The Fruit of Joy

Happy Sunday. Today we continue in our study of the fruit of the Spirit, which is found in Galatians chapter 5. Verses 22 and 23 tell us, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." If this is your first week to join me, you can go to my website, davidshivers.com, and catch up by watching the sermons from September the 5th and September the 12th.

Today we're going to look at the fruit of joy. Let me define joy as we begin. Joy is the direct result of the grace that God gives us. Think about it. Now, this is for Christians only; if you're not a believer yet, if you're a pre-Christian, you won't understand. Hopefully you will soon.

Back to the definition: joy is the direct result of the grace that God gives us. Now, if you are a believer, there is nothing in this universe that can change that. You are saved, period. You are heaven bound, period. God loves you, period.

Romans 8 puts it this way. In verses 38 and 39, Paul says, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." That's great news. Because you belong to God, you should always have joy.

Joy is yours regardless of circumstance. It doesn't matter if your team wins or your car starts or your kids behave or your health is good or bad. Now, happiness is a result of circumstance. We all understand that. We are happy when it's a beautiful day, but when it rains and all hell breaks loose, our happiness can be gone, but not our joy. Joy cannot be taken from us.

I was in a store the other day and noticed that Christmas decorations are out. I love Christmas, and I look forward to sharing sermons with you in the month of December about the true meaning of Christmas. It's likely that in three months from now we will look at these words found in Luke chapter 2, verse 10. Here the angels told the shepherds, and you'll remember this, "Do not be afraid. I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people."

"Good news of great joy." We're not just to have joy; we're to have great joy. The word in the original language for great is mega. We're to have mega joy, huge joy, and only by being filled with the Holy Spirit of God can we do that.

Years ago I quit watching the news, and my life is better as a result. Now, my head's not in the sand. I read, I listen some to the radio, and I know our world is falling apart. I know about COVID, and I know about Afghanistan, and I know about crime, and I know about politics, and things that, well, they can rob us of our happiness. But our joy is untouchable.

On the night of July the 19th, for 64 A.D., almost 2,000 years ago, a fire broke out in Rome. The fire raged for about nine days. When the smoke cleared, 10 of Rome's 14 districts were devastated. Literally two-thirds of Rome had been destroyed. People were helpless, and they were homeless, and they were mad.

Perhaps you remember the story. It's believed that the emperor at the time, Nero, had the fire set so that he could rebuild Rome into his vision. Legend says that Nero watched Rome burn while playing his fiddle happily. We don't know if there's any truth to that, but it seems likely Nero set the fires. But Nero needed a scapegoat to blame for setting Rome ablaze, and he chose to blame the Christians.

Persecution came, and it came hard. Christians were crucified and thrown to the lions, and they were burned and used as human torches. Many believers left Rome to avoid being killed. About that time, the apostle Peter wrote a letter. You know it from your Bible as the books of First and Second Peter.

Peter began his writings in First Peter chapter one, verse one, this way: "To the pilgrims of the dispersion." "To the pilgrims of the dispersion." He is writing to those who have been persecuted and chased out of town and whose lives have been turned upside down. What Peter writes to these who have scattered, those in dispersion, it's pretty miraculous. It's just what they needed to hear, and it's also just what we need to hear today.

And remember, joy is a fruit of the Spirit that is regardless of circumstance. Peter says, and I'm gonna summarize the first few verses of First Peter chapter one, but Peter says that the Christians should give thanks to God because Jesus rose from the grave, and because they have hope, and that they have heaven. And now I want to read to you from First Peter chapter 1, verses 6, 7, 8, and 9. There we are told, are the people in dispersion, the people that have been scattered are told:

"Be glad about this, even though it may now be necessary for you to be sad for a while because of the many kinds of trials you suffer. Their purpose is to prove that your faith is genuine. Even gold, which can be destroyed, is tested by fire, and so your faith, which is much more precious than gold, must also be tested so that it may endure. Then you will receive praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed. You love him, although you have not seen him, and you believe in him, although you do not now see him. So you rejoice with a great and glorious joy which words cannot express, because you are receiving the salvation of your souls, which is the purpose of your faith in him."

It's interesting that Peter talks about joy to these people whose lives have been devastated. They've been falsely accused; they've lost everything. Please know that joy will not come when we focus on our situation and on our circumstances or on current events. Joy comes and stays when we focus on our destination. Joy will always be present when we focus on God and his love and his grace and our salvation.

In John chapter 16, Jesus was speaking with his disciples about the crucifixion and the resurrection that was soon be there. The disciples didn't understand yet what was to happen, and Jesus said this in verse 22 of John 16. Jesus said, "So you have pain now, but I'll see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you."

I believe those words are true for us today. You have pain now, but Jesus will come, and you will rejoice, and you should rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. Nothing can take it. This world needs the example of your joy, of my joy.

People need to see us and wonder, what's different about that person? How can they be so joyful in these crazy times? It's because we serve a risen God. God bless you as you live a life of joy in this crazy world.

Let's pray together. Lord, thank you that we belong to another world, and thank you that regardless of circumstance, regardless of the news, regardless of what is happening around us, we stand on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ. We are loved, and nothing can change that. Father, increase our joy in these difficult days, because there is such a contrast with this world and the next, and help us to take as many with us as we can because they've seen our joy and want what we have. In Jesus' name, amen.

God bless.