JOY THAT IS FULL: JOY THAT REMAINS!
John 15:1-17
INTRODUCTION: In John chapters fourteen, fifteen, sixteen and seventeen we are in the heart
of Bible treasure land. This is the upper room discourse and Jesus Christ will reveal to us His
tremendous spiritual gems. John 15:11. God has a plan for all of His children to have joy that is
full, constant, conspicuous and contagious: 1 Thessalonians 5:16. We are to have joy that is
unspeakable and full of glory: 1 Peter 1:8. Christ’s joy in our lives is winsome! The joy of the
Lord is our strength: Nehemiah 8:8-10; Psalm 100:1-2; John 15:11.
I. THE SUPERNATURAL SOURCE OF THIS JOY!
Now first we must learn where this joy comes from. Jesus said “that My joy might remain
in you!” Our joy is not our strength; it is His joy that is our strength! Our Lord Jesus had joy:
Psalm 45:7. How can we get and maintain the joy of the Lord in jour hearts? John 17:13. Our
Lord Jesus is the supernatural source of joy!
II. THE JOY OF THE LORD THAT REMAINS!
The joy of the Lord is meant to remain in our lives: John 15:11. Now God had given us all
created things to richly enjoy: 1 Timothy 6:17. But the joy we get from things and from people
will not stay with us. They can and will be taken from us eventually. The stability of our joy is
no greater than the source of our joy. When Jesus becomes and stays your greatest joy that
will never be taken from you. Our Lord Jesus is facing the cross when He told us of His joy that
can never be taken away.
III. THE SUFFICIENT SUPPLY OF THIS JOY!
How sufficient is the joy of the Lord? John 15:11; Psalm 16:11. How would you like
pleasures for evermore? When we find our primary joy in the things and people God puts into
our lives, the very things that bring me joy today can easily break my heart in the future. No
one will ever know the fullness of joy until they know Jesus Christ.
IV. HOW DO WE GET THIS JOY AND MAINTAIN IT?
How is the joy of the Lord given unto us and how can we maintain that joy in our daily lives?
John 15:11. Jesus is saying here that He is giving us the secret of true lasting joy. The secret not
only the sufficient supply, but the secret of attaining and keeping His supply of joy. Jesus said
He is the vine and we are branches. Jesus said if we long to have and keep His joy in our lives
we must be and stay connected to Him. All that the branch needs is already in the vine! All
that is available in the vine to the branch if the branch will only do one thing. That is abide in
that vine. Jesus said if we will learn that and do that we will have constant, conspicuous,
contagious joy. John 15:5. It is not that we can do more with Jesus; it is that without Jesus we
cannot do anything that really matters to eternity. What can a branch do without the vine?
Die! That’s it! We must learn to feed upon the Word of our Lord: John 15:7. In order for us to
abide in Christ we must allow His Word to abide in us. John 6:63. It is the Spirit of God living in
us and living through us that gives us the very life of Christ: John 15:7. Jesus Word is the life of
God coming into us. If we are not abiding in the Word of God we are not abiding in Christ. We
need to feed on God’s Word and obey God’s Word: John 15:10-11. Sadly for many they like
the promises but they don’t like to obey the commandments of God. We get to really know
God by our obedience to Him: John 13:17; John 14:21. The chief duty of a branch is not to bear
fruit but to abide in the vine.