Are You a Joyful Christian?

Can you hear me now? Verizon checking in on you. See, your phones are still working. Good afternoon to all of you. Thank you for being here. It's always wonderful to see you brethren here. And I just want to comment about the Winter Family Weekend before I comment about Teresa Yuzelle. And I thank you for all using your talents. And you're creating songs like crazy. So you're really good. And this is a rice upbeat song. So thank you for it. I want to comment on Winter Family Weekend. We didn't get to make up, go up there very much. But we did go up for two days. And we did manage to go back and forth. We stayed at home. And we really enjoyed the sports venues a lot. And I know that others enjoyed the educational side of it and some of the other artwork. I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to see. I want to thank all of those who had part in it. I know Mr. Myers and Mr. Welsh were the two main individuals overseeing it from the ministerial standpoint. But Greg Drewry and Frank Dunkel were the education part of it. At least doing some of the teaching up there. And Greg Drewry looking after a lot of the sports and other issues too. So thank you. And all of you who served up there. It's a monumental job. And we really appreciate you for all you did. So thank you so much. And we enjoyed the fellowship. We saw so many people came up. It was a highlight for us and a delight. And as Mr. Mark Holliday said, when you do nice things to people, they remember you. And we had a great opportunity to have people remembering us and coming by and saying hello. It was a really joy to see so many former students and other brethren coming up and giving their regards. Okay.

The shortest number of letters are used in its name. It is sometimes used like a comma among many other words that are much larger. And yet it is a trait that we all need to benefit not only ourselves, but as a benefit to others. What is that word? Only three letters. J-O-Y. Do you ever notice when you talk about the fruits of the spirit, how we say love, joy, peace, long suffering, joy is kind of used as a pause or as a comma almost between love and peace. But joy is vitally important to you as a person and vitally important to those you see and meet every Sabbath and every day of the week wherever you go and wherever you are, whether it's at work or shopping. So the title of this sermon is, Are You a Joyful Christian?

Notice I didn't just say, do you have joy? I said, are you a joyful Christian? Are you full of joy? And that doesn't mean you're laughing all the time or grinning all the time, telling jokes all the time does not constitute joy. There is a physical side of joy, physical senses that we have. There are a lot of senses that we can have as Christians. It's not just something spiritual, but the basis of all lasting joy will be spiritual. Because after all, it is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. When you repent of your past, you are baptized, believe in Jesus Christ in his kingdom and you're baptized, after that you receive God's Holy Spirit. God's Holy Spirit enables you and me to bear these wonderful fruits that are listed in Galatians 5, 22 and 23. Joy is one of them. I looked up trees, I was thinking you could graft in maybe a different, like, would you prepare into an apple tree? You can't do it. You can graft in there different kinds of apples. You know, if you have a, what, a Jonathan, if they're matching, you could, you could graft them into the same tree. They could bear different kinds of the same fruit. But you can't bear different fruits from that tree.

In your tree, you, you have the capability of bearing all the fruits of the Holy Spirit. How do you have joy in your life? God's Spirit gives you the lasting joy. But joy is something we can all have. So in perusing my sermon files, I found that I gave a sermon on joy, you'll hear one very often, gave one on joy in Toronto, Canada in 1970, my first pastorate. Now this isn't a repeat of that. I just used it for getting some of the scriptures that I had, I still knew some of the scriptures back then. So many years ago, what, 57 years ago? 54 years ago, I gave a sermon on joy. I've given one seminar on happiness, what happiness is. But happiness is not joy either, but joy will produce happiness. Is it okay for you to be happy when you do good? Yes. Is it okay for you to be happy if you, some, somebody does something nice for you? Yes. That's a physical sensation. It's what joy is that we need to understand the fullness of it. Because if you have joy in your life, you can't keep it from others. It will overflow. No, you don't have to have a Lawrence Welk bubble machine tied to your back, blowing up bubbles every time, wherever you go. You don't have to be effusive around people. You don't have to overwhelm them. But if you are a joyful Christian, you will make their day. Just by being there, by how you treat them, by how your outlook is. So if we're joyful Christians, I've, one of the main reasons I gave that 1970 sermon was I got so tired of looking at the feast and seeing all those people come up on the stage. And I know some of them had ailments and some of them were some of them for corral at the feast. And I looked at their faces and they were glum. You're going up to sing praises to God.

Where's the joy? Can you sing praises being glum? Well, you can, but you're going through the routine. It's not matching your demeanor.

I gave it on that because I kept saying, why can't people be happy? Why can't they show, show that joy? If you have joy in your life that God produces and God does produce it, but you have to do something with it as well. You have a part in it. It's there for you to bear as his love, as his peace, as his longs, suffering, as his gentleness and meekness and kindness. They're all there, but we have to be willing to show it. We have to let it out. And when you have joy, you benefit not just yourself, you benefit others too. Do you know the happiest nation in the world? Just happiest. Finland. Finland. They had six different criteria that they use and what it has to do with your GM, the gross national product. It has to do with your fielding of safety. It has to do with how you have a community, how you people, how people work in a community. Do you feel safe? Are you successful? Do you have good income? How's, how's your living standards? All that in there. And the top 10, I think seven or eight come from Northern Europe, Scandinavia. Iceland also is one of the top ones.

The United States is not one of the top ones. And in fact, only 47% say they are very satisfied with their lives, which means over 50%, if you're in the average year, over 50% of you don't feel happy a lot of the time.

Why aren't you? Do you have joy? And you have it there. It's ability. Do you bear it? And if you do bear it, is it just for you? So if we have a big pear tree in our backyard, am I going to eat all the pears on that tree? If I did, I'd be running to the toilet a lot.

So you take a pack of them, give them to your neighbor, take a pack, give it to somebody. Our fruit that we bear from the tree is intended to be shared. You can eat it too. You could imbibe, but it's for us to all use. Australia made the top 10. Canada was 15. This is the latest one. United States, 23. Number 23 in the world for happiness. It slipped eight points from the previous year. It was 15. Canada's 15. Australia's 10. UK, I think, is 20. So you live in a beautiful country, a wonderful country, a successful country in most cases. But we live in a country where not everybody is thrilled with life. Are you thrilled with life? Does it show? So Galatians 5, verse 22, let's read it. Verses 22 and 23. Let's read the scripture that's so important to us, and it is important not just to you, but it's important to us. Because, as was mentioned by Mr. Holiday, you can make a difference. Not because of you, but because of God in you and what God could produce through you. Galatians 5, 22 and 23. The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. Verse 23. Gentleness, self-control. Against such, there is no law. So those are all kinds of fruits that we bear. They're good for us. But do I have patience just for me? Well, I need to have it sometimes. I couldn't get my shirt buttoned. I can't, come on, you can get that. My fingers aren't as dexterous as they used to be. I'm trying to get that button in my top button. I had to try to stood in front of a real good mirror. I got it in. Yes. Way to go.

But happiness and joy, patience, they're all to share with others. So what is joy? And do we bear it as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit working in our lives? See, God gave you the spirit of God. Now it's up to you to use it. He doesn't give you a spirit every day. He can add to it if you need him to add to it. But you've got it there. It's a matter of bearing it. It's like the sap of a tree. It's ready. Are you going to bear it or are you just going to let it go through the tree and never use it for maple syrup? Use it for maple syrup. How are you going to use it?

The effects of joy are essential for a thriving life and a thriving congregation. I like being at a congregation that's happy. That's joyful. I remember Mr. Frank McCready, who used to pastor the North and Dayton. And at the Feast of Tabernacles, he's the only one, only minister there. I was one of them too. I wasn't the pastor of a church, but nonetheless, the only one who gave praise to his congregation. He said, I love going to my churches every Sabbath. The brethren there have joy.

Do you like coming to church? Do you like sharing your joy with others? Do you have joy to share? Are you bearing that fruit or is it somehow dormant? Is it the comma between love and peace?

So let's take a look at how we can give joy to others. Let's understand what it is at first. My mind was working overtime. This morning I had all kinds of additional things. So whoever was interpreting, I don't think anybody is, but whoever was interpreting, I didn't get every little last thing. I kept sending a little addition to it. Here's another addition to it. What I told you to start with was an addition. Here's the other one. Pollyanna. I saw the movie Pollyanna many years ago, played it for our kids. It's a 1960s movie by Walt Disney. Pollyanna portrays his 11 year old. She was 14, Hailey Mills. An orphan girl who comes to town to live with her aunt. Her aunt is dour, sour, and unhappy. And Pollyanna is happy. She sees happiness. In fact, she took as a mantra that if you look for bad in people, you will surely find it. That's a mindset. Am I coming here to look for bad? I'll find it. Look at you didn't do, you didn't sit up straight here. Number 432 is not in place. If you look for evil, if you look for bad, you'll find it. But why not look for good? It's a shift in how we are as a person. If you are a positive, upbeat person, you help people because you're not looking for the bad. That doesn't mean that you don't address things that are evil when it's your job to do it. Or if it's your friend that you help them, doesn't mean that. It doesn't mean you laugh through sin and evil. No. But it does mean if you're looking for it, you'll surely find it. In the movie, it was supposed to be attributed to Abraham Lincoln. They found out that is not so. Abraham Lincoln did not say that. Somebody made it up and wrote it into the script.

But you know what she said to her preacher because her preacher was always in vain against sin. I'm going to do this. I'm going to end up in probably a Baptist preacher preacher. I don't remember our Methodist. You don't do this. You're going to go to hell. You don't do this. You're going to go to hell. You know what that congregation felt like? Beaten down every Sabbath or Sunday.

She saw him practicing one of his sermons. He was practicing it on the field as she was walking through the field, pick some flowers or whatever. And she said, have you ever thought there are over 800 happy texts in the Bible? 800. To talk about rejoice, to talk about be glad, to talk about praise, to talk about rejoice again. Rejoice in the Lord. Again, I say rejoice. Philippians 4.4, Psalm 68.3 talks about rejoice, rejoice, rejoice.

Over 800. She said, if God, this little 14 year old or 11 year old, she was really 14, but she's 11 year old. She said, if God would repeat something like that 800 times, don't you think we ought to pay attention?

Well, that preacher, instead of giving them what for, she got through to him. And next week he stood up. The people couldn't believe it. He was kind to them. He still delivered a substantial, substantive message, but he did not rail on them. All the difference in the world, how you are, how you treat people. Where do you go? You looking for evil? Do you spot the evil real fast? I could spot it. I've got an analytic mind. I do spot. I've been a stir for 61 years. I do see good. I try to focus on the good. And I see what's wrong. And I'll tell you there are many more reasons to be negative. Then positive. But as a Christian, we have to fight the negativity because one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is not negativity. It's joy. It's not being glum. It's being joyful. And I, so I asked you, are you joyful? Are you a joyful Christian? Or not? Let's define what we're talking about in this sermon. I'm just going to give you the definition from Merriman Webster's. It's a, it's a dictionary that we can all read and understand. I forgot it from the internet. It is an emotion evoked by well-being, feeling good, being successful, or good fortune. Something nice happens to you. Or, or by the prospect of profess, processing what one desires. It's about seeing something beyond yourself. We have every reason to be joyful, even in the, in that sense. That's just a, that's just a definition. Another one is the expression or exhibition of such an emotion. Another one is a state of happiness or felicity or a source or cause of delight. So do you have that? Well, this is, what is the clinical definition? Clinical definition is a feeling of emotional emotion, sorry, of extreme gladness, delight, or exaltation of the spirit arising from a sense of well-being or satisfaction. And of course, as they talk about it spiritually, it is mentioned that that cause, if we see the Greek words and the Hebrew words, it goes way beyond just the physical senses. God's spirit gives you that inside, that positivity, that outgoing look, that concern for the welfare of others, that feeling of attitude and gratitude toward others, that appreciation for who they are and saying it and smiling and just a nice little card to somebody, means the world. As senior citizens, I can tell you, and I'm not advertising for anything, by the way. I get plenty. But when somebody sends me a note, just says something nice, I really appreciate it. It lifts your spirits. Why? Because somebody was nice to you.

We all have that capability. Why don't we use it? Why don't we just say, well, joy, what's a very small part of the, well, joy, peace, long, so let's not pay much attention to that. I pay attention to it because you can use that to affect others in a positive way. You can quote, make their day.

One of the students from last year looked me up while I was there, we had an advantage to finally meet, they came from another distance away. And when they were, when after they came and visited, I sent her a note and I just said, you made our day, my wife and mine. You made our day. And she wrote back, you made mine too.

Just because you took time to care and to express it. Tell me, whom do you feel like going and talking to somebody who looks glum into themselves down in the mouth or somebody who looks happy. Somebody who looks open, approachable. That's who you go to. Not somebody who looks glum, dour, and you know how to chase people away? Just look mean. You think people won't feel it? They will feel it.

Now, there is a time for beingness and there's a time for beingness. Now, there is a time for beingness and there's a time to be stern and there's a time to stand tall and there's a time to rebuke. But I'm ever so mindful of Mr. Armstrong sitting behind the desk in Pasadena, California, as the pastor general of all the ministry and telling us as ministers, now I can rebuke, you can't. I'm like a grandfather. You're younger, you should not be rebuking. And if you do, it should be very gently brought across. That was what he said. I've always taken that to heart. I'm not yet a grandfather. Well, I am a grandfather, so I have to say I can do it, but I could use it sparingly. I do use it sparingly. So those are some of the definitions of the word. And by the way, there are three types. There's a temporary joy.

Basically, I'm just going to give you two types. Temporary joy. That is that which is spurred by the external circumstances as was brought out in the sermonette. When he saw this trailer from Superman, he was psyched.

What psyched him? Superman trailer.

Somebody gives you a nice gift. Somebody bakes a nice pie or cake or cookies for you. Oh, you're psyched. Momentarily. Momentarily. And then there's lasting joy. In the Greek, it's called hara. Number 5479 if you want to check me. That means joy, gladness, delight. In the Hebrew word, samach, 8 0 5 7 is the Hebrew version of kara. They mean they have joy. Joy. You mean rejoice means to have more joy. Have more joy. What did Paul say in Philippians? And again, I say rejoice in the Lord. And again, I say rejoice. Are you full of the Holy Spirit? I hope you are. If you're baptized and converted, you have God's Holy Spirit. Somehow that it neglect joy in your life. It's there. He's not going to do it for you. He makes it available for you. You've got to determine to use it as was brought out by the sermon at two.

I could read more on this cultural issues, but I'm not going to do that. It's also interesting that the cognate of these these three words. Also has to do with grace.

C H A R car for grace is Hari's for rejoice. It's cari roll and for that's for rejoice and for joy. It's cara. So they all come from the same stem, which means if you have the grace of God in your life, remember what God tells us. Don't just grow in knowledge. Second Peter three 18 grow in grace and knowledge. The apostle Paul said, what do I say? Should you continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. Oh, God likes forgiving me because that's an aspect of grace. God, if I'm going to if the only thing it is, is forgiving you, grace, God gives you mercy, forgives you. Is that it? No, it's not it. How do you grow in it? The only way you could grow at it is to sin more. Oh, God likes God likes to forgive me. So I'll give him more reason to forgive me. That way I grow in grace. No, there is a temporary joy. I could give you some quotes, but I won't read them exactly. I want to make sure I finish today on time, hopefully. Job Job 20 verses four and five. One of the one of the men, one of his friends trying to console him said this in Job 20 verses verse five. He said that the triumphing of the wicked is short and the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment. That's temporary joy. Hebrews chapter 11. I'm not going to quote any there just a certain section of it. Talking about Moses, how Moses chose to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy, enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. See, if you do something that's sinful, it can be pleasurable. No, why would increase joy? I can see it. Oh, if I kept that 10 percent back that I gave to the church, I'd be 10 percent richer.

It's joy, right? Temporary. It won't last.

And in fact, in Ecclesiastes chapter two, and I'll just quote this as well to you or refer to it, Ecclesiastes two verses one to three. Solomon saw no lasting value in joy. That is temporary joy. He said, come now, I will test you at birth. Therefore, enjoy pleasure. But surely this is also vanity. Everything you can do that is happy and joyful, it's gone. You like we liked watching the Tournament of Roses Parade. All they didn't like it this year, it wasn't on home and gardens. And you had to see commercial after commercial after commercial. The people sitting up there were more for themselves and for the audience. They weren't describing it. We've we have seen it almost every year since I was before I was even even went to Ambassador College. But when I went right by the college, we kept hoping every year we'd see the college. They didn't show it. And then when I was at Ambassador College in the 80s, late 79 and 80s and 90s, we worked on the Tournament of Roses Parade route. We sold magazines. We did all kinds of things there to make money for the students. But it was the greatest event. I never watch any other parade because there's none that comes close to the Tournament of Roses. But we look forward to it coming. We watch it at 11 o'clock our time on New Year's. One o'clock it's over. It's gone. I have no lasting happiness with that.

Anything we do in this life, you could have a good meal, good steak dinner with baked potatoes and I know I'm making you hungry. Baked potatoes and a luscious salad and all the rest beforehand and topped off with the best blueberry cobbler you ever find in the Cincinnati area with ice cream on top. And you finish eating that and you say, oh, is that ever good? And you might even think about it later that evening as your palate continues to enjoy whatever residue is there. But it's gone. It's temporary, but not God's joy. The joy that God gives lasts. Ecclesiastes 3 verses 12 and 13, I will read this to you. There is nothing wrong with enjoying physical pleasures as long as they are not sin. And to go along with what Mr. Holiday said, what is worldliness? Is following the world as they sin. I did a lot of things people in the world did do today. I took a shower. I comb my hair. I brushed my teeth. I got dressed. I put on a suit. Maybe the world wouldn't put on a suit today. But I got dressed. They would get dressed in most cases. This is a nudist colony. They would get dressed.

I do lots of things that the world does. I comb my hair.

I clean my glasses. I just don't want to do what the world does when they go into sin. Don't be spotted by the world, James says. Don't be spotted by the world. So here we read in Ecclesiastes 3 verses 12 and 13, you might turn there. And I put down, there's nothing wrong with enjoying life. That is the temporary joy. I know, look at Solomon wrote, I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice. So God says, it's good for us to rejoice. And to do good in their lives. Doing good in your life also brings joy by the way. And when you do scriptures, as was mentioned by Mr. Holiday, when you when you follow the scriptures and do what God says, you have joy. Nothing better than to rejoice and to do good in their lives. And also that every man should eat and drink as far as I know, that's physical. And enjoy the good of all of his labor. Goes to work every day, does whatever he does, a good job, serves, comes home, he's happy, fulfilled whatever he was supposed to do to help his company or do his job. He said, and enjoy, eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor. Why? It is the gift of God. God lets you have that, but it's a temporary joy when it's when it's doing something that's just earthly, it's stimulated by something physical. But it's not wrong to enjoy that. It's only wrong to enjoy it if it's imbibing too much is drink. It's only wrong to enjoy it if you're becoming a sluggard by sleeping too long. It's only a joy. It's only not a joy, not good, not right to enjoy. If you're eating too much in our glutton.

But normally to eat and drink and enjoy the good of life is OK. He says it's a gift of God. God lets you have that. But it's not the Holy Spirit. Let's take a look at spiritual joy. An important fruit of God's Holy Spirit, love, joy, peace. Not to be used only for ourselves. If you just say, oh, I just want to be joyful, I just want to be happy. I just want to be happy.

Not enough. Not if you have spiritual joy. Spiritual joy shares it. You bear the fruit. You share it with others. And they feel it.

Do brethren feel your presence when you come here? And we're not talking about some hocus pocus just because you're positive and upbeat. People see a new tranquility. People see a new genuineness. People see a new someone who has something going for them. After all, we're all anticipating the kingdom of God.

We are intended to share the fruit just as we would the fruit from our trees. And all the fruit of the spirit needs to be shared. And today we're just focusing on joy. So to have joy means to anticipate, means to accomplish, and means to share. With contentment. I'm happy about life. Are you happy about life? I thank God that I'm alive every day. I thank God that I can see the sunshine every day.

Do you? I thank God that he made me fearfully and wonderfully that my body can heal. I thank God that he gives me energy and strength. Do you thank God?

Are you joyful? Can you praise God and be dour? Perhaps we give you praise God. How does that, that doesn't match your demeanor, does not match your words. Does not match your singing. We used to sing in the chorale in Pasadena, California. And the person who led is always telling people to smile because when you're smiling, you could sing better. To smile. Let's look at Romans six, verses one and two for anticipation. So if we want to anticipate, well, it's something that we can look forward to. Something that gives us joy. That's not yet here. Romans five, verses one and two joy. There's a joy to being in God's kingdom. Verse one. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord, Jesus Christ. We have peace with God through him, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand notice and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. When did we receive that glory? When we're in the kingdom of God.

Where are you headed? Every day. Where are you headed? Kingdom of God. It's not up there. It's coming here.

When you say kingdom of God, people think you're going up to heaven. Kingdom of God is coming here. God's bringing his way here to straighten out this world. Isaiah sixty five, verses 17 to 19. Sometimes we've used this to say this is talking about the second resurrection, but you'll see if you read prior to this and after they're having children during that time. Isaiah sixty five, verses 17 and 19. Joy. There's joy in what God is going to do to this earth and God rejoices too. Do you know that God rejoices? Do you know that the angels rejoice? I'll show you that in a moment. We talk about a accomplishment. Isaiah sixty five, verses 17 to 19. Still with this theme of anticipation. He says, for behold, I create new heavens and a new earth. God's going to have to straighten out this whole world before he brings the new heavens and the new earth. He's going to renew this earth that's been so polluted and marred by man and his pollutions, the streams. When I was little, what did we do with oil? We buried it in the soil.

But John buried the soil. Throw it in the streams. It'll wash away, will it?

Write down to your neighbor's stream. If they're lower than you are. That's not the way. He said, I hope, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth and the former shall not remember or come to mind. I'm going to create such a beautiful place. That's the millennium. Isaiah thirty five of the deserts are going to blossom as the spring as as the rose. It's going to be beautiful. He's going to create that. He said, but the glad and the but be glad and rejoice forever in what I create. And we can be glad and rejoice even now with what he's created. The marvels of birds. I was looking at something on my on my computer. You know what they showed? Here's these little baby birds in the nest little and it showed starting to rain. And so the mother bird expands all of its wings and covers them. How did it learn to do that? God put that there because God cares. This creation has so many delightful things, so many joyful things that God does, but he's going to create it again for I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing. Jerusalem's not a rejoicing. Now Jerusalem has bomb shelters. And sirens. So when missiles are hurled toward them, people can go into those. No, it doesn't. I don't see a rejoicing. I see a an area that's scary and her people a joy. I will rejoice in Jerusalem. God says, I will be happy. We're going to be in the family of God. We're going to be children of God. Shouldn't we be happy? That's an anticipation. He said, I will rejoice in Jerusalem and joy in my people. God has joy in you. The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her nor the voice of crying.

Because they'll be joyful. And where do I read the last scripture, this sermon? I will get to that one. Wait till I read that last one. Isaiah 21 more under this part to have joy in the anticipation. Isaiah 25 verse nine. What the inhabitants of the earth will feel when Jesus Christ returns. At his first return at his first coming or second coming rather Isaiah 25 and verse nine. And it will be said in that day, behold, this is our God. We have waited for him and he will save us. This is the Lord. We have waited for him. Notice this is Isaiah 25 nine. We will be glad and rejoice in his salvation. We should be a gleeful people, a happy people, brim full of joy. We have a God who's going to save us. We have a God who's not just going to save us. He's going to save the world. That's our God. What about accomplishments? I can share the prodigal son with you. I'm just going to pick out a couple of areas here and this is on accomplishment. There's joy in what you do. There's joy in what you do. Do you ever stand back? If you, I used to wash cars, my dad's car, neighbor's car, whatever, and $5, I have a $3, whatever it was. I wash the whole car. I wipe it down. I shabby it. I try to pick up, take, take anything. And I would stand back when I was done, look at those wheels and the tires and how nice they looked. If I scar a sink, I always look back, see that I did it right. That was a good job. Way to go, Gary.

Do you take joy in what you do? Prodigal son. He wasn't joyful to have be with his father. He wanted his inheritance now and go. So he said in verse 18 of Luke 15, I will rise and go to my father and I will say to him, father, I've sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son because he was starving. Make me like one of your hired servants because I know they get fed. I don't get fed here.

Tell me what, what can I do? And then again, let me read this part here. And he arose verse 20 and he came to his father and when he was still a great way off, his father ran and had compassion on him, ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. Do you think that father was joyful? Did he kiss him with a sour face? Do you think his face lit up when his son who is lost came back? You bet he did. And the son said to him, father, I've sinned against heaven and in your sight, I'm no longer worthy to be called your son.

But the father said to his servants, bring out the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand, sandals on his feet. Bring the fatted calf, verse 23, and kill it.

Let's eat and be merry. Let's be glad. Why? For this my son was dead and is alive and again he was lost and is found and began to be merry. God wants us to be happy. This man repented. This man repented, something he did. Two other examples of repentance. This will blow your mind in Luke's 15 and verse seven and again in verse 10.

Here's the same parable Jesus is giving a similar parable. He said in verse seven, I tell you in the same way that there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 persons who do not need to repent. And again in verse this is what he said in the parable of the lost sheep. And he said, likewise, I say to you, there's joy in the presence of the angel.

The angels are up there happy for you. In God's presence, they're happy for you. Are you happy for you? Accomplishment, repentance, accomplishment, whatever it is, brings joy. Parable of the lost coin. He said after that lady searches, she has 99 of them as you lost this one. Now you drop a penny, you've got dollars in your wallet, you've coined change in your pocket and you drop the penny.

And you go looking around for trying to find that one. And if you find it happy, you are. So he says, likewise, I say to you, there's joy in the presence of the angels of God for one sinner who repents. That's new King James. That's Luke 15 verse 10. And also there are other sections here that I have on that. You could find it prior to that section.

Proverbs 21 15. We read, it is a joy for the just to do justice. When you do what is there something good about something positive when you do what's right, two ways to go the wrong way or the right way. You look, you choose the right way. That's joy. You'll be happy. You chose the right way. Remember what Jesus Christ said when they were taught it taught them to wash feet. He said, if you do these things, do these things. Happy are you.

Happy carries with it blessed as well. Proverbs 14 21 doing good brings joy. He who despises his neighbor sins, but he who has mercy on the poor. Happy is he. And it's Escher in the Hebrew and the word means blessed or happy. Blessed or happy is he. And then one of one final scripture in this section, first Thessalonians one verses six and seven first Thessalonians one verses six and seven is same section on being happy because you do.

And you became followers of us and of the Lord having received in much affliction with joy of the Holy Spirit so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe you became followers of us through much affliction and with the joy of God's spirit. See something about Christians very special. They can go through difficult times. They still have joy. Do you lose your joy when difficulties come?

Does it dissipate? Does it ebb? Does it wane? Or can you see through that trial? Can you see through those difficulties? In conclusion, how may we have joy in our lives? Jesus Christ, when he came into the world, was not received with joy. He came to his own. They did not receive him, but Christians did. Christians did.

When he came and they saw him, they appreciated him. Certainly when he first came, the angels, not the angels, but the wise men rejoiced over him. In Luke 2, Matthew 2, verse 10. And in Luke 2, verse 10, the angels rejoiced when Jesus Christ was born. In John 1.44, John is a babe and his womb leaped for joy when Mary came bearing Jesus Christ in her womb. Just the fact that he came near, Jesus Christ will give us joy. He has the joy to give. And why can he give you joy? We often think Jesus Christ was the man of sorrows. Walked throughout the world. All he did look, all he looked is dour and down. But I read you a scripture, Hebrews 1, verses 8 and 9.

I believe Paul wrote Hebrews, but it doesn't matter. It's part of the accepted canon of the Bible. Verse 8, but to the Son, he says, your throne, oh God, is forever and ever because Jesus Christ is God too. A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. Therefore, God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness more than your companions. Jesus Christ had more joy and gladness than all of his buddies. Now, you don't see that as much except the delight he had in raising that widow's son who was being carried to be buried. He stopped her. Her only son raised him from the dead. How he brought Lazarus out of the womb when he was about to stink. Bring him up. Lazarus come for his game walking out all wrapped in these clothes, these rags they had around him.

Jesus Christ had lots of joy. Doesn't record a lot of them. Hebrews 1, verses 8 and 9 is a good verse.

John 16, verse 22 to 24. Therefore, you now have sorrow, Jesus said to his disciples, but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice and your joy no one will take from you. I'll see you again. I'll be back. That's anticipation. That's hopeful. That keeps you joyful by being hopeful. He said, most assuredly I say to you, ask the father, whatever you ask the father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive that your joy may be full. The Apostle Paul said in Romans 15, 13, the God of hope will fill you with all joy. We can have, we can be joyful. And finally, John 15, 11, Jesus gives us his joy to spread around. John 15, 11. These things I have spoken to you. Jesus told his disciples that my joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full. John 15, 11. So spread your joy, share your joy with others. Make a difference. A merry heart does proverbs. A merry heart does good like a medicine. It heals people. A smile from your face. You beam to people joy. If it's coming from the inside, not just trying to track that person for any particular reason. And so how can we share that joy? Be positive, be joyous, smile, greet, send gifts or cheery notes, show kindness, be courteous, express gratitude, serve, shine the light that's in you.

Brethren, a congregation that has joy is a delight to serve. One last scripture, Isaiah 35 and verse 10. Picture of God's kingdom on the earth. Isaiah 35 and verse 10. And I need to read that in my scriptures. I have most of them typed out already, but I'll read this one because it's very impactful. It's in that chapter that we all read. Usually it's in the book of John, and it's in the book of John. It's in the chapter that we all read, usually at the Feast of Tabernacles time, a description of what God's world that he has for you and me and for all the world will be like. Isaiah 35 and verse 10. And this.

See, yes, the Lord shall return witness the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing. Those who he saved will come to Zion with singing with everlasting joy on their heads and shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing will flee away. God promises in his kingdom. Your joy will not end. There will be everlasting joy for the peoples in God's kingdom. With everlasting joy, you have a congregation of people that are a delight to be around. So are you joyful? Let's determine to be joyful. To be joyful Christians now and for all eternity as the children of God.