WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.700
Last time we talked about the fruit of the spirit

00:00:03.700 --> 00:00:07.519
We started out with love and love is the fruit

00:00:07.519 --> 00:00:10.419
that makes all the other fruit taste good We

00:00:10.419 --> 00:00:13.339
have grapes and wild plums on our property. Let

00:00:13.339 --> 00:00:16.559
me tell you they are a great fruit But if they

00:00:16.559 --> 00:00:18.780
don't have the sugars developed in them, they

00:00:18.780 --> 00:00:23.420
will make you pucker Joy the second fruit listed

00:00:23.420 --> 00:00:28.079
in Galatian is defined by Strong's as cheerfulness

00:00:28.359 --> 00:00:33.240
That is calm delight. Joy can be hard to maintain.

00:00:34.159 --> 00:00:38.020
Calm delight can be hard to maintain. However,

00:00:38.679 --> 00:00:41.679
perfect love casts out fear and love thinks no

00:00:41.679 --> 00:00:45.560
evil. If we have the underlying sugar of love,

00:00:46.039 --> 00:00:49.719
joy is easier to maintain because we react without

00:00:49.719 --> 00:00:53.159
fear and we think no evil. In Paul's letter to

00:00:53.159 --> 00:00:56.859
the churches, he talks about joy being connected

00:00:56.859 --> 00:01:00.079
to the Holy Ghost. The in -filling of the Holy

00:01:00.079 --> 00:01:02.899
Ghost is essential to growing the fruit of the

00:01:02.899 --> 00:01:05.939
Spirit. Don't be confused by the words being

00:01:05.939 --> 00:01:07.980
filled with the Holy Ghost or being filled with

00:01:07.980 --> 00:01:11.340
the Spirit. Spirit and Ghost refer to the same

00:01:11.340 --> 00:01:14.760
thing. Ghost is King James English, Spirit is

00:01:14.760 --> 00:01:19.560
Modern English. Joy is difficult and even impossible

00:01:19.560 --> 00:01:22.980
to maintain without the infilling of the Spirit

00:01:22.980 --> 00:01:26.420
of God. We can try to do it in our flesh, but

00:01:26.420 --> 00:01:29.700
we will fail in being joyful because we are limited.

00:01:30.519 --> 00:01:34.480
Paul says in Romans 15 -13, now the God of hope

00:01:34.480 --> 00:01:37.579
fill you with all joy and peace in believing

00:01:37.579 --> 00:01:40.019
that you may abound in hope through the power

00:01:40.019 --> 00:01:43.280
of the Holy Ghost. And in 1 Thessalonians 1 -6

00:01:43.280 --> 00:01:46.560
he says, and you become followers of us and of

00:01:46.560 --> 00:01:49.920
the Lord, having received the word in much affliction

00:01:49.920 --> 00:01:53.739
with the joy of the Holy Ghost. The power to

00:01:53.739 --> 00:01:57.079
have joy. comes from the infilling of the Holy

00:01:57.079 --> 00:02:00.120
Ghost. When we are full of the Spirit of God,

00:02:00.260 --> 00:02:03.459
we have the power to overcome our natural inclination

00:02:03.459 --> 00:02:09.319
to fret, fear, be angry, to be bitter, etc. Philippians

00:02:09.319 --> 00:02:13.490
2 .10 Tutu says, Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be

00:02:13.490 --> 00:02:15.889
like -minded, having the same love, being of

00:02:15.889 --> 00:02:18.849
one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done

00:02:18.849 --> 00:02:21.389
through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness

00:02:21.389 --> 00:02:23.729
of mind let each esteem each other better than

00:02:23.729 --> 00:02:27.449
themselves. Look not every man on his own things,

00:02:27.870 --> 00:02:31.930
but every man also in the things of others. How

00:02:31.930 --> 00:02:35.150
do we fulfill the joy of those who instruct us?

00:02:35.319 --> 00:02:39.539
by having love and unity, by shunning strife,

00:02:39.840 --> 00:02:42.719
contention, and pride, which is empty, and with

00:02:42.719 --> 00:02:46.259
humbleness seeking the welfare of others. When

00:02:46.259 --> 00:02:48.759
we think of it, doesn't this bring joy to any

00:02:48.759 --> 00:02:52.319
situation? Any family, any team who is unified

00:02:52.319 --> 00:02:54.740
in purpose without infighting, ladder climbing,

00:02:54.939 --> 00:02:57.199
drama, and backbiting is a place you want to

00:02:57.199 --> 00:03:00.169
work or be. Have you ever been on a team that

00:03:00.169 --> 00:03:02.990
works well, where people are working their own

00:03:02.990 --> 00:03:06.389
task and helping with the tasks of others? Have

00:03:06.389 --> 00:03:08.389
you ever been at a get together and you didn't

00:03:08.389 --> 00:03:10.990
stay or didn't want to stay because of disunity?

00:03:11.969 --> 00:03:15.110
My husband and I volunteer in a kitchen at a

00:03:15.110 --> 00:03:19.430
camp each summer. We enjoy it so much when some

00:03:19.430 --> 00:03:22.250
people are in the kitchen. It really brings a

00:03:22.250 --> 00:03:25.389
lot of joy You're putting out new food on the

00:03:25.389 --> 00:03:27.930
line You set the old tray behind you ready to

00:03:27.930 --> 00:03:30.270
take it to the dishwashers and when you turn

00:03:30.270 --> 00:03:32.490
around it's already in the sink being washed

00:03:32.490 --> 00:03:35.310
Other people you work with they never get around

00:03:35.610 --> 00:03:37.789
to doing the dishes, and at the end of the meal

00:03:37.789 --> 00:03:39.669
there are old trays that have to be brought back

00:03:39.669 --> 00:03:43.530
to a huge pile at the sink. Sometimes the dishwashers

00:03:43.530 --> 00:03:46.069
disappear and then we stay and finish the dishes.

00:03:46.949 --> 00:03:49.469
The first situation brings joy naturally because

00:03:49.469 --> 00:03:51.870
of the unity and pursuit of a goal that serves

00:03:51.870 --> 00:03:55.330
every member of the team. In the second, joy

00:03:55.330 --> 00:03:57.490
must come through the honor of serving because

00:03:57.490 --> 00:04:00.169
the team is not functioning at peak performance.

00:04:00.520 --> 00:04:04.400
God gets joy. Our pastors and teachers get joy.

00:04:04.979 --> 00:04:09.139
We get joy when we love others enough to unify

00:04:09.139 --> 00:04:11.939
with them for the kingdom and serve each other

00:04:11.939 --> 00:04:15.080
in the lost. It is a place people are naturally

00:04:15.080 --> 00:04:19.899
drawn to. 1 Corinthians 1 24 says, not for that

00:04:19.899 --> 00:04:23.160
we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers

00:04:23.160 --> 00:04:27.800
of your joy. for by faith you stand. It isn't

00:04:27.800 --> 00:04:30.019
because they're trying to be the boss. It isn't

00:04:30.019 --> 00:04:32.560
because they're on a power trip. Because they

00:04:32.560 --> 00:04:37.720
are helping your joy. Your faith is important,

00:04:38.699 --> 00:04:42.339
but leadership wants you to have joy. They teach

00:04:42.339 --> 00:04:44.620
what they do because they think it's best for

00:04:44.620 --> 00:04:46.759
the kingdom. They think it's best for the body.

00:04:47.519 --> 00:04:50.319
Paul instructs the church in Rome how to deal

00:04:50.319 --> 00:04:54.079
when there is a disagreement in the church. If

00:04:54.079 --> 00:04:55.839
someone thinks you should be doing something

00:04:55.839 --> 00:05:00.100
and you don't think you have to do it, chapter

00:05:00.100 --> 00:05:04.480
14 verse 15 says, but if thy brother be grieved

00:05:04.480 --> 00:05:07.420
with thy meat, Now walkest thou not charitably,

00:05:08.060 --> 00:05:10.240
destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ

00:05:10.240 --> 00:05:13.600
died. Let not your good be evil spoken of, for

00:05:13.600 --> 00:05:16.120
the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but

00:05:16.120 --> 00:05:19.139
righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.

00:05:19.500 --> 00:05:21.759
Paul says, if your brother in Christ says you

00:05:21.759 --> 00:05:23.579
shouldn't eat that meat because it was offered

00:05:23.579 --> 00:05:25.720
to idols, and you're doing it anyways because

00:05:25.720 --> 00:05:27.800
you say, I'm liberty in Christ and idols have

00:05:27.800 --> 00:05:30.899
no power, then you're not walking in love. If

00:05:30.899 --> 00:05:33.459
you loved your brother, you would say, oh sure,

00:05:33.600 --> 00:05:35.790
no problem, I won't eat. the meat because I don't

00:05:35.790 --> 00:05:37.829
want you to be offended or stumble in your walk

00:05:37.829 --> 00:05:41.490
with the Lord. The kingdom of God is about righteousness,

00:05:42.029 --> 00:05:45.490
peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. It isn't about

00:05:45.490 --> 00:05:48.670
what I want, but how I can serve my brother,

00:05:48.949 --> 00:05:53.470
which brings peace and brings joy. Think about

00:05:53.470 --> 00:05:56.050
what Paul tells the church in Corinth about the

00:05:56.050 --> 00:05:58.689
church in Macedonia donating money for the church

00:05:58.689 --> 00:06:03.149
in Jerusalem. 2 Corinthians 8, 2 he says, how

00:06:03.149 --> 00:06:05.850
that in great trial of affliction, the abundance

00:06:05.850 --> 00:06:08.310
of their joy and their deep poverty abounded

00:06:08.310 --> 00:06:11.870
into the riches of their liberality. Why is he

00:06:11.870 --> 00:06:14.069
telling the church in Corinth what the Macedonia

00:06:14.069 --> 00:06:16.689
church is doing? Because he's saying, look at

00:06:16.689 --> 00:06:19.370
their example. You don't need wealth to have

00:06:19.370 --> 00:06:22.709
joy. You need to have generosity and a humble

00:06:22.709 --> 00:06:25.430
heart of service to have joy. We see it again

00:06:25.430 --> 00:06:28.639
when Paul talks to the church in Philippi. In

00:06:28.639 --> 00:06:32.959
2 2 he says, Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be like

00:06:32.959 --> 00:06:35.899
-minded, having the same love, being of one accord,

00:06:35.899 --> 00:06:38.839
of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife

00:06:38.839 --> 00:06:41.660
or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each

00:06:41.660 --> 00:06:44.459
esteem other better than themselves. Look not

00:06:44.459 --> 00:06:47.540
every man on his own things, but every man also

00:06:47.540 --> 00:06:50.540
on the things of others. Joy comes from being

00:06:50.540 --> 00:06:53.240
full of the Holy Ghost, which will cause us to

00:06:53.240 --> 00:06:56.180
walk in humility, looking to serve the body of

00:06:56.180 --> 00:06:58.540
Christ because of our great love for them and

00:06:58.540 --> 00:07:02.560
the cause of Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1 6 says,

00:07:02.839 --> 00:07:06.019
And you became followers of us and of the Lord,

00:07:06.379 --> 00:07:09.199
having received the word in much affliction with

00:07:09.199 --> 00:07:12.220
the joy of the Holy Ghost. And it continues in

00:07:12.220 --> 00:07:14.939
chapter 2 to exhort the church in Thessalonica

00:07:14.939 --> 00:07:19.069
to walk worthy and concluded, that they are his

00:07:19.069 --> 00:07:22.089
glory and joy. In chapter three, he says that

00:07:22.089 --> 00:07:25.370
their obedience and faithfulness causes him to

00:07:25.370 --> 00:07:29.149
thank God again for the joy that Paul says he

00:07:29.149 --> 00:07:32.269
participates in for their sake. And the joy is

00:07:32.269 --> 00:07:35.290
their obedience as he goes through affliction

00:07:35.290 --> 00:07:39.329
and distress because of the gospel. Isn't it

00:07:39.329 --> 00:07:42.430
frustrating to sacrifice and save and work for

00:07:42.430 --> 00:07:44.910
something that the next person just ignores,

00:07:45.350 --> 00:07:49.389
finds no value in, sells or throws it away, or

00:07:49.389 --> 00:07:52.170
worse yet, just destroys it with carelessness?

00:07:53.089 --> 00:07:57.389
Likewise, in Hebrews 10 -34, Paul commands them,

00:07:57.790 --> 00:08:01.149
commends them for joyfully taking the spoiling

00:08:01.149 --> 00:08:04.149
of their goods because they have in heaven better

00:08:04.149 --> 00:08:07.389
and more enduring goods. Paul is consistently

00:08:07.389 --> 00:08:10.810
telling all the church's joy comes not from what

00:08:10.810 --> 00:08:15.649
you have or build, but from who you build up.

00:08:16.250 --> 00:08:18.670
If you like, if you're like, this sounds great,

00:08:19.129 --> 00:08:22.449
but how do I get there? Let me share with you

00:08:22.449 --> 00:08:27.339
a great prayer from Colossians chapter 1. Paul

00:08:27.339 --> 00:08:30.720
says for this cause we also since the day we

00:08:30.720 --> 00:08:33.720
heard it do not cease to pray for you To desire

00:08:33.720 --> 00:08:35.700
that you might be filled with the knowledge of

00:08:35.700 --> 00:08:38.440
his will and all wisdom and spiritual understanding

00:08:38.440 --> 00:08:41.909
that you might Walk worthy of the Lord unto all

00:08:41.909 --> 00:08:44.850
pleasing, being fruitful in every good work and

00:08:44.850 --> 00:08:47.549
increasing in the knowledge of God. Strengthen

00:08:47.549 --> 00:08:50.149
with all might according to his glorious power

00:08:50.149 --> 00:08:53.590
unto all patience and long -suffering with joyfulness.

00:08:54.269 --> 00:08:56.669
Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made

00:08:56.669 --> 00:08:59.830
us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of

00:08:59.830 --> 00:09:02.669
the saints of light. Let's pray that together.

00:09:02.889 --> 00:09:07.889
Lord, I am so thankful for those that are listening

00:09:07.889 --> 00:09:11.919
to this. God, who want to be obedient and want

00:09:11.919 --> 00:09:15.320
to walk in your ways. I pray that they would

00:09:15.320 --> 00:09:18.960
be filled with the knowledge of your will. That

00:09:18.960 --> 00:09:22.620
they would have wisdom and spiritual understanding.

00:09:23.559 --> 00:09:26.940
I pray that they would walk worthy of the Lord

00:09:26.940 --> 00:09:29.840
unto all pleasing. I pray that they would be

00:09:29.840 --> 00:09:33.980
fruitful in every good work and they would be

00:09:33.980 --> 00:09:36.679
continually increasing in the knowledge of God.

00:09:37.360 --> 00:09:40.360
I pray that the listener today would be strengthened

00:09:40.360 --> 00:09:44.620
with all might according to your glorious power.

00:09:45.080 --> 00:09:48.379
That they would achieve patience and long suffering

00:09:48.379 --> 00:09:53.289
with joyfulness. God, I pray that You would be

00:09:53.289 --> 00:09:56.950
glorified. I pray God that you would make us

00:09:56.950 --> 00:10:01.269
to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints

00:10:01.269 --> 00:10:06.090
of light Thank you God for your good gifts. Thank

00:10:06.090 --> 00:10:09.889
you that you will give to us as we ask in your

00:10:09.889 --> 00:10:13.789
precious name Jesus we pray amen