The Impact of Joy

The Impact of Joy

12/19/2021 - Dave Riddle 

Luke 2:10 - Good news of great joy! 

Joy is Not the Same Thing as Personal Happiness

• Happiness is circumstantial

  • Joy is different

• 1 Peter 1:8 - …inexpressible and glorious joy

  • “Joy unspeakable and full of glory“

  • Joy = chara (χαρά) a calm delight

• Pipe dream or attainable reality?

Joy is Commanded

• Philippians 4:4 - Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again rejoice.

  • An imperative.

Joy Requires Intentionality & Commitment

• Colossians 3:2 - set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.

  • Set your mind = phroneō (φρονέω) To direct one's mind to a thing, to seek, to strive for

Joy Can Become Our Orientation

• Galatians 5:22 - The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy…

How Do We “Set Our Minds…”?

Remember How Loved You Are

• The love we experience on Earth pales in comparison to the love the Heavenly Father has for us.

Remember Who(se) You Are

• 1 John 3:1, 1 Peter 2:9-10 - This is our identity! This is who we are!

Remember What You Have

• 1 Peter 1:3-7 - …an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading…

John 15:11 -  “I have spoken these things to you so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.”

• Complete, full, overflowing = plēroō (πληρόω) - to fill to the top: so that nothing shall be wanting to full measure, fill to the brim

Peace, Hope, and the Resurrection

The Resurrection 

The Gospel of John - Part 27 • 4/04/21

Key passage: John 20

The Importance of the Resurrection 

• 1 Corinthians 15:14, 17

  • If Christ wasn’t raised then our faith is useless, futile!

Peace

• John 20:19

  • eirene: a state of tranquility, harmony, and safety. In a Christian context: the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation.

• John 14:27

  • Peace I give to you... don’t let your hearts be troubled or afraid.

• John 16:33

  • I have told you these thing so you may have peace in Me. In this world you will have trouble...

Hope

• Hope and hopelessness are powerful things.

  • John 16:33 - you will have trouble, but take hope!

• 1 Corinthians 15:19

  • If our hope is only for this life, we are to be pitied more than anyone in the world.

    • If my hope dies with me, what a pitiable person I am.

• 1 Corinthians 15:20

  • But Christ has INDEED been raised from the dead.

• 1 Peter 1:3-4

  • A living hope!

  • An inheritance!

• Hebrews 10:23

  • Hold onto the confession of our hope without wavering.

Have we allowed these truths to fully reside in our hearts?

• even though our world is full of trouble, even though things often feel hopeless...

• God wants you to trust in Him completely today.

Joy - God in Our Midst

Joy - God in Our Midst
12/20/20 - Dave Riddle
Key Passage: Luke 2:10

Joy is Not the Same as Happiness

• Happiness and unhappiness are circumstantial.

• Joy is a deep-rooted state of ongoing delight inspired by God himself.

  • 1 Peter 1:8

Joy is Commanded

• An imperative, an exultation, a command.

  • Philippians 4:4

  • We always have a reason to have joy, even when we’re unhappy or disillusioned.

Joy Takes Some Commitment

• Colossians 3:2

  • Is your primary focus on the here and now, or on things above?

Joy Can Become An Orientation

• Galatians 5:22

  • Joy manifests as we walk in the Spirit.

Living Joyfully

• Remember how you’re loved

  • God loves you with an everlasting love!

• Remember who you are and whose you are.

  • 1 John 3:1

  • Remember your identity. Nothing can change your identity in Christ

  • 1 Peter 2:9-10

• Remember what you have

  • 1 Peter 1:3-6

    • New birth ( you are a new creation)

    • Living hope

    • An Inheritance

John 15:11 - I have told you this so that my joy may be in you.

The joy of the Lord is our strength.

Lean In

Lean In

Dave Riddle - 7/19/20

koinōnia (Greek: κοινωνία) - fellowship, association, community, intimacy, joint participation (the share which one has in anything), communion. 

Living in koinōnia = Love 

An Order or Command to Love Others

• Mark 12:31 - love others as much as you love yourself.

• John 13:34 - love others the way Jesus loves us.

• 1 John 3:23 - love others as He commanded us.

Response 

• 1 John 4:11, 19 - our love is a response to the love Jesus has shown to us.

Integral

• Necessary for yielding completeness

• 1 John 4:12 - our faith becomes more complete as we walk in love.

Maturity and Progression

• 1 Peter 1:22-23

  • A sincere love. Not merely pretending to love others.

  • Earnestly, fervently, constantly loving one another.

• 1 Corinthians 13 - love is foundational. Without it, our actions are meaningless.

Confirmation

• John 13:35 - This is how all people will know that we are truly followers of Christ.

Intimacy 

• A relationship that goes deeper than “we go to the same church”.

• Requires vulnerability.

  • Might require taking some risks.

Investment

• Helping people follow Jesus together.

Connected and Contributing to One Another

• Not living in an individual reality, but a “One Another” reality.

  • Love one another

  • Live in harmony with one another

  • Forgive one another 

  • Honor one another

  • ...And many many more 

    • Over 100 occurrences in scripture.

    • Only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit

How is God calling you to take the next step towards koinōnia?

• 1 Peter 1:22-23

Hello My Name is... Wonderful Counselor

Hello my name is: Wonderful Counselor

Dave Riddle - 12/01/19

Key Passage: Isaiah 9:6

Counselor

• ya’ats (Hebrew: יָעַץ) - to advise, counsel, admonish, direct, resolve, decide, plan and/or purpose. To counsel together; to be advised.

  • Isaiah 9:6 - “counselor”

  • First usage: Exodus - Moses meets with his father-in-law to seek advice.

Wonderful

• pele’ (Hebrew: פֶּלֶא) - a miracle, a wonder; a wonderful thing or deed.

  • Isaiah 9:6 - “Wonderful”

  • Other than a single time in the book of Lamentations, it always appears in the context of God’s acts or words. 37 of the 84 occurrences of pele’ are found in the Psalms.

What kind of Wonderful Counselor?

Other-worldly

• John 12:49 - He came with divine wisdom from Heaven itself

• John 14:10 - He spoke with authority of God

Authoritative

• Mark 1:21-22 - He taught with an authority unlike anything the world had seen.

• Luke 4:32 - The people were amazed... slack-jawed

  • ekplēssō (Greek: ἐκπλήσσω) - to be struck with amazement, astonished, amazed

Piercing & Gentle

• Piercing

  • Matthew 16:23

  • Matthew 23:27

• Gentle

  • John 8:7-11

Inviting & Challenging

• Mark 1:17 - “come, follow me”

  • Not just a call, but a purpose.

    • “And I’ll show you how to fish for people”

• Mark 3:13-14

  • With Him, and Sent Out

Truth

• John 14:6 - “I am... the truth”

• John 1:14 - truth in the flesh

Life-giving

• John 14:6- The truth AND the life.

• John 4:4-14 - living water!

Infinite

• Luke 21:33 - His words will never pass away.

• 1 Peter 1:24-25 - the Good News remains forever.