IT IS JOY UNSPEAKABLE!!
Romans 8:26-28 .
Joy a word small in stature but mighty in meaning
I.JOY - A FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
One of the fruit of the Holy Spirit is joy (Gal 5:22)
Joy is a deep & abiding inner rejoicing which was promised to those who abide in Christ and obey His commandments (cf. John 15:10-11)*.
It does not depend on circumstances because it rests in God’s sovereign control of all things.
John 15:10-11 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."
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a. Joy is the byproduct of obedience.
b. Jesus himself is the source of our joy !!
c. Joy a directive a strong basis for the faith of a Christian
II. Joy is the opposite of Happiness!
A.Happiness is the reaction to an action where as Joy
is an action derived from God!
A..What do I mean....
1.Find money that we didn’t remember having -happy
2.Get a new home or a new car - happy
4.Find a new love - happy
5.Get a new job - happy
6.Get out of trouble or find a reprieve from a difficult ) situation – happy
B. If something were to happen to cause the thing that made you happy to expire or dissolve or disappear
1.Such as the new home becomes termite infested -happiness gone
2.New job obtained is terminated due to downsizing happiness eradicated.
3.New Love becomes a big dud --- happiness evaporated....
4.New car breaks down - happiness dissipated.
5.Money you found turns out to be counterfit
C..But joy - the strength provided to believers enables
the face of adversity to endure.
D. Joy allows us to say in the times of trouble....I still have joy...I still have joy....after everything I have been through....I still have JOY!
1. Joy is the result of recognizing that God is Good
even in the midst of a trial.
2.Joy sustains us during difficulties because we realize that though happiness may be fleeting, the Joy of the Lord is our strength.
And since he is the giver of it...nothing can take it away.
E. Joy comes because of our relationship with Jesus. ……….so that when the winds blow and the breakers dash we know our soul is anchored fast and we can shout
Oh I still have JOY……
I.I DON’T LOSE MY JOY BECAUSE OF CIRCUMSTANCES
Rom 8:28: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who Love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
A. Life is full of ups and downs; full of all sorts of happenings.
1.One moment you are going full steam ahead, with the wind in your sails. suddenly, You hit a sand bar.
2.Maybe you are confused, maybe angry, maybe discouraged.
3.All you know is that all of a sudden, your Joy is gone.
4.There are a host of situations that can rob us of our joy.
a.It may be the loss of a loved one.
b.It may be the loss of a job.
c.It could be the break-up of a relationship.
d.What about pressures at work
e.It could be a problem in your family
f.You expected to be used in the church in a certain way but this hasn’t happened.
The list is endless:
g.current circumstances,
h.people that have hurt you,
i.concern about the future,
j.even concern about your past ALL THESE CAN BE JOY-STEALERS, JOY ROBBERS!!
These things can distract us from the life that God wants us to enjoy.
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Count it all joy
James 1:2-4: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
IV. Joy involves a choice.
A. Joy involves a choice-A positive ATTITUDE we choose to express.
1.To experience His abundant, overflowing joy involves a choice.
2.IT is a habit of the mind which finds its source in the Spirit of God.
(Songs)-1st “Precious Memories”
2nd” The Joy of the Lord is my strength”
Chuck Swindoll says that joy is "a positive attitude we choose to express! It is a matter of attitude that stems from your confidence in God- The belief that He is at work, that He is in full control----- that He is in the midst of whatever has happened, is happening or will happen."
B. As believers we must be on our guard that we don’t get robbed of our joy because of any of life’s happenings or circumstances, people (relationships turned sour), the future or the past.
1..The answer is to abide (rest) in Jesus and to be obedient to His Word .
" Paul affirmed the source of the Christian’s joy when he wrote Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice!" (Phil 4:4).
Our rejoicing is in HIM ... in Him lies our joy
B.Real JOY is not a reaction to exterior transaction
1.Because we have been redeemed we can enjoy the fullness of God, and the is the action of joy.
2..It is the joy that allows us to say when we loose a
love one or experience heart ache or pain, that the
sorrow is going to endure for a night but JOY is
coming ...
D. Paul tells the church of Corinth
1.you will have trouble
2.you will be hard pressed....
3.you will be persecuted....
4.you will be tossled and jostled
E. We have an assurance that everything is going to be alright....
(I’ve got a feeling everything going to be all right!
1.So when trials are around you and bind you just shout....I still have Joy!!!!
2.Even when situations seem to be more than you can endure - because my God said at Psalm 89:16 that we just need to be joyful because the righteous shall be exalted or victorious
We still have joy
When folk talk about you or abuse you, just remember that in Psalms 37:25: 25I have been young, and now am old; Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his seed begging bread.
I still have Joy!
When it seems like all hope is gone, and you just can’t endure anymore, remember Luke 10:20 says us don’t worry be joy filled because our name is written in heaven and the torment of the moment is fleeting
I Still have JOY!!
We may be afflicted but The joy God has given will keep us from being crushed or beaten down –
I still have joy!
2
We may be perplexed or have questions or Wonder but the Joy God has given to strengthen us will not allow us to be controlled by the circumstance.
I still have joy.
We may be persecuted, misused, abused, lied on, a cheated - but the Joy that he has given us will help us rest upon the knowledge that we will not forsaken, because he has never forsaken the righteous
I STILL HAVE JOY!!
Polycarp (2nd Century) Can you imagine what it was like for the church in Smyrna as they watched their beloved and aged pastor burn at the stake? Polycarp was his name. he was a disciple of Jesus’ disciple, the Apostle John. Polycarp was Bishop of the church at Smyrna (present day Turkey). Persecution broke out in Smyrna and many Christians were fed to the wild beasts in the arena. The godless and bloodthirsty crowd called for the carcass of the leader – Polycarp.
The authorities sent a search party to find him and the Romans tortured two young believers until they finally disclosed his location. When the authorities arrival was announced there was still time to whisk Polycarp away but he refused to go saying,
“God’s will be done.”
In one of the most touching instances of Christian grace imaginable Polycarp welcome his captors as if they were friends. He talked with them and insisted they eat a meal. Ha made only one request before being taken away – he asked for one hour to pray. The Roman soldiers listened to his prayer. Their hearts melted and they gave him 2 hours to pray.
They had second thoughts as well and were overheard asking each other why they were sent to arrest him? Other authorities also experienced a warmed heart when Polycarp arrived.
The Proconsul tried to find a way to release him too. “curse God and I will let you go!” he pleaded.
Polycarp’s reply was: “For eighty-six years I have served him. He has never done me wrong. How then can I blaspheme my King was has saved me?”
The Proconsul again looked for a way out. “Then do this old man, just swear by the spirit of the emperor and that will be sufficient.’
Polycarp’s reply was: “If you imagine for a moment that I would do that, then I think you pretend that you don’t know who I am. Hear it plainly. I am a Christian.” More entreaties by the Proconsul Polycarp stood firm. The proconsul threatened with the wild beasts. Polycarp’s reply was: “Bring them forth. I would change my mind if it meant going from worst to best, but not to change from right to wrong.” The Proconsul threatened, “I will burn you alive!” Polycarp’s reply was: “You threaten with fire that burns for an hour and is over but the judgment on the ungodly is forever.” The fires engulfed him. The witnesses noticed his faith and joy. He was finished off with a dagger. He was buried for the cause of Christ on February 22, 155 A.D. It was as much a day of victory as it was a day of tragedy. Polycarp illustrated the power of knowing Jesus intimately. Intimately enough to follow Him into the flames. As Jesus said, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?”
We could be knocked down but our joy will keep us from being destroyed.
Yes! Things make us happy-Good grades-good children-good food-all these things can cause that elated feeling for a fleeting periods.
Actions have to transpire for happiness to be Obtained. But just as quickly as we receive happiness we can lose it. But JOY!!
Joy will sustain us when our happiness is revoked by a harsh word or deed. I STILL HAVE JOY!!
A conference at a Presbyterian church in Omaha. People were given helium filled balloons and told to release them at some point in the service when they felt like expressing the joy in their hearts. Since they were Presbyterians, they weren’t free to say "Hallelujah, Praise the Lord." All through the service balloons ascended, but when it was over 1/3 of the balloons were unreleased. Let your balloon go.
JOY will keep us when happiness is removed by circumstance and situations
Joy will maintain us when happiness is dissolved by acts of friends or family
Joy will contain us when happiness is replaced with weeping due to loss and pain
Joy will fortify us when happiness is eradicated.
Joy is what changes hopelessness to a hope filled life
Joy is what changes sadness to praise
Joy is what changes giving up to looking up
I STILL HAVE JOY
Don’t look at what your are going through-
Instead----
celebrate the one who is taking you through
So that you can obtain what He has just for you
Let us pray.
