Joy-Filled and Joy-Full
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These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
What is it to joy-filled and full? What is it to be complete? Are you complete in joy? Are you filled? Are you full? Like a good dinner, completed by a fine dessert, God wants you to be filled and full of joy, His joy. But that is only possible as we are connected to Him, or bonded to Him. Are you truly connected to Christ? Is your relationship joy-filled and full? One is truly connected to Jesus if their lives are filled with joy and rejoicing. Joy is the evidence of a person connected with Christ.
Did you know that the God mentions “joy” or “rejoice” 330 times in the Bible? He mentions “happy” or “happiness” 26 times. What is the difference? Happiness is determined by what happens to you. If the circumstances are favorable, you will be happy, if not, not happy. But joy, being joy-filled, or joyful, comes from inside you, comes from a life connected to Christ. It does not depend on circumstances or situations, but instead on a life connected to Jesus. Jesus says, “Abide in Me, and I will abide in you” (John 15:4), unless one does so, he/she will not be produce fruit, and Jesus’ fruit will not be produced within them.
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.
What is the fruit of Jesus? Joy!
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Who sent the Spirit to dwell within us? Jesus!
And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you.
Jesus is the giver of joy, joy through the Spirit of God, who comes to take up residence within each person, when they choose to believe upon and belong to Jesus. The same Spirit, who will guide us into all-truth, and the ways of Christ, when we choose abide with Christ and remain in Him.
When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come.
Naturally, then, the question is, are you joyful? Are you joy-filled? If you and I are lacking, then are we abiding in Christ? Are we connected to Him, the Vine? The evidence is joy, the vehicle is fruitfulness, the source is love - the love of, and for, Jesus.
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
Let me give you a definition of “joy” - "Joy is an evidence of the presence of God in your life." Are you truly joy-filled and joy-full, or are you seeking to be happy? Happiness is determined by your circumstances and situations; it is based on feeling. Joy is determined by your connection to God, based on your abidence in and to Jesus. C.S. Lewis, one-time athiest, then disciple of Jesus, theologian, author of the Chronicles of Narnia and The Screwtape Letters, penned these words about Christianity and happiness,
“If you are seeking happiness, don’t choose Christianity, choose port wine. I didn’t go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of port would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity” (C.S. Lewis). Why would C.S. Lewis say such a thing? Because he understood the focus of Christianity is not being compliant, content, and cozy with the world, but intead being conformed to, and content in Christ. And if we are conformed to and content in Christ, we will be confronted by, and condemned with Christ, by the world, and those living by it.
“If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you.
Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will also keep yours. But they will do all these things to you on account of My name, because they don’t know the One who sent Me.
Are you abiding in Christ, then you will face the same trials and tribulations as Christ. Does this sound like a comfortable religion? No. Why? Because a relationship with Christ, is about a transformation to Christ. It’s about a transformation of your soul from death to life, and the devil will not easily let go, but he has to when you are abiding in Christ, he no longer has a claim on you and your soul because the payment for your wrong, your sin, has been paid in full by Jesus’ death and sacrifice on the cross for you.
I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.
Satan only can have a foothold on you when you give him a foothold, or opportunity, to do so. When you and I submit to his lies and temptations. When we choose to disconnect from Christ, and connect to the world instead. We give Satan opportunity to bind us, when we decide to play in world’s toybox, because we desire happiness instead of joy, which can only truly be found in Jesus.
and don’t give the Devil an opportunity.
Look, I have given you the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy; nothing will ever harm you.
Therefore, submit to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.
Colossians 2:15 (HCSB)
He (Jesus) disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; He triumphed over them by Him.
No one desires to be hated, to willingly be murdered, that is what the word “hated” means according to Jesus (1 John 3:15-17), but that is part of the deal when you decide (or decided) to follow Jesus. The disciples of Jesus actually “rejoiced” because they were hated, because that meant they were being faithful to Christ, in sharing the truth of Him.
So they took his advice, and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
Then they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be dishonored on behalf of the Name.
Every day in the temple complex, and in various homes, they continued teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
Do you remember, that as a follower of Christ, we are called to “rejoice” in all things? Even when are mistreated, misrepresented, or misunderstood? We will be mistreated, misrespresented, and misunderstood because we choose to remain connected to Jesus, to the Vine, the source of our strength, hope, and integrity. What did the Scripture prophesy say about the coming Messiah? They would hate Jesus for no reason (Ps 69:4; Jn 15:24-25).
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
So are you abiding in Christ? Are you joy-filled, joy-full? Are you seeking just mere happiness? Are you a Joyless Jack? A Grumpy Gertrude? Or a Joy-Filled Jill or Joy-Full John? It all comes back to one’s connection with Christ, your relationship with Him. Is it alive, or on the gurny? Is it real, or phony? Is it duty, or a delight? Is it Spirit-filled, or Spirit-less? Are you disciple-lead, or disciple-less? Prayer-full, or prayer-less? Is it enjoyable, or joyless? Why? Most likely because we are not abiding in Christ and living with, and in, the Spirit. We’ve choosen to be disconnected and to ignore, or abuse our relationship with Christ.
Pastor John Piper rightly says, “The chief end of man is to glorify God. And it is truer in suffering than anywhere else that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him….And I pray that He would make it plain that the pursuit of joy in God, whatever the pain, is a powerful testimony to God’s supreme and all satisfying worth.” -Pastor John Piper, Desiring God, pg. 288
Are we glorifying God by walking with, and doing the things of Christ? Are we walking in the ways and will of Christ? Are we loving Jesus, and loving one another as He has commanded us (John 15:12-14). We are deemed, by Christ, to be His friends if we do so. Are we, are you, doing so? He says, that I choose you, and appointed you to go out, love God, by loving people, sharing the truth and love of Jesus, and His kingdom, raising them up in the ways of Christ, teaching them to obey Christ, and therefore produce fruit. Are we producing fruit? Are our lives fruitful? Because if they are, we will be joy-filled, and joy-full. Jesus says,
John 15:8 (ESV)
By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
Do we forget that their is an expectation that Jesus has for us? We are to prove our loyatly, prove our friendship, prove our love by bearing fruit, by sharing Christ, by teaching and leading others to know Christ, deepen in Christ, and be lead by Christ. Why would Jesus give this command to His disciples and every other believer and follower of Him?
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
The Great Commission, our great responsibility. But we can only fulfill this responsibility, if we are connected, and remain bonded to Christ, in belief and belonging, in order to bless.
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.
And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
Are you connected to the Vine? Are you abiding in Christ? Is your focus on being joy-filled and joy-full, instead of being happy? When we choose to obey and follow Christ, believing, belonging, and blessing as He has called us to do, we will be filled with His joy, which will fill and make our joy complete. But only by choosing to love Him in a relationship proven through our obedience to Him. We are only deemed His friends if we obey His commands, and He commands us to be fruitful, joy-filled, joy-full disciples of His, sharing His love and truth with the world around us. Are we being faithful? Are we being joyful? Are we enjoying our relationship with Christ? Why or why not? Are you bound to His Word? Are you taking time to be in communication with God, to allow Him to speak and move you? What is the depth and frequency of your prayer life and time? Are you investing in other brothers and sisters, loving on them, learning with them, mentoring them, mentoring one another?
These things will bring joy into your life, because you are obeying the ways and will of God. We look at obedience to God’s commands as rules and regulations, but yet He looks at obedience as proof of a loving, living, friendship with Him. How do we look at obedience as? Regulations or relationship? Our belief will drive our behavior and our desire to belong and bless. How connected to Jesus are we? How connected to Jesus do we want to be? Are we really connected to the Vine of Jesus?
Dr. Warren Wiersbe writes: “The secret of Christian joy is to believe what God says in His Word and act upon it. Faith that isn’t based on the Word is not faith at all; it is presumption or superstition. Joy that isn’t the result of faith is not joy at all; it is only a “good feeling” that will soon disappear. Faith based on the Word will produce joy that will weather the storms of life.” (Dr. Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary – Joshua - Esther, p.674-675)
Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.
Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments!
Amen!