THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS JOY

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The Fruit of the Spirit Is Joy
“ ‘These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may
remain in you, and that your joy may be full’ ”
(John 15:11, NKJV).


The Source of Joy: A Parable
Norma Sahlin, Springboro, Ohio, U.S.A.
Sabbath
Introduction
Gal. 5:22

Every day, two friends toiled from morning to dusk. Most of the time tired to their very marrow, they managed to earn enough to keep roofs over their heads and bread and stew in their stomachs.

The clink of coins being counted . . . took over their days.

Though life was a challenge, they enjoyed the sun as it cast its rays over the fields. They enjoyed both rain and sun, because both nourished the earth. Birdsong filled their ears, and each season brought unique blessings. During spring, flowers began blossoming, and grass and trees gradually greened. Summer saw the swelling of a variety of fruit trees and vegetables drawing near maturity. Harvest dominated fall and faded into quietude as the growing season wound down. Though winter chilled them, it brought a sense of rest and renewal. Like the quiet before the dawn, winter made the advent of spring even more amazing.

One evening, while returning from their labors, they found a bag of treasure under a bush. After notifying authorities, they waited two months for the treasure to be claimed, then another month just to be sure. When no one stepped forward, the authorities awarded the treasure to the two friends. They praised God and threw a party for the community. Needless to say, they gave notice that they no longer had to work. Life was good!

As time passed, the novelty of providing every want of their families wore off. Daily life returned to a different pattern than before, but a pattern nevertheless. They still welcomed each season with its special highlights. They returned tithe and continued to praise God at church. The clink of coins being counted, however, took over their days. Mind you, it wasn’t hard labor. It was just that the pleasure had faded into routine.

Happiness bloomed again, however, when they began to make surprise gifts to others. It was great fun leaving a bag of groceries on a widow’s front step or making a mortgage payment for someone about to foreclose. But they noticed an increase in the number of causes needing “extra help.” Gradually, happiness seeped away again.

One week, the Scripture lesson at church was Galatians 5:22, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (NIV). Suddenly, their perspective shifted. Joy based in the core of their souls could not be earned or attained by their efforts. Real joy was part of the Holy Spirit’s presence in their lives—evidence of Christ’s transforming love.

As you study this week’s lesson, ask yourself how real joy can transform your life.




Our God Loves a Party
Monte Sahlin, Springboro, Ohio, U.S.A.
Sunday
Logos
Psalm 139;
Luke 15:4–24; John 15:10, 11; Heb. 11:16

Luke 15 contains three familiar stories: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and two lost sons. We can identify with all three because, at one time or another, we all have felt lost. In this chapter, Jesus describes people as lost, not as sinners. The emphasis is on lostness, not actions. He looks at the person, not the deed.

Taking a Closer Look
How is each protagonist different? The straying sheep wandered off. In search of greener grass, it lost track of the flock. Perhaps it slipped and got stuck in a thorny brush. When it cried for help, it was surprised to find itself alone. As daylight waned, wild beasts began to roam.
In the second story, the coin is lost through no fault of its own. It didn’t run off to a corner and hide under a basket or some other household object. The person who was supposed to protect it handled it in a careless manner or lost it accidentally. Regardless of why, its guardian failed.
The third story is about two lost sons—one who deliberately defied culture and family and sought his independence in a far country, and one who strayed in attitude while staying home.

Why does God spend so much time celebrating the retrieval of the lost?

All three stories are about separation—from the shepherd and comforter, from the guardian, and from the father. They also reflect loneliness—of the shepherd with ninety-nine sheep, of the guardian of nine coins, and of the father who waited and watched while beloved sons struggled to work out relationships.

Action is a key theme. In each story, the lost are looked for. The shepherd and guardian actively sought the lost, while the father eagerly watched for his son to return. They cared about the lost and experienced a profound void that could not be filled until the lost were found.

The Ending
Each story concludes with a party. Luke 15 paints a picture of joy. “We do not easily think of God as joyous, and consequently our theology is stiff, stilted, and stuffy. Yet the picture Jesus gives us in all three stories is of a God who loves a party! It is Jesus who throws the parties for the sinners and the rejects. It is God who initiates the festivities. More space is given in the text for joy, the rejoicing, and the partying than for any of the other three concepts [being lost, being sought, and being found]. How could it be otherwise with such untiring love? Is not the second fruit of the Spirit, joy, the result of love?”1

Why does God spend so much time celebrating the retrieval of the lost? “It is the owner of the sheep, the owner of the coin, and the waiting father who suffer most. It is God who suffers most when we are lost, but it is also God who rejoices most when the lost is found. . . . God loves a party!”2

How many times have we read Luke 15 and missed this insight? I would venture to say that the majority, if not nearly all, of the words written about Luke 15 reflect the narcissistic perspective of humankind. Very few have thought about how God must feel about His sons and daughters wandering in a wilderness of a country far, far removed from the Garden of Eden, and reduced to consuming what the pigs refuse to eat. God provided abundance. We choose dregs. How His heart must ache! He so longs to give us the gift of joy, and we stubbornly insist like a two-year-old that we want it our way!

C. S. Lewis (1898–1963) wrote about his journey from atheism to Christianity. He remembers the strong but fleeting feeling of joy when he was a boy and his brother showed him a replication of a garden in a tin box. There were other times when he experienced longing for something he could not name. Looking back, he was convinced that God was using these “arrows of joy [that] had been shot at me ever since childhood” to pierce his self-absorption, to inspire him to look beyond the immediate to see the source of eternal joy—God.

His conversion took place over a period of years. Despite his mixed feelings, joy dominated. “In a sense the central story of my life is about nothing else . . . it is that of an unsatisfied desire which is itself more desirable than any other satisfaction. I call it Joy, which is here a technical term and must be sharply distinguished both from Happiness and from Pleasure.”3

REACT
1. How do we become worthy to receive the fruit of the Holy Spirit?
2. If it’s God’s party, why are we constantly grumbling about the details, such as who is invited and whether they are worthy?
3. How have “arrows of joy” in your life pointed to God, the Source of joy?
____________
1. Caleb Rosado, What Is God Like? (Hagerstown, Md.: Review and Herald®, 1988), p. 46.
2. Ibid., p. 57.
3. C. S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy (New York: Harcourt, Brace & Company, 1955), pp. 214–219.



“Joy Revealed in Our Lives”
Santhosh S. Jackson, Laurel, Maryland, U.S.A.
Monday
Testimony
Gal 5: 22, 23

“He is a branch of the True Vine, and bears rich clusters of fruit to the glory of God. What is the character of the fruit borne? The fruit of the Spirit is ‘love,’ not hatred; ‘joy,’ not discontent and mourning; ‘peace,’ not irritation, anxiety, and manufactured trials. It is ‘long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.’ [Galatians 5:22, 23.]”1

“It was the joy of Christ in His humiliation and pain that His disciples should be glorified with Him. They are fruit of His self-sacrifice. The outworking in them of His own character and spirit is His reward, and will be His joy throughout eternity. This joy they share with Him as the fruit of their labor and sacrifice is seen in other hearts and lives.”2

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. These graces will be seen in every stone that helps to compose the temple of God. All the stones are not of the same dimension or shape, but every stone has its place in the temple.”3

“Working with unselfish heart, ennobled by being partakers of Christ’s sufferings, sharing His sympathies, they help to swell the tide of His joy, and bring honor and praise to His exalted name.”4

“ ‘And now I come to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.’ Is it possible to have joy in obeying Christ? It is the only real joy that any soul can have. You may have what you call ‘a good time,’ and laugh and joke; but your joy will be only a foolish gratification of a mind that is not well balanced by the Spirit of God.”5

REACT
1. Above we read, that “all the stones are not of the same dimension or shape, but every stone has its place in the temple.” How is this concept similar to the spiritual gifts as described in Romans 12:6? How is it different?
2. How do you know that you are filled with Christ’s joy and not simply deriving pleasure from fellowship with other Christians?
____________
1. Gospel Workers, p. 287.
2. The Desire of Ages, p. 624.
3. Reflecting Christ, p. 273.
4. Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 306.
5. The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, September 3, 1895.




“Joy of the Redeemed”
Melissa Sahlin, Mason, Ohio, U.S.A.
Tuesday
Evidence
Isa. 35:1, 2, 10

Often titled “Joy of the Redeemed,” Isaiah 35 begins, “The desert and the parched land will be glad; / the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. / Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; / it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy” (NIV).

Joy is larger than a person’s experience. It can’t be arranged or coerced.

Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress when approached by an angel (Judg. 6:11). Threshing usually was done on a high place that had its dirt packed hard, but because of Midianites raiding the area, Gideon was trying to hide his work. Turn to Ruth 2 for an account of harvesting practices. Note that the harvesters left wheat around the edges of the fields so that poor people could glean enough to feed themselves.

With most of our food produced by large agribusinesses, we’re out of touch with what the production of food involves. We know the concepts in general, but most of us don’t grow our own food or fear real hunger.

During Bible times, hard physical labor was required to produce food—whether
it was hunting or working the fields. Every person spent much of every day scratching out sustenance. Herds were moved seasonally around the area between the Judean foothills to the north and the desert below the Dead Sea, with lurking wild animals and harsh climatic conditions. Survival was a daily struggle.

However, in verses three and four of Isaiah 35, strength is restored to feeble hands. Fearful hearts are reassured, “ ‘Be strong, do not fear; / your God will come, / he will come with vengeance; / with divine retribution / he will come to save you’ ” (verse 4, NIV).

In verse six, we read about concrete reasons for joy: “Water will gush forth in the wilderness / and streams in the desert” (NIV). By the end of the chapter, imperfect lives are transformed, “They will enter Zion with singing; / everlasting joy will crown their heads” (verse 10, NIV).

Clearly, joy is larger than a person’s experience. It can’t be arranged or coerced, for it is God who crowns us with joy.

REACT
1. How will a crown of joy make your life different?
2. Is it hard to accept God’s deep and constant joy? Justify your answer.




Experiencing Joy
Gianluca Bruno, Mason, Ohio, U.S.A.
Wednesday
How-to
John 14:14–17; 17:13;
Acts 2:1–4, 46;
1 John 1:3, 4

Joy is one component of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is evidence of the Holy Spirit in us. How do we become filled with it?

First John 1:3, 4 provides a good thesis statement. “We are telling you about what we ourselves have actually seen and heard, so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy will be complete” (NLT).

So how can our joy be complete?

You get a personal tutor in this class known as Life 101.

First, recognize that without Jesus we have nothing (John 6:63). It is He who gives you eternal life because He paid the penalty for your sins. No matter what you do, you can never measure up or meet all the requirements. Zip. Zero. Nada.

Second, ask in His name (John 14:14). Leave the I attitude behind you. This seems counterintuitive, because our culture is built on personal achievement. But you cannot complete this assignment on your own, no matter how hard you try.

Third, obey His commandments (John 14:15). This means you have to study, study, study. Daily review the syllabus known as the Bible, especially focusing on the life of Jesus. As a result, He will ask God the Father to give you the Holy Spirit, the Counselor who will lead you into all truth (John 14:16, 17). You get a personal tutor in this class known as Life 101. By the way, Jesus tells us these things so we can be filled with His joy (John 17:13).

Fourth, study with other Christians (Heb. 10:25). You have to meet regularly if you are to complete this assignment—a group project demonstrating friendship with God (Acts 2:1–4, 46; Rom. 5:10). It is intense work. It leaves no time for petty bickering or one-upmanship. All for one, one for all—Go Team!

REACT
1. Compare and contrast the world’s expectations of your behavior with God’s expectations for you. What are the similarities? What are the differences?
2. How do you handle a situation in which some people in your Bible study group are not demonstrating Christian attributes or have a different interpretation of a biblical passage?
3. How can you cultivate better team spirit in the church?




No Joy for You!
Stephanie Sahlin Jackson, Laurel, Maryland, U.S.A.
Thursday
Opinion
John 15:11, 16

Colleges and graduate schools are governed by rigid structures. Each syllabus contains course requirements, parameters for all assignments, required textbooks, grading details, etc. Such structure is all encompassing, involving every action of both professor and student. Its goal is learning that is measured through various forms of testing. Not surprisingly, students are concerned about how they measure up—not just in the academic setting but in the wider world. Their feelings dance up and down. If they get a good grade, they’re happy. If they’re late with an assignment, they panic. And so it goes, semester after semester.

Life is full of random events, anxiety-filled moments.

A classic Seinfeld episode featured a popular take-out restaurant offering soup. With the line of waiting people stretched out the door, they began to notice that not all customers emerged with soup containers. Those nearing the counter saw that the chef-owner would order some people out the door, refusing to allow them to buy soup. The Soup Nazi (as the chef was known) would bellow, “No soup for you!” and refuse to serve a customer for random reasons. Talk about anxiety!

Life is full of random events, anxiety-filled moments. They snatch away our happiness, often without warning. Think of the attacks on Mumbai, India’s financial center; the bombing of London’s subway system; and 9/11 in the United States. Picture cataclysmic natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and tsunamis. Or what about the collapse of the subprime mortgage market that led to the nearly fatal demise of banks, investment houses, and stock markets, which, in turn, caused many people to lose their jobs. The destabilization has rippled throughout the world, affecting nations large and small. No joy for you! But wait! Read the good news in John 15:11, 16.

This is good news indeed. Unlike the negative messages of this world, God promises to share His joy with us. An all-powerful, all-knowing God casts a safety net around us. No matter what collapses, we can lean on Him who under-stands us. Joy is not random.

REACT
1. Think about a time when it felt like someone was shouting, “No joy for you!” How did you feel?
2. What is the difference between lifestyle and transformation by the Spirit?



A Gift That Surprises
the Giver
Jennifer Morgan, Newfoundland, Canada
Friday
Exploration
Luke 15:4–24; John 15:10–16

CONCLUDE
Joy is not something we can produce under our own willpower. In the stories of the lost sheep, coin, and sons, Jesus explained that God demonstrates joy when a lost soul returns to Him. Reciprocated love produces joy. In John 15, Jesus explained that love originates from God. We love Him because He first loved us. In the same way, living in His love transforms us so that we love others unselfishly. The act of loving others brings everlasting joy. Like the older brother, we can join God’s party only when we enjoy the company of His children.

CONSIDER
Reflecting on the last time you felt true joy. Write a journal entry examining the feeling and the source of true joy. Does the remembering bring back the joy?
Making a list of ways you can pass on your joy this week. Choose one item from your list and act on it. How did acting on your joy make you feel?
Practicing something you enjoy doing. Then share that talent with someone else this week.
Asking someone who does something better than you do to share that talent with you. Let that person know that you value him or her.
Enjoying God’s nature this week, responding to His creation by creating a poem, song, music, painting, or photograph.
Finding a photo in your collection or a magazine that personifies joy for you. Or find a song that gives you joy. Bring the photo or song to your Sabbath School class to share with others.

CONNECT
Ellen G. White, “That Your Joy Might Be Full,” The Signs of the Times, August 11, 1909.
Carolyn Arends, “Surprised By Joy ” from the album This Much I Understand.
Brennan Manning, “A Touch of Folly,” in The Ragamuffin Gospel: Embracing the Unconditional Love of God (Portland, Ore.: Multnomah, 2005); Henri Nouwen, Turn My Mourning Into Dancing: Finding Hope in Hard Times (Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson, 2004).

http://cqbiblestudy.org/site/1/lessons/2010-1/English/STUDENT/CQ-10-Q1-03.pdf