Sermon Tone Analysis

Don’t be an Eeyore

We are to be joy filled, joy evident Christians.

Who wants to be an Eeyore and look at life as a downer, or depressing?

Christians should be the most joyful people in the world, today we are looking at, dwelling on joy.

We are choosing to dwell on, ponder, consider, meditate on many things in this series and our focal passage has been (Php4:8):

And then the application

As mentioned, the virtue that we are going to dwell on today is “JOY”

Joy is an element of the kingdom of God (Rom14:17)

Joy an element of the Kingdom and you are a kingdom dweller if you are in Christ Jesus and our joy is found in the Holy Spirit and it comes with peace and with righteousness.

Joy is a part of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal5:22)

(insert Eeyore picture here)

Many Christians today seem to be lacking joy, have a deficiency of joy or even in experiencing joy in their Christian walk.

When we are hum drum, when we have an Eeyore attitude or outlook it impacts all areas of our Christian walk, including our worship.

Such as a lack of enthusiasm in worship

We come because that is what a Christian does, comes to worship; but we go through the motions only

We sing because that is what we do, but our heart is not behind the words that we are singing

We take the Lords Supper but we don’t do it in celebration of the Lord’s death until He comes as the scripture says.

This morning may we look at joy defined, the sources of joy and the results of joy

Joy Defined

Joy is more than a feeling that comes and goes according to circumstances, for that would be happiness.

Joy is more, it is deeper, it is clearly seen over 130 times in the New Testament alone.

χαρά, ᾶς, ἡ - Greek word Chaira (noun form) - meaning joy, gladness, delight, used 60 times in the New Testament in this form

χαίρω - Greek word Chairo (verb form) - meaning to rejoice, used 72 times in the New Testament

χάρις - Greek word Charis (noun form) - meaning grace.

In the word Charis, transliterated as the word grace according to Vines Bible dictionary in the objective form means “that which bestows or occasions pleasure, delight, or causes favorable regard”

Don’t know if you guys like the Greek stuff, but once in awhile it maybe nice to see things as originally used.

3 words in 1 word in English for joy.

Now having said that how about some biblical explanations, illustrations of defined joy?

Scripture shows some of the following regarding joy

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Great Joy (Mt2:10)

Leaping Joy (LK6:23)

Filling Joy (Act13:51-52)

God’s joy (Rom5:15-17)

Jesus Joy (Jn15:11)

Inexpressible Joy (1Pt1:6-8)

Joy in the Lord (Php4:4)

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Great joy- after being questioned by Herod when following the star to find the Messiah, there was great joy when the Magi saw the star over where the child was.

Leaping joy - in the midst of the Luke version of the Beatitudes when it comes to ostracized, insulted, scorned Jesus says in that day to leap for joy

They are not alone, they were in good company, it was done to the prophets before them, it was doing to be done to them, and set’s an example for us today.

Then there is

Being filled with joy - At the gospel message going out to the Gentiles and their receptivity to it, Paul and Barnabas were chased out of town by the Jews, but they did not let that stop them.

Look at this.

So we have joy, gladness delight, rejoicing that comes from grace.

Joy and grace are directly related and linked to one another.

Mark Copeland says

“Joy is directly proportional to grace one has received or at least to the perception of grace one received.”

(insert matchbox cars picture here)

Receive a small gift, joy maybe minimal

Receive a large gift, your joyous reaction is greater.

Would you rather have a matchbox car of your dreams or the real car of your dreams

(expand on greater is the grace of God that gives us the joy of the Lord than anything else)

When we, as Christians, are lacking joy there is something wrong.

Billy Sunday a famous outfielder become evangelist who was very influential in the late 1800’s early 1900’s said this

“If you have no joy in your religion, there is a lack in your Christianity somewhere.”

In a paraphrased quote from William Gurnall a 17th century Anglican Clergyman

“Why so many have little heat of joy is they have so light light of the Gospel in their mind. . . the further you are from the light of truth the further he must be from the heart of comfort” or in other words, from joy.

When we understand grace, it will help us to better to understand and experience more of God’s joy.

The joy of the Lord is abiding and makes our joy full.

Joy that is inexpressible

inexpressible and full of glory, the glory of God because of the grace of God given to the people of God who His because of their faith in God and obedience.

This joy, this inexpressible joy is contrary or counterpart to the temporary joy, passing pleasure of sin.

Even Solomon sought out joy in “everything under the sun” to find out and conclude everything is vanity of vanities.

But the joy of the LOrd has made it possible, regardless of situations, circumstances we may be in, could be facing, may have just recently gone through, that we are to rejoice in the Lord

When we have grace by faith when we understand what we have in grace, we have joy and then we are able to dwell, ponder, consider, meditate on the sources of our joy.

Joy, It’s Sources

To fully grasp and to enjoy joy, we should know the sources of joy.

Joy comes from faith (Php1:25)

Convinced, convicted, sure, progress comes from joy in the faith.

Not just for the speaker (in this case Paul) but for the listeners (in this case church at Philippi)

Joy comes from Word of God (Rom10:15; Rom15:13)

Joy comes from hearing the word of God that brings faith

Faith because someone brings the word of faith that can fill you with all joy, hope and peace.

The good goods that brings forgiveness

Joy comes from forgiveness (Ps31:1-5; Ps31:10-11; Ps51:7-12)

I want to mention David’s lament from his sin (Ps31) but want to point out David’s forgiveness that results in joy

Even when we falter, even when we fall short, even when we may stumble or even fall, there is opportunity for restoration to the joy of your salvation when you turn to Him, repent and follow Him again.

Joy comes from Christian fellowship (Phi1:7) restoration (2Cor7:7)

then there is restored comfort, restored joy

Joy comes from giving to others (Act20:35)

Paul found joy in working, giving to others.

Joy comes in sharing the gospel (Act11:20-23); hearing about how others responded to the gospel (Act15:3)

And who doesn’t love to read, hear, see someone respond to the gospel?

Joy’s expressible results

How to do you express the inexpressible?

May we look at some biblical examples of expressing joy.

Joy results in expressions of joy (Act8:35-38; 1The1:6; Rom5:1-2; Rom5:10-12)

Could you image the Ethiopian Eunuch being like and Eeyore here?

No way.

He was ready, he wanted to be a Christian, wanted to respond to the gospel, he did not want anything to hinder him.

Sometimes the joy comes with some tribulation as noted here in the passage to the church at Thessolonica; but the joy here is in the Holy Spirit because of their faithfulness, because of them being imitators of the apostles and Jesus.

But when responded to the gospel look at the result

Peace, and exultation in hope!

Exulting in hope because once separated now reconciled!

All because of One man, that man being Jesus who took on the sin of the world for us who believe.

Joy is found in the strength of the Lord (Neh8:10)

Nehemiah found his peace, found his joy and his strength in the Lord, as should we.

Joy and peace are found in believing (Rom15:13)

(Invitation slide 1-joy of the Lord is my strength slide) invitation

For true, lasting, eternal joy is found in Christ.

True joy, lasting joy, eternal joy found in obedience to Christ resulting in being transferred into the possession of Christ and He being yours and you being His.