Full of Cheer

Philippians 4:4–7 NIV

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 5:22–24 NIV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Introduction: What brought you joy as a child? Are you a Joyful person? How can we have Joy in our lives?

14 - The World is Full of Fear.

The Definition of the Greek word for Anxiety. - To be Anxious has the sense of being worried or concerned with. - Like Jesus’ do not worry about what you will eat or drink or wear for your Father in heaven knows you need these things. - The pagans run after these things.

In 1988 Bobby McFerrin released the song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” The song became an instant hit, reaching number 1 on the Billboard 100. It offers nothing but platitude: “Don’t worry, be happy.” There’s no path to get there, no means to sustain it—just a catchy song, encouraging everyone to be happy. But its widespread popularity reflects not just the catchiness of the tune but the desire that it speaks to: we want to be happy. Paul addresses that in his command to the Philippians. He tells us to be glad “in the Lord” (4:4). He is encouraging us to find our joy in the Lord.  - The Lord is the Basis of our Joy. Paganism can’t get you there, humanism can’t get you their, because it can only be based on our experiences.

How is it that????

Going to Uganda - Peter Maganda - The Joy we saw, with often so little. - Perhaps because they had to trust in God more.

- A Cultural Value - Not quite the same in Guatamala.

While in prison, Paul wrote a great letter to a church in Philippi. He wrote “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (4:4 ESV). While imprisoned by the Romans, Paul encourages the congregation to rejoice always even in times of suffering.

What is the Basis of the rejoicing? Because...

15 - Jesus is Near.

- The Gospel tells us two kinds of nearness.

- God is Closer Than You Think - list the 10 steps.

Christ will come again soon.

In Galatians 5, Paul writes, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy…” (v. 22). Joy is a gift that God grows in us through his Spirit. But it is also a lesson that you were taught as a child. This one may have been an indirect lesson, but it was a lesson, nonetheless. Assuming you had a healthy childhood: when you were sad, you were comforted. Your parents did what they could to provide for you and also to bring joy into your life, through experiences, gifts, relationships, or other means. Parents don’t like it when their child cries and is upset; they want to cheer them up. In doing so, they implicitly teach their child a lesson that they should be happy, not sad.

Lorraine Andrew when I went to visit her exuded Joy.

How Can we Develop the Fruit of Joy?

16 - We Can Be Full of Cheer.

“Christian Joy is not the temporal kind, which comes and goes with one’s circumstances, rather, it is predicated altogether on one’s relationship with the Lord, and is thus an abiding, deeply spiritual quality of life. It finds its expression in rejoicing, which is not a Christian option, but an imperative.

Joy is tied to Peace which surpasses all understanding (Another Fruit of the Spirit)

Can I Have Joy in My Life? How Can We Rejoice Always?

The key to the Christian’s joy is its source, which is the Lord. If Christ is in me and I am in Him, that relationship is not a sometimes experience. The Christian is always in the Lord and the Lord is always in the Christian, and that is always a reason for joy. Even if the Christian cannot rejoice in his circumstances, if he finds himself passing through pain, sorrow, or grief, he still can rejoice in Christ. We rejoice in the Lord, and since He never leaves us or forsakes us, we can rejoice always.

Fostering our Relationship with Jesus.

Prayer - Bringing all of our concerns to Jesus.

a. Prayer - a request made to God.

b. Supplication - is an earnest or urgent request to God - plea.

c. Always with Thanksgiving.

By praying this way we are recognizing things in the good and the bad of life, in the pleasant circumstances and the suffering circumstances of life. Jesus is with us, and he wants empower us to overcome the challenges of life, he wants to supply our needs, he wants to role up his sleeves and walk with us in life.

And Second it reminds us to count our blessings and all that God has given us. Life, relationships, meaningful work, his glorious salvation and all of the spiritual riches he has lavished on us. - A Cake Box Illustration.

Prayer than wraps us in the presence of God and that is our source of ever lasting Joy.

Torrey TenBoom - Rejoicing that they had lice because the guards left them alone.

Ben playing Sea of Theives, Pirate Game - having the right mindset when someone steals your booty. Set mindset vs. a growth mindset - fail a test "Well I must be done." "What can I learn from this."

Ben - Joy is a light, and it spreads out to others.

https://dskidsermons.com/2017/10/02/october-15th-2017-19th-sunday-after-pentecost/

Conclusion: A fun way to close this series is to sing a song we learned when we were children: “Joy in My Heart” by George William Cooke. No instruments need to accompany it—just simply begin to sing the words, “I have the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart…” and invite the congregation to join in. The message today focuses on another fruit of the Spirit: joy.