Larry Siegle · Nehemiah 8:10
Link to sermon video: The Power of Joy – L Siegle
The POWER of Joy
“The Relationship Between God and Believers”
(Nehemiah 8:10)
Thesis: The very nature of Almighty God is revealed in His expression of genuine JOY.
INTRODUCTION
1. The title of the message today is, “The Power of Joy”
2. There is a vast difference between HAPPINESS and what the Bible calls JOY.
THE 1949 PRODUCT “JOY”
1. It was 76 years ago that Proctor & Gamble introduced their “new” product called “JOY” later advertised to Unleash the Potential of being something truly special.
2. I literally went to three different stores, none of which had “Joy” in stock—I guess I could not find any Joy!
3. Today, while JOY is our topic, we are not talking about a brand of dishwashing liquid, but rather something far more significant.
THE SEASON OF JOY
1. This time of the year, the holiday season, the songs we sing, the music we hear, the words that we read in Luke 2:10-14.
2. For believers every season of the year is a time to experience the depth of God’s love and the joy that comes from being in a relationship with Him through Christ.
3. There is a vast difference between JOY and HAPPINESS.
a. Happiness is a reaction to “something great” (external circumstances).
b. Joy is the product or end result of “someone great” (God)
4. According to the Dictionary, “Happiness” is “defines happiness as “a state of well-being and contentment, a pleasurable or satisfying experience.”
a. “Happiness” is temporal effected by external circumstances.
b. “Happy” is a word that comes from the English “root” of Happ which means “a stroke of good luck” based upon fortune or happenstance (based upon chance or luck of the draw).
c. In the OT (Isa. 65:11), the prophets talks about those in Israel who would turn aside from worship and devotion to God Almighty and instead, “What will I, the LORD, do if any of you reject me and my holy mountain? What will happen to you for offering food and wine to the gods you call “Good Luck” and “Fate”?”
5. The Biblical view and picture of joy is something that takes place in the innermost parts of our being, that arises out of knowing God, and trusting God in spite of whatever the eternal circumstances or situation happens to be.
6. The word joy occurs in the OT and NT 208 times and is foundational to defining what it means to have a genuine relationship with God.
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF “JOY” AND “HAPPINESS”
1. According to the Behavioral Health site Embark: “ Happiness is a feeling of contentment or satisfaction in the present moment, based on what we do and how we behave. It can be fleeting, as it’s based on external factors and is a
reflection of something happening to you.
a. One therapist notes, “happiness is an emotion, just like sadness is an emotion. Atherton explained that when feeling an emotion, you’re responding to a trigger. Happiness can be triggered by situations, people, events, or even thoughts”
b. Examples of “happiness” are “Happiness can be a very intense emotion and can feel like a dopamine-type hit when experienced, making you feel good. Examples of happiness include feeling good when you:
Exercise.
Spend time with loved ones who support you, like friends and family.
Spend time outside.
Do purposeful work.
Do activities you enjoy.
2. The Bible pictures joy that arises from knowing God and having a daily walk with Him.
a. God’s promise to Israel after the 70 years of captivity in Babylon (Jer. 31:1-14)
b. The account in Nehemiah is the result of what happened when God’s people finally returned to the “land” and began to rebuild and to prosper in their faithfulness to the Lord.
c. The Medo-Persian empire arouse and defeated Babylon and the process of restoration had begun for the people of God.
THE TIME OF RESTORATION HAD COME
1. The book of Nehemiah documents the process of restoration and rebuilding that was to begin at the time of King Artaxerxes (Neh. 2:5, 17, 18)
2. They took a census (count) of the people (Neh. 7).
3. The “seventh month” arrived—Tishri the time when Israel entered into “feast days” celebration and the annual day of atonement on the 10th, followed by the feast of Ingathering from the 15th to the 21st.
4. The people who had been away from the land, in captivity, some of whom had never heard the reading of “the law” were gathered together with Ezra and Nehemiah (Neh. 8:1-4)
a. They helped the people to understand “the law” (8:8)
b. The heartfelt reaction of the people (8:9-12).
5. The “joy of the Lord is your strength or refuge, place of well-being and safety”
BELIEVERS COME TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THE MEANING AND PURPOSE OF JOY
1. In times of suffering or persecution (James 1:2-4)
2. When Mary was faced with something amazing the admonition given to her (Luke 2:8-14)
a. Jesus is God’s greatest gift (John 3:16; II Cor. 9:15).
b. Joy is a characteristic of the “fruit” of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22, 23).
3. God’s desire for His people is that we become a reflection of His glorious nature in all that we think, say, and do.
4. The “joy of the Lord” becomes our dwelling place was safety and refuge—our strength.
a. No matter what we see going on around us on the earth, our sense of joy and gladness remains unaffected.
b. Both joy and gladness come in the midst of difficulty (Psa. 68:3-10).
5. God wants to take our eyes off of worry, anxiety, and fear, and allow God to produce joy within our hearts and lives (Isa. 35).
CONCLUSION
1. There is no circumstance or situation that is “too big” for our God to overcome and handle
2. God, in the sending of Jesus into the world, has given to each one of us a ‘reason to rejoice’ always.
3. Whatever may be affecting us today, creating anxiety and fear, God wants to give to us a sense of joy and peace as we stand in His presence.
4. Perhaps today is the day to make a decision for the Lord, to accept His presence in your life, to experience the healing that God has for us today.
5. Whatever, that need may be, come as together we respond to the “good news” of Christ.
Outline (Word document): The_POWER_of_Joy1.docx