Miserable Christians Or Joyful Christians - The Why and How of Joy in the Christian Life - Psalm 42 Rev Andrew Ong 7 Aug 2016

Miserable Christians Or Joyful Christians The Why and How of Joy in the Christian Life - Psalm 42 A.Being a Christian should be Joyful, Not Miserable 1.Failure to appreciate glory of Jesus Christ the Saviour and Heaven 2.Miserable Christians who do not understand that salvation is all grace B.Christians cannot be happy all the time 1.Focus on the future 2.Thankfulness 3.Talk to yourself not listen to yourself - Doctrine and not prayer

Miserable Christians Or Joyful Christians The Why and How of Joy in the Christian Life - Psalm 42 A.Being a Christian should be Joyful, Not Miserable 1.Failure to appreciate glory of Jesus Christ the Saviour and Heaven Matthew 13:44 (NIV 84) The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl 44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Luke 2:10-11 (NIV 84) 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

Miserable Christians Or Joyful Christians The Why and How of Joy in the Christian Life - Psalm 42 A.Being a Christian should be Joyful, Not Miserable 1.Failure to appreciate glory of Jesus Christ the Saviour and Heaven

Miserable Christians Or Joyful Christians The Why and How of Joy in the Christian Life - Psalm 42 A.Being a Christian should be Joyful, Not Miserable 2.Miserable Christians who do not understand that salvation is all grace Ephesians 2: All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Miserable Christians Or Joyful Christians The Why and How of Joy in the Christian Life - Psalm 42 A.Being a Christian should be Joyful, Not Miserable 2.Miserable Christians who do not understand that salvation is all grace JustificationSanctification Declared right in the sight of God because Jesus has paid for my sin Process of continuing to live more and more like God wants me to live

Miserable Christians Or Joyful Christians The Why and How of Joy in the Christian Life - Psalm 42 A.Being a Christian should be Joyful, Not Miserable 2.Miserable Christians who do not understand that salvation is all grace 1 John 1: If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

Miserable Christians Or Joyful Christians The Why and How of Joy in the Christian Life - Psalm 42 A.Being a Christian should be Joyful, Not Miserable 2.Miserable Christians who do not understand that salvation is all grace Luke 18: To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God.

Miserable Christians Or Joyful Christians The Why and How of Joy in the Christian Life - Psalm 42 B.Christians cannot be happy all the time 1.Focus on the future Matthew 5: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Miserable Christians Or Joyful Christians The Why and How of Joy in the Christian Life - Psalm 42 B.Christians cannot be happy all the time 1.Focus on the future 1 Peter 1:3-7 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Miserable Christians Or Joyful Christians The Why and How of Joy in the Christian Life - Psalm 42 B.Christians cannot be happy all the time 1.Focus on the future Romans 8:22–25 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

Miserable Christians Or Joyful Christians The Why and How of Joy in the Christian Life - Psalm 42 B.Christians cannot be happy all the time 2.Thankfulness

Miserable Christians Or Joyful Christians The Why and How of Joy in the Christian Life - Psalm 42 B.Christians cannot be happy all the time 2.Thankfulness

Miserable Christians Or Joyful Christians The Why and How of Joy in the Christian Life - Psalm 42 B.Christians cannot be happy all the time 2.Thankfulness

Miserable Christians Or Joyful Christians The Why and How of Joy in the Christian Life - Psalm 42 B.Christians cannot be happy all the time 2.Thankfulness

Miserable Christians Or Joyful Christians The Why and How of Joy in the Christian Life - Psalm 42 B.Christians cannot be happy all the time 2.Thankfulness

Miserable Christians Or Joyful Christians The Why and How of Joy in the Christian Life - Psalm 42 B.Christians cannot be happy all the time 2.Thankfulness Philippians 4:4-7 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Miserable Christians Or Joyful Christians The Why and How of Joy in the Christian Life - Psalm 42 B.Christians cannot be happy all the time 3.Talk to yourself not listen to yourself - Doctrine and not prayer Psalm 42:5–11 5 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and 6 my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar… 10 My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 11 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

Miserable Christians Or Joyful Christians The Why and How of Joy in the Christian Life - Psalm 42 B.Christians cannot be happy all the time 3.Talk to yourself not listen to yourself - Doctrine and not prayer

Miserable Christians Or Joyful Christians The Why and How of Joy in the Christian Life - Psalm 42 A.Being a Christian should be Joyful, Not Miserable 1.Failure to appreciate glory of Jesus Christ the Saviour and Heaven 2.Miserable Christians who do not understand that salvation is all grace B.Christians cannot be happy all the time 1.Focus on the future 2.Thankfulness 3.Talk to yourself not listen to yourself - Doctrine and not prayer