First Baptist Church Litchfield
November 9, 2025

      • Revelation 1:7–8ESV

  • Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee (Ode To Joy)
  • Shine Jesus Shine

      • Philippians 2:5–11ESV

  • All Glory Be To Christ
  • Holy Holy Holy
  • Before The Skies

  • We Are Made for Joy

    We are made for joy — deep, abiding joy that comes from being in right relationship with our Creator. But ever since sin entered the world in Genesis 3, that joy has been fractured. Our hearts were designed to rejoice in God’s presence, but sin separated us from that presence. In today's world, it's easy to mistake pleasure for peace, positivity for happiness, and distraction for true delight. Because of this, our hearts can often feel restless, our faith delicate, and our joy easily taken away. Many of us long for deep, lasting joy, but we find it difficult to create on our own.
    In John 14–17, Jesus speaks into that very condition. On the eve of His crucifixion, He sits with His disciples in the upper room. They are confused, anxious, and afraid. The One who had calmed storms and raised the dead now speaks of leaving them. Their world is about to collapse, and Jesus knows it. Yet instead of despair, He speaks of joy — His joy.
    “These things I have spoken to you,” He says, “that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11).
    That’s remarkable. On the night He was betrayed, Jesus was not consumed with His suffering but with His disciples’ joy. Even though he knew the cross wold lead to deeper joy, his disciples only saw the sorrow of his death. He wanted them — and us — to know that joy is not found in the absence of sorrow, but in the presence of the Savior.
    Last week, we learned that Jesus is our supreme joy — the Treasure hidden in the field, the Pearl of great price. He alone is worthy of all our affection and worship. That is the joy of conversion. Yet, if we’re honest, our hearts don’t always feel that way. Joy in Jesus is not just a one and done experience that happens at conversion. It is a way of life that cooperates with the Holy Spirit to cultivate deeper abiding joy.
    So, my question for us this morning, church, is this:

    How do we cultivate joy in Jesus in the kingdom of God now?

    There are five ways to cultivate your joy as you live in the kingdom now. I will address three of them today, and the final two next week, Lord willing.

    Cultivate Joy in Jesus by abiding in Jesus (John 15:9-11)

    Jesus says, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.”
    That word abide means to remain, to stay put, to settle down and make your home in His love. It’s not a casual invitation—it’s an imperative command. It is something Jesus calls you to do. He loves you and gives you his joy. You, however, are also to cooperate with him to cultivate that joy into more joy.
    Notice that abiding in Jesus is grounded in something breathtaking: “Just as the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.” Think about that. The Father’s love for His Son is eternal, perfect, and unbroken. From before the foundation of the world, the Father has poured out unceasing affection on the Son. And Jesus turns to His disciples and says, “That’s the same love I have for you.” Friends, that is deep out of this world, sacrificial love.
    Jesus knew what that love would cost Him. He spoke these words with the shadow of the cross stretching across the horizon. He knew He would soon hang on that cross, die a sinner’s death, and bear the full wrath of God so that you might live and experience his love. He knew He would rise again in victory, ascend to the Father’s right hand, and pour out His Spirit upon you so that His love could dwell in your heart forever. This is not an abstract love; it’s blood-bought, Spirit-sealed, and resurrection-secured love.
    So when Jesus says, “Abide in my love,” He means: Remain in the reality of what I’ve done for you. Stay in the warmth of My grace. Don’t wander from My presence to seek satisfaction in the world’s cesspool joy. Remain in Me.
    But what does abiding actually look like? Jesus tells us in verse 10: “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.”
    Notice the order: Love comes first, obedience follows. Love relates to your affections. Jesus must be loved if you are to remain in Him. Furthermore, Jesus isn’t saying, “Obey Me so I’ll love you.” He’s saying, “Because I love you, obey Me.” His love is the soil in which obedience grows. Jesus Himself modeled this with the Father. He remained in His Father’s love through perfect obedience—even to the point of death on a cross. Likewise, when we keep His Word, we live in the stream of His love that nourishes our joy.
    To remain in His love means, first of all, to be in His love—to belong to Him by faith. You can’t remain in something you’ve never entered. In John 6:56, Jesus said, “Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.” That’s a vivid metaphor for saving faith. To “feed” and “drink” is to believe—to receive Jesus as the Bread of Life who satisfies your soul forever (John 6:35-40). Those who come to Him in faith will never be cast out. The Father gives them to the Son, and the Son seals them by the Holy Spirit (John 14:23; Eph. 1:13).
    Abiding, then, is a relationship of love and trust. You repent of sin, believe in His name, and rest your life in His finished work. You are joined to Christ, and Christ is joined to you. His Spirit dwells in you, shaping your heart to love what He loves. You stay near His Word, draw near in prayer, and cling to His promises when trials press in. That’s what it means to love and trust; that is what it means to abide in Jesus.
    I’ll take an illustration from what Jesus gives us in John 15:1-4..
    Imagine a branch attached to a healthy grapevine. The branch doesn’t grit its teeth trying to produce fruit. It simply stays connected. Its life, nourishment, and sweetness all flow from the vine. The moment it separates, it withers. But as long as it remains, it bears much fruit. Jesus says, “Abide in me, and I in you” (John 15:4). The joy of the branch is found in its connection to the vine. The joy of the believer is found in abiding in Christ’s love.
    That’s why Jesus says in verse 11, “These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” When you live in His love, His joy becomes your joy. It’s not circumstantial; it’s spiritual. It’s not the shallow happiness of comfort, but the deep, steady gladness of communion with your Savior. His joy—perfect, holy, unwavering joy—takes up residence in your soul. And that joy doesn’t run dry when the world runs rough over you; it actually deepens there.
    Brothers and sisters, if your joy feels weak today, maybe it’s because you’ve wandered from the warmth of His love. Maybe you are abiding in something to someone else. No person can be your god, no matter how much you love them. No earthly thing or experience can provide the depth of joy your eternal soul needs. Return to the vine. Rest in the love that never fails. The same love the Father has for the Son is now yours in Christ Jesus. Remain in it. Abide in it. Delight in it.
    But abiding in His love doesn’t stop with affection; it overflows in action. The way you cultivate joy in Jesus is not only by abiding in His love, but by obeying His commands. That’s where we’ll go next—cultivating joy in Jesus through obedience to Jesus.

    Cultivate Joy in Jesus through obedient love for Jesus (John 14:21-23; 15:10)

    When Jesus calls us to obedience, He is calling us to love. In John 14:21–23, Jesus says,
    “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him… If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”John 14:21-23
    That is one of the most staggering promises in all of Scripture — the God of heaven making His home in the heart of a believer. Notice how Jesus connects love, obedience, and fellowship. To love Him is to obey Him, and to obey Him is to experience deeper fellowship with Him.
    The world often separates love and obedience, but Jesus binds them together. Love without obedience is sentimental and shallow; obedience without love is lifeless and cold. But when love and obedience dwell together, they produce joy — the joy of communion with God, the joy your heart yearns for, the only kind of joy that satisfies the eternal space God put in your heart (Eccl 3:11).
    When Jesus says, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word,” He is describing the rhythm of discipleship. Our obedience flows from our relationship, not the other way around. We do not obey to earn God’s love; we obey because we have received it. The Father’s love is gracious and unearned, yet our ongoing enjoyment of that love grows deeper as we walk in obedience. Jesus modeled this perfectly. He said in John 8:29, “The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” His obedience was not drudgery, or obligatory, but obedience for Jesus was delight because His heart was fully united with the Father’s will.
    And that’s what He’s inviting you into — the same kind of joyful obedience that defined His life.

    The Joy of the Obedient Child

    Think of it like a child walking hand-in-hand with his father through a crowded street. The child doesn’t hold his father’s hand because he fears punishment; he holds it because he trusts him. He knows his father’s hand will lead him safely home. If the child lets go to run after something shiny in the road, danger quickly follows. But when he stays close — when he listens, obeys, and trusts — he walks in peace and confidence.
    That’s what obedience to Jesus looks like. It’s not restriction; it’s relationship. It’s not the loss of freedom; it’s the gain of fellowship, and I would argue great freedom. It’s the joy of knowing that you are walking in step with the Savior who loves you, who has proven his love for you, and has ensured you will stay in his love for eternity.

    The Fruit of Obedience: Triune Love

    Jesus promises that such obedience results in divine Triune fellowship — “My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” The reality of the believer’s life in Christ is enjoying the fellowship he enjoys with the Father. When you obey Jesus’ Word, you are welcoming the presence of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit into every corner of your heart. Your home becomes the Trinity’s home. Your life becomes the Trinity’s dwelling place.
    And the result? Joy. Joy that runs deeper than any circumstance your life may find itself whether it is on the mountain top, or in the valley. It’s a special joy that enables your soul to endure trials as momentary and light afflictions in this world, knowing they do not compare to the weight of glory, and of joy, in the next world (2 Corinthians 4:17). It’s a joy that reflects the very heart of Jesus, who said to his disciples,“I have spoken these things to you that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11).
    Brothers and sisters, joy in Jesus is found and experienced by cultivating faithful living. If you want to know the joy of Christ, obey His Word. If you want to experience the presence of Christ, walk in His ways. His commands are not burdensome; they are the pathway to blessing.
    So, we’ve seen abiding in Jesus and your obedience help you cultivate joy. But how can we hold onto that hope day by day when we grow weary fighting sin that tries to rob us of our joy? How do we keep joy alive in the midst of our waiting, our weakness, our weeping? Jesus gives us the answer in the next promise—He sends us the Comforter. We cultivate joy in Jesus by realizing that our joy is anchored in the Holy Spirit.

    Cultivate Joy in Jesus by cooperating with the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17; 16:13)

    After Jesus rose from the grave, He did not leave His disciples as orphans. He ascended to the right hand of the Father, but before He did, He made them a promise — “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16–17). At Pentecost, that promise was fulfilled. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead descended upon His people and now dwells in every believer. The Spirit is not merely a force or influence, but a divine person — God Himself — who takes up residence within you.
    Every believer in Christ is baptized with the Holy Spirit at conversion (1 Cor. 12:13). He is not a second blessing; He is the seal of your salvation. Paul writes in Ephesians 1:13, “In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.” That word sealed is a real estate term. It speaks of a down payment — a deposit that guarantees the full purchase to come. In other words, the Holy Spirit is God’s non-refundable pledge on your life. He is the divine earnest money of heaven. He cannot be taken back because you belong to Christ forever (John 6:37-40).
    The Spirit of God is not a temporary guest; He is an eternal resident. Jesus said the Father would give the Spirit “to be with you forever” (John 14:16). The Holy Spirit is the permanent presence of God within the believer — an unbreakable anchor of joy, assurance, and peace. Just as Jesus walked beside Peter, James, and John, the Spirit now walks beside you. He comforts when you are crushed. He teaches when you are confused. He exhorts when you are wayward. He consoles when you are weary. He is, as Jesus called Him, “the Helper.”
    Jesus also said in John 16:13, “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come.” The Spirit’s ministry in your life is to open your eyes to the glory of Jesus. He brings illumination where there was darkness, conviction where there was hardness, and comfort where there was despair. He anchors your joy in the solid rock of revelation. He teaches you that even in suffering, your hope is secure because the living Christ reigns within you.
    Think of a lighthouse standing against the storm. The waves crash, the wind howls, and the sea roars, yet the light never goes out. Its power source is buried deep in the ground — untouched by the chaos around it. That’s what the Holy Spirit is like in the life of a believer. The world can rage, sorrow can strike, and temptation can pound at your door, but the light of Christ in you — sustained by the Spirit — will not go out. He is the steady flame of divine joy in the heart of God’s people.
    That’s why Paul could say in Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” The Spirit is the divine means by which your joy abounds. He fills what sorrow empties. He reminds you that you are not alone in this journey. He is the voice whispering through the storm, “You belong to Christ, and I will carry you home.”
    Therefore, you must cooperate with the Holy Spirit to cultivate your joy. Do not grieve the Spirit by unbelief or sin (Ephesians 4:30). Don’t silence His counsel or ignore His conviction. Instead, yield to Him daily in obedience. Let Him stir your affections for Jesus with truth and glory. Trust Him to sustain you, enlighten you, and empower you until the day Jesus returns to take you home.
    Your joy is not anchored in how you feel, but in who lives within you — the Spirit of the Living God.
    Jesus also knew that obedience would not always feel joyful. There would be seasons of deep sorrow, moments when tears blur faith’s vision and obedience feels costly. Yet even there, joy remains. In fact, some of the deepest joy is forged in the furnace of grief. That’s why our next point is so vital: we cultivate joy in Jesus by persevering through sorrow with the hope of the resurrection.

    Stay close to the vine, walk in obedience to His Word, and cooperate with the Spirit who anchors your soul.

    As we close this morning, let’s remember where we began: every one of us longs for joy — a deep, unshakable joy that the world cannot give and the world cannot take away. Jesus invites us into that joy, not someday in heaven, but now in His kingdom.
    We’ve learned that this joy is cultivated, not by striving harder, but by abiding deeper. We cultivate joy in Jesus by abiding in His Word — staying close to the vine and drawing life from His truth which stirs our affections for Him. We cultivate joy through obedience, because obedience is not the enemy of joy but its evidence. When we walk in step with His commands, we find the same delight that Jesus found in doing the Father’s will. And we cultivate joy by cooperating with the Holy Spirit, who lives within us as our Helper, Counselor, and Comforter. The Spirit secures what Jesus purchased, sustains what Jesus began, and assures us that we are never alone.
    Church, the joy Jesus offers is not fragile. It’s not dependent on comfort or convenience. It’s rooted in the eternal love of the Father, the saving work of the Son, and the indwelling presence of the Spirit. It’s the kind of joy that abides even when the night is long — because it is anchored in the One who conquered the grave.
    And that brings us to next week’s focus. If joy is found in abiding, obedience, and the Spirit’s presence, what happens when sorrow comes — when grief presses in, when trials threaten to undo us? Jesus does not leave us without hope. In part two of this sermon, we’ll learn that joy in Jesus is not destroyed by suffering but refined through it. We’ll see that we cultivate joy in Jesus by persevering through sorrow with the hope of the resurrection, and by beholding His glory, the glory of the One who makes our joy complete.
    So until then, church, stay close to the vine, walk in obedience to His Word, and trust the Spirit who anchors your soul. For in doing so, you are cultivating a joy that will one day blossom into everlasting praise when you see your Savior face to face.

      • John 14:21–23ESV

      • John 15:10ESV

      • John 14:21–23ESV

      • John 14:16–17ESV

      • John 16:13ESV

  • He Will Hold Me Fast
First Baptist Church Litchfield
pastorjason.fbcl@gmail.com
217-324-4232
http://www.firstbaptistlitchfield.org/
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