In Between #3
Tim Cartwright

Joy & Happiness

I’ll be happy/joyful when ____________________________________.

1. True joy is R______________ when we recognize and embrace the Incarnate King.

Luke 2:8-10; Isaiah 9:1-7

When we meditate on these verses, when we dwell on the amazing love of our Incarnate King who is Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace even the most sour, reserved and restrained Christian cannot help but experience joy and happiness.

2. True joy is made C______________ by experiencing fellowship with one another through fellowship with the Father & Son. – 1 John 1:1-4

“Joy is delight in God and his salvation for the sheer beauty and worth of who He is. Its opposite is hopelessness/despair, its counterfeit is elation that comes with blessings not the Blesser! Mood swings based on circumstances.” – Tim Keller

3. True joy is made F_____________ by abiding in Christ. – John 15:9-11

“God is the highest good of the reasonable creature. The enjoyment of him is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied. To go to heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. Better than fathers and mothers, husbands, wives, or children, or the company of any, or all earthly friends. These are but shadows; but the enjoyment of God is the substance. These are but scattered beams; but God is the sun. These are but streams; but God is the fountain. These are but drops, but God is the ocean.” – Jonathan Edwards

4. Practical help for finding joy in Christ.

• Distinguish between temporary and circumstantial comfort or satisfaction and real, lasting joy.
• Put yourself in the path of God’s grace.
• Engage yourself in Jesus’s mission in the world.

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