Finding True Joy: God Above All Else

Devotional

Day 1: God’s Presence in Our Affections

In our spiritual journey, it is crucial to allow God to permeate all aspects of our lives, ensuring that He remains unrivaled in our hearts. This involves a conscious effort to treasure God above all else, which helps us avoid idolatry and find true satisfaction in Him. The miracle we seek is to have God as the ultimate source of our joy and satisfaction, influencing our relationships, passions, and pursuits. By doing so, we ensure that our love for God is not overshadowed by worldly desires. [01:24]

Psalm 73:25-26 (ESV): "Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

Reflection: Identify one area of your life where you struggle to keep God at the center. What practical steps can you take today to invite Him into that area more fully?

Day 2: The Gospel’s Ultimate Purpose

The essence of the gospel is the revelation of God's glory in the face of Jesus Christ, intended for our everlasting enjoyment. Everything else in life serves as a means to this end, emphasizing that God is the ultimate source of our joy. The phrase "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him" encapsulates this truth, as seen in Philippians 1:20-21. This understanding challenges us to live in a way that magnifies Christ, both in life and in death, recognizing that to die is gain because it means being with Christ, which surpasses any earthly pleasure. [02:17]

2 Corinthians 4:6 (ESV): "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

Reflection: Consider how you can make your daily activities a means to glorify God. What is one specific action you can take today to reflect His glory in your life?

Day 3: Redefining Love in God’s Terms

Biblical love is not about being made much of but about God doing whatever it takes to bring us to enjoy Him, thus magnifying His glory. This might involve stripping away lesser satisfactions to reveal the ultimate satisfaction found in Him. This understanding challenges the world's view of love, which often equates love with being the center of attention. Instead, true love is about God leading us to a place where we find our deepest joy in Him, even if it means removing distractions that compete for our affections. [19:12]

Hebrews 12:6-7 (ESV): "For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?"

Reflection: Reflect on a recent experience where you felt God was stripping away a lesser satisfaction. How can you embrace this as an act of His love, leading you to greater joy in Him?

Day 4: True Joy Rooted in God

Jonathan Edwards emphasized that true joy is found in God, not in ourselves. The joy of the hypocrite is rooted in self, while the joy of the true saint is rooted in God. This distinction is crucial as it aligns our affections with God's purpose for us. By rooting our joy in God, we align ourselves with His will and purpose, experiencing a deeper and more fulfilling joy that transcends temporary pleasures. This understanding calls us to examine the source of our joy and to seek fulfillment in God alone. [34:34]

Psalm 16:11 (ESV): "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

Reflection: Examine the sources of your joy. Are they rooted in self or in God? What changes can you make to ensure your joy is firmly grounded in your relationship with Him?

Day 5: God’s Self-Exaltation as the Ultimate Act of Love

God's self-exaltation is the most loving act because it offers us the greatest joy—Himself. Unlike human pride, God's self-exaltation leads us to ultimate happiness, making it a virtue. This understanding addresses the objection that God's self-exaltation is akin to human pride by highlighting that God's self-exaltation is inherently loving. It invites us to find our greatest joy in Him, as He is the only being for whom self-exaltation is a virtue, leading us to the ultimate happiness found in Him. [58:11]

Isaiah 48:11 (ESV): "For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another."

Reflection: How do you perceive God’s self-exaltation in your life? In what ways can you embrace His glory as the source of your ultimate joy today?

Sermon Summary

In our journey of faith, we often grapple with the profound mystery of how God can be everything to us in all aspects of life—our relationships, our passions, and our pursuits—without becoming idols. The essence of our spiritual walk is to ensure that God permeates all our loves, so He remains unrivaled in our hearts. This is the miracle we seek: to treasure God above all else, allowing Him to be the ultimate source of our joy and satisfaction.

The core of the gospel is the revelation of God's glory in the face of Jesus Christ, which is meant for our everlasting enjoyment. Everything else in life is a means to this end. The phrase "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him" encapsulates this truth. It is derived from Philippians 1:20-21, where Paul expresses his desire for Christ to be magnified in his life and death. To die is gain because it means being with Christ, which is far better than any earthly pleasure.

This understanding challenges us to redefine what it means to be loved by God. Contrary to the world's view, which equates love with being made much of, biblical love is about God doing whatever it takes to bring us to a place where we enjoy Him, thus magnifying His glory. This might involve stripping away lesser satisfactions to reveal the ultimate satisfaction found in Him.

Jonathan Edwards profoundly influenced this understanding, emphasizing that true joy is found in God, not in ourselves. The joy of the hypocrite is rooted in self, while the joy of the true saint is rooted in God. This distinction is crucial as it aligns our affections with God's purpose for us.

Finally, the objection that God's self-exaltation is akin to human pride is addressed by understanding that God's self-exaltation is the most loving act because it offers us the greatest joy—Himself. God is the only being for whom self-exaltation is a virtue because it leads us to the ultimate happiness found in Him.

Key Takeaways

1. God's Permeation in Our Loves: Our spiritual journey involves allowing God to permeate all our loves, ensuring He remains unrivaled in our hearts. This miracle of treasuring God above all else is essential to avoid idolatry and find true satisfaction in Him. [01:24]
2. The Essence of the Gospel: The gospel's core is the revelation of God's glory in Jesus Christ for our everlasting enjoyment. Everything else in life serves as a means to this end, emphasizing that God is the ultimate source of our joy. [02:17]
3. Redefining Love: Biblical love is not about being made much of but about God doing whatever it takes to bring us to enjoy Him, thus magnifying His glory. This might involve stripping away lesser satisfactions to reveal the ultimate satisfaction found in Him. [19:12]
4. True Joy in God: Jonathan Edwards highlights that true joy is found in God, not in ourselves. The joy of the hypocrite is rooted in self, while the joy of the true saint is rooted in God, aligning our affections with His purpose for us. [34:34]
5. God's Self-Exaltation as Love: God's self-exaltation is the most loving act because it offers us the greatest joy—Himself. Unlike human pride, God's self-exaltation leads us to ultimate happiness, making it a virtue. [58:11]
** [58:11]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:20] - Opening Prayer
[01:06] - The Mystery of God's Permeation
[01:55] - God as the Gospel
[03:09] - Personal Journey and Reflections
[04:03] - The Rhyming Couplets
[05:14] - Philippians 1:20-21 Explained
[07:11] - Magnifying Christ in Life and Death
[09:20] - Satisfaction in Jesus
[10:44] - The Greatness of God's Love
[12:02] - Psalm Insights on Salvation
[16:03] - Understanding God's Love
[19:12] - God's Love and Our Satisfaction
[29:00] - Jonathan Edwards' Influence
[37:08] - Addressing Biblical Texts on God's Delight
[55:19] - Defining Love and Addressing Objections
[58:11] - God's Self-Exaltation as Love
[59:40] - Closing Prayer and Reflections

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:

Philippians 1:20-21
Psalm 70:4
John 11:1-6

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Observation Questions:

In Philippians 1:20-21, what does Paul express as his desire regarding Christ in both his life and death? How does this relate to the idea of magnifying Christ? [05:14]
According to the sermon, how does the phrase "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him" summarize the essence of the gospel? [04:03]
In John 11:1-6, how does Jesus' response to Lazarus' illness demonstrate a different understanding of love than what might be expected? [25:43]
What does Psalm 70:4 suggest about the relationship between salvation and the greatness of God? How does this align with the sermon’s message about true joy? [12:02]

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Interpretation Questions:

How does the concept of "to die is gain" in Philippians 1:21 challenge common perceptions of death and afterlife? What does this reveal about Paul's priorities? [06:45]
The sermon suggests that biblical love involves God doing whatever it takes to bring us to enjoy Him. How does this redefine our understanding of love compared to worldly views? [19:12]
In the context of the sermon, how does Jonathan Edwards' distinction between the joy of the hypocrite and the joy of the true saint help us understand our own motivations? [34:34]
How does the sermon address the objection that God's self-exaltation is akin to human pride? What is the significance of understanding God's self-exaltation as an act of love? [58:11]

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Application Questions:

Reflect on your current relationships and passions. How can you ensure that God permeates these areas of your life, keeping Him unrivaled in your heart? [01:24]
Consider a time when you felt loved by God. Was it because you were made much of, or because you were brought closer to enjoying Him? How does this experience align with the sermon’s message on biblical love? [19:12]
Identify a lesser satisfaction in your life that might be hindering your ultimate satisfaction in God. What steps can you take to strip away this lesser satisfaction? [19:51]
How can you cultivate a joy that is rooted in God rather than in yourself, as Jonathan Edwards describes? What practical changes can you make in your daily life to align your affections with God's purpose? [34:34]
Reflect on a recent loss or challenge. How can you view this situation as an opportunity to magnify Christ, similar to Paul's perspective on life and death? [07:11]
In what ways can you actively seek to see and savor God's glory in your everyday life, as suggested by the sermon? How might this change your perspective on daily activities and interactions? [12:02]
How can you respond to the idea that God's self-exaltation is the most loving act? How does this understanding impact your view of worship and your relationship with God? [58:11]

Sermon Clips

In our journey of faith, we often grapple with the profound mystery of how God can be everything to us in all aspects of life—our relationships, our passions, and our pursuits—without becoming idols. The essence of our spiritual walk is to ensure that God permeates all our loves, so He remains unrivaled in our hearts. This is the miracle we seek: to treasure God above all else, allowing Him to be the ultimate source of our joy and satisfaction. [00:00:44]

The core of the gospel is the revelation of God's glory in the face of Jesus Christ, which is meant for our everlasting enjoyment. Everything else in life is a means to this end. The phrase "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him" encapsulates this truth. It is derived from Philippians 1:20-21, where Paul expresses his desire for Christ to be magnified in his life and death. [00:02:17]

Paul's passion is that his bodily life and death would make Jesus look good. Now ask yourself the question, how would you die in a way that would make Jesus look good? Because he says death, how do you die in a way that makes Jesus look magnificent? And he answers in the next verse. [00:06:10]

How is Christ made magnificent as you breathe your last breath? To breathe it with the confidence and the manifestation of joy that this moment is gain. That's amazing because at that moment, you're losing everything on earth. Health is gone, family's disappearing, the hope for retirement not going to happen, the grandchildren you will never see—gain. [00:07:36]

The reason it's gained to die is because I get Jesus incomplete, no more through a glass darkly, face to face, intimate, full. And that's gain though I lose everything I thought was pleasurable. No more sex, no more physical eating in this in-between time in heaven, no body, bodies lying in the grave, just amazing intimacy. [00:08:41]

God loves us by doing everything he has to do at great cost to himself to remove every obstacle from inside of us and inside of him to bring us to the place where we enjoy him, which makes much of him. Just like we saw in Philippians 1:20 and 21, when you enjoy him, you magnify him. [00:19:12]

God's way of loving you is to strip you if he must of every substitute satisfaction so that you can have the best one, himself. And if you remember voids of the dawn treader, I can't remember which of the books it was in where Eustace had to be stripped of his skin. [00:19:57]

Being stripped of every vain satisfaction so that, like a snake, you have your skin ripped off is painful, but when it's done and you see God as the magnificent soul satisfier that he is, you know I have been loved. If God were to come to you and play the world game of stoking your ego, he would be so cruel. [00:20:31]

God is the one being in the universe for whom self-exaltation is the essential way to love. Get that. If you try to love like that, if I were to walk in here and say, okay, I came to love you folks, now the way I love you is by displaying to you my greatness, my glory, my beauty. [00:21:33]

The difference between the joy of the hypocrite and the joy of the true saint: the hypocrite rejoices in himself, self is the first foundation of his joy. The true saint rejoices in God. True saints have their minds in the first place inexpressibly pleased and delighted with the sweet ideas of the glorious and amiable nature of the things of God. [00:34:34]

God is the one being in the universe for whom self-exaltation is the most loving thing and the highest virtue. Michael, you got to get this. You've got to open your eyes to see that you can't put God in a human box and say we got to relate to God the way we relate to everybody else. [00:58:11]

We cannot be maximally happy if we are at the bottom of our happiness, but only if God is at the bottom of our happiness. If that is what will make us happy—to see and savor and display God—then God, in order to love us, must offer himself to us as the most beautiful, attractive, all-satisfying being in the universe. [00:58:47]

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Finding True Joy: God Above All Else

Devotional

Day 1: God’s Presence in Our Affections

Day 2: The Gospel’s Ultimate Purpose

Day 3: Redefining Love in God’s Terms

Day 4: True Joy Rooted in God

Day 5: God’s Self-Exaltation as the Ultimate Act of Love

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Finding True Joy: God Above All Else

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