Following Christ for the Sheer Joy of It

Pastor Pete Beck III • January 21, 2023
We recently met together as a network after seeking the Lord together. Following Christ for the sheer joy of it is the message I believe the Lord put on my heart for the church for 2023.

Identity

When Jesus first entered his public ministry, when he was baptized by his cousin John in the Jordan River, the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a dove, coming to rest on him, and God the Father spoke from heaven these wonderful words.

“…This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17 (ESV)

Our Lord’s identity was firmly established as the beloved Son of God. He did not have to earn this position. It was his by way of his family relationship. He was loved and approved by his heavenly Father. Later, at the mount of transfiguration, Father God added the sentence, “Listen to him.” This confirmed Jesus’s significance: he was someone important who must be heeded. Jesus received these three essential affirmations from his Father: love, approval, and significance. All of us have a deep need to be affirmed in these areas.

Sin cut us off from all of this, sending humanity into a tailspin and a desperate search for what only God can provide. We look for love in the wrong places. We seek approval from those who cannot really give it, and we search for something to give us significance, not realizing that God wants us to have all three by placing our trust and allegiance in Christ. When we do that, we become identified with him and receive all that he is and has, aside from his divinity. God has only one beloved Son, but we can partake of that love by becoming one with him by faith. We cannot earn it or deserve it. We can only receive it as a free gift.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4  Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5  God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. Ephesians 1:3-5 (NLT)

Here are three things for which we can rejoice as individuals and as a church.

  1. Each of us can rejoice that we are beloved children of God .
  2. We can rejoice that we are part of a family of friends who are on an adventure of being a blessing to those around us and sharing God’s love and kingdom with them. We can choose our friends, but not our family. How wonderful when we can be friends with those in our family. All those who put their faith and allegiance in Christ are part of the same amazing family of God. At LifeNet, we are developing and deepening our love and appreciation for each other as we take this amazing journey called life.
  3. We can rejoice that we are part of a decentralized network of small groups that encourages people to pursue Christ and fish for people as the Spirit directs. We steer away from trying to tell people what to do because that stunts spiritual growth. Legalism keeps people spiritually undeveloped because it strips responsibility from them. We encourage people to hear God and take initiative within the safety of godly oversight and loving care.

Focus

I believe God wants us to focus on three things that will help us grow in the joy of serving our Lord. If we cannot serve him joyfully, what kind of message are we sending to those around us? People are not attracted to legalism and misery. They are looking for love, peace, and joy, which are our birthright in Christ.

  1. Enter the gates of joy through praise and worship . King David knew the fullness of joy that  comes from being in God’s presence. (Psalm 16:11) Sadly, not everyone has experienced this kind of joy. If we make the choice to offer praise and worship to God on a regular basis, not just when we are at a meeting, we will grow in joy. And the Bible says that the joy of the Lord is our strength. (Nehemiah 8:10) Let’s prioritize worship in 2023 for the sheer joy of it and because God is worthy.
  2. Discover or rediscover the joy of spending time meditating on God’s Word .  Reading the Bible can be boring or thrilling, depending on whether or not we are receiving life from the Spirit of God. Jesus said that his words are “spirit and life.” (John 6:63) Jeremiah the prophet wrote that he “devoured” God’s words, and they became his “joy” and his “heart’s delight.” (Jeremiah 15:16) I encourage each of us to commit to spending time reading the Bible, looking to the Holy Spirit to make God’s Word “come alive” for us.
  3. Explore the wonder of God’s love . God’s love is the most wonderful and powerfully liberating force in the universe. The more we grow in our knowledge, experience, and appreciation of God’s love, the more our joy will overflow toward him and other people. The Great Commandment tells us to love God and others. Everything hinges on that. Our ability to effectively communicate God’s love to others hinges on our experience of it. Be encouraged to explore the depths of God’s love in 2023. Consider Paul’s amazing words.

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15  from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16  that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17  that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18  may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height– 19  to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19 (NKJV)

Action

Our actions reveal what we believe. If we believe the gospel is the most wonderful news ever, we should tell others about God’s amazing offer. They can become part of God’s loving family, too! The Bible tells us that heaven rejoices when someone puts his or her faith and allegiance in Christ. (Luke 15:7) God wants us to share in that joy by being his representatives. He wants us to joyfully partner with the Holy Spirit to reach those around us with the Gospel . I encourage each person to ask God how to love people into the kingdom of God. Pray. Listen to the Spirit. Be alert to opportunities. Use your gifts and abilities to joyfully serve others. Joyfully share your testimony and the gospel when the Lord opens the door.

I also challenge each person to joyfully embrace new kingdom responsibilities in 2023. Jesus told a parable in which the reward for faithful service was more responsibility. Taking on new kingdom responsibilities, if done with a willing heart and the Holy Spirit’s help, will produce joy.

“ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ Matthew 25:21 (NASB)

Home run hitters strike out a lot, but when they do connect, watch out! God encourages us to step up to the plate without fear of striking out. Instead, let’s swing for the fences. Tell God  you are available to do whatever he wants and see what he says and does with you in 2023 .

The Way

I have been told never to try to save a drowning person until he has completely worn himself out trying to save himself; otherwise, he might panic and drag you down with him. There are lots of Christians who are hopelessly engaged in an ongoing struggle to be good enough, fruitful enough, and to be doing enough to please God. There is no use trying to help them until they finally wear themselves out. What a revelation when we finally come to understand that Jesus did it all for us!

Legalism is the hopeless quest to measure up in God’s eyes by trying hard. The New Covenant releases us from this pursuit. The Bible tells us that Jesus fulfilled all the requirements of the Law so that we do not have to. When we place our faith in him, his right standing with God is given to us, making us 100% righteous in God’s eyes, just as if we too have perfectly served God without wavering unto death!

Legalists can never fully experience the joy of the Lord because they cannot find it. Joy is a gift, a fruit that grows on the tree of faith in Christ. Joy comes to those who open their hearts to receive God’s love, peace, and righteousness. Paul wrote the following.

So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God. 5  When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. 6  But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit. Romans 7:4-6 (NLT)

Jesus took our condemnation and guilt upon himself so we can experience what it is like to be free from those things! (Romans 8:1, John 5:24) It is only when we stop striving and start relying on the Holy Spirit’s help that we can produce the kind of spiritual “fruit” that we all desire.

The first commandment is to be fruitful and multiply. God designed things so that children are produced through the joy of sexual union. Spiritual fruit is produced by our joyful spiritual union with Christ. Every day when we arise, we begin with an A+ on our spiritual report card because that is our position in Christ. We have nothing to prove to God or other people. All that remains is for us to experience the joy of partnering with the Holy Spirit on what God has planned for us that day. This is the new and living way of the Spirit. If we learn to live this way, people will notice that we have a depth of joy unknown to them. They will want to know more. That will be our opportunity to share with them the amazing good news that Jesus has provided us with all we need to experience righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17)

Kingdom Teamwork

By Pete Beck III • February 10, 2025
Following Christ is not a spectator sport. Each of us has a role to play and a job to do.

How to Escape from the Prison of Bitterness

By Pete Beck III • December 18, 2024
Bitterness imprisons its victims and subjects them to demonic harassment, a version of self-inflicted torture.

What do we do when we are unsure of our next move?

By Pete Beck III • December 17, 2024
One of the most difficult and challenging times is when we are not sure of what to do next.

How Do We Align Ourselves with God's Purposes?

By Pete Beck III • December 13, 2024
When the gospel accomplishes its purpose in us, it brings glory to our Lord and a sense of peace and contentment to us, while it furthers the advance of God’s kingdom.

How Do I Know If I Am Called By God?

By Pete Beck III • December 12, 2024
Our heavenly Father has great interest in our lives and shows his children what he wants us to do.

How Can I Transition from Spectating at Church to Being a Player?

By Pete Beck III • December 3, 2024
Christianity is not a spectator sport. The Reformation renewed some very important truths of the faith that had been lost over time, one of which is the priesthood of the believer . This doctrine means that in the New Covenant there is no clergy-laity distinction. Everyone is called to ministry. All followers of Christ are called, equipped, and expected to partner with the Holy Spirit in the adventure of using their spiritual gifts, time, energy, finances – everything – to fish for people and encourage them to become followers of Christ and fishers of men in their own right. Every football and basketball season an interesting phenomenon takes place. People personally identify with their favorite teams. When their team is doing well, they feel good about themselves and become enthusiastic, vocal, and visible fans. What is so intriguing is that many of us think that we somehow acquire greater worth and prestige, if our team excels and does better than the other teams. It is almost as if we were the ones who are competing. All big sporting events are filled with such fans who get satisfaction out of watching others play the game. So it is with many people who attend churches. We all know that playing and spectating are vastly different. When we spectate, we can imagine ourselves making better decisions and better plays than the players on the court or the field, but the reality is that we are not playing. Jesus has invited his followers actually to participate in the greatest adventure of being his Spirit-filled and empowered representatives. Unfortunately most of us who call ourselves Christians are merely spectating fans. We may agree with the concept of being involved in the Great Commission, but we have fallen into the trap of being passive, sitting on the sidelines, hoping that someone else will lead our family member, neighbor, or friend to Christ and teach them how to follow him fully. Many Christians think that evangelism is inviting someone to church, where they will hear the preacher talk about Christ. We do not see ourselves as the one who can best share the gospel with them. However, the truth of the matter is that we cannot transfer our responsibility to fulfill the Great Commission to someone else. God does not give us the option of merely being fans or spectators. God asks us to be players – disciples and disciple makers. Not everyone is equally gifted in this area, but we are all asked to participate. Some may win thousands to Christ, while others may help only a few become followers of the Master over a lifetime. Sadly, a great number of those who call themselves Christians have never led even one person to faith in Christ. In some cases they have given up trying. This ought not be. Could this be because we do not even talk about Jesus in a serious way with anyone outside of church meetings? Suggestions Ask God to forgive us for succumbing to laziness, fear, and the spirit of the age that tells us to keep our faith to ourselves. Ask the Holy Spirit to stir in us the fire of enthusiasm for Jesus and the Gospel. Ask him to give us a love for those who live around you who do not yet know Christ. Familiarize ourselves with the Gospel. (I recommend The King Jesus Gospel by McKnight. You can read my summary by clicking here or you may wish to read my articles on the subject .) Pray for opportunities to speak meaningfully to people. Make it a priority to get to know the people in your neighborhood, at work, at the gym, at school, and wherever you have the opportunity to connect. As we spend time in conversation, we will begin to see how Jesus and the Gospel can help them. Our care for them may give us a platform from which to speak about Jesus to them. Visit people and have them over to our homes. The more time we spend with people, the greater the opportunity we provide for the Holy Spirit to work in the relationships. Offer to pray for people on the spot when a genuine need for God’s help surfaces. Join a group (or start one) whose focus is fishing for people and making disciples. In many cases this will be what some call a “missional” church, as opposed to an event-oriented spectator church. We need to be encouraged in the work of the Great Commission because, although it is rewarding, it can be difficult and discouraging at times. Never, never, never, never give up. Our heavenly reward will be great!
Show More
Share by: