Let Joy Be Your Testimony (Don’t Forget to LOL: Part 3) - Santosh Poonen - February 28, 2016
http://rlcfchurch.org/let-joy-be-your-testimony River of Life Christian Fellowship 1306 N Lincoln Avenue Loveland, Colorado - 80537, USA
Summary
The central message is that the walk of discipleship must be characterized by joy, which is not based on perfect performance but on the reality of being redeemed by God's grace. True joy comes from understanding that our standing before God is based on Christ's cleansing blood and justification, not on our own merits or past failures. Therefore, believers should rejoice because they are God's inheritance and their ultimate home is in heaven.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
Discipleship is a walk of joyThe walk of discipleship is fundamentally a walk of joy, and we must not fall into the false mindset that happiness contradicts being a true disciple of Jesus.
Past failures do not hinder God's willHow badly or how often you have failed in the past does not hinder God from fulfilling His perfect will in your life if you have faith.
Righteousness credited through faithJust as righteousness was credited to Abraham through faith, we receive unearned righteousness and justification by believing in God who raised Jesus from the dead.Romans 4:22–25
Joy is the nature of GodJoy is not merely something God does, but a characteristic of His divine nature and a fruit of the Holy Spirit that fills us when we seek Him.
Jesus came to show us complete joyJesus revealed the Father and spoke His commandments so that His disciples would experience fullness of joy just as He did.John 15:1–11
Asking for the Holy Spirit for full joyWhen we lack joy, we should ask God to fill us with the Holy Spirit rather than trying to manufacture happiness on our own.John 16:24
The disciples were continually filled with joyThe early disciples demonstrated that receiving the fullness of the Holy Spirit results in being continually filled with joy.Acts 13:52
Partners working for your joyChurch leaders and believers are called to work alongside one another with joyful expectancy rather than being critically overbearing.2 Corinthians 1:21–24
Born again to a living hopeThrough God's great mercy in causing us to be born again, we have an imperishable inheritance reserved in heaven, protected by God's power through faith.
Trials test and prove real faithGod allows distressing trials for a little while to test and prove the genuineness of our faith, which is more precious than gold, resulting in praise and glory at the revelation of Jesus.
