
In theory we are the United States Of America, but in practice we are a highly polarized nation.
Politicians of all stripes have wiggled their way into our thinking,
urging us to support them with our vote, our voice and our pocketbook.
Sometimes we are badly hoodwinked by a combination of their their smooth speech
and an inordinate selfish desire on our part to only ask “what's in it for me?”.
Having just completed the mid-term elections, it is quite likely that, here lately we've all been rob of some joy.
Not only due to some of the results, but by a seemingly everlasting year of argumentation leading up to the elections.
If we were to speak candidly some of us have found ourselves saying, I can't stand to look at that guy.
Sometimes we cringe at the very thought of having to hear them speak. And it is not just guys, it gals as well.
For everyone that dislikes/detests President Trump, I can find another who dislikes/detests Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
My dad lectured me often about the importance of listening to both sides, but such is easier said than done.
In times past I would turn off Ron Verb in a split second, now I find myself applauding him.
For those of you who think this combustible political arena is a new thing in town, you need to study history.
Over the last few years I have read numerous biographies of U.S. presidents:
Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Frank Roosevelt to name a few.
It is appalling to encounter the harshness and intensity of political discourse from years gone by.
On several occasions I actually found myself saying out loud, “And we think it's bad today.”
The gutter gossip that flows from pen and ink today has been with us from the very beginning.
The only thing that makes it worse today is 24-7 news cycle, which makes the tension almost unavoidable.
One thing that really trips my wire is when young whipper-snappers use social media to talk politics.
Especially when such talk is laced with vulgarities and mean-spirited, know-it-all rants.
I like young people. As the directory of our summer youth retreat for 30 years, I have a healthy respect for teenagers.
Many years ago we were instrumental in setting up a campers coalition to solicit ideas on how to do things better.
“Cabin reps” were called them. And they have contributed greatly over the years in making improvements.
I'm not down on young people, but listening to young people talk politics gets me fired up.
As Jeannie's Dad was prone to saying, “some people don't know beans from buckshot.”
Well, we can't turned back time. Facebook, or something like it, is here to stay.
My only request to those of you who have a tendency to air things out in public is to say:
Think before you text! Rein it in! Bridle your tongue! Put a cork in it!
Js.3:5 & 8b says, the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. Behold, how
great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!...(the tongue) is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.
What we need in our modern world is a recovery of mutual respect: civil discourse on civil matters.
The apostle Peter has written (1Pet.2:16-17) - - Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering
for evil, but use it as bond-slaves of God. Honor all men, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.
Mt.22:15ff tells of an occasion where some of Jesus' antagonists attempted to trap Him.
'Is it lawful to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?' But Jesus perceived their malice, and said, 'Why are you
testing Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the coin used for the poll-tax.' And they brought Him a denarius.
And He said to them, 'Whose likeness and inscription is this?' They said to Him, 'Caesar's!' Then He
said to them, 'Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's'.
Now for first-century Jews eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Messiah and His kingdom, Jews who were frequently mistreated and even persecuted by the Romans, these words had to be a bitter pill for first-century Jews to swallow.
But Jesus spoke them nevertheless!
The apostle Paul writes in Rom.12:10 - - be devoted to one another in brotherly love, give preference
to one another in honor. In vss.17-18, Paul adds, Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what
is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.
PEOPLE
Now, let's leave the world of politics and turn to people in general - - or to unnamed people in particular.
All of us have some people that rub us the wrong way.
If we are not careful, they will not only rub us the wrong way but they will rob us - - siphoning away our joy.
That may not be their intention, but our response to their behavior may work to harm our own psyche and soul.
I don't want to us to dwell on it, but we all have some people that really irritate us. Confession is good for the soul.
Some seem to be perpetual irritants. They don't just irk us once in a while, they seem to work overtime at it.
We agape (love) them. We do not desire harm to their soul. We don't call down a plague on them.
We regard them as human beings, made in the image of God, but they continually steal our joy.
They are not just seasonal Grinchs or Scrooges, they seem to have a full-time job focused on making us miserable.
Be Patient With All
We don't always know what drives a person. Like the Grinch - - I just learned that he was orphaned and neglected.
Eph.4:32 admonishes us to be KIND to one another, TENDER-HEARTED,
FORGIVING each other, just as God in Christ has also forgiven you.
Don't Fight Fire With Fire
Getting even is a game none us ought to play.
In Rom.12:19 Paul exhorts, Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God,
for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord. 'But if your enemy is hungry, feed him,
and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.
Trudy Wood recounted the story recently of a crotchety lady in their housing development who was always
looking for some reason to “report” others for minor infractions - - hanging out clothes, or something silly.
Trudy decided to take up Paul's directive and win her over with kindness...and it worked.
Guard Against Holding Grudges
Harboring ill will is truly sinful, but so is holding a grudge.
If I had to make a guess, I would speculate that most church strife is rooted in holding grudges.
The failure to refuse to tell someone they have offended you, coupled with an unwillingness to forgive
is a certain and sure recipe for conflict - - be it in a marriage, the workplace, among friends or in the church.
Lev.19:18 states, You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people...
Mt.6:14-15 / For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.
Mt.18:21-23 remind us that there are no limits to forgiveness - - not just 7 times, but 70 times 7.
After his soaring words in Philip.2:5-11, about having the mind of Christ,
Paul gently calls out two women in Philippi, (Philp.4:2-3a) saying,
I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord. Indeed, true comrades,
I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel...
We are not told what “issues” came between them, but can hear Paul calling for healing and wellness.
How foolish it would be to let politics siphon away and spoil our joy.
If you can't discourse on politics in a civil way then maybe you need to resolve to not talk about it.
If just listening ruins your day, turn off the TV and Radio, or consider becoming apolitical if necessary.
Although we are surrounded by people, we must not other people to rob us of joy.
There is way too much good in The Word of God (and for that matter, in the world around us)
to get bent out of shape, all worked up and downcast in spriit because somebody has crossed us.
Surely we can muster up enough fortitude to rise above such petty strife.
