A Joyful Heart

John 15:1-11

We have been looking at Jesus' instruction to His disciples. In preparing them for His soon departure from this world, Jesus explained how to get and keep a clean heart, how to nurture a praying heart, and how to have a courageous heart. Jesus continued His conversation with His disciples here, and He said, "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full". Jesus said that His desire for us is that we might be full of joy.

Are your hearts filled with joy this morning? I'm not talking about just when things are going well, but I mean all the time! Perhaps we should define our terms. Joy is not the same as happiness. Happiness is largly dependent upon events or circumstances. Joy is the fruit of the Spirit of God and can be experienced even in times of affliction.

One fellow described a believer like this, we are like a large bowl of soup carried by a waiter. He holds the bowl high over his head and you cannot tell what is in it until he is bumped and it spills out. Now think about it, what spills out when we are bumped? Is it joy? If we are filled with joy, then that is what will spill out.

The world says that joy can be found through a change in our circumstances: take a vacation, earn more money, spend more money, or save more. Another popular notion today is that we should change ourselves: Pump iron, start jogging, lose weight, gain weight, anything to discover the new you!

Jesus had a very different formula for joy. It is learning to abide in Christ so that we become fruit-bearing Christians. Jesus said it is possible for us to have enough joy for ourselves and still enough to share with others. It depends on our relationship with Christ.

I. Joy Depends on Fruitfulness for God.

II. Fruitfulness is Dependent upon Our Relationship with Christ.

III. Our Relationship Depends upon Our Abiding in Christ

Conclusion: Joy is a by-product of living as a fruit-bearing Christian. It is not something that we should seek directly, but is the outgrowth of a personal living relationship with Christ. Our joy depends upon our fruitfulness, our fruitfulness is dependent upon our relationship with Christ, and our relationship with Christ is dependent upon our abiding in Him.