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I blogged on a sermon on joy a few months ago, that was from my church. Yesterday I was visiting my parents church and that was the sermon topic again! Enjoy…

We looked a 1 Peter 1, but opened with an analogy from Derek Prince:

“One way to bring the difference into focus is to picture a Christmas tree and an apple tree. A Christmas tree bears gifts; an apple tree bears fruit. A gift is both attached to a Christmas tree and removed from it by a single, brief act. There is no direct connection between the tree and the gift: one may be a garment, the other a fir tree. The gift tells us nothing about the nature of the tree from which it is taken.
On the other hand, there is a direct connection between an apple and the tree that bears it. The nature of the tree determines the nature of the fruit—both its kind and its quality. An apple tree can never bear an orange. A healthy tree will never bear unhealthy fruit (see Matthew 7:17–20). The fruit on the apple tree is not produced by a single act, but is the result of a steady, continuing process of growth and development. To produce the best fruit, the tree must be carefully cultivated. This requires time, skill and labour.”

We can’t pick and choose our fruits, Galatians 5v22 says “fruit is” not “fruit are”.

Gifts express ability, fruit expresses character. Gifts can be for a time, character goes into eternity.

People sometimes accuse Christians of being miserable and joyless – they should visit a housegroup and see the laughter there!

Children run to those full of joy, not misery.

“Many of us have only dipped our toes in the ocean of joy He has for us” – Adrian Warnock. He came so that we could have life to the full – John 10v10

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” – John 15vv1-4,11

“Happiness comes from happenings, Joy comes from Jesus” – John Parker

We express joy well at a goal in football, why don’t we otherwise?

“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” – Psalms 16v11

“Sing, Daughter Zion;
shout aloud, Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
Daughter Jerusalem!
The Lord has taken away your punishment,
he has turned back your enemy.
The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you;
never again will you fear any harm.
On that day
they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, Zion;
do not let your hands hang limp.
The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.”” – Zephaniah 3vv14-17

We don’t tend to think of God as singing

What we have in Christ is better than anything you’ll see on Match Of The Day.

It’s a long time since I’ve put my sermon notes on here, probably because it’s a while since I’ve been at my home church for more than one Sunday in a row! Last Sunday I went to the 9am service as I was on kids at the 10.30, and this way I still got to hear the sermon!

Psalm 127

1 Unless the Lord builds the house,
the builders labour in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the guards stand watch in vain.
2 In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat –
for he grants sleep to those he loves.
3 Children are a heritage from the Lord,
offspring a reward from him.
4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their opponents in court.

In our current society people suffer from “status anxiety” – comparing ourselves to others, or worrying out to reach their expectations. The media portrays hyper-reality, people who are seemingly perfect. We’re far more affected by these images than we’d like to admit.

We can work hard, but without God it’s not going to be what it could be (v1)
We can rest and enjoy life because God is in control, not us (v2)

The farmer can plant the seed, water the land, but he can never grow the crop, only God can do that.

Society says that if we don’t work as hard as the next person then we won’t be as successful as them.
But God gives us joy and contentment.

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” – Philippians 4v12
Paul’s circumstances didn’t dictate if he was happy or sad, because he was rooted in Jesus Christ.

If we constantly compare ourselves to others, or want to be more like others, then we are not contented, but are continuing to toil and strive.

There is no higher status available than to be a child of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, to be adopted into His family; there is no need to compare to others!

“God is most glorified through us when we are most satisfied in him” – John Piper

It’s evangelistic. We are blessed so that we can be a blessing to others.