JOY

Joy is a gift from God. Our joy is a witness to others as to the "great things God has done for us."

Once voted the funniest religious joke of all time, credit to Emo Philips:

Once I saw this guy on a bridge about to jump. I said, 'Don't do it!' He said, 'Nobody loves me.' I said, 'God loves you. Do you believe in God?'

He said, 'Yes.' I said, 'Are you a Christian or a Jew?' He said, 'A Christian.' I said, 'Me, too! Protestant or Catholic?' He said, 'Protestant.' I said, 'Me, too! What franchise?' He said, 'Baptist.' I said, 'Me too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?' He said, 'Northern Baptist.' I said, 'Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?' He said, 'Northern Conservative Baptist.' I said, 'Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Baptist Eastern Region?' He said, 'Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region.' I said, 'Me, too!' 'Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?' He said, 'Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912.' I said, 'Die, heretic!' And I pushed him over.

Many of God’s people haven’t come to UNDERSTAND that one of the characteristics of a spirit-filled life is that of “JOY.”

There was a man living in the hills of Arkansas who was brought to Christ. He was known as “Mr. Moonshine” because of the many LIQUOR STILLS that he had hidden away back in the HILLS. After becoming a Christian, his life CHANGED dramatically. He DESTROYED all of his STILLS and POURED out all of MOONSHINE he had STORED away.

One of his favorite expressions, whether in WORSHIP or just casually talking with a friend was “HALLELUJAH!” He would “HALLELUJAH” this and “HALLELUJAH” that. One day someone asked, “What does the word ‘HALLELUJAH’ mean, anyway?” He LAUGHED and said, “I really don’t know. But I think it’s a Hebrew word for ‘HOT DOG! THIS IS IT!’”

I believe that’s the kind of JOY we should have.

“HOT DOG we’ve found it!” “PRAISE THE LORD, we are saved!”

We need to change the way that people look at Christians and Christianity in general. They see so many of us as UNHAPPY PEOPLE instead of JOYFUL PEOPLE indwelled by the Spirit of God.

People need to see in us a JOY in Christ that cannot be QUENCHED by the STRESSES and HARDSHIPS of LIFE.

MESSAGE:

We have so much for which to REJOICE, and we should never be AFRAID to EXPRESS our JOY wherever we are. This morning I want us to look at from where our JOY comes and what our JOY does.

I. OUR JOY IS GOD-GIVEN

A. When I talk about our JOY in Christ, I’m not referring to a FRIVOLOUS JOY.

This is not a SHALLOW JOY. This is not simply a JOY that one might experience at DISNEY WORLD or “TELL A JOKE and get a SMILE on your face” type JOY.

This is a JOY that comes only from ABOVE. It is God DIRECTED and Spirit FILLED. It is a JOY that is not DEPENDENT upon OUTWARD CIRCUMSTANCES, nor is it DEPLETED by OUTWARD CIRCUMSTANCES.

1. Jesus wants us to be JOYFUL PEOPLE!

a. John 15:11- “I have told you this so that my JOY may be in you and that your JOY may be complete.”

b. John 17:13- “I am coming to you (Father) now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they (disciples) may have the full measure of my JOY within them.”

In just a few hours Jesus will be HANGING on a CROSS—what was there for Him to be HAPPY about? Jesus wasn’t THRILLED about being CRUCIFIED. His prayer at Gethsemane REVEALS that. The JOY that Jesus had was from the Father. It was a JOY that could not be

DIMINISHED by the CROSS!

c. Hebrews 12:2- “...for the JOY set before Him, Jesus endured the cross, scorning the shame...”

The JOY of providing a way by which man can be SAVED, the JOY of FULFILLING His purpose on earth, the JOY of RETURNING HOME to the Father—far outweighed the SHAME and the PAIN of the CROSS. It’s this JOY that Jesus wants us to HAVE to its fullest in our lives.

1. I just don’t believe that Jesus wants us to keep this JOY hidden.

a. When the Ethiopian Eunuch accepted Jesus as Lord and was BAPTIZED into His blood, Luke records that “he went on his way REJOICING”- Acts 8:39.

Do you think it was something he did SILENTLY? Was his JOY noticeable? When he went back to Ethiopia working for the QUEEN, do you think she recognized something DIFFERENT in this man?

I believe when the Ethiopian Eunuch gave his life to Christ, the Spirit of God FILLED him with such JOY that it could not be CONTAINED. I can picture him SINGING PRAISES to God all the way back to Ethiopia.

b. James 5:13- “If you are HAPPY; sing songs of PRAISES.”

B. If you’re not HAPPY—if you’re not JOYFUL, it may be that something is MISSING from your RELATIONSHIP with God.

1. Eccl. 3:12- “...there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live.”

It’s obvious that God wants us to be HAPPY, JOYFUL people. He wants us to ENJOY our RELATIONSHIP with Him, and not ENDURE it. He wants us to “ENJOY LIFE and live it to the FULL”- John 10:10.

1. “Living life to the FULL” is not based upon our LOOKS, EDUCATION, STATUS, or POSSESSIONS—but upon our RELATIONSHIP with God through Jesus Christ.

II. OUR JOY SHOWS THE WORLD WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR US- Psalm 126:1-3 (READ)

1 When the LORD brought back his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream!

2 We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, “What amazing things the LORD has done for them.”

3 Yes, the LORD has done amazing things for us! What joy!

The Psalmist is describing people who are ecstatically HAPPY and are not AFRAID to show it!

1. In fact, it’s by DEMONSTRATING their JOY and LAUGHTER and SINGING PRAISES that prompts the WORLD to look at them and say, “The Lord has done great things for them.”

ILLUSTRATION:

I wonder what people think about our God when all they hear from us are COMPLAINTS and GRIPES and NEGATIVISM? When our friends, neighbors, and co-workers see us more UNHAPPY than JOYFUL, or FROWNING more than we SMILE, or SIGHING more than we LAUGH, will they say, “Look at those Christians over there. The Lord has certainly done great things for them”? Or is it more likely they will say, “Whew, look at those poor Christians. Following God sure makes their life UNHAPPY!”?

What do you think will better ATTRACT others to Christ—Christians who look and act HAPPY or Christians who look and act UNHAPPY? If being a Christian makes you appear UNHAPPY, then you may be serving God simply because you are AFRAID of Him and not because you LOVE Him.

1. This Psalm depicts the Israelites coming out of CAPTIVITY, and they cannot contain their JOY!

a. They are seen LAUGHING and SINGING and PRAISING God.

b. They cannot help but openly express their JOY in this manner.

ILLUSTRATION:

It was November 9, 1989. That’s when the Berlin Wall came down and East Germans were granted FREEDOM from being held CAPTIVE for over 28 years by COMMUNISM. Thousands of people came BREAKING through those walls CLAPPING, SINGING and DANCING, LAUGHING and SHOUTING, EMBRACING and KISSING one another. All through the night the people CELEBRATED their FREEDOM.

We, too, have come out of CAPTIVITY. We were held CAPTIVE by Satan. Through Jesus Christ we have been RELEASED from BONDAGE. Yet, if we, like the Israelites and East Germans LAUGH and SHOUT for JOY, some will brand us “CHARISMATIC!” So, we are careful not to EXPRESS our JOY in a DEMONSTRATIVE way.

I have difficulty accepting that God is displeased when His children openly EXPRESS their JOY for their FORGIVENESS and the FREEDOM they have in Christ, in WORSHIP or anywhere else.

I believe such EXPRESSION is only a natural OUTPOURING of the JOY in a Christian’s HEART knowing what “GREAT THINGS God has DONE” for him or her.

B. Do not UNDERESTIMATE the CONTAGIOUS POWER of a JOYFUL LIFE!

Do people ENJOY being with you? Or do they DUCK every time they see you because you seem UNHAPPY, DEPRESSED, and AGITATED most of the time? Do you take LIFE too SERIOUSLY?

People have enough HEARTACHE and SORROW in their life already. That’s why they GRAVITATE to those who have a JOYFUL outlook on life. There should be no GREATER JOY in this world than what can be found in the CHURCH of Jesus Christ.

III. OUR JOY HELPS US TO SEE ADVERSITY FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE

A. Christian JOY is not merely a FEELING, but a QUALITY that cannot be destroyed by difficulties!

1. Christian JOY helps us to FOCUS on the GOOD even through times of ADVERSITY—it helps us to look at LIFE from a proper PERSPECTIVE.

IT HELPS US LOOK AT LIFE FROM A PROPER PERSPECTIVE.

ILLUSTRATION:

There was a college girl who wrote this letter to her dad:

Dear Dad,

Sorry I haven’t written sooner. My arm really has been broken. I broke it, and my left leg, when I jumped from the second floor of my dormitory . . . when we had the fire. We were lucky. A young service station attendant saw the blaze and called the Fire Department. They were there in minutes. I was in the hospital for a few days. Paul, the service station attendant, came to see me every day. And because it was taking so long to get our dormitory livable again, I moved in with him. He has been so nice.

I must admit I am expecting a baby, and the doctor said I have something he calls- a “social disease.” But don’t worry, Dad, the shots are working, and we have an abortion clinic nearby. Paul and I plan to get married just as soon as he can get a divorce. His five kids will probably live with us. I hope things are fine at home. I’m doing fine and will write more when I get the chance.

Love, Your daughter, Sally

PS None of the above is true. But I did get a “C” in Sociology and flunked Chemistry. I just wanted you to receive the news in its “PROPER PERSPECTIVE.”

1. That’s not quite what is meant by saying that JOY helps us to have a “PROPER PERSPECTIVE.”

COMMENT:

Yet, a PROPER PERSPECTIVE does help us to look at our TROUBLES differently. PERSPECTIVE keeps us from MAJORING in MINORS. It keeps our ATTENTION on the things that are most IMPORTANT.

B. The apostle Paul comes to mind in the New Testament, a man who would not allow his TROUBLES to DEPLETE his JOY in Christ.

1. One example is found in Acts 16:22-25 (READ)

22A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. 23They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. 24So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.

25Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.

ILLUSTRATION: (by Marvin Phillips, Tulsa, OK)

What if we had the opportunity to INTERVIEW Paul while he was in that DUNGEON, what do you think he would tell us?

Paul and Silas, are you in there? “Yes, we’re in here!” What have they have done to you? “Well, we have been STRIPPED and severely BEATEN. At the moment we are extremely UNCOMFORTABLE because we are in STOCKS.”

Paul, we just want you to know that we are so sorry to hear about what you and Silas are going through. We over here at Cane Creek are praying for you because you must be DISCOURAGED and BITTER and feel all ALONE. We can only imagine how BAD you two must feel.

“Yes, it has been TOUGH, but we know God still LOVES us. In fact, Silas has just suggested that we sing a couple of verses from ‘Count Your Many Blessings.’ Then we’re going to sing: ‘Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart’ and ‘He Has Made Me Glad.’ It’s tough, but we still have reason to REJOICE.”

1. Another time we find Paul in a Roman prison on DEATH ROW, and, yet he writes to the Philippian church: “Rejoice in the Lord always...”- Philippians 4:4.

This JOY comes only from KNOWING Christ. There’s no other reason for Paul to REJOICE in these times of ADVERSITY. Yet, it’s interesting to note that the PROBLEMS Paul faced were all because of Christ! Yet, His JOY being in Christ outweighed any SUFFERING he endured because of Him.

1. Let’s be ever grateful that in Jesus we have reasons to REJOICE even when times are TOUGH!

COMMENT:

Nothing that Satan can throw at us can DEPLETE the INWARD JOY that we have in Christ.

If God can take Jesus’ CROSS and make that symbol of SORROW, SUFFERING, and SHAME into a symbol of VICTORY and JOY, He WILL COOPERATE with you and me, converting the WORST things that happen to us into the ultimate GOOD for us and Him.

In Jesus we REJOICE for ever more!

CONCLUSION:

A. Once again, the Psalmist speaking for the Israelites coming out of CAPTIVITY said, “Our mouths were filled with LAUGHTER, our tongues with songs of JOY”- Psalm 126:2.

1. Have you ever considered how important LAUGHTER is?

ILLUSTRATION:

After school a little boy came running to his mother and proudly announced, “There was a little Korean girl at school today.”

“Does she speak English?” asked the mother.

“No!” came the reply. “But it doesn’t matter, because she LAUGHS in English.”(Equador)

1. I’m glad that God has given us the ABILITY to LAUGH, aren’t you?

COMMENT:

Someone once wrote:

“Laughter is the UNIVERSAL language. You can LAUGH in any LANGUAGE, and it will be UNDERSTOOD. KEEP LAUGHING!

“As your children are being reared it is easy to slip into a HABIT of being so CRITICAL and CRANKY that your children do not ENJOY being at HOME. KEEP LAUGHING!

“When your body is RACKED with PAIN from ARTHRITIS or you find yourself CONFINED to a WHEELCHAIR, or you discover one morning that you are LOSING all your HAIR, or think you are no longer YOUNG because you reached a certain age, or your last CHILD is LEAVING home and you are all ALONE and feel like CRYING, remember that it is easy to FEEL so SORRY for yourself that your PESSIMISTIC attitude will DRIVE everyone away from you. KEEP LAUGHING!

“If you can LAUGH at it, you can live with it. LAUGHTER is the cheapest LUXURY human beings have. It STIRS up the blood, EXPANDS the chest, ELECTRIFIES the nerves, CLEARS away the COBWEBS from the brain, and GIVES the whole SYSTEM a CLEANSING REHABILITATION. Solomon said, “A CHEERFUL HEART IS GOOD MEDICINE”- Proverbs 17:22. FRIENDS, KEEP LAUGHING!”