My Jesus — My Joy
By: Pastors Rodney & Adonica Howard-BrownePublish date: 12/20/2020
Foundation Scriptures:
And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Luke 1:41 NKJV
For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Luke 1:44 NKJV
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. Luke 2:8-10 NKJV
When they saw the star, they were thrilled with ecstatic joy. 11 And on going into the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then opening their treasure bags, they presented to Him gifts — gold and frankincense and myrrh. Matthew 2:10-11 AMPC
1. Joy to the World.
a. The whole Christian/Christmas message is based and rooted in JOY.
b. Even in the womb, the baby John (John the Baptist) leapt for joy in the presence of the unborn baby Jesus.
c. The angels announced glad tidings of great joy to the world, singing and worshiping the Lord.
d. This word great here in the Greek is megas and means: exceedingly, great; greatest; high; large; loud; mighty; intense (“megaphone” comes from the same root word).
e. So their joy was as big and loud as joy can get!
f. When the wise men saw the star they were also filled with this same great joy—also translated as: overjoyed; filled with exceeding great joy, or ecstatic joy.
2. Joy in His Presence.
a. Wherever the presence of the Lord is, there is JOY.
b. Whoever the Lord touches is filled with JOY.
c. Psalm 16:11 AMPC — You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.
d. Acts 2:28 AMPC — You have made known to me the ways of life; You will enrapture me [diffusing my soul with joy] with and in Your presence.
e. Psalm 2:4a NKJV — He who sits in the heavens shall laugh.
f. Job 5:22a NKJV — You shall laugh at destruction and famine.
g. Matthew 25:21-22 NKJV — His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
h. Eternal joy awaits the faithful, in the presence of the Lord.
3. We Are His Joy.
a. Jesus faced and endured the cross for the JOY set before Him—WE are His joy!
b. Hebrews 12:2 NKJV — 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.
c. Acts 2:23-28
d. No matter what suffering Jesus had to endure, He chose to obey His Father.
e. He knew what great joy lay on the other side of obedience and He expected to experience that joy!
f. He faced death with the expectation of a joy-filled resurrection—both His own, and then ours.
g. Our joy springs from the fact that the blood of Jesus has eternally saved us from sin, judgment, and the fear of death, and we have been adopted into His family.
4. A Reason to Rejoice.
a. Those who know and serve the Lord have many reasons to be full of JOY.
b. Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit (Luke 10:21-22).
c. When the Lord turns your captivity, your mouth is filled with laughter and your tongue with singing (Psalm 126:1-6)!
d. Acts 13:42 Wuest — And the disciples were continually filled with joy and controlled by the Holy Spirit.
e. Luke 10:17-20
f. The source of your joy is not in yourself, or your accomplishments, or even in the fact that you have power over devils.
g. Your joy is in the fact that Jesus has saved you from death and destruction, brought into fullness of life and that your name is written in His book of life!
h. I will greatly rejoice and exult in the Lord—He has clothed me with the garments of salvation and covered me with the robe of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10 AMPC).
i. True joy can only be experienced by those who fully serve God.
j. The sinner can never experience this joy; the backslider is the most unhappy person on the earth (Proverbs 14:12-13).
k. Without Jesus in your life, your laughter is empty, and your happiness is temporary.
l. But those who put their trust in Him rejoice, sing and shout for joy, are joyful in Him, and in high spirits (Psalm 5:11 AMPC).
5. A Joy-Filled Kingdom.
a. God’s Kingdom—here on earth—is a JOYFUL, JOY-FILLED Kingdom.
b. Romans 14:17 KJV — For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
c. It is not about rituals—it is about relationship!
d. Galatians 5:22-23
e. The greater the work of the Holy Spirit in you, the more of the fruit of the Spirit will be manifest in your daily life, including the fruit of JOY.
f. 1 Peter 1:8 AMPC — Without having seen Him, you love Him; though you do not [even] now see Him, you believe in Him and exult and thrill with inexpressible and glorious (triumphant, heavenly) joy.
g. Religious tradition is joyless drudgery—but serving Jesus means a life full of the joy of the Lord!
h. Job 8:21 NKJV — He will yet fill your mouth with laughing, And your lips with rejoicing.
i. Happiness is temporary and influenced by circumstances; but His joy, in us, is eternal.
j. No matter what you go through, you can still be filled with His JOY—that no one can take away from you (John 16:22).
k. Philippians 4:4 NKJV — Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!