Joy Deeper Than A Smile Series

“Joy Deeper than a Smile”

- Fruit of the Spirit Pt. 2 - July 6, 2003 AM, - Danny Williams

Gal. 5:22

How Long do you believe that you could smile without stopping?

How long could you hold it?

A little lady named Lisa Lester, a little girl smiled for 10 hrs 5 min. without breaking that smile, she broke the old record of 7 hrs. 32 min.

The title of my message this morning is Joy beyond the smile.

A smile is outward,

But Joy is inward.

A smile at its best can last a few hours, but Joy is eternal.

As a matter of fact do you know what the shortest verse in the bible is?

You say I know that its Jesus wept,

Jesus wept is the shortest verse in English,

but not in Greek

In Greek the shortest verse is

1 Thess. 5:16 Rejoice ever more

Not 10hrs? Rejoice Evermore

But before we examine the scriptures,

I want to tell you the difference between Joy and Happiness.

Because we live in a generation that is seeking Happiness.

You are not to be happy all the time.

Happiness, depends on what happens.

If your hap is good your happy, and if you put your trust in happiness, you will become a victim of circumstances.

Because your happen stance will change…..

And God never changes…..See the bible doesn’t tell us to rejoice in circumstances it tells us to rejoice in the Lord.

Happiness comes from out side circumstances,

But Joy comes from within.

Touch two people and tell them

Joy is an inside Job.

Happiness meets surface needs, But Joy meets your deepest needs.

Happiness is like a thermometer, it registers conditions,

Joy is like a Thermostat, it regulates conditions.

Now happiness many times evaporates in suffering,

But Joy frequently intensifies in times of suffering.

Let me give you an example:

Turn with me to James 1:2

Vs. 2 He says count it all joy, when you fall into various trials,

The word consider (count it all): is imperative.

because joy is not the natural response to Trouble. Until Today’s Message,

joy is not the natural response to Trouble

James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

In other words “when you are in trouble don’t start crying when things happen, in stead count it as Joy.

Add it up………………….

No how many of you jump and scream with excitement when trouble come knocking?

Church: Let me tell you something, Trials are meaningless, suffering is senseless and trials are pointless, unless there is some good purpose for them.

God has a goal in mind.

God know what the good purpose is.

Now there are at least two things that James says about suffering in this paragraph.

The first is that suffering is inevitable.

He does not say, "Count it all joy, my brethren, if you fall into trials," he says, "Count it all joy when you fall into trials.

What does that mean?

" It means Trials are not optional.

" Suffering is a normal part of the process God uses to bring us to glory.

We must not ignore the inevitability of that suffering.

Recently I heard a story of a man who was riding on a subway. It was quite crowded and he had to face the door. He was prone to motion sickness and he began to get quite sick. The train raced into the station, the door opened, and the man became violently ill. The doors closed and the train sped on into the night. There happened to be a man standing on the platform waiting to get on the train at this particular door. In utter dismay he turned to the man behind him in line and said, "Why me?" I think that is sometimes the way we feel. "Why me, Lord?"

But we shouldn’t be surprised.

Suffering is no accident. It is the normal experience of every believer.

James writes, "Count it all joy when you fall into various trials . . .

" The word translated "various" is the Greek word on which our word "polka dot" is based.

It means variegated or diversified.

The point seems to be that we suffer in different ways.

But everyone suffers in some way.

That is why you can’t trust in happiness>

Because of suffering.

See there is nothing wrong with happiness,

But happiness always works best when it is rooted in Joy.

That’s why when people are going through tough times and are weak don’t be cruel and say Smile and be happy.

Instead say, COUNT it all Joy.

You say Pastor Counting it all joy can’t make you strong.

True,

But the Lord Can

The Bible says in:

Nehemiah 8:10 for [this] day [is] holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.