SPIRITUAL JOY
This morning I want to talk about a common experience
That comes from an uncommon source
It happens in heaven and on earth
It can happen in the womb or even on ones death bed
It is a powerful motivator
That can come in small packages or in big events
It is with us all the time
Yet it does not always show itself
Without it our lives would be unbearable
With it we can see God
I don’t always understand it
But I know it when it happens to me
What am I talking about?
I’ll never tell…..
JOY
TEXT: 1 Thessalonians 5:16 - The shortest verse in the Greek New Testament
Rejoice Evermore
NIV says “Be joyful always;”
Joy is talked about widely in scripture
It is found in nearly every book of the Bible
Sometimes it occurs as a Noun referring to ones state of being because of an event
Sometimes its a verb referring to Joy’s action namely Rejoicing….
Joy is listed as one of the fruits of the Spirit.
Joy is referred to in context of a remembrance from the past The shekinah glory in the presence of Mosos.
Joy is referred to in the present tense as Paul expresses his Joy in the writing of the epistles
Joy is referred to in the future tense in the context of fullness of Joy when we get to heaven.
The Bible tells us that
Joy can be contrived by material pleasures and drinking, but that it is a false joy.
Joy comes through faithfulness and obedience
Joy comes Through trials
Joy comes Through sadness
CS Lewis has said of Joy it is "The serious business of Heaven"
"It is a necessity …not a luxury…
Robert Louis Stevenson said, "To miss Joy is to miss all".
Someone has said, The surest mark of a Christian is not faith, or even love, but JOY……
From all my study I have determined
That Joy is the name we give
To the response we have to certain conditions in life
I have determined That Joy was the creation of God
And it has been a part of man since God’s image was placed in Adam.
JOY IS MANIFEST IN US IN 3 WAYS
1.When good things happen (Natural Joy)
EXAMPLE - When you’re a kid waiting for Christmas, the boxes we got
2. When you have done the right thing (Moral Joy)
Most people have experienced these both natural Joy and Moral Joy
But Joy was intended by God to be a much deeper experience
When one comes to Christ as savior
God redeems this aspect of our life also
So that we are no longer limited to experiencing merely natural and moral Joy
But God ads a new dimension
We will call Spiritual Joy
3. Spiritual Joy is something the world cannot give nor understand, BECAUSE IT COMES IN THE FORM OF AN EMBRACE FROM GOD.
When we are going through dark times, He is there
When we cannot feel him, He is there
When we least expect Him, He is there
When we feel we are all alone, He is there
When we feel like giving up, he is there Yea, though I walk through the valley of death,
He is there!!
Ready to embrace us
So that we are able to experience Joy
Weather circumstances are joyful or not…For true joy is not dictated by circumstances, but by our relationship with God
Luke 1:28-45
The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
[29] Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. [30] But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. [31] You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. [32] He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, [33] and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
[34] "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
[35] The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. [36] Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. [37] For nothing is impossible with God."
[38] "I am the Lord’s servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.
Consider Mary.
A virgin betrothed to an older man named Joseph.
She is from a culture not unlike many in the pacific.
For a young righteous girl to suddenly be found pregnant
What would people think? The parents would be put to shame
Joseph would be put to shame
So she is sent away to be with her Aunty Elizabeth Where she could be hidden in seclusion
Elizabeth and her husband, Zecheriah, are old.
And rather shunned by most people because their marriage was not blessed with children, therefore supposed not to be blessed by God
Consider recent events
Zecheriah saw a vision in the temple and had been struck dumb.
Elizabeth got pregnant in her old age
These are not normal people, maybe there is something wrong with them.
This is a good place for mary to hide out.
Imagine Mary’s turmoil as she heads toward her aunt and uncles home.
She must have little joy at the thought of having to defend herself
Will her family believe or just think she is promiscuous.
I imagine she was not looking forward to meeting with anyone.
But what did God do.
Luke 1:39-44
At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, [40] where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. [41] When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. [42] In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! [43] But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? [44] As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
The meeting was not an embarrassing, crushing, devastating event
…Rather the Holy Spirit came down
And filled Elizabeth
And the Baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaped for Joy
Reverberating that Joy into the heart of Elizabeth
Who then with a loud voice Prophesied a great blessing
God reached down
And in circumstances of worry and stress
God embraced them and brought Joy in a way that only he can do.
How many of you need to experience that kind of Joy in your life today
You may be struggling through a difficult situation
You are uncertain of the future
You are troubled in your spirit
You have been struggling with sin
My message today is simple
Open up your heart and let God embrace you and Bring Spiritual Joy
A joy like no other
A joy not from things that happen to you
Nor from your sense of well being
But from a God who wants to carry you
And let you know he is in control.
