What has happened to the Joy of Salvation?

[4enlightment]

I was talking with a young youth pastor a few days ago who asked me "What has happened to Christian's joy of their Salvation?" As we talked he mentioned one thing that stood out. He said "I've reached the point where when I feel I'm having fun, I look for what I'm doing wrong. I can come to a Sunday service with joy in my step, and leave feeling guilty because I am not living up to the message being preached. What am I missing?"

I would like to ask you to take on the "Joy of Salvation" from the scriptures.

I Know that we doesn't take pleasure in our suffering, but Jesus has said that the son of man and which means the members of the human race that are consider to be sons, must spend three days and three nights in the belly, because that is the only way to experience true salvation. And it is not going to be one or two days, but it is going to be three long trimesters until you are fully developed. I believe that the word "believe" in the the scriptures should be change to "trust"
, because people are perceiving it in the wrong way. Because the disciples already know that Jesus existed, and so Jesus was telling them to trust in Him, even while they are going through tribulations, is to believe that what He had told them about the Kingdom, that there is a place for them.

Job 1:10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.

Luke 22:31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat.

Romans 5:3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;

James 1:3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

James 1:12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

Jonah 2:9 But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’”

 

[Billyd]

Let me take it a little farther. When I ask him why did he feel guilty this was his reply.

"Brother Billy, I spent the last week working with several of my troubled youth. I visited the families of several of them who let the youngster go to church, but don't come themselves. I took a group to serve lunch at a homeless shelter, then to the beach. When we returned from the beach, we had an hour and half discussion about James Chapter 1. When I started this program, I had three participants. This week there was 15. My message has always been 'Christian's can have fun, serve their community, and most importantly, they can know and serve Jesus'. The pastor's sermon today seemed to concentrate on the things that a Christian can and can't do, but nothing on the Joy of doing or not doing them. I spent all day with the young people, and out of that day, we spent an hour and a half in God's word. When I left the service, I felt like I didn't spend enough time in Bible study. That seemed to rob me of my Joy."

How should I counsel this energetic young pastor, and what scriptures should I use?

 

[crossnote]

I was talking with a young youth pastor a few days ago who asked me "What has happened to Christian's joy of their Salvation?" As we talked he mentioned one thing that stood out. He said "I've reached the point where when I feel I'm having fun, I look for what I'm doing wrong. I can come to a Sunday service with joy in my step, and leave feeling guilty because I am not living up to the message being preached. What am I missing?"

I would like to ask you to take on the "Joy of Salvation" from the scriptures.

Let me take it a little farther. When I ask him why did he feel guilty this was his reply.

"Brother Billy, I spent the last week working with several of my troubled youth. I visited the families of several of them who let the youngster go to church, but don't come themselves. I took a group to serve lunch at a homeless shelter, then to the beach. When we returned from the beach, we had an hour and half discussion about James Chapter 1. When I started this program, I had three participants. This week there was 15. My message has always been 'Christian's can have fun, serve their community, and most importantly, they can know and serve Jesus'. The pastor's sermon today seemed to concentrate on the things that a Christian can and can't do, but nothing on the Joy of doing or not doing them. I spent all day with the young people, and out of that day, we spent an hour and a half in God's word. When I left the service, I felt like I didn't spend enough time in Bible study. That seemed to rob me of my Joy."

How should I counsel this energetic young pastor, and what scriptures should I use?

Why do they gravitate to James and Proverbs when dealing with the youth?
Is it because the teachers themselves do not have faith in the power of the Gospel to convert and change lives?
Without the centrality of the Gospel, there is no joy.

 

[Billyd]

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control; against such there is no law. (Gal 5:22-23)

When you look at the Greek word for longsuffering, it is best defined here as paitience. The KJV uses temperance in place of self control.

The order placed on fruit of the Spirit here is very interesting. Joy is second only to love. When you look at the entire list, it is completely positive. Also the all the preceding fruits are required for the next fruit. Sometimes we neglect to demonstrate the joy of our Salvation to others.

 

[Billyd]

Why do they gravitate to James and Proverbs when dealing with the youth?
Is it because the teachers themselves do not have faith in the power of the Gospel to convert and change lives?
Without the centrality of the Gospel, there is no joy.

James is a natural progression from the Gospels and Acts, especially when teaching youth programs. I used it for many years. I also recommend it as a beginning study for new Christians. Proverbs is not on my preferred list of scriptures for a youth program.

 

[The_highwayman]

You can have Joy without being happy....

 

[crossnote]

James is a natural progression from the Gospels and Acts, especially when teaching youth programs. I used it for many years. I also recommend it as a beginning study for new Christians. Proverbs is not on my preferred list of scriptures for a youth program.

Personally, I would make sure they were grounded in the message of the Gospel through such books as Romans, which clearly explains the Gospel, before taking them to James. Why? Because that is the general layout of the Epistles themselves...first the Good News is given, then in light of the Good News we turn to serve God and men in the hope given in the Gospel.
But that's me.

 

[crossnote]

You can have Joy without being happy....

This is true as happiness is dependent on favorable circumstances, whereas joy is constant through the ups and downs.

 

[Billyd]

You can have Joy without being happy....

Joy as used here better defined as gladness. I prefer to look at your statement as: You can't have happiness without Joy.

 

[dcontroversal]

The book of Philippians teaches a lot about joy and is good book that deals with the issues of joy.....

Joy has been supplanted by the burdens of life in most people.....their spirits are weighed down by the (cares) of this life and I believe two other words apply as well...surfeiting and (drunkenness)<----not necessarily liquor....

 

[Billyd]

Personally, I would make sure they were grounded in the message of the Gospel through such books as Romans, which clearly explains the Gospel, before taking them to James. Why? Because that is the general layout of the Epistles themselves...first the Good News is given, then in light of the Good News we turn to serve God and men in the hope given in the Gospel.
But that's me.

Selected passages from Romans is okay, but I find that the book as a whole is difficult for many mature Christians to understand.

The following is an outline of my youth and young Christian study plan. I encourage all young pastors, and teachers to develop a process that produces Christians with a strong background in the Gospel. This is what I used for many years.

By the time I finish the Gospels, we have been through God's Salvation Plan many times. I like to do Acts next study the role and responsibilities of Christians beyond Salvation. I move to the book of James to discuss relationship between the world and the Christian. It is a great place to bring in Paul's letters and many old testament passages.

Anyway, the place in the young pastor's plan of study wasn't his problem. It really wasn't the message he heard. It was the lack of energy he felt from the service. I visit other churches and I see the same problem. It is as if most of the people there see church attendance as a burden. Jesus said "my yoke is easy and my burden is light". Where does the scripture tell us to ignore this?

 

[Angela53510]

"But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them ever sing for joy,
and spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may exult in you." Psalm 5:11

"May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, [SUP]12 [/SUP]giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light." Col. 1:11-12

"And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit," 1 Thess. 1:6

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,[SUP]2 [/SUP]looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2

And one from James, which tells us that life is not going to be perfect, but we can still have joy.

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds" James 1:2