Joy

What is JOY

John 15:9-13 “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. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

What is Joy? Where does it come from? How do you get it? How long does it last? How can I keep it?

Webster

(n.) The passion or emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good; pleasurable feelings or emotions caused by success, good fortune, and the like, or by a rational prospect of possessing what we love or desire; gladness; exhilaration of spirits; delight.

What it isn’t?

It is not just happiness. Happiness is based on your surroundings and events. It is fleeting. Bobby McFerrin was wrong, its not self forming

Imago Dei - God, Worship, No event is fully happy, happiness doesnt last forever

Simcha and Sasson

simcha refers to internal gladness which is continual - “beginning of the process”

sasson is the external expression of one's inner happiness “how to show your happy”

Also translated as gladness

Joy of the Lord, in what He has done, in what he will do

Gal 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,”

Source of True Joy

We see that joy can come from a lot of places, but only Gods Joy lasts

Nehemiah - Joy of the Lord is our strength

Jeremiah - turn our mourning into joy

David - Psalm 51:12 “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.”

How do we receive this Joy? - Salvation

How do we keep, maintain, “tap into” it

J O Y

Jesus - Others - Yourself in Relationships and Priorities

Jesus - Jehovah

Our Joy comes from Him - These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

Past - Present - Future

Ecc 8:15 “And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.”

Jesus is our example

Heb 12:2 “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.”

Sealed the Covenant - 100% God/Man - we trusting in Him can have salvation, start a relationship with Jehovah

Past - “Things that He has done”

Salvation anger, bitterness, hatred - all gone in an instant - thats what experiencing pure love and grace does

Lost two babies, my job for 18 months, father, other loved ones

Suffered spiritual abuse from those that “loved” me

6+ years of backsliding - turned my back on Him

Felt His presence throughout the entire time… Faith is based on trusting that God will do the same thing Today and tomorrow that He has done in the past

Present - Things that He is doing

Live inside my own head, constantly grade myself on being a good man

Almost every aspect of my life - Son, Husband, Father, Worker, Deacon, Friend

He sustains me and fills me with Joy even when happiness seems to be hiding from me

Examples - David - In your presence is fullness of joy - Though my enemies surround me, i will sleep,

Psalm 27:3 “Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.”

Psalm 30:5 “For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”

Psalm 51:8 “Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice.”

James - Count it all Joy

Peter - Joy unspeakable and full of glory

2 Cor 4:7-12 “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.”

Future - Things that He will do

No matter what we go through, He will be there with Joy and Grace

Col 1:11 “being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;”

Heaven - all Joy, no more tears, eternal fellowship with our Creator - Saviour

Others

christianity - ORU - waiting room finally Chix Baptist

This encompasses ALL others, family, church members, coworkers, strangers, enemies. Any one that God puts in your path

Our example is Jesus - Love one another as I have loved you

Love people like Jesus loves them

Love those that hate you, are indifferent, look down on you, judge you, want nothing to do with you or your God, selfish with out being judgmental or prideful

Thought - Everything that God has placed you through, can be used to bring you closer to Him but also bring others

Rom 5:8 “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Weep with those that weep and rejoice with those that rejoice

Ecclesiastes - time for everything

Meet them where they are and just Love them - show Christs Love

imago dei

Woman at the Well - must needs

Caught in adultery = only one worthy of throwing the stones didn't

even the Pharisees - Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem

Jesus sent somebody to you, be that somebody to someone else

You can't make them believe anything, that is the job of the parakleto… all you can do is share love and truth and meet them where they are… they were created with the same Imago Dei that you were

Yourself

Now that you have Jesus at the forefront of your life and you are allowing His love to reach those that you come in contact with, you can worry about yourself

Want to know more Joy, Peace, and Love than you can ever imagine on this earth

Abide

John 15:5-11 “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. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 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. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”

Communion with God - daily reading and studying, meditate on what He has given you, done for you, seek His will, use your gifts

Community - Fellowship, learning and growing with one another

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