Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; Luke 1:47 - 55 (Call to worship - Psalm 126)
Theme: Joy/Rejoicing
Title: God's Joy Parties
We are called to be a people of Great Joy. We are called to celebrate, to rejoice and to share the message of Joy in Jesus!
INTRO:
Grace and peace from God our Father, from Jesus our Savior and from the Holy Spirit who infills us, cleanses us and guides us today!
How many this morning have already been to one or two Christmas parties? How many have a few more to attend? This is the season of parties, celebrations and joy. There are family parties, small group parties, office parties, school parties and all kinds of parties going on during this time of the year.
And while they can get a little laborious for those who are introverts they are a joy and a delight to any who have a speck of extrovertism. There is something wonderful about getting together with people and having a great time. It's not about the gifts or the games so much as it is about the sharing of space with other people. It's about getting to know people better and being able to share life with one another.
Experiencing joy, having a party and celebrating is a part of us being authentic humans reflecting God's glory. It is a part of being made in the image of God. Did you know that joy and rejoicing is a part of God Himself? Listen to a few passages that talk about the Joy of the LORD:
+ “The joy of the Lord is your strength" - Nehemiah 8:10 c (ESV)
+ "You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand". Psalm 16:11 (NIV)
+ "Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his place" - 2 Chronicles 16:27 (ESV)
Throughout scripture and especially in the New Testament we see that our LORD GOD ALMIGHTY rejoiced. The LORD GOD ALMIGHTY rejoiced:
+At the coming of Jesus - Matthew 2:10
+At the Resurrection of Jesus - Matthew 28:8
+The Ascension of Jesus - Luke 24:52
+The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles - Acts 15:3
While He was on the earth our Lord Jesus lived a life of immense joy. Jesus loved to fellowship with others. He loved to go to festivals, dinners and parties. He loved the joy that happened when He healed someone, freed someone from oppression or when people listened and obeyed His Word. Jesus loved joy so much and thought it was so important that He tells us that He is going to make it possible for us to experience joy:
"These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full". - John 15:11
And of course we all know that part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit is joy.
"... the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." - Galatians 5:22-23a
It's just a fact that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit experience Joy and want all of creation to experience Joy. Our God, the True God of Creation, the God who seeks to rescue us, redeem us and restore us into His Holy Image is a God of Joy, a God who loves to Celebrate. Our God is a Party God. He loves a Party and He loves to give Joy to all of His Creation.
Each one of our passages this morning focuses on the themes of joy, rejoicing and celebration. Mary the Mother of Jesus bursts forth in a song of praise and celebration. She envisions a time when those who have been marginalized and cast down are delivered and promoted by the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. She see a time when the LORD is going to restore things to their rightful and proper place. She rejoices for a new age of righteousness and holiness is upon God's People and the World. She is filled with the joy of carrying the very Son of God who will save mankind from the penalty and power of sin.
In Paul's letter we see that the Apostle Paul is putting the last few touches to his first correspondence with the disciples in Thessalonica. He wants them to hold fast to some very important things including the essential nature of prayer and being sensitive to the voice and leadings of the Holy Spirit. Paul personally knows the magnitude of having an intimate prayer life with the LORD and the value of being obedient to God's Holy Spirit.
Also, the Apostle wants them to remember that a life in Christ is to be a life filled with joy and rejoicing. He uses the Greek word ?a??? ( khi'-ro ) which means to be happy, cheerful, to be glad and to exceedingly rejoice. Paul knows that those early disciples in Thessalonica have been under some intense persecution. They have had to deal with spiritual forces that have tried to make it difficult for them to share the message that Jesus is both Messiah and LORD. They have had to face opposition from overzealous Jews, Roman officials and those who were worshipping pagan gods and goddesses.
The Apostle knew that it would be easy for this little group of Christ followers to become overwhelmed by despair and become despondent. He knew what a toil persecution, trials and constant harassment can cause. But he also knows that in Christ and in the power and presence of God's Holy Spirit a person and a group of people can rejoice in the very midst of persecution. Paul wants his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to tap into the joy of the LORD. He wants them to experience the fruit of joy that is possible through the infilling presence of the Holy Spirit.
In addition to all of this we see that immediately following Mary's Magnificent (our passage) we have the celebration of the birth of John the Baptist. John's miraculous birth is highlighted by his own father Zacharias singing forth a song of praise and adoration. Zacharias is overwhelmed with joy because the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY has chosen their time to visit and redeem His People Israel and the World.
Then starting in chapter two St. Luke lets forth a full chapter dealing with Joy and Celebration as He shares the Birth of Jesus. It is here in this chapter that we see fully just how much the LORD loves to celebrate, share joy and create a party like atmosphere.
Mary's song, John's birth and Zachariah's song all are mere preludes to the greatest event and party of all time. The LORD GOD HIMSELF is coming to earth in His Son Jesus. God in Flesh will dwell in and with mankind. God in Flesh will come, live and make a way for all mankind to be redeemed. Anyone who chooses to repent and believe on the name of Jesus will by grace through faith alone receive God's ultimate forgiveness, be infilled with His Holy Spirit and be prepared for everlasting life. Now that is a reason for rejoicing and celebrating this morning!
As we skim over Luke chapter two there are all kinds of signs pointing to God's Big Christmas Party getting ready to take place. There are signs that let us know that our God is a God who loves to celebrate and rejoice. Let's take a moment or two and look at some of those signs this morning:
1. First of all we see that the LORD sets the stage with a big light show
Any good party starts off with a show stopper. It starts with something that gets people's attention. Jesus has already been born or is in the midst of coming into the world but for the most part it is an isolated event. The only ones that we know for sure that are at the party already are Mary and Joseph and there are there well, because they have to be there.
But no party is a party unless others are invited. And so, God sends out an amazing invitation to some shepherds nearby. God sends some of His Holy Angels to put on a light show invitation that is like no other one that world has ever seen.
Luke tells us that all of a sudden in the middle of the night the heavens burst forth with God's glory and honor. The whole place around the shepherds came alive with heavenly light, flying angels and the sound of heavenly voices.
Wow! Does God ever know how to stage a scene. God knows how to make a splash. Here it is pitch dark. Shepherds and sheep nodding off. The dew has settled and the fires are cracking doing their best to bring a little warmth and protection. Most of the shepherds are already lying down with their cloaks tucked around them serving as pillows and blankets. All you can hear in the night is the quiet snoring of tired shepherds, the soft bleating of sheep and perhaps the gurgling sounds of a nearby creek. It is all calm, soothing and picturesque.
Then all of a sudden heaven rushes in upon the earth. The thin veil that separates heaven from earth is pulled back. The light from God's throne along with some of the heavenly host reveal themselves. It's like the angels in heaven are not able to contain their joy. They can't resist pulling back the veil of heaven to tell these shepherds to wake up and go and have a party with Jesus. They can't resist telling others about the fact that Jesus has come into the world. They cannot keep from sharing the Good News.
2. Secondly, we see that God brings a band
Now, I know that it doesn't quite say that those angels brought a band but let's be real. Do we really think that all they did was light up the sky and speak softly about Jesus' birth? Do we really think the God who created music in the first place and who loves to hear music didn't fill the sky with His own praise and worship band.
All great parties include some type of music. Either they have a band or have some canned music or plan to allow everyone to sing a few songs together. Singing goes hand in hand with God and it especially goes hand in hand during the Christmas season. It is not by accident that there is so much music written about Christmas. It is not by accident that nearly every artist in the world has at one time or the other included a Christmas song in their repertoire.
I think just about the time those shepherds woke up from all the flashing lights they began to hear God's band of angels playing and singing to the top of their voices. I think they heard harps, trumpets, violins and other heavenly musical instruments. Can I prove it? No, but I believe it.
Our Lord was allowing His angels to come and begin the celebration of the birth of Jesus. Our Lord was allowing them to pull back the veil and show forth His glory in light, music and song. Our Lord was letting His Good Creation know that He was arriving to bring about the New Age of Salvation. Our Lord was starting everything off with a party of Joy.
It would have been interesting to know if these angels had practiced or was this a one time only performance. Since heaven knew that Jesus would be born on earth that evening had some of the heavenly beings gotten together to practice? Did they rehearse or did they just let their voices cry out what was inside their very beings? Did their love for the LORD JESUS and their love for humanity just propel their song? I don't know. All I know is that when it comes to throwing a party the LORD knows how to do it well. And so should we as His followers this morning!
3. Third - We see God Provides an Open Invitation
As we said earlier - What is a party without some invitations?
We don't know why God picked those shepherds that evening to come and share a time of joy and celebration with Jesus, Mary and Joseph. He could have just as easy invited some fishermen or some tax collectors or even some local farmers. Maybe it had to do with the fact that among all the occupations that people had that day the occupation of being a shepherd was one of the lowliest if not the lowliest.
Shepherding was hard work and provided very little income. Most people working sheep were on the lowest ring of the economic ladder in those days. It was sweaty work and working with sheep left one with some rather unpleasant odors. It was seen as tedious work usually left up to those who couldn't get a job doing anything else.
I mean what good city boy from a nice home would want to spend his days tromping around the mountain side getting sheep manure on his sandals? Who would want to be the ones who had to shear these sheep and spend all their time facing thieves, predators and snakes?
Maybe the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY just wanted everyone to know that everyone would always be invited to a Jesus party. Maybe by inviting these shepherds the LORD was saying that one would be excluded from God's party. And as far as we know perhaps the LORD did invite others but only those shepherds took God up on the offer. Perhaps in other places other angels showed up inviting people but they were too busy and didn't want to get up in the middle of the night to see a baby. We don't know and Luke doesn't say.
What we do know is that God's invitation to see and experience Jesus is open to everyone this morning. It is open from those who are shepherds to those who are Wise Men. It is open to those who are priests to those who are prostitutes. It is open to those who are little old widows to those who are writing scribes and tax collectors. It is open to inn keepers and open to who those who are lame, blind, oppressed, possessed along with those who are committed and consecrated. God's invitation is open to everyone.
All we know is that these shepherds accepted the LORD's invitation. Perhaps one of the reasons why they were invited is that the LORD knew that if they came then they would naturally bring along some food. After all, what is a party without food?
I am sure that Joseph and Mary didn't have a great deal or food or even money for food. I am sure that those guys didn't leave empty handed. While they didn't bring any gold, frankincense or myrrh I am sure that they did bring some cheese, dried figs and other tasty foods that they had. I am also sure that they brought along some musical instruments as well - perhaps a wooden flute or some string instrument. After all, most shepherds used music as a way of calming down their sheep.
4. Fourth - We see God's Parties are Themed Based
It is one thing to hold a party. It's one thing to get some food together, have some music and just spend some time hanging out. But when a party has a theme - be it around a sports game (Super Bowl), a special event (birthday, anniversary, revealing) or some holiday (Christmas) it takes on a whole new level. And the party that they LORD was throwing that night had some of the greatest themes around it of all time.
+Immanuel - GOD WITH US
This was not just some party God was throwing but it was a party that God was announcing that He was coming and in fact had come in the form of Jesus. God in flesh was coming to share time, space and life with humanity. God in flesh was coming down to be among all of creation. Not since the time of the Garden of Eden when the LORD GOD came down and shared time and space with Adam and Eve had mankind experienced what they were going to experience over the next 30+ years.
God in Flesh walking among His creation. God in Flesh speaking to His creation. God in Flesh rescuing and redeeming His creation. God in Flesh casting out evil and conquering evil. God in Flesh healing disease. God in Flesh inviting men and women to follow Him. God in Flesh so loving humans so much that He gave Himself to die in mankind's place. God in Flesh redeeming and restoring mankind.
+Peace - "Prince of Peace"
The angels made it clear that a new time of peace had arrived. The Roman Empire was at the same time was boasting about Pax Romana. Pax Romana (PEACE IN ROME) was suppose to be this wonderful time of peace, harmony and tranquility for all who were under the control of the Roman Empire. But everyone who lived at the time around the birth of Christ up until the third century after Christ knew all too well that Pax Romana was merely a propaganda ploy. If there was peace in and through the Roman Empire it was only because people feared Rome. It was peace that came as one bent the knee to Rome or that came at the end of a sword or at the threat of a crucifixion. While citizens of Rome did live a fairly peaceful life those who were not citizens lived under a state of intimidation, fear and oppression.
The angels announced that Jesus would usher in a time of supernatural peace. In John 14:27 Jesus shared that He had come to bring peace. Peace that would bring calm to the soul and a peace that would pass all understanding. Peace that enables one to have a spirit of quiet confidence in the midst of a world of chaos. Peace that lets us know that we have been forgiven of all our sins and are no longer under either the penalty of sin nor the power of sin. Peace that lets us know that we safely in God's hands and are constantly being infilled with His Holy Spirit. Peace that lets us know that in the midst of heartache, tragedy and sorrow that Jesus loves us and is able to bear all our pain, grief and burdens.
+Transformations - New Birth/Life in the Holy Spirit
The angels also announced that a time of great spiritual transformation had arrived. The greatest of course at that time was the Incarnation. But as Jesus grew up we see that His life was full of transformative events:
-His baptism -His Victory in the Wilderness -His Sermon in Nazareth
-His Ministry -His Miracles -His Victory on the Cross
-His Resurrection -His Ascension -The Sending of the Holy Spirit
In all of this we see that Jesus was the catalyst for even more transformations surrounding each of them with a time of celebration and rejoicing:
-His 1st Miracle - was at a wedding party in which Jesus provided the drinks as He transformed the water into wine
-Jesus tells the story of the Prodigal Son that ends with a story of transformation and a party as well
-Jesus tells the story of the woman whose life was transformed as she found her lost coins and then throws a party.
-Jesus takes the central elements of Passover and transforms them into the sacrament of Communion for us to share and celebrate redemption and salvation.
Do you remember what was the complaint against the Disciples on the Day of Pentecost ? Yes, that right - they were accused of experiencing a little bit too much of a party. They were accused of being drunk when all that had happened was they had received the anointing power and presence of God's Holy Spirit. Apparently being filled with God Spirit can make some people think you have had a little too much alcohol.
So, this morning, where does all of this lead us?
It leads us to what happens when any of us experience a great party or a time of celebration. We go back to work, we go back to school or we go somewhere and share how great a party we had. We talk around the water cooler or around the coffee pot and remind each other about the great time we had at the party. We sit around the lunch room or outside on the steps and we talk about the great party that we had the night or week before. We begin to think how we can all get together and do it again. We talk about how we can make the next party even bigger and more enjoyable.
Which is exactly what those shepherds did. The Bible tells us that following their time with Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus that they went back glorifying and praising the LORD. In other words they went back and told everyone what they had heard, seen and experienced. They shared the Good News.
The Disciples left that Upper Room and shared with everyone what they had experienced. The news was so electrifying that the Bible says 3,000 people wanted to experience the same transformations in their lives. They wanted to experience the same joy and holiness that they saw in the lives and on the faces of those 120 disciples.
You see, when we go to a great party we not only enjoy it we also share about it. We post it. We email friends about it. We twitter about it. We instagram it. We talk about it. We want to do it all over again. We invite more people to share the same experience.
It's just the opposite when we go to a lousy party. We avoid conversations. We want to forget it. We may even decide that next year we are planning to be busy when they give out invitations.
For too long the Church has been experiencing some lousy parties, celebrations and festivals week after week. It's not because of the worship setting or our LORD. All too often we don't show up prepared to celebrate, to be overwhelmed with joy or to join in Holy Spirit festivities. We don't come prepared to be with God and relish in His Presence. We don't come ready to join up with the rest of Heaven in celebrating God's victory over sin, death and the grave. We don't come ready to be filled with God's anointing presence and joy.
Far too often we come pensive. Far too often we come overwhelmed with burdens that we don't leave with the LORD but only add to them and then take them back out the door with us. Far too often we come with guilt or feel more guilt before we leave. Far too often we are holy yet really boring. We are singing yet we sing without any gusto or joy.
It's like this one time I went to a church and during the passing of the peace (time of fellowship) I meet this person that I had already spoken to earlier in the service. I didn't care. I spoke to them again only to be reminded that they had already shook my hand and spoken to me earlier and so they didn't have to do that again. What a great passing of the peace right?
At first I was taken back. Can you imagine that happening at a party? People mix together multiple times. They greet each other multiple times. They share life over here and over there. They mix and mingle and they don't care if they have spoken to one another one or two or five or ten times. They just come together to have a great time.
We have got to realize that whether we know it or not while we are having worship right alongside of us behind heaven's veil is a host of angels and other heavenly creatures worshipping and celebrating the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. They are filling the air with praise and worship. We need to realize that right beside us are the saints of the ages enjoying salvation, freedom and everlasting life.
Advent Season/Christmas Season is only a prelude to what we will share one day. It is also a prelude to what we can share each time we meet. We need to understand that our worship services are to be more in line with a party and a celebration than they are with a business meeting, a lecture or a concert hall.
Our LORD wants us to celebrate, to sing and praise with gusto, to share meals and share life with one another. Our LORD wants us to rejoice and have fun in and through the Holy Spirit. We are to enjoy being in God's Presence - Redeemed and Restored - we are to enjoy being filled more and more with God's Holy Spirit.
It is not by accident that the Seven Great Times of the Year that the Jewish People were to gather together to worship and praise God were called Festivals. Yes they prayed. Yes they brought a sacrifice. Yes they humbled themselves before the LORD. Yes they did all they need to do to confess, to consecrate and to be revived. But the overall theme was that of celebration, rejoicing and joy. That is why they were called FESTIVALS. It was a time when God and man got together. It was a time when the veil between heaven and earth was at its thinnest. That is the same way it is to be for us every time we worship.
Yes at times we gather together to do business. Yes at times we gather to intercede in prayer. Yes at times we gather to share music. Yes at times we gather together to share information and learn. But every time we meet we meet in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. We meet to celebrate and share the Good News. We meet to be infilled with God's joy. We meet to rejoice!
Years ago there was a little song that many of us learned - the words of the song went like this:
I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy
Down in my heart (Where?)
Down in my heart (Where?)
Down in my heart
I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy
Down in my heart
Down in my heart to stay
And I'm so happy
So very happy
I have the love of Jesus in my heart (down in my heart)
And I'm so happy
So very happy
I have the love of Jesus in my heart
Sadly somewhere along the line we assigned the song to children and children's church only. Somehow it is okay for children to have a great time at church. In fact, many times we ask them - DID YOU HAVE A GOOD TIME AT CHURCH?
As adults we don't ask that question so much. We need to. We need to remind ourselves that the Advent Season and in fact all seasons are to be times for us to experience God's Joy. We need to remind ourselves that when Jesus is in our midst there is to be an overflowing of Joy and Rejoicing.
Today, as we close how is our joy? Is our cup of Joy flowing over or is our cup full of just the sprinkles of some joy at the bottom?
As we close let us call upon the name of the LORD. Let us call upon His name and receive His Joy today - the Joy of Salvation - the Joy of the Infilling Presence of His Holy Spirit. Let us determine that each time we gather together we do so to celebrate Jesus' Resurrection, Ascension and the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Let us determine that each time we are to allow the Spirit of the LORD to bring Peace, Joy and Love. Let us determine that our church will be a church of Joy.
Closing song/open altar/benediction and blessing.
