Come Up Higher - God is Joy

God’s heart for humanity never changes. Therefore He continues to invite us to come up higher. So that we can know and experience His pure joy toward us. A joy that is the very essence of God Himself. For God is joy. As you listen be blessed, empowered and transformed in Jesus name.

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Transcript

00:00 Intro music and voice over.

Welcome to jesus loves the world podcast. For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name! 

00:21 Speaker

Following on from last week where we began our series titled, Come up Higher, we will continue to go deeper into God’s heart. 

As we journey through God’s love story the Bible, it is evident that God and His desire for humanity never changes. For God is and always will be, love. A love that is unconditional and relational, peaceful and abiding, selfless and life giving, unsurpassed and unstoppable.

God’s heart for humanity never changes. Therefore He continues to invite us to come up higher. So that we can know and experience His pure joy toward us. A joy that is the very essence of God Himself. For God is joy.

One aspect of the joy of God, the Eternal, self-exisiting one is His delight or rejoicing over being joined together, in relationship with individuals and people groups. His joy is a calm delight in those who come to Him. Rejoicing in bringing revelation and understanding, equality and justice, truth and freedom, peace and harmony to all who are willing.

Throughout the history of humanity, the rhythms of this life with and without God are contrasted. In the days of old, when the kings ruled the land, the empires of humanity in violent procession came and went. The rise and fall of the more powerful and more dominant was a constant cycle. 

Within this was the rise and fall of the Babylonian empire. At the height of their dominance, they had taken captive two tribes of Jewish lineage back to Babylon. 

Time passed. The Babylonian’s empire had come to an end and the Persian empire dominated the lands. 

In amongst those that were in exile were those who remained faithful to God. For they had given their allegiance to the one true God. One such individual was Nehemiah. His name testified of God and meant, ‘Comfort of Yahweh or the Eternal One.’ 

The survivors of being taken captive to Babylon were in great distressed and reproach. For the wall of their holy city Jerusalem had been broken and it’s gates burned. 

Nehemiah was the cup bearer to the king in the Persian palace. He was granted permission to return to his beloved Jerusalem and rebuild the holy city. So together with those who were willing to join him, they returned to Jerusalem.

With opposition and conflict, externally and internally, the Jerusalem ruins were restored. It was a time of celebration and great joy. Everyone was gathered.

Ezra the priest brought out the Book of the Law of Moses to be read before the assembly. As Ezra opened the book, the people stood up. Ezra blessed God and the people answered, ‘amen  and amen.’ They bowed their heads and worshipped God with their faces to the ground. 

Then as Ezra read the Book of the Law of Moses. The people wept. In response, Ezra and the rest of the Levitical priests helped the people to understand the text. 

So let us go back to that sacred moment in time. To discover how God’s great joy is in people receiving the truth of Him and choosing to be enjoined with Him. 

Nehemiah 8:8-12 So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading. And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.” And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them. 

Upon first hearing of the words of the Law, all the people wept. For they had not received the joy of the Lord that He freely gives. The same joy that God has, when enjoined with those who receive Him. Together in a beautiful covenant relationship filled with His joy.  

But the Spirit of God was working through His prophet and the priests’ as they explained the words from God’s sacred book. As their eyes of understanding were opened, they received the  truth. God’s heart of joy for them was revealed to them.

As a result their mourning turned into the joy of the Lord. For it was a time of celebration, not sorrow. 

As a calm delight of God washed through the people gathered. Grief was replaced with God’s joy. His joy over them, as they came into union with Him. For the joy, that is, the rejoicing and gladness of God over the people, is their strength. 

As God never changes, His joy over us and in us is the same today. Receiving His joy comes with knowing and receiving His truth. This is the same joy that the Father, Son and Spirit have in each other and individuals who enjoin with them. When enjoined with Him, God’s joy of being in relationship with Him, is strength.

God’s joy that echoes through the pages history in all who are willing. The joy of God is most evident in Him fulfilling His promises. Especially that of the Messiah or Christ, the anointed one and saviour of the world.

When those of Persian descent, who were students of the stars, saw the star of Jesus, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. Upon receiving the revelation of who God is, His joy flooded over them. They followed the star of the anointed one, the saviour of the world and came to the place where He lay.

Let us go to that sacred moment in time. 

Matthew 2:10-11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  

The students of the stars, saw Jesus. They discerned clearly that Jesus is God the Son. They  opened up their treasures and worshipped Him. When they saw His star, they knew. They followed His star to meet with Him personally. To honour Him by receiving Him and His right to rule and reign. In honour and respect of the king and saviour of the world, they gave their total allegiance to Him. 

That was the moment when they experienced Jesus intimately and personally. They were  enjoined with the divine. All heaven rejoiced with God. As His joy for them, became part of them. His joy was their strength. 

After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension back to heaven, as the truth of God in Jesus was being read throughout the region, the joy of God filled the hearts of all who received Him.

Conversely those who knew the truth but rejected Jesus, rejected God, judged themselves unworthy. By rejecting Jesus, rejecting God, they denied their only pathway to salvation. For God Himself is the saviour. 

Let us go to Acts 13:46-52 Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us: I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ” Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region. But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. 

When those of non Jewish lineage heard the truth of God in Jesus and received Him they rejoiced. Actively receiving God’s joy in being enjoined together.

Those of non Jewish lineage who heard the truth of God in Jesus, yet rejected God, effectively aligned themselves with evil and declared war on God.

Paul and Barnabas continued their journey and came to another place and another town. They were filled with the joy of God and with the Holy Spirit. The same joy of God that is the very essence of who He is, filled their hearts and minds. A genuine joy that is from the deepest part of God’s heart.

All throughout the Apostle Paul’s writings, the joy of God is revealed. In his letter to those who had received Jesus in Rome, Paul links the joy of God twice with God’s Spirit.

The first instance is in Romans 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

The evidence of God’s kingdom on earth is within the transforming work God does within all those who are willing to receive Him and His righteousness to rule and reign. This transforming work of God is a daily journey of surrender of self will to that of the Father’s will. Which is for us to be truly free and be transformed by Him. Each day receiving more of His character. One aspect being His joy. 

In this scripture Paul is not denying the necessity of food and water. Instead He is revealing that living in the reality of God’s kingdom in this world damaged by evil, is the transforming work of God. As the reality of the kingdom is His righteous, peace and joy. 

His righteousness, is having no partiality with each other. Where each one is considered equal. Seeing each other through God’s eyes of love and joy in one another. Not causing an offence to another by what we eat and drink. Living in peace and harmony with one another. Each one at rest, knowing God has made His home within. Being enjoined with the divine, together worshipping only Him. 

This reality of God and His kingdom is a daily journey of surrender and receive. Living in a continual state of surrender of self will to that of the Father’s will. 

God’s joy is not something that can be manufactured. It is not even an outward expression in   laughter. God’s joy is something that we can know, experience, receive and carry deep within ourselves. This joy is a gift of God Himself and is a daily work of transformation within. As the joy of God is a fruit of His Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 

A joy that is divine. A calm delight in knowing, understanding and receiving God’s truth and being enjoined with Him. For it is the good pleasure and pure joy of God to make His home in us. To unravel the unsearchable mysteries of His kingdom and reveal them to us. 

From the depths of the heart of God be daily filled with His love and joy for each individual and people group. As living in the reality of His kingdom in His transforming power is outworked with our relationship with others.

God’s pure joy for each individual and people group to be enjoined with Him never changes. So for everyone today, God is inviting us to come up higher. To know and experience Him and His joy more and more. Each day in surrender of self will being filled with His character, one aspect which is joy. A joy that is a calm delight and dwells within. His joy. Having received the truth of God in Jesus, having received Him, we let His joy over us be our strength. His joy for others be our testimony. All to the glory of our Father. For God is and always will be, joy.

19:40 Outro music and voice over. 

For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name!