Download Winning The Battle Over Joylessness

Message for WEDNESDAY NIGHT PRAISE AND WORSHIP, April 5, 2017
Christian Hope Church of Christ, Plymouth, North Carolina
by Reggie A. Braziel, Minister
MESSAGE 8 in “WINNING LIFE'S BATTLES” Sermon series
“WINNING THE BATTLE OVER
JOYLESSNESS”
ROMANS 15:13 NKJV
As we continue with our series of messages on “WINNING
LIFE'S BATTLES” please turn with me to our scripture text in
Romans chapter fifteen, and let's read verse 13.
ROMANS 15:13 (NKJV)
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in
believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy
Spirit.
PRAYER
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INTRODUCTION
Do you remember that chorus we used to sing years ago that went
like this: “I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart; down in my
heart; down in my heart. I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart.
Down in my heart to stay.”
Let me ask you something: “Do you still have that joy in your
heart?” “When was the last time you felt joy down in your
heart?”
Sadly, many Christians seem to be lacking joy in their spiritual lives.
And that certainly isn't the kind of life God intends for you and
me to live. When God sent His Son here to die for our salvation,
He died that we might have life and have it more abundantly. And one
characteristic of that “abundant life” in Christ is that our lives are
to be filled with joy.
That's what Paul tells us in this thirteenth verse.....
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy ......”
Philippians 4:4 (NKJV) says, “Rejoice in the LORD always.
always. Against I
will say rejoice!”
rejoice!”
Romans 12:12 (NIV) says, “Be joyful in hope,
hope, patient in affliction,
faithful in prayer.”
prayer.
Psalm 118:24 (NKJV) says, “This is the day the LORD has made; we
will rejoice and be glad in it.”
Is it possible one reason why our non-believing loved ones and
friends don't find anything attractive about Christianity is because
they don't see true joy in our lives?
Is it possible the chronic look of defeat and discouragement
on our faces and the chronic whining and complaining about
all our troubles and problems makes our non-believing loved
ones and friends want to have nothing to do with Christianity
or the Church?
ANALOGY: Think about those NUTRI-SYSTEM COMMERCIALS on TV.
One of the things that makes people want to try NUTRI-SYSTEM is
the JOY they see in the faces of those who have tried it. My name
is MARIE and I lost 50 lbs. on NUTRI-SYSTEM. “I'm CHUCK and I lost
35 lbs. on NUTRI-SYSTEM.” “I'm STEPHANIE and I lost 68 lbs. on
NUTRI-SYSTEM.
The point is this: “JOY is attractive.....JOY is
contagious......JOY is inviting.”
“A joyless Christian certainly isn't a very good advertisement for
Christianity.”
As we focus on this matter of “WINNING THE BATTLE OVER
JOYLESSNESS” in tonight's message, there are several
questions I would like for us to consider.
********************************
First of all......
I.
What Is The SOURCE of Christian Joy?
1. The simple answer to that question is obviously GOD .
True joy comes from GOD.
II.
What Are Some Things That STEAL Our Christian Joy?
III.
What Are Some SOLUTIONS To Rediscovering Our
Christian Joy?