From Roots to Fruits (Week 2 - Joy)
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Introduction
Attention:
Today, we are continuing on our From Roots to Fruits series by talking about the second “fruit” of the spirit, joy.
Need:
This is really important to talk about, as we live in a generation that is desperately seeking to find joy in the wrong places.
According to a 2023 Gallup survey, about a qaurter of Gen Z describes themselves as not being happy.
The percentage of Gen Z that describe themselves as being happy decreased as they enter adulthood
That means, statistically speaking, for you, there is a statistical chance that you will be less happy as you get older
That is, unless, you started doing something differently
What if you started pursuing joy instead of happiness?
How is it that joy and happiness are different, anyways?
We will dive into all of that and figure out what the Scriptures have to say about joy.
The Big Idea: Joy is better than happiness
The Big Question: Why is joy better than happiness?
Happiness is temporary - joy is permanent
2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.
It is really easy for happiness to go away when troubles come up in your life
Think of your own personal life; when something difficult happens, what is one of the first things to go? Happiness!
I mean, think about it...
Q. What types of things make you happy?
Enjoying your hobbies
Hanging our with family/friends
Q. What are all (or most) of these things based on?
Our circumstances
When our circumstances are good, we are happy
But when they aren’t, we aren’t
Christian joy is different than this
It is something that you can tap into no matter what.
You can experience the joy of the Lord no matter what is going on in your life.
How do you do this?
How can I experience joy no matter what?
Turn trials into opportunities
This is how you get there, but it is tough and takes a change of perspective.
Ultimately, our perspective can only change by the grace of God
Pray for Him to continue to change your heart, attitude, and the way you see things
God will help you to see things differently
And as you do that, you will be able to tap into the permanent source of joy that God has put in your heart through the Holy Spirit.
Illustration:
Q. When you ride in a car listening to the radio and you go through a tunnel, what happens to the music?
It fades or disappears
Q. When you ride in a car listening to a CD or a cellphone that has signal, what happens to the music?
Nothing! It continues.
This is similar to the difference between happiness and joy:
Happiness is like listening to a radio under a tunnel
When you have a tough time, happiness goes away.
But joy is like listening to a CD or a cellphone that has signal
it stays no matter what, giving us hope in its fullness.
Application:
What trials are you going through in youppir life right now?
How often can you honestly say that you experience the joy of the Lord?
What would it look like for you to start viewing your trials as opportunities?
Pray extra
Think of God’s love and faithfulness
The Big Idea: Joy is better than happiness
The Big Question: Why is joy better than happiness?
Happiness is temporary - joy is permanent
Happiness comes from lots of places (not all good) - Joy comes from God
11 You will show me the way of life,
granting me the joy of your presence
and the pleasures of living with you forever.
Happiness can have all sorts of different things as its source (which we’ve already talked about)
Some things that make us happy are good things; but some of them are bad
Whereas with joy, God is always the source.
Christian joy is never never isolated from God’s presence
We get joy from God because the joy that God experiences rubs off on us.
17 For the Lord your God is living among you.
He is a mighty savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
With his love, he will calm all your fears.
He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”
God takes delight in us!
And then we delight in Him
“God Is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”
-John Piper
We think that all we need to be satisfied is happiness
But what we need is the joy of the Lord.
Illustration:
You can find light in all sorts of different places:
Cell phone/flash light
Computer/TV screens
Lamps/household lights
But there is only one place to find sunlight; the sun!
And there is nothing quite like the sun
You can feel the light of the sun in a way that you can’t with any other source of light
Also, the sun is necessary for plants to grow (among other things), while no other sort of light bears nearly that much important
Happiness is like finding light in all sorts of places
Joy is like only finding sunlight within the sun
There is nothing like it, and it can only be experienced from God.
Application:
If joy only comes from God, how do you get it (from God)
How does he give it to you?
The Holy Spirit
By spending time with Him.
What have you been looking for to satisfy you?
How can you begin to find your satisfaction in the Lord alone?
The Big Idea: Joy is better than happiness
The Big Question: Why is joy better than happiness?
Happiness is temporary - joy is permanent
Happiness comes from lots of places (not all good) - Joy comes from God
Happiness is based on what you can do for yourself - joy is based on what God has done for you.