House Fellowship Bible Study Outline – 07/11/2018
Title: Fruit of the Spirit – Joy Text: Galatians 5:22.
“The fruit of the Spirit is Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self control”
Fruits are different from gifts. Gifts are given and you don’t need to work for it, they are free. Fruit, however are not freely given, they are cultivated, planted, watered, they need fertilizer or manure, and to be watched over until harvest. Fruits are also divided into two types. The ones that are ripe and unripe. The unripe has potentials but cannot be harvested yet. Having knowledge of the fruit is not enough; it must be seen. Every tree has potential to bear fruit but until the fruit comes out it is of no good use. Joy is a product of grace. By grace you are saved. The moment you are saved, you have the joy of the Lord. Joy is spiritual, it is not a child of circumstance. It is different from happiness. Happiness comes when you acquire something, are commended or promoted, or after a victory et al. Joy however is of the Spirit and not from what is happening around us. Joy is not a state of frenzy, excitement but an inner rest, an assurance built on inward revelation. From Luke 1:44 John leapt for joy when Jesus was encountered. Prophesies in Isaiah spoke of joy to the world because the messiah is coming. Anyone without Jesus can’t have joy. Joy is found only in Christ. The best of everything in this world can only bring happiness and not joy. Luke 2:10…”fear not for I bring you good tidings of great joy”. The source of joy on earth is Christ. Joy flows from revelation of your divine status. When you discover who you are in Christ, joy will flow. In previous times, before you became a Christian, you were only happy as a result of what was happening to you but in Christ, irrespective of what’s going on, you can be joyful because its from the inside and spiritual. The more of Christ we know, the more joyful we become. Joy is a reward of hope, trust and faith. Joy is more like a soup and not an ingredient. Salt, onion, fish are ingredients. When your hope, faith and trust in God is intact and mixed together, joy will flow naturally from your heart. There is no one who is hopeless that can radiate joy. Joy is a stabilizer of faith. Sometimes when doubt wants to come in and faith is small, you still have joy because you have hope, knowing that he that has began a good work in you, will not abandon you.
Acts 20:20-24, Acts 13:49-52. Joy is a healing balm that gives no place to sorrow. Your situation can take away happiness, but not your joy. Psalm 73:26. “My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and portion forever.” The joy of the Lord does not allow us to continue to sorrow and sorrow. Christians on their death bed can continue to sing for joy because they know they are going to meet their savior and loved ones. Joy is the spirit of consolation. It takes over if we lose a loved one because it knows full well we will see them again. Joy feeds on the word like the fruit feeds on the nutrients from the roots. Psalm 94:19. Habakkuk 3:17. The bible speaks of “fullness of joy” and “great joy” because joy is in levels. The more you feed on the word, the more your joy increases. You may not be happy that nothing is working but you will have joy that you are alive because “at the saint of water, it will sprout”. Job 14:9 Joy is also a function of maturity which comes from the word. Joy is celebrating God no matter the circumstance or situation. Joy believes that whatever you lose, no matter who took it, that it will be restored. Psalm 28:7 The spirit of joy is the spirit of dominion. It puts you in charge, you are able to control your self and your environment. Satan is never allowed to be in control. The spirit of joy is the spirit of hope. Nehemiah 8:10. “The joy of the lord is your strength”. If you have the joy of the Lord you are strong. Your strength and resistance is derived from joy, the joy of knowing him, serving him, living for him. When you have this joy you are stronger than your enemy. Joy is a control or regulator. It keeps your heart in the right perspective. How can you derive joy? By:
i. knowing the Lord. Psalm 40:16 ii. serving one another. Philemon 1:7. You cant serve others and be sad! iii. loving the Lord. 1 Peter 1:8 iv. abiding in Him. John 15:11 v. living in the word. Psalm 119:105. When there is light in your path, you can’t stumble or be in darkness vi. when his rain comes on us Killers of joy are i. sin, ii. disobedience, iii. ignoring the voice of the Holy spirit, iv. when you are unfruitful. Until you are walking in the consciousness of God and His will for your life, you will be unfulfilled in what you do and therefore lack joy. God’s rain, presence, anointing and blessings is a trigger of joy. Joel 2:23 Prayer: That God will help you continue to discover who you are so you can radiate great joy