Cultivating Joy

Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
View more →
John 15:9–17 NKJV
9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another.
Focus verse...
John 15:11 NKJV
11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
here is natural joy, and there is spiritual joy

Keys to natural joy

Do things you enjoy

Doing things you enjoy is good for your emotional wellbeing. This may things such as spending time with friends, doing somehting you are good at, listening to good music etc.

Eat a well balanced diet

If your body is not being nourished properly, you won't feel great, which will decrease your joy
Refer to diagram (The-Eatwell-Guide-2016.jpg)

Get enough sleep

The average adult needs 7 - 8 hours sleep each night. Without enough sleep, you will not be in the best of moods!

Exercise

Exercise more days than you don't!

Spiritual joy

Spiritual joy is not dependant on circumstances, but comes from the Holy Spirit
Habakkuk 3:17–18 NKJV
17 Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls— 18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
Romans 14:17 NKJV
17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 5:22 NKJV
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
We can cultivate spiritual joy by...

Spending time in God's presence

Psalm 16:11 NKJV
11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Feeding on God's word

Jeremiah 15:16 NKJV
16 Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.
John 17:13 NKJV
13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.
Being a worshipper is an essential part of this...
Ephesians 5:18–19 NKJV
18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,

Doing God's will

In the Old Testament, food was often associated with joy:
Joel 1:16 NKJV
16 Is not the food cut off before our eyes, Joy and gladness from the house of our God?
John 4:34 NKJV
34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.
When you are doing God’s will, you will have joy!
Ephesians 2:10 NKJV
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
The Greek word for joy and gifts, comes from the same root word. When we use the gifts God has given us to serve Him with, we will have joy!
Romans 12:6 NKJV
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith;

Serving one another

John 3:26–29 NKJV
26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified—behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!” 27 John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ 29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.
In a Jewish wedding, the friend of the bridegroom would serve him. He would have great joy as he served the bridegroom.
Galatians 5:13 NKJV
13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Praying with expectancy

John 16:24 NKJV
24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

Repenting of sins in your life

When David sinned against God by comitting adultery and arranging Uriah’s death, he penned Psalm 51 as a prayer of repentance. In it he said...
Psalm 51:12 NKJV
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

Not grieving the Holy Spirit

Ephesians 4:30–32 NKJV
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
bitterness – root = poison!
wrath = thumos (thoo-mos') from which we get the word “fume”. It refers to boiling / burning with rage.
anger – Greek word speaks of punishing someone for what they did to you
clamor – Greek suggest yelling at each other! (“a soft answer turns away wrath” (Proverbs 15:1))
evil speaking – blasphēmia (blas-fa-mia) also translated ‘blasphemy’ – to speak evil of God or man
malice – evil intention towards others

Remembering that no matter what we face, we are more than a conquerors through Christ

John 16:33 NKJV
33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Romans 8:37–38 NKJV
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
James 1:2–4 NKJV
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Summary

We can cultivate natural joy by:
Doing things we enjoy
Eating a well balanced diet
Getting enough sleep
Exercising
We can cultivate spiritual joy by:
Spending time in God's presence
Feeding on God's word
Doing God's will
Serving one another
Praying with expectancy
Repenting of sins in your life
Not grieving the Holy Spirit
Remembering that no matter what we face, we are more than a conquerors through Christ
Related Media
See more
Related Sermons
See more