Elements of Joy, Part 3

Spiritual joy is unrelated to circumstances. Spiritual joy is something completely different than happiness, which is related to happenstance happenings, chance occurrences, events, spiritual joy is a gift of God. How you pull that off. How can you be content and thankful.

And yes, even joyful in the less than joyful situations you're facing. Is this joy, something that God seals up inside of you and once you break it open.

Does it keep flowing and flowing. Or do you have to dip into it again and again. Bottom line, what steps do you need to take to experience the joy God reserves for Christians listen to John MacArthur's message today for answers. It's part of his current series, joy rules, this practical study shows you the rules to follow.

That in turn allow the joy of Christ to rule your life and with a message. Now here's John we talking about the fact that God wants to produce in us joy. But the Bible also teaches that we have the ability to produce in God, joy. That's an astounding thought is not so remarkable that we who are sinners, so should rejoice in the grace of our Almighty infinite and holy God. But it is somewhat shocking that are infinite.

Almighty and holy God should rejoice in us, but he does let me suggest to you the things that make God rejoice over you and me.

First of all, in Luke chapter 15 you remember a marvelous series of parables that are given their and in verse seven, our Lord says I tell you that in the same way. That is the parable of the finding of the lost sheep. There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who need no repentance. Here we find there will be joy in heaven over repentance. Verse 10 says there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents it is not so much the fact that the angels rejoice as that there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels which would, in my mind lead me to assume that it's the joy of God. So the first thing that I would note for you is that God rejoices when you and I repent. Secondly, in Hebrews chapter 11 verses five and six we get another insight into what makes God rejoice in it says there in 11 five by faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death. He was not found because God took him up. He obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God or he delighted God and then in verse six it says without faith it is impossible to please God. So it would include, secondly, that faith pleases God.

Faith delights God our believing in him brings him joy in Psalm 147 chapter near the end of the Psalms and in verse 11 it says the Lord favors those who fear him, the Lord is a special delight in those who fear him. Let's assume that that means worship in the truest and purest sense, adoration, how then can we cause God joy by repenting from sin believing in him worshiping and adoring him in Proverbs chapter 15 verse eight we read this the sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord and then this but the prayer of the upper right is his delight. Another thing that brings God joy is prayer is our communion with him in first Chronicles chapter 29 the last chapter of that book in verse 17 we read, since I know my God, that thou try us the heart and delight is in rightness the lightest and uprightness, we bring God joy through repentance, faith, adoration, prayer and righteousness or uprightness. There's also a statement in Proverbs chapter 11 I think it's verse 20, which adds to our thinking is, it says the blameless in their walk are his delight blamelessness not only righteous behavior but blameless character and then you remember Matthew 2521 and 23 in the parable of our Lord there where he says enter into the joy of your Lord and that I believe is the Lord's rejoicing over a faithful servant. So we as believers can bring joy to the heart of God by repentance, faith, adoration, or worship, prayer, righteous behavior, blameless character and faithful service.

Those things cause God to rejoice over us. What an amazing thought, how much more then should we have cause who are so sinful and weekend frail to rejoice in the God who adores and loves us the remember what I told you spiritual joy is unrelated to circumstances. Spiritual joy is something completely different than happiness, which is related to happenstance happenings, chance occurrences, events, spiritual joy is a gift of God. Remember the definition the theology of joy I gave you spiritual joy is a gift of God to those who believe the gospel being produced in them by the Holy Spirit because they believe and obey the word mixed with trials and set their hope on eternal glory. That's the theology of spiritual joy and so we as believers can know that joy when we walk in the spirit and we've gone over this. Now we come to our last look at this little section. The elements of joy we have discussed the joy of recollection in verse three.

Then we talked about the joy of intercession, we notice the joy of participation in verse five and then last time we looked at the joy of anticipation. How he rejoiced in verse six and what they would become now that brings us to the last point in our little outline the joy of affection.

Paul experienced that joy that wells up in the heart of a person who loves who has deep affection and this is it. This is a high and rich and wonderful joy.

In fact, I guess we could ask the question, is there any greater expression of joy that the joy of affection. Is there anything that more exhilarate's the heart than the joy of affection verse seven it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart since both in my imprisonment, and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. You all are partakers of grace with me, for God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus's heart is gushing at that point, it is almost a crescendo. He starts out rejoicing in every remembrance and then rejoicing over the fact that he's been able to intercede and then rejoicing because of their participation in the rejoicing and what they will be and then he Said by saying and end the sum of it is I have you so deeply in my heart I care so earnestly for you, that my joy is compelled by deep love. Specifically, some of the elements of verse seven are important for us. It is only right for me to feel this way about you because I have you in my heart due to what you've done for me because you have been so good to me. You have found a deep place in my heart and it's only right that I feel the way I feel about you is a great sense of what is right, Dick. I own in the Greek more than just expected more than just protocol more than just proper it's right it's it's morally right it's right before God. It honors God expresses gratitude is the way I ought to respond to you all had a great sense of right.

It was a man deeply compelled by what was right before God doesn't claim some prize for his affection doesn't expect some pat on the back is not self-serving and condescending.

Emphatically he speaks it is right for me to feel this way because of all that you have done. I'm only doing what is right and there's a humility even in that expression, it's right. He says to feel this way. What way do feel thankful. Verse three to feel joyful verse four to feel confident verse six its right to feel what I feel about you. What is me to feel well uses a Greek verb for inane which basically means to think to think the term is used primarily for the disposition of minor an attitude it it runs deeper than just cognition. And I would venture that the best way to translate it was would be to have concern in this context, by the way he likes this word in Philippians uses it twice in chapter 2. Twice in chapter 3 verse 15 once in chapter 3 verse 19 once in chapter 4 verse two and twice in chapter 4 verse 10 he likes to use this word it's expressive of the heart attitude of concern and that's really what he saying it's the action of the intellect, yes, but it's the action of the intellect that touches the feelings and so I like the word concern choices. It's only right for me to be concerned about you only right because I have you in my heart I feel the way I feel because I have you in my heart.

I hold you in my heart was you mean by that he means that I love you.

Basically I have such a deep affection for you in the second Corinthians 73. He says I do not speak to condemn you for I have said before that you are in our hearts to die together and to live together. I mean, the man says you're a part of me your woven into the warp and removal of my deepest being I have you in my heart. There are probably people like that in your life. Subconsciously there.

There and they come to the surface frequently. Your thoughts, your affections for them. You think about them. You remember them you pray for them. It may be long periods of time. You don't see them or talk to them what you carry them in your heart. There is something in their life that inextricably tied them to you and you have them in your heart. There deep in your being. Deep and that's what Paul is saying I hold you in my heart was you me by his heart is just talking about the depth of his person.

The heart is simply the center of thought and feeling. You can't really get too technical with how you want to use the heart in Scripture because it is used in many different ways but basically speaking, when Proverbs 423 says watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.

It's just talking about your inner person. The depth of your inner being. I hold you deep inside myself. For example, in Scripture we use the heart to believe acts 837. We use the heart in service serving the Lord with all the heart. Deuteronomy 1113 we use the heart to obey. Deuteronomy 2660. We use the heart to follow. First Kings two for we use the heart to trust stressful over the your heart.

Proverbs 3, five, we use the heart to love. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, we use the heart even to do God's will, doing the will of God from the heart. Ephesians 6 and we use the heart to worship first Peter three. It's the center of our being of our action of our thought of our feeling. That's why the Bible says you have a clean heart.

Psalm 5110. Have an obedient heart. Psalm one 1936 you're a have up a worshiping heart. Psalm 8611 your to have a loving heart. As we mentioned. Matthew 2237 and elsewhere.

The heart is the depth of your person and what Paul is saying is your deep in me your part of my life is a beautiful thing that every time they came to mind was filled with joy. It was the joy of affection. He loved them and it was that love the produce that joy. It's that love the covers a multitude of sins and overlooks weaknesses as I pointed out I think the Philippian church had weaknesses they were human. I think there were concerns. I don't think there were major issues in the church. They were perfect, but his deep love for them covered over all of those things in a sense of just gushed out with joy, the joy of affection wasn't that had caused it. Well he said I have you in my heart since both in my imprisonment, and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. You all are partakers of grace with me. It's because of your involvement in my life. That's what endears you to me is because of what you have meant to me in my imprisonment, and as I said he was a prisoner here in Rome.

They were compassionate toward him and sent him money and set him up. Aphrodite is instructing a paradise to stay with him and up Aphrodite's was carrying out their wishes to the point that he almost killed himself a work so hard became close to death.

Chapter 2 verse 30 says for the work of Christ risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to meet amazing this Philippian group. Love Paul so deeply they sent this man. The man carried their love for Paul in his heart so greatly that he almost killed himself trying to do for Paul what they wanted him to do deep deep commitment and it was that that endeared them to Paul. That's not too hard to understand when people love like that they find a place in your heart. Note sure they'd you in my imprisonment, and in the defense. The apologia and the confirmation by biosis which has to do with guaranteeing something both of them are legal terms used in a court in my imprisonment, and in my defense you were there standing with me as I stood for the gospel whether I'm in prison arraigned before judges you are partakers of grace with me is imprisonment is clear what he means by the defense and confirmation of the gospel could be specifically referring to the first phase of his trial, which had incarcerated him. The second phase of which was coming and would decide his fate and didn't decide that he would be released. At least this time until later imprisonment when he lost his life. He could be speaking of that, he could be speaking of the wider defense and confirmation of the gospel that was a part of the fullness of his ministry. In either case, you say you were there and you are partaking of that same enabling grace along with me, you stood by me you were ashamed of me you weren't afraid of the identification you weren't afraid of the price of the cost you assisted me you were soon caught on us your partners together of that divine enabling grace. You alleviated my suffering you cooperated with me in the defense of the gospel willing to suffer. That's why I have you in my heart and that's why my heart leaps with joy.

And then he brings that affection down to something very very expressive in verse eight God is my witness, he says uses that phrase on several occasions when he wants to confirm something beyond questionable doubt, he calls on God to attest to the truthfulness of his heart attitude. He is dealing here with something. The people can't see they can't see his heart they can see is affection. So, wanting him to understand how genuinely he feels he says God is my witness, God can see God is the one who can attest to the truth of what I say. I long for you.

I long for you all week. He loves to use that word all I thank my God in all my remembrance verse three. I pray for you with joy in my every prayer.

All these people were cause of joy for and he expresses that I long for you all, the word there means to yearn. It's the idea of eager longing, yearning heart uses it in chapter 2, verse 26. Speaking of up Aphrodite's because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you heard that he was sick where this is an affectionate group. There is this guy goes to be with Paul.

He gets sick the current that the Philippians are so concerned that he is sick that their sad he's so sad that their sad that he earns for them also sad that he's sad because they're sad because he's sick that he sends them back. I'm telling you this is an affectionate, gay, these people are really tied to each other and uses it again in chapter 4 verse one the same verb, he says, my beloved brother and again who my year turned to see my joy and crown. He loves them. My beloved because of war. They had a wonderful relationship. Wonderful and he says here's how deep this love is I yearn for you with the affection of Christ Jesus. It's supernatural.

It's not natural.

It's the affection of Christ Jesus is not a natural human attraction.

It's much deeper than that. It's given by Christ to those who are Christ's, it's the love of God shed abroad in the heart. It's the love that is the fruit of the spirit, love, joy, beginning the list of Galatians 522 he says II love you and I long for you with the affection of Christ Jesus. A supernatural one.

It's a Christly affection, and it's a deep yearning and interesting thing to look at that word affectionate translators of the new American of chosen the word affection will authorize said the bowels. The word this blank none. The Greek basically refers to the I guess what you could call the area of soft internal organs in the body snoozing term by the wood strongest word in the Greek language to express compassionate love when they really want to express compassion they would say I love you with my bowels.

Try that on your next Hallmark card viscera one Lexington says it has to do the inner soft parts of the body where emotions were fell.

This part of your body were all of your internal organs are reacts to your emotions. No question about you get highly emotional in your lungs start to react to get short of what breath you get involved in some emotion in your heart begins to be you look at the person you love in your heart begins to be changes the palpitations of your heart you go through some kind of stress some kind of deep feeling, and it starts to curl your stomach and your stomach starts sending up signals. This part of your body has a way of reacting to deep yearnings that's that's what the word has in mind. It's very expressive and what Paul is saying is everything in me. Even my physical body longs for you.

I I think about you and my heart runs a little faster and my breath is a little shorter and I feel it in my stomach because I have such deep feeling for you through what else would compel a man to pray for some people like that day in day as he did for so many of the churches he had a supernatural love enhanced and enriched by the warm affection and kind, compassionate care of the Philippians that touched him so deeply. They weren't woven into the warp and removal of his life and he thought about them and what he thought about them. He felt it deep within side of them and it caused them joy.

That's the joy of affection is an element of joy.

That's an element of joy and maybe the sweetest element of joy of all joy. Then comes from God. It's expressed in our relationships to others as we been see as we share our lives with them that joy overflows to touch and to be reciprocated in that relationship that's John MacArthur helping you experience the joy God reserves only for Christian joy rules.

That's the current series here on grace to you, Jon. I love this study in the book of Philippians and it brings to mind one of the most famous verses in all of Philippians is chapter 4 verse 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. That is again one of the most commonly quoted verses out of the book of Philippians. But it's also one of the most commonly misunderstood texts as always when you study the Bible, you have to look at the context in Philippians 4 is a context of enduring suffering and when Paul says I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

It doesn't mean he can leap tall buildings in a single bound, like Superman doesn't mean that he can win every football game or every race. It doesn't mean that he can accomplish every dream in every desire he has that that is foolish and irresponsible interpretation. This is not some kind of formula for everybody to do to win what he is simply saying is I can endure any kind of suffering, I can go through any kind of deprive nation. He even says in that same section.

I know what it is to abound that I know what it is to have nothing and in all these things I am content because I can go through anything with through the strength that Christ provides me so he is familiar with difficulty, and he finds in that difficulty the strength that Christ gives him to endure. That's how you understand that verse and again. This reminds me to let you know about something versus get pulled out of context a lot and miss used and misrepresented the Safeway to understand any verses to understand it in its context in the flow of the text from which it is extracted. Stay there and see what's around that verse and you'll understand what it refers to to help you with that. This is a great way for you to start something brand-new that is order. The commentary that I've written on the book of Philippians. It's a brief book. It's an inexpensive commentary.

I have written commentaries on the entire New Testament. 34 volumes in all.

But if you never read commentaries is the great place to start a get the commentary of the book of Philippians is like having me sitting beside you, teaching you.

Verse by verse, word by word through the book of Philippians.

It it it has sections on all the things that we've discussed about in our series, and a whole lot more. This will introduce a new depth of Bible study for you.

Philippians as well as the whole New Testament is available, you can order Philippians is a start, or even get the whole set and friend.

This commentary doesn't just clarify the difficult passages. It can also help you get up fresh and deeper understanding of familiar versus those verses that you've studied for years to order John's Philippians commentary. Contact us today, Philippians, and all the individual volumes in the MacArthur New Testament commentary series are affordably priced or you can enjoy an even better price by ordering the entire set it once and shipping is free for both options to get Philippians or another New Testament book for the entire MacArthur New Testament commentary series, call 855 grace or you can shop online@tty.org and if you enjoyed today's lesson know that you can help reduce these broadcasts and give solid Bible teaching to spiritually hungry people. Your tax-deductible gifts translate into verse by verse teaching in your community and in others like it, through broadcasts like you've heard today to partner with us in ministry. Express your support when you write to us at Grace to you.

Box 4000 panorama city, CA 91412. You can also make a donation by calling us at 855 grace or go to our website TTY.org now for John MacArthur. I'm Phil Johnson reminding you to watch grace to you television on Sunday. Check your local listings for channel and times and then join us Monday as John continues his look at how you can know but deep unshakable joy being here for another 30 minutes of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on grace