Joy - the Critical Missing Fruit
Jerry N. Watts
John 15:1- 11
You have heard this so much that you are likely weary of it or numb to it, ''These are unusual and challenging times.'' Since mid-March I have felt like this (Twilight Zone music - the youngsters won't get this). All of us saw this on our present-day Systematic Theology book which goes by the name of Facebook: ''First came the Virus, then the riots, and now Hurricane Season. Do I need a mask, a Glock, or a generator?'' These are truly unusual times, but for those who know and study God's word, this is not unexpected. Things may get better temporarily, but scripture is pretty clear that the closer we get to the second coming of Christ, the worse things will get. The struggles of this life are real.
Today I wanted to preach from 2 Corinthians 1 where Paul speaks of afflictions and sufferings and tells us to not waste our hurts, pains, and problems, because God will use the stuff (pain, suffering,) of our lives to encourage others when they have trouble. Today is about JOY!
The secret to handling pain is JOY. It hurts me to say this, but too many ''Christians'' and ''Churches'' seem to have lost their 'joy.'' Vance Havner wrote these words in 1938 and they seem a little prophetic: ''The church suffers today from a saddening lack of old-fashioned, simple-hearted, over-flowing, Christian joy. We have plenty of knowledge, plenty of enthusiasm, and denominational zeal, but Christians and churches that started out in revival fires are living in the smoke, and the 'amens' and 'hallelujahs' have gone from most of assemblies of the saints.'' This is why I have felt impressed to preach about JOY. Our title from our text is ''Joy-The Critical Yet Missing Fruit.''
Nehemiah says the 'joy of the Lord is my strength.' James 1 tells us to ''count it joy.' Paul wrote from PRISON to the Philippians about joy. To the Galatians Paul writes that the 'fruit of the spirit is 'love - JOY.' John the Beloved writes ...
Jerry N. Watts
John 15:1- 11
You have heard this so much that you are likely weary of it or numb to it, ''These are unusual and challenging times.'' Since mid-March I have felt like this (Twilight Zone music - the youngsters won't get this). All of us saw this on our present-day Systematic Theology book which goes by the name of Facebook: ''First came the Virus, then the riots, and now Hurricane Season. Do I need a mask, a Glock, or a generator?'' These are truly unusual times, but for those who know and study God's word, this is not unexpected. Things may get better temporarily, but scripture is pretty clear that the closer we get to the second coming of Christ, the worse things will get. The struggles of this life are real.
Today I wanted to preach from 2 Corinthians 1 where Paul speaks of afflictions and sufferings and tells us to not waste our hurts, pains, and problems, because God will use the stuff (pain, suffering,) of our lives to encourage others when they have trouble. Today is about JOY!
The secret to handling pain is JOY. It hurts me to say this, but too many ''Christians'' and ''Churches'' seem to have lost their 'joy.'' Vance Havner wrote these words in 1938 and they seem a little prophetic: ''The church suffers today from a saddening lack of old-fashioned, simple-hearted, over-flowing, Christian joy. We have plenty of knowledge, plenty of enthusiasm, and denominational zeal, but Christians and churches that started out in revival fires are living in the smoke, and the 'amens' and 'hallelujahs' have gone from most of assemblies of the saints.'' This is why I have felt impressed to preach about JOY. Our title from our text is ''Joy-The Critical Yet Missing Fruit.''
Nehemiah says the 'joy of the Lord is my strength.' James 1 tells us to ''count it joy.' Paul wrote from PRISON to the Philippians about joy. To the Galatians Paul writes that the 'fruit of the spirit is 'love - JOY.' John the Beloved writes ...
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