Joy In Christ

Joy in Christ

Isaiah 55:1-7

August 18, 2024

This is our 3rd week talking about joy. Next Sunday I kinda sorta promise that we will finish talking about joy. Actually, I’m not really sure if I will or not, because I’m not sure what I’m going to read, study, or how God is going to lead me next week. One thing I will try to do next week is not use Isaiah 55 as my focus.

I don’t think I’ve ever used the same verses for 3 weeks in a row. But as I study Isaiah 55, I’m finding more and more nuggets, so today, I’m going to use those first verses of Isaiah 55 - - - - again - - - - as the basis for my message.

In the end I’ll try to tie this all together, but no promises! There’s simply too much and the issue of joy is so important in our lives.

Last week, I mentioned that I was going to talk about mud pies. The idea of mud pies comes from a book written by C.S. Lewis. In his book called, Weight of Glory, Lewis wrote this - - - -

It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak.

We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us,

like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum

because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea.

We are far too easily pleased. - C.S. Lewis

Now, if you made mud pies as a child and enjoyed it, that’s great. That’s NOT what C.S. Lewis is talking about. Think of it this way — — if you had the opportunity to make mud pies (in the slums — — and he’s not being critical of the poor) or if you have the opportunity to go to the beach and build sand castles in the sun, which would be more appealing? I would think going to the beach would be the winner.

Lewis believes that all too often we settle for the less than experience. It could be for a multitude of reasons, but the bottom line is we settle for something less than we could and should be experiencing.

That can be a haunting thought. Am I settling for less than? It’s what Isaiah 55:2 was asking us, which is a haunting question - - - -

2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?

Why are you doing what does not satisfy you? Of course, you don’t just drop everything and disappear. It doesn’t mean you give up on relationships that are struggling. But it should point us in the right direction, because underneath this question is the deeper question of JOY.

Another way to ask this - - - -

Why are you not experiencing joy

in what you’re doing?

That goes deeper for us. And that’s often a more difficult question to answer. We settle for the mud pies, when the beach is around the corner.

Have you ever been going to the beach and suddenly you can smell the beach? It’s as if the beach is around the corner, you can smell it, but you’re satisfied with what you have . . . mud pies.

Most folks in here would identify as a Christian. So, let me ask you, without giving me the answer verbally, are you experiencing the “fullness of joy” of being a follower, disciple of Jesus?

For most of us, finding the fullness of joy seems elusive. We have our moments, but those seem so few and far between. Sometimes we feel stuck. We want more.

Maybe you’re stuck too. Maybe you feel like life during the height of Covid. You feel locked up, stuck and not a lot of hope in moving out. Businesses were closing. Fear was rampant. Unrest and conflict was the norm. Everyone was on edge. It was like being in a horror movie.

This is not how you hoped your life would turn out. And Lewis didn’t have financial hardship in mind when he wrote that paragraph. You don’t have to be wealthy or poor to experience the half-hearted life. In fact, the wealthy are often the first to watch their hope collapse.

The famous author, John Cheever wrote, “The main emotion of the adult American who has had all the advantages of wealth, education, and culture is disappointment.”

Oh man! That’s brutal, but I think he’s onto something.

Actor, Jim Carrey once said, “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.” WOW!!