Legacy of Christ #2 - Joy

Opening

Ø Great workday!

Ø Great church!

Ø Make it better by bringing someone with you next week

Series - Legacy of Christ - things he willed to us before he left

Here’s our foundation text:

Hebrews 9:15–17 NIV

For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living.

Ø Will/testament – something left to those still here.

Ø Can only get it after the death of the testator because the death establishes the testament

Today’s Legacy

Today we want to talk about joy.

Here’s our text:

John 15:5–11 NIV

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

Ø So Jesus “left” me this thing in his will. I think I want it, but I’m not really sure just what it is. Or what the he thought it was.

Ø Or why I would need it

Ø Or even WANT it

Ø I’m telling you these things so MY joy will be in you?

Ø So my joy will be COMPLETE?

Ø What IS that? What does he mean?

What IS Joy?

* I set out to figure out what JOY is. Most of us have an idea, I guess.

* Merriam-Webster:

The emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires.

Bike at Christmas

* Dictionary.com:

The emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation:

My wedding

* Oxford Living Dictionary:

A feeling of great pleasure and happiness.

We Want Joy

So Joy is something that it seems like we would want

I know a lot of people who could use a little joy

Joy makes me feel GOOD!

But I - and the world - are subject to other emotions and feelings:

Depression is a state of low mood that can affect a person's thoughts, behavior, feelings, and sense of well-being.

Depression comes when we lose something that we value greatly

job, marriage, friend, death

M-W - said Joy was evoked by well-being

Focus on LOSS

Suicide rates rising

Sad when people’s feelings and emotions lead them to think there is no way out and nothing better in the world

Here’s another one:

Anger - a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility.

Anger comes when others don’t respond as we think they should

Dictionary.com said joy was an emotion or feeling of GREAT DELIGHT - just the opposite of annoyance, displeasure, hostility

Focus on RESPONSE

Murder rates, violence

Even in Christian ranks - domestic violence

Here’s another one:

Frustration - the feeling of being upset or annoyed, especially because of inability to change or achieve something.

Frustration happens when others won’t change to please us

Oxford said joy was a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. - sure seems opposed to frustration

Divorce

We all face things we can’t change

Most of us have faced something we couldn’t achieve

Competing Emotions and Feelings

My Joy to depression - loss

My Joy to anger - anticipated response

My Joy to Frustration - others change

My Joy to . . . . any other emotion or feeling brought on by the things we EXPECT and ANTICIPATE from the world and the people in it

Jesus said MY Joy in You

What he was facing:

Depression - facing death and loss of those he loved

Anger - came to change the world - but it didn’t respond

Frustration - they didn’t CHANGE to be like him

Yet he called it MY joy - he had something that transcended every other feeling and emotion

Something that transcended his natural

Based on our text for today, here’s how I get his joy - something that transcends the natural

I have His joy when we focus on what I have rather than what I’ve lost.

John 14:11 NIV

Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.

A connection to God that wouldn’t fail, that wouldn’t let him down

I have His joy when I focus on how God would have me respond rather than how others respond.

John 15:9 NIV

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.

He didn’t love as the world loved - he didn’t base his joy and actions on their response. He responded and loved as GOD wanted him to respond. And as a result, he knew that God would sustain him and keep him.

I have His joy when I focus on how God is changing me rather than how others fail to change.

John 15:2 NIV

He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

Complete Joy

* “Complete” joy implies an anticipation for something that has now been fulfilled.

* What were they looking for? What were they anticipating?

* It was a connection to the Father - to God - where they knew everything dwelled. Up until that day, they themselves had never seen anything truly from God. Jesus had manifested it to them, but they still didn't really have it. They longed for that opening, that connection, that WAY to God so that they had direct access to all that God was and all that He had. Jesus opened that for them, and thus their anticipation was fulfilled - their joy was made complete.

Final Definition:

Joy is a state of mind and an orientation of the heart. It is a settled state of contentment, confidence and hope. It is something or someone that provides a source of happiness.