The Joy Of The Lord

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)