NO GREATER JOY

III John 4

1. Greater than the joy of our salvation

2. Greater joy than seeing somebody else saved.

3. Children walk in truth, not come into the truth.

The Reason

1. There is somebody to carry on the work after we're gone.

2. If God has taught us through His Word and our hearts give testimony to it, we know they are communicating with God in the same manner.

3. We know they will have the desire to teach others as they have been taught, and the cause of Christ will continue.

4. Matt. 28:18-20 - Because of fulfilling the Great Commission.

A. Missions is the "heartbeat" of the church. It is widely taught today that “giving to missions” is the heartbeat of the church, that a church cannot be alive and well without giving to missions. I personally believe that a church can give hundreds and thousands of dollars a year to both local and foreign missions, yet be dead because they members of that particular church are not being missionary. Pressing “missions” upon the people is when the people see that it is their job to reach the lost around them. It is their job to talk to people in this local community. If we don’t do missions here, we won’t be effective in doing missions in foreign nations.

1. If there is no missions (outreach) there is no heartbeat. (There is death.)

2. Our church has no reason to exist if there is no outreach for others, to reach them and teach them the gospel, baptize them and receive them to ourselves (as an active part of our church) and then teach them to help us reach others.

3. Don't be "clannish". If there is no outreach, there is no church.

B. Example: Acts 18:24-28 - Aquilla and Priscilla teach Apollos the Word of God more perfectly.

1. If the Word of God is not taught clearly and completely, it will slowly be perverted.

2. The result of this instruction is:

a. Verse 27 - Helped at Achaia.

b. Verse 28 - Convinced (not just talked to) the Jews. (He got results - because he was instructed.)

c. Verse 28 - Publicly - bystanders would know that Jesus was the Christ. (Doing this publicly showed that Appolos was very sure of his position because he had studied it thoroughly.)

5. Gal. 5:22 - The second fruit of the Spirit is joy.

The first is love for God.

The second is love for men.

The third is joy that others are following Christ, teaching others.