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Back to Sermons Index Back to Home Page 6th August 2006 AMTHE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT – JOY! Pastor Linton Smith
Three weeks ago we began GrowthWorks – a ten week course to help us to grow into people like Jesus Christ. After an introductory message we began looking at the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22,23. Last Sunday we looked at love. Today we think about joy. On the world-wide-web I found this headline: As we get richer we seem to be getting more depressed. In contrast.. a man who lived in the third-century and was anticipating death, penned these last words to a friend: "It's a bad world, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people are the Christians--and I am one of them." [Cyprian to Donatus] Jesus wants His people to be like that. He wants them to have His joy! John 15:11.. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. John 17:13.. I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. The Apostle Paul is a great example of a joyful follower of Jesus. A letter he wrote from prison is full of joy. It is a short letter of about 4 pages.. but he mentions the word ‘joy’ 6 times.. and ‘rejoice’ 8 times. When we take a close look at what he says.. we discover that.. · PAUL FOUND JOY IN HIS BLESSINGS. Paul was about 60 years old.. in prison in Rome. He did not complain about his lot.. but rejoiced. He found joy in his blessings. He thanked God.. again and again for the believers in Philippi.. to whom he was writing.. He thanked God for their partnership.. Philippians 1:4,5.. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.. He thanked God for them as people.. the very fact that they were believers.. Phil 2:17.. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. Phil 4:1.. My brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown.. He thanked God for help they had given him. Phil 4:10.. I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. And he rejoiced in something many of us would have found very difficult. Many people were trying to make trouble for him.. to ensure that when he was tried.. the verdict would go against him. One way of doing this.. was to create a storm in Rome.. by preaching Christ.. get the attention of the authorities.. make it clear.. Christians were trouble makers.. How did Paul react? Like this.. Philippians 1:18.. The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. He saw past the immediate negatives to the positives! He thanked God that Jesus was the topic of conversation! Let’s be like him! Our council rates have gone up.. see past the negative to the positive.. and thank God we have a house on which to pay rates. We must pay tax.. look past the negative to the positive.. and thank God we earn a wage.. have work! Are we sad because of the way our children are behaving.. Look past the negative and see the positive.. thank God we have children.. and are not all alone in the world. And if we do not have children – see past the negative to the positive.. thank God for the freedom we have.. to serve Him.And that negative experience.. is it in some way making Jesus known? Thank God.. Rejoice. · PAUL FOUND JOY IN HOPE. Yes.. we can find joy like that.. but the joy that Jesus gives us goes deeper.. Paul Murray wrote a disturbing article in the West Australian on 3/8.. headed.. Civilian targets part of modern warfare. In part he wrote.. “The world pays a price for its collective guilt about the centuries of persecution of the Jews that led to the creation of the state of Israel.. That it may lead to the eventual cataclysmic clash between Islam and the West is a destiny being played out. And in this new brutal landscape, the rules have been changed without our consent. Torture is only a matter of semantics and deemed acceptable. Imprisonment without trial is acceptable. Killing civilians and children is acceptable. Resistance is useless. The stakes are too high. We have to accept these new realities, whichever side we are on” In a world like that.. we can cope by burying our heads in the sand.. or by discovering afresh the joy Paul had.. joy in hope. He said to the believers in Rome.. Romans 12:12.. Be joyful in hope.. To them he also wrote.. Romans 5:2-4.. We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. Yes.. he spoke of rejoicing in hope.. and in prison in Rome.. he practiced this.. found it real.. Philippians 1:18-23.. 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, for 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. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far.. He knows he will be delivered. He does not mean.. set free from prison.. because he goes on to speak of the possibility of dying.. he means.. he will be given the strength to be unashamed.. courageous.. so that Jesus will be exalted whatever happens.. whether he lives or dies. Goes on to say.. If I am set free.. I will continue to preach Christ. If I die.. I will go to be with Christ. He rejoices in hope.. the Spirit of Jesus will give him strength.. and beyond that the ultimate hope.. should he die.. he will be with Christ! Jesus sent out 72 followers to preach, teach, heal.. We read in.. Luke 10:17-20.. The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Rejoice that your names written in heaven! Jesus also said.. Matthew 5:11,12.. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Ponder the future. What does it hold? We do now know what the next 5 minutes will hold.. least of all the next 10,20 or 50 years.. but we do know what to expect when we die.. if we are trusting in Jesus.. we will be with Him.. and when God makes everything new.. we will be part of the new heaven and earth.. free of all pain and grief.. reunited with loved ones.. worshipping and serving God.. for ever! Paul found joy in his blessings.. in hope.. and his joy went even deeper.. · PAUL FOUND JOY IN THE LORD. He would agree with the Psalmist.. Psalm 33:21.. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. He wrote to the Philippians.. Philippians 3:1.. Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! Philippians 4:4.. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! And to the Romans he wrote.. Romans 5:11.. Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. And later in Romans he gives us an example of his joy in the Lord.. He had been pondering what God was doing in the world.. Romans 9-11.. and was deeply moved.. and exclaimed.. Romans 11:33-36.. Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. Jesus was moved in a similar way.. Luke 10:21.. At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.” At times His joy must have been a much quieter joy.. beneath the surface.. especially when facing the suffering of the cross.. when in the Garden praying.. in anguish.. but at other times.. His joy burst through to the surface. WE CAN EXPERIENCE THAT SAME JOY! Because.. Jesus wants us to have His joy! Because.. when we believe in Jesus.. we are forgiven.. put right with God.. and given the Holy Spirit.. the source of this joy.. Galatians 5:22.. The fruit of the Spirit is.. joy.. An old Chorus.. Joy is the flag flown from The castle of my heart When the king is in residence there. That is very true. And the King is in residence in our hearts. God has given His Spirit to us.. the Spirit of Christ.. He lives in us.. in our hearts.. It is true.. and real. Believe it! Welcome the King.. give Him access to every part of the castle.. let Him rule.. Spend time alone with Him.. reading the Bible.. pondering.. praying.. each day.. The result will be the joy of Christ in your hearts. At times.. quiet.. at other times.. you will not be able to contain it.. and you will burst into praise and thanksgiving.. as Paul did.. as Jesus did.
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