(Sermon Supplement) We Are 03: "We Are Saved With Joy"

Sunday Sermon: We Are Series Part 3:

"We Are Saved with Joy"

Part Three of our sermon series "We Are" was a message called "We Are Saved with Joy.” In this message we continue to take a deeper look at our identity through salvation. In particular we looked at the “joy of salvation” and the powerful role that joy has in our lives.

Joyless Christians

Too often we have joyless Christians in the church and this isn’t the way it was meant to be! The Bible says that God’s kingdom is “righteousness, peace and joy” in the Holy Spirit (Rom 14:17). We are also commanded to “rejoice always” (Phil 4:4). So what could be some of the reasons why some Christians lack the joy of their salvation in their lives?

Reasons Why We Lack Salvation Joy

There can be many, but in the message we shared some of these reasons. One of the reasons we shared was that some Christians don’t put enough importance and priority on their kingdom joy. We may put priority on “happiness” but that is not the same thing as “kingdom joy.” We make the mistake of thinking we have no joy because we don’t feel happy. But having kingdom joy is not the same thing as being happy!

The crazy thing is that we can not be happy but still be joyful! Why? Because being happy is based on feelings, but joy is based on faith. Being happy is based on situations and circumstances being happy, but our joy is based on God being good. Being happy is based on temporal things, but joy is based on internal things. Being happy is based on what you have, what you’ve done, and who you are. But being joyful is based on what Jesus has done, what Jesus has given, and who we are because of Him! Being happy might be based on people. How they treat us, care for us, love us, what they think of us. But kingdom joy is based solely on Jesus and how He treats us, how He cares for us, how He loves us, and only on what He thinks of us!

The difference between you being happy and you being joyful is your focus! You get to choose what to focus on and what to value more. Will it be the things of this world? Will it be the people are you, your family, friends, and church members? Or, will it only be Jesus?

Being Responsible for Our Own Joy

In general, God expects to take responsibility for our own lives and steward them well. This means that we need to steward kingdom joy, put priority on it, safeguard it, grow it, and be mindful it at all times, since we are instructed to rejoice at all times!

We can’t allow others or situations dictate our joy or steward it for us! It is up to us! Like King David, he took his God-given authority (which you have to!) and said to Himself, “Why so downcast oh my soul? Put your hope in God!” He used the physical to influence the spiritual. He used his physical mind and mouth to my his spirit man and soul.

Likewise, we can steward our joy through constant meditation (focus) and celebration (praise). Again, these are things we must do CONSTANTLY. Through thick and thin. Through good times and bad. If a gardener or watered his garden when he felt like it, or when it was a “good day”, his garden won’t last long. In the same way, we ought to discipline ourselves to give thanks and celebrate Jesus and our salvation in Him to see the long term fruit of kingdom joy in our lives.

The Blessings of Salvation

Our perception and understanding of salvation can also play a big factor in how much joy we have in our salvation. Part of our good stewardship of our joy is to be aware of, meditate on, and study well all the truths of God’s Word regarding our salvation. When we know it’s in God’s Word, then we know that we stand with authority on Truth against any lie or half-truths life or the enemy may throw at us!

To help us have a bigger perspective on our salvation and how much joy we can have because of it, we mentioned during the sermon a list of “blessings” that happen right when we are saved. There are so many that the list could go on and on, but we’ve highlighted twenty-five of them for you here for you to meditate on and study so that you can start taking action now in stewarding the joy of your salvation!

25 Blessings That Happen Right When We Are Saved

Take these and make them a part of your life by meditating on them, studying them, praying them and declaring them! Get creative and do something to help you put God’s Word before you and to be reminded of His Word daily, for example: write them down on post its and post them up around your house or key places to remind you of God’s Truth and promises over your life! However you choose to apply them, we hope this list of “salvation’s blessings” will help kickstart a new level of joy in your life!