Celebrate with Joy!
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
This morning we are continuing our study in the series that I’ve called “BASIC TRAINING.” This morning we are looking at Confession. Many say Confession is Good for the Soul.
Let me remind us where we are in our Basic Training Series:
Talking to God. We used the ACTS method of prayer—Adore, Confess, Thanksgiving, Supplication as our prayer model. Then we trained on Getting into God’s Word.
We talked about spending 7 minutes with God! 1/2 minute preparing yourself, followed by 4 minutes of reading the Bible, while asking the normal literary questions: who, what, when, where, why, how, and how much. Then we talked about asking the final question, So what does this mean to me—what should I do differently because of what I’ve read today. Finally, we finished up our 7 minutes with God by concluding with 2 1/2 minutes of Prayer using the ACTS method. I challenged you to spend 7 minutes with God!
Next we have trained on Thinking On These Things—keeping our mind focused on all that is godly, through Scripture Memory, and Meditating on God’s Word.
Next our Basic training focused on Living Simply—slowing down and experience God in the quiet moments. Finally, we talked about spending time Alone with God. Solitude, and quiet are two things many of us do not like.
Then we looked at what it meant to be Under Orders. We talked about Loving God and Loving people. We talked about our love leading to our living our the great commission.
Next, we saw that as followers of Jesus, we are to Serve God, and then we are to serve others.
We also looked at Authentic Worship, and what that looks like.
We talked about the fact that Confession is Good for the Soul.
Last week we looked at what it means to follow The Leader Jesus and following Godly men that will lead us closer to Jesus.
Today we come to the end of our Basic Training. Today we are going to learn what it means to Celebrate with Joy!
Joy is supposed to be the hallmark of the Christian life! Think about this: God used joy as bookends of the story of Jesus. It started the night Jesus was born the Angels announced His birth with Joy! In Luke 2:10 we read the words of the angels to the shepherds.
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
Then the story closes with Jesus telling His disciples about His joy. In John 15:11 we read:
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
God used Joy to announce the coming of the Messiah and the Messiah, Jesus wants His disciples to experience complete Joy.
But what is Joy?
Joy
Joy
The Bible uses two words for Joy. The first is the Hebrew word simhah and the Greek word chara. Both of these words have the meaning of delight, gladness, and happiness. But it is more than just happiness.
You see, happiness is an emotion, while joy is the result of choice. The way I would define joy is “The experience of God’s deliverance and the anticipation of God’s salvation.” So the reason followers of Jesus live in joy is because we celebrate the deliverance that He gave us from sin, and we anticipate the completion of our salvation in heaven. Don’t run past that too fast!
We celebrate the deliverance that God gives us from the strangle hold of sin, and we look forward (anticipate) the completion of our salvation when we dwell with God in Heaven! That ought to get you excited!
With definition of joy—we begin by celebrating what God has done for us in the past!
Celebrating the Past
Celebrating the Past
In Numbers, God told His people to remember great things God had done for them in the past!
“The sons of Aaron, the priests, are to blow the trumpets. This is to be a lasting ordinance for you and the generations to come. When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the trumpets. Then you will be remembered by the Lord your God and rescued from your enemies. Also at your times of rejoicing—your appointed feasts and New Moon festivals—you are to sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, and they will be a memorial for you before your God. I am the Lord your God.”
Not only do we celebrate the past, but we celebrate our God!
Celebrate God!
Celebrate God!
We need to celebrate God because God loves the praise of His children—His people. Look at Psalm 149.
Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints. Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King. Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp. For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation. Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds. May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, to carry out the sentence written against them. This is the glory of all his saints. Praise the Lord.
So we rejoicing in the Lord means that we rejoice in what He has done, because God loves the praise of His people!
Joy Does Not Depend On Our Circumstances
Joy Does Not Depend On Our Circumstances
Now here’s another key! Joy does not depend on whether good or bad is happening to us. In James 1:2 we are told that we should have joy no matter what is happening to us! That means we are told to find joy in trials.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
We are to find pure—or complete—joy when we face trials—any kind of trials.
In fact, there should NEVER be a time when we are not joyful! Because we are to be joyful all the time! Look at Philippians 4:4.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
And if that wasn’t enough, there is 1 Thessalonians 5:16
Be joyful always;
Now, if all this talk about Joy—Joy even when bad things are happening; Joy all the time; if all this seems to be too much. Or it seems to be too hard, remember that our Joy comes from inside, because the Holy Spirit indwells us—that’s right God’s Spirit lives in us and He is the giver of Joy!
Joy Is From the Spirit
Joy Is From the Spirit
In Galatians we are told that Joy is one of fruit of the Spirit of God living in us. Look at Galatians 5:22-23.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
These “fruit of the Spirit” are actually proof that God’s Holy Spirit lives in us! Right before the list of the fruit of the Spirit, Paul tells us that the acts of the sinful nature are obvious and then he list them. Then in the second part of verse 21 he tells us:
Galatians 5:21b (NIV84)
I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Then he gives us the list of the fruit of the Spirit in verses 22 and 23, And look what he says in verses 24-25.
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Do you see his point? The acts of our natural, sinful nature does NOT include joy! Because Joy is not natural.
Joy is NOT Natural
Joy is NOT Natural
That is why throughout God’s Word we are told to have joy, be joyful, and rejoice. The majority of times this word is used it is used with regard to God and what He has done for us, to us, and through us.
Why does God repeatedly tell us to rejoice? Because it is not natural. Going all the way back to the Fall mankind has struggled with believing or trusting what God has said. Adam and Eve fell for the lie that God was holding out on them. Satan told them:
“For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
See! God is holding out on you!
Today many of us fall for the lie that God is holding out on us! We find our natural, sinful nature is at times far more appealing. The life of joy often feels like God is really holding out on us. The truth is we should Rejoice always! No matter what circumstances because God is NOT holding out on us—but rather God knows what is best for us and God knows what it will take to fulfill His purposes and plans for our lives. So often Joy is a result of a choice which is the result of choosing to be obedient! So obedience to God brings Joy into our lives!
So let me ask you a question: Do you have Joy today? In the midst of sorrow, struggles, hurt and heartache do you have joy? In the midst of good times, excitement, and happy days do you have joy?
Choose Joy!
Choose Joy!
Living in obedience brings Joy.
Learning to trust in Jesus brings Joy.
Keeping our eyes on Jesus rather than the circumstances around us bring Joy.
So let’s look back and remember the great and mighty things God has done for us, and let’s look forward to seeing Jesus face-to-face. And when we do—we’ll have Joy!