Month 4
Week4

The Joy of The Lord Is Our Strength!

What a needed commodity! What a source of attractiveness to a broken and needy world! Joy! Joy is the second characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit. That makes perfect sense. Only love better describes the lifestyle of Christ. Only love more aptly meets the needs of our torrid age. Love melts the heart of stone. Joy touches the deepest part of that heart. We need joy, and our world needs believers who evidence the fruit of joy.

“This month we will examine the wonderful fruit of joy. We will find in Scripture five sources of joy. Some of them you will readily recognize. Some will be a surprise. Come along as we study the second characteristic of the fruit of God’s Spirit. “The fruit of the Sprit is…joy.”

Principle Questions
Week 1:By what “record” or “reservation” will we enter the kingdom of
heaven?
Week 2:How did Paul consider everything else to compare to the “surpassing
greatness of knowing Christ Jesus”?
Week 3:What two matters did Paul see as parts of “knowing Christ”?
Week 4:Why has Christ told us to “remain” in Him?
Week 5:What did Paul consider to be his “joy” and “crown”?

Today’s Treasure– “You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Ps. 16:11)

Week 4 – Abiding Joy

Joy results when we realize that our names are written in heaven. Joy results when we discover the presence, power, and purpose of God in every circumstance. Joy results from experiencing complete restoration. Today the secret of joy we are sure to discover is found in John 15:1-17.

Please read John 15:1-17 and then answer the following questions.
1. Why does the gardener prune the branches?______
2. How is the branch “cleaned”? ______

3. How does a branch bear fruit?______

  1. What is the key to effective prayer?______
  2. How can we “glorify” the Father?______ ______
  3. How should we respond to Christ’s love for us (v.9)?______
  4. How can we “remain” in His love (v. 10)? ______

Why has Christ told us to “remain” in Him (v. 11)? ______

Once again we discover that the fruit of the Spirit originates in the heart and personality of God: “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:11). Chara, just like agape, belongs to Christ. He is the Possessor and Giver of true joy. Fleeting moments of “happiness” may be experienced through other channels, but inner joy flows only from Christ. Through these verses, Christ teaches us how to tap into His reservoir of joy to our fill: REMAIN in Me! The Greek word for remain is meno, which means “to abide, dwell, live.”

What does it mean to “abide” in Christ? Let’s take a look at the kind of determination required for one person to “abide” with another.

Read Ruth 1:11-18 and answer the following questions.

After Orpah kissed Naomi goodbye, how did Ruth respond (v. 14)? ______

What vows did Ruth make to Naomi? ______

Ruth, who chose to remain with Naomi, had no idea about the future. She simply knew they must be together. As we remain in Christ, our attitudes and determinations must be similar to Ruth’s. To remain with Christ means to cling to Him, to refuse to be budged under pressure, to never allow loss to cause us to leave. We must be “crucified” with Him in His death (Gal. 2:20) and be raised to dwell in Him here…until we dwell with Him there.

The key to “abiding” or “remaining” in Christ is in John 15:3,7,10. Read these verses carefully. God’s Word propels us to abide in Christ. When His words abide” in us and we obey His commands with a tenacity similar to Ruth’s, we abide in Him. His Word is our cling wrap, adhering us to His presence.

Chara can be lost as well as gained. No doubt many of you studying this lesson have experienced authentic joy in Christ, but, somewhere along the way, you’ve lost that joy. Is anyone above the risk of losing her joy? How long or how well do you have to know Christ to keep your spirit of joy? The Word of God answers those questions for us.

First Kings 17-19 relates a key story from Elijah’s life. God led Elijah to confront the evil king Ahab and to declare a long period of drought. At the end of the drought, Elijah confronted Ahab and defeated the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel. At the apparent height of his ministry, Elijah was in fear of Jezebel, ran away into the wilderness, and fell into a suicidal depression. However, God restored and recommissioned Elijah for his last years of ministry.

Read the following Scriptures and answer the questions.
1. In 1 Kings 17:1-6, how did God relate to Elijah? (Check one or more.)
 He allowed Elijah to live in peace and comfort.
He provided Elijah’s physical needs.
He protected Elijah from harm.
He gave Elijah a multitude of followers.

  1. In 1 Kings 17:7-16, Elijah left Israel and stayed in Zarephath. How did God demonstrate His presence with Elijah? ______
  2. First Kings 17:17-24 relates a miracle God performed through Elijah. How would you have felt if you had been the mother? ______
  3. Elijah confronted the 450 prophets of Baal in the famous “God contest” on Mount Carmel. What part of the story in 1 Kings 18:25-45 intrigues you most? (Check One.)
    Elijah’s courage
    the display by the prophets of Baal
    the simplicity of Elijah’s prayer
    Elijah’s persistent prayer for rain
    other ______
  4. Describe Elijah’s condition in 1 Kings 19:3-5. ______
  5. When God asked Elijah why he was in a cave, how did Elijah respond (1 Kings 19:9-10)? ______
  6. How did God ultimately reveal Himself to Elijah (1 Kings 19:11-13)?
    a great and powerful windan earthquake
    a firea gentle whisper
  7. Notice a very important part of God’s prescription for Elijah’s depression in 1 Kings 19:19-21. What did He give Elijah? ______

Few people have ever experienced God in the same way Elijah did, yet we see him suddenly filled with fear and depression. He was not living in sin, yet he had lost his joy. All of us are at risk of losing our joy, and there are plenty of joy quenchers available to accommodate us! Based on what we’ve learned from Elijah’s life, let’s consider circumstances which may place us in the high-risk category for losing our joy.

We May Lose Our Joy…

  1. When our outpour exceeds our intake.
    We don’t see evidence that Elijah was continually refueling. He was pouring out more than he was pouring in. Are you serving more than you’re seeking?
  2. When our talk exceeds our walk.
    Certainly things did not start out this way for Elijah, but in order for him to sink to the low described in 1 Kings 19, somewhere along the way, his mouth and his heart most likely parted company. These first two points are closely related. We rarely know the exact moment that our output begins to exceed our intake, but a sure sign of lack of fuel is a talk that exceeds our walk.
  3. When we become “wonders junkies.”
    Elijah had grown accustomed to seeing God in the midst of magnificence. He had seen God in such miraculous circumstances that he missed Him as the joy in the midst of the mundane. He looked for God in the wind, the earthquake, and the fire, but he did not find Him there. I am convinced the most intimate times we ever will spend with God will be listening to His gentle whispers. It is there that we will find true chara.
    Please carefully and tenderly consider this point with me: rarely are you more at risk for losing your joy than when you have just experienced a spiritual “high.” When God miraculously spares a life…when he supernaturally intervenes to meet your needs…when you’ve just experienced a revival or a retreat…anything you’ve just been on Mount Carmel standing firm against the enemy, you’re sitting in a dangerous place – ripe for a fall. Jesus’ baptism was followed by temptation. Pray to enjoy whose marvelous times, but never more than you enjoy His sweet whisper when you are all alone.
  4. When we are exhausted.
    What on earth would have caused Elijah to run from his circumstances rather than to his God? Surely God, Who had already worked so many miracles in Elijah’s life, could have handled Jezebel! But Elijah was exhausted. He had neglected to rest or eat. Notice God’s tender care for Elijah. God created the body. He knows we cannot function well when it is neglected. Are you neglecting your rest? What about eating? In our culture, we rarely neglect to eat; however, we neglect to eat for the body’s benefit. Just a little food for thought.
  5. When we feel all alone.
    Elijah felt as if he were the only one standing up for God, yet, by comparison, he had it easy! All the other prophets of God were holed up in caves! As you’re growing in Christ, beware of feelings that tempt you to believe you are all alone and that no one else wants to serve or love God as you do. Just because someone does not share our “cause” or our personal “passions” does not set us apart. When we view ourselves as the only spiritual persons we know, we’re setting ourselves up for a fall.

Review the above list of joy cheaters. Which one have you most recently experienced?

When we allow God to train us so that receiving and obeying His Word becomes our “high,” we will know the fullest expressions of His joy.

Look back at Today’s Treasure. Where can we always find true joy and pleasure? ______

If you’ve lost your joy, it’s right where you left it—in His Presence. Remember, He is our joy. If you’ve never lost it, praise Him and continue to depend on Him.

1