The Joy Of The Lord: The Strong Church Jon Wright 28 th August 2005

Lessons In This Series Airport (arrivals and departures) Hospital (healing) Jigsaw (there’s a place for all) Vision (the future) Worship (the 1st commandment) Joy (the Lord strengthens us) To be continued

What is Joy?. Dictionary definition: an intense and especially ecstatic happiness Neh 8:10 ‘Do not grieve for the joy of the Lord is your strength’ - This not a short- term fun, smile or a laugh, this is a deep down joy which comes as a gift from the Lord personally

The Root Of Joy, Why Is Joy Important? From Neh 8 we see that the root of real joy is from God himself This gift is confirmed in Gal 5:22 as a fruit of the Spirit Joy produces strength Strength is needed for fighting battles We are called to fight the good fight of faith (1 Tim 6:12

When Can We Rejoice? ‘Rejoice in the Lord always, I say it again: Rejoice’ Phil 4:4 Last weeks’ joy was for last week, it won’t strengthen you today God did not say Rejoice when you feel like it - He said always, We need to be strong to fight the good fight of faith all the time

Joy is very useful when facing trials James 1:2 ‘Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds’ Because joy gives us strength and we need that strength to overcome the trails we face. Don’t forget we will spend eternity with God in heaven! Remember peace and joy go hand in hand

Joy brings peace in the most adverse of circumstances Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet (yet, yet) I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. (Habakkuk 3:17-18)

When else can we rejoice 2 Cor 7:4 - When our friends are doing well Prov 5:18 - With our spouses Prov 24:17 - When your enemies stumble is not a time to rejoice Prov 29:2 - When the righteous are in authority 1 Cor 13:6 - Rejoice in the truth 1 Thess 5:16 - Always

Often People Have Forgotten About The Joy Of The Lord They are dissatisfied with their marriage, children, jobs and life in general Perhaps they are sick and tired They have forgotten how they felt when they first knew Jesus as their savoir They face complaints from others They have given up the battle as hopeless This is not the abundant life promised to Gods’ people

A Look At Elijah: 1 Kings 18 & 19 Took on and defeated Jezebels’ sorcerers Was run out of town by Jezebel Became discouraged (this is after seeing God to mighty things) When in a cave the word of God asked him ‘What are you doing here Elijah?’ When we fail to respect/prize/honour God then a desert awaits for us

Wells Of Salvation Isaiah 12:2-3 - “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.” With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. Note wells (pl), there are many wells; healing, prosperity, sound mind reconciliation etc The more we draw from the wells the stronger we become

Summary Joy is a gift from God which we can ask for We are to rejoice in all circumstances God is our salvation The more we rejoice in Him the stronger we become to fight the battles No circumstance is too great for the Lord to change or for His joy to be dimmed