Well, good evening again, my beloved. Today we're gonna see the conclusion of the prologue of 1 John 1. So let's go there. And as we look at verse four of this chapter one in 1 John, We will learn more about what is the ultimate purpose of the Apostle John in writing this short epistle. Today we're gonna be looking at the topic of eternal joy. And actually that's the name of my message. Eternal joy, 1 John 1, 4. These things we write so that our joy may be made complete. Now, let me start out this message emphasizing the importance of joy. We can go through life without happiness, but we cannot make it without joy. Now, we can make it through life, in peril situations, wanting, utter need, hunger, persecutions, illness, even martyrdom, tribulations, separation from our loved ones, all kind of sufferings. We can go through life through that, but we should go through that with joy. And despite how much we might all agree that we dislike those situations that I just mentioned, even though we must agree that those are expected in this fallen and broken world, that's something that we will face. Even we might be called by God by His sovereignty to go through life bearing many of those situations and dealing and struggling with many of those situations. And we might have even been appointed by God to have that sting on our flesh, that emissary from the devil to remind us over and over how fragile we are. However, We are not called by God to go through life without joy. Or, let me state it in positive terms, we are called by God to be joyful. And as John is concluding his prologue, his ultimate goal is accomplishing joy. And this is not a disconnected reality or something unrealistic that he has said to himself. No, the apostle is looking to accomplish this because he's basing his goal of experiencing joy, not only in his life, but in the life of the believers, on the fact that, as you remember in verse 3, his immediate purpose was that readers and true believers, those accepting the true message of the gospel, were having and being participating of the fellowship with God. So based on that assumption, based on the fact that they're having fellowship with God, it is suspected the apostle is thinking that they have to have joy. They need to be experiencing joy. So this is a realistic base for this experiencing of joy that John is suspecting. Fellowship with God produces joy. And this fellowship with God is not happening in a vacuum. It is a reality of a historical event. It is produced by the undeniable work of Christ. It is produced by the power and the undeniable person of the Son of God. It is the manifested life, who was with the Father for all eternity, who is at work producing this joy. He has been with the Father for all eternity, enjoying fellowship and joy with the Father. And this is the way that we should be thinking about it. If we are called to enjoy fellowship with God, it is suspected that we are called to experience joy with God. And not only with God, with his church as well, with his people as well. Now, in other words, our fellowship with God and with one another has been designed by God to make us joyful. Think about that. What a wonderful reality. And now, let me ask you, and ask myself, are we joyful about these wonderful realities this evening? Are we enjoying the sweet honey of the fellowship with God and with our brothers and sisters? Is that fellowship making us joyful? John is preparing these four verses. Think about it, this is a prologue. Based on this, is he's gonna capture his reader's attention, if you wanna put it that way? And let's say if a marketing wizard were to approach the apostle John while he's penning down this verse, this last verse of his prologue, he might have said something like this. Johnny, I think you have a great plan with an amazing purpose, but I disagree with the product that you want to create. People want happiness, Johnny. To which John might have replied, friend, you have understood nothing. The plan has been laid down by God himself in the person and the work of Christ with the purpose of glorifying himself and not us. with the goal of making us joyful, joyful participants of the fellowship with God and others. And that is why what we need is joyful people, not mere, happy people. We need joyful people. And as we consider this verse, And as I go highlighting the reality of joy in the life of the believers, I wanna show you three points. Okay, put yourself in John's mind or sandals for a minute. And he has a plan, John's plan. Then he has a purpose. That's John's purpose. And then John is looking for a perfect product. In those three points, let's see if we can see it there in that little verse right there. John plans. It's a plan that he has to communicate to these believers that the invincible and invisible and intangible things of God are revealed through visible, intangible historical events. And kind of like following up with the assertion, the statement that he did in verse three, John remind them that the eternal fellowship with God that we are called to is happening right here, right now. Let's put it this way. Time is closed in eternity. Time is clothed by eternity. And as we pass through time, as we transition to our perfect state before God, let us not forget that we are called to experience and exhibit joy right here, right now, while we are on this earth. If our fellowship with God includes fellowship with others, let us start from now. Let's fellowship right here, right now. And if our fellowship with God includes and brings about joy, let us rejoice now, right here, right now, where you are, where God have you. to the first century believers listening to this, that was amazing. I mean, and that was such a good encouragement because he is helping these believers with the reality of eternal joy. And the apostle appeals to write the things pertaining to what? Himself? No, the work and the life of Christ. And actually, his plan to communicate joy to these believers evokes Psalm 1611, and I read it to you. When the psalmist says, you will make known to me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy. In your right hand there are pleasures forever. Through the words of John, God is doing exactly that. That is why the apostle is basing his argument for joy in the work and the person of Christ. God has made known to us the path of life through the person and the work of Christ, and that's the only hope we have for salvation. That's the only hope we have to fellowship, true fellowship with God in others. That's the only hope that we have to be joyful. And this is the plan that John has, to make these believers be joyful. He's taking them back to the work and the person of Christ, like he did, actually verse one of this prologue. John is saying, these things we write, and these things are our safe passage, and the only way to eternal joy. He's writing this four verse here. In the last words of John's prologue, follow the pattern of the words of our Lord. I don't know if you remember if you want to go there, if not, I'll read it to you. John 15, 11 is the Lord talking to the disciples when he's about to command them to love one another as he is explaining this relationship that the believers have to have with one another. He's saying this, these things I have spoken to you so that my joy may be in you. and that your joy may be full, complete. There is a message given with a clear plan and intended purpose, not only by the Lord there, but what John is doing. Jesus has spoken the same message to the disciples, and now the disciples has written this message. That's why he's saying here, we write, these things we write. So why he's doing that? Because he wants to produce joy in his readers. In both cases, the intended goal is the same. The Lord is intended creating joy in his believers, in his followers, in his disciples, same the disciples are doing, creating joy in their readers. Now, of course, at the same time, we need to understand that he's rebuking false teachers. We understand that part. With his writing, John is protecting believers and chiding false teachers. In verse 226, he's saying, these things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. So it is kind of like a double H goal, eliciting joy in the believers and at the same time, chiding the false teachers. And the very reason of John emphasizing on these things we write is to confirm those believers and give them not only peace of mind, peace of heart regarding their beliefs and their hope that their joy, it is a reality that they can accomplish. Not because of the disciples and themselves and their message, but because the message of the disciples were reflecting the work and the person of Jesus Christ. So the apostles were not promoting themselves, they were concerned about promoting Christ because he is the one, the only one that makes believers joyful. Actually, Paul was saying the same thing in 2 Corinthians, when he wrote that the apostle wrote to the readers nothing else that they have read and understand. And John is doing exactly the same, making sure believers understand that the things he writes are to produce joy in them. In conclusion, in this first part, John's plan is to stir joy in the believer life, and he does it by recounting, by appealing to the many things that he showed about the work and the person of Jesus Christ. And that's his plan. what we have seen, what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands concerning the Word of Life. All that description of the person and the work of Christ when He's saying that He's the manifested life, that's the plan that He has to make believers joyful. Now, what about his purpose? Why is it important? Why John deems it so important that believers may be joyful? Why? Well, he has purpose to execute his plan in showing Christ and his work to making joyful people. We agree on that, but why? And the purpose and plan of John had the same goal, accomplishing joy in the believer's life. Now, the question again, and I ask you, throw that to you, why is so important that we are joyful people? Let us look at some answers, okay? Well, even when you go to the Old Testament, Joy and gladness are the hallmark of the messianic kingdom. I read to you Psalm 14.7. And I will be said in that day, and it will be said in that day, behold, this is our God for whom we have waited, that he might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited. Let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation. Oh, that the salvation of Israel will come out of Zion. When the Lord restore his captive people, Jacob will rejoice. Israel will be glad. One thing you're gonna start noticing, and I'm gonna highlight that, and I'm gonna go over and over, as I do with my kids. Every time you see joy, it's salvation associated with it. And we're gonna be looking at that. Joy is the response to the salvific work of God. And I'm gonna go there with something else later on. And I wanna show you this. Joy is experienced when a sinner repents. Remember that famous verse, Luke 15, seven? Joy is, actually that's the one, the shepherd, when the shepherd found the lost sheep. But when the sinner repents, what happened? It is joy in heaven. Now, the response of the shepherd found in the lost sheep, I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who need no repentance. Now, the reason why it's so important to be joyful is that joy is experienced when we are co-participants in the work of God. The kind of joy is the one that John the Baptist actually experienced. John 3, 29. In John the Baptist's words, he who has the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom who stands and hears him rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. So this joy of mine has been made full. This kind of joy is also the one that Jesus gives. That's why it's so important for us to be joyful. And that's why this is part of John's purpose in writing this part, to have joyful believers when he speaks about eternal joy and joy in this introduction of his epistle. is the kind of joy that John mentions on Jesus's word in John 15, 11. These things I have spoken to you so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be made full. Joy is also experience when our needs are supplied. Have you ever felt joyful that the Lord has supplied your needs, spiritual needs, physical needs, economic, material needs? Don't you feel joy? I mean, the creator of the universe is taking care of you. It's such a beautiful feeling. And, John 16, 24 tells us, until now you have asked for nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full. Joy is the result of the preaching of the gospel. And as I was saying, where the message of the gospel goes, guess what? where the message of the gospel comes, there is joy. Even in times of church persecution, the end result is the spreading of good news. I don't know how many times you thought about it. Maybe we're not being persecuted, but we all have our own trials. And that's the time when God is working the most to produce what? Happiness? I don't think so. To produce joy, because that joy, as we are gonna see, it is based, it has its founts, its source in God himself. And that is a testimony that help to preach the gospel, that advances the gospel of Christ. So even in times of church persecution, we see this. How in the world? More and more joy around, more good news, more people being saved. Actually, you go to the book of Acts and see how the primitive church was being persecuted by Saul himself. It was a bloody and a painful persecution that brought about what? The spreading of believers through the region of Samaria. And the gospel came to that region, and many were saved. And because they were saved, joy, Instead of persecution, instead of suffering, instead of, Lord, joy abounded. Along with the spreading of the gospel and the good news, people was being liberated, set free from unclean spirit, healed and saved by the power of the gospel of Christ. Act 8a tells us, so there was much rejoicing in that city. Well, what about the persecutions? It's not that God doesn't care, of course He does. But we are being participants of His work. And as the Word tells us, we know more about Christ when we share in His suffering. So the response of God to the bloody persecution of the church was more people being saved, more people being liberated by the gospel of God. The response to God about our pain and persecution and suffering is the giving of joy to his church. To do what? To proclaim the gospel of Christ. I don't know if you remember a situation that you had, I don't know, you encounter something, let's say a spider, and you got so scared, so freaked out. What happened to you? The fight or flight effect? The adrenaline kicking in and your heart beating up? It seems to be that's exactly what happened. As more persecution, as more bloody the persecution gets, and more suffering comes to our life, more joy comes from inward, inside out, coming from Christ, coming from God, because we are participants of His work, and we have fellowship with Him. And that fellowship is of eternal nature. It doesn't focus on what is happening with us right there. It's not that God doesn't care. Now, another way of looking at it, and that's why John the apostle has purpose to say, if you ever wanna read my epistle, I want you to be joyful. This is the purpose of my epistle. It's because joy is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5, 22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. And we need to ask ourselves, if we are indwelled by the Holy Spirit of God, if we were immersed by the Holy Spirit of God in the body of Christ, if regeneration has been produced in our life, if we have been made born again, we qualify for enjoyment. We qualify, you have what you need to be joyful. It is in you. And talking about myself, okay? Many times that I'm struggling to be joyful, to see this manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit in my life, I conclude that I'm much too alive to myself for my own purposes and my own goals. I am being dominated by carnality in a certain area of my life, or I'm just quenching the Spirit of God. And I just right there slap myself in the face and make myself react and repent. Regarding joy and tribulations, listen to the words of the Apostle Paul. That's why this is important. And that's why John wants these believers to be joyful people, to have knowledge and understanding of eternal joy. First Thessalonians 1.6, Paul writing, you also became imitator of us and the Lord, having received a worthy much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit. And also Paul in Romans 14.17, for the kingdom of God is not eaten and drinking by righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Now another scent, still alive. John MacArthur described joy as an abiding attitude of praise and thanksgiving, regardless of circumstances, which flows from one's confidence in God's sovereignty. Nice, beautiful description. So by faith, We believers are able to soar above the negative circumstances and find comfort and encouragement in the reassuring words of God. Because the trust of the believer in God's word brings about, I want to hear it from you, joy, amen. Now, John has a plan in the first four verses, and with the purpose of producing what? Joyful believers, and he has in mind a perfect product. He wants believers being this way, perfect, complete. Now, let's start this last section. Because John's perfect product refers to what John wants to accomplish in the believer's lives. In this section, I wanna talk about this. And first of all, he knows that he's talking to people that has gone through a lot. Have you? Are you? I mean, I think we can all agree that at some extent, we all have gone through a lot. John is talking in this epistle about many hindrances to joy because he wants a product that is perfect. We are gonna go through some passages in this epistle. When he's talking about people, people that has gone many difficult trials, and even many of them, remember he was established in his spiritual headquarters in Ephesus, and Ephesus has that big temple. Many people coming from that, that has a very ungodly lifestyle, and then they have to walk with the Lord, fighting off all those old temptations and many other things. So it wasn't very hard. So he knew how to encourage believers, to help them be joyful. Now, and one thing that he is pointed at in this four verses too, is that the number one thing to, Stop believers from being joyful. The number one thing that takes away believer's joy is what? It has three letters. Start with S. S with N. It's I in the middle. Sin. Verse 2 too, he advises believers on what to do with their everyday sin. And by doing that, once again, he's resorting back to what? The person and the work of Christ. He's saying, my little children, I am writing these things to you so that you might not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. Now, that's a very good advice. Sin, don't allow sin in your life. You've been justified. I mean, you have been forgiven. Now keep your acts clean, like our brother Gil was preaching today. You know, the posture that we need to have. I remember. But another advice that the apostle gives to keep joyfulness To keep that joyfulness going is what? Avoiding idolatry. Where do we find that? Almost at the end of the book, the letter. Idolatry, 521. The apostolic prescription in this case is little children, little children again, guard yourself from idols. What he means by that? Well, what kind of idols is he talking about that might prevent me from being joyful? And the number one act of idolatry is the denial of the person of Christ. And that's exactly where he's going after when it comes to rebuking the false teachers. They were denying Christ. And many true believers were believing that lie, and by doing so, they were cutting themselves out from the fellowship of the true believers. Now, this is the number one thing. And the apostle has reminded these believers in verses, actually verse 4, 14, that the apostles have seen and testified that the Father has sent the Son to the world to be the Savior of the world. Now, the false teachers deny the work and the person of Christ. Consequently, they deny what? Their own sinfulness. We don't need this. And that's why he's saying, if you say that you have no sin, you lie. Moreover, some of them that might believe, yeah, I'm sinful, but you know, actually, I know that he came to die for sinners, but I don't know, whatever I do in my body, that's fine. So their life contradicted their confession of faith. Now, however, there is one more practical way and one more practical advice to preserve joy. The apostle John is talking about, through the book, walking in darkness and being out of fellowship is another big hindrance of joy. And false teachers were denying Christ. That automatically qualified them as being out of fellowship. And they lacked that fellowship with God. And because of this reality, they didn't enjoy fellowship with brothers. And even moreover, that's the reason why there were schismatic, there were divisions in those congregations. And that is the natural result of lacking fellowship with God. When there is no fellowship with God, there is no joy. Now, When he speaks about walking in darkness and he's telling these believers, listen, this is a perfect product that I'm pointing out with you, that your joy, our joy may be made complete. He's talking about all the stuff that he's advising believers with. not to walk in darkness. And darkness is a manifestation of lawlessness, which in turn turns into disobedience. So keeping Jesus' commandments is the evidence that we are abiding in His truth. If we are abiding in His truth, then we have fellowship with Him. If we have fellowship with Him, that brings about joy. So walking in darkness also amounts to what? Lack of love for our brothers and sisters. And this lack of love is not only a hindrance, it might be as well a manifestation of a lack of sincere fellowship with God that that amounts to what? They are not even saved to start with. They have no salvation. So, but finally, I want to get to the kind of like the nitty gritty of what lack of joy in the life of a believer is. And the Apostle John mentioned very important hindrances about joy, not having joy. In verses, chapter two, verses 15 and 17. Those are the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, which amounts to love for the world. Love God and you will experience joy. Love the world and the most you get out of it is a little fleeting and short-lived happiness. Part of the world that we love are ourselves. and our dreams, and our desire of fulfillment, and the many things that we think that we deserve, that they might be probably a good source of happiness, temporary happiness, but they're not many times a source of true joy. So out of our love for the world, we might experience happiness. which is an emotion produced by external forces. This emotion is produced by external forces, external events, and it's pretty much based on circumstances, as opposed to joy. Joy is that inner force, that emotion that comes flowing from our relationship with God, and it's that emotion that outflows from the inside out. even toppling the pain and the sufferings about circumstances that we have to go through many times. Now, I think at this point, the question of what's the difference between happiness and joy is a valid question. Let's tackle that as we talk about eternal joy. As I'm presenting to you that, in my opinion, John wants a perfect product. He's talking about this thing we rise so that our joy may be made complete. And the source of happiness is the world. We can smile and not be joyful. Smile is outward and can last maybe a few hours. but it's depending on outward circumstances. And I'm not saying that you cannot smile, of course, and being happy and joyful. Of course, yeah, that's a win-win situation. But the source of joy is Christ. And this is an inward experience, and because of our joy, and because this joy is so special, because it's based on the work and the person of Christ, we experience eternal joy. And when I say eternal joy, I'm not saying, oh, wait for you to die. No, this is part of eternity for us. Let us start right here, right now. Now, there are some more difference between happiness and joy that I would like to address, and I'm good with the time. So, happiness depends of what is happening. Many times. And our pursuit of happiness make us victims of the circumstances. Don't put yourself in that predicament. You don't want that for your life. And I want to give you a medical example about happiness, okay? Happiness resembles cosmetic. Cosmetic. Let's say a medical example. I would like to play the doctor role. There are many skin conditions that are produced by liver malfunctioning. Brother Wayne, for you to know. If your liver is not doing its job of breaking down toxins efficiently, guess what happens? Those toxins might be eliminated by your body by another mechanism, by another means. In many cases, they come out through your skin. And when excessive toxin buildup in the deeper layers of the skin, this cause inflammation to occur. And this can be manifest in many ways. Listen to the list, OK? Dermatitis, eczema, and I might be pronouncing it wrong, premature aging, wrinkling of the skin, brown liver spots, red itchy rashes, deep painful rashes, hives, psoriasis, acne, many, many more, and even pimples. It would be a disservice to our own body to just use cosmetics to cover the symptoms and not treat the causes of the problem. If I have a liver problem, I have to go to the root. I'm doing a disservice to my body just covering the thing with cosmetic thing. In the same way, it is a disservice to our Christian life to care only for the outward condition of our being or if we are happy or content temporarily in detriment of our deeper needs. Happiness is cosmetic, fed by outside circumstances. It entails surface needs but evaporates in time of sufferings, most of the time. It won't hold up. As opposed to joy. It's coming from God. It is eternal joy. The source of joy is God who never changes. Think about that. That's why we are calling the world to rejoice in the Lord always. Philippians 4.44, I'm sorry. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say rejoice. Why? Because that joys is based on the unchangeable character of God. He doesn't change. That's beautiful. We can be always joyful because joy is based on the character of God who never changes. We can confidently rely and enjoy Him regardless of what our circumstances. That's why John is trying to make this point here. Guys, I want joyful believers and there is a reason of that. Our joy comes from within and meets our deepest need. And this joy comes from a true fellowship with God. We all agree with that. It's the kind of emotion that actually intensifies in time of sufferings. And that is why in the providential appointment of God, sufferings, tribulations, and trials are kind of like intertwined with joy. And this joy is important to further the message of the gospel and expand the kingdom of God. David knew about this when in Psalms 51 verses 12 and 13, listen what he said. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways and sinners will be converted to you. In conclusion, if we find ourselves lacking of joy, let us become more proactive and actively involved in the Lord's business of salvation to humankind, mankind. This is the very reason why Jesus came in the first place. And this is what the apostle John is conveying for our own spiritual health and joy, and that's why he has this clear idea. He wants this perfect product that he wants to produce because his purpose is making true, joyful believers. That's why his only plan to achieve that is taking these believers back to what? Their source. Which is what? Their source of joy, the person, and the work of Christ. And he might not be following any other advice of the Holy Spirit. And I can see him, 20 centuries later, actually we open the Word, and 20 centuries later, he's saying exactly the same thing. what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands concerning the word of life, and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testified and proclaimed to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us. What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us. And indeed, our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. These things we write, that's my plan, so that our joy, that's my purpose, be made complete. I want this perfect product for God's glory. And I hope this is true of yourself and myself, that we are joyful people, that we think about eternal things and we cherish what God has given to us. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, Lord, we thank you so much. because of Christ and because of your plan from before the foundation of this world of sending our Lord Jesus Christ. It is based on his work, it is based on his person that we have fellowship with you. It is based on that fellowship that we can have joy. Not a joy for just a little short time, It is a joy that has the same quality of the fellowship that you have enjoyed with your son. It is a joy that has the quality of being eternal. It is a joy that can have us thriving in spite of our circumstances. And we praise you for that, Lord. And we thank you that we can understand your message, that we have to think about eternal things, and we have to enjoy this eternal joy. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.