Well, please take your Bibles and open them up this morning to the book of Psalms.
The book of Psalms.
And our passage this morning is just one verse, mercifully short for you this morning.
Psalm 1611.
But don't get any ideas.
I promise a full-length sermon for you.
We will walk through the entire Psalm, but focus in on Psalm 16, verse 11.
And so when you found that, let's stand in honor of the reading of God's Word this morning.
Psalm 16, verse 11.
David writes,
You make known to me the path of life.
In your presence there is fullness of joy.
At your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Let's pray.
Father, we thank you, God, that this verse is true.
Lord, we thank you that there is endless joy and endless pleasure to be had in your presence.
And so we pray now, as we've already asked God, that you would move our hearts to seek it in you.
And we pray this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
You may be seated.
We're here in the month of January.
We spend a little bit of time focusing in on our mission and our vision as a church.
Who are we?
What do we exist for?
What are we up to here at Seawee Bay?
Our mission as a church,
we exist to magnify the glory of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Treg showed us this mission last week from Revelation chapter 5,
this grand gospel plan.
God's mission, we believe, in all of human history,
God's mission is God's glory.
And so because this is God's mission,
this is also our mission.
Our mission as a church is to magnify the glory of God.
Our mission is God's glory.
But that raises an important question,
and it's a question that every church has to answer
and every individual Christian has to answer.
It's a question that really ought to shape the way that we live
and the way that we approach our plans
and our hopes for the coming year.
And that question is how?
And so for the next three weeks,
we're going to answer that question.
How do we as a church plan to magnify the glory of God?
What are we going to do?
What's on the agenda for Seawee Bay in 2026?
And we could answer that question in a lot of ways, couldn't we?
I think it's a temptation for all of us,
even especially me in leadership, the pastors here,
to start off a new year thinking and dreaming
of all the big things that we might want to do for God this year.
All the good things even, right?
We want to give generously this year.
We want to support the church in Ghana this year
with our partner, Yvonne, over there in Navrongo.
We want to share the gospel with our friends
and our family members this year.
We want to read our Bible all the way through this year.
We want to, you fill in the blank
with whatever that might be for you.
But we need to back up
because there is one foundational answer
that all of us have to give first.
Here it is.
Before we go and do anything else,
this is primary,
we must seek to enjoy God this year.
We exist to magnify the glory of God
in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
How?
Answer number one,
by enjoying Him.
So here's my argument this morning,
and I think that we'll see it all through Psalm 16 here.
Delight in God is key to glorifying God.
Delight in God is key to truly honoring God.
In other words,
to truly honor Him,
you must truly enjoy Him.
And if joy is absent,
then do all the good things you want,
but at the end of the day,
it's ultimately empty and meaningless
unless enjoyment of God is right at the center.
So let's see it in our psalm this morning.
I want to ask the question this morning,
why enjoy?
Of all the things that we could say,
of all the things that we could emphasize as a church,
why do we say that we want to enjoy God?
Why do we want to make that such a big deal?
Why is this one of our three answers
for how we magnify the glory of God?
Why should you, individual Christian,
why should you pursue joy in the Lord this year?
I'm glad you asked.
I have seven answers.
Seven reasons why,
here from Psalm 16.
Seven reasons why,
and then we'll get practical,
and we'll ask how.
How?
So first, seven reasons why we pursue joy in the Lord.
First, enjoy Him
because we were created to enjoy Him.
Reason number one,
enjoy Him because we were created to enjoy Him.
Jonathan Edwards preached a sermon in 1728
called Safety, Fullness, and Sweet Refreshment in Christ.
You know, sermon titles were better back then.
And he opened up by asking the question,
what is it that the soul of every man
naturally and necessarily craves?
And he answers his own question,
and he says,
the soul of every man necessarily craves happiness.
This is universal.
All of us crave happiness.
And so then the answer becomes,
well, where do we find it?
Where do we seek it?
Where do we look to be truly satisfied and happy?
David, here in Psalm 16,
he seems to have found the answer, doesn't he?
Look there to verse 2.
He says,
I say to you, Lord,
you are my Lord.
I have no good apart from you.
In other words,
he believes that God is His greatest and His highest good.
He delights in Him.
And so he says again, verse 11,
in your presence, God,
is fullness of joy.
Now your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
This whole psalm from beginning to end
is just bursting at the seams with this theme,
this expression of joy in the Lord, isn't it?
David truly believes that God is the source of all true,
full, endless, perfect joy.
This is the joy that we crave.
Why?
Because we were created for it.
And when we enjoy God as we were created to do,
guess what happens?
When we enjoy Him as we were made to enjoy Him,
we then glorify Him
as we were made to glorify Him.
The Westminster Shorter Catechism,
it asks the question,
what is the chief end of man?
Anybody know the answer?
Man's chief end is,
help me out.
Yeah, y'all are good.
Y'all nailed it.
Man's chief end,
his ultimate purpose,
his reason for existing
is to glorify God
and to enjoy Him forever.
You see, these two things are bound up together.
God's glory and our joy.
John Piper famously puts his own spin
on that answer to say
that man's chief end
is to glorify God
by enjoying Him forever.
In other words, as he says,
God is most glorified in us
when we are most satisfied in Him.
As you delight in Him more and more and more,
as you taste fullness of joy in His presence
more and more and more,
you are aligning with your God-given purpose,
your reason for existing,
and you bring God more and more and more glory.
So, reason number one
why we make such a big deal out of this,
you were made for it.
And the chief end of your life,
the chief end of this church,
is to glorify God
by enjoying Him forever.
Second reason.
Enjoy Him
because this is how you bulletproof your faith.
This is how you bulletproof your faith.
You all know what I mean by bulletproofing.
There's a lot of talk
in the world of fitness
about bulletproofing your knees.
And when I hear that,
my ears perk up
because I got bad knees.
Or bulletproofing your shoulders, right?
Those are areas that are prone to injury,
dick.
Amen?
And so there are whole fitness regiments
that are built around protecting
those sensitive areas of your body
and building up the muscle groups
so that when the tension comes,
when the issue comes,
when stress is applied
to that part of your body,
you are ready for it.
Or think about it like this.
I know that some of y'all
are doomsday preppers, right?
Be honest.
Front row.
I'm looking right here.
I know who I'm talking to.
Your bunker is ready.
The food supply is set.
Guns and ammo are loaded up,
ready to go.
The generator is fueled up
and ready to go.
You are ready in the event of danger,
aren't you?
We need to ask ourselves
if we prepare our soul
in the very same way.
Are you prepared for
when the trial comes your way?
When, not if.
Look there to verse 1.
The trial has come to David.
We don't know exactly what this trial is,
but if you were to just throw a dart
at any of the Psalms
and you just said,
I think the Psalm
is about David being in trouble,
you would probably be right.
He cries out to the Lord
in verse 1,
preserve me, O God.
Help me.
Save me.
Keep me alive.
Why can he call out like this?
Preserve me,
for in you I take refuge.
Preserve me,
for you are my God.
Preserve me,
for you are my only good.
Do you see the order here?
He delights in God,
and this delight in God
anchors his faith
when the trouble comes.
And this is what he says in verse 8.
Look there.
He says,
I've set the Lord always before me
because he is at my right hand.
I shall not be shaken.
How do you bulletproof your faith?
For when the trials come,
friend,
you pursue delight in the Lord right now.
I'll give you one more example
from our own church.
On Christmas Eve,
I talked with the Kennys,
and they shared with me
about how hard it is for them
around Christmas
to be separated from their son.
And here's what Scott said to me.
He said,
yes, it is hard,
but when I focus on what I do have
and pursue joy in Him,
who I do have
and make Him the focus of my heart
rather than what I'm missing,
then I'm okay.
And I thought,
man, that's it, isn't it?
That's the type of bulletproof faith
I want all of us to have.
Number three,
third reason to pursue joy in the Lord.
Enjoy Him
because that is how we love others.
Look there to verse 3.
David moves straight
from this vertical delight in God,
Him and God vertically,
individually,
to horizontal delight in God's people.
Look at what he says,
verse 3.
He says,
as for the saints in the land,
they are the excellent ones.
He's praising them
in whom is all my delight.
And you read that
and it almost seems contradictory,
doesn't it?
He was just saying,
all of His good is in God.
All His delight is in God.
I thought that all your delight
was in the Lord, David.
But now,
He says,
all His delight is in God's people.
The truth is,
that's not contradictory at all.
That's exactly how it ought to be.
There is an unbreakable connection
between enjoying God
and enjoying God's people.
When you love God
and enjoy God,
you begin to love what God loves
and enjoy what God enjoys.
And there is no doubt,
is there?
God loves and enjoys His people.
God, from eternity past,
planned for His people
to be with Him
for all of eternity.
Let me tell you something.
You don't want to spend all eternity
with someone you don't enjoy.
Jesus came,
died for His church.
She is the bride of Christ.
She is His own body.
Jesus delights in the church.
He loves His people.
Do we love the church
like Christ loves the church?
Do you love and enjoy
what God loves and enjoys?
It's become somewhat popular
to say something like,
I love Jesus,
but I'm not so sure about His people.
Have you heard that?
I'm good with Jesus,
but it's His followers
that I don't want anything to do with.
Or even,
I'm okay with my individual walk with Jesus.
I don't need anybody else
to be a part of that.
And to be honest,
sometimes I get that, okay?
I understand the sentiment.
But the Bible really doesn't give us
that option, does it?
Love for God
necessarily
overflows
into love for God's people.
Delight in God
necessarily
overflows
into delight
in God's people.
So much so
that John tells us
one of the primary ways
the world knows
that we belong to Him
is our love
for one another.
If we have trouble
with this,
if we view the church
just as an optional
add-on to your walk
with Christ,
something you just
got to put up with,
if you need to grow
in your love
for one another,
how do you do it?
It starts with growing
in your delight
in Him.
And then out of that,
you love what He loves.
Fourth.
Fourth reason.
Enjoy Him
because counterfeits
are constantly
competing with Him.
Enjoy Him
because counterfeits
are constantly
competing with Him
for our heart's affections.
We were created for joy.
Remember that?
Point number one.
We were made for joy.
We're hardwired
to seek happiness.
So we will seek it
and we will find
some form of it
either in God
or in a counterfeit.
Think of it like this.
You seek food.
You probably woke up
this morning
seeking food.
Your body needs
a certain amount
of calories
in order for it
to keep going.
But the difference
for your body
between 500 calories
of chicken
and rice
and veggies
and 500 calories
of a big bowl
of chocolate ice cream
is night and day
different, isn't it?
And if you make
an entire diet
out of ice cream,
it might taste good
for a little bit,
but that type of diet,
eventually,
hopefully this is
no surprise to you,
eventually that type
of diet
will kill you.
See, the devil,
our enemy,
wants you
to fill up
on spiritual
junk food.
In our culture,
every single day,
all the time,
every hour,
every minute,
it offers it to us
every single day.
It just lures us
and entices us
to come
and fill up
on junk
that looks good,
looks appealing,
tastes good
for a minute,
but truly does not
ultimately satisfy.
And when you snack
on that,
you have no appetite
for what's truly
nourishing
and satisfying
for your soul.
David sees this issue
and he calls our attention
to it here in verse 4.
He says,
the sorrows of those
who run after
another God
shall multiply.
Do you see
two paths here?
one path
ends in
multiplication
of sorrows
and the other
ends in
fullness of joy.
One
promises
satisfaction
but never
delivers.
The other
promises
satisfaction
and gives it
in full.
One is
spiritual junk food,
the other is
a feast
of spiritual
joy.
David sees
these two categories
of people
and he makes it clear
he is not
one of those
who run after
false gods.
He won't even
speak of them.
He says,
their drink offerings
of blood
I will not
pour out
or take their
names on my
lips.
He understands
false gods
threaten
real joy.
John Calvin
says it like this
about those
who run after
false gods.
He says,
ultimately
they leave them
unsatisfied,
famished,
and disappointed.
They may
intoxicate
and glut
themselves
with pleasures
to the
greatest excess
but instead
of being
satisfied
they rather
become
wearied of
them through
loathing
and besides
the pleasures
of this world
vanish away
like dreams.
Have you ever
experienced this?
I know I have.
He goes on
and says
the true
and solid
joy
in which
the minds
of men
may rest
will never
be found
anywhere else
but in
God
and therefore
none but
the faithful
who are
contented with
his grace
alone
can be
truly
and
perfectly
happy.
Do you
want to be
happy?
Of course
you do.
Don't let
counterfeits
steal away
your joy.
Seek to
delight the
Lord
in his
presence.
There is
fullness
joy.
But also
fifth
quickly
here
fifth
reason
enjoy
him
because
that's
how we
rightly
enjoy
his
gifts.
Enjoy
him
because
that is
how we
rightly
enjoy
his
gifts.
I just
want to
quickly
address
this
because
I do
want
to be
clear
that
many
of
the
things
that
we
try
to
find
ultimate
satisfaction
in
are
not
necessarily
bad
things
in and
of
themselves
are
they?
What is
an
idol?
What is
an
idol?
Idols
are
usually
good
things
that
we
elevate
to
be
God
things.
Family
is a
wonderful
gift.
Food
is a
wonderful
gift.
Money
is a
wonderful
gift.
Provision
of our
needs
is a
wonderful
gift.
But
only
when we
first
delight
in
him
are
we
able
to
rightly
enjoy
all
of
his
good
gifts.
It
puts
it
all
into
perspective
here.
Delight
in
God
brings
contentment
with
all
of
God's
gifts
whether
it's
in
much
or
in
little.
Look
there
to
verse
five.
David
says
the
Lord
is
my
chosen
portion
and
my
cup.
You
hold
my
lot.
In
other
words
everything
I
have
comes
from
you.
You're
the
giver
of
every
good
gift.
But
at
the
end
of
the
day
David
says
you
are
the
gift.
You
are
my
portion.
And
whatever
else
you
give
to
me
that's
just
icing
on
the
cake.
Remember
David
is
in
trouble
here
near
the
point
of
death
and
he's
saying
this.
He
says
in
verse
six
the
lines
have
fallen
for
me
in
pleasant
places.
He's
almost
dead.
Indeed
!
I
have
a
beautiful
inheritance.
Ask
yourself
with
all
of
your
!
thoughts
!
some
goals
for
the
new
year!
All
of
your
ambition!
Ask
yourself
are
you
satisfied
with
what
you
have?
It's
not
wrong
to
desire
things,
bigger
house,
better
job,
a
raise,
better
health,
that is
all
fine.
But
is
your
heart
content
to
know
that
in
him
you
have
a
beautiful
inheritance?
Can
you say
with
David
that the
lines
have
fallen
for
you
in
pleasant
places,
that
you've
given
me
above
and
beyond
what
I
need
because
my
joy
is
in
you.
And
not
just
for
a
moment.
For
in
the
good
news
of
the
gospel
is
that
all
who
enjoy
him
now
truly,
you
get
to
enjoy
him
in
fullness
of
joy
for
the
rest
of
eternity.
This
is
reason
number
six.
Reason
number
six.
Enjoy
him
because
those
who
do
will
do
so
for
the
rest
of
eternity.
Now
that's
shocking,
isn't
it?
Because
where
else
can
you
find
this?
For
everything
else,
the grave
is the
end
of your
joy.
If
your
joy
is
ultimately
in
money
or
in
relationships,
in
any
sort
of
worldly
gain,
worldly
pleasure,
it
will
be
in
the
span
of
eternity,
short
lived,
death
will
be
the
end
of
it
for
you.
But
if
your
joy
is
in
the
Lord,
David
says
he
believes
that
joy
continues
even
beyond
the
grave.
Look
there
to
verse
nine.
David
says,
therefore
my heart
is glad
and my
whole
being
rejoices.
My
flesh
also
dwells
secure
for
you
will
not
abandon
my
soul
to
Sheol
or
let
your
holy
one
see
corruption.
How can
he say
this?
Because
David,
he doesn't
know he
might actually
die because
of this
trial,
whatever it
is.
He
doesn't
know how
this is
going to
turn out
for him,
but he
believes
and he
rejoices
with his
whole
being
because he
believes
that even
the grave
won't steal
his
joy.
He
believes
that his
delight in
God
will last
even
beyond
the grave.
It's the
only eternal
joy there
is.
If you
want
eternal
joy,
it must
be attached
to an
eternal
good.
David
knows
this and
he believes
that his
joy in
his eternal
God will
last into
eternity.
What he
didn't know
most likely
was that he
was speaking
prophetically
not just
about him
and his
security,
but ultimately
about the
coming Messiah,
Jesus Christ.
This is what
Peter says
in Acts
chapter 2.
He stands
up and he
quotes this
psalm,
Psalm 16,
and he
says in
Acts
chapter 2
verse 25,
he says
David wrote
all of
this,
he said
all of
this ultimately
about
Jesus.
He says
brothers I
may say
to you
with confidence
about the
patriarch David
that he
both died
and was
buried.
His tomb
is with
us to
this day.
Being
therefore a
prophet and
knowing that
God had
sworn with
an oath to
him that
he would
set one
of his
descendants
on his
throne,
he foresaw
and spoke
about the
resurrection
of Christ
that he
was not
abandoned to
Hades,
nor did
his flesh
see corruption.
This
Jesus
God
raised up
and of
that we
are all
witnesses.
This
psalm,
like all
the psalms,
are ultimately
fulfilled,
they're ultimately
about Christ.
Christ
Jesus of
all people
knew what
it was to
live a life
enjoying God.
Christ
Jesus of
all people
lived a
life of
fullness of
joy.
He lived a
life of
joy in
God that
overflowed in
love for
people.
He lived a
life of
joy in
God that
overflowed in
obedience to
the Lord.
A life of
joy in
God that
overflowed into
worship.
Jesus of
all people
truly delighted
in God.
And so
when he
went to
the grave
for us
and like
David cried
out to
the Lord,
what happened?
God did
not abandon
his soul
to the
grave or
let his
holy one
see
corruption.
Jesus,
the one
who truly
delighted in
God,
triumphed over
the grave
so that
now all
who come
to him
in faith,
all who
delight in
him,
share his
victory over
the grave.
Now all
who come to
him in
faith will
enjoy fullness
of joy in
his presence
for the rest
of eternity.
So,
number seven,
here's our
summary verse.
Enjoy him
because in
him alone
can we find
real lasting
joy.
Verse 11,
in your
presence
there is
fullness of
joy.
At your
right hand
are pleasures
forever
more.
Church,
do you
believe this?
do you
live as if
it were
really true?
That you
have access
to fullness
of joy
in God
through Christ?
Is our
church marked
by joy?
Jonathan
Edwards preached
another sermon,
he did that
a lot,
called
The Christian
Pilgrim.
And he
says this,
he says,
God is the
highest good
of the
reasonable
creature.
And the
enjoyment
of him
is the
only
happiness
with which
our souls
can be
satisfied.
To go
to heaven
fully to
enjoy God
is infinitely
better than
the most
pleasant
accommodations
here.
Fathers
and mothers,
husbands,
wives,
or children,
the company
of earthly
friends are
but shadows.
But the
enjoyment of
God is the
substance.
These are
but scattered
beams,
but God
is the
sun.
These are
but streams,
but God
is the
fountain.
These are
but drops,
but God
is the
ocean.
Therefore,
it becomes
us to
spend this
life only
as a
journey
towards
heaven,
as it
becomes
us to
make the
seeking of
our highest
end and
proper good
the work
of our
lives,
to which
we should
subordinate
all other
concerns
of life.
Does this
add up
with your
own heart
this morning?
Does it
line up
with your
goals for
the year?
Does it
line up
with your
expectations
for what
you think
this church
ought to be
and ought
to do?
Friend,
I believe
with all my
heart that
there is
nothing more
important for
us to do
than to
delight
ourselves
in
him.
So that
is why.
Now,
let's finish
by asking
how.
I want
to just
get practical
here.
How do
we enjoy
him?
And we'll
start
individually
and then
we'll move
out from
there.
First of
all,
if you
are not
a Christian,
if you're
hearing this
for the
first time,
if you've
been putting
this off,
listen,
your new
life starts
right here.
Not with
you doing
something for
God,
but with
you delighting
in God.
before you
pass go
and think
about what
you must
do and
all the
things that
you can
go do
for God.
Here is
your call
right here
at the
start of
the year
to look
to the
cross of
Christ
and see
God as
infinitely
satisfying
for your
soul.
Here's
the call,
friend,
to turn
from
counterfeit
gods
that offer
satisfaction
but never
deliver,
put your
faith in
Christ.
In his
presence
there is
fullness of
joy.
At his
right hand
are pleasures
forevermore.
Come to
Christ and
say with
David,
you are
my
Lord,
you are
my
only
good.
And
then,
and only
then,
let's ask
together,
how do
we pursue
enjoyment
of God
as an
individual
Christian?
And the
answer,
it really
is simple.
it's not
flashy,
it's not
complicated.
God has
given what
we call
the ordinary
means of
grace to
this very
end.
Primarily,
a regular
steady diet
of the
word of
God and
a regular
constant
conversation
with him
in prayer.
these are
the means
God has
given us
to know
him and
enjoy him
and glorify
him forever.
Share another
story with
you.
George
Mueller,
I know
I've talked
about him
before.
He ran
an orphanage
for over
10,000
children
throughout
his lifetime.
He wrote
in his
journal about
an important
discovery he
made one
day in
1854,
and here's
what he
said.
He said,
the first
great and
primary
business to
which I
ought to
attend every
day is
to have
my soul
happy in
the Lord.
The first
thing to be
concerned about
was not
how much I
might go
serve the
Lord,
how much
I might
glorify the
Lord,
but how I
might get
my soul
into a
happy
state,
and how
my inner
man might
be nourished,
for I
might seek
to set
the truth
before the
unconverted,
I might
seek to
benefit
believers,
I might
seek to
relieve the
distressed,
I might
in other
ways seek
to behave
myself as
it becomes
the child
of God
in this
world,
and yet
not being
happy in
the Lord,
and not
being nourished
and strengthened
in my inner
man day
by day,
all this
might not
be attended
to in the
right spirit.
Do you
hear the
priority
here?
Get my
soul happy
in the
Lord.
He ended
that note
saying how
different when
the soul is
refreshed and
made happy early
in the morning
from what it is
when without
spiritual preparation,
the service,
the trials,
the temptations
of the day
come upon me.
A first
order,
first thing,
get my
soul happy
in the
Lord.
How did
he do
it?
His
practice
was to
get up
early
and read
and meditate
on the
word of
God,
and then to
let that
turn into
spill over
into prayer,
and then off
to the rest
of his day.
Now,
you can figure
out the best
rhythm for
you,
okay?
I know
everybody's
schedule's
different.
Some of
you all
wake up
at the
crack of
dawn,
get in
the car,
go to
work.
Moms,
young moms,
some of
you have
obligations,
responsibilities
tugging at
you almost
constantly every
moment.
The rhythm,
you figure that
out for
yourself,
okay?
But here's
my suggestion.
Make a
plan to
get your
soul satisfied
in God
every single
day.
How?
By coming
to the
word of
God,
and then by
responding to
him in
prayer.
Do you
have a
plan for
this?
When will
you read
the word
this year?
And why
not take
the afternoon
this afternoon
and make
a plan for
the rest
of the
week if
you haven't
done so
already?
When will
I meet
with God
to get
my soul
happy in
him?
Go ahead
and make
a plan
for the
month.
That's
okay.
Plan
out for
the whole
year.
If you
miss a
day or
two,
that's
okay.
When
will
you
read?
When
will
you
spend
time
with
the
Lord?
When
will
you
feed
your
inner
man?
Plan
for
prayer.
Make
an
appointment
with
God
and
don't
blow
him
off.
Set
time
aside
with
him
for
the
purpose
of
enjoying
him.
But
it's
not
just
individuals,
is it?
Broaden
that circle
out.
And your
families,
do you
have a
plan
for
your
family
and
for how
you
will
delight
in
him
together?
Husbands,
how will
you enjoy
him with
your wife
this year?
Moms
and dads,
parents,
how will
you lead
your
children
to
enjoy
him
together
as a
family
this
year?
Grandparents,
with the
opportunities
that you
have,
how will
you sow
seeds
in your
grandchildren
to raise
them up
in the
Lord?
The means
are the
same.
It's the
word
and prayer.
The word
and prayer.
But now
it's not
just you
in your
closet
by yourself.
Now
it's
with your
family.
How will
you make
this a
part of
your
life
together?
Will
you open
up God's
word
over a
meal?
Or
before
breakfast
will
you pick
some
key
verses,
key
chapters,
key
passages
to
memorize
together?
Will
you linger
just a
little bit
longer
in prayer
at bedtime?
How will
you seek
to enjoy
him
as a
family?
Mom and
Dad,
if you
want to
shape the
future of
the church,
if you
want to
shape the
future of
the nation,
if you
want to
shape the
future of
the world,
make
disciples of
your
children,
spend
time
enjoying
God
together
as a
family,
would you
prioritize
this this
year,
but not
just in
your
families?
Lastly
here,
let's
think
together
corporately
as a
church,
because
again,
this
pursuit
of joy
in him
is our
mission
together.
How do
you plan
to enjoy
him
together
as a
church
this year?
And for
one thing,
if you're
not a
member of
a church,
I just
want to
encourage you,
find a
healthy,
gospel-preaching
local church
where you
will be
led week
in and
week out
to delight
in God.
I would
highly
recommend
this one,
but it
doesn't have
to be this
one.
And if
not,
then please
find another
gospel-preaching,
healthy church,
rightly-ordered
church,
and join
yourself
to it,
not just
as a
formality,
but as
a mutual
encouragement
to know
and enjoy
the Lord.
Don't
treat church
just as
like an
a la carte
menu,
where you
have like
ten different
Bible studies
and you
like the
music here
and the
youth here
and the
preaching
here and
you just
make your
own path.
No,
link arms
with a
body.
Join
together.
Enjoy
Him
together.
Pursue
joy in
the Lord
together.
Come to
worship
weekly for
the purpose
of enjoying
God
together.
Come
ready to
sing to
the Lord
and to
one another,
not mindlessly,
but singing
from the
heart,
songs that
teach us
about the
Lord and
encourage us
on our
way.
Come
ready to
hear the
word
preached.
Would
you pray
over this
hour and
expect the
Lord to
meet you?
Read the
word before
you come,
till the
soil of
your heart.
Prepare
yourself to
come and
enjoy Him
through the
word.
Come
expecting to
meet with
the Lord
and to
hear from
Him.
Come
ready to
serve one
another.
Come
eager to
show your
delight in
each other
with word
and with
deed.
Come
ready to
give,
plan for
it.
Come
ready to
share a
word of
encouragement.
Come
ready to
love one
another.
Come
expecting
your soul
to be
nourished.
Come
looking to
delight in
God.
This is
what the
church is
for.
It's a
simple
approach to
church.
I get it.
It's not
complicated.
It's not
flashy.
The production
value of
this is
zero.
But it's
the reason
we exist.
We are
a people
who have
been given
true and
lasting joy.
We have
been rescued
by the
grace of
God from
the multiplying
sorrows of
false gods.
And we
have been
shown the
path of
life in
Christ.
We have
been shown
the glory
of God in
the face of
Jesus Christ.
We've had our
hearts changed
to know that
there is fullness
of joy to be
had in the
presence of
God.
The joy that
we crave
day in and
day out because
we were
created for
it.
Church,
we exist to
magnify the
glory of
God in
the gospel
of Jesus
Christ.
How?
By enjoying
Him together.
Make this
your chief
end this
year,
church.
Our chief
end,
see we
may,
our chief
end is
to glorify
God and
to enjoy
Him forever.
Why?
Because in
His presence
there is
fullness of
joy.
At His
right hand
our pleasures
forevermore.
Let's pray.
Father,
we praise
You that
this is
gloriously
true,
that there
is infinite
joy to be
had in
Your presence.
We praise
You for
Christ who
came that we
might have
this joy by
faith in
Him.
We praise
You for
the church,
this community
of the saints.
We praise
You for
Your word.
We praise
You for the
gift of
prayer.
here.
And we
pray,
that we
would not
leave here
without committing
to seek
You and
to seek to
enjoy You
from the
heart this
year.
We pray
in Jesus'
name.
Amen.