Joy!

John 15:11

Christianity is a joyful religion, but looking at us, Christ's followers, you often wouldn't think so. All too often we allow too many things rob us of our joy.

a.. We lose our joy when we don't get up on the right side of the bed.
b.. We lose our joy when we don't get our own way.
c.. We lose our joy when we don't feel well.
d.. We lose our joy when someone we love gets sick or dies.
e.. We lose our joy when we are abused or persecuted.
f.. We lose our joy when we are misunderstood.
g.. We lose our joy when we feel lonely or unwanted.
h.. We lose our joy when we feel pressured to get something done for our job or school.
i.. We lose our joy over countless other situations as well.
Now let me distinguish between happiness and joy.

I believe that it is possible to be joyful without being happy.
I don't have to be happy when things go wrong, but I should be joyful.
I think of happiness depending on happenings, and joy depending on Jesus.

I might not be happy about what's happening in my life, and I might even shed some well-deserved tears, but on the inside I can be joyful because of my relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

I wonder how many of you would sincerely like to do the will of God? That is how many of you would like to be in the center of God's will? You can only do the will of God if you learn to be joyful.

John 15:11 - These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

It is Jesus' intent that Christians be a joyful people.
It is Jesus' intent that you be a joyful Christian.

Let us consider being joyful as Christians. We'll do it by discovering six things about joy.

PRESCRIBED JOY - These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you…

If you recall, Jesus was delivering what we know as the Upper Room Discourse, although this part of the discourse was given after they had left the upper room.

The disciples were sad. The disciples were worried. They disciples were scared.
They knew that Jesus had enemies.
They knew that were those who wanted to kill Jesus.
They knew that Jesus had told them that He was going to leave them.
In spite of all the sorrow of the moment, Jesus tells them "I have said these things so that you might be joyful!"

Jesus is the great physician, and it is as if Jesus is writing a prescription as he talks. He is saying here, "If you do what I tell you, you will be joyful." Like a visit with any doctor you can only become well if you do what the doctor tells you and take the medicine that he prescribes. You can only be joyful if you do what Jesus tells you to do.

So what were some of the things that Jesus prescribed, that would help the disciples be joyful?

LOVE EACH OTHER - John 13:34-35
RELAX

You can't be joyful if you are uptight. Jesus said in John 14:1, Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

Now, you know as well as I do, that it's very difficult not to get fretful, worried, bent out of shape or uptight. How did Jesus ever expect us to avoid worry? We are trust God, and we are to trust Jesus.

And there's more! To help us not to be uptight, the Lord Jesus has sent a special helper to us.

John 14:16-18 - And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; [17] Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. [18] I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

As we allow the Holy Spirit to control our lives, he produces the fruit of The Spirit in our lives, which includes, love, joy and peace.

Prescribed joy includes loving each other and relaxing. It also includes:

OBEDIENCE - John 14:15

PERMANENT JOY - These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you…

God wants our joy in Jesus to be permanent.

Not that there won't be bumps in the road and trials along the way. There will.

But through the trials, He wants our joy in Jesus to remain. James 1:2-4

The only way we are going to be joyful in Christ, is if we are faithful to Christ no matter what the circumstances. James 1:12 Revelation 2:10

These verses remind me that not only is joy permanent, but it gets better, when we see Jesus face to face.

If things are going to be so great in the "Sweet bye and bye", shouldn't we have joyful anticipation in the nasty now and now.

Every one of us knows somebody who needs the Lord Jesus as his Savior. Stop and think. What kind of a commercial are you for Christ? Does your joy in Christ shine through in spite of difficult circumstances? If you're just as miserable as anyone else when things don't go you're way, why should anyone want your Jesus?

PREEMINENT JOY - These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

Jesus wants us to be so full of joy, that there's not room for any sorrow.
It was never Jesus' intent that He'd have a bunch of grumpy disciples.
When the disciples first saw the risen Lord, they were joyful. John 20:20
When the early church gathered there was an attitude of joy. Acts 2:46-47
These early believers were even joyful when they persecuted for the sake of Christ.

Acts 5:40-41

And may I remind you again, that you can not have fullness of joy in your life without the fullness of the Holy Spirit in your life. Romans 14:17 Romans 15:13

PERSONAL JOY - Psalm 16:11 - …in thy presence is fulness of joy;

The church is to be a place of joy.
There should be joy when we worship the Lord in prayer and music.
There should be joy as we listen to special music.
There should be joy when read the Scriptures and hear the Word preached.
The attitude of our church fellowship should be one of joy!

But our joy should be personal as well. Each of us on the inside should have a sense of joy. How is that possible? We must learn to practice the presence of God in our lives.

Psalm 65:4 John 15:4-5

Do you know why married couples have happy marriages? They stay close.
Do you know how to remain joyful as a Christian?
Stay close! Abide! Talk to Him, and let Him talk to you.
Talk to Jesus about your problems.
Talk to Jesus about your concerns.
Talk to Jesus about your joys and sorrows.
Listen to Jesus and you remain still before Him.
Listen to Jesus as He speaks through His Word.
Strive to spend time with Jesus.

PRAYERFUL JOY - John 16:24- Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

Now think about the Lord Jesus for a moment.
He wants us to be joyful, so He says to us, "Ask".
Now our asking will only bring fullness of joy as we ask according to God's will. 1 John 5:14-15

POWERFUL JOY - Nehemiah 8:10 - …for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Why are we so often defeated?
We lack inward strength.
What will help us have inward strength?

The joy of the Lord!