Joy

Temple Baptist Church - 9-6-2020

Galatians 5:22-23

 

Introduction: 

 

A.  As we study the filling of the Spirit in the believer, we are looking closely at the “fruit of the Spirit.”  Fruit on a tree of bush speaks of either good attachment and much fruit or poor attachment and little or no fruit.  The fruit of the Spirit is singular but manifesting itself in nine different aspect.  To be biblically filled with the Spirit is to have ALL nine.

 

B.  As a trichotomy, we are soul—self-conscious, body—world conscious, and spirit—God conscious.  Three of the aspects of the fruit of the Spirit are inward—the soul, three are outward—the body, and three are upward—the spirit.

 

C.  Last week, we saw the most important of the inward three, love.  Without love, we are nothing!

 

D.  The second aspect of the inward is Joy.  Without joy, you will never endure; you will just become another statistic; one who started but did not finish; one who became a burden instead of their intended blessing; one having to be visited instead of one who visits; one who must be earnestly prayed for instead of one who earnestly prays; one who must be helped instead of one who helps.  There are too many of God’s people who have fallen to the wayside and find in comfortable.

 

E.  Most Christians today live in discouragement with little or no real joy.  This has been a year of change and the changes have not been good ones.  People are learning to survive while living in fear and restrictions to liberty.  God never intended for us to survive; He intends for us to flourish!

 

F.  I have not been a fan.  I have tried to live in encouragement and refuse to live in fear.  I have tried to maintain normalcy as much as possible but, at times, despite every effort, the “new normal” has adversely affected all of us.

 

2 Timothy 1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

 

G.  Yet, we have:

 

1.  Fears about the Virus.

 

2.  Fears about the Future.

 

3.  Fears about our Families.

 

4.  Fears about the direction of our Country.

 

H.  Joy defined:

 

JOY, The passion or emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good; Joy is a delight of the mind, from the consideration of the present or assured approaching possession of a good.

 

Romans 15:13  Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

 

Romans 14:17  For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

 

J.  For the Christian, true joy is found despite circumstances, not in circumstances.

 

1.  Our Example - Isaiah 53:3-5  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.  (4)  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  (5)  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

 

John 15:11  These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

 

John 17:13  And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

 

2.  Our Exhortation - 1 John 1:4  And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

 

2 Corinthians 7:4  Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.

 

2 Corinthians 8:2  How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.

 

Colossians 1:11  Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

 

1 Thessalonians 1:6  And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:

 

1.  The Joy Of Salvation - Psalms 35:9  And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.

Psalms 51:12  Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

Psalms 132:16  I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.

Isaiah 12:3  Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.

 

2.  The Joy Of Understanding God’s Word - Nehemiah 8:9-12  And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.  Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.  So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved.  And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.

 

3.  The Joy Of Worship - Nehemiah 12:43-46  Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.  And at that time were some appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the offerings, for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the law for the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites that waited.  And both the singers and the porters kept the ward of their God, and the ward of the purification, according to the commandment of David, and of Solomon his son.  For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God.

 

4.  The Joy Of Going To Church - Psalms 42:4  When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.

 

a.  The Joy Of Singing - Psalms 95:1  O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

 

Psalms 95:2  Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

 

Psalms 98:4  Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.

 

b.  The Joy Of Praise - Psalms 27:6  And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.

 

5.  The Joy Of Hope - Psalms 30:5  For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

 

6.  The Joy Of Eternity - Psalms 16:8-11  I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.  Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.  For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.  Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

 

1 Peter 4:13  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

 

Jude 24  Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

 

7.  The Joy Of Sinners Saved - Luke 15:10  Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

 

8.  The Joy Of A Finished Course - Acts 20:24  But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

 

9.  The Joy Of The Saviour - 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:

 

Psalms 16:11  Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.