Short Sermon #70: NO GREATER JOY

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." - 3 John 1 Verse 4 (NIV)

No greater joy.

This is how John's children [the Christians] brought him the greatest joy of all time - by walking in the truth.

This is the only way that you too could bring joy to our Lord, Jesus Christ - by maintaining a deeper fellowship with Him, according to His will.

It is important for Christians to always walk in the truth. It should be our number one priority, our very life, an indispensable mission in this world. There indeed cannot be an alternative passion for us that should be greater than this. Our hearts must ever burn for the ways of the Lord!

If seeing his children walk in the truth brought John so much joy, how much more would it give joy to Christ to see Christians walking in His will and likeness!

Do you desire to please God? If so, then there is no other way you could achieve this except by walking in the truth, today, daily and forever.

You may argue, "I want to walk in the truth, but do not know what truth is." You are not alone; Pilate also wondered. "What is truth?" Pilate asked (see John 18:38, NIV).

Dictionary.com defines truth as "the true or actual state of a matter."

So, when Christians walk in the truth, it means they are walking in the true or actual state of the matter.

Listen to this: "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"- John 14:6 (NIV).

Jesus is the truth. The Word of God is the truth. If you fellowship with God and His Son Jesus Christ, then you are walking in the truth.

If you live according to the will and Word of God, then you are walking in the truth; you are walking in "the true or actual state of the matter."

Meditate on this. Apply it to your life. It is important.

"It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us." - 2 John 1:4 (NIV)

Note carefully the verse above. John found some walking in the truth, and some walking outside the truth.

I pray that when Christ returns, you be found amongst those who would be walking in the truth, the faithful ones! You need to keep your lamp oiled and burning until this moment.

DEVOTIONAL PRAYER

Prayer point for today: That I may be found walking in the truth, to the glory of God the Father.

Heavenly Father, I come to You in the name of Your Son and our Lord, Jesus Christ.

I thank You for Your grace that saved me. Now I can stand before You as Your child. I can glorify You, I can ask You for anything, and You hear my prayers.

Yet I live with some kind of fear, the fear that at some point I may be found walking outside Your will, pursuing my own interests. Father, I am sure that this would be a very dark moment and period of my life if this were to happen. I therefore dread the possibility and shiver.

Help me my God, just as you equipped Jesus Christ as He walked on this earth. In pain, tears, suffering, difficult or challenging times, I should remain in the truth, in Your will. Jesus Christ remained in Your will, in the truth, even unto crucifixion - so should I. I want to share with Christ in His suffering.

Yet I do not pray for only myself, heavenly Father, but for my community of churchmates as well. I see a level of absentmindedness or lack of seriousness in some of them, people who proceed in life as though there is nothing like the will of God. They don't judge their own actions, interests and associations. They involve themselves in anything and everything. Father, have mercy on them and guide them towards the direction they need to take.

Thank you, holy Father, for I know you hear my prayers always.

In the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, I pray.

Amen.

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