Vision Sunday / The Rejoice Principle

Big Idea:

Vision Sunday is all about JESUS!

Intro:

Hi Everyone! Welcome to Church Online! Welcome to Vision Sunday! It’s also the last sermon in our series on biblical thinking titled, “I Think I Can!” There’s a lot going on this Sunday! I’m excited!

But before I get started, can I ask you a favor? Would you mind sharing this on your personal social media pages? Not only is Church Online the new “front door” - where people come into church - but it’s also a place where many can hear the Word of God when they can’t physically make it on Sunday mornings! Additionally, when you share or engage, it helps with the algorithms, which just means… the more people who share… the more people it’ll reach! So, please share this! We want to reach as many people with the gospel as we can.

I mentioned it’s Vision Sunday. At the beginning of the year, we dedicate a Sunday to share the “vision” of where we are headed for the year. And in just a moment, I’ll share where I believe God is taking The River Church in 2022. I believe this is so important, because as the Scriptures say, “without vision, the people perish.” It is spiritually healthy for God’s people to have an understanding of where they are headed. And I want us to be a healthy church!

But today is also the fourth and final installment in our “I Think I Can” series, which is based on the book, “Winning the War in Your Mind,” by Craig Groeschel, pastor of Life.Church in Oklahoma. It’s all about biblical thinking. It’s discussing how we actually accomplish Paul’s instructions to us in Romans 12, when he says...

Romans 12:1–2 ESV

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

In his book, Pastor Craig shares 4 Principles that help us be transformed by the renewing of our mind. They are:

The Replace Principle - when we identify lies and replace them with God’s truth.

The Rewire Principle - which is how we make God’s truths our strongest thoughts.

The Reframe Principle - which helps us take control of our perspective and frame it by God’s truths.

And today… on Vision Sunday… we’ll discuss The Rejoice Principle. And I’ll share how the vision for 2022 connects to The Rejoice Principle.

Exegesis:

Let’s start today reading a psalm. Actually, it’s a psalm we did not too long ago in our “Finding Life in the Psalms” series. And it’s a psalm that I believe ties all 4 Principles together. Psalm 16 says...

Psalm 16:1–11 ESV

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips. The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. 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. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

This is a psalm of JOY by the great King David. It’s also a psalm birthed out of difficult times. We’re not sure of the circumstances, but consider verse 1...

Psalm 16:1 ESV

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.

You don’t start off crying out to God, “Preserve me!” or “in You I take refuge (or You’re my hiding place)” unless there’s something serious going on! But I think this is important for us to realize from the get-go, because David didn’t find JOY in the absence of problems, but in the midst of them. At the very least, this tells us this psalm is relevant to our day. David was writing in a troubling time, yet he found JOY! We live in a troubling time, so how do we find joy?

Jump down to verse 7...

Psalm 16:7 ESV

I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.

Part of David’s path to joy involved God’s truth. God’s truth got into his mind - and into his heart - and showed him the way to go. A king has many advisors. And as God’s chosen king, you better believe the devil was out to tempt and deceive him too! Yet, there was one Voice that mattered to Him most - God’s voice. And that’s the Voice he was devoted to listening to.

… and doesn’t that sound like The Replacement Principle? Replacing lies with God’s truth?

Look at the first part of verse 8, “I have set the LORD ALWAYS before me...”

Combine this with verse 2...

Psalm 16:2 ESV

I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”

…and what we see is David was completely devoted to the Lord. He was all he thought about. This would be consistent with what David said elsewhere, like in Psalm 27...

Psalm 27:4 ESV

One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.

God’s truth, and the truths about Him, were on repeat in David’s head. And doesn’t that sound like an application of The Rewire Principle? David constantly thought about God - He was ALWAYS before him… and based on neuroplasticity (or the way God created our brains to work), the Truth became David’s strongest thoughts!

And watch what happens...

“because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken...” I got to take a moment to break this down a little bit because it’s too good!!!

In ancient times, a king going into battle would hold his shield in his left hand and his sword in his right. Now, the person positioned to the right-side of the king had the responsibility of defending the king’s vulnerable side.

To throw in a football reference, it’d be similar the Offensive Tackle that has the responsibility of blocking the Quarterbacks blindside. Usually that player is super big, strong, skilled, fast, and trustworthy - he’s also well paid (avg salary is 11 million/yr). If you don’t understand this reference, hop on Amazon Prime, and watch “The Blind Side.” Great movie.

But going back to protecting the king’s vulnerable side, this too would be an extreme privilege because only the most trustworthy of soldiers would be given such a responsibility. As a king who had often seen combat, David knew this. Yet… think about what is being said here....

“… I shall not be shaken (unafraid, not affected by circumstances, completely at peace)” … why?… “because the LORD is at my right hand.”

Because David knew God’s truth. Because David constantly thought about God’s truth… like the following verse...

Deuteronomy 31:6 ESV

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

Because he practiced The Replacement and Rewire Principles, he was then able to implement The Reframe Principle. God’s truth changed his thinking, which changed his perspective. Which is why he could say… even during tough times...

Psalm 16:9–10 ESV

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.

He declared...

Psalm 16:5–6 ESV

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

He REFRAMED everything according to God’s truth. And here’s when we arrive at our final principle...

The Rejoice Principle:

The Rejoice Principle is the result of when the other 3 Principles are being practiced in our lives. It goes like this...

We live in a sinful, broken world, which makes life extremely difficult. Additionally, we have a spiritual enemy (the devil) who is in charge of this world and trying to destroy us. His most effective weapons are lies. And he’s filled our world and minds with them. And remember, how we think impacts how we live.

But God has a plan to save us. And that plan involves changing the way we think (renewing our mind). It starts with capturing those lies, throwing them away, and replacing them with God’s truth.

And as constantly think about those truths, they become our strongest thoughts. And our lives start to change.

That’s because we begin to see the world according to God’s perspective. And when we do, we find hope, purpose, and good all around us.

And when that’s how we frame our world, we begin to experience joy. Not because we’re ignoring the hardship around us, but because we know the truth! We know that no matter the current circumstances, God loves us and is with us. And when that is our primary reality, we are filled with supernatural JOY!

Or as David says...

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.

You see, The Rejoice Principle is not about a program, it’s about the Presence of God! This is what Psalm 16 shows us. David did get an advanced copy of Pastor Craig’s book. David didn’t know the four principles. David wasn’t trying to follow a spiritual-enrichment program. David just wanted to be in the Presence of God. And this was the paths the Holy Spirit lead him down. And I believe the Holy Spirit also help Pastor Craig observe and develop these four principles, based on biblical truths. Because I’d confidently guess he’d tell us the same thing: This is not following a program, it’s a path to the Presence of God, where there is fullness of joy.

In fact, the way Pastor Craig summarizes The Rejoice Principle is, “Revive Your Soul, Reclaim Your Life!” It’s all about restoring the relationship God created us to have. When we get back into the presence of God, our souls are restored. Things are as they should be. And when that happens, we find joy. We find life as it was intended to be!

And that’s the purpose of this series. We want our church to be a people who dwell in the Presence of God, because that is where the joyful life is found! And not just in this short series, but in all of 2022, our Vision is to seek and dwell in His Presence...

…specifically, our 2022 Vision is JESUS!

We believe that as we seek and dwell in the presence of Jesus, we will find joy. John 15 teaches us this. In verse 4, Jesus says...

John 15:4 ESV

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.

In other words, true life is found in My presence! But look at what else He says...

John 15:11 ESV

These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

Jesus is teaching us the importance of being in His presence; and then He says the reason is that you may have the fullness of joy! Just like Psalm 16. And if cross-reference Psalm 16 with Acts 2 in your Bible, you’ll see that Psalm 16 is all about Jesus anyways!

Being in the presence of Jesus fills us with joy. And that’s why we’re committing all of 2022 to focusing on Jesus. I want us to be able to collectively say in December...

Psalm 16:2 ESV

I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”

because all year long, we always set the LORD before us!

Now, if you’ve been a part of a bible-teaching church for a while, you might be thinking, “Focusing on Jesus?!? Isn’t that a given?” Yes, you’re right. In fact, I don’t think we could appropriately call ourselves a “church” if “focusing on Jesus” wasn’t always a priority! But I again, my thought is to press into His presence. To go a little deeper. To know His love more.

When I say our Vision is Jesus, that means we’re going to intentionally make everything we do about Him.

All year long, our sermon series will be focused on Jesus. Staring with going thru the gospel of Mark in two weeks! That’ll take us thru Easter. But after that, we’ll spend time talking about...

Why did He have to die?

Why did He have to rise again?

Why does He love us?

What kind of life is He calling us to… or what does it mean to follow Jesus?

And why is He worth surrendering and sacrificing our entire life in service.

We’ll also be intentionally planning our Life Groups, DGroups, service projects, River Kids lessons, everything around Jesus!

And I’m telling you, this is going to be a year like no other. If you will invest your life into seeking and dwelling in the presence of Jesus, I guarantee your life will be radically transformed - for the better. That you will experience joy like never before. That those around you will find joy!

And I’m truly excited for us this year!

Response:

And let me end by telling you why I’m excited - and why you should be excited too - about investing an entire year into one single focus...

There was a lady who once owned a bottle of perfume worth a year’s salary. One day, she came into the presence of Jesus and poured it all out as an act of worship. Seems excessive. Seems like a waste. If you’re thinking that, you’re not alone. The disciples thought so too. They thought it would’ve been better to sell it and help the poor. But look at what Jesus says...

Mark 14:6–9 NLT

But Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me? You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time. I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”

Let me give you an application of this passage: Nothing you do for Jesus will ever be a waste!

Another time, two sisters were hosting Jesus at their home. One was working hard. The other was wasting time doing nothing - at least in her sister’s eyes - but sitting in front of Jesus. But look at what Jesus says...

Luke 10:41–42 ESV

But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

In this life, there’s nothing more important than giving Jesus our attention. Anytime we choose to do that, we have made a good choice.

Finally, one time Jesus was asked what the most important thing in this life is… He said...

Matthew 22:37–38 ESV

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.

The greatest thing you can do with your life is love Jesus with everything you have.

My church family, this is the heart of our 2022 Vision. We are going to seek Jesus with all that we have. We are going to press thru everything hardship and distraction to be in His presence.

Some may accuse us of wasting precious time.

Some may say we’re not doing enough.

But know this, Jesus says this is the ONE THING THAT TRULY MATTERS.

For some of us, this will be a year of phenomenal growth. We will grow stronger and know His love more than ever before. And for some of us, this will be the rest we need. Maybe the recent past, we’ve been inconsistent with, or even ignoring, our relationship with Jesus. And our life reflects it. But in 2022, that’s gonna change. You have an opportunity to get back on the path to His presence, where the fullness of joy is found! And for others, this will be something brand new. You’ve never known Jesus, but as you focus on Him, or as the old hymn says, as you...

Turn your eyes upon Jesus [and]

Look full in His wonderful face

...the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace.

And if that’s something you want to do today, know that you can. Jesus is here. His presence is here. His joy is waiting for you. All you need to do is choose to enter in. It will not be a waste. There’s no better decision you can make. In this One Person - in Jesus - is everything you’ll ever need. He is the way, the truth, and the life.

How will you be changed by the presence of Jesus this year? The best way to find out is to show up. Will you show up and join us this year to press into His joy?

Let’s pray...

Jesus we bow before you in this moment. You are high and lifted up. You are the worthy King. You are God. And it’s unbelievable that we can come in Your presence with our sinful lives. But we know that because of Your love, grace, and sacrifice on the Cross, we can not just come, but we can come boldly and find rest. We can find joy. To things this world can never offer us. And two things you created us for! God we want that today. Helps us to seek it as our one thing. Starting today. And then all year. And then… all our lives. We pray this in Jesus name, amen.

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