We have spent time discussing the 8 beatitudes that Jesus says we are to have in order to be a better Christian. Then we began to look at the fruit of the spirit as outlined by Paul in Galatians 5: 22-23.
Tonight, we take a look at JOY.
One guy claims that his wife hasn’t spoken to him since last Christmas. He said, “Last year, I asked her what she wanted for Christmas and she said, ‘Oh, just surprise me.’ So, at 3 o’clock Christmas, I leaned over and yelled, ‘BOO!’”
In my ministry, I have heard people agonize over God’s will for their life. Is this God’s will for me? Is that God’s will for me? Did such-and-such happen because of God’s will? Would you like to know what God’s will is for you? It’s found in 1 Thess. 5: 16-24. Paul writes, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” There it is from God’s Word. God’s will is for you to be joyful.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every morning we got up: The sun was shining –the birds were singing – there wasn’t a care in the world? Now that would almost be like heaven to us and oh how our day would start off to be a joyous celebration.
But in real life, so many times we get up and we find that it is raining – there is static on the radio instead of music – we stayed awake half the night worrying about everything that we can possibly think will go wrong –
Every Christian has the capacity of joy within their lives because the Holy Spirit dwells within them. Since joy is an aspect of God’s fruit, it must be an attribute lived out in our lives if we are children of God - because the Holy Spirit produces fruit in our lives and FRUIT is an evidence of whose we are.
But what is this joy that we speak of. Before we say what real joy is, let’s talk for a moment about what joy is not. First, joy is not happiness. Happiness and joy are not the same thing. Happiness is a feeling that can change as often as the weather.
Here in Texas one moment it’s sunny and bright and the next it’s cloudy and gloomy. – You know the old saying around here, “If you do not like the weather, just stick around another day or so and it will change.”
That is the good definition of happiness - You wake up in the morning happy and smiling but by the end of the work day you are sad and frowning. So, just stick around a few more hours and this feeling too will change.
Joy is a much deeper word than happiness. I guess that’s why the word happiness appears only 26 times as compared to joy or a variation of it which appears 330 times in the Bible. Joy is not happiness.
Secondly, joy is not an enthusiastic feeling. How easy it is to work yourself into feelings of gladness. In religion this is a dangerous place to find yourself.
Salvation is not a warm feeling or sensation; it is not a vision or the hearing of a voice of an angel or God. Salvation is repenting of your sins, trusting the finished work of Christ Jesus on your behalf and believing that God has raised Him from the dead guaranteeing your hope for eternal life. Salvation is in Christ – not feelings.
There’s more to joy than circumstances in life. If you think having the world by its tail will give you joy – think again! If you think there is joy in:
Money – ask a rich person what they want – the reply, “Just another dollar.”
Cars – ask a car owner what they want – the reply, “The newest model.”
Position – ask a worker what they want – the reply, “A better job.”
Power – ask your boss what he/she wants – the reply, “To be their boss’s boss.”
Retirement – ask a retiree what he/she wants – the reply, “Something to do.”
So joy is different from happiness. It’s more than enthusiastic feelings. It’s more that the circumstances in life can bring you.
Now let’s talk about what “joy” is. Children bring us joy. But there’s one child that has brought more joy into more people’s lives than any other. He is the Christ child of Bethlehem. We sing “Joy to the World.” But why? What is there about the coming of the Christ child that brings joy into our world?
First of all, Christ’s coming reminds us that there is a vertical dimension to life.
I saw a cartoon of a husband lecturing to his wife. He was sitting on the couch with a blackboard. He had written an equation on the blackboard that read like this: The mortgage is paid; we’re fully insured; the kids are okay; we’re healthy; and we have each other. It all equals happiness.” With a confused look on her face his wife said, “Would you run through that just one more time?” You see, all that may have equaled happiness, but joy was still missing.
Deep in our hearts we yearn to believe that there is something more. We could list the things we are thankful for—food, family, health, a nice home, all the blessing this world can afford, and they are still not enough. Many people have these things, but still have a deep emptiness in their hearts. That’s because the joy is missing.
I believe that’s why, even though many people ignore the church the rest of the year, they love to hum the carols at Christmas time. Those carols are the best reminder in this world that there is a vertical dimension to life—that though our health deserts us and though we lose our loved ones to death and even if our homes burn down, there is still reason to go on because, from out of the deepest recesses of eternity, God has sent His own son into the world.
There was postal clerk that around Christmas each year was called the “Nixie Clerk.” That’s because he handled all the mail that was “nixed” because of an insufficient, inaccurate, or illegible address. He tells this story:
Last Christmas the letters began to pile in addressed to Santa Claus. I get 100s each year. On Christmas Eve I was working late, and was very sad and lonely in my corner. A merry crowd rushed through the corridors of the mall and laughter sounded all around, but a great shadow of sorrow rested over me and my eyes burned as I bent over my work. Finally the messenger brought me the last few “Nixies” of the day and laid them on my desk. I took up the first one. Attached to it was a note from Postman #34.
“This was given to me by a little girl at 302 Walnut Street,” said the note.
My body tingled when I read it, because that address was my own home! The envelope was a small one addressed to Santa Claus: North Pole. I recognized my own little girl’s cramped writing. This is what she wrote:
Dear Santa Claus, We are very sad at home this year, and I don’t want you to bring me anything. Little Charlie, my brother, went up to heaven last week, and all I want you to do when you come to my house is to take his toys to him. I will leave them in the corner by the chimney, his hobbyhorse and train and everything. He will be lost up in heaven without them, especially his horse. He always enjoyed riding it so much. So you just take them to him, and you needn’t mind leaving me anything.
If you could give Daddy something that would make him stop crying all the time, it would be the best thing you could do for me. I heard him tell mommy that only eternity could cure him. Could you give him some of that? Be sure to take the things to Charlie and I will be your good little girl.
“Could you give him a little eternity?” We need from time to time a reminder of eternity—that there is more than rocks and trees and houses and clothes and cars and even our physical bodies. Isaiah said people would rejoice because the glory of the Lord would be revealed. The world hungers to see that glory. Yes we are reminded at Christmas and at Easter that there is a vertical dimension to life. AND THAT’S JOY.
Secondly, the joy of the Christ child is joy for all people—even those who don’t deserve it. A disappointed first grader trudged up the front path. “I’m going to be one of the children at the manger in the Christmas play,” she announced glumly. Her mother said, “That’s wonderful! Why so sad?” The little girl said, “I can’t rejoice unless I’m an angel.”
That little girl was suffering from a common misconception—that only angels rejoice. The coming of the Christ child is for those who know they haven’t been all they ought to have been—who have sincere regrets over time misspent, values misplaced, actions misguided. He cares about us, too.
You see, we believe that the Original Sin of Adam and Eve was imparted to us. We believe that sin is part of human nature. But because it is part of our nature doesn’t allow us to evade responsibility for our actions. We don’t get off the hook that easily. Still, sometimes we need to be reminded that God is not like Santa. God loves us if we are naughty or nice. He hopes we will be nice, but he loves us with a love that even sin cannot defeat.
Even more importantly, we understand that God’s acceptance is not something we must earn. God sent Christ into the world as a helpless infant, and that is how we also come to God. None of us can measure up to the absolute perfection of a holy God, but we don’t have to. He has sent the Christ child into the world as His gift to any who would receive him. So we find joy in the truth that there is a vertical dimension to life, and in the miracle of God’s grace, that God loves us all regardless of what we’ve done.
Joy is also gladness—a deep seated thankfulness that you are where you are; no matter the circumstance. What else in our life’s experiences can compare with divine mercy toward us? Gladness is not like happiness that changes with every direction of the wind, but it is solid rejoicing over the fact that God has not forsaken you.
But of course, the greatest joy comes when we open our hearts and receive Christ as the Lord of our life. What do you depend on for joy in your salvation? What is the object of your salvation? Don’t look to yourself to find or discover joy – LOOK TO CHRIST. He’s the only hope for true joy. The joy we find in Christ is forever, it’s perpetual. Know this, our joy found in Christ doesn’t stop – its down in our hearts to stay. That’s why Paul could say,
”Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say rejoice!” Philippians 4:4
Maybe you’re saying - I would like to have this joy? How can I get it? Again, joy is one of the fruits of the spirit. So how can you get it? Believe. Know that it’s already an aspect of the Spirit’s fruit.
Read the Bible – God’s Word will tell you of His joy.
Pray to God – Prayer will reveal the joy of God’s service.
Attend Church – Fellowship with each other strengthens the bond of joy.
If you are a Non-Believer – you’ve never trusted Jesus as your Savior—I can tell you that everything in life will eventually lose its joy to you.
Look in the mirror and you will see yourself wasting away. Look at your material possessions and you will see those things wearing out. The whole world is winding down. Everything is wasting away. So why do people continue to place their joy upon things that won’t last? Why not come to Christ who will give you joy beyond measure – joy that won’t fade away nor diminish.
According to an old legend, when the Magi were following the star of Bethlehem, they came to the house of a certain woman. They said to her, “Come with us! We have seen his star in the east and we are going to worship him.”
“Oh," she said, “I would love to go. I heard that he would be coming one day and I have been looking forward to it. But I can’t come now. I must set my house in order; then I will follow you and find him.”
But when her work was done, the wise men were out of sight, the star shone no more in the heavens, and she never saw Jesus. That can happen. We can go through this whole busy life and miss the essential meaning of it all.
There IS a vertical dimension to life. He has come that all may have life and peace and joy. The gift is ours to receive freely, without condition. But we must accept it. John 15:11 tells us: “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”
May you come to have such joy!
May you come today!
If you do, then within our hearts we can all sing, “Joy to the World,” because we’ll understand what joy is all about.
If you have received Christ as your Savior, then you possess the fruit of joy. I pray that when the world looks at you, they see that joy. I pray that the joy of knowing Christ shows forth in such a way that others will want it as well.
