Fruit Of The Spirit, Joy & Peace Series

Fruit of the Spirit

Joy & Peace

Mark 4:14-20 (NKJV) 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble. 18 Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."

John 15:8 (NKJV) “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

As we saw last week God is into the fruit bearing business and He desires to do a work within us that will produce good works on the outside of us.

Matthew 5:16 (NKJV) “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Last week we look at the word love and we saw that in the original Greek language there were four words for love.

Eros is a self-seeking love.

Stergo A love that is limited only to one's family.

Phileo is based on mutual satisfaction and can feel disappointed.

Agape is a love that loves so profoundly that it knows no limits or boundaries in how far, wide, high, and deep it will go to show that love to its recipient. If necessary, agape love will even sacrifice itself for the sake of that object or person it so deeply cherishes. Agape is the highest form of love—a self-sacrificial type of love that moves the lover to action. Agape is a love that has no strings attached. It isn't looking for what it can get, but for what it can give. This is the God Kind Of Love.

This week were going to look at Joy & Peace

Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

1 Thessalonians 1:6 (NKJV) And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit,

In most of Paul's writings, he associates "joy" with times of affliction. The book of Philippines was written while Paul was in prison in Rome in A.D. 61-63, and it is consider a letter of joy.

The word "affliction" used in this verse is the Greek word thlipsis. This word is so strong that it leaves no room for misunderstanding regarding the intensity of the afflictions the Thessalonians faced.

The word thlipsis shows the idea of a heavy-pressure situation. One scholar says it was first used to describe the specific act of tying a victim with a rope, laying him on his back, and then placing a huge boulder on top of him until his body was crushed.

Paul uses this word to alert us to moments when he or others went through grueling, crushing situations that would have been unbearable, intolerable, and impossible to survive if it had not been for the help of the Holy Spirit.

One of the ways the Holy Spirit helps in these situations is to give us supernatural "joy." However, it's important to understand that this divine joy isn't on the same low level of mere happiness.

Happiness is based on circumstantial pleasure, merriment, exuberance, excitement, or something that causes one to feel hopeful or to be in high spirits. These fleeting emotions of happiness, although very pleasurable at the moment, usually go just as quickly as they came. All it takes is one piece of bad news, a sour look from a fellow employee, a harsh word from a spouse, a dent in our car, or a bill that is larger than what was anticipated—and that emotion of happiness can disappear right before a person's eyes!

But joy is unaffected by outward circumstances. In fact, it usually thrives best when times are tough! It is God's supernatural response to the devil's attacks!

The Greek word for "joy" is chara, it come from the word charis, which is the Greek word for grace. This is important, for it tells us that chara ("joy") is produced by the charis ("grace") of God. This means "joy" isn't a human-based happiness that comes and goes. Rather, true "joy" is divine in origin, a fruit of the Spirit that is manifested particularly in hard times. Someone may feel happiness, merriment, hilarity, exuberance, excitement, or "high spirits," but all of these are fleeting emotions. On the other hand, "joy" is a Spirit-given expression that flourishes best when times are strenuous, daunting, and tough!