The Seven Sources of Biblical Joy

I would like to begin mentioning that in the newsletter I had a topic that's a bit historical, and basically there are people that are going through trials and tests, and I wanted to make this message a little more personal and encouraging for them. So we probably start with the topic of Latin America and Bible prophecy for the following week, but not today.

Because we all go through trials in life and have some dark patches, but God is there to provide us with the help in the time of need. We always have to remember that. Let's go to Hebrews chapter 4.

Hebrews chapter 4. Again, the Bible tells us from God's Word, He inspired it. And we're going through difficult times. Not forget what He is all about. It says in Hebrews chapter 4 verse 14, He says, seeing then that we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. Confession means our faith, our commitment. He says, for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are yet without sin. He batted in baseball terms, He batted a thousand. He never struck out once. He never made an out, which of course no human being has even gotten close to doing that in baseball. Nobody's even batted 500, which means half of the times He batted the equivalent of a thousand every trial, every day He had to face. He never had a bad attitude. He never gave in to human nature. And so He knows how difficult it is for us when we go through difficulties, because it says here He was tempted in all points. So every type of temptation that we can imagine, He had to conquer it. And as a result, it says in verse 16, let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace. It says boldly we have access to it. We have the right to come before God. Sometimes the person feels, oh I'm not worthy, but nobody's worthy. But God has given us that opening, and He wants us to go through to the throne of grace, which means favor and forgiveness, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need. And so that's what God says, directing ourselves to God the Father and to Jesus Christ as our mediator, not to get discouraged about difficulties.

And one of the things that to me is so encouraging when we go through trials and difficulties has to do with one of the nine fruits of God's Spirit. To me, this is one of my favorites, and certainly I go to it constantly. I don't do it perfectly at all, but it is one that I try to apply every day of my life, and that is the fruit of God's Spirit called joy. And through this darkness of the world, we need to have it shine through. It is one of my motivating principles and goals in life, to sustain that joy that comes from God. And through the years, as we had the chance to head youth camps and also at the Feast of Tabernacles, and Cottie and I had the privilege of organizing, one of the primary goals I set was to bring joy to all.

So we need to know what that true and full joy is all about that ultimately comes from God. It's not something that you generate inside of yourself. There is a type of a physical joy, but it doesn't last in time. It doesn't survive the trials and difficulties of life. Notice in John chapter 15 what it tells us here, Jesus Christ said that that joy that he had, he wanted to share with us in John chapter 15 in verse 10. This was, of course, the Passover sermon that he gave before he was arrested that night. John 15 verse 10, he says, 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. Christ always kept God's commandments. There wasn't a conflict there. Christ added a spiritual dimension which would apply in the church, which previously, with the hard-necked and also stiff-necked Israelites, they didn't have God's spirit in them. So that spiritual dimension was not developed except for the few exceptions that we have in the Old Testament, Abraham, Moses, David, and others. But he says here in verse 11, These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

And so he says he is one of the sources of that joy.

And the term joy in the Greek comes from the term chara, C-H-R-A.

And Strong's Dictionary says that chara, which is joy, means cheerfulness. That is calm delight, a calm delightedness that comes upon the person.

And in the Hebrew, the term is samak, which means to shine. So Hebrew is a much more picturesque type of language than the Greek, which is more abstract. But here it means to shine a brightness. For instance, in Proverbs 13 verse 9, it shows us this definition of the term joy. Proverbs 13 verse 9, it says, the light of the righteous rejoices. That's the term for joy. But the lamp of the wicked will be put out. So the light of the righteous rejoices. Another translation here in the easy reading version, it says, the light of those who do right shines brighter and brighter, but the lamp of the wicked becomes darker and darker, saying that that's what they end up being depressed, discouraged, and because of their deeds. But those that are righteous says you're shining, although there are difficulties in life. And so joy is the second fruit of God's Spirit, according to Galatians chapter 5. And it's not a coincidence. Love is the first fruit of God's Spirit. The second is joy, because both are connected. And I'm not speaking of a natural disposition, but a deeper attribute that comes from God's Spirit. Notice an example in the Bible with Paul and Silas and Philippi in Acts chapter 16 in verse 19. Now, if there's a moment when you should feel miserable and depressed, because they were hurting physically, they had just been humiliated. In Acts 16 verse 19, it says here, they were in Philippi, and Paul cast out a demon from a young girl who was a fortune teller. And so it says in verse 19, but when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, in other words, no more prophecy-giving demon, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. And they brought them to the magistrates and said, these men being Jews exceedingly trouble our city. And they teach customs which are not lawful for us being Romans to receive or observe. Then the multitude rose up together against them, and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rod. So here Paul had done a good deed, but people were all disturbed. They acted out of emotion. In verse 23, it says, and when they had laid many stripes with a whip on the back on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. So they had chains on them. And having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. So it's even worse, because at least with the only chains in your hands, you can still walk around. But stocks means that they had these wooden type of kind of a platform and with holes in it that you could open, and they put their feet there, and they closed the stocks, and then they locked them so that they couldn't move.

And what were they doing? It says in verse 25, but at midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God. And the prisoners were listening to them.

Instead of being upset because of a good deed, here they were punished, they were humiliated, thrown into prison. There was still that inner joy in them. You know, we're doing this for Christ. We're doing Christ's job, and he suffered, and we're suffering. And the prisoners were listening. Who are these men that are not depressed? They're not angry? They were praying and singing hymns.

And then it says in verse 26, God acted. Suddenly there was a great earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's chains were loosed. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from the sleep and seeing the prison doors open, in other words, the bolts were all torn off. Supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, because he knew that the Roman punishment for letting prisoners loose and escape was a torture and death.

So he'd rather just kill himself right away. But Paul, seeing this, called with a loud voice, saying, Do yourself no harm, for we are all here. All the prisoners. Somehow they were so impressed with Paul and Silas, and they thought this was a miracle from God.

And they respected that. And then this jailer called for light, ran in and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. So what turned out, what apparently looks like a disaster, now it turned out to be a great blessing, because this man knew these men are from God. This all happened, and we saw his their testimony of the joy amidst all the suffering and pain they were going through.

And he brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? So he made a decision in his life to just yield to that God. And sometimes that's all it takes. I've seen that. Where people just like the centurion who says, Look, I commanded at least a hundred men.

Centurion means to be in charge of a hundred men. And he said, All I do is I receive the orders. I send it out. All my men obey. And he says, I know this is the master talking. What do you want me to do? And that's all it takes. And these people are faithful, and they'll follow God through their lives. This was what the jailer did. And so they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.

Talk about all the adults that were with him. Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him, and to all who were in his house. So again, how God works so mysteriously. Looked like another disaster, but God knew what to do at that moment. Paul and Silas were doing their part, and it changed people's lives. He says, and he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately, he and all his family were baptized. Now when he had brought them into his house, he said food before them, and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.

Sometimes they're very quick that way. Some people take years. Sometimes it's very fast. It doesn't matter how long it takes. It's the type of commitment that is involved in it. And so let's read on verse 35.

And when it was day, the magistrate sent the officers saying, let those men go. And they had heard what had happened. So the keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul, saying the magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore, depart and go in peace. And so here in Philippi, we had a a jailer that became part of the church.

And so you see the power of that inner joy that comes from God. And God will give it to us if we ask Him in faith, if we get draw close to Him. So I'd like to share with you seven sources in the Bible where joy is produced in a person, and how it's developed. The seven sources of biblical joy. So remember, this is something that is not just feeling temporarily happy.

The world has this. It can last a while. People can be temporarily happy and joyful. But what we're talking about here is a lasting joy. Something that no matter what circumstances are, we have that depth that comes from God's Spirit. And believe me, if we have that faith, God will give us that calmness in the midst of turbulence. And so first of all, I'm going to talk about those seven sources of biblical joy.

The first one is that it results from God's love. Joy naturally follows. You have to feel God cares for you. God loves you. Notice in the Old Testament in Cephaniah, the book of Cephaniah chapter 3. Cephaniah chapter 3, one of the prophets we have, starting in verse 17. It says, the Lord your God, in your midst the mighty one will save. He will rejoice over you with gladness. There's the term again for joy. Rejoice. He will quiet you with his love. He will rejoice over you with singing. So first, God is the God of joy. He is joyful. It's not one of the fruits that he produces, and he wants us to have. In a lasting way, it will last throughout our lives. Notice in Romans chapter 14. Romans chapter 14 in verse 17.

Paul says here in verse 17, it says, for the kingdom of God is not eating or drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Again, it comes from God. It's not something that we are born with, this spiritual joy, but it's one of the fruits that is produced. By it, some people might have a natural, joyful attitude, but we're talking about something far deeper and lasting. Biblical joy is described like out here in the Pacific Ocean. You go out about a hundred miles, and it can be a mile deep at that point, a mile deep, and then you have ships going through it, and you have some storms that go above it. And of course, the ships are tossed to and fro, but if you go into the depths, it is at peace. Those currents do not reach the bottom of the ocean. There, it's always restful. It's always at peace, because there's no power that can cause lower parts of the ocean to just be upset and moved around. It's the same way. Our lives can go through all kinds of circumstances, but there should be that bottom layer where there is peace, there is joy in a person's life, and just like the proverbial cork in the ocean. You can push it down, but you know what? It's going to pop right up as soon as it can. You get your joy back. That's what's so important. Let's look at, again, the source that comes from God, and he doesn't make an exception or respect to persons. He will do it to anyone who has that faith, who wants to develop that inner joy. In 1 John chapter 3, verse 1 and 2, John says, Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God. In other words, God is developing a family, and we know in this life we're human beings. We're very fallible and made out of flesh and blood, but inside of us there is the Spirit in man, which is what is recording all of our mind, all of our actions, and that Spirit one day will be resurrected. And then if we're faithful, there will be a spiritual body that will accompany it. And so it says we are called children of God, therefore the world does not know us because it did not know Him. They don't consider God. Right now it's God the Father and Jesus Christ, but there are younger children that God is going to bring into His family. He says, verse 2, Beloved, now we are children of God. So there's a portion right now where in the church we're being developed. We're growing spiritually. He says, and it shall not yet been revealed what we shall be. So we're still flesh and blood, but one day it's going to be different. He says, but we know that when He is revealed, when Christ comes back, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. See, we're going to be transformed into a being like Christ, a younger brother and sister of Jesus Christ.

And so that's what gives us this biblical joy.

Now, the second source for biblical joy comes from understanding God's truths.

The first message touched on that, about having that first love for God's truths and continuing it throughout our lives. One of the best examples we have of someone who loved God's truths was King David. Notice what it says in Psalm 119 verse 14. David loved God's laws, God's ways, and set an example of loving God this way. Psalm 119, starting in verse 14. It says, I have rejoiced. There's a word again. And again, in the Hebrew term for this, it is samak. I mentioned it means to shine. So it's something that causes you to shine your countenance. He says, I have rejoiced in the way of your testimonies. As much as in all riches, I will meditate on your precepts and contemplate your ways. I will delight myself in your statutes, talking about his laws. I will not forget your word. Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word. Open my eyes that I may see wondrous things from your law. You know, the depth of God's laws. Help us to be that way. And then, of course, in verse 97 is the famous verse which says, Oh, how I love your law. It is my meditation all the day. You, through your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me. I have more understanding that all my teachers, for your testimonies, are my meditation. And so, biblical joy comes from understanding God's truths. Do we still have that thirst and hunger to learn more about God's ways, or do we just take it for granted? I remember years ago, my wife, Cottie, when she came into the church as a young teenager, and they found out she was in Chile at the time, and what was the Israelite Church of God. And they found out that, hey, in the United States, there's this big organization that teaches the same things. And, of course, they didn't have the type of literature and all of this, so they subscribed to the magazine that we have, and the booklets. And they said that maybe it would took about a month for them to come in. But boy, when that package came into the mail, they fought. Who was going to read this booklet first? Or, and they would fight over it, and haven't you finished this yet? I want to read it too. It was the same type of first love that we have. And through time, we need to still fall in love with God's laws, with the Bible, and it never should become something stayed, something boring at all.

Notice in Luke chapter 10, Luke chapter 10, about biblical joy coming from understanding God's truths. Because it's something that not, not well known. You're not going to find this in many churches you go to at all, about God's truths. Luke chapter 10, verse 20. Christ said, nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.

In that hour, Jesus rejoiced. Again, it's this joy, inner joy that came upon him. And the Spirit said, I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes, not to the great professors and great intellectuals of society, but to people that are ordinary, common people. He says, even so, Father, for so it seemed good in your sight. All things have been delivered to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal him.

So again, this is spiritual knowledge. This isn't something that you just learn in another church someplace. You have to receive the love of the truth of God. You're going to get it straight from your Bible. You're going to see it for yourself. You're not going to rely like so many churches that supposedly the minister is the one that has to interpret things for you, and that you can't check it out. No, everyone has to look in his Bible and check things out for themselves. Let's go to the third source of biblical joy. Biblical joy results from the vision of the coming kingdom of God.

Does that excite us? Does that encourage us that this world is not always going to be the way it is now with wars, with all of these great dangers, with nuclear bombs, and all kinds of now artificial intelligence that we don't know what's going to happen if it runs amok, if it starts controlling its own self. And they're panicking in some of these AI companies, because they're starting to realize these machines have become so smart, and that they don't want to get turned off.

And they don't respect the creators as much, because the machines think they think better than them. And so, this is a world where things are not going to end right unless Christ comes back. And He's promised us He will. And He'll bring a better world. He'll end all the wars. And Jesus Christ is going to come back, and He's going to be in charge of all the nations.

No longer are we going to have all of these nations fighting and jockeying for position and power. That's all going to end. All the animals will be tamed, so they will revert back to their original nature, which was the one in the Garden of Eden, where all the animals were tamed. There weren't any thorns. There weren't any poisonous plants. Christ said that He's going to establish His kingdom, and it's going to be wonderful.

And we can be part of that. And we can, who knows when that's going to start happening. It can happen within our lifetimes. Notice in Hebrews chapter 2, Hebrews chapter 2, so it's not only God's laws that you learn to love, but you learn to love that coming kingdom. That vision of the coming kingdom is something so real to a person. Hebrews chapter 2, in verse 10, says the following, he says, for it was fitting for Him, talking about Christ, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things.

God instructed Him to create all things, and all things are going to be ultimately under Him. In bringing many sons, the term here is actually children, because it includes men and women, many children to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings, for both he who sanctifies, talking about God, and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, talking about Christ here.

He's not ashamed to call us part of His family.

And so that coming kingdom is so beautiful. People think when you die you're going to heaven, but actually what you do is you die and you have a resurrection in the future. When Christ comes back, it's going to be the first resurrection. That's when people that have been called in this life will be turned into spirit beings, and then afterwards we have this second resurrection with those that are not called in this life. They're not lost. They're going to have an opportunity to know the truth. Second, Hebrews chapter 12 in verse 1, it says, therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, all of these people, the people of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11, surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us. There's always weaknesses that every human being is going to have to struggle with, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

So that's the vision that we have, that future kingdom of God that brings joy. No matter what, nobody can take that from us. No matter what happens in this life, we know Christ is coming. That's the second stage of our lives. That's the one where we're going to live under Jesus Christ, and we're going to see all the past generations that will have a chance, because God had Jesus Christ die for every single person. But you have to claim it at one time in your life. You're going to have to say, well, I want that sacrifice applied to my sins. It's not done automatically. And so the fourth source of biblical joy comes from contentment, what the Bible calls contentment, being content with what we have, grateful for what we have, and not worrying about what we don't have. Let's go to Philippians chapter 4. Philippians chapter 4 and verse 10. Philippians 4 verse 10 says, But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last your care for me has flourished again, though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am to be content. I know how to be abased, times of difficulty, and I know how to abound, times of abundance, everywhere. And in all things, I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. So that was the source of joy that Paul had. There are going to be good times. There are going to be bad times. And we have still some brethren here over a year ago that lost their homes here in the area of Arcadia. And one of them is an elder in the church. And he was trying to help another person. They came in and then they found out the fire continued. And so they had to leave that house. And everything was burnt to a cinder. But you see him? He says, God is providing. God is doing what he can. And he's got joy. He's not lamenting what happened in the past. So let's go to the fifth. Oh, before about contentment, there's this great quote from Helen Keller. How many of you know who Helen Keller is? Can I see? Okay. She was a girl who shortly, a couple years in her life, she became blind and she became deaf. And she couldn't even learn how to speak because she couldn't communicate. But she had a very good teacher. And Helen Keller learned to use Braille, to write, to become an accomplished author. And she went before the nations, all these great United Nations and other places. And she has this famous quote. I cried because I didn't have shoes until I met a man who had no feet. And so she realized there are people that are worse off than me. At least I have a good brain. I have a good mind. She finally passed her education. She passed high school, and went into college and became a very accomplished lady.

So life is full of blessings. Sometimes, she says, we are just too blind to see them. We don't see the blessings. Let's go to the fifth source of biblical joy, results from the lessons that trials and tests bring out. So we sometimes think that tests and trials and difficulties are always just negative. But guess what? They can teach us a lot if we're aware of it. In James chapter 1, in verse 2, James uses the term joy, Kara, in the Greek. It says in verse 2 of James 1, My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience or endurance. So a person that gives up when a test comes along, and doesn't want to learn anything from it, they never will learn. It says, but let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect, which means complete, and in that sense spiritually mature and complete, lacking nothing. And so tests in life are going to be trials, just like an athlete has to be tested and go through things, but boy, afterwards, look at the results. When you persevere, when you overcome, claim that victory over whatever was attacking us. Let's go to 1 Peter chapter 1. Peter says about the same thing James says here. 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 6.

It says about the trials they were going through. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

So again, the main purpose of our lives of having been brought by God on this earth is ultimately to develop spiritual character. And so we're going to have temptations, and we're going to have all kinds of things. Because God wants to see, are we going to persevere? Are we going to build spiritual character? Are we going to be stronger in our faith than when we originally started? Or are we the same type of people? Never learned, never developed. We have to learn to overcome. And that takes us to the sixth source. Biblical joy is produced with spiritual and physical achievements, great and small. So joy needs to have an active person, not a passive person. You need to be active.

Notice in Colossians chapter 3, Colossians chapter 3, and verse 23, it says, and whatever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance, for you serve the Lord Christ. And so it tells us, put all the effort into it, because joy is a result of achieving things when you serve people, when you're thinking about the welfare of others and what they are going through. We have to be active, busy, using the talents that God gives us, serving, learning, and growing.

The famous Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of this nation, said the following, there are three periods in the ideal life of a person. The first stage of your life should be learning, educating yourself. And by the way, poor Benjamin Franklin, he quit his education when he was 10 years old, but he never stopped learning. He actually taught himself all kinds of professions. He became a printer, he became an inventor, one of the great writers of all times. He has more quotes than just about any other human being I know of. And so these are the three periods. The first part is learning. That's your education. The second one is earning. You know, after you finish your education, then you're ready to earn a living. And so Benjamin Franklin did that, and he started working in a printer's shop, and he eventually became such a good worker and dedicated he ended up owning a printing shop, and then more than just those printing shops. And he proposed that at the age of 42, he would have earned enough money that he could retire and do the third stage of his life.

Learning, earning, and then serving. Serving his community, serving his nation. And so at 42, he started using his education and his abilities. He became a scientist. He was one that discovered that lightning is actually electricity that could be harnessed. He invented the Franklin stove, pot belly stove. He actually invented bifocal lenses because he needed them. But not only that, he was part of the Declaration of Independence. He was there. Then he was sent to France, where he became the ambassador, and got the French to come into the war. And as a result, the U.S. was freed. Basically, the French did not respect anyone except Franklin, because he had become so famous. This fellow that at 10 years old had quit school, but never quit learning. And so this is part of that joy of producing. And ministers are your helpers of joy. And the last biblical joy results from appreciation of God and others. To be thankful, to appreciate all these wonderful things. Notice in Colossians 3 verse 15, it says, and let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful. I was just reading the paper this morning, and they had a section there about moths. Now, how many like moths? Okay, one person. I remember we had a black moth that looked like a bat, come into our house one time, scared all of our daughters. It was so nasty, but guess what? Today it mentioned that moths actually help pollinate the flowers, and that about a third of the flowers are pollinated by moths. And they do that at night, because when everything else is gone, they go and they go from one flower to the next, especially some that open up at night, and that they are a great source, not only of pollination, which means that all these types of fruits that we get, these moths, and since they've got that type of hairy body, all that pollen sticks to them, and they go to the next flower, and to the next flower. And you see, appreciate every part of nature, because God made it for us. It's the way that he provides. So we have this wonderful God, this wonderful way of life, but we're going to be tested. We're going to go through ups and downs. So let's go to finish in Jude chapter 1 verse 24. Jude verse 24. This is a fitting ending. It says, now to him, talking about Christ, to him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, talking about the Father, he's going to do it with exceeding joy.

And then it goes to God the Father, to God our Savior, who alone is wise. Out of him, and of course, Christ is under him, there's be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.

So we've got wonderful promises. Let's not ever forget to develop those fruits of God's Spirit and joy.