Keeping Your Joy Alive
Griffith Baptist Church – 8/3/08
P.M. Service
Text: Psalm 40
Main Verse: Psalms 40:8 - I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
The Introduction
1. God Helps the Troubled – 40:1-3
2. God Helps the Humble – 40:4-5
3. God Helps the Obedient – 40:6-8
4. God Helps the Soul-Winner – 40:9-10
5. God Helps the Weak – 40:11-12
6. God Helps the Needy – 40:13-17
As a third-century man was anticipating death, he penned these last words to a friend: “It’s a bad world, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people are the Christians—and I am one of them.”
Moody Bible Institute’s, Today In The Word, June, 1988, p. 18
No person, in their right mind, ever lived for sadness, despair or depression
o We all want joy in our lives
o Joy is sustained contentment
o Joy can be found in the midst of hard times and tears
Joy is characterized by:
o Inner peace
o Excitement in serving God – no complaints or harshness
o A desire to put Him first and be used by Him
o A yearning to know Christ more and please Him
By the way, in order to keep your joy alive, you have to have it to begin with.
Do you know Christians can run out of joy? That should never be.
There are too many Christians running around today with no joy or even false joy.
False joy is that pasted on smile you put on your face but inside there is no peace, joy, contentment and so forth.
In this Psalm, we notice three aspects of this topic of joy and the motivations that can keep us joyful.
Transition Statement: First, we need to remember the past and rejoice in what God has done in our lives.
1. Rejoicing In What God Has Done – 1-3
A. He hears the plea of the sinner – 1
i. A.B. Simpson is reported to have said that the gospel ’Tells rebellious men that God is reconciled, that justice is satisfied, that sin has been atoned for, that the judgment of the guilty may be revoked, the condemnation of the sinner canceled, the curse of the Law blotted out, the gates of hell closed, the portals of heaven opened wide, the power of sin subdued, the guilty conscience healed, the broken heart comforted, the sorrow and misery of the Fall undone. Evangelism, A Biblical Approach, M. Cocoris, Moody, 1984, p. 29
ii. Like the humble publican said - Luke 18:13 - And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
iii. God loves the sinner and desires to save him – 2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
iv. Romans 9:15 - For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
B. He rescues us from the judgment of hell – 2a
i. John 3:16 says it all
ii. Hell was created for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41)
iii. Those who reject Christ belong to Satan and thus partake in his judgment (Jn. 8:44; 1st Jn. 3:8-10)
iv. Christ came to save us from hell and that judgment that will fall on those who reject Christ.
C. He gives us new direction – 2b
i. A man was watching the news one night when it was reported that a car was going the wrong direction on the freeway. The man knew his wife was on that freeway and became very concerned so called her on her cell phone. She answered and he said, "Dear, there’s one car going in the wrong direction on the freeway." She exclaimed, "One car! There’s hundreds of them!"
ii. Psalms 37:23 – The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. (Psalms 119:133)
iii. God has always been about giving good directions:
a. The children of Israel through the wilderness - Exodus 15:13 – Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation
b. He leads believers by His Spirit - Romans 8:14 – For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
c. He has created a narrow but good way that leads us to salvation - Matthew 7:14 – Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
D. He gives us a new song – 3
i. Nothing against Godly music being written today, but listen to the words to these two songs.
a. This first one was written by a contemporary Christian group today. The second one will be familiar to you as well, but see if you can tell the difference (read songs)
ii. What should we look for in our music (look at 3b-d)
a. Praise unto our God – Does it give praise to God or draw attention to us?
b. Many shall see it and fear – Does it teach or speak to us correctly (doctrinal integrity) so that we come away with a sense of who God is?
c. Shall trust in the Lord – Does it affect us in some way to draw close to Him?
iii. Does your music give true praise to God?
a. Just because it says its Christian doesn’t make it Christian.
b. Alice Cooper has called himself a born again Christian, but I wouldn’t recommend his music nor would fool myself into thinking he is a believer.
c. The words and music should reflect praise to God and draw our attention from ourselves to Him, not the other way around.
iv. Does the music you listen to draw attention to God or to the flesh?
Transition Statement: Second, we can find continued joy in what God is doing.
2. Rejoicing In What God Is Doing – 4-16
A. He continues to work in our lives – 5
i. Psalms 139:17-18 – 17How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! 18If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
ii. God is patient with us through our mistakes, weaknesses and sins
iii. God continues to give grace each day and for the moment.
iv. God is working with us like the potter continually does with clay - Isaiah 64:8 - But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
B. He has given us His special Word – 8
i. We have a special book called the Word of God (2 Pet. 1:19-21)
a. It was given through the moving of the Holy Spirit
b. It is given to us so we know how God wants us to live (2nd Tim. 3:16-17)
ii. It is how we should live - Matthew 4:4 – But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
iii. It gives us stability - Psalms 37:30-31 – 30The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment. 31The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.
iv. It is designed to be in our hearts (2 Cor. 3:3)
C. He has granted to us the privilege of winning souls to Christ – 9-10
i. It is a command - Mark 16:15 – And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (see also 2nd Cor. 5:14-21)
ii. It is life and wisdom to us - Proverbs 11:30 - The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.
iii. It is a wonderful honor to have a part in keeping a soul from hell - James 5:20 - Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
D. He lifts up those that fall – 11-16
i. His lovingkindness preserves (11)
ii. Confidence in God’s help (13)
a. Psalms 145:14 – The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.
b. He desires to help His children
iii. We can rejoice in His salvation (16)
Transition Statement: Last, we can keep our joy alive by looking forward to what God will do in the future.
3. Rejoicing In What God Will Do – 17
A. He will deliver
i. To deliver means to bring into security
ii. This is why we can boldly serve God in His strength - Hebrews 13:6 - So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
B. He will come
i. We ought to yearn for His coming - Revelation 22:20 - He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
ii. We ought to be found, when He comes, doing righteousness - 2 Peter 3:13-14 - 13Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 14Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
Conclusion:
Where is your joy?
Do you have conflict in your life? A lack of peace and contentment?
Is the joy there where it should be?
If it isn’t, ask yourself why?
Joy comes through knowing Jesus Christ as personal Savior
If you are a Christian, joy comes through – obedience and worship and service.
