Kingdom Joy Juice | Short Sermon Series

So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.

~ John 16:22

We may be learning how to have true joy, and have learnt that it is found only in the Lord. To stand for Christ with boldness, unmoved by the hardships of the world. The real joy is rejoicing in the Lord, living a life filled with worship and holding to the truth.

But how do we keep it? What kind of joy is this that can turn sorrow into joy?

Warren Wiersbe said “God brings joy into our lives, not by substitution but by transformation.” If we want to keep our joy, we need to have our perspectives changed.

Jesus illustrated to His disciples how they would experience great sorrow then great joy. This joy that He speaks of is one that comes from putting your trust in Jesus Christ and following Him. When He says that He will see the disciples again after His resurrection, this gave them great hope as it does to us, because this means that Jesus lives again never to die again.

And since this joy comes from being with Jesus and He lives, we can never lose this joy. Because He has risen from the dead and lives for all eternity. We know His promise is true – that we will live together for eternity.

But we can’t see Jesus now so how do we have joy while we’re still here living life?

Jesus told the disciples earlier in v7 “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” Although we can’t see Jesus but for those who believe, we now have the Holy Spirit.

We can only have joy because of the transforming, redeeming work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Nothing on earth will be a good substitute for the sorrow and difficulties we face. Only the joy we have in Christ, presence of the Holy Spirit, and promise that we will see Christ and live forever with Him makes it possible for us to keep our joy.

You may be going through a tough season of your life but we hope that you will find everlasting joy when you trust in Christ today. If you are His, no one will take your joy from you.