ILLUSTRATION- Fred was a landscape contractor. His first job was to remove a huge oak stump from a field. Fred had to use dynamite, but the only problem was he had never used it before.
He was somewhat nervous about it, especially with the old farmer, (standing right beside him) watching his every move.
So he tried to hide his jitters by carefully determining the size of the stump, the precise amount of dynamite that would be needed, and where it should be placed to get the maximum effect.
He didn’t want to use too small an amount, and have to do it over, nor did he want to use too much….
When he was ready to dentate the charge, Fred and the farmer went behind his pickup truck where a wire was running to the detonator.
He looked at the farmer, said a prayer and plunged the detonator. (Needless to say,) it worked… all too well!
The stump broke loose from the ground, rose through the air in a curving arc and then landed right on the cab of the truck.
Fred’s heart sank. All he could think about was the ruined cab.
Not the farmer! Slapping Fred on the back he said: “with a little more practice, you’ll get it in the bed of the truck every time” (Wright, 1994, June3)
One of these two people exhibited a strange quality. One of these two people showed disappointment, while the other showed Joy.
Joy is the second quality that will be evident in the lives of disciples of Jesus Christ.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.” (Gal. 5:22-23a, NIV)
Joy is the second fruit of the Spirit, but what does “joy” mean? Where does “joy” come from?
Do we all have “joy?” If not, were do we get “joy”?
These are just some of the many questions that I have as it relates to the
Fruit of the Spirit called Joy.
There are many more questions that I have about joy that I might never find an answer for, but here’s one thing I know for sure about Joy—if you have a pen you’ll want to write this down—Joy comes from God.
Listen, again, to our text: “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy…” (Gal. 5:22a, NLT2)
I would have you notice just exactly who is doing the work, and notice who
is on the receiving end of all the work.
According to the Bible, the Holy Spirit produces, grows, does the work of growing joy in the lives of disciples of Jesus Christ.
If the Holy Spirit does the work; that means that I am on the receiving end of the work.
Joy is not something that believers can produce on- or in—their own strength.
Joy is given to all believers by God’s Holy Spirit and joy expresses itself in the life of the believer.
If that is true, if joy is something that is grown in our lives only by the power of the Holy Spirit, then why are there so many “joyless Christians” living today?
You know the kind of people I’m referring to, right? You ask a “joyless Christian” how they are doing and they will respond with something like: “I’m horrible.” “My life stinks”.
ILLUSTRATION- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. was a member of the United States Supreme court for 30 years…
At one point in his life, Justice Holmes explained his choice of career by saying: “I might have entered the ministry if certain clergymen I knew had not looked and acted so much like an undertaker.” (unknown)
I’ve met people like this, you’ve met people like this, and perhaps there are even people like this in this room today… Christians looking and acting like undertakers.
So, I wonder, why are there so many “joyless Christians” in our world? Is the Holy Spirit not working in and on those people?
I think much of our problem is our lack of understanding. We don’t have a good understanding of this word “Joy”.
We think that joy means “happy”. Joy and happiness are not the same. Happiness—whatever that truly is—is based on how I feel. Happiness is based on our circumstances, especially if they go our way.
ILLUSTRATION- I am happy when the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Red Sox or the
NY Yankees. I am happy when I am with my wife.
“Happiness is based on circumstances that go our way.” (H. Norman wright’s devo. 1996, april 8)
Joy is not based on circumstances, joy is not a feeling. Joy is a choice, joy is a mindset.
“Joy does not depend on outer circumstances but on the reality of God.” (John Sanderson as quoted in h.norman wright’s devo. April 8)
Author H. Norman Wright reminds is that joy is “a realistic optimism, not the absence of hardship. It’s a choice we make to smile, when the stump lands
on our truck cab and we say “it could be worse” (ibid)
Joy is not a feeling, nor is it based on outside factors. Joy is a mindset that comes from God, because God, by the power of His Holy Spirit, produces joy in the life of every believer.
D.L. Moody said: I think there is a difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is caused by things which happen around me and circumstances will mar it, but joy flows right on through trouble;
joy flows on through the dark; joy flows in the night as well as in the day; joy flows all though persecution and opposition, it is an unceasing fountain bubbling up in the heart, a secret spring which the world can’t see and doesn’t know anything about.
The Lord gives his people (continuous) joy when they walk in obedience to Him. (Reed. 1996, 169)
While happiness comes to an end when our circumstances change, joy continues on, even when we face darkness.
Paul reminded us in Philippians chapter 4 to: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”(4:4, NIV)
I find those words interesting. Paul wrote those words, not from the mountain top, but from a prison cell.
As he faced death, Paul told the believers to rejoice—to rejoice in the Lord for this is where true joy comes from.
So this leads me to a most obvious question: do you belong to the Lord? Have you surrendered your life over to the Lordship of Jesus Christ? Are you living in the light of His love?
This is how the Holy Spirit will grow the Fruit of the Spirit called Joy in your life. He will not grow the Fruit of the Spirit called Joy in your life if you don’t belong to Him.
Jesus said: “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned….
8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” (John 15:4-6 & 8, NIV)
For disciples of Jesus to have the Fruit of the Spirit called Joy, we must remain connected to Jesus.
If the Holy Spirit produces joy in the lives of believers then to have joy produced in our lives, we must remain connected to God.
ILLUSTRATION- Power failure—the lights dim and then go out. The sounds of machinery, the refrigerator, or air conditioners come to a halt. An eerie silence hangs in the air.
Usually it happens when there’s an over-short in the system or a transformer wore out.
Sometimes it’s just a simple thing such as tripping over a cord and unplugging it from the wall socket.
No matter the cause, a power outage is no fun, especially if it goes on for an extended time.
Consider then two questions—first, who’s your power source? Is it you? Your spouse? Your friends? The Lord?
Some of us go through life connected to a real power source and others run their lives on a portable battery pack of their own doing.
And naturally they run out of juice after a while. But when your source is the Lord, there’s never any lack of power.
In Acts 2:32-33 we read: “32 “God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. 33 Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us….” (NLT2)
One of the gifts God has given us is the Power of the Holy Spirit.
So the second question to consider is—are you plugged in? An eclectic saw won’t work by running the blade back and forth by hand over wood. It’s got to be connected. (Adapted from h. Norman wright. 1996, April 9)
To receive the Holy Spirit produced fruit of joy we must remain connected to Jesus Christ.
The Bible reminds us that “…the joy of the LORD is your strength." (Neh.8:10, NIV)
If you are going through life looking more like an undertaker than a follower of Jesus, then maybe you need to ask God to grow in your life the Fruit of the Spirit called Joy.
Joy is not dismissing the hardships that are in your life, Joy is allowing Jesus to take those hardships and fill you with his Spirit.
I know that things in this life aren’t perfect. I know that we all face sickness, I know that we all face death, I know that we all battle sin on a regular basis, but I also know that: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31, NIV)
I know that God is on our side; I know that God is for us; I know that He
wants to produce in our lives the Fruit of the Spirit called Joy.
The Bible says: “Be joyful always…” (1Th 5:16, NIV)
Notice the time limit on this command; be joyful…..always. In the good times and in the bad times.
We can be joyful in the good times and in the bad times because true joy does not come from ourselves, but true joy comes from the Lord.
The Bible says: “I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2, NIV)
We are to rejoice in, and find our joy, from God.
If you have never experienced this joy that only comes from a Spirit filled life, then can I encourage you to submit to the grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ?
He wants to work in your life, He wants to fill you the fruit of the spirit called Love AND joy.
If you have given your life over to Jesus, ask Him to show you how He wants you to demonstrate this fruit in your life… in the good times and in the bad times.
The Bible says: “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
18 If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too.” (Romans 14:17-18, NLT2)
Are you filled with the Fruit of the Spirit called Joy?
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