Sermon Tone Analysis

“Are You Full of Joy?”

*Text: /Matthew 5:10-12/*

*I.                          **Welcome*

*II.

**Introduction*

I thought it would be worthwhile for us to examine joy just a little deeper this morning.

My prayer for you is the apostle Paul’s desire in /Rom.

15:13 /– *Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.*

I chose the reading from the Sermon on the Mount because in it Jesus introduces us to joy in His kingdom in a most unusual way.

After telling His citizens that they are blessed when they are persecuted and mistreated for His sake, He concludes by saying, *“Rejoice and be exceedingly glad.”

*Our Lord uses two different Greek verbs here that may both be translated “to rejoice” but the 2nd one in this phrase is used less frequently in the NT.

In fact, a good translation would be: *“Rejoice and be overjoyed – for great is your reward in heaven.”*

Hugo McCord translates: *Be full of joy and celebrate.

*This helps us understand a statement a few years later after the apostles were beaten and commanded by the Sanhedrin not to speak in the name of Jesus and released from custody.

We read in /Acts 5:41 /– *So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.*

You may be thinking, “Well, I’m sure glad I wasn’t an apostle.”

Are you part of the Lord’s kingdom – His church?

Then those words in the Sermon on the Mount apply to you and me.

Now consider the words of our Lord’s brother in /Jas.

1:2 /– *My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials.

*Maybe we need to adjust our concept of joy as each of us to tries to answer this question this morning: Are you full of joy?

*III.

**Lesson*

Let’s begin by asking ourselves: What is joy?

Some might say this dishwashing liquid is JOY.

While others might declare that a little baby is a bundle of joy.

That was certainly the truth for the aged parents of John the Baptist when the angel spoke to Zacharias in /Lk.

1:14 /– *“And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.”*

There was another birth announcement some time later* *to some shepherds which offers joy to every one of us – /Lk.

2:10-11 /– *Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.

For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

*So what is the definition of joy?

I liked this particular definition: /The passion or emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good; pleasurable feelings or emotions caused by success, good fortune, and the like, or by a rational prospect of possessing what we love or desire; gladness; exhilaration of spirits; delight./

As we’ve already seen this morning, gladness is used by Biblical translators as a synonym for joy.

I chose this definition because it does not give happiness as a part of the definition or as a synonym.

Happiness is determined by circumstances.

And that’s where a lot of Christians are erring today.

They have made up a scripture that says God wants them to be happy and will use that to get out of a marriage.

Nowhere can you read that God wants you to be happy.

He wants you to repent.

He wants you to be holy.

He wants you to have an abundant life.

He wants you to be saved.

& the list goes on and on of what God wants for His children.

A Christian’s joy is not determined by circumstances.

That’s why the apostle Paul could write by inspiration: *…for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content *(/Phil.

4:11/)*.

*Maybe /1 Tim.

6:6-8 /is even easier to understand: *Now godliness with contentment is great gain.

For we brought nothing into /this/ world, /and/ /it is/ certain we can carry nothing out.

And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.

*Church, are these not the two necessities of life Jesus promised the citizens of God’s kingdom if they put it 1st in /Matt.

6:33/?

I want to mention one other aspect of joy before we move on to how much joy Jesus wants us to have.

I mentioned at the outset that joy was a fruit of the Spirit so let’s quickly look at /Gal.

5:22-23 /– *But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

Against such there is no law.

*These are all things we must cultivate and develop as members of the Lord’s body – His church.

Vs. 20-21 of this chapter contain a list of the works of the flesh.

Vs. 22-23 give the fruit of the Spirit.

Now notice vs. 24-25: *And those /who are/ Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

*If we are Christians, we will get rid of all those things and the like in vs. 20-21 and then live and walk in the Spirit.

We’ll be spiritual and develop the fruit of the Spirit and be joyful men and women, boys and girls.

Our next task this morning is to look at how much joy Jesus wants us to have and any conditions attached to it.

1st of all, turn with me to /Jn.

15:9-11/ and let’s read these verses together: *“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.

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.

These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and /that/ your joy may be full.”

*Our Savior wants us to be full of joy.

To be full of joy requires us to remain in His love and the way to do that is to keep His commandments.

Jesus had already stated in /Jn.

14:15 /– *“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”*

That’s pretty straightforward so let’s look at a 2nd passage – from /Jn. 16:24.

/Let’s set the stage.

Jesus will shortly be crucified & buried.

This will be a time of sorrow for His disciples but that sorrow will be turned to joy – vs. 20 & 22 of this chapter – a joy that no one can take away from them.

Surely enough, Jesus appeared to His disciples at evening on the 1st day of the week after He had arisen from the dead.

The text of /Jn.

20:20 /simply says, *“Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.”

*And the Greek verb translated “were glad” is the normal one for rejoice we 1st saw in our reading from /Matt.

5:12./

But back to /Jn.

16:24/ – *“Until now you have asked nothing in My name.

Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”*/

/Jesus has been preparing His disciples for His death & has promised them His Holy Spirit – the Spirit who makes intercession for the saints (/Rom.

8:27/).

In a little over 6 weeks, Jesus will be seated at the right hand of God – making intercession for us according to /Rom.

8:34.

/His disciples had been told from the beginning in the Sermon on the Mount to *“Ask, & it will be given to you.”*

Now Jesus reiterates that promise but with a slight change.

Ask it in His name and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

Jesus wants us to be full of joy but prayer must be an integral part of our lives.

We must pray without ceasing in the name of the Christ.

Is it any wonder that /1 Thess.

5:16-18 /reads as it does?

*Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.*

I want to wrap up this section with a portion of Jesus’ prayer for unity in /Jn.

17:13-19 /– *“But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.

I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.

They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

Sanctify them by Your truth.

Your word is truth.

As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.