Christmas Beyond Compare – Joy beyond Compare –
Gladstone Baptist Church – 12/12/04 am
Last Sunday night, I began a 3 part series looking at what an amazing Christmas gift we have been given. The gifts are beyond comparison with anything else we could every receive under the Christmas tree this year or any other year.
We began last week by looking at the gift of Peace – Peace beyond compare. Most people in this world don’t have peace. We all want it, but we are looking in all the wrong places. Most people try to get peace by trying to get rid of things that cause them problems. They try to think about other things, they try to run away on holidays and get distracted, they take drugs to forget about their problems or they just try to solve their problems. But no sooner do they escape from one set of problems, than another set comes on stronger than before. We can’t find peace by subtracting problems from our life.
Instead, we learnt last Sunday night that God’s peace doesn’t come from the absence of problems, but a full, whole and complete life. Instead of taking things away to get peace, we add what it is that we are lacking. Jesus offers us at Christmas Peace beyond compare because he offers
o A solution to our guilt – we can be forgiven and free of guilt
o A son/daughter relationship with God – we can be accepted by God as his children
o A Spirit Controlled Life – we have one who helps us live full and stable lives
o Security in Eternity – our troubles on earth are only temporary. Our peace comes from knowing that we have an eternity which will be spent with God our Father.
We can have peace in this life and the next because of what Jesus did. God offers us Peace at Christmas time through his Son who came to earth.
But not only can we receive Peace that is beyond compare this Christmas, we can also receive Joy beyond compare.
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 Scotsman 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.
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. Today, I want to ask you 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 Christian life yet?
This Christmas, God offers us Joy beyond compare, if we would only take hold of it.
Before we go any further, let’s ask God to bless our time together and teach us more about his free gifts this morning. Pray
If You’ve got your bibles there, please take them and turn to 1 Pet 1:3 The book of 1 Peter was written by Peter, the apostle to Christians who were facing hardship, trouble and persecution. The emperor Nero was in power and he was directing a widespread persecution on Christians in the empire. In the midst of these threats, Peter writes to them to say that despite all that you are facing, you can be filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy. Listen to his words …
1 Pet 1:3 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Peter exhorts those who read this letter that they have a Joy beyond compare that is theirs for the taking. Even amidst the suffering. Does this seem strange to you? Maybe Peter got it wrong and was just a super optimist – one of those happy go lucky sorts that have their heads in the cloud and no understanding of reality at all.
But listen to what Paul has to say on the same topic. Keep your finger in 1 Peter though, because we’ll be coming back to it …
Phil 1:12 - Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard a and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.
15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. … 18 … The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.
Paul was in prison – in chains, but was still able to rejoice. Rejoicing in the midst of suffering and pain is not an isolated teaching in the Bible. But how can that be possible?
In our modern English language, we typically use the word Joy in the same way we use the words happy or glad or elated or thrilled. But they are not the same…
Happiness is the good FEELING you have when you get what you want. It is what you feel as an EMOTION when something funny happens. As we use it, it is often set off by some external STIMULI. I am happy lying here in the sun. I am happy seeing my family. Happiness is usually SHORT-lived and leaves when the circumstances in life change or the stimuli stops.
Joy results from what we think, what we do and how we relate to others, even to God. Joy is a matter of our spirit, the part of us that relates to God. It is an ATTITUDE more than it is a feeling. It is a DECISION not an emotion. When the Bible uses the word Joy, it usually speaks of deep spiritual joy that springs from WITHIN us, not from external stimuli. Joy, is LONG lasting, even eternal. It is an attitude that gives Praise and thanks to God for what He has done. That is why Paul writes
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.
Paul IS NOT trying to put us on a guilt trip - pressuring us into being joyful OR ELSE! NO! While some Christians are like that Scotsman who didn’t know he had free access to Joy. For some other Christians instead of joy being a precious gift; it has become an oppressive monster. I knew a girl when I was growing up who earnestly wanted to live a Christian life. She knew Paul said – be joyful in all situations, but she didn’t understand what this meant. She thought it meant being happy and how is it that you show you are happy? You smile. So this girl went around trying to smile all the time. The smile was fake – it was forced and it looked horrible, but that didn’t matter, she was trying to be a Christian so instead of the stiff upper lip, it was the curved lips. I used to sit in church or youth group watching her – she’d lose concentration and be distracted and her mouth would relax into a normal relaxed mode. Then all of a sudden she would remember she was supposed to be smiling and she’d sit up and that cheesy grin would come back. It was funny but also sickening.
True joy, the joy that Paul and Peter are advocating here is not happiness. True joy is much deeper than feeling because our feelings are up one minute and down the next. True joy is an attitude that says I am able to “bloom where I’ve been planted” and for that I’ll praise God. It is knowing and accepting our place in life as one ordained by God. True joy is not something you can find, it is something you receive and Joy beyond compare is available to you this Christmas. I want to spend the next few minutes talking about 3 things that Peter tells us about the inexpressible and glorious Joy.
1) The Joy on offer is present because of the future
Let me say that again another way … We can have Joy now, because as Christians we are assured of our future. Peter says … In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice,
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.
Now I know that some of you are thinking –“ Hang on, I don’t have to wait to be saved. We can say right now – I am saved because of what Jesus has done for me”. That is true to some extent. Jesus’ past death has achieved our present salvation. We can say – I am saved right here, right now. But our salvation is not complete. It will only be complete in the future when we die or when Jesus comes again and we are welcomed into an eternal life with Christ. Our hope is for a future COMPLETION of the work of salvation that has already begun now. Because we believe in faith that this is a signed, sealed and delivered deal – we can have joy.
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 a the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
The 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.
2) The Joy on offer is a gift from God
Peter says that the salvation and the joy it brings is a gift from God.
(Vs 3) In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.,
Who has given it? God has given it from his great mercy. Salvation is God’s gracious gift which he gives. We didn’t deserve it or earn it. Our salvation was given to us freely.
If Joy is a consequence of being assured 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. Paul when he lists the CHARACTERISTICS of one who is controlled by the Holy Spirit lists joy as one of the fruit. He writes “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. Others 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 gives you.
Some people desperately try to find joy by their own efforts. But true joy cannot be found in families, fortune, or careers. It can’t even be found in hobbies, possessions or even helping others. While we all might derive a great sense of satisfaction and fulfillment in these things, the joy that Jesus offers is beyond comparing to this happiness. If you want to be known as a joyful person and let God’s joy shine from you, then go to the source of it—God Himself! It’s a gift from God, it comes from having a close relationship with God and is a characteristic of being indwelt by his Spirit.
3) The Joy on offer is effective 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 situations were grim, but Peter says, because you have a future that is assured and the source of your joy is from God, it doesn’t matter what the situation is.
Vs 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
Just as last week we saw that God’s gift of peace was available despite the problems, God’s gift of Joy is available also in the midst of problems. 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.
How do I know that?
a) Because I get joy by being in God’s presence and he is not scared off by problems. We have just seen that God is the one who gives us joy. The close I walk to God, the more his Joy can radiate in my life. Is God scared away by our problems? Of course He isn’t. That classic poem about the footprints talks about the fact that God actually is there carrying us through the tough times when we don’t have the energy to walk ourselves. If God is always with us – even in the darkest times, then we can safely say that his Joy is always available to us.
b) Because we have a hope of salvation which doesn’t diminish when trials come out to play. Does your eternal salvation all of a sudden become questionable when you are diagnosed with cancer? No. Does your eternal salvation all of a sudden become questionable when your teenage son storms out of your home in rebellion? No. Is your eternal salvation dependant upon any problem that may arise in your life? No. No. No. Your eternal salvation is dependant upon what Christ has achieved for you in dying on the cross and your act of repentance and surrender to Him. The problems you face in life have nothing to do with your eternal salvation. Therefore, if you have a future that is assured, you can have joy!
c) Because God is in control and he doesn’t lose it when put under pressure. Paul wrote that “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Rom 8:28)
Corrie Ten Boom explains in her book ‘The Hiding Place’ how learnt that she could rejoice in her suffering in a Concentration camp in WW2. When Corrie and her sister, Betsy entered the barracks for the first time they found them overcrowded and flea infested. Their scripture reading that morning had been from 1 Thessalonians and reminded them to rejoice always, pray constantly, and give thanks in every circumstance. Betsy, told Corrie to stop and thank the Lord, and rejoice in Him for every detail of their new living quarters. Corrie managed to do this for most things, but refused to give thanks for the fleas. Her sister kept pushing her to do so, and Corrie eventually thanked God even for the fleas. During the next few months, they were surprised how openly they could hold Bible Studies and prayer meetings without interference from the German guards. Imagine their joy when they learnt that the reason for this was that the German guards refused to enter their barracks because of all the fleas.
Despite the problems, God is still in control and can and will work everything out for his good purposes. Because of that, we can have joy.
Can you have an attitude of joy – praise and thankfulness regardless of your circumstances – you sure can.
This Christmas, God is wanting to breathe into you His Joy. It is not something to be grasped or pursued. It is ours because it has been offered to us as a gift.
It is a Joy that is beyond comparison with any feeling of happiness or gladness you might feel this Christmas. It is a thankfulness and praising spirit that comes from a knowledge that your future is secure, that comes when you are walking in surrender to God and is not dependant upon the circumstances you find yourself in.
Today, if you are a Christian and are not living a joy filled life, you need to stop and recognise your status before God and the gifts he wants to give you. Take your eyes of your problems and concerns and fix them firmly onto Jesus. Understanding the gift He offers you will bring you joy beyond compare today and when he takes us into his perfect Kingdom for all eternity. Oh what a joyful day that will be!
If you are not a Christian and are seeking joy this Christmas, I urge you to talk to someone here this morning before you leave. Ask them to introduce you to Jesus – the one who brings peace and joy and as we’ll be learning on Christmas morning – Hope beyond compare.
