Sermon Tone Analysis

We’re going to continue our teaching on the subject of JOY.

*I) **Last time we said that JOY is a product of God’s Word* that was *sown* *into* our *hearts*.

*A) *In *(John 15:11)* Jesus said, *“These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”*

*1) **Jesus is the Word* of God *and* he *spoke the Word* of God, that *Word produces joy*.

*2) *Jesus also said in *Mark chapter 4* *that once the Word is sown in a man’s heart,* *Satan comes immediately to take it away*.

*a) **Why does Satan come to steal the Word?*

*(i) *The first *answer* to that a *simple*.

*There is power in the Word *of God.

(*Hebrews 4:12*) says, *“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”*

*(ii) **The Word* of God *is powerful* *and* *it will defeat* the principalities and *powers of darkness*.

*(a) **Another reason Satan comes to steal the Word is to steal the vision that God has given.*

*(1) *If you steal the vision, you steal the power.

You steal the anointing.

*(2) * 

*b) **But* *there is another reason* *why Satan comes to steal the Word*, and that is *if he can steal the Word* out of your heart then *he can steal your joy*.

*(i) **God’s Word produces joy* in the heart.

*And as long as you have God’s Word* in your heart, *you have joy* in your heart.

*(ii) *And *that means* *no matter what the Devil does*, *he can’t totally defeat you*.

*3) *The *Devil knows* that the *best time to steal the Word* from you *is* *right after you’ve received it*.

*a) **He knows* that *once* the *Word* is *deeply rooted* in your heart *and* it has *become a revelation* to you it’s *almost impossible* for him *to steal* *that Word*.

*b) *There’s been *so many times *that *I’ve been up against a financial battle* but (*Philippians 4:19*) which says, *“My God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus,”* is *more of a reality to me* *than lack*.

*(i) *There’s been so *many times* that I’ve walked around house *confessing* *“My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”*

*(ii) *And I’ve *seen God come through* every time.

*c) **That Word* has *become* such a *revelation* to me.

*The Devil couldn’t even pry it out of me with a crowbar*.

*4) *Obviously, *it’s to Satan’s advantage* to *steal* the *Word* when you *first hear it*.

*a) *The way *he tries to steal the Word* is *through* some kind of *adversity*.

*b) **If* he can create *enough pressure and adversity* *he might be able to cause you to fall prey to* *DISCOURAGEMENT*.

*B) **In* the *Old Testament* many times *God’s people are told to* *“Be of good courage.

Be not dismayed.

Fear not.”*

*1) *The phrase, *“Be a good courage,”* *isn’t used often* in the *New Testament*.

*Jesus said it this way*: *“BE OF GOOD CHEER.”*

*2) *In (*John 16:33*) Jesus said, *“In the world ye shall have tribulation.”*

*a) **Some* people *stop* right *there* *and think* that *we’re suppose to have tribulation* all the time.

*But Jesus didn’t say that*.

*b) *He said, *“In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”*

(John 16:33).

*3) *People have made the *same mistake* *with* (*Psalm 34:19*) which says, *“Many are the afflictions of the righteous.”*

*a) **Many* believers will use that and *say, “Well the righteous are going to suffer many afflictions.”*

*(i) *But the *Psalmist didn’t stop there*.

He said, *“Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.”*

*(ii) **Jesus said* *“Yes we’re going to have tribulation but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”*

*4) **Satan* is *out there* to *get your joy*.

And *if he can get it* *discouragement will come* *and he can defeat you in every area*.

*a) *He will create situations so that he can spoil your goods and steal them away.

*b) *But *as long as he* *can’t steal your joy*, *he can’t keep your goods* and *he can’t defeat you*.

*So, be of good cheer!*

*C) *Let’s look again at *Hebrews 10:32-34*.

*1) *Notice (*verse 34*) says*, “For ye took joyfully the spoiling of your goods.”*

*a) **Satan* came in and *spoiled their goods*.

*But* this says *their attitude was not one of sorrow*, *depression*, or *discouragement*, *but rather of joy*.

*b) *Notice that *Paul never said* that *they rejoice **in** the spoiling of their goods*, but *rather they took joyfully*.

*(i) **We’re not to rejoice in the works of the Devil*.

*(ii) *We’re *not* to be *going around saying*, “*Praise the Lord* *the Devil just put cancer on me*” *or* “*Praise the Lord* *the Devil stole my car*.

*2) *Turn with me to *1st Thessalonians 5:16-18*.

*a) *This *doesn’t say* to *praise God for evil things*.

God isn’t the evil doer.

Why should we thank God for something that doesn’t come from Him?

*b) **Whenever you praise God for a problem*, *the* “*god of this world*” *Satan* *is getting your praise*.

*c) *We are to *praise God* “*IN EVERY SITUATION*,” *not* “*FOR EVERYTHING*.”

*(i) *We should *praise God* *in the midst of* our *problems*.

But we’re *not* to *praise Him* *for** the problem*; *were praising Him for deliverance* from the problem.

*3) **So God is not saying*, “*Praise me for adversity*.”

*But he is saying*, “*Praise me IN ALL THINGS*, *in every kind of situation*.

*And don’t let the devil get your joy*, *but rejoice evermore*.

*If you’ll praise Me in all things*, *I’ll deliver you from them* *and* *see that you are set free* *because* *praise stops the avenger*.”

*II) **Satan is a thief*.

*When he creates attacks* against you, *it is to steal something from you*.

*A) *In (*John 16:22*) Jesus said, *“Your joy no man taketh from you.”*

*1) **No man can steal your joy* *including the Devil* *unless you allow him* to steal it.

*a) **No matter how bad things get*, *if you continue to rejoice*, *your joy can not be taken away*.

The *only way you can lose it* *is by an act of your will*.

*b) **The devil can’t take your joy* from you, *but* what *he can* do is *create* *enough pressure* around you *until you willfully give it up*.

*(i) **If you fall for his deception of problems* *and* *give up your joy*, *then he has totally defeat you*.

*(ii) **Without joy*, *which comes from the Word* of God, *you have no foundation to stand on*.

*You become open game for the enemy.*

*c) **Satan can’t defeat you unless you let him*.

*(i) **He may try* *to take your car*, your *finances*, or the *life of a love one*.

*But until he gets your joy* *he can’t defeat you.*

*(ii) **As long as you’re still praising God* *and* *still have a joyful heart*, *you can be defeated*.

*d) **We already said this* last time but it bears repeating.

*“If Satan can’t get your joy*, *he can’t keep what he has stolen from you.”*

*(i) *But it *goes further then that*.

*According to* (*Proverbs 6:31*) *if the thief is found out, he must restore sevenfold*.

*(ii) *You have a right to *claim a sevenfold return* *on anything the Devil steals from you*.

*B) *The *Bible* *tells us* *to rejoice evermore*.

We need to *be more like Paul*.

*1) *Turn with me to *2nd Corinthians 12:7*.

*a) *Paul said that there was *messenger (or angel) of Satan* *sent* to Him *to buffet him*.

*b) **What was* this *buffeting* that *Paul went through?*

*c) *All we have to do is *just go back to few Vs*.

*and Paul gives a list *of *all* *the* *buffeting* *he went through* as a result of the attacks of this messenger of Satan (fallen angel).

*2) **2nd Corinthians 11:24-27*.

*a) **He talks about every hard thing* *that Devil try to throw at him* *to make him quit*.

(Perils means danger).

*3) *But in (*2nd Corinthians 4:17*) *Paul called* all *these things* that he went through just *“LIGHT AFFLICTIONS.”*

*a) *Even though the *devil through at Paul* *the best he had* *Satan could not steal Paul’s joy*, *he kept rejoicing*.

*b) **Because of Paul’s joy* *and* *faith in God*, *Satan could not keep Him down*.

*III) *In (*2nd Chronicles 20*) *Judah* was *surrounded* *and* *outnumbered* *by a huge army* that threatened to destroy them.

*A) **As the people sought the Lord*, *the Lord instructed* King *Jehoshaphat* *to send out his praisers before his army* *singing with the loud voice*, *“Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth forever!”*