Joy Belongs to the Children of God

Main Point:  Be filled with the spirit and know that joy belongs to the children of God.  When we know God we know joy.

Foundation Scriptures of Joy:
Psalm 16:11.  In your presence there is fullness of joy
Acts 13: 52.  The disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit

God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (The Holy Trinity)
Matthew 28:18-19 – We believe in the Holy Trinity

John 14:15-17.  The Holy Spirit of truth is not known by the world because they cannot see him and do not know him.  But those that love Jesus and keep his commandments know him and the Holy Spirit is our guide and He lives with us and will be in us.

Pastor’s Thoughts:

• We are in the time of the Holy Spirit leading us into all truth.  
• The Holy Spirit is our comforter and are truth radar.  
• The fruits of the spirit are (love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, and forbearance. (Galatians 5:22-23).   
• When the Holy Spirit is in the house or in your heart; these fruits become evident. (Revival can be individual, church, community, nation, world).  But the evidence is the same.  Transformed hearts toward righteousness.

We need the Holy Spirit in our Christian walk.
1 Corinthians 6:19.  Do you know your bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:8.  When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will receive power?

John 14:26.  The Holy Spirit will come and remind of the Holy Words given to us by Jesus.  No contradictions

We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit
Ephesians 5:15-18.  Redeeming the time.  Use your time wisely here on earth.  Focus on being filled with the Spirit not filled with the things of this world that are temporary and sinful.

Pastor’s Thoughts:
Redeeming the time means don’t waste your time on earth on worldly things that are temporary, instead redeem the time doing things that will give you rewards in heaven.
There is no eternal reward for earthly things.

• Are you praying?  Redeem the time
• Are you reading scripture?  Redeem the time
• Are you faithful to church attendance?  Redeem the time (attending church is about obedience and it is about encouraging your brothers and sisters in the Lord
• Are you faithful in tithes and offerings?  Redeem the time
• Are you praising and worshipping the name of Jesus in church and outside the church walls.  Redeem the time.

The result is joy unspeakable.  The fullness of joy.

1 Peter 1:8.  We can have joy unspeakable because we know God and praise God.  His presence inhabits the praises of his people.  And in his presence there is joy.

Conclusion:

• When we praise and worship King Jesus and the Holy Spirit visits us in response to our praise, then joy and all the fruits of the spirit become evident in our hearts.  
• And as we continue to have an encounter with the spirit of God we are changed for eternity.  We are transformed.
• Because when we now have these encounters, we meet God personally and intimately
• And if you know God intimately and you are filled with His spirit you are changed for eternity. 
• This is what the Christian church is missing.  A true encounter and intimacy with God.  
• We can have this intimacy as a church if we come every Sunday expecting the Holy Spirit to wreck us, to change us, to fill us.