Response Goal: Individuals prompted by the Holy Spirit will pray silently and connect with Jesus.
REPENTANCE POINT {paradigm shifts or changes in our thinking}: Finding joy does not involve making your circumstances better - it involves making your mind work like Jesus’ mind.
Citation: Tom Fuller, sermoncentral.com
PATTERN: DEDUCTIVE TEXTUAL – EXPOSITORY (CONTRAST/COMPARE)
IDEAS for Bible Readings, Prayers or Songs
1 Peter 1:3-9
Benediction --
Leave knowing that happiness is not enough to make your life complete. Go into the world and live with joy – abundant joy – now and always. Amen.
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Introduction:
“Clearly, the cross is what separates the Christ of Christianity from every other religion regarding Jesus. In Judaism there’s no precedent for a Messiah who dies, much less as a criminal as Jesus did. In Islam, the story of Jesus’ death is rejected as an affront to Allah himself. Hindus can accept only a Jesus who passes into peace samadhi, a yogi who escapes the degradation of death. ‘The figure of the crucified Christ,’ says Buddhist Thich Nhat Hanh, ‘is a very painful image to me. It does not contain joy or peace, and this does not do justice to Jesus.’ There is, in short, no room in other religions for a Christ who experiences the full burden of mortal existence – and hence there’s no reason to believe in him as the divine Son whom the Father resurrected from the dead.”
Citation: Religion editor Kenneth L. Woodward, “The Other Jesus,”
Newsweek (27 March 2000), 60
“The crucified Christ … does not contain joy or peace….”
But the Bible tells us that “For the joy set before him, [Jesus] endured the cross.” (Hebrews 12:2)
It may be hard for others to see, but the cross is the source of Christian joy and peace. Listen to what the apostle Paul writes in the letter to the first century church in Philippi.
Text:
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
These verses launch scores of questions. Like, how can God expect me to be happy when I’m grieving for and missing my mom? Or, how can being happy give us peace when the economy is down and jobs are hard to find? It’s one thing to smile and be happy when life is good, but how can anyone rejoice in sadness and trouble?
As I’ve worked through these questions and others, I came to a startling realization.
Thesis:
Christian joy is as far distant from human happiness as lumps of coal are from flawless diamonds.
Key Question:
Here are four ways in which happiness and joy are different.
1) Joy is a command. Happiness is by chance.
Happiness is a feeling based on our circumstances. Happiness is our response to events that are often beyond our control. Joy is an attitude we can deliberately choose to develop. That’s why the Bible tells us we should rejoice.
“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalms 118:24).
“Rejoice in the Lord, always, and again I say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16).
2) Joy holds on and holds out. Happiness blows in and flows out.
Happiness is fleeting; joy endures. Christians can maintain a spirit of joyfulness because we rejoice in that which is “immortal, undefiled, and unfading.”
However un-athletic or sports-phobic you may be, at the moment of a great sports victory happiness is at its zenith. For one triumphant, exhilarating, moment the winner is the victor, happiness rolls over the winning team like a Jacuzzi set on typhoon mode. Nothing could feel better. For a few hours. For, perhaps, a day.
But that adrenaline-soaked happiness is almost immediately infected with “what if” viruses. “What if this is the only triumph I ever get?” “What if we lose big next year?” “What if I can never again play as well as I played today?”
Every athlete knows that the happiness of victory is the most momentary, the most fleeting, the most unrepeatable moment in their lives.
Joy refuses to be squelched, submersed, or sabotaged. Joy is not dependent upon personal strength, personal ability, or personal achievement. Joy is rooted in God, nourished by faith, sustained by grace.
3) Happiness can be a solitary emotion. Rejoicing is a community enterprise.
You can be happy by yourself. You rejoice with other people.
Jesus told three stories where a lost item was found and the finder invited friends and family to celebrate with him or her. He emphasized this statement – “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Individuals who turn back toward God cause a party in heaven. Rejoicing is a group activity.
“There are all sorts of ways of talking about the community that’s the Church. You can think of it as a people who share the same beliefs, or all those who have been baptized, or even all the people who more or less agree with [some church leader]. And so on. But I think that, first of all, the Church is the people who invite each other to rejoice together. Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances. You might have expected Paul to put prayer first: ‘the Church is the people who pray together’; but he does not. It’s joy that comes first. And, whether or not this occurred to Paul, it’s profoundly important. Unless we’re filled with joy we cannot pray. And unless we pray we cannot give thanks”
Citation: Herbert McCabe, God, Christ and Us;
edited and introduced by Brian Davies (New York: Continuum, 2003), 110
4) Happiness is from the world. Joy is from Christ. In fact, joy is Christ.
Leonard Sweet writes: I tried to purchase a cup on eBay. When it got to $100.00, I gave up. Here was the item description that inspired the intense bidding: A FINE EARLY LUSTER CHILD’S CUP WITH RELIGIOUS SENTIMENT; PRINTED IN BLACK WITH A PINK LUSTER TRIM, probably Staffordshire or N. East England (Sunderland), circa 1820.
This is a rare collectors or personal item for those who like early luster or devotional pieces. It was probably given originally to a child, perhaps as a Sunday School prize or as a reward for scriptural achievement. The mug is cylindrical, small and has a pretty luster trim, with a black-printed verse beneath (which befits its serious message).
Here’s the message printed on the Sunday School cup. Could the hunger for this go-for-the-true-gold message be why the bidding on this gold trimmed cup went to $252.50?
Let others worship glittering dust
And boast of earthly toys
Christ is my rock, my hope my trust
And spring of all my joys!
Isn’t that worth memorizing? Let’s recite it. I’ll read a line, and you repeat after me.
Let others worship glittering dust.
And boast of earthly toys.
Christ is my rock, my hope my trust.
And spring of all my joys!
CONCLUSION:
Is Christ the spring of all your joys this morning?
Do you know what it means to say the joy of the Lord is my strength?
Or are you still star-trekking after here-today/gone-tomorrow happiness when the Star of Bethlehem offers a lifelong lifestyle of joy?
Happiness is by chance. Joy is by command.
Happiness is fleeting. Joy endures.
Happiness can be a solitary feeling. Joy celebrates with others.
Happiness is rooted in human emotions. Joy is rooted in Jesus and is powered by God’s grace.
REPENTANCE POINT: How should we change?
Finding joy does not involve making your circumstances better - it involves making your mind work like Jesus’ mind.
Citation: Tom Fuller, sermoncentral.com
Jesus looked past the cross where he died in agony to the joy filled celebration he will share with God’s family in heaven.
That’s why the Bible tells us that “For the joy set before him, [Jesus] endured the cross.” (Hebrews 12:2)
NEXT STEPS: What can we do to begin thinking like Jesus?
Get connected with Jesus. Believe He is your only hope of making it to heaven. Trust him to walk with you through the ups and downs of this life.
Pray – talk to God everyday and all day. Turn your constant silent thoughts into a conversation with Jesus. Listen for his Spirit’s guidance.
RESPONDING TO GOD: What can we do right now?
A time of silent prayer and thinking
OPEN ALTAR RAIL
