Santosh Poonen - Radiating the Joy of God | Austin CFC | WoF 2021 S2
Santosh Poonen - "Radiating the Joy of God" Austin CFC - Weekend of Fellowship 2021 Session 2
Summary
The central message is how believers can know they are drawing closer to God's presence, which is characterized by a fullness of joy. The speaker uses analogies like decreasing mileage markers and the smell of barbecue to illustrate spiritual progress, urging listeners to check their lives for sustained joy rather than merely feeling an atmosphere of religious fervor. True closeness to Jesus leads to genuine, abiding joy.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
How do we know we are getting closer to God?Just as driving toward a destination reveals a decreasing distance, drawing closer to God and heaven should manifest in our lives through a growing measure of His presence and joy.
Fullness of joy in God's presencePsalm 16 teaches that heaven is full of joy, and as we draw nearer to God, our own lives should be filled with that same joy rather than misery and weariness.Psalm 16:11
The way of the cross leads to lifePreaching on death to self and the cross is not a morbid burden, but the pathway through which we experience the true resurrection life and joy of Christ.
Joy as an exercise of the willJoy is not merely an unpredictable feeling, but a choice and a command given by God in the new covenant, sustained by the Holy Spirit within us.
The longest verse and God's everlasting kindnessPsalm 136 serves as a profound reminder of God's enduring loving-kindness, which remains constant through every circumstance of life.
Heaven described as the joy of your masterIn the parable of the talents, Jesus explicitly portrays heaven not just in physical terms, but as entering into the very joy of God.
Fear versus full devotionWhile the faithful servants embraced their task with trust, the third servant was hindered by fear and a distorted view of God as a hard master.
Leaving a trail of joy like JesusUnlike the joyless legalism of the Pharisees, Jesus radiated the joy of heaven wherever He went, leaving a trail of divine life behind Him.
That my joy may be in youJesus explicitly stated that His teachings and commands were given so that His personal joy might dwell fully within His disciples.John 15:11
Radiating joy by looking to JesusJust as spending time in the sun tans the skin, keeping our eyes undistractedly fixed on Jesus causes our faces to radiate His joy.
God works all things together in ChristBecause God knew every failure we would commit and freely gave His own Son on the cross, we can rest secure in His unchanging love and joyful acceptance.
The Lord knows our frameGod is deeply mindful of our human frailty and sympathizes with our weaknesses, which is why Jesus became flesh to understand our frame firsthand.Psalm 103:13
Heaven rejoices over the lostThe parables in Luke 15 reveal that the heart of God overflows with celebration and joy whenever a lost sinner turns back to Him.
The Lord rejoices over us with singingZephaniah 3 pictures God dwelling in our midst as a victorious warrior who silently plans in love and rejoices over His children with loud shouts of joy.Zephaniah 3:17
