Helpers of Your Joy

Well, good afternoon, everyone. Here in Hickory. It's so good to be here once again and see you. And I guess we won't be seeing you quite as often in the future as we have in the past. But I want you to know that my wife and I have greatly appreciated and been very thankful for the opportunity to get to know you this past year. Because I've been your pastor for about a year before now Mr. Hofker comes on as the new pastor in our area. But you know, as the year last year developed and we came to be responsible for seven churches and one pastorate, that's not the way we had planned for things to happen or wanted them to happen. It just kind of happened.

But then thankfully, Mr. and Mrs. Hofker came in from Nebraska and he's certainly gotten to know the area very well in the last six months or so. And we're very, very thankful that he is able to be responsible now for three of our congregations out this way. He's done in Columbia, South Carolina this afternoon with their lecture there.

And you'll have the Charlotte and the Hickory churches, but we really have enjoyed very much getting to know you. We feel like we've developed a close relationship with you, that of brothers and sisters. I was just thinking back and thought I would give a few comments in the way of perspective before getting into the sermon message.

You know, when we look back at our roots, if you want to go back to the beginning of our roots, where would you go? I think you would have to go to the book of Acts, Acts 2. And maybe even to Matthew 16, verse 18, where Jesus said, I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it, the gates of Hades the grave. So that is the beginning of the idea of the church. And then it came to pass, the church began on the day of Pentecost in Acts, chapter 2. And we read about that church in the book of Acts and in the letters of the apostles. So that would be our roots. Our roots go back to Jesus Christ saying He would found a church and that church beginning, and a church that we read about in the New Testament.

But then we can trace the church. We have done this through Asia Minor, into Europe, into Northwestern Europe, England, and eventually to the New World. And how do we trace the Church of God? By its doctrines and teachings, people that have been true to the Sabbath, been true to keeping the Passover and the Holy Days of God, who believed in the Millennium. Yeah, we can find people, small groups of people in Europe, first of all in Asia, Western Asia, Asia Minor, in Europe, and on into the New World the last 18 or 1900 years to our time. Mr. Herbert Armstrong came into contact in 1926-1927 when he was angered into Bible study. He came into contact with the Church of God Seventh Day, keeping the Sabbath, and yet not understanding the Holy Days, actually, but it was the Church of God that had come on through the ages to that time. And semester Armstrong did a lot of study. We know that in 1933-1934, he began to preach on the radio, the World Tomorrow program about the coming Kingdom of God. He began to publish the Plain Truth magazine. He began to do a work in the Willamette Valley in Oregon, reaching in the northwest, even up into Washington State as well. We know the roots of that work, and most of us have been around a while. We've heard it, but I think it's always good to remember where our roots are. Our roots go back to Acts 2, and our roots go back more immediately to the work of Mr. Herbert Armstrong. In 1933, when Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong, first of all, for about seven years, kept the Holy Days all by themselves. Nobody else would join with them. But after about seven years, there were people that started keeping the feast with them. There were twenty-one people in 1933 keeping the Feast of Tabernacles. Twenty-one people. What about like we have here today? In 1940, the number keeping the feast had more than doubled up to the big number of 46 in 1940. In 1950, the numbers had doubled more than, well, tripled to 150 people keeping the Feast of Tabernacles. When I came to Ambassador College in 1958, I went to Big Sandy, Texas, there were over 4,000 people attending the feast. I was one of those over 4,000 people that year. So you can see the numbers were going, beginning to go up. In 1958, when I arrived at Ambassador College, the church was so small. We had no church in the eastern part of the country. No church in New York City. No church in Philadelphia. No church here in the southeast. Just churches, very few churches scattered around the country and the world. I was able to pray for every congregation and every minister, every prayer, every day, because there were so few. There weren't but about a dozen or 15 churches around the world in 1958. But the numbers increased rapidly even that very next year. See, New York City, when did it begin? Was it 1959? I can't remember exactly, but it was around 1959 or 1960. Then churches began to be founded in the southeast as well. Greensboro, North Carolina had a church in 1963. Any of you there in 1963, I don't think I happened to be there. I'm a charter member of the Greensboro Church. November, whatever the date was of 1963. But the numbers were going up. Now, most of us come on board in the decade of the 1960s. How many go back to the 60s when you started attending church? My wife, by the way, her family started hearing the program in the late 50s. And then they became members of the church. Her parents were baptized by a baptizing tour in 1961. Guess who baptized them? Me! Baptized my own future father and mother-in-law, but I didn't know it at that time. Met their daughter just a few years later, and the rest is history. Here we are. But, you know, we've seen the church then to grow and to expand, haven't we?

If you go back to that decade of the 60s, how many go back to the decade of the 70s? All right. And let me go on forward then just a little bit. By 1960, we had attending the Feast of Tabernacles. And this will be the U.S. and Canada. Of course, there was only one festival site in 1960, and that was Big Sandy, Texas. But there were over 7,000 people attending the Feast.

The next year, we had a second feast site in Squaw Valley, California. And in 1961, there were 9,791, almost 10,000 people. But look at the numbers as they keep rising. By 1970, there were attending the Feast of Tabernacles in the U.S. and Canada. Doesn't include some of the overseas sites, so that would put it up considerably more. But over 62,000 were attending the Feast in the United States and Canada in 1962. Let's move on forward to 1980. And we had in the U.S. and Canada almost 84,000 attending the Feast. And the last year that I have records for would be 1987, and there were almost 122,000. And again, I don't think this includes all of the festival sites around the world. But you can see then that the Church of God grew large, many of us. How many began coming in the 1980s to the Church? Okay. Those of you that were coming back in the 60s and the 70s and the 80s can certainly relate to the Church and how God certainly blessed the work of Herbert W. Armstrong and it grew large in many, many, many congregations. The Charlotte congregation was formed in 1969, June of 1969. Anybody attend the Charlotte Church when it was formed? Okay. And then the Lenoir Church formed not too long after that. I'm not sure exactly, but maybe in the early 70s. You have a year when the Church in Lenoir began, anyone? But I think it would have been in the early 70s.

So congregations were formed and God's Church grew and grew and grew large in numbers. I don't know exactly when Mr. Armstrong died in 1986, exactly how many people at that time were attending the Feast of Tabernacles, but it was, I believe, around 140,000. It could have been a little bit lower, but maybe slightly more. The Church grew and grew and grew. But you know, Mr. Herbert Armstrong often wondered if maybe half of the people were not really converted. And sometimes he would thunder that out. Some of you may have heard him say it, but he said that a number of times. He wondered just how many people were really converted. He was perceptive. He realized that many of the people did not have deep roots. They were like the seed that fell on the stony ground. They had received the Word with joy, it says, but then they did not have deep root. And when tribulation and trial came along, then they died away. And so that just did not last very long.

So Mr. Armstrong was perceptive in realizing that not everyone that was coming, all this big numbers, not everyone was really deeply rooted in the truth. And true enough, after Mr. Armstrong died and the events that happened after his death and the slow departure, erosion of the truth, and then just turning against the Sabbath and the Holy Days, we all relate to that in late 1994, early 1995. And that is when United Church of God began in the spring of 1995. Indianapolis, Indiana, a group of very humble, broken ministers and their wives met. My wife and I were among them. And that was the start of the United Church of God almost 17 years ago. We know, though, that most people did not come with us. Now, some had gone with other Church of God groups. Not only God knows, actually, who are the truly converted members of the Church, but we know that many people went back to Sunday worship in the world. Many people just stopped going anywhere at all. They just kind of gave up. They lost heart. So many did not have deep roots. It turned out that, indeed, Mr. Armstrong was perceptive in saying that he believed the half of the people were not really converted. But to know the United Church of God then began with smaller numbers. But lo and behold, in our almost 17-year history, we have our own challenges, our own problems. We've had ones to go out from us and not to be a part of us anymore.

So we've had our own trials and our own struggle. I won't go over all of the particulars. And just over a year ago, we had our latest challenge, and here we are. We're carrying on after that severe trying and testing that came more recently. And we are so thankful that God has blessed us with you, faithful brethren, and that you are striving to be steadfast. You understand what happened over a year ago, and that there was no cause for division like there was in 1995.

And in 1995, I got up and made a few comments to my congregations in West Virginia that was supportive of the Sabbath and the Holy Days and sticking with that. And the very next week, I had a visit telling me that I could no longer teach those things. So we had no choice in 1995 with the doctrinal changes, but to start the United Church of God. We didn't want to do it.

None of the ministers really wanted to have to do that, but we had no choice if we were to be true to the teachings of the Bible. But just over a year ago, and what led up to it the last two or three years, there's been no cause for this type of division that has occurred. So here we are. We're carrying on. And guess what? God is blessing us. He's opening doors to us.

The work of the church has not diminished, even though our numbers are smaller, by maybe about a third, at least 30 percent, or a third smaller than they were before. But the work of the church has not diminished. God doesn't have to have huge numbers. He can take a Gideon's army, and He can get the work done. And so, you know, I'm thankful for each and every one of you.

If there's anyone who doesn't understand what happened just over a year ago, you should discuss it further with Mr. Hofger. And you should understand that there was something there that certainly was not right, that developed, and there was no cause for the division that did occur.

But I'm thankful that we have those who have been steadfast and those who have endured.

Again, we don't know where everybody stands in all of this. God knows. But we do know this, that He does allow the church to go through trying and testing. That for sure. And when I look back over the more than 50 years that I have had an active association and part of being a member of the church of God, then I can attest to the fact that there have been many trials and tests. And it's not just in our time, in United's time, but it goes back. When I was in college, there was a professor that became disgruntled, and he left. Left the church. And all along the way there have been those who have gone out from us, all along the way. So you can go back to whatever time period you want to, and you go back to 1974, over half of the Charlotte congregation left. The minister who began to defect in the Greenville, South Carolina church. My wife and I came into that area in 1974, and many people had left with this minister that had left.

Had gone out. So you can go back to just about any, you can go back to every decade, you know, I'm sure, and you go right back through the church's history. You go right back to the beginning of the church, and you'll find those who went out from us. So, anyway, that seems to be the fulfillment of a prophecy. Let's turn to this before we get to the major sermon, and that is in Daniel chapter 11.

God did indicate that there would be trying and testing. Again, we don't know all that God is working out and just how He is doing it. We believe there are brethren in other church of God groups. We're not all of the members of God's church are in united, but God knows where His own are, and in all of this which He is allowing to happen, there's a reason and a purpose that God has in mind.

And I like to remind everyone, Christ is in full control. Even as we go through the trying and the testing, Christ is in full control. Always remember that. In Daniel chapter 11 and verse 33, those are the people who understand, shall instruct to many. Yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering. Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help. But many shall join with them by intrigue, not really being deeply rooted in the truth. Some of those of understanding shall fall to refine them.

Here's what God is allowing to happen. It's refining us, what we're going through, the trying and the testing, to refine them, purge them, and make them white until the time of the end. So, you know, our purging, our refining will go on to the time of the end because it's still for the appointed time. And then in Daniel 12 and verse 10, we read much of the same thing. Many shall be purified, made white, and refined. The wicked shall do wickedly, will not understand, but the wise shall understand. So, this purging and this purifying and being made white and refined that is going on.

Let's make sure that we are purified. Make sure that we are made white. Make sure that we keep our hearts in the right place as we go on forward. I think it is good for us to have the perspective then of where we are and what God is doing.

He wants to know our hearts and minds. He wants to know what is at the deepest level. So, here we are in 2012. 2011 is history. We had seven churches in one pastorate. We have not divided the pastorate. We have multiplied the pastorates to two. Two times one pastorate. You know, that gives us two pastorates, right? We like multiplication rather than division.

Well, it all comes out the same, doesn't it? So, it is good the way things have developed, and I certainly hope that you will then in every way go on forward being steadfast and being faithful. So, I know Mr. Hofker will appreciate all of your help and everybody working together as a close-knit family here in Hickory, as we are. So, work together with him and certainly help the church here to be furthered in spiritual growth, each of us growing spiritually, and also as God adds new members. We hope and trust that He will do that. I'd like to then get into the sermon by turning over to a verse in 2 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 24.

This is the verse I'd like for us to focus on this afternoon. 2 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 24. We're going to get into our calling to be a part of God's church and how God is helping us to grow and go on forward in love and in unity with one another as we head on toward God's kingdom. Look at this verse and let's understand it and appreciate it more deeply this afternoon. 2 Corinthians 1 and verse 24. Not that we have dominion over your faith.

The ministry does not have dominion over our faith. Each of us has to be in control of that. As Paul put it in one place, work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. So, not that we have dominion over your faith, but our fellow workers for your joy, for by faith you stand. Now, the context of this verse that we are going to be studying and understanding more deeply begins earlier. I'll go back to verse 12. And Paul is talking about the ministry and how the ministry strives to conduct itself in a way that is honorable and in love and always in the best interest of the congregation.

Verse 12, our boasting is this, the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity. Not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God and more abundantly toward you. For we are not writing any other things to you than what you read or understand. Now, I trust you will understand, even to the end, as also you have understood us in part. So, this congregation, the Corinth, Paul had had to correct them, actually. They were coming up pretty far short in understanding and conduct. And you can read that in the first book, the letter, 1 Corinthians. And so, Paul was in the process of developing this relationship with them. He says, as you have understood us in part, that we are your boast as you also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus. Let's skip on to verse 18. As God is faithful, our word to you was not yes and no.

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me, Sylvanus, and Timothy, was not yes and no, but in Him, in Christ, it was yes. God's message is a very positive yes. For all the promises of God in Him are yes and in Him, amen, to the glory of God through us.

Now, He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God. God is established in the church then in Christ, who's head of the church, and He's using His ministry as one way of doing that, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a deposit. Moreover, I call God as witness against my soul that to spare you I came no more to Corinth. If all it had to correct, so sternly, He was afraid to speed that along too fast and even to come back until it was a proper time.

But to spare them, He came no more. Now, the verse we read earlier, not, not, He's talking as if He has some responsibilities of leadership. He has some responsibilities, actually, of using the authority that God has given to Him as a minister of God. But He then says, not that we have dominion over your faith. Now, other translations put that, the American Standard Version says, not that we have lordship over your faith. The ministry does not have lordship over your faith. You have the control of that. The ministry doesn't get between you and God. It's, well, we're going to see how the minister is there to help, not to have dominion over your faith.

Moffat says, not that we lord it over your faith. The Phillips translation says, we are not trying to dominate you and your faith. The New English Bible says, do not think we are dictate in the terms of your faith. In Coneber Epistles of Paul, I speak not as though your faith was enslaved to my authority. Obviously, in the context he's using that, that there's a ministerial responsibility that he's carrying out, but in no way does that mean that their faith then is enslaved to Him. So the ministry doesn't rule over our faith, and the ministry doesn't come between us and God.

But instead, as Paul goes on to point out in this verse about midway through, we don't have dominion over your faith, but here's what the ministry is, the ministry of God. We are fellow workers for your joy. Now, some of the other translations, the 20th century New Testament says we work with you for your true happiness. The Knox New Testament says we would help you to achieve happiness. And the King James Version simply says, helpers of your joy.

I like that, and I think that is right within the meaning of the Greek in this passage. Helpers of your joy. That's the title of the sermon this afternoon. So the minister's job is to be a helper of our joy, to help us achieve true happiness and true success. Helpers of your joy. I'd like for us to focus on that. First of all, let's define what joy. Helpers of your joy. What is your joy? Well, it's helping you to strike it rich physically, right? Of all kinds of wealth. Win the sweepstakes, win the lottery. Be able to live a life of leisure and ease.

No. We know that if not any physical pursuits, it is something spiritual. A minister of God is a helper of something spiritually. Let's get right to that. Here is where the ministry, this is what the ministry is for, to help us give a helping hand in any way that we can. In Matthew 13, we get in this verse right to what is the joy of you and of me, each and every one of us. This is our joy. This is what we've set our minds on. It's what we are committed to. It's what really excites us and turns us on.

Matthew 13 and verse 44, again, the kingdom of heaven is, and kingdom of heaven is the same as the kingdom of God. Matthew uses this expression, kingdom of heaven, because it would be a kingdom of heavenly origin that we may be a part of and that will be set up on this earth.

The kingdom of God is like treasure hidden in a field. Here's something more valuable than anything on earth, a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid. And for joy, here is that joy that we're talking about. It's the joy of discovering. We're coming to understand about the kingdom of God. For joy over it, He goes and sells all that He has and buys that field.

You know, when I first began to understand about the kingdom of God, it was a joy. And let me just say this, it still is a joy. More than ever, it's a joy to talk about the kingdom of God. I'm so happy that our lectures are focusing on that.

The kingdom of God Bible seminars. I went to church for the first 15 years of my life with my parents, but I never remember one sermon, not even one, explaining about the kingdom of God, because the world doesn't understand the gospel. And the gospel is the kingdom of God. That's what our Bible seminars are all about. I'm very happy that they're focusing on the central message of the Bible, the kingdom of God, that we may become a part of, that we may enter, that it's going to be set up on this earth, that we may reign with Christ and help others to come into God's kingdom and God's family. But that's what it's all about. That's what God's purpose is. When we come to see that, there's a joy there. There's a joy that words cannot describe. So helpers of your joy, the joy that we have now come to understand, that treasure is coming to understand that we may be a part of something big, God's kingdom, God's family as a son of God. And then it goes on to say it's like somebody's seeking beautiful pearls when he found one pearl of great price, sold everything he had, and bought that one pearl. So you know God's kingdom then creates great joy in our lives.

Now, if it did not create great joy in your life, I'll just say that you're missing something. You didn't get the message. You didn't really see the gospel for what it is.

So you know that we can be spirit beings, sons of God, and we can reign forever, joint inheritance of the universe. You know, you can't get any bigger than that. And when we come to really comprehend the gospel, then it does create a joy. So the ministry is to help us to attain that joy. That's what the purpose of the ministry is. For those who understand today, as this was pointed out last week in the Bible seminar, there has to be a calling in order for someone to begin to really understand about the kingdom of God. And these very verses were read here earlier in the chapter, verse 10. Matthew 13 and verse 10, the disciples came and said, Why do you speak to them in parables? And he answered and said, Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. It's a mystery to most people, like I say, 15 years in church and never heard one sermon about the kingdom of God.

But to them has not been given, Jesus went on to say. In verse 16, Blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. And our eyes do are open to see, and our ears to hear. I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see and did not see it, and to hear what you hear and did not hear it.

So what a wonderful thing has happened to us. Our eyes have been opened. Our ears have been opened. We can see and we can understand about the kingdom of God. This joy leads us to a commitment. It leads us to a total change in our lives, a total focusing of a different direction. And there's a joy that takes place when we repent and are baptized. Let's read about that in Luke chapter 15. Luke chapter 15 and verse 8. What woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently till she finds it. And when she's found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me, for I've found the peace which I lost. If you do lose something pretty valuable, like if you lost a hundred dollar bill and you weren't looking for it, you'd be pretty happy when you found it. You might call your friends and neighbors even if it's late at night.

Rejoice with me, I've found the peace I've lost. But verse 10, likewise I say to you, There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. Can you imagine that? Nobody else was baptized when I was baptized in March of 1959. I was the only one, but according to this verse, the angels were rejoicing before God's throne.

They were jumping up and down. When you were baptized, same thing. And you know, brethren are also very happy too. When they hear someone has been baptized, there's always a lot of hugs. Of course, brethren many times like to be present when people are baptized and share that time with the joy and the happiness. I've seen that joy many, many times, those who have been just recently baptized. So you see, the joy, the helper of your joy, begins with hearing the message and understanding it. And then it leads to a commitment at the time of repentance and baptism. And there's great joy. And then, of course, the minister lays hands. And then after that, there's joy all along the way. We'll get to that in just a moment. But the ultimate joy, the joy that is going to be the greatest joy is when we will reach the reward that is up ahead, entry into God's kingdom. Let's read that. We're jumping ahead. But that's the greatest joy of all. Matthew 25. And all of us have this joy yet to look forward to. We haven't completed the course yet.

We want to get back to the course a little bit, the journey alone that will lead us here. But in Matthew 25, Jesus, in the parable of the talents, these different ones one man had increased by five. He had doubled his five talents, and he now had ten. And Matthew 25, verse 21, the Lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant. Those are words we want to have said to us one day. You were faithful over a few things. I will, and that word faithful is very important, steadfast. You were steadfast. You were faithful. You did not veer to the left or to the right.

Faithful over a few things. I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.

And so that's when the joy is going to be full and complete. Today we have a lot of joy, but it's not as complete or full as it's going to be once we are in the kingdom of God. When we are no longer human, our vile physical bodies will be spirit bodies at that time.

And verse 23, the same thing is said to the one that had two talents, and he had gained two more. He had doubled. So the very same words, well done, good and faithful servant. You've been faithful over a few things. I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.

And of course, there's not going to be any greater joy than that, except we're going to have that joy for all eternity. It's not just going to be for... It's going to be up at a high level when we enter God's kingdom, but it's going to stay at that level. But you know, there is joy here and now as we prepare for God's kingdom, even though there are trials and difficulties and we make mistakes, there's joy along the way as we seek after God's kingdom first and as we prepare for life in His family. And God wants us to have that joy, and our life can be and should be just full of joy. Jesus prayed about that the night before and spoke about it the night before He died. John 14. John 14 and verse 11. I think verse 12 was read in the sermonette, so we'll read verse 11 right before John 15 and verse 11. These things I have spoken to you that my joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full. I think that the latter part of this verse may indicate that, you know, our joy being full may be a process, you know, that our joy gets greater and greater until that time we do enter God's kingdom. That your joy may be full. In John 16 and in verse 24, John 16 and verse 24, until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive.

And why? You know, this asking you shall receive. This shows a close relationship with our Father.

And we're constantly talking with our Father and conversing and communicating with Him.

And as we ask, we do receive that your joy may be full. We keep growing then more and more the joy of God. In chapter 17, John 17 and in verse 13, but now I come to you and these things I speak in the world that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. The same level of joy that Jesus Christ had. So this may be a process of growing in joy just like we grow in everything else, but our joy is to keep mounting up more and more joy until we are filled with the same level of joy that Jesus Christ has. Well, God wants us as we prepare for His kingdom then we are to be full of joy. In the early church we certainly see that joy. We see it today in God's church as well, but let's read about the early church right now in Acts 2. Acts 2 and verse 46.

And we see that joy here in the early church. So continuing daily, Acts 2 verse 46, continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart. They were just happy. They were united, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

So they were just full of joy. And that's what we do as well, don't we? We get together every Sabbath. We talk in fellowship. Now and then we do have some food as well that we're able to like a potluck meal and we eat also together with gladness and simplicity of heart. There's a joy being a part of God's work and God's church. Look at, you know, when new people, when God begins to work in an area or to call new people, let's notice there's a joy there in Acts chapter 8. When we hear about new brethren, different parts of our own country or around the world, there's a joy. Here Philip went down to Samaria, Acts chapter 8 and verse 5. He went to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord listened, large numbers of people hearing and seeing the miracles that he did, unclean spirits, those possessed, and many were paralyzed, the lame were healed. And then verse 8, there was great joy in that city.

I tell you, when God begins to work with people, begins to open their minds, there is joy. And, you know, we have new ones coming to God's church, and it is a joy to see that these people were baptized in verse 12 and later had hands laid upon them. And so a lot of joy in this city of Samaria. Let's go to Acts 13 and verse 52. So yes, that joy, you know, and the ministry plays a role in this, and we all do. We all work together. Working together, then helpers of your joy.

In Acts 13 and verse 52, and in the city of Antioch, there were people that believed and followed the teachings they heard and responded to that teaching. And it says in verse 52, the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. They were happy at the work that God was doing. In Acts 15 and verse 3, just reading a few of the verses that show that there's a lot of joy as we do the work of God. As God's ministry and the church together do the work, there is joy.

In Acts chapter 15, we know this is the circumcision chapter where a decision was made, that circumcision was not required of the Gentiles, or God was calling into the church.

And in fact, that's the very reason that Paul and others were sent to Jerusalem to find out God's will on this matter. And so in verse 3, they're on their way to Jerusalem, being sent on their way by the church. They passed through Phoenicia and Samaria. And we just read about Samaria where there were believers describing the conversion of the Gentiles that came through and described the way God was calling people out of the Gentile world. And notice they caused great joy to all the brethren. The brethren were happy to hear about Gentiles that were coming into God's church. There's a great deal of joy. So you know, when we understand the gospel of the kingdom of God and we get involved in the work of God, there is joy in our hearts. There's a deep inner joy.

And that's true even if we go through trials and difficulties. Guess what? After baptism, before too long, there will be trials and there will be persecution. There will be challenges that come. I remember when I was first baptized, I heard sermons that you will be tried and tested. And you will have difficulties as a Christian. I didn't have anything right at first.

And I didn't know just what to make of that. But believe you me, in looking back over all the years, I do see exactly there have been much trying and testing over the years. But there's an inner joy that is not diminished by the trials that we go through. The inner joy, because God's kingdom, that which we really set our eyes on, that which we seek first, that never changes. And that is what creates the deep inner joy. Peter described it very well in 1 Peter chapter 1. Even though we have trials and there are struggles along the way, it doesn't diminish the joy deep down in our hearts and minds. Not one bit. We may have aches and pains. There may be health problems. There may be family problems. But the deep inner joy remains. In 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

This living hope gives us, it is God's kingdom. It gives us great joy. More about it in verse 4, to an inheritance, incorruptible and undefiled that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.

And just skipping on down to verse 6, these people were going through trials and difficulties, and Peter holds up the hope of God's kingdom to them. In verse 6, In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials. Trials do grieve us, but again it doesn't destroy the hope and the joy of God's kingdom.

And why do we have trials of verse 7, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ?

And so there's a reason that God lets us go through trying and testing. He's perching us.

He's testing us. He's making us white. In verse 8, as far as the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen, you love, though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls. And we know we've not really received that ultimate salvation yet, but we know that that lies ahead. And it's a sure thing. We have the earnest. We have already the down payment of it, the salvation of our souls through God's Spirit. And so there's a joy inexpressible, even when we go through trials and difficulties. And that's what Peter is pointing out in this chapter. Hey, you're going through a lot of trials? You've still got that joy, that joy that's inexpressible. That means that words, you cannot come up with words actually to state just the joy and the happiness that we feel deep inside. So the Christian life is not all just easy.

Many times there are still waters, and there are broad spaces, but many times there are difficult spots as well. There's the valley of the shadow of death that we go through at times, difficulties. But Jesus said, straight, S-T-R-A-I-T, means difficult. It means hard. Not that same spelling is a straight line. Straight, hard, difficult. And the road is narrow that leads to life. The Apostle Paul said that we must through much tribulation enter the kingdom of God. So think about that. But it doesn't rob us of our joy. You know, even death itself would not rob us of our joy because we know that God's kingdom lies ahead. And we have the mind of Christ to look at it that way. In Hebrews 12 and verses 1 and 2, Hebrews 12 and verses 1 and 2, we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses. Let us lay aside every weight.

These witnesses are found in chapter 11, the faith chapter. So Paul says, since we have all these witnesses, let's lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, doesn't it?

Sin just comes so easy, so natural, it seems. Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. We do have a race to finish. We're not done with that race. We're on the track. We've got to go ahead to the finish line that lies up ahead. Looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Who, for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. So I've meditated about this verse often, and that is that Jesus Christ, even in facing death on the cross, still had a joy. And the joy, what was that joy? It had to be that many brethren would be able to come into God's family through His death. That has to be the joy. Joy was sons and daughters of God. It was brothers and sisters in the family of God for Jesus Christ. The joy that was set before Him. So I say that even death will not diminish or rob us of our joy. I think we've adequately defined joy. It is entering God's kingdom, and we have it now as we prepare for God's kingdom, and we can have it increasingly more and more joy as we make progress. Let's get to this part of the verse, 2 Corinthians 1, 24. How does the ministry serve as helpers of your joy? Helpers of your joy. That's what we're talking about. How do the ministers help? Well, the word helper in the Greek is sunurgos, S-U-N-E-R-G-O-S. It comes from two Greek roots. The first root is sun, S-U-N, sun, and it means together or close union with. And then the second Greek root is ergon, E-R-G-O-N, which means to work or to labor.

Just do work and labor. So to work together, to labor together, a co-laborer or co-worker, a fellow worker, close companion in labor. That means the ministry and the members of God's church work together closely. Helpers of your joy. God's ministers are called to labor and work, then, for your joy. How does a minister of God do that? Well, you know, when I began to understand about God's Kingdom, there was a minister of God teaching me. First of all, it was by radio, Mr. Armstrong, in magazine articles, The Plain Truth. In 1958, it was going to college. He even had a class under Mr. Herbert Armstrong. He was still teaching one class at that time. Didn't teach it too much longer. Others came in to do the classes, but I was taught by ministers of God. Mr. Armstrong and other ministers of God taught me about the Kingdom of God, helped me to understand something I'd never heard before. And as I understood, I came to the point I wanted to do something about it. I fought. I fought against baptism for a while, but after about six months at Ambassador College, then I surrendered my life, and it was a minister of God I went to. We sat there for about an hour, I guess, talked about baptism and what it required, what it meant about repentance, receiving God's Spirit, and after baptism what a person has to grow and overcome.

And the minister said, well, maybe you should go and just study for another couple of weeks, and then come back and we'll talk some more. And I said, well, no, I want to be baptized now. I'm ready to make that commitment and surrender my life. He kind of looked at me and talked a few more minutes, and then he said, well, I'll meet you down at the little pool where they did the baptizing on the campus. I'll meet you there in about 30 minutes. So it was a minister of God that counseled me and baptized me, and then he laid hands upon me after baptism. Each and every person, you know, all of you that are baptized know that God's ministry then certainly has been a helper of our joy and our joy being to be a part of God's kingdom. God's ministers after baptism are there to day by day encourage and to help. They're on duty 24-7. You can call them day or night when you have a question or a need. God's ministry also gives sermons every Sabbath to nourish and to strengthen us. And also, God's ministers help to visit the sick and to encourage those who are downcast and discouraged. So God's ministers have the heart of His shepherd, and they protect, and they are watching, and they are always striving to nourish the sheep. So helpers of your joy, that's what the ministry is for. The ministry doesn't get between you and God. No, it doesn't have dominion over your faith. It's there to just assist you. It's there to help you in any way that you can. That's why God has a ministry. You know, just to take you with an inside view of the ministry a little bit, the Bible does that. It helps us to understand what the ministry is like versus in the Bible. Let us notice a few passages on that. 2 Corinthians 6. You know, there are times that a minister can get discouraged, I guess. There's a time when a minister cannot sleep at night because problems or difficulties in the church, maybe situations that have come up, take away his sleep, and he can lie there awake at night thinking about it and praying about it.

2 Corinthians 6 and verse 3, the Apostle Paul reveals a lot of insight about the ministry and what the way of life that he was striving to live. In this way, he was living a life that set an example as a helper for the joy of the Gentile world that he was serving. He said in verse 3, we give no offense in anything. God's ministry strives not to offend in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed, but in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God.

In much patience, it takes a lot of that. In tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumult, in labors, in sleeplessness.

Paul had some situations that kept him awake at night. In fastings, by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the Word of Truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor. Sometimes a minister can be maligned, dishonored, by evil report and good report. Sometimes there can be evil reports, which are false. We've had some of that to happen, even in our recent trial, evil reports that were not true. And good reports as deceivers and yet true.

As unknown and yet well known. As dying and behold we live. As chastened and yet not killed.

Sometimes we do feel chastened by things that we go through. As sorrowful. Yes, there's a sorrow when we see things not going right. Yet always rejoicing, always of a positive hope. As poor and yet making many rich. As having nothing and yet possessing all things. You know, this is a rich passage of Scripture that Paul gives in kind of an inside view of some of the things that the ministry has to be and has to sometimes go through. And one reason he's bringing this out is that the Corinthian church was really not doing their part in striving to relate to Paul. I don't say this because of anything here at all. There isn't. But you know, it just helps us to understand as far as helpers of your joy that the ministry has that responsibility of helping the brethren to word God's kingdom. In verse 11, Old Corinthians, Paul shows emotion. He shows feeling here. Old Corinthians, we have spoken openly to you. Our heart is wide open. We've opened up our hearts to you.

You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections, holding back your own affection and your own feeling. And they were restricting their spiritual growth and development. And so in verse 13, he appeals to them, Now in return for the same I speak as to children, you also be open, growing your own ability to relate, and you will grow spiritually from it. So here's an inside view of some of the things that a minister feels in his heart.

Ministers can lie awake with problems at night. Just have an idea of the Apostle Paul when he heard the churches in Galatia were going after another gospel. He says, I marvel that you've so soon moved to another gospel. You read that in Galatians chapter 1. And then later in this book, well Paul in the whole book has a very heartfelt appeal for the truth that they get back to the true gospel and not to what they were getting off following false teachers actually that had come along. But look in chapter 4 and in verse 19. And this is a pretty good description of how a minister can feel when he has severe problems that develop in his congregation. Galatians chapter 4 and verse 19, My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you.

So he was laboring like in childbirth for them. We know that childbirth is a painful thing.

So he was laboring like in childbirth for them. The ministry goes through labor pains too when there are severe problems and difficulties. God's ministers worry about things. Now maybe we shouldn't, maybe I shouldn't use that word worry. But you know, it weighs on our hearts and minds.

Let's go to 1 Thessalonians chapter 3 and verse 6.

1 Thessalonians chapter 3 and verse 6, But now that Timothy has come to us from you, oh Paul was very concerned about the Thessalonians, how they were doing, and whether they were remaining steadfast in the truth. And so when Timothy came back with good news of your faith and love, and that you always have good remembrance of us, greatly desiring to see us as we also to see you. Therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress, we were comforted.

The minister goes through affliction and distress about these things. We were comforted, though, concerning you by your faith. For now we live if you stand fast in the Lord.

Again, that's just taking us inside the emotions and the feelings of a minister of God.

You know, there are anxious thoughts. There are times of worry then. There are times of distress and anxiety that a minister goes through. But you know, on the other hand, it is so rewarding to see the shape growing and overcoming when problems are worked out, when marriages and families are strengthened, when there's spiritual growth. That is so rewarding. When someone becomes, and I've seen this a number of times, when someone becomes an ex-smoker, that's rewarding. That's rewarding. Or an ex-drunk no longer abuses alcohol. Or an ex-any sin. Maybe it's just being a hothead temper, whatever it may be. It is rewarding to see growth and progress.

That's the real joy a minister has. Paul expresses that well in the book of Philippians.

Philippians 1 and verse 25. Philippians 1 and verse 25. Being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith.

It's going to be around some longer to be a helper of their joy. That's where the minister's job is, to be a helper of joy of brethren. And in chapter 2 and verse 2, fulfill my joy. Philippians 2 and verse 2. Fulfill my joy by being like-minded. When a minister sees his congregation like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord and one mind.

You want to make Mr. Hofker happy? Just be like-minded. Have the same love for each other. Be of one accord of one mind. And what mind is that? It's the mind of Christ in verse 5.

And let nothing be done, verse 3, through selfish ambition or conceit. But in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself. And look after the things of others, it goes on to say, not your own things. So that's what makes a minister of God happy. Chapter 4, Philippians chapter 4 and verse 1. Therefore, my beloved and longed for brethren. Look at the affectionate feeling a minister has as a helper of your joy. My beloved and longed for brethren, my joy and crown.

Those are very affectionate terms. That's how a minister feels in his heart. My joy and crown. So stand fast in the Lord, beloved. Very affectionate expressions here. But the exhortation is to stand fast. That makes the minister very happy when you stand fast, when you're steadfast, and when you're faithful. What is the greatest joy that people could give to a minister of God? Let's turn to 3 John verse 4. This just summarizes it. As far as here and now, the greatest joy is 1 John 3 and verse 4. I have no greater joy. This is as good as it gets for a minister of God. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth.

That you're living by the Scriptures. Here's the truth right here, and that we're walking in the truth, keeping God's Word that we're growing and making progress. That is the greatest joy that there is. The Apostle Paul himself had that joy. He had a race to finish himself and he described it in Acts chapter 20 and verse 24. We've got our race. Let's run that race.

We're not there yet to the finish line. We're not yet ready to have it said to us, enter the joy of my Lord. But we're on the way. We're on the way. So let's keep on running that race, and we will cross that finish line if we do. In Acts chapter 20 and verse 24, but none of these things move me as far as tribulation that might await him in Jerusalem, chains...look at verse 23, chains and tribulation might await Paul in Jerusalem. But he said, none of these things move me. I'm not bothered by that. Nor do I count my life dear to myself.

Pardon that. That's the way God's ministry feels. We don't worry about all the difficulties that might be out there. And we don't count our lives dear to ourselves. So that I may...he goes on to say that I may finish my race with joy and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. And so, you know, Paul did go on to finish his race with joy. He said, there's a crown laid up for me which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me. And so he finished his race, and he's going to enter into the joy of God's kingdom at the coming of Christ. So we need to go ahead and finish our race, don't we? The ministry is simply here to help and to assist any way that we possibly can. It is clear that God has structured the church to have human leadership. There are so many verses in the Bible. God has put everyone in the body as it pleases Him. He's appointed some to be apostles and teachers. He has chosen and appointed a ministry. But this ministry realizes it is human, and it is not perfect to make mistakes, and it realizes that Jesus Christ is the head of the church, and that the human ministry works under the leadership of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the head. And so God's ministers are working under the chief shepherd. They are human shepherds, yes. The Bible describes ministers as human shepherds. They are helpers of our joy, helping us to word God's kingdom. But they're working under the chief shepherd, Jesus Christ. Certainly, every minister of God feels it is an honor and a privilege to be a helper of your joy. It's a daily joy, and yet the greatest joy lies ahead. Let's read about that great joy that lies ahead. We've already read some verses, but 1 Thessalonians 2. Here's the greatest joy you can give to a minister of God, and that is to keep right on going until you prepare for God's kingdom completely, and you're actually prepared that you could rise up in the air to meet Jesus Christ at His return. In 1 Thessalonians 2 and verse 17, well, let's see. Let's go ahead and begin in verse 17. But we, brethren, hadn't been taken away from you for a short time, in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire.

Therefore, we wanted to come to you, even I, Paul, time and again. But Satan hindered us. Circumstances just kept coming up. In verse 19, For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing?

What really is a minister's hope and joy and crown of rejoicing? And the question answers it. Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?

It is you, if you go on to prepare yourself to rise up in the air to meet Jesus Christ at His return. That is going to be our crown and joy and hope.

And verse 20 goes on to say, very short little verse, For you are our glory and joy. So, you know, that is the way it is. God's sheep that in His church you are our glory and joy.

And we are to be helpers of that joy that you have of being in God's kingdom. Let's go to one final verse or two in Jude. The last two verses, in fact, to the book of Jude.

Jude verses 24 and 25.

Hope this has helped us to appreciate this expression, helpers of your joy. Our joy is the kingdom of God to enter God's eternal family. That's what we have set our hearts and minds on. It is our pearl of great price. And God's ministry, then, is to be a helper as we prepare for that. In Jude verse 24, now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, I think our Father and our God can do that, to present you faultless. He can also take care of all of our weaknesses and all of our shortcomings and faults and present us faultless before the presence of His glory with what kind of joy? Exceeding joy. Joy that, again, is inexpressible.

Just cannot describe it with words. So, you know, that will be very rewarding to all of us, and certainly to God's ministers for this to happen, to be presented faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. To God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. You know, we hope to share in that exceeding joy with all of you. I guess that summarizes this sermon. We hope to share that exceeding joy with each and every one of you. And all of God's ministers, you know, feel that very same way. So, you know, it's been so wonderful to be able to be with you this last, just over one year. We hope you will continue steadfast, faithful in the days ahead. God will continue to purge and to refine and to make white. There will be trying and testing in the future, so remain steadfast and remain faithful. We will hope to see you from time to time, and let's stay focused on the joy of God's kingdom.