We started on the harvest series in the month of June, and we are continuing in that spirit as the Holy Spirit is leading us. We started by looking at harvesting the presence of God, that if you dwell in the secret place of the Most High, you will abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Meaning that if you sow into the secret place, you will harvest the abiding presence of God. You will harvest the presence of God everywhere you go. And last week, the Holy Spirit took us on a journey of How God Models Harvest, how we see that, everything that God does, He plants a seed, He gives a word and it comes to pass.
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He has a harvest, and every time God is not comfortable with the harvest He is getting, God changes the seed. So, the principle of seed is the principle of the kingdom. And God the King of our kingdom also models this principle to us by His own life. And He has made us according to Genesis 1:26, that we believe and it’s our conviction, that God has made us in His image and after His likeness and what God has done for us is that He has enabled us to function the way He is and He has enabled us to also walk in the light of His own personality.
So, we also can put in place the principle of seed and harvest. And God said to Noah after He destroyed the earth, He said; “as long as the earth remains, seedtime and harvest will not cease” So, we know that God instituted that principle of seed and harvest. And that is why He is leading us in this month, in this series so that we understand this principle and we will be able to apply it in our lives and have the blessing dominion that God has promised us. And I pray that will be our experience in Jesus name. So, this morning we are continuing in the harvest series, and today we are looking at another dimension of it. “Harvesting Joy” and another way we can put it is; “how to harvest Joy”
Now one of the things that is very critical that we will see in the Scripture and I want us to go with me very quickly, is in Galatians 5:22. The Bible makes us to understand what Joy is in that place. It says; “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, Joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control.” Now in this particular verse; Galatians 5:22, the Bible makes us to understand that Joy is a fruit of the spirit. So, Joy is spiritual. Joy is not a mundane thing; Joy is not natural. You can't concoct Joy in a science laboratory. Joy cannot be produced as a vaccine. Joy cannot be given to you as an injection, Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. Before you can have a fruit, that means there is a tree.
Fruits do not stand alone in isolation; fruits are usually connected to a tree. And that's why we will realize that if from this Scripture, that Joy does not stand alone, Joy is not just operating by itself standing alone. No! Joy is a product of a tree. And that's why the Bible introduces to us in that Galatians 5:22. The tree that produces Joy. It says "but the fruit of the spirit" so you can say for instance if you are going to bring it down to a lay man understanding. The fruit of the tree. Before you say the fruit of something, that means that thing is a subset of what we are talking about. If I say the son of Mr. Abiola, can we separate him from son? No! You can't separate his son from him.
The son is not standing alone. The identity of his son is tied to him. So, when we hear “of” that means that is a subset of the major thing we mentioned. So, when we hear the fruit of the Spirit, it’s the Spirit that produces Joy. Joy is not human. Joy is not natural, Joy is not something that can be bought off a shelf, Joy is not happiness, Joy is not circumstantial. Joy is produced from the tree of the Spirit. So, if we are going to understand that Galatians 5:22 clearly, what the Holy Spirit is saying to us is that everywhere you see fruit you can pick one of the nine that are mentioned below and replace it with fruits. So, you say the love of the Spirit, the Joy of the Spirit, the peace of the Spirit, faithfulness of the Spirit. You can't separate them. So, Joy is Spiritual, Joy is of the Spirit. You can't have true Joy outside the Holy Spirit. Joy is not human spirit; Joy is of the Holy Spirit and that is very important. Joy is a spiritual thing- it is produced by the Spirit of God. Isaiah 12:3 we want to see Joy. Joy is spiritual and Joy is much more than that and we want to see much more than that.
The Bible says; “Therefore with Joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” "Therefore, with Joy" to show us that Joy is of the Spirit: Galatians 5:22, Isaiah 12:3, Joy is an instrument. So, if we combine Galatians 5:22 and Isaiah 12:3, Joy is a spiritual instrument. We want to look at the importance of Joy and what Joy is; so that we don't get it mixed up. When we understand what Joy is, then we can now learn how to harvest Joy. How do we access Joy? What is the seed that produces Joy? Because when you talk about harvest, remember it's preceded by seed. There is no harvest without seed. So, for you to harvest Joy, there is a seed that produces it.
It said; "therefore with Joy, you will draw water from the wells of salvation." Now these two Scriptures: Galatians 5:22 and Isaiah 12:3, gives us our working definition of what Joy is. Joy is a spiritual instrument that is used for possessing spiritual deposit and resources. So, you understand what Joy is this morning from the pages if the Scripture. Galatians 5:22 says Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, it is produced by the Spirit of God, it is spiritual. And Isaiah 12:3 makes us to understand that "it is with Joy." So, Joy is an instrument. And it is not a human instrument. It is not a visible instrument because the Bible makes us to understand that the things that are visible, are produced by the things that are invisible.
So, Joy is invisible that produces visible things. So that is why for you to harvest Joy, it's important for you as a believer. Except you don't want to draw from the spiritual. Because wells of salvation talk about a well of spiritual deposits and resources. Because in the kingdom we know that well talks about a place of water. And water in the kingdom signifies the word.
The word encapsulates the resources and deposits that we have in God. Because John 1:1-6 says: "it the beginning was the word and word was with God and the word was God.” It says; “there is nothing that was made outside of the word in the word all things were made.” In fact, Hebrews said; "our worlds are framed by the word of God" So we understand that the wells of salvation signify a place of Spiritual resources and deposits.
What are you drawing out of the well? Water! And it said Joy is the instrument that you use in drawing spiritual resources and deposits. So, when we are talking about harvesting Joy, how can we harvest Joy? How can we use this invisible instrument to draw visible experiences and results in our life? John 16:24. It said: "Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your Joy may be full.” Jesus is saying here in this John 16:24, He said until this present time that I am talking to you, you have asked nothing, you are not able to draw any Spiritual resource. You have not been able to draw any Spiritual deposit. It said until now you have asked nothing. When you ask nothing, what does it mean? You will receive nothing. It says; “you have asked nothing in my name.”
Then He gave a command, He said ask and you will receive that your Joy may be full. The question we will ask ourselves is; why didn't Jesus say: that your faith maybe full.? Why didn't Jesus say that your peace may be full? Why didn't He say that your maturity may be full? He said; “ask and you will receive that your Joy.” Meaning that your, the fullness of your Joy is a critical thing that Jesus mentioned in this verse. That see you do not in the kingdom of God possess spiritual resources, spiritual deposits until your Joy is full. And Jesus triggered something important there for us. So, Joy is not to be in a measure, Joy is to be full. It's until your Joy is full that you know that you received from God. And that is why Joy is so spiritual. I pray the Holy Spirit will grant us understanding this morning. Joy is so critical. You can have a measure of faith; you can't have a measure of Joy. You can have a degree or measure of faith but Jesus is always talking about the fullness of Joy and I want us to see that in the Scripture in Psalm 16:11.
Everywhere Joy is mentioned the Bible is always talking about the fullness of it. And what does that mean to us? Psalm 16:11 it said: “you will show me the path of life in your presence” because I want us to See the link here "in your presence" in the presence of God is what? fullness not a measure. In your presence is fullness of Joy. One of the critical things that the Holy Spirit is saying from this verse is that for you to step into the fullness of Joy, it is taking us back to the first, you have to have the presence of God. So, the seed that connect us to the harvest of Joy, is the presence of God. That's why Jesus said “ask! Until now you have asked for nothing” Ask and you will receive. That you may operate in that place where you are fully in the presence of God. Where you are abiding in the presence of God and with it comes the fullness of Joy. So, Joy is Spiritual. You don't harvest Joy and be in lack of Spiritual things. You can't have Joy in a measure it's in the fullness of it.
The beauty of Joy is in the fullness of it. And you can't have Joy and lack the presence of God. The presence of God and Joy are locked up as one in His presence. So, do you lack Joy? Have you harvested His presence? Because when you harvest the presence of God in His presence is fullness of Joy. In the presence of God, in the environment of God where God lives, where God dwells there is fullness of Joy. "And at your right hand are pleasures forever more."
So, when we refuse to be in His presence, we can't connect with the fullness of Joy. And what that means is that we don't have the instrument that can draw spiritual deposits and resources. Do we see the connection? "in His presence, is fullness of Joy" Joy is so important, Joy is divine, you don't have Joy on the earth and that's why Every time Joy is mentioned, it is not mentioned in relation to mundane things. Joy is not connected to earthly things that perish, that passes with it using. Joy is connected with divine things. So, Joy is divine and it is not earthly. Another thing I want us to see from the Scripture in Ecclesiastes 9:7, is that Joy does not just jump on you.
You need the approval of God to have Joy, see what the Bible says; “Go, eat your bread with Joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart” The only reason you can do this is "for God has already accepted your works” I will read it again; “Go, eat your bread with Joy” What does that mean? EnJoy the works of your hand, enJoy your life with Joy. The only reason you can enJoy your life is because you have Joy. "And drink your wine with a merry heart" you connect to the resources of God, you enJoy the life of the Spirit, why? Because God has already accepted your works. So, Joy is not for unbelievers. Joy is for believers; Joy is a kingdom instrument.
And I want us to see Romans 14:17 the Bible says; "for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and Joy in the Holy Spirit.” This is the description of how the kingdom functions. The kingdom of God is not identified with eating and drinking so when you see people just doing party eating and drinking, that's not a picture of the kingdom of God. When you want to depict or draw a picture of the kingdom of God, there are three things that are critical. Three things that come out strong when you are describing the kingdom of God and the citizens therein. Righteousness, God's approval, right standing with God, peace, you have been reconciled with God; you have peace in your heart. Nothing disturbs you; you have peace on your inside and it reflects on the outside and Joy in the Holy Spirit.
Joy is a critical character of the kingdom of God. So, if you want to describe the kingdom of God you want to describe the attributes of the kingdom of God, Joy is the character of the kingdom of God. So, you can't have the kingdom and not have Joy. Jesus said to His disciples, I bestow on you the kingdom. What kind of kingdom? A kingdom of righteousness, a kingdom of peace, a kingdom of Joy, if any of these three are missing, then it's not the kingdom. So, are you a child of God you are a kingdom citizen are these the attributes of your life? Have you received the gift of righteousness? Do you have peace? Is Joy evident in your life? Then you say you are in the kingdom. You can't harvest the kingdom and not harvest Joy. With the kingdom comes Joy, because that's one of the critical attributes of the kingdom of God. Joy is not a feeling; Joy is in its filling. You are filled with Joy; you don't feel Joy.
I want us to see 1 Peter 1:8-9. “whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with Joy inexpressible” Did you see it? "Joy inexpressible" “and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.” You rejoice with Joy inexpressible. So, it is not a filling you express feelings, just like saying I want to express my feeling, but Joy is inexpressible, so it not a feeling you are filled with Joy. Hebrews 12:2 now makes us to understand it more it more. I am reading a lot of Scriptures because it’s more of a teaching. “looking unto Jesus, the [a]author and [b]finisher of our faith, who for the Joy that was set before Him” Jesus was going to receive the kingdom for us so there was a Joy that was set before Him. “endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
That's why the Bible says in the presence of God there is fullness of Joy so the Joy that was set before Him was before the Father. But where I want to read really is Romans 15:13. It says; "Now may the God of hope fill you with all Joy” So, Joy is a filling, not a feeling. It's not a feeling you can express, it's a filling. "Now may the God of hope fill” So, it's God that fills you. The seed to connecting to Joy is the presence of God. “Fills you with all Joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” You can't disconnect the Holy Spirit from Joy. Joy is powered by the Holy Spirit. The Joy of your life is powered by the Holy Spirit. Until you harvest Joy you can't draw from the wells of salvation because Joy is a spiritual instrument that is used in reaching and possessing spiritual deposit and resources. So until you are filled with Joy by the Holy Spirit, Joy is of the Holy Spirit and it's inexpressible things happen to you and people are looking at you and they wonder if this happens to a normal person, the person should break down and just scatter and feel depressed but it's not like that with you. What’s the secret? Joy. Powered by the Holy Spirit. That's why it’s not circumstantial it's not a feeling. It's inexpressible. You have Joy.
There's a song that says "I have Joy like a river, Joy like a river, Joy like a river in my soul." Things are not working the way I had planned them. But I have Joy because it is powered by the Holy Spirit. I have harvested that journey in the presence of God. Every time I show up in the presence of God, I harvest Joy, every time I show up before the Father, I harvest Joy because in His presence there is fullness of Joy. I don't get it in a measure. It comes in full. Is it that you have so much money in your bank account that you are just smiling up and down? Money might not be in my account, in fact I might have bills to pay, I might still have some debts that I am owing, but what you are seeing here is the Joy of the Holy Ghost.
This is how we operate in the kingdom; this is our life, we have Joy, and I believe this is a good time to pray and say “Lord I connect to the Joy in your presence.”
Amen!
