Bulletins - Calvary Assembly of God -t

The Lord Reigns
Rooftops
Psalm 46 (Lord Of Hosts)
You Won't Relent
You Are My King (Amazing Love)
Joy

Summary: Joy is the second manifestation list in the Fruit of the Spirit. It is the direct result of experiencing the presence and love of God in one’s life. Joy is an attitude you can choose.

Galatians 5:22 NKJV
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Introduction

The last few weeks we have seen in the scriptures that it is God’s plan and purpose for our lives to:

Live in the Freedom of Christ.
A freedom to do what we ought not what we want
A freedom that is based upon walking in the spirit and not according to the flesh
That our lives manifest the Fruit of the Spirit and much of it to bring glory to the Father.
That fruit is manifested as we yield, and surrender our will to the will of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us
The Fruit of the Spirit is one fruit, but is seen in the nature of Christ manifested in the transformed character of the believer

Last week we looked at one of the manifestations of the Fruit of the Spirit – Love

We saw that Love (Agape) is the true manifestation of God for God is Love

That it is truly the more excellent way as Paul described it in 1Cor 13

That the nature or character of love seems to parallel much of the other manifestations of the “fruit of the Spirit”

And that this Agape Love – is the bonafide proof (not our works) that we are truly desciples of Christ

Today we want to consider another manifestation of the Fruit of the Spirit that should shine through us if God is dwelling in us – Joy!

What is Joy?

In the bible it means:

Grk - chairo khah’-ee-ro

1) to rejoice, be glad

2) to rejoice exceedingly

Here is one persons description of Joy… “
“Joy is like the hidden note in the glass. Joy is tuning in to what God is doing around you, seeing the world through his eyes, picking up on his delight in us as his children. Anyone can find happiness for a while… Happiness depends on what is happening to you. Joy is different; joy goes deeper. Joy is when your whole being sings because you have caught a glimpse of God at work. Joy can creep up on you and surprise you in unexpected places.” Jim Kane

Robert Louis Stevenson noted years ago, “To miss the joy is to miss everything.”

The Bible nowhere speaks about a “happy” Christian; it talks plentifully of joy. Happiness depends on things that happen, and may sometimes be an insult; joyfulness is never touched by external conditions, and a joyful heart is never an insult” (Oswald Chambers)

Joy produces a manifest “Happiness” but it is much more than happiness. Joy is an attitude developed by an awareness of the indwelling presence of God in us.

Here is a quote from Max Lucado’s book entitled, “Grace For The Moment.”

I CHOOSE JOY. . . I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical . . . the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

Max was saying I choose to be aware of God in my life. I choose to allow that to impact every area of my life. I choose to have an attitude of Joy.

How Is Joy Obtained?

I. Joy Is the natural product of experiencing God’s love

Have you ever witnessed two people who are truly in love

They are not just happy, they are filled with JOY!

It seems as though no matter what happens they they are aglow. There is something deeper about joy, that even though it manifests it’s self as a strong presence of happiness, it is more. Joy is an inner strength born out of love.

To come to know God, is to come to know He who is Love

Joy is experienced because of the Presence of God –

Psalm 16:11 NKJV
You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

How Is Joy Maintained

1. Give it away

a. Dr. Billy Graham was once approached asked by a lady who had given her heart to the Lord during one of his evangelistic campaigns. She had given her heart to the Lord early in the week and had attended the meetings every evening that week. As she spoke with Dr. Graham she described the overwhelming sense of Joy that she had been experiencing ever since she accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior and Lord and she asked, “Dr. Graham, what must I do to keep this joy?” To which he replied, “ You must give it away!” One of the key elements of keeping the Joy of the Lord is to share it constantly with others.

b. 1John 1:1-4
1 John 1:1–4 NKJV
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.

c. Describe the Joy of sharing Christ

Experience the Relationship and Power of God Daily

a. John 16:20 - 24
John 16:20–24 NKJV
Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you. “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

b. It is experienced in the Hope of the His Return

c. It is made Full as you experience his power in your life

Through Prayer

Since the foundation of the Joy is Relationship with God, those things that maintain a strong relationship with God become necessary

a. “Joy in Christ requires a commitment to working at the Christian lifestyle. Salvation comes as a gift, but the joy of salvation demands disciplined action. Most Christians I know have just enough of the Gospel to make them miserable, but not enough to make them joyful. They know enough about the biblical message to keep them form doing the things which the world tempts them to do; but they do not have enough of a commitment to God to do those things through which they might experience the fullness of his joy.” (Tony Campolo. Seven Deadly Sins. p. 21)

b. Spiritual Disciplines

i. Prayer

ii. Fellowship

iii. Study of the Word

iv. Giving

The Lady who asked Dr. Graham how to keep the joy was on to something very important because….The Joy of the Lord is our Strength

Nehemiah 8:10 NKJV
Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

The Joy of the Saint

• Is to be abundant - 2Cor 8:2
2 Corinthians 8:2 NKJV
that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality.

• Is to be Exceeding - Ps 21:6 & Ps 68:3
Psalm 21:6 NKJV
For You have made him most blessed forever; You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence.

Psalm 68:3 NKJV
But let the righteous be glad; Let them rejoice before God; Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly.

• Is to be animated - Ps 32:11 & Lk 6:22-23
Psalm 32:11 NKJV
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous; And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Luke 6:22–23 NKJV
Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man’s sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.

• Is described as being unspeakable & full of glory 1Pet 1:8
1 Peter 1:8 NKJV
whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

• Is Constant – 2Cor 6:10 & Phi 4:4
2 Corinthians 6:10 NKJV
as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

Philippians 4:4 NKJV
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

• It is lasting – 1Thes 5:16
1 Thessalonians 5:16 NKJV
Rejoice always,

• Is Supported/Based upon Hope – Rom 12:12
Romans 12:12 NKJV
rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;

• Not diminished by circumstances:

o Of Sorrow 2Cor 6:10
2 Corinthians 6:10 NKJV
as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

o Of Trial Jas 1:2 & 1Pet 1:6
James 1:2 NKJV
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,

1 Peter 1:6 NKJV
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,

o Of Persecution Matt 5:11-12 & Heb 10:34
Matthew 5:11–12 NKJV
“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Hebrews 10:34 NKJV
for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.

 Remember Paul and Silas in Prison Acts 16

o Of Calamity – Hab 3:17-18
Habakkuk 3:17–18 NKJV
Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls— Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

D. L. Moody has expressed it so well:

“. . .Joy flows right on through trouble; joy flows on through the dark; joy flows in the night as well as in the day; joy flows all through persecution and opposition. It is an unceasing fountain bubbling up in the heart; a secret spring the world can’t see and doesn’t know anything about. The Lord gives His people perpetual joy when they walk in obedience to him” D.L. Moody
[–Edith draper, Draper’s Book of Quotations for the Christian World (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1992). Entry 6529.].

Conclusion

C. A little girl, on the way home from church, turned to her mother and said, “Mommy, the preacher’s sermon this morning confused me.” The mother said, “Oh! Why is that?” The girl replied, “Well, he said that God is bigger than we are. Is that true?” “Yes, that’s true,” the Mother replied. “He also said that God lives in us. Is that true, too?” Again the mother replied, “Yes.” “Well,” said the little girl. “If God is bigger than us and he lives in us, wouldn’t He show through?” I like that little girl’s way of putting it. If God lives in us, then there’s no way of keeping him from “showing through.” That’s the essence of Christian living- living in such a way that people around us will see God in our lives. Davon Huss (http://www.sermoncentral.com)

A young girl became a Christian in an exciting revival at her church and was baptized the closing Sunday morning. That afternoon she ran through the house singing and dancing. Her sour grandfather rebuked her with these words, “You ought to be ashamed of yourself. You just joined the church and you’re singing and dancing on the Lord’s Day!” Crushed by her grandfather’s attitude, the little girl went out to the barn, climbed up on the corral fence, and observed an old mule standing there with a sad, droopy face and bleary eyes. As she reached over and patted the mule sympathetically, she said, “Don’t cry, ole mule. I guess you’ve got the same kind of religion that Grandpa has!” (Bart Legger http://www.sermoncentral.com)

Vance Havener said, “There is something wrong with our Christianity when we have to beg most of our crowd to come to church to hear about it.” Have you forgotten the joy of your salvation?
- - Galatians 5:22NKJV
- - Psalm 16:11NKJV
- - 1 John 1:1–4NKJV
- - John 16:20–24NKJV
- - Nehemiah 8:10NKJV
- - 2 Corinthians 8:2NKJV
- - Psalm 21:6NKJV
- - Psalm 68:3NKJV
- - Psalm 32:11NKJV
- - Luke 6:22–23NKJV
- - 1 Peter 1:8NKJV
- - 2 Corinthians 6:10NKJV
- - Philippians 4:4NKJV
- - 1 Thessalonians 5:16NKJV
- - Romans 12:12NKJV
- - 2 Corinthians 6:10NKJV
- - James 1:2NKJV
- - 1 Peter 1:6NKJV
- - Matthew 5:11–12NKJV
- - Hebrews 10:34NKJV
- - Habakkuk 3:17–18NKJV

Joy

What is Joy?

How Is Joy Obtained?

How Is Joy Maintained

Experience the Relationship and Power of God Daily

The Joy of the Saint

Galatians 5:22NKJV

Psalm 16:11NKJV

1 John 1:1–4NKJV

John 16:20–24NKJV

Nehemiah 8:10NKJV

2 Corinthians 8:2NKJV

Psalm 21:6NKJV

Psalm 68:3NKJV

Psalm 32:11NKJV

Luke 6:22–23NKJV

1 Peter 1:8NKJV

2 Corinthians 6:10NKJV

Philippians 4:4NKJV

1 Thessalonians 5:16NKJV

Romans 12:12NKJV

2 Corinthians 6:10NKJV

James 1:2NKJV

1 Peter 1:6NKJV

Matthew 5:11–12NKJV

Hebrews 10:34NKJV

Habakkuk 3:17–18NKJV