Adrian Rogers - How to Have Joy
Would you be finding John chapter 15 and put your finger on verse 11. John chapter 15 is a chapter that is written about the life of the Lord Jesus Christ as He is facing the cross that we've been talking about. But here's the interesting thing. The verse that I'm going to read to you and share with you in just a moment deals not with suffering, not with agony, not with pain, not with despair; it deals with joy. Right in the face of the crucifixion, right on the brink of agony Jesus is talking about joy.
Now I don't know the names of everyone. I don't know all about the innermost working of your heart. But I believe that I am absolutely correct when I say that you want joy. I think that's true of all humankind; we want joy. The problem is that we're looking for it in the wrong places. A woman lost her house keys. She looked and looked and looked and looked and looked. You've done something like that, haven't you? Just looked everywhere. And then she opened her purse and there they were. Now you want me to tell you why she found her keys in her purse? Because that's where she left them, right? Number two; do you know why she didn't find her keys in the other place? They weren't there.
Now, do you know why some folks don't find joy? They're looking for it in the wrong place. They're trying to find it, but you'll never find it until you look in the right place. Now I guess the key verse on joy in all of the Bible is John chapter 15 and verse 11. Look at it, Jesus says, "These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full". "That My joy might remain in you, that your joy would be full". The life of a Christian is to be a life of joy. A joyless Christian is a contradiction in terms. It'd be like saying a heavenly devil. A joyless Christian, if you don't have joy, there is something wrong. Your life is to be a life of joy, continual joy, conspicuous joy. Contagious joy is to be yours if you know the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now you can know Jesus and not have this joy. That's the reason Jesus is telling us what He's telling us. Joy is not inevitable. It's optional. But you ought to have joy if you want joy. You see, joy is so very important in winning the lost. Many of us go around trying to witness about our faith and we look like an advanced agent for the undertaker, with a Bible under one arm and a tombstone under the other, saying, "Wouldn't you like to be saved"? "No, thanks, I have enough problems of my own without getting some more". The joy of the Lord is indispensable in winning the lost. David in Psalm 51 verses 12 and 13, had lost his joy. And then he prayed, he said, "Lord, restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and then shall sinners be converted unto Thee".
Now I am telling you folks, that the joy of this congregation means as much when a lost man comes in here as what is preached from the pulpit, because what we believe is caught as well as taught, and you ought to have the joy of the Lord in your heart to win the lost. The joy of the Lord is indispensable in serving the Lord. You see, the Bible says in Nehemiah 8:10, "The joy of the Lord is," what? "Your strength"! What does the Bible say in Psalm 100 verse 2? "Serve the Lord with gladness". The joy of the Lord will take the weariness and the burden and the labor out of serving the Lord. You serve the Lord with gladness.
Hey, folks, the joy of the Lord is so necessary when you have problems; and you will have them! If you don't have them now, just hold on. Man that is born of woman is few of days and full of trouble, isn't that true? Well, you see, one person has so wisely said, "Pain is inevitable, but misery is optional". Did you catch that? Now listen: "Pain is inevitable; misery is optional". God never intended for you to be free of pain, but He never intended for you to be filled with misery. This joy is not a nicety, therefore. It is a necessity. It is the lubricant of life. Having said that, we're going to look at what the Lord Jesus teaches about joy here, joy unspeakable and full of glory, and how you can have it, and what it is.
The very first thing I want you to see is this; I want you to see that this joy is supernatural in its source. Do you have that? This joy is supernatural in its source. Look at John 15 verse 11, "These things have I spoken unto you," now watch this, look at it, "that My joy might remain in you". Whose joy? His joy! Not joy like His. Are you listening? Not joy like His. His joy! You see, the life of Jesus was a life of joy. The psalmist said in Psalm 45:7, "Thou hast anointed Him with the oil of gladness above His fellows". That means that nobody ever had joy like the Lord Jesus. And the word gladness there is a word that has the idea of leaping, leaping!
It's the idea of when John the Baptist was in the womb of Elizabeth and Mary came into the presence of Elizabeth, and the baby Jesus was in the womb of Mary, John the Baptist in the womb of Elizabeth. In Luke chapter 1 verses 41 through 44, the Bible says that the baby in the womb of Elizabeth the Bible said that baby leaped for joy in the womb of Elizabeth. That's the same idea that speaks of Jesus. And the word for joy there has the idea of leaping. Now we picture Jesus many ways. I want you to picture in your mind Jesus just leaping for joy. "Thou hast anointed Him with the oil of gladness above His fellows". Don't get the idea that Jesus was some pale, sanctimonious, religious recluse.
Friend, Jesus, and I'm not saying this disrespectfully, was the life of the party. I love the scene at the wedding feast where the Lord Jesus is there rejoicing with the people because He had joy, real joy! That was the joy of the Lord Jesus. Jesus was the kind of a person that little children wanted to be around. Now you show me a sourpuss and tell me if little children want to be around someone like that. Jesus had joy! His life was a life of joy. And then Jesus said in John 15:11, "These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might be in you". The joy that I'm talking about, folks, is supernatural joy.
He says the same thing in John chapter 17 verse 13, "These things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves". And that's the reason the great apostle Paul said in Philippians chapter 4 verse 4, "Rejoice in the Lord". Not in circumstances, in the Lord! And that's the first thing I want you to see, and I hope you get it. This joy, now listen, you'll miss the whole message if you don't get this. This joy is supernatural in its source. Have you got it? Nod your head. Okay. It's supernatural. We're not just talking about cheering up. It is supernatural in its source. Now, therefore, it is steadfast in its strength. Now listen, only when it is supernatural at its source can it be steadfast in its strength.
Look at the verse again, "These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might," what's that next thing, "remain in you, that My joy remain". Because it is supernatural, it is steadfast. Now many of us think that the shortest verse in the Bible is that one in John 11 verse 35 that says, "Jesus wept". And that is the shortest in the English Bible, but it's not the shortest in the Greek Bible. I mean, as the Scripture is written in Greek and translated into English. Do you know the shortest verse in the Greek is in First Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 16? It's two words in English, but one word in Greek. The two words in English are these, "Rejoice evermore". That in the Greek is the shortest verse in the Bible. "Rejoice evermore"! It's the shortest verse, but it deals with the longest time: evermore. "Rejoice evermore"!
I'm talking to you about this steadfast joy; joy that Jesus said will remain. It's not happiness. It's joy! You're not supposed to be happy all the time. I was reading about a little girl. She was 12 years old. She lives in Winnipeg, Canada. She wanted to get in the Guinness World Book of Records. And so she held a smile on her face for 10 hours and 5 minutes. Little Lisa Lester, for 10 straight hours and 5 minutes. Do you think you'd want to do that for 10 hours? You'd get sick of it. It might be a relief to know that you can have joy and not have to go around with a goony grin on your face all the time. Jesus, who had joy, yet was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. The Bible tells us that Jesus wept.
You see, what's the difference between joy and happiness? Happiness may give smiles, put laughter on our face, but happiness is just what the word describes. Happiness depends on what happens. Therefore you call it happiness. If your hap is good, then you're happy. If your hap is bad, then you're unhappy. It all depends upon happenstance and whatever happens. But joy depends upon the Lord. It is supernatural. It is not natural. And, therefore, because that joy is supernatural, that joy is steadfast. It is not happiness. Happiness is like a cosmetic; it's on the outside. Joy is rooted in character. Happiness responds to surface needs; joy deals with our deepest needs. Happiness is like a thermometer; it measures and registers conditions. But joy is like a thermostat; it controls conditions. And happiness evaporates in the time of suffering, but joy is often deepened in the time of suffering because we come to the Lord and we depend upon the Lord.
Now I tell you it's wonderful when happiness and joy get together. That's wonderful. Our happiest moments are made all the more happy and all the more wonderful when they are mingled with the joy of the Lord. But if you take away the happiness, you'll find that sometimes the joy may even intensify. As Jesus was facing the cross, He was not happy. In Matthew 26 verses 37 and 38, He said, "There's no sorrow like My sorrow". And yet, facing that cross, He says, "These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full". I believe it's cruel to say to people, "Just smile and be happy," when they're hurting. Don't ever go to a funeral and say that to a person. Don't ever say that to a momma who's just lost a little baby.
Don't ever say that to a wife whose husband has been diagnosed with a malignancy, "Oh, just smile and be happy". That's cruel. Sit down and weep with them. It's mockery to sing sometimes, "I'm in-right, out-right, down-right happy all the time". Not only is it mockery; it's a down-right lie. Nobody's happy all the time. You're not expected to be. But you're to have joy all the time. The Bible says in Philippians 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord," what's that next word, "always, always, and again I say, rejoice". The joy of the Lord, folks, is steadfast in sorrow. Now you're in John 15. Look in verse John 16 and verse 20. Jesus said, "And ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned to joy".
Jesus, facing dark Gethsemane and bloody Calvary, found out that His joy and your joy is to be steadfast in sorrow. He knew that. Not only steadfast in sorrow, but triumphant in tribulation. Now in John chapter 16 verse 33, our Lord says, "In this world you'll have tribulation; be of good cheer, I have overcome the world". And that's the reason the apostle Paul said in Second Corinthians chapter 7 and verse 4. Put this in your margin. Listen to it, "I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation". Now He didn't say, "I'm joyful because I don't have any tribulation". "I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation".
Christianity is not the subtraction of problems from life; it is the addition of power to meet those problems. And the man who said, "I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation," was the one who sung songs at midnight. Paul and Silas in the prison when they've been beaten, lacerated in a filthy dungeon. They sang praises to God. Why? I am joyful, we are joyful in all our tribulation. Not only is it steadfast in sorrow, not only is it lasting and triumphant in tribulation, but it is lasting in losses. Here's a verse I was looking at, Hebrews 10 verse 34. The writer of Hebrews is talking to the Christian community, and he says, "You took joyfully the spoiling of your goods".
Now suppose you came home today and everything in your house has been carried out by the thieves. I hope that doesn't happen to do, but suppose you did; I mean, everything; your heirlooms, your treasurers, your photograph albums; all gone. I want to ask you a question. Would that take away your joy? Now if it did, those things are the source of your joy, and your joy is no better than its source. Now you've got to have something that is better, better than that in order for you to have this joy that is steadfast. That's the reason Jesus didn't say, "These things have I spoken unto you, have a lot of nice possessions, that you might have joy". He said, "That My joy might remain in you".
Listen to that verse again. It says there in Hebrews 10 verse 34, "You took joyfully the spoiling of your goods". You see, this joy is steadfast in sorrow. It's triumphant in tribulation. It's lasting in losses. It is abundant in affliction. Notice First Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 6, "Having received the Word in much affliction, with joy," I like that, "much affliction, with joy in the Holy Ghost".
Leonard Ravenhill, a dear preacher of the Word of God said, "This joy is as real at the graveside as at the fireside. It does not evaporate in the heat of adversities. It does not wither at the onslaught of calamities. It does not sour under the test of poverty. It does not die at the cruel hand of tragedy. It does not falter in the presence of misery". My youngest daughter is a precious Christian. She went through deep sorrow. And she wrote a song. The tune is set to, "My Favorite Things," from The Sound of Music. If you know the tune, then I want you to think of it in your mind as you listen to these words:
Joy through my teardrops and gains through my losses;
beauty for ashes and crowns for my crosses.
He binds my wounds, He dries all my tears;
calms every storm and He conquers my fears.
He gives me hinds' feet to walk on high places,
He floods my soul with His heavenly graces.
When I'm weak, then His strength makes me strong.
I know I can trust Him, He's never been wrong.
Trials may come and temptations assail me,
though I may falter, He never will fail me.
So, Satan, I bind you in His holy name,
for at the cross Jesus' blood overcame.
When the doubt comes, when I'm lonely,
when my heart is sad, I will lift mine eyes to my
Savior above and Jesus will make me glad.
beauty for ashes and crowns for my crosses.
He binds my wounds, He dries all my tears;
calms every storm and He conquers my fears.
He gives me hinds' feet to walk on high places,
He floods my soul with His heavenly graces.
When I'm weak, then His strength makes me strong.
I know I can trust Him, He's never been wrong.
Trials may come and temptations assail me,
though I may falter, He never will fail me.
So, Satan, I bind you in His holy name,
for at the cross Jesus' blood overcame.
When the doubt comes, when I'm lonely,
when my heart is sad, I will lift mine eyes to my
Savior above and Jesus will make me glad.
That's so true. That is so true. This joy, it's supernatural in its source. It is steadfast in its strength. "That My joy might remain in you". Here's the third and final thing. It's sublime in its secret. It's not automatic. You see, what does He say in John 15 verse 11? Listen to it, "These things have I spoken unto you, that," in order that, "My joy might be in you". So it's not just automatic. It's not even just believing in Jesus. It's not being saved and on your way to Heaven. You can go to Heaven second class and be miserable all the way. Jesus is speaking to those who are already saved, but He says, "Now these things have I spoken unto you".
Well, then I think it's worthwhile to find out what He's spoken, don't you? I mean, if we want that joy, then what was He talking about when He said, "These things have I spoken unto you". Well, just go back to John 15 and look at it in verse 5, what had He been speaking about? He says, "I am the Vine and ye are the branches, he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without Me ye can do nothing". Now He's been speaking about abiding in Him. Listen, the secret of joy is so simple, so wonderful. It is gloriously simple; it's simply glorious. It's so clear, it is so plain that you may miss it. Are you ready for it? The sublime secret of this joy is abiding in Jesus.
You say, "Oh, tell me something more". I can't! Jesus said, "These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full". What had He spoken? "I am the Vine, you are the branch, abide in Me". "Well, what does that mean, pastor, to abide in Jesus"? Well, let me tell you what it means. First of all, to abide in Jesus means that is a life of reliance on the Lord Jesus. Now remember that He's using the figure of a grapevine and the branches.
Look, if you will, in John 15 verses 4 and 5. He says this, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in Me". And then He goes on to say in, well, let's just read it all. I don't know what part to skip. "I am the Vine, ye are the branches, he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit". And, oh, if you don't mind marking in your Bible, just underscore this next thing. "For without Me you can do nothing". You say, "I think I can do a little bit, pastor". Well, that's your opinion. Jesus said, "You must rely on Me".
Have you ever thought about how absolutely dependent a branch is on the vine? If you took a branch and severed it from the vine, what good is it, especially a grape branch? You can't make furniture out of it. You can't make a peg out of it. You can't carve it. It doesn't make a good fire. The only thing it's for is just to abide in the vine and bear fruit. You're absolutely, totally dependent upon Jesus. Now most of us don't realize that. Most of us think we can do a little bit. But Jesus said, "Abide in Me. Rely on Me. Without Me you can do nothing". You say, "I don't want to be nothing". I feel sorry for you because, you know, God specializes in making something out of nothing. If you think you're something, then Jesus is not everything. Not until you're willing to become nothing and He becomes everything can He make something out of you. I can't say that again, but it's true.
Now you listen to me. The life of a branch is a life of reliance. Secondly, it's a life of restfulness. Look in verse 9 of this same chapter, John 15 and verse 9, "As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you. Continue ye in My love". Oh, let His love come into you. Just realize that His love, His power is there. Not only rely upon Him, but oh, precious friend, rest in Him. Do you know why many of us are upset? We don't know what we're going to do. We're afraid our resources are going to run out.
Now suppose you and I were to have a conversation with a little vine. Let's suppose that we could talk to a branch abiding in the vine. And we say, "Little branch, you're so calm". He says, "Yes, and Mr. Human, you're so worried". "Well, branch, what's the secret of your restfulness"? He says, "Well, I notice that you human beings are running around all the time trying to produce a lot, but you don't produce a lot, except worry". "Well, little branch, what are you doing"? "I'm just resting in the love this vine has for me. I'm just letting his life flow into me". "Well, you don't worry"? "No". "Well, what about when you need nourishment? When the sun comes up and you need moisture"?
Oh, he says, "That's none of my business. I just abide in the vine. The vine goes down into the ground and brings up moisture to cool me". Hmm. "Well, little branch, what about when it's springtime and you need leaves and buds"? "I don't worry about that. That's none of my business. You see, the vine sends its sap, its life into me and produces those leaves and those buds". "But little branch, what about in the time of harvest when you need grapes"? "Oh, you don't understand. I don't produce the grapes; I just bear the grapes. The vine produces the grapes. I don't worry about what size, how many, how sweet. That's none of my business. I have but one thing to do, and that is to abide in the vine".
Boy, wouldn't we be better if we could learn that lesson? It's a life of reliance, a life of rest, but a life of relinquishment. Do you know what? A little branch has no side issues. It exists for one purpose. "Adrian, you don't know me. I've got a family to raise. I've got sports. I've got ambition. I've got a vacation. I've got a job. I can't narrow all of my interests in one interest". Goodbye, joy! So long. Forget it! You say, "Well, I want that joy, but I want all these other things". As the kids would say, "Tough stuff"! He knows you have a job. He knows you have a family. But, folks, you need to say, "This one thing I do; I abide in Jesus Christ". That's where joy comes from. Now Jesus said, "These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full".
Now if you want some other way, if you want it apart from Jesus, forget it! It is a life of relinquishment and, therefore, it is a life of rejoicing. When you come to that reliance and that rest and that relinquishment, you'll know that rejoicing. Jesus said it. He starts there in the first part of this chapter about abiding in Him, and then He comes to verse 11 and He says, "And these things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full".
Now you can have joy in a lot of things, and God wants you to have joy in your grandchildren. Nothing wrong with that. Boy, I rejoice in mine. God wants you to enjoy your home. God wants you to have joy in your friends and in your health when you have it. That's wonderful. God doesn't say, "Don't rejoice in those things," but He's just saying, "Beyond those things, you need a source of joy that is constant, that is real, that it cannot fade away". And the way that you have that is to abide in Jesus, rely upon Him, rest in Him, relinquish to Him, and rejoice in the Lord Jesus. Why? Because Jesus said when you do this, what'll happen? You'll bear fruit.
Galatians 5:22, "The fruit of the Spirit is," what, "joy". Joy. Joy. That's where the fruit comes from. You don't produce this joy. It is supernatural; it is His joy! You bear this fruit as you abide in the Lord Jesus. Jesus sent His disciples out to witness. They came back. They were so thrilled. They said, "Jesus, even the demons were subject to us in Your name". And Jesus said, "Don't rejoice in this. Rejoice that your name is written in Heaven". Is yours written in Heaven?
Bow your heads in prayer. Heads are bowed and eyes are closed. Get very still, very quiet. Now if you need Jesus and you want to be saved, and you don't have that absolute assurance that you're a child of God right now, would you pray like this:
Lord Jesus, I need You so very much. I want to come to You. I want to trust You. I want my life connected to Your life. I want You to be to me like a vine is to a branch. And I want to be to You, Lord Jesus, like a branch is to a vine. I want Your life to flow into me, and I want my life to be lived for You. Lord Jesus, thank You for dying for me. Thank You that You suffered, bled, and died on that cross for me. Thank You that You paid for my sins. Now, Lord Jesus, You told me if I would trust You, You would save me, and so I do trust You. Lord Jesus, I trust You. Right now this moment, like a little child, I trust You. I trust You, Jesus. I believe on You. I receive You as my Lord and my Savior. Come into my heart. Forgive my sin. Save me, Lord Jesus. Save me, Lord Jesus. Save me, Lord Jesus.
Did you ask Him? Now by an act of faith, thank Him. Pray this way:
Thank You for saving me. Just thank You, thank You, Lord. I receive it by faith. It's Your gift You purchased with Your blood. I receive it. I am forgiven. I am saved. I am Your child. Begin now, Lord, to pour Your life into me and to make me what You want me to be. Thank You, Lord Jesus. And, Lord Jesus, help me never to be ashamed of You. In Your name I pray, Amen.