A RELATIONSHIP with JESUS doesn’t have to be ENDURED it’s meant to be ENJOYED.
Isaiah 61: 1-4 (NKJV)
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, 3 to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified. 4 And they shall rebuild the old ruins, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.
You can have JOY even when things aren’t ENJOYABLE.
Don’t CHASE joy, CHOOSE joy.
2 Corinthians 6:10 (NIV)
…sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
John 10:10 (NIV)
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Psalm 32:1-5, 10-11(NIV)
Blessed (joyful) is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2 Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit. 3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. 10Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him. 11Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!
Sin STEALS our JOY.
Sin SPILLS over in our LIVES.
The SOLUTION to SIN is REPENTANCE.
Acts 3:19-20 (NLT)
Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord.
Psalm 32:1-5 (NLT)
Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! 2 Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! 3 When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. 4 Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. 5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.
Luke 9:23 (NLT)
Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.
Don’t allow a MOMENT of PLEASURE cause you to LOSE a life of JOY.
4 ways to keep SIN OUT and JOY IN your life:
- Daily CHOOSE to put to DEATH your old sin nature.
Psalm 51:2 (NIV)
Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
Romans 8:12-13 (NLT)
Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.
Carved in the bark of every tree in the garden of God are the words, “If it dies, it bears much fruit” Three words are branded into the flesh of every Christian: “You . . . have . . . died”. And the heartfelt confession of every believer is, “I have been crucified with Christ” . – John Piper
A daily prayer…“SIN will lead me to DEATH but your SPIRIT will lead me to LIFE. Give me the STRENGTH to follow your SPIRIT.”
- Daily RELEASE your PAST.
Micah 7:19 (NLT)
Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!
Philippians 3:13-14 (NLT)
No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Psalm 51:7
Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
- Daily PURSUE God’s PLAN for my life.
Psalm 51:10 (NIV)
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Romans 12:2 (NLT)
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
James 5:16 (MSG)
Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.
Psalm 51:12-13(NIV)
Restore to me the joy of your salvation… and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. 13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.
- Daily LIVE a life of SERVICE to others.
YOU can’t FULFILL YOU.
Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
There’s more JOY in GIVING than RECEIVING.
Acts 20:35 (NIV)
In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.
John 3:16-17 (NIV)
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.