Jesus, Man Of Joy

Jesus, Man of JOY

John 15:11

"These things have I spoken to you that MY JOY may remain in you, and that YOUR JOY may be full!"

BULLETIN BLOOPER-Bertha Belch, a missionary from Africa will be speaking tonight at Calvary Memorial Church. Come tonight and hear Bertha Belch all the way from Africa.

A HEALTHY DOSE OF LAUGHTER

A child laughs 400 times a day on the average, while an adult laughs only 15 times each day. Which is puzzling since laughter feels so good and is so good for us!

NORMAN COUSINS used to say that laughter is so beneficial for your body that it is like ’inner jogging." He healed himself of a major chronic disease with LAUGHTER THERAPY.

Furthermore, it is a natural STRESS RELIEVER. Have you ever laughed so hard that you doubled over, fell off your chair, spit out your food ? You cannot maintain muscle tension when you are laughing!

LAUGHTER 1S JUST GOOD MEDICINE!

A JEWISH PROVERB:

"What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul."

MARK TWAIN:

"LAUGHTER is the greatest weapon that we humans possess and its the one we use the least!"

ABRAHAM LINCOLN said, "If I do not LAUGH, I should die!

""Love may make the world go ’round, but laughter keeps us from getting dizzy."

Almighty God has said all along that a JOYFUL heart is good medicine! He’s given us a PRESCRIPTION for JOY

JESUS’ OPEN SECRET

2000 years ago, Jesus appeared in this world. The world has never forgotten Him and His name is spoken every second of time! In fact, time is dated from His birth! Millions of us follow Him today!

But He had a SECRET ... an OPEN SECRET, spread throughout the entire N.T.! SECRET OF JESUS was - and is - HIS INNER JOY!, Jesus had a CHEERFUL disposition and a MERRY HEART that came from His father!

SOURCE OF JESUS’ JOY

SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVE

Revelation 4: 11 "GOD created all things for His PLEASURE!" His JOY!

JESUS, MAN OF JOY!

Jesus wept AND JESUS LAUGHED!!!! He was God! He was Man! And LAUGHTER is characteristic of the kingdom of God!

Romans 14:17 The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and JOY in the Holy Spirit,"

FUN REFLECTIONS ON LIFE!

1. Ever notice when you blow in a dog’s face he gets mad at you, but when you take him in a car he sticks his head out the window?

2. You have to stay in shape. My mother started walking five miles a day when she was 60. She’s 97 now and we have no idea where she is.

Jesus Himself, a Man of JOY, had a MERRY outlook on life His good natured approach to life was ROOTED IN A GREAT INNER JOY!

When they called Him a ’wino,’ He laughed it off (Matthew 11:19).

When they reproached His disciples because they did not fast, He said they couldn’t because they were part of a wedding party (Matthew 9:15).

When they accused the disciples of violating the Sabbath by plucking ears of grain, He took delight in pointing out that David once violated the some law by eating the sacred bread which was reserved for priests, and then passing it out to his troops (Matthew 12:3-4).

What was the attraction? Why did the Galilean fishermen leave their nets and follow Him? Why did Levi abandon his booth and cash box to join His team?

Jesus was a man of such JOY, such GLADNESS of Spirit, such FREEDOM and OPENNESS that He was irresistible! People wanted to be near Him, to catch His bright spirit, to learn His SECRET, to share His J0Y and join in what He was doing.

The Joy of the Lord 1.Joy was at the tomb of the resurrected Lazarus, man’s

sisters.

2. Joy was there when the leper returned to thank

Jesus.

3. Joy was there when a woman caught in the very act

of adultery was forgiven and released from her sin.

4.JOY was there when the deaf heard, the blind saw,

and the lame walked.

5. when the little children flocked to Jesus!

6. JOY was there when the boy gave Jesus his lunch so

that HE could work a miracle and feed the thousands.

7. JOY was there when Jesus forgave Zacchaeus

8. JOY was there when Jesus stood up in the boat and

stopped the storm.

9. JOY was there when dawn broke and the women knew

that Jesus was resurrected from the dead. EVERYWHERE JESUS WENT, THERE WAS JOY!

JESUS HAD A SENSE OF HUMOR

1.HE described the teachers of the Jewish law as

straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel.

2. He said it was easier for a camel to go through the