How to Find Joy in the Valley
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Intro and Tension
Intro and Tension
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Everyone is looking for Happiness | EVerything trying to Sell you Happiness | Crazy to me, how something that rotts teeth = Great smile
If it’s not a product, it’s a circumstance; Marraige | Relationship | Money | Carrot, carrot, carrot |
Happiness is elusive | Happiness is short lived | Happiness gets swallowed up |
Why? Connected to our current outcome.
What we need is something to make us Happy, regardless of Outcome
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Wait, it’s not Coke, it’s CHRIST. Christ doesn’t promise Hapiness | Promises JOY and it’s far greater.
These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
Title: How to find Joy in the Valley
My Hope: We will build on last week | Peace last week | Joy this week | Next week, Bitterness, so get ready
**Prayer**
Yearly Theme | In Transit | God is doing NEW THING | Lean in | Before get on the bus | Some things to take | Series called “Packing Season”
Goin through Jonah. Learning.
1 Essential thing to take on this journey: A heart that is in tune with God’s.
In order to do that, unpacking things | packing things
unpacked FEAR. Packed PEACE. Today, we pack, JOY.
Wheare are we?
Jonah, Profit, Lived extreme grace | Told to arise | Disobeyed | Didn’t want to give the ninevites grace | Boat, Slept, Storm, Jonah had peace, Last week, Peace is a person, he gets thrown overboard - Revival on the boat happens - even in Jonah’s Mistep, God made a Miracle, and we pick it up here;
And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Sceptism = How, oxygen, stomach Acid - But God - When you find yourself in a valley, BUT GOD.
Jonah enters into beautiful psalm.
Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, saying, “I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me. Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.’ The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head
Talking about when he got thrown overboard; lowest place Jonah Gets | From running in Chapter 1, Jonah’s progress downward and away from God | Ever been there? Maybe there now?
When your in this valley = God is there = Ready to rescue you, Ready to hear your cries.
Tried to flee God’s presence, now faces something worse - Complete seperation from God - Serious for Jonah |
Jonah’s initial thoughts, abandoned by God before getting into fish, not the case - not case for you.
Where ever you find yourself, God can give you Joy in that place.
Let’s continue;
First time it changes for Jonah - let’s guess what He has picked up (not Joy)
at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God. When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!”
Most joyful person you know? For me, a guy called Larry | Matt Lamp | Don’t see him, always happy | Why?
They might say what Jonah says “I’m just so grateful” | This end of psalm rooted in Gratitude.
What is joy?
Joy is a durable and permeating gratitude rooted in unchanging circumstances.
Gratitude is the difference | whether i’m joyful or not | Gratitude based in what? Grace of God - I am Saved - Amen.
When we say saved - Still a big Deal. Jonah’s? He was saved
2nd Unchanging circumstance of Grace - I am going to be seated near Christ in Heaven for ever.
Grateful that the grace SAVED ME, and grace (Free gift) is sending me to Heaven.
Those 2 things will never change. Salvation and Glory.
The grace that saves, and the grace that seats
That Gratitude has to permeate through your life.
Mum in the Hospital Bed - So Peaceful, Someone said they saw Jesus taking her, to Glory - That Joy, has carried me through
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
Count it all joy? Why? Doesn’t matter what happens to you in this world | Grateful,grace SAVED ME, Grace is Sending me to Glory.
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.
What can’t they take from you? The Cross that Saved you | and the Grace that is taking you to Glory- Eternity - Someone give God some Glory in this place today.
Greek word study
Greek word for Joy = Chara - Joy or Delight - Joy, Gladness - Source of Joy.
Xar = Extend favour - Lean towards - is the awareness of God’s GRACE.
What am I rooted in? Saved, not dead anymore, seated with Christ in heavenly realms forever.
Rejoice = root word of Joy - Rejoice in the Lord always Rejoice.
Rooted in understanding the GRACE that SAVED YOU, to produce GRATITUDE FOR YOUR LIFE.
Not what Coca Cola does to make you happy, but what CHRIST has done for you, doing for you and is going to do for you
that brings you JOY.
Jonah | shown grace | even in valley, He had Joy | because he had GRATITUDE and REPENTANCE.
Look at Jesus;
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
For the Joy - Future Grace, He Endured the Cross - Despising the Shame - what was that Joy rooted in? Unchanging circumstance that He was reconciling you!!!
When people not happy = Circumstances
When people aren’t joyful = forgot to be grateful for the condition they find themselves in Christ - Saved from Death, Saved FOR Glory.
How else face storms? Ferraris = no Joy - Maybe Happy - until you drive that ferrari to a funeral | New Phone = Happy, until you take the call about cancer | House, Happy, until it burns down | Marriage = Happy, until it gets rocky.
We have work to do - Steven being stoned = found joy, saw the glory of Christ.
How to get there. (Cause I want joyful soldiers)
Understanding that Jesus is the SOURCE of JOY - He is the VINE - Root is ME | Sap is the holy spirit carrying the LIFE of Jesus Christ. No Joy unless it’s flowing in YOU. Count on durable, Permeating Joy.
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
Fruit result of the root - What is the fruit?
Fruit of Spirit is Love, Joy…Joy Chara - The fruit is connected to the Root.
2. What we focus on is not “I gotta get more joy” it’s “I gotta get more Jesus” ABIDE, ABIDE .
What kills Joy? Focus on yourself.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Because you forgot that you are saved and alive and you will be SEATED in HEAVEN.
SAVED AND SEATED AND THAT’S ENOUGH FOR ME. WRITE IT DOWN, SAVED AND SEATED.
My goal is JESUS
Soccer, keep your eyes on His feet, don’t let him past, no matter what, don’t look up.
3. Joy is made complete in serving others
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
You Will not, I promise you - Become your happiest by investing all your time in being happy.
Become happiness by bringing someone else Joy - Bring them Joy, Bring them Jesus through you.
4. Joy is a process - Happiness is overnight -
Instant = Hapiness | Joy = Process - It takes a minute - However, I promise, commit to practicing and living in the root, time with Jesus - It will inform your circumstances of your CONDITION.
and your condition is…SAVED and SEATED. It’s a PROMISE. Sometimes, We get the promises of God wrong.
**Treva**
Inspo and Close
Inspo and Close
JOY - Jesus | Others | You
Satan yells;
YOU, OTHERS - little time, JESUS.
Jonah, went into depths of Sea - Nearly tasted death | Grateful didn’t.
Jesus, did what Jonah could not do - Jesus died, for our Sin to provide forgiveness of Sins | Freedom from Death -
To Save and Seat Us.
Why did he do that?
For the JOY that was SET BEFORE HIM - Despised the Shame - and HE despises the shame you carry | wants u to get rid of it.
But also know, Jesus dead on cross, not end
Women to tombs | Stone was not there | Rolled away and scripture tells us that JESUS WAS NOT THERE because JESUS HAD RISEN!! JESUS HAD DEFEATED DEATH AND THE GRAVE.
AND BECAUSE JESUS DEFEATED THE DEATH AND THE GRAVE You have an opportunity to confess it with your mouth, believe it in your heart that He is the LORD of LORDS and the KING OF KINGS and when you do,
You will be saved from Death, and you will be SEATED in HEAVEN for ALL OF ETERNITY.
Then, like the disciples you can count it ALL JOY when you face TRIALS - Because happiness is related to your outcomes;
Joy is a durable and permeating gratitude rooted in unchanging outcomes.
Not in ferraris, but in Fires, Not in comfort, but in all circumstances, not in safety but in Struggle.
Joy is not in circumstance, it’s in CHRIST AND HIS PROMISES.
Let’s be a JOY FILLED CHURCH. Who wants to be a JOY FILLED CHURCH???