“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.
Question?
But where does Joy come from?
From the Lord,
Bye way of Holy Ghost.
From the Holy Spirit to your Spirit.
It’s part of the Kingdom
Look with me at Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
What does Paul mean?
He says your body doesn’t eat it, but Your Spirit does.
See the Kingdom of God is NOT tangibles, meat and drink, but Teachable. Righteousness, peace and Joy.
That’s why the call it the fruit of the Spirit.
Its what your Spirit receives from the Holy Spirit.
That’s one aspect
But
Also what comes out of your Spirit.
Why is that so important?
Because God will never give you any thing your not willing to reproduce.
Did your hear that
God will never give you any thing your not willing to be fruitful in or reproduce
Listen for a min. Why do you think he told Adam, be fruitful and MULTUIPLY
See: God Gives us Love, to love, Joy to rejoice, and like a man once said PEACE to be still. Kindness to be kind and so forth.
The fruit of the Spirit Works through a Channel (or flow)
That’s why its important to remember that we are a channel for Joy to flow.
See: God gives us things like (love & Joy) so he can pass it through us, to bless other people.
He uses us, mmmmmmmmmmm Thank you Lord, for using me
Didn’t you know you can speak Joy?
Look with me at:
Proverbs 15:23 A man has joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word [spoken] in due season, how good [is it]!
A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, That’s for me, But And a word spoken in due season, how good it is!
Is for you
We Channel the blessings of God.
How many of you would like to be a channel for blessings?
But he also know that by channeling it and working through you, it brings a acceleration of Joy.
Why?
Because your doing it for Jesus
Let me show you what I mean
Turn with me to 1 Peter 1:1-8
Read Vs 1-8
1 Peter 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see [him] not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
Do you know who had this joy unspeakable is?
There is an example in the bible
It says in Luke 1:44 Elizabeth talking to Mary about Being Pregnant with Jesus.
For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe(John the Baptist) leaped in my womb for joy.
Question?
What would cause an unborn babe to leap for joy?
The answer is in the next verse:
1 Peter 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, [even] the salvation of [your] souls.
It’s Salvation………
Being Born again
It is so Powerful Not only will it cause an unborn babe to leap but
THE Bible says in
Luke 15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents.
What are you saying Pastor?
I’m saying Joy is an expression of Salvation…….
That’s why you can go through what you have and still rejoice,
That’s why you can go through hell and high water……………and STILL REJOICE
Because, of Your Salvation,
Its Salvation (Greek) Soteria, Saved from all
Not just: Going to heaven
But a preservation from destruction or failure
deliverance from danger or difficulty
liberation from ignorance or illusions
But also deliverance from the power and effects of sin
Joy is and expression of your Salvation…….
That is why Joy is so important,
Joy is Essential to winning People to Jesus Christ.
Did you know that there is nothing more attractive to people than the Joy of the Lord?
A Cold dry faith has no appeal.
In fact: David (The man who wrote many of the psalms)
Got out of fellowship with God, and lost his joy
And when he lost his Joy, he stopped being a soul winner
And he prayed in Psalm 51:12-13
Psalm 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me [with thy] free spirit.
Psalm 51:13 [Then] will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
See: Joy is the proof that what we have is real and that it satisfies.
Joy is necessary in bring unsaved people to Jesus Christ, and Joy is necessary in living the Christian life.
Only then can we do what
1 Thess. 5:16 says Rejoice ever more.
Church: Salvation produces Joy,
So much so that Jesus Had to remind His disciples of it.
Turn with me to Luke 10:17
Luke 10:17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
Luke 10:18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
Luke 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power(anointing) to tread(crush) on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Footnote As long as you are anointed
Luke 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
Luke 10:21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit,
You know what he is saying? He is saying that the expression of your Joy should never be over Satan’s submission, and your anointing to crush him(The devils subject unto us through your name, and we have power over all the powers of the enemy,) but because you are spared from God’s wrath (because your names are written in heaven)
In other words, don’t rejoice over those kicked out of heaven, but rather those going to heaven (you)
That’s your source of your Joy
It’s a Part of the Kingdom of God, it’s a part of the fruit of the spirit,
In Fact it’s a HUGE part of the Gospel.
Turn with me to:
Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord
Let me just Inject something,
Any time you see the Spirit of the Lord, The anointing of God, or the Presents of the Lord,
You will ALWAYS see the fruit of the Spirit in Action.
Now keep that in mind.
He says
The Spirit of the Lord GOD [is] upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings (glad) unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to [them that are] bound;
See: I told you that God uses us to Channel the Fruit.
Isaiah 61:2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
Isaiah 61:3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
Think about that: The oil of Joy for morning,
Do you know what that means?
What is the Oil of Joy?
The Oil of Joy is an Anointing of the Holy Spirit.
Why do I say that?
Because the Oil of Joy is for morning,
What can the anointing do for morning?
Comfort.
What did Jesus call the Holy Spirit?
The Comforter.
What does he use to comfort?
Joy, in the form of oil or anointing……
Oh, don’t make a mistake.
Can I go deeper?
In fact all the Fruit’s of the Spirit are an anointing.
There is an anointing to
Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness,
Temperance,
Remember Jesus Rebuked the winds and Said what?
Peace Be Still
Church, God has anointed us with the Holy Spirit,
And because of that Anointing
We can have Joy.
An expression of Salvation form What ever or Where ever and When ever……..
Amen?
Let me close with this,
Turn to 3 John 1:3
3 John 1:3 For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.
3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
Church the Greatest Joy you could ever have is that Your Children walk in Truth.
That they have made the eternal decision.
See; Church remember: Pain, sorrow, trials, and tribulations, are temporary
But Joy is ETERNAL
Happiness is Outside, But Joy is Inside
