…In your presence is Fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore! (Psalm 16:11)
REJOICE AND BE GLAD
Psalm 118:24 – This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it!
Philippians 4:4 – Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice!
Psalm 100:2 – Serve the Lord with GLADNESS…
A Joyful Scripture song:
“I will rejoice, I will REJOICE! I will REJOICE for I’ve made my choice to rejoice in the Lord. It doesn’t depend on the circumstance, the strength of my arm or my voice… it doesn’t depend on the way I feel, I’ve made up my mind and I’m gonna rejoice!” (Steve Kuban)
THE SEARCH
Many are searching in the wrong places for joy & happiness! There are a lot of unhappy people in the world!
The Solution
Jesus is the source of true joy & happiness!
Psalm 144:12-15 – …HAPPY is the people whose God is the Lord!
Psalm 146:5 – HAPPY is he that has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God: …
It is only in Jesus that true joy and happiness can be found! Salvation is only through Jesus, and salvation is a source of great joy and happiness! (Acts 4:12)
JESUS IS THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD
John 4:42 – “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”
John 4:14 – …we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.
SALVATION BRINGS JOY AND GLADNESS
Psalm 35:9 – And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord; It shall rejoice in His salvation.
Psalms 51:12 – Restore unto me the joy of your salvation; and uphold me with your free spirit.
Habakkuk 3:18 – Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
Psalms 20:5 – We will rejoice in your salvation…
JESUS BIRTH BROUGHT GREAT JOY AND GLADNESS
Matthew 2:10 – When they saw the star, they REJOICED with exceeding GREAT JOY.
Luke 2:10 – And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
THE LORD IS THE JOY OF THE WHOLE EARTH
Ps 48:1-2 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised …2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.
Christians SHOULD be the happiest people on earth
As we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and serve Him joyfully, we can experience JOY UNSPEAKABLE (beyond description) and full of glory!
HAPPY is the people whose God is the Lord! (Psalm 145:15; 146:5)
Solomon’s servants were HAPPY
2 Chronicles 9:3,6-7,22-23 – When the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built… Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and my eyes had seen it… and, behold, the one half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me: for you exceed the fame that I heard.7 HAPPY are your men, and HAPPY are these your servants, which stand continually before you, and hear your wisdom.
Special note – If there was so much joy in Solomon’s earthly kingdom because of wisdom, how much more and abundant happiness is available for servants in the kingdom of God under King Jesus, who is made unto us wisdom… (I Cor. 1:30)
I Corinthians 1:30 – But of Him are you in Christ JESUS, who of God is made unto us WISDOM, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: …
The kingdom of God is joy
Romans 14:17 – The kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and JOY in the Holy Spirit.
JOY IS A BLESSING FROM THE LORD
Ps. 89:15 – Blessed is the people that know the JOYFUL sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of your countenance.16 In your name shall they REJOICE all the day: and in your righteousness shall they be exalted.
Let’s serve the Lord with joy and gladness
Ps. 100:1-2 – Make a JOYFUL noise unto the Lord… serve the Lord with GLADNESS, come before His presence with singing.
MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE TO THE LORD
Psalms 66:1 – Make a JOYFUL noise unto God, all you lands:
Psalms 81:1 – Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a JOYFUL noise unto the God of Jacob. (Psalm 95:1,2; 98:4; 100:1)
If we refuse to serve Him with joy and gladness – His blessings are withheld
Deuteronomy 28:47,48 – “Because you did NOT serve the Lord your God WITH JOY AND GLADNESS of heart, for the abundance of everything, 48 therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the Lord will send against you in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you.
WE ARE TO SEEK THE LORD JOYFULLY
Psalms 40:16 – Let all those that seek you rejoice and be glad in you: let such as love your salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.
Psalms 105:3 -Glory you in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.
Jesus turns mourning into dancing & joyful praise
Isaiah 35:10 – And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Jeremiah 31:13 – “Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old, together; For I will turn their mourning to joy, will comfort them, and make them rejoice rather than sorrow.
Psalm 30:11 – You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness...
Isaiah 61:3 – To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
JESUS wants us to be of good cheer
John 16:33 – These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but BE OF GOOD CHEER, I have overcome the world.”
JESUS loves a cheerful giver
2 Corinthians 9:7 – Let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a CHEERFUL giver.
A merry heart does good like medicine
Proverbs 15:13 – A MERRY heart makes a CHEERFUL countenance (does good like medicine… ‘good’ medicine), but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
Jesus example
Jesus experienced great joy & gladness!
A Messianic prophesy about Jesus
Psalm 45:7 – You love righteousness and hate wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with THE OIL OF GLADNESS more than Your companions.
PROPHETIC FULFILLMENT
Hebrews 1:9 – “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with THE OIL OF GLADNESS more than Your companions.”
Hebrews 12:2 – …looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who 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.
JESUS message
the Beatitudes
Matthew 5:1-12 – BLESSED are…
“What HAPPINESS comes to you …” (TPT)
Joy is the fruit of the Holy Spirit
Galatians 5:22-23 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control.
The joy of the Lord is your strength
Nehemiah 8:10 …the joy of the LORD is your strength.
What produces joy?
Hope & faith
Romans 15:13 – …the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
Romans 12:12 – Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
1 Peter 1:8 – Whom having not seen, you love; in whom, though now you see him not, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
Psalms 5:11 – But let all those that put their trust in you rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because you defend them: let them also that love your name be joyful in you.
Wisdom brings joy and happiness
Happiness is finding true wisdom and understanding, and applying it.
Proverbs 3:13 – Happy is the man that finds wisdom, and the man that gets understanding.
Proverbs 3:18 – She (wisdom) is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retains her.
God’s Word is a source of joy
John 15:11 – These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
Jeremiah 15:16 – Your words were found, and I did eat them; and your word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart: …
1 John 1:4 – And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
ANSWERS TO PRAYER BRING JOY
John 16:24 …ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be full.
Jeremiah 33:3 – Call unto me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things…
In the Lord’s presence is fullness of joy
Psalms 16:11 – You wilt shew me the path of life: in your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
SATISFACTION STIMULATES JOYFUL PRAISE
Psalm 63:5 – My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise you with joyful lips:
GOD’S COMFORT AND MERCY BRINGS JOY
Isaiah 49:13 – Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD has comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.
INVOLVEMENT IN THE LORD’S HOUSE OF PRAYER BRINGS JOY
Isaiah 56:7 – Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them JOYFUL in my house of prayer: …
WHEN JESUS RETURNS IN GLORY IT WILL BE A TIME OF GREAT JOY
I Peter 4:13 – But rejoice, inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy.
THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS THE SOURCE OF JOY
Matthew 13:44 – …the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; which when a man has found it, he hides, and for joy thereof goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.
let’s Reflect
Is joy just based on circumstances, or a choice?
If satisfaction stimulates joyful praise, what does dis-satisfaction or discontent do?
What are some secrets to being able to rejoice every day?
Do we ever have a good reason not to rejoice and be joyful?
What is the secret to true happiness and contentment?
Conclusion
Jesus is our source of joy and happiness. Obedience to Jesus instructions & being filled with His Spirit is the way to be filled with joy & happiness. The Lord loves us and wants us to be joyful and happy. His joy is available to His family of believers, and brings the satisfaction, contentment, & fulfillment that people all over the world long to experience. As we make wise choices that please the Lord, He promises to bless us with the priceless gift of joy that the world cannot give, and the world cannot take away. (John 14:27; 15:11 l 16:33)
Let’s keep abiding in Jesus and serving the Lord! We have great reason to rejoice! We have an eternal hope – it is found in Jesus Christ!
John 15:11 – “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. (JESUS)
Special Acknowledgement: Thanks to Evelyn Asuncion for assistance with some of the preparation of this message, and for sharing it at our online service.
