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Light Of His Word The Sermons of Pastor Mike Walls Freedom Baptist Church Used By Permission Psalms 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. |
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Light Of His Word The Sermons of Pastor Mike Walls Freedom Baptist Church Used By Permission Psalms 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. |
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THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS JOY
Galatians 5:22-23
Introduction: We looked at the virtue of love in the previous lesson. We also saw that our King James Bible translators was correct in the times when they translate the Greek work “agape” into the word “charity” in the places that they did. In fact in my research, I found that the work “charity” is found twenty-four times. Once we have the word “charitable”. Agape love is the highest form of love. You will not be able to manufacture this type of love. Only the Lord can give this love to you and through you.
We will be looking at joy in the next few messages. There are lots of misconceptions of joy. One of my favorite candies when I could eat it was “Almond Joy”. But that is not a part of the fruit of the Spirit. I want to spend lots of time on this subject so it will be crystal clear to us.
We saw love as the color of the fruit, so joy is the bloom of the fruit. Joy is the flower of love, the loveliness of love. Without joy, love would not be seen in its loveliness.
As I was research this subject, I ran across Dr. Earl White’s study on Galatians and James. I was skimming it and ran across the uses of joy in the Bible. So I thought it would be interesting include it in our study. I thank the Lord for these men whom the Lord had placed in my path that shared their material with me. They caused me to think hard on this subject of the “The Fruit of the Spirit”.
Before I do that, let’s establish a few additional items. It will enhance our study.
Some people try to mix up the Gifts of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit. Let me give those to you.
1. Gifts are given to all Christians (carnal or spiritual) -Fruit is only for spiritual.
2. Gifts are for service/ministry-Fruit is for relationships.
3. Gifts are the means to an end-Fruit is the end.
4. Gifts will cease-Fruit is permanent (1st Corinthians 13:8-10)
“Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.”
Let me add this. When the last words were given to John on the isle of Patmos, that which perfect had come. That is our completed Bible.
5. Gifts are given from without-Fruit is produced from within.
6. Gifts are what a man has-Fruit is what a man is.
7. Gifts of the Spirit can be imitated. The fruit of the Spirit cannot be produced on our own, or imitated, or manufactured (by taking a vacation; buying a new "toy;" with a new relationship). Vacations get over quickly; possessions lose their appeal; and relationships require work. People will seek for Joy by purchasing various products-JOY dish soap / ALMOND JOY.
8. Gifts involve capabilities-Fruit has to do with character. The character of Jesus manifested in the life of the Christian walking in the Spirit:
“Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.”
“Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.”
Joy means “intense and especially ecstatic or exultant happiness.” It is not the easiest word really to define but you can spot it when you see it. Joy is a good emotional reaction to something man perceives to be good. The fruit of the Spirit is a good emotional reaction produced in man over the goodness of God, the plan of God and the work of God in his or her life.
I said just a few minutes ago that it was not easy to define but easy to spot. I was thinking of a young serviceman who got saved in our church in Virginia Beach when I was in Bible Institute. He was being baptized and came out of the water shouting “hot dog”. We thought it was funny but our pastor remembered us that this young man had just gotten saved and this was the only way he knew to praise the Lord. As I was thinking back on that incident, it was an expression of joy by this young man.
When Glen Gilbert was saved, I thought I was going to explode. It was the joy of the Lord that was being in my life.
Since it was hard to really define joy, let’s look at some of the uses in the Bible.
A. It was used in connection with Solomon’s being anointed as king.
“And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.”
I think it is interesting that there were no drums mentioned here. They were happy that a new king had been anointed. Think of the joy that we will have when we see the KING of kings and LORD of lords sitting upon His rightful throne in Jerusalem.
B. David had singers and musicians that were appointed to be the means of expressing joy in Israel. 1st Chronicles 15:16
“And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.”
C. The word is illustrated in Ezra chapter three.
“But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy”
I have a cassette tape of a music service at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Greenville. There was a great deal of rejoicing on the tape. Why were they rejoicing? It is the same as we find in this passage. It was over the goodness of God.
D. We can see the attribute of joy.
“Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
When this passage was occurring, the people had just rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. It had been hard work. They had been through a lot. I want to give you some that they faced. I will not go into detail because it would be like a coon dog chasing a rabbit. I would not be doing what I am supposed to do with that.
1. They faced Scorn in Nehemiah 4:1-2.
2. They faced Shame in Nehemiah 4:2.
3. They faced Sarcasm in Nehemiah 4:3.
4. They faced Saber Rattling in Nehemiah 4:7-8.
5. They faced Sunkenness of spirit in Nehemiah 4:10-12.
6. They faced Squabbling and Selfishness in Nehemiah 5:1-19.
7. They faced Subtlety in Nehemiah 6:1-19.
So after that their good and great leader told them that the joy of the Lord was their strength. When all is said in done for Jesus, it will His joy that will enable you to do His work when all seemed to be lost.
E. Joy was expressed by the angels at creation.
“Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”
I would have looked to have seen and heard this. I wonder sometimes that if the Lord will not show us all this when we get to heaven.
F. There is real joy in worship. Psalm 42:4
“When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.”
What caused David to have joy in his worship? Was he stirred up over some “praise and worship” music? He said in this verse that “when I remembered these things”. What things is he talking about? Let’s go back a few verses.
“As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?”
It was his pondering on the Lord and thirsting after the Lord that brought on this joy. It was not a fleshly attempt to make you get happy in the Lord. It behooves us to do more pondering and thirsting after the Lord so we rejoice in our Lord at the house of God.
G. The joy of salvation can be lost.
“Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.”
What are some of the reasons we lost the joy of our salvation?
H. The women at the grave rejoiced when they learned of His resurrection.
“And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.”
I. Heaven rejoices when a soul is saved.
“I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”
If heaven is rejoicing, how should we do less? A person getting saved is a big thing. It may be some white haired grandmother that prayed for a wayward child for years that is rejoicing. It is like having a baby. It may not your baby. You may not even know the person but when a baby is born, there is rejoicing by even those who are around.
The salvation of the lost causes joy here on earth.
“Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city.”
J. Joy is at the very core of the family of God.
“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”
If there is real joy, then the Holy Ghost is around.
K. There is God’s side of this subject of joy.
“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”
Real
joy only comes from God in the Christian’s life.
Conclusion: I have given lots of food for thought about joy. But you will never have joy without Jesus. People think that they had joy but it was nothing less than happiness. Knowing Jesus brings joy and that joy gets greater as you get older in the Lord.
Next time we will continue in this subject of the virtue of joy.
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