Finding Joy In A God Who Delivers!

Pastor Jim Lowe III

Sunday Morning,  9:30am Stream

03/20/22 (3rd Sunday Message)

 

 

{All scriptures are NIV84 unless stated}

 

 

Today’s Title:

Finding Joy In A God Who Delivers!

 

In recent weeks we’ve talked about how much action is important to being a believer.

 

John 15:5

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

 

Christ is the vine.

 

We are the branches.

 

If we remain in him…

 

And he remains in us.

 

We will bear MUCH fruit.

 

It has to be the right connection.

 

Just because you say you know Christ…

 

 doesn’t mean he knows you.

 

Matthew 7 talks about how we can call him Lord..

 

But he wasn’t connected to us.

 

If We Have The Right Connection To Christ, We Will Bear Fruit!

 

This is what God desires from us.

 

When we are connected in the right way…we bear fruit.

 

What Does Bearing Fruit Mean?

 

What does this mean?

 

How do we start?

 

What does it look like?

 

Galatians 5 details what this is.

 

It talks about living by the Spirit.

 

It is written to encourage us to stop living by the sinful nature and start living by the Spirit.

 

Galatians 5:22

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

 

Let’s put these up on a list:

 

Love

Joy

Peace

Patience

Kindness

Goodness

Faithfulness

Gentleness

Self-Control

 

Bishop taught last week on love already.

 

Go check last week’s (and Monday’s) message for his teaching on love.

I also taught an entire series on love in 2020. (A few months long)

 

“Love Is An Action, Not Just A Word”

 

We’ll talk today about Joy:

 

Joy (Dictionary of Bible Themes)

A quality or attitude of delight and happiness, which is ultimately grounded in the work of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

 

Joy is a gift from God.

 

It’s a fruit of the Spirit.

 

Meaning if you are connected to God…you have access to joy.

 

(If you’re connected in the right way…you’ll bear fruit.)

 

Other words for Joy:

 

Delight, Rejoicing, Happiness, Great Pleasure, Enjoyment, Gladness

 

When we see these words in scripture, these are other words for joy.

 

They come from God.

 

There are many reasons we experience joy.

 

The bible talks about many instances where we can find joy.

 

As an example:

 

Joy Comes From Children

 

Luke 1:13-14

13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.

 

For anyone who has kids.

 

Many will tell you just looking at YOUR child is a joy that little compares to.

 

We also can find joy in seeing our children grow and seeing their accomplishments.

 

But what about those who have no children?

 

What are ways we can find true joy?

 

Today we’ll talk about:

 

Joy Comes When God Delivers!

 

Exodus 18:9

9 Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the Lord had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians.

 

Israel had been in slavery for over 400 years.

 

That’s generations. 

 

And God delivered them.

 

They were now a free people.

 

Jethro wasn’t there.

 

He was a priest of Midian.

 

Jethro was delighted to hear all the things God had done.

 

He was delighted to see things with his own eyes.

 

He was delighted to hear things he didn’t see!

 

There Is A Joy That Comes When You See God Fixing Things!

 

Many of us can be happy for others when we hear that God did something in the life of someone.

 

They find the partner God has for them.

 

They find a job they’d been praying for.

 

They are healed from a sickness.

 

A broken relationship is restored.

 

If you can’t find it with someone else, 

 

You can use what God has done for YOU and find joy in that.

 

God Has Delivered You From Many Things!

 

Psalm 32:7

You are my hiding place; 

you will protect me from trouble 

and surround me with songs of deliverance.

 

God is a place we can hide in.

 

He protects us from trouble.

 

He covers us.

 

He surrounds us with “SONGS” of deliverance.

 

As a songwriter, you usually write about things you’ve experienced.

 

Scripture says he gives us songs…of deliverance.

 

He gives experience after experience…after experience…

 

 Of deliverance!

 

We can find joy in knowing God is a fixer!

 

Speaking of songs:

 

2 Samuel 22:1-4

David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. 2 He said: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; 3 my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, 

my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior— from violent men you save me. 4 I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.

 

Why can we rejoice in the Lord?

 

He is my rock, fortress and deliverer!

 

We can take refuge in him.

 

 We can HIDE in him.

 

He will be our shield.

 

He is the strength of our salvation.

 

WE can take joy in this!

 

Why?  Because it tells us plainly.

 

God Is A God That Delivers Over And Over!

 

Thank God he doesn’t 

 

We can take joy in the fact that God keeps us!

 

God will deliver us!

 

Psalm 91:14-16

14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; 

I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. 

15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; 

I will be with him in trouble, 

I will deliver him and honor him. 

16 With long life will I satisfy him 

and show him my salvation.”

 

If you show yourself to LOVE God.

 

Not just in WORDS but in ACTION!

 

God will rescue you.

 

God will protect you.

 

When you call, he will answer.

 

God will be with you in trouble.

 

But God will also DELIVER you.

 

{Repeat}

“God Will Be With Me In Trouble AND He’ll Bring Me Through It!”

 

This is what never leaving or forsaking means.

 

Psalm 34:19-22

19 A righteous man may have many troubles, 

but the Lord delivers him from them all; 

20 he protects all his bones, 

not one of them will be broken. 

21 Evil will slay the wicked; 

the foes of the righteous will be condemned. 

22 The Lord redeems his servants; 

no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.

 

We may have many troubles.

 

Things that come out of nowhere.

 

Every day something new.

 

Even though it seems like we can’t find anything but new problems…

 

Everything seems to be draining all our money.

 

Everything seems to be draining all our peace.

 

Everything seems to be draining all our joy.

 

With all those issues…

 

God says that he will bring you through them ALL!

 

Things Will Happen, But Remember God Will Help You Through It!

 

Isaiah 54:17 (MSG)

 but no weapon that can hurt you has ever been forged.

 Any accuser who takes you to court

 will be dismissed as a liar.

 

no weapon that CAN hurt you has ever been forged….

 

Meaning the things IN existence won’t work.

 

“There May Be Things Against You, But They Can’t Hurt You!”

 

Any words spoken against you will be exposed.

 

There may have been people lying on you for years…

 

The Lord says there will come a time where their lies will be exposed.

 

The things they spoke against you will be dismissed.

 

Some of us have been robbed of joy for too long.

 

We need to remind ourselves of who God is!

 

Take joy in it!

 

Why?

 

God is a protector!

 

God is our shield!

 

God is a Deliverer!

 

But things must happen…

 

John 16:33…

 

 But Christ has overcome the world.

 

 Troubles come…

 

But God also said he is with us during our trials…

 

Troubles come…pain comes…

 

Psalm 30:5

5 For his anger lasts only a moment, 

but his favor lasts a lifetime; 

weeping may remain for a night, 

but rejoicing comes in the morning. 

 

Because your God is a deliverer…

 

That means there will be a morning for you.

 

“For Every Hard Night, There’s A Bright Morning!”

 

Because God has promised that while we deal with a LOT.

 

He brings us through them all.

 

THIS is a joy not everyone can have.

 

THIS is something that the Spirit produces.

 

THIS is a joy we have access to because we’re connected in the right way!

 

Because it is a fruit of the spirit…

 

You have access to Joy!

 

One thing you can find joy in…

 

Find Joy In A God Who Delivers!

 

Make sure you’re connected in the right way.

 

Because God gives us access to all that and more.