JOY!!

Homecell: Wednesday, 16 February 2011

I had the opportunity to share what the Lord taught me about JOY at last week's homecell meeting.

Starting off my study it was clear that the Bible was filled with the message of joy and how it can be part of our lives if we chose to love the Lord. It is impossible to condense all the messages into an hour long chat, so I took a small part and shared the following:

Joy

Joy as an emotion is experienced through our senses and our thoughts. Because we are human:

When we experience positive emotions and thoughts, we are happy.
When we experience negative emotions and thoughts, we are unhappy.

Jesus teaches us about joy that is not based on our senses, experiences, surroundings or thoughts. How is this possible we ask ourselves?

John 15 (NIV)

v1: "I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener."
v7: "If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you"

v9: "as the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Now remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in His love"

v11: "I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."

The 2 main thoughts in verse 11 are:

REMAIN IN GOD = COMPLETE JOY (measured as full)

Also look at Psalm 16:11: "You have made known to me the path of life; You fill me with JOY in your PRESENCE, with eternal PLEASURES at Your right hand."

As we move closer to God we are filled with JOY. He fills our senses with His presence and the interaction is pleasurable. The Lord speaks to our minds with words of approval like when He spoke to Jesus at His baptism. "This is My son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased." (Matthew 3: 17)

When you are in a loving relationship with God (characterized with love and intimacy), He wants to give us the things that brings joy into our lives.

Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart."

Now imagine yourself in the roll of a parent: we want to give our children the things that they want..it gives us joy.

JESUS AS A SOURCE OF JOY:

The message given to people before the birth of Jesus:

Luke 2:10 "But the angel said to them, "do not be afraid. I bring you good news of GREAT JOY that will be for ALL THE PEOPLE."

This message of joy is not meant for some people, or special people, or godly people. This message says that this JOY that Jesus will bring are for ALL PEOPLE!

Where can this joy be found?

Before His death, Jesus prepares His disciples for this message of joy by teaching them that His victory over death means that they will experience lasting joy.

John 16:22 "Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away you joy."

This means that:

1) God's only Son came to earth,

2) claimed victory over death (sin, unhappiness)

3) which means we have power over any enemy (in the name of Jesus)

4) there is no unhappiness/pain that will be lasting.

As in any conflict situation, victory leads to JOY!!

Jesus promises LASTING joy:

John 14: 13, 14 "and I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."

Now to say "anything" can lead to interesting arguments. Can we really ask ANYTHING?

Yes, we can..if what we ask falls within the PERFECT PLAN that God has for our lives.

But how do we know what this PERFECT PLAN is that God has for our lives?

(Imagine if you had the power to give your child exactly what he needs, exactly at the right time that he needs it, to make him perfectly happy...you realize that that is what the Lord wants for you life...Jer. 29.11)

The answer to the above question lies in an intimate relationship with God. The moment you have an intimate relationship with a person, you care so much about them that you know what they need, be it, emotionally, financially. You are willing to let your own needs take second place to the needs of the one you love.


In an intimate relationship with God, you are willing to submit to God's will, because you know that His will for your life is perfect.

Jeremiah 29:11, 13

v11: "For I know the plans I have for you, " declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (that is my favourite verse!! - just imagine what the Lord Almighty has planned for you and me!!!!)

v13:"You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with ALL your heart.

To live in obedience within God's will means freedom from bindings by satan. He will try his best to keep us living in sin, but we have to look past this temporary cross towards God's perfect plan for our lives like God promises in Jer.29:11. "Plans to give you hope and a future"



Paul explains in Phil. 4:11, how he was able to follow the Lord in good times and in bad:

"...I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances"
We should be willing to follow through humiliation and need and in the good times.
Isaiah 1:19;20. "If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword."



The Lord has life lessons to teach us during good times and bad times.



THE HOLY SPIRIT AS SOURCE OF JOY:

Rom 14:17."for the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking,but of righteousness, peace and JOY in the Holy Spirit."

How do we then receive the Holy Spirit and this promised joy?

1. It is given to those who ask the Father for it: Luke 11:13.


2. It is given to those who live obediently: Acts 5:32


3. It is given to those who live in Him, so that He can fill them with His presence. John 14:23

When Jesus went to John to be baptized, he did it as an act of obedience. Like a parent who rewards a child who is obedient, the Lord rewards Jesus' obedience by giving him the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove.

Matt. 3: 13-15 "Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.

Matt. 3:16-17 "As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

Obedience is not just complying to the letter of the law as given in the 10 commandments and as Jesus taught in His sermon on the mount (Matt.5,6,7)(Matt. 5:17) - it is something more personal and intimate between you and God, born in a loving relationship.

The Word also says:

2 Cor. 3:6 "He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant - not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."

Obedience originating in a feeling of obligation has no life in it. Jesus speaks about obedience born in a loving relationship.

I found this wonderful example of obedience that was not commanded, but a deed done to indicate level of commitment in a loving relationship.

2 Sam.23: 14-16 "At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. David longed for water and said, "Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!" So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead he poured it out before the Lord.

As I previously said, the topic of joy has many more dimensions but we'll look into that at a later stage.