The Joy of Your Salvation
Pastors Rodney & Adonica Howard-BrownePublish date: 12/15/2024
Foundation Scriptures:
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Psalms 51:10-12 KJV
1. Restore My Joy.
a. David transgressed against God when he committed adultery and shed innocent blood.
b. Afterward, David humbly and fully repented and begged God for forgiveness.
c. David wanted to be restored back into fellowship with God, as it was before.
d. David cried out to God to restore his joy.
e. Verse 10: Create in me a clean heart.
f. Verse 11: Cast me not away from your presence. Take not your Holy Spirit from me.
g. Verse 12: Restore to me the joy of my salvation.
h. David asked God to restore his joy—the joy that is found only in His presence—the joy of His salvation.
2. Everyone Needs This Joy.
a. In many ways, the modern church (outside of The River) is:
- Sad
- Depressed
- Has no joy
b. The joy of the Lord is your strength!
c. Nehemiah 8:10 KJV – Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
d. And be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold (AMPC).
3. The Oil of Joy.
a. Isaiah 61:1-7 KJV – The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to
comfort all that mourn; 3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. 4 And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations,
and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. 5 And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vine-
dressers. 6 But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves. 7 For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.
b. Beauty for ashes.
c. The oil of joy instead of crying and mourning.
d. A garment of praise rather than a heavy, burdened spirit.
4. The Lord Rejoices Over You.
a. Zephaniah 3:17 KJV – The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
b. He will rejoice over you with joy and gladness.
c. He will joy over you with singing.
5. The Christmas Message.
a. A message of glad tidings (Luke 1:19; 8:1).
b. Good tidings of great joy (Luke 2:10)
c. Joy to the world.
d. A great joy—Jesus.
e. HE is our joy.
f. You cannot have true joy in life, if you are straddled between two kingdoms.
g. The world has no lasting solution to problems:
- Anti-depressants
- Drugs
- Weed
- Alcohol
h. When Jesus walks in everything changes.
6. Making Jesus Real.
a. May Jesus become so real to you today.
b. May you receive the joy of your salvation.
c. May your joy be restored to you.
d. On a scale of 1 to 10:
e. 1: having no joy
f. And 10: having fullness of joy.
g. What number are you?
h. This is important not just for you.
i. Your family; your friends; your neighbors; the stranger; the lost.
j. They depend on you receiving fullness of joy.
k. Today is your day for a miracle.