I took my fifteen-year-old daughter to
take her written driver’s test this week.
As I sat there waiting I saw three young ladies come out of the testing
center. It wasn’t hard to tell who were the one’s who passed and
who were the one’s who failed. You
could see it on their face. True
joy comes from within and shines right through.
In his book of
sermons The Living Faith, Lloyd C. Douglas tells the story of Thomas Hearne,
who, "in his journey to the mouth of the Coppermine River, wrote that a
few days after they had started on their expedition, a party of Indians stole
most of their supplies. His
comment on the apparent misfortune was: 'The
weight of our baggage being so much lightened, our next day's journey was more
swift and pleasant.'
"Hearne was in route to something very interesting and important;
and the loss of a few sides of bacon and a couple of bags of flour meant
nothing more than an easing of the load.
Had Hearne been holed in somewhere, in a cabin, resolved to spend his
last days eking out an existence, and living on capital previously collected,
the loss of some of his stores by plunder would probably have worried him
almost to death."
How we respond to "losing" some of our resources for God's
work depends upon whether we are on the move or waiting for our last stand. -- Eugene L. Feagin,
Leadership, Vol. 10, no. 4.
Scripture
Text:
Gal. 5:16 So I say,
live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the
sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is
contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that
you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. 19
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity
and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of
rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness,
orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like
this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness
and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to
Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.
25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us
not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
We can't plan for joy, or put a specific date and time on our calendars
when we plan to savor it. Joy
overtakes us while we're busy at something else.
-- James Allen Sparks, If This Pew Could Talk!. Christianity Today,
Vol. 31, no. 9.
Joy is bliss, contentment,
radiance, happiness, pleasure, and satisfaction in life.
1.
Joy is the result of a
continuing relationship with the Savior.
God is the source of true joy.
Is the joy of God your experience in life?
Do you have a relationship with the Lord?
Have you come to know Him as your Lord and your God?
Joy is produced in the life of a person who is drawing their strength
and life from the Lord.
Psalm
16:11 (NIV) You have made known to me the
path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal
pleasures at your right hand.
Isaiah
12:2 (NIV) Surely God is my salvation; I
will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation." 3 With joy you will draw water from the
wells of salvation.
2.
Joy is the result of a decision to follow the Lord in your life. The people realized that they had not been following the
Lord. They grieved, but Nehemiah
told them to go and do as the Lord required of them. Sacrificing unto the Lord, giving to the Father,
participating in his worship and work, and becoming involved in all that He
leads you to be will give you the joy and satisfaction that you long for.
Neh.
8:10
(NIV) Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send
some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do
not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
2.
Continuing Joy is possible when we commit ourselves to God completely.
A.
Repent and come to the Lord. We must repent and come to the Lord. Continuing sin will prevent us from enjoying the presence of
the Lord in our lives. Don’t
allow sin to kill your joy. You
can be forgiven. God forgets all
your sin when you confess.
Psalm 51:10
(NIV) Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within
me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to
sustain me.
B.
Commit your life to the Lord no matter what.
Give our life to the Lord even
in death, disaster, and disappointment. Knowing
that He is in control of all that may come.
He works all things together for our good.
We must trust Him to know what is best for us all in all situations.
Don’t allow situations to take your joy. Keep your eyes on Jesus.
Psalm 30:5
(KJV) For his anger [endureth but] a moment; in his favour [is] life: weeping
may endure for a night, but joy [cometh] in the morning.
C.
Pass the test of your faith. Be
filled with inexpressible and glorious joy.
1Pet
1:6
(NIV) In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have
had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your
faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by
fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when
Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and
even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an
inexpressible and glorious joy,
D.
Do not seek Joy. Seek the
Lord.
Stay in His presence. Give
yourself to Him. Draw water for
your thirsty soul from His well. Sink
your roots deeply into His love and presence.
Then you will produce the joy of soul that we all long for.
Joy is a spiritual fruit that is produced in the life of a believer who
is continuing on with the Lord.
Psalm
16:11
(NIV) You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in
your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
I remember talking to a girl here in this church two or three years
ago. She said, "Jill, I've lost my joy, I've lost my peace, and I want it
back." "Where did
you lose it?" I asked. "That
has nothing to do with this," she replied. "Help me to get it
back."
"But where did you lose
it?" "I
don't want to talk about that."
But eventually she did talk about it. She lost it when she moved in
with her boyfriend. That'll do it.
-- Jill Briscoe, "Hanging Up Our Faith," Preaching Today,
Tape No. 148.