“The Joy of Jesus”
Series: Winning the War Within
Sunday, March 8, 2009; Galatians 5:22-23, Hebrews 12:1-2
Introduction: Today we continue in our series “Winning the War Within” by talking about “joy.” Last week we talked about love. We saw how Jesus loved unselfishly, without worry of how His actions were seen, and with great passion and acceptance. This week we are going to look at how we can have joy in life in the happy times, and in the times when we experience pain and sorrow.
In John 15:10-11, Jesus tells His disciples: “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” Just as Jesus gave us a wonderful example of how to love, so Jesus informs us of how and why we experience joy; a joy that can be complete. These are good and important words for us as well; words that can make all the difference in our lives. So let us try and make sense of the joy Jesus wants us to experience.
I. Difference between happiness and joy- (Galatians 5:22; Phil. 4:4)
a. Happiness- We are all seeking joy in our lives. If you were to ask
anyone, chances are that one of their goals in life is to feel a sense of joy. They want to be happy. I don’t know if you noticed, but I just used the words joy and happiness interchangeably. And yet, the truth is, that there is a difference between happiness and joy; they don’t mean the same thing; they are not synonyms. Happiness is based on experiences. When you win a game, when you get your pay check, when you get an “A” on a test, when you have a great moment with your family, when you get a smile out of a baby…these are a few of the many things in life that can make us happy.
But when things don’t go so well, you get sick, you lose your job, you get in an accident, you have a fight with someone…these are some of what cause you to be unhappy. When we say we want joy in our lives, we are really saying that we want to be happy; that we want good things to come to us. I want to show you a video clip about a man named Nick Vujicic. This man has no arms and no legs. That’s right, no arms and no legs. But listen to his message.
EXAMPLE- youtube video of Nick Vujicic [2:40]
Nick Vujicic has an amazing attitude. I don’t know about you, but I don’t know that I could be happy like him if I was in the same situation. I’m sure there are many times when he is unhappy: when he can’t care for himself, when he can’t do what others can do, when he is looked down upon…. But in the midst of his struggles, physically, mentally, emotionally, he is still able to enjoy life greatly! Because of this, he is able to touch people’s lives and help them to enjoy life more.
b. Joy- We are told in Galatians 5:22 that “joy” is one of the fruit of
the Spirit. As I said last week, when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we are filled with all of the fruit. Which means we have joy in us, we just need to understand how to let it come out. Not only do we have it in us, but the apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 4:4- “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice!” When Paul wrote these words, he was in prison. It seemed as if certain death was awaiting him. And yet he still writes the words “rejoice always.” How is this possible? How can we rejoice when we are in prison? How can we rejoice when there seems to be no hope? How can we rejoice when we don’t know what will happen?
Well, there are many reasons for this, one of which we will talk about in a little later, and that is understanding where joy comes from. But joy can be experienced always, because it is not based on circumstances, but on the Spirit. Because joy is a “fruit of the Spirit,” we have joy already in us. We don’t need to go find it. Christian joy is independent of the things of this earth; it is heavenly, godly.
Going back to “happiness” for a moment. People search for happiness in many ways. Maybe they search for it in status; so they seek to rise up in the company ladder thinking that having a good job with prestige will make them happy. Or maybe they seek it in money; they think that having a lot of money, so that they can buy a lot of things, will make them happy. Or they seek it in pleasure; they think that doing lots of pleasurable things will make them happy.
And while these things can bring some happiness, the happiness is fleeting; momentary. This feeling of happiness will disappear when the experience is done, and especially if hard times come. If your loved one is sick, you are not going to be going off and trying to find some experience of pleasure. You are going to seek to be with your loved one. And if your happiness comes from all these experiences, then you will find yourself in a deep void not knowing where to turn.
You see, if happiness is all there is, then we are in trouble, because we cannot continually do those things that we think will make us happy. And often those things that make us happy, don’t always make us happy. While a good relationship can make you happy, there are many times in relationships where there is difficulty and conflict, and where you are not feeling too happy! NO, we need more than experiences. That is why God fills us with the fruit of joy. Joy is something that we can experience always, through all experiences and situations.
II. Where does joy come from? (Philippians 1:3-4, 18-19, 3:1-8, 4:1, 4, 12;
Romans 8:28; John 15:10-11; Hebrews 12:1-2)
This then leads us to seek to understand where joy comes from. If we are to be joyful in all circumstances, if we are to rejoice always, then we need to know how it is that we can draw from this well of joy.
The Greek word for joy is “chara.” It refers to exultation or delight. Think for a moment about a roller coaster. For those of us who love roller coasters, what we love is not just that it goes fast, but that is goes up and down. The change in direction is what helps to make the ride exciting, and brings delight to the ride. Life is full of ups and down. And Paul wants us to understand that joy can be experienced in the good experiences and the trials. It is about loving life and taking life in stride. But how can this be?
The book of Philippians is filled with this concept. Let’s read some of these passages:
a. Praying with joy- Philippians 1:3-4, “I thank my God every time I remember
you. 4In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.” Regardless of what is going on with the person we are praying for, there is joy in knowing that we can
pray for them. This is because we know that we aren’t powerless, but we are able to partner with God as we pray for this person. What a joyous experience it is to pray. We should not take this for granted. In prayer we have access to the God of the universe. In prayer we can make our voice heard to God. In prayer we come alongside God to somehow affect the outcome of situations.
b. Knowing Christ is preached- Philippians 1:18-19 tells us: “But what does it
matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.” One of the most important aspects of life is that Christ is preached so that people can be saved. Even when it is from false motives, God can save people when the good news of Jesus Christ is preached. This knowledge should bring us joy.
c. Putting confidence in Christ- In Philippians 3:1-8 Paul tells us that he has
many reasons to boast in himself and to put his confidence in the flesh. But in the end he tells us that putting confidence in ourselves is rubbish and we will be disappointed every time. We must put our confidence in Jesus Christ. And we can be joyful in this, because we know that Romans 8:28 tells us that, “God works all things for the good to those who love Him…” Paul knew this to be true, and that is why even when he was in jail, facing death, he could still write “Rejoice in the Lord always.” Paul put his confidence in the Lord, not in Himself. Once he started doing this, he was able to enjoy life, and “be content in all circumstances.” (Phil. 4:12)
d. Obeying God’s commands- Moving from Philippians and going back to John
15:10-11, we remember Jesus’ words that tell us that joy is experienced when we obey God’s commands.
EXAMPLE- There’s a Calvin and Hobbes comic strip where Calvin walks up to his dad, who is reading, and says: “Hey dad, can I take the gas can for the lawn mower out in the back yard?” To which his dad asks: “What on earth for? It’s 8:00 at night?” Calvin then says: “I want to pour gasoline in big letters on the lawn…and set fire to it so airplanes can read it as they fly over!” This causes a big reaction from his dad, who gets out of his chair, faces Calvin, and says: “NO, you can’t do that! Don’t be ridiculous.” In the last frame his dad is sunken in his chair saying to himself: “I don’t even want to know what he intended to write.” (Scientific Progress Goes Boink, p. 80)
Calvin is often disobedient, and because of this is always in trouble. Life is not much fun if you are always getting yourself in trouble. Being obedient to God’s commands will help us to enjoy life much more.
e. Remaining in God’s love- Earlier, when I was talking about Nick Vujicic, I
was talking about how he enjoyed life so much. If you know anything about Nick, you know that he is a strong Christian. And when you hear him talk, he talks about his faith in Christ that gives him. This faith allows Nick to remain in God’s love, and in this place there is great joy.
Jesus Himself, remained in the Father’s love, and obeyed what the Father told Him to do, and because of this Jesus was filled with joy. And in John 15:11 Jesus tells us that He did that so that we might know this truth as well. It is in the times of great struggle that we need to be in God’s love. And as we remain in this love, the hardships of life will not overwhelm us. Instead, we will be able to experience the joy of God’s working in and through our hearts and minds, caring for us at our deepest and darkest moments. We rejoice in God’s constant presence!
f. Hebrews 12:1-2- Lastly, we see in Hebrews 12:1-2, that Jesus experienced joy
even in the midst of the cross, because He knew what the result would be, and where His ultimate place would be. Hear these words again: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God .”
Jesus knew that by dying on the cross He would provide the way to heaven for all who believe. Experiencing joy in all circumstances is about keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, and the hope of what God will do in and through our lives when we faithfully walk with Him. This hope is what brings us joy!
Conclusion: You and I can live a full life of joy no matter where you are right now or where you have come from. Jesus tells us that our joy can be complete. But this can only come from our being fully vested in Jesus Christ, following the ways he has set for us, and remaining in the love of God.
Read “West Virginia Farm Kid” (see below)
When it comes to enjoying life, perspective is important. For many, life in the marines would seem difficult. To Alice, it was easier than her life on the farm. With Jesus in our lives, and our eyes fixed on Him, we can experience joy always, because we know that Jesus has gone before us, and knows what we need. Let us give praise to God for helping us to have joy at all times and through all circumstances. Amen.
West Virgina Farm Kid
(NOW AT San Diego MARINE CORPS RECRUIT TRAINING)
Dear Ma and Pa,
I am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before all of the places are filled.
I was restless at first because you got to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m. But I am getting so I like to sleep late. Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot, and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay. Practically nothing.
Men got to shave but it is not so bad, there's warm water. Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie and other regular food, but tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit by the two city boys that live on coffee. Their food, plus yours, holds you until noon when you get fed again It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much.
We go on 'route marches,' which the platoon sergeant says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it's not my place to tell him different. A 'route march' is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys get sore feet and we all ride back in trucks.
The sergeant is like a schoolteacher. He nags a lot. The Captain is like the school board. Majors and colonels just ride around and frown. They don't bother you none.
This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing.. I keep getting medals for shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk head and don't move, and it ain't shooting at you like the Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don't even load your own cartridges. They come in boxes.
Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training. You get to wrestle with them city boys. I have to be real careful though, they break real easy. It ain't like fighting with that ole bull at home. I'm about the best they got in this except for that Tug Jordan from over in Silver Lake . I only beat him once. He joined up the same time as me, but I'm only 5'6' and 130 pounds and he's 6'8' and near 300 pounds dry.
Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers get onto this setup and come stampeding in. Your lovin' daughter, Alice
Series: Winning the War Within
Sunday, March 8, 2009; Galatians 5:22-23, Hebrews 12:1-2
Introduction: Today we continue in our series “Winning the War Within” by talking about “joy.” Last week we talked about love. We saw how Jesus loved unselfishly, without worry of how His actions were seen, and with great passion and acceptance. This week we are going to look at how we can have joy in life in the happy times, and in the times when we experience pain and sorrow.
In John 15:10-11, Jesus tells His disciples: “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” Just as Jesus gave us a wonderful example of how to love, so Jesus informs us of how and why we experience joy; a joy that can be complete. These are good and important words for us as well; words that can make all the difference in our lives. So let us try and make sense of the joy Jesus wants us to experience.
I. Difference between happiness and joy- (Galatians 5:22; Phil. 4:4)
a. Happiness- We are all seeking joy in our lives. If you were to ask
anyone, chances are that one of their goals in life is to feel a sense of joy. They want to be happy. I don’t know if you noticed, but I just used the words joy and happiness interchangeably. And yet, the truth is, that there is a difference between happiness and joy; they don’t mean the same thing; they are not synonyms. Happiness is based on experiences. When you win a game, when you get your pay check, when you get an “A” on a test, when you have a great moment with your family, when you get a smile out of a baby…these are a few of the many things in life that can make us happy.
But when things don’t go so well, you get sick, you lose your job, you get in an accident, you have a fight with someone…these are some of what cause you to be unhappy. When we say we want joy in our lives, we are really saying that we want to be happy; that we want good things to come to us. I want to show you a video clip about a man named Nick Vujicic. This man has no arms and no legs. That’s right, no arms and no legs. But listen to his message.
EXAMPLE- youtube video of Nick Vujicic [2:40]
Nick Vujicic has an amazing attitude. I don’t know about you, but I don’t know that I could be happy like him if I was in the same situation. I’m sure there are many times when he is unhappy: when he can’t care for himself, when he can’t do what others can do, when he is looked down upon…. But in the midst of his struggles, physically, mentally, emotionally, he is still able to enjoy life greatly! Because of this, he is able to touch people’s lives and help them to enjoy life more.
b. Joy- We are told in Galatians 5:22 that “joy” is one of the fruit of
the Spirit. As I said last week, when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we are filled with all of the fruit. Which means we have joy in us, we just need to understand how to let it come out. Not only do we have it in us, but the apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 4:4- “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice!” When Paul wrote these words, he was in prison. It seemed as if certain death was awaiting him. And yet he still writes the words “rejoice always.” How is this possible? How can we rejoice when we are in prison? How can we rejoice when there seems to be no hope? How can we rejoice when we don’t know what will happen?
Well, there are many reasons for this, one of which we will talk about in a little later, and that is understanding where joy comes from. But joy can be experienced always, because it is not based on circumstances, but on the Spirit. Because joy is a “fruit of the Spirit,” we have joy already in us. We don’t need to go find it. Christian joy is independent of the things of this earth; it is heavenly, godly.
Going back to “happiness” for a moment. People search for happiness in many ways. Maybe they search for it in status; so they seek to rise up in the company ladder thinking that having a good job with prestige will make them happy. Or maybe they seek it in money; they think that having a lot of money, so that they can buy a lot of things, will make them happy. Or they seek it in pleasure; they think that doing lots of pleasurable things will make them happy.
And while these things can bring some happiness, the happiness is fleeting; momentary. This feeling of happiness will disappear when the experience is done, and especially if hard times come. If your loved one is sick, you are not going to be going off and trying to find some experience of pleasure. You are going to seek to be with your loved one. And if your happiness comes from all these experiences, then you will find yourself in a deep void not knowing where to turn.
You see, if happiness is all there is, then we are in trouble, because we cannot continually do those things that we think will make us happy. And often those things that make us happy, don’t always make us happy. While a good relationship can make you happy, there are many times in relationships where there is difficulty and conflict, and where you are not feeling too happy! NO, we need more than experiences. That is why God fills us with the fruit of joy. Joy is something that we can experience always, through all experiences and situations.
II. Where does joy come from? (Philippians 1:3-4, 18-19, 3:1-8, 4:1, 4, 12;
Romans 8:28; John 15:10-11; Hebrews 12:1-2)
This then leads us to seek to understand where joy comes from. If we are to be joyful in all circumstances, if we are to rejoice always, then we need to know how it is that we can draw from this well of joy.
The Greek word for joy is “chara.” It refers to exultation or delight. Think for a moment about a roller coaster. For those of us who love roller coasters, what we love is not just that it goes fast, but that is goes up and down. The change in direction is what helps to make the ride exciting, and brings delight to the ride. Life is full of ups and down. And Paul wants us to understand that joy can be experienced in the good experiences and the trials. It is about loving life and taking life in stride. But how can this be?
The book of Philippians is filled with this concept. Let’s read some of these passages:
a. Praying with joy- Philippians 1:3-4, “I thank my God every time I remember
you. 4In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.” Regardless of what is going on with the person we are praying for, there is joy in knowing that we can
pray for them. This is because we know that we aren’t powerless, but we are able to partner with God as we pray for this person. What a joyous experience it is to pray. We should not take this for granted. In prayer we have access to the God of the universe. In prayer we can make our voice heard to God. In prayer we come alongside God to somehow affect the outcome of situations.
b. Knowing Christ is preached- Philippians 1:18-19 tells us: “But what does it
matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.” One of the most important aspects of life is that Christ is preached so that people can be saved. Even when it is from false motives, God can save people when the good news of Jesus Christ is preached. This knowledge should bring us joy.
c. Putting confidence in Christ- In Philippians 3:1-8 Paul tells us that he has
many reasons to boast in himself and to put his confidence in the flesh. But in the end he tells us that putting confidence in ourselves is rubbish and we will be disappointed every time. We must put our confidence in Jesus Christ. And we can be joyful in this, because we know that Romans 8:28 tells us that, “God works all things for the good to those who love Him…” Paul knew this to be true, and that is why even when he was in jail, facing death, he could still write “Rejoice in the Lord always.” Paul put his confidence in the Lord, not in Himself. Once he started doing this, he was able to enjoy life, and “be content in all circumstances.” (Phil. 4:12)
d. Obeying God’s commands- Moving from Philippians and going back to John
15:10-11, we remember Jesus’ words that tell us that joy is experienced when we obey God’s commands.
EXAMPLE- There’s a Calvin and Hobbes comic strip where Calvin walks up to his dad, who is reading, and says: “Hey dad, can I take the gas can for the lawn mower out in the back yard?” To which his dad asks: “What on earth for? It’s 8:00 at night?” Calvin then says: “I want to pour gasoline in big letters on the lawn…and set fire to it so airplanes can read it as they fly over!” This causes a big reaction from his dad, who gets out of his chair, faces Calvin, and says: “NO, you can’t do that! Don’t be ridiculous.” In the last frame his dad is sunken in his chair saying to himself: “I don’t even want to know what he intended to write.” (Scientific Progress Goes Boink, p. 80)
Calvin is often disobedient, and because of this is always in trouble. Life is not much fun if you are always getting yourself in trouble. Being obedient to God’s commands will help us to enjoy life much more.
e. Remaining in God’s love- Earlier, when I was talking about Nick Vujicic, I
was talking about how he enjoyed life so much. If you know anything about Nick, you know that he is a strong Christian. And when you hear him talk, he talks about his faith in Christ that gives him. This faith allows Nick to remain in God’s love, and in this place there is great joy.
Jesus Himself, remained in the Father’s love, and obeyed what the Father told Him to do, and because of this Jesus was filled with joy. And in John 15:11 Jesus tells us that He did that so that we might know this truth as well. It is in the times of great struggle that we need to be in God’s love. And as we remain in this love, the hardships of life will not overwhelm us. Instead, we will be able to experience the joy of God’s working in and through our hearts and minds, caring for us at our deepest and darkest moments. We rejoice in God’s constant presence!
f. Hebrews 12:1-2- Lastly, we see in Hebrews 12:1-2, that Jesus experienced joy
even in the midst of the cross, because He knew what the result would be, and where His ultimate place would be. Hear these words again: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God .”
Jesus knew that by dying on the cross He would provide the way to heaven for all who believe. Experiencing joy in all circumstances is about keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, and the hope of what God will do in and through our lives when we faithfully walk with Him. This hope is what brings us joy!
Conclusion: You and I can live a full life of joy no matter where you are right now or where you have come from. Jesus tells us that our joy can be complete. But this can only come from our being fully vested in Jesus Christ, following the ways he has set for us, and remaining in the love of God.
Read “West Virginia Farm Kid” (see below)
When it comes to enjoying life, perspective is important. For many, life in the marines would seem difficult. To Alice, it was easier than her life on the farm. With Jesus in our lives, and our eyes fixed on Him, we can experience joy always, because we know that Jesus has gone before us, and knows what we need. Let us give praise to God for helping us to have joy at all times and through all circumstances. Amen.
West Virgina Farm Kid
(NOW AT San Diego MARINE CORPS RECRUIT TRAINING)
Dear Ma and Pa,
I am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before all of the places are filled.
I was restless at first because you got to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m. But I am getting so I like to sleep late. Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot, and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay. Practically nothing.
Men got to shave but it is not so bad, there's warm water. Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie and other regular food, but tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit by the two city boys that live on coffee. Their food, plus yours, holds you until noon when you get fed again It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much.
We go on 'route marches,' which the platoon sergeant says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it's not my place to tell him different. A 'route march' is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys get sore feet and we all ride back in trucks.
The sergeant is like a schoolteacher. He nags a lot. The Captain is like the school board. Majors and colonels just ride around and frown. They don't bother you none.
This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing.. I keep getting medals for shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk head and don't move, and it ain't shooting at you like the Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don't even load your own cartridges. They come in boxes.
Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training. You get to wrestle with them city boys. I have to be real careful though, they break real easy. It ain't like fighting with that ole bull at home. I'm about the best they got in this except for that Tug Jordan from over in Silver Lake . I only beat him once. He joined up the same time as me, but I'm only 5'6' and 130 pounds and he's 6'8' and near 300 pounds dry.
Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers get onto this setup and come stampeding in. Your lovin' daughter, Alice
posted by Logan's Blog at 1:29 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home