Deep Joy
True Christianity is characterized by deep joy, which comes from continually looking up to God, His love, His purpose, and His will.
Mary Wilder Tileston preaches about the importance of finding deep joy in true Christianity by continually looking away from sin, obstacles, and hardships, and focusing on God's love, purpose, and will. She emphasizes that our Christianity should not be merely 'dutiful' but should be filled with joy that comes from rejoicing in the Lord. Tileston highlights that as we look up to God and find joy in Him, our faith will be strengthened, and our religion will exude power and attractiveness.
Text
Sing unto the Lord, 0 ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness.
--PSALMS 30:4
GLAD with Thy light, and glowing with Thy love,
So let me ever speak and think and move
As fits a soul new-touched with life from heaven;
That seeks but so to order all her course
As most to show the glory of that Source
By whom alone her strength, her life are given.
--C. J. P. SPITTA
OUR Christianity is apt to be of a very "dutiful" kind. We mean to do our duty, we attend church and go to our communions. But our hearts are full of the difficulties, the hardships, the obstacles which the situ.ation presents, and we go on our way sadly, down.hearted and despondent. We need to learn that true Christianity is inseparable from deep joy; and the secret of that joy lies in a continual looking away from all else--away from sin and its ways, and from the manifold hindrances to the good we would do--up to God, His love, His purpose, His will. In proportion as we do look up to Him we shall rejoice, and in pro.portion as we rejoice in the Lord will our religion have tone and power and attractiveness.
--CHARLES GORE
Sermon Outline
- I. The Need for Deep Joy
- A. Christianity can be 'dutiful' but lacking in joy
- B. We need to look beyond difficulties and hardships to find true joy
- II. The Secret of Deep Joy
- A. Looking away from sin and its ways
- B. Looking away from hindrances to good
- C. Looking up to God, His love, His purpose, His will
- III. The Result of Deep Joy
- A. Rejoicing in the Lord
- B. A religion with tone, power, and attractiveness
Key Quotes
“In proportion as we do look up to Him we shall rejoice, and in proportion as we rejoice in the Lord will our religion have tone and power and attractiveness.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“OUR Christianity is apt to be of a very 'dutiful' kind.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“We need to learn that true Christianity is inseparable from deep joy;” — Mary Wilder Tileston
Application Points
- We should continually look up to God, His love, His purpose, and His will to find deep joy in our Christianity.
- Rejoicing in the Lord gives our religion tone, power, and attractiveness.
- We can overcome difficulties and hardships in our Christianity by looking up to God, His love, His purpose, and His will.