The fact that we so easily get wrapped up in the shallow in our life means we will lose the hope of God in this tidal wave of culture. Todays sermon comes from a series on the character of Christ and how that character can produce deep changes in our hearts. " Here is what the research shows: to a certain level, money can buy happiness if you are very poor. Click here for more verses on happiness andjoy. Easy Solution for the Pastor with Too Much Email, Mount Hermon: The Mountain that Declares His Majesty, Read Colossians 3 and highlight five lines that mean the most to me, List the circumstances I am finding hope in more than Christ and chose to release these to the Lord, Tell a friend in my own words how Christ is my true source of joy, Invite someone to church next week that needs to hear a message about peace and how to deal with anxiety biblically. But joy sustains our reactions and fleeting feelings. Surrendering to Christ is not easy, but it leads to freedom and life. One our favorite games was the prefix game. Thats why the Psalmist extolled the attributes of the Word of God: The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.. And Peter describes the ineffable joy produced by the love we experience for the now-unseen Jesus, in whom we believe because of his Spirit-revealed word: Though you have not seen him, you love him. So this is just a really recent thing that developed, and one of the first people I found who really spoke out against happiness and contrasted it with joy was Oswald Chambers. Have Unlimited Joy, - Statement just before Christmas "I just don't feel Christmasy!' Have you ever thought how much can happen in a second? Then theres Spurgeon, who again and again, said, The more often I preached, the more joy I found in the happy service. And he said, Despite your tribulation, take full delight in God, your exceeding joy this morning and be happy in him. He started one sermon this way: Oh, cheerful, happy, joyous people. . The psalmists write, "Weeping may tarry One of our greatest gifts as a believer is joy, The Joy of the Lord produces a strength in us that will lift us above the storms of life, and enable us to walk on top of the troubled waters. Joy is so much different than happiness. Think of time of the year? The fact that the New Testament repeatedly draws our attention to specific instances when believers experienced this joy shows that the early Christians didnt always experience it either. The End of Anxiety One in Five people deal with crippling anxiety on a regular basis and all of us deal with it at some level from time-to-time. Three steps to find joy: give thanks, draw near to God, and curate your mindstream. Celebrate the fact that true joy in Christ is irrevocable and continual (vv. There is a big difference between joy and happiness. - We have come through the most joyous time of the year 4. to improve or develop something, usually by study or education What Does "I Believe! I have had the opportunity to speak to hundreds of people over the past twenty years. He says in verse 11, I have told you this so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.. Classic sermons from John Piper. Charles Wesley Bradford died, my mother gave me all my fathers old sermon notes and some manuscripts. And it is just like we do in English if we say, It is a bright, beautiful, sunny day. Proud member "I am the vine, you are the branches. [relv] Many Christians do not have a firm grasp on the nature of Christian hope, holding to vague beliefs of a ghostly quality of life after death. I spent many early years in a northern mill towna town with a heavy reputation. Find stories, quotes, humor, and statistics to bring your sermon on Joy to life. So how do we keep our joy? I grew up in a small mining town in northern Canada, a place memorable for its hard, cruel winters. Whether or not others succeed is not your concern; your concern is to keep pursuing the path God has called you to take. He said in verse 22, You will see me again and with that we have the joy in knowing that (1) He will never die and (2) that we will never die. Several years ago a German researcher studied a thousand churches of every size and denomination all over the world. A National . For instance, the Psalms are filled with references to joy. Yes, when we are at the mountaintop moments of our lives, barely able to believe we are experiencing something beyond our wildest dreams even the dreams that take much hard work on our part we can look up and know He is smiling with us, sharing in our happiness. Look to Jesus with soul-satisfying faith and treasure his Word. PROMISE YOU WILL NOT TELL? Why Are There So Many Different Bible Translations? THE PROBLEM OF JOY His conversations with God were frank, yet he never forgot who God was. John 15:11 (and various others) I call this connection unique (and worthy of further reflection) because the New Testament pairs joy with the Holy Spirit in a way it doesnt with other affections. Paul himself tortured Christians before he became one, and then endured all kinds of torture on account of the Gospel. Joy is the product of someone great. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. Scripture says His plans for our lives are more than we could ever ask for or imagine. I pastor a very large, very young church. The Spirit of God has made me; Job 33:4 says, the breath of the Almighty gives me life. Our Father is fair, compassionate, and all-knowing. read more, Scripture: Have you ever been with someone who seemed to have an inner joy, even in the midst of a difficult crisis? I think the first thing we need to realize is that historically there was no such distinction in the church and in the English language. Enduring the valleys of life is nearly impossible without the life-giving fuel of joy in Christ. An hour later the doctor came in and found Bubba sitting patiently in the nude and asked Bubba what he had. Philippians 4:6-7, Denomination: Charles Spurgeon, when talking about this joy, said it well, There is a marvelous medicinal power in joy. Embrace joy by grounding your hope in Christ (vv. Happiness is duh, dut, duh, duh. Where do you want me to unload 'em?". Well thank you, Randy. He is revealing the deep things of God to us (Is. Our hope is different than just illusions and wishful thinking. The sky is blue. We are not saying a bunch of different things. 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame . But now you truly found it in God. It is Joy. Given all that Jesus says about the Spirit in John 1416, we know that the Spirit factored significantly in what he meant when he said, These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. In fact, it is the hope of this joy set before us that helps us, like Jesus, endure all manner of adversity, suffering, and death (Hebrews 12:2). [sermon] By Josh Weidmann 0 Sermon on John 16:16-24 Jesus said that He came to give us life but not a sub-par life that lacks joy and peace. It's the gospel truth that God is not in the happiness business. This is not just a book of donts and stop doing thats, but one that gives practical advice for finding moderation in all things, as well as how to use screens to help us disciple our kids. By BGEA Admin What should have been a terminal diagnosis of death and condemnation has been rescued by the ultimate gift-giver, God himself, who gave up His son to death that we might experience eternal life. Church Of God. Joy has no fear because we have become willing to trust God that our suffering can be transformed to serve a purpose--a purpose that we have come to want more than anything else. It ignites the very Spirit of God living in every believer. The best personification of Biblical joy is the story of Job. Joy is rooted in who God is. Many people think that being happy and being joyful are the same thing, but there is a difference. But if you put the first things first, and the first thing is really the first person, who is God, then everything else falls in place. We ought to rejoice that God has given the church, the anticipated new birth through Christ. Well that sounds like something God might want for His kids, right. Jesus said that He was sending someone greater. But if you look at different Bible translations, there are actually more than a hundred verses in Scripture in various Bible translations (now I am not talking about paraphrases but actual Bible translations with teams of Hebrew and Greek scholars that are also English experts) that use happiness and joy together in these hundred-plus verses. Joy is something that God deposits into us through the Holy Spirit. Believers soon learn that in the presence of the Lord is fullness of joy and in His right hand are pleasures forever more. He is calling you to trust Him. They are likely to be bridges to other communities and networks.". Copyright 2003-2023 | Outreach, Inc., All rights reserved. The word joy appears over and over again in the Scriptures. 4) Happiness is worldly, but joy is divine. Free Sermons and Sermon Outlines for Preaching : Want To Know A Secret? You are with us through it all. Since the 1950s, Dr. Graham has conducted hundreds of evangelistic crusades throughout the world. (John 14:1617). Most would agree that the two words have become synonymous, A poet once complained to a friend, "Life's not fair. You are our Defender, our Joy, Peace, and Truth. ( Psalm 32:11 ). He is saying, you can daily Celebrate the fact that true joy in Christ is irrevocableand continual(vv. When we experience the joy of the Holy Spirit, we taste the joy that is at the core of ultimate reality. style of slicked back hair, rhinestone suits, and songs about trains, We're in the second of a series of messages on the Ten Cool culture memories are things that are shallow (or disposable) and only fill moments but dont shape culture. Explore what it means to trade in superficial happiness for steadfast joy. Job 26:7says, He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing.. And that is because this Joy of God is an eternal joy it will outlast death and only increase in us forever (Psalm 16:11; Mark 10:21). Today I want us to look at the Book of Ecclesiastes. 11:28). But it's also a bit of a production, right? She says. He alone has the answer to our search for lasting happiness. word "simchah" means "gladness of heart," the NT word, "chara" means "inner delight. Happiness has no fear because nothing is wrong, and everything is on course. Now, lets probe deeper into the nature of the Trinity as it relates to joy. Its not deeply sweet. Another way Christians can find lasting joy in life is by helping others connect closer to God. This is why Jesus said our experience of the Holy Spirit would be like having rivers of living water within us (John 7:3839). Your fleeting circumstances do not offer the enteral hope I am for you. Did you know that there is actually nowhere in Scripture where God promises us happiness or tells us to be happy? For this Spirit-empowered joy cant be destroyed by persecution (Colossians 1:24), suffering (Romans 5:34), various trials (1 Peter 1:67), sorrow (2 Corinthians 6:10), or a sentence of death (Philippians 1:21). When we are quick to confess and forgive, we can move forward in the freedom of a repentant life in Christ. Here's another great sermon from one of our featured preachers, John Ortberg. Others declare, "If I could . Or: "Bear the fruit of joy in the branch of hope!". Especially in the parallelisms in the Psalms you have these different Hebrew words, sometimes four different Hebrew words for happiness or gladness used in the same verse. And, spoiler alert, Happiness will be my selection for the book the year for 2015 for whatever thats worth. You mentioned Oswald Chambers distinguishing happiness from joy, and its problematic. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10). read more, Scripture: How often do we let the drudgery of this life DEFINE us? And his new book is titled Happiness. Sure, there is a lot of pressure to get things right, but one aspect I love Christian Wiman, the celebrated poet, professor of literature at Yale and Christian intellectual, in his book Joy, which is a collection Merry Christmas! from the Father and the Son in their loving each other. If we explore our inner pain and give up self-protection, we can know joy. When circumstances changeas they inevitably dothen this kind of happiness evaporates like the early morning fog in the heat of the sun. Evangelical/Non-Denominational. There is a Joy felt by believers as we look to Christmas and the celebration of our Savior birth. . LatteArtPro.com Josh and his artist brother, Jake, have been brewing espresso and pouring latte art for over a decade. WANT TO KNOW A SECRET? But its not blessed. We have re-joyed or in better terms, rejoiced! With literally hundreds more instances throughout the Old Testament. Christ's resurrection gives us joy, courage, and a vision for change. So I think what Paul was doing was building a bridge to the gospel through identifying God as the universal source of happiness. So if you have believed in the name of Jesus, you abide in Christ, and he abides in you. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in Him, and he in God. Read Colossians 3, Re-read John 16, read Philippians preach the Gospel to yourself daily. God invites us to share openly so we can be changed completely. Something that God wants to provide for us and that He wants us to have. We welcome God into our daily lives, through prayer, reading His Word, and purposefully noticing the beauty of His creation around us. 3) Happiness depends on circumstances or other people, but joy is a gift from God. The world believes and feels deeply - we all do in our fleshly nature - its pleasant to be served - really pleasant, explains John Piper. His goal was to identify An 85-year-old couple died in a car crash after having been married almost 60 years. Billy Graham. But, yes, of course, there is a significant difference between the happiness of believers and unbelievers. I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on earth (Job 19:25). Only by focusing on the Word of God can you have lasting joy that the world cant take away. And if God were to promise us happiness, then it would mean that He was promising us a life free from any sort of trial or trouble. Its not joyful. Happiness is external, explains Sandra L. Brown, M.A., Its based on situations, events, people, places, things and thoughts.. Happenings lead to happiness. The Bible tells us that BEFORE we demonstrate we must RECEIVE! Galatians 5:22-25 Jonathan Edwards cites John 15:11, that Jesuss joy might remain in you, to prove this point: The happiness Christ gives to his people is a participation of his own happiness. He didnt have to say, I actually mean joy. Well, of course that is what he meant. Chief Happiness Officers Promote Corporate Happiness.
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