Waiting Room: Elusive Joy

Missio Church - Bismarck

Verses Used:

• Galatians 5:22-23
• Zephaniah 3:17
• John 15:11
• Luke 2:8-11
• Deuteronomy 19:4-6
• Exodus 34:25-26
• Roman 6:14
• Psalm 51:10-12
• Psalm 16:11
• James 1:2

Takeaways:

Sometimes we live our lives waiting for joy. It seems elusive, like something everybody else gets to experience, but not us.

A Joyful God

• Jesus was and is the most joy filled person who ever lived. His desire is for you to experience his joy.

Joy from Jesus

• Josh spoke about how it’s safe to say that God’s desire is for his followers to be a joyful people. At the birth of Jesus, it’s right there in the Christmas story when we read Luke 2:8-11.
• One of the biggest ways Jesus brings joy is through the new covenant. Grace.
• We can’t fully realize the joy of Jesus without realizing the significance of the new covenant.
• Living under legalism is all about keeping score with others, ourselves, and God.
• Legalism produces cynicism, a judgmental attitude and makes a person downright grumpy.
• For the follower of Jesus, living in grace lets us experience joy. Legalism steals our joy - grace frees us up to experience it.

Living with Joy

• Unconfessed sin - A clean heart, a right heart with God brings Joy. Harboring sin can rob us of that joy that Jesus gives.
• Losing Perspective - Joy doesn’t come from looking at our struggles, but looking beyond them with an eternal perspective.
• From James 1:2 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”

Discussion Questions:

• How might life be different if we got rid of our scorecards? With others, ourselves, God?
• Who do you think experiences more joy; someone living under grace or legalism? Why?
• Why do you think we experience joy when we give a gift to someone else?
• What happens when we live with unconfessed sin in our lives? What happens when we confess it?

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