Sermon for the Watford church of Christ
“Where does joy come from?”, Psalm 126
Introduction
They are surprised – can this really be happening?
Joy is significant – fruit of Spirit, Gal 5.22-23
Joy is different from pleasure
“All Joy reminds. It is never a possession, always a desire for something longer ago or further away or still “about to be.” CS Lewis
1. Joy comes from the LORD, vv1-3
A. What has he done?
Question: “What has the Lord done for you?”
They want the present to catch up with the past – perhaps we need this too….
B. Important to deliberately remember/recall
Take time to do this
C. Gone viral
Many reasons non-believers might talk about us as Christians, but perhaps joy is the best reason
Remembrance brings them joy and leads them to pray for a refreshed experience.
How do they live in the meantime?
2. Joy comes from faithfulness, vv4-6
A. Soberness
They live in the real world – tears, weeping
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5:4.
Sometimes sorrow and joy go together
B. Active
They go out sowing
C. Patient
Waiting for the harvest
A confident patience – “will”
Conclusion
Remember & request – vision of the fruitfulness
Jesus:
Our sorrow turns to joy – John 16:22–24
Hebrews 12:1-3.
Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.
Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org.
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“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)
God bless, Malcolm
PS: You might also be interested in my book: “An elephant’s swimming pool”, a devotional look at the Gospel of John
