The joy of the Lord
Introduction-
this sermon was gleamed from materials from SermonCentral and its contributors.
Good morning, we have been looking at the character of God as we celebrate the Advent season.
Last week we began with hope.
All our hope is to be wrapped around a loving God that takes care of His people.
A God that will not break His promises, a God that will never leave us when things are tough, A God that promises more than just comfort but gives us the strength to do what is needed to live a life that is not only pleasing to God but productive and with purpose.
Romans 15:13
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may be filled with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
1 peter 1:3-8
Prayer
Explain the hope we have in God and savior Jesus
Joy is a funny thing, we like “it” when we have “it” and feel empty when we do not have “it”. God tells us that He desires to fill us with Joy that we have “it” all the time and not just when we are doing something that we enjoy.
Jesus Christ is it! Just like Coke is the real thing, Jesus is the real deal.
Jesus Christ is the greatest gift that mankind could have ever gotten from God the Father and it should bring us joy as we rejoice in what He has done for us.
It is the theme of Christmas- that a loving God would come to this lost world and provide for us everything that we need to spend eternity with Him and productive lives while we are here.
Like I have said many times, you cannot separate these things from God. Faith, love, joy, peace, and hope are all wrapped together. It is a package deal that God desires so we can experience all of it.
Birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ- have to be put together.
Is there hope for you and I? Yes!
Can we experience the joy that God is talking about that is more than just having a good time once in a while and feeling empty the rest of the time? Yes we can!
Is there any hope for a person who puts their foot in their mouth?
For a person who can say things that bring high praise one moment and get a severe yelling at the next?
Well, say hi to the apostle Peter. Peter who denied the Lord, but preached the greatest sermon that kick started the church.
There is hope for each one of us because the God of hope is the one that gives it.
The God of hope transforms us to experience it.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to His abundant mercy, has begotten us again unto a living hope through the resurrection of Christ from the dead.”
A living hope! A life giving hope! A hope that is sure and steadfast that is rooted and grounded in a living relationship with God.
In that manger many years ago, came hope for a dying world.
In that manger came the ability to have joy unspeakable!
They were in great tribulation, because they (believers) had been scattered abroad. How could they (believers) have joy unspeakable?
Because this joy is not a place or an item, it is the person of Jesus Christ.
Because the joy that Jesus brings is from the inside out and does not operate on circumstances but on a relationship with Him.
The joy He brings is not limited to the now but for all of eternity and this life is not based upon what you are going through but what is in your future.
There is no greater blessing than to know that your name is written down in heaven. That heaven is not just a nice place you would like to go, but a place that you will go to if your trust and hope in Jesus Christ.
Joy in the Lord is not on temporal things that do not last.
Our inheritance in Heaven is as incorruptible as God.
Our inheritance in Heaven is as undefiled as God.
Our inheritance in Heaven is as unfading as God.
Our inheritance in Heaven is reserved for us.
Jesus promised,
"Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also." (John 14:1-3)
That will bring Godly joy.
Illustration-
Years ago, a Scotsman decided to migrate to America to start a new life. He wasn’t rich, so he carefully got together his possessions and sold them. Clutching the money that represented his entire wealth he decided that he would save as much as he could on food during the ocean voyage in order to have more money on hand when he reached America. He went to a small store and bought a supply of crackers and cheese to get him through his days at sea. But as the voyage progressed the sea air made him very hungry. To make matters worse, the dampness in the air made his cheese hard and his crackers soft. He was almost desperate with hunger. The last straw came when he caught the whiff of delicious food on a tray a steward was carrying to another passenger. The hungry man made up his mind that he would have one good, square meal, even though it might take some of his precious money. He awaited the return of the steward and asked him how much it would cost to go to the dining room and get a dinner. The steward asked the Scotchman if he could see his ticket for the steamship passage. The man showed his ticket, and the steward told him that all meals were included in the price of the ticket.
The poor man could have saved the money he spent on crackers and cheese; he could have gone to the dining room and eaten as much as he liked every mealtime. It was included in the ticket.
This is a bit like Joy.
As Christians we have been given the gift of Joy – it is part of our ticket of salvation. But too many of us are trying so hard to find Joy on our own terms, that we are completely oblivious to the complete Joy that God has already provided us with.
Ask yourself whether you are a cheese and cracker Christian who is starving for some joy in your life or whether you are enjoying every delicious morsel of joy that God has set out for you?
Have you found Joy in your life yet?
This Christmas, God offers us Joy, if we would take hold of it.
People throw the word joy around and it has acquired many meanings.
We typically use the word Joy in the same way we use the words happy or glad or thrilled. But they are not the same…
Happiness is the good FEELING you have when you get what you want.
An EMOTION when something funny happens.
Happiness is usually SHORT-lived and leaves when the circumstances in life change.
1 Thess. 5:16 –
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. “
I want to spend the next few minutes talking about 3 things that Peter tells us about the inexpressible and glorious Joy of the Lord.
I Godly joy looks to the future
We have a living hope, an inheritance kept in heaven, a coming salvation and a date on the last day. These are all future references. These are things that are assured in our future and because of this we can have joy now. We can rejoice now because our future salvation is assured.
When the angel appeared to the shepherds that first Christmas night he said;
“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
This news was filled with joy for all people – what was the news? That a Saviour was to be born. A Saviour that would bring salvation to all people. Peter testifies to the fact that our salvation was accomplished in the death and resurrection of Jesus and in this future hope, we can have joy now that overshadows everything else.
II. Godly joy is a gift from God
If Joy is available because of our future salvation, then Joy is also given to us FROM God. When the people of Israel returned from captivity and rebuilt the city of Jerusalem, Nehemiah and Ezra needed to address many of the sins they were happy to accept. During the reading of God’s law, the people were convicted and wept in repentance.
Ezra, the priest exhorted the people “Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength (8:10).
” God had heard their cry of repentance and his forgiveness was available to them. God’s salvation was offered and along with it came the Joy of the Lord.
God’s joy comes from having a personal RELATIONSHIP with Him which is achievable only through the salvation which Jesus offers.
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Gal 5:22)
” If we have a relationship with God, we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us. He is part of the package of salvation that is offered. And one of the things he brings with him is joy.
Do you have a life that is joyful?
God’s joy refreshes, invigorates, and strengthens those who have it.
What effect is God’s joy having in your life?
Some here today have a relationship with God, but it is distant. He knows you, but you hardly know Him.
Some have a strained relationship at present, because you are upset at God about an event that has happened in our life or because you choose not to obey his revealed will.
A few of you are walking closely with the Lord and look forward to meeting Him each day. It is this last group of people who are open to receiving God’s free gift of joy through his Holy Spirit.
The amount of joy you have in your life is normally directly related to your relationship with God.
How close are you walking with Him? The closer you are, the more joy he can give you.
The Joy of the Lord is irrespective of your circumstances
1 Peter was a letter written to people who were faced with persecution. Nero was a brutal man. He used to take Christians and tie them to posts in his gardens. Then he used to use them as candles to provide light in the evenings so that he could enjoy those gardens. He would take Christians to the arena and use them as entertainment for himself and the crowds as the lions and other wild animals were let in.
The angels came to the shepherds at night, when it was the darkest.
Maybe that describes you. Right now, your life is dark. You can’t see straight because of the struggles and the pain that you are facing. Let me give you this word of encouragement: just as God proclaimed joy to these shepherds in the middle of their night, so He can proclaim joy in your life in the middle of your night.
closing,
The devil comes to kill, steal, and destroy
How do you hang on to your joy and keep the joy thieves away?
Question: "What is the joy of the Lord?"
Answer: The joy of the Lord is the gladness of heart that comes from knowing God, abiding in Christ, and being filled with the Holy Spirit.
Godly joy that looks to the future
Godly joy is a gift of God
Godly joy does not depend on circumstances
This year, how about allowing God to fill you overflowing with His joy, abiding in His presence.
Amen.
