The Blessings of Joy
The Blessings of Christmas • Sermon • Submitted
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The Blessing of Joy December 15, 2019 SBC
December 15, 2019
SBC
Introduction - The Story is told of Jimmy Durante - Comedian, composer, actor, singer and songwriter who lived from 1893-1980 one of the great entertainers of this past generation… He is known for saying, “If I knew how old I was going to be, I would have taken better care of myself.” Also, “Politics is developing more comedians than radio ever did.”
He was also known as the Schnoz - because of his ‘big’ nose. He once said, “My nose isn’t big. I just happen to have a very small head.”
Make someone happy,
Make just one someone happy,
And you will be happy, too.
He was asked to be part of a show for W.W. II veterans. He told them his schedule was very busy and he could afford only a few minutes, but if they wouldn’t mind his doing one ‘short’ monologue and immediately leaving for his next appointment, he would come. Of course, the show’s director agreed happily.
But when Jimmy got on stage, something interesting happened. he went through the short monologue, which he said he would do and leave, but instead, he stayed. The applause grew louder and louder and he kept staying. Pretty soon, he had been on fifteen, twenty, then thirty minutes. Finally, he took a last bow and left the stage. Backstage someone stopped him and said, “I thought you had to go after a few minutes. What happened?”
Jimmy answered, “I did have to go, but I can show you the reason I stayed. You can see for yourself if you’ll look on the front row.” In the front row were two men, each of whom had lost an arm in the war. One had lost his right arm and the other had lost his left. Together, they were able to clap, and that’s exactly what they were doing, loudly and cheerfully.
These men made the most of very difficult and challenging circumstances. - Over coming adversity - sharing each others pain as well as joy.
Turn in your Bibles this morning to
11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
Jesus knew the difficulties of His circumstances while on earth before he was ever born - yet he came for you and for me… to help us see that in life, you will have troubles - trials - tribulations, but that he is there to help you through them and to bring you joy, which in return fulfills His joy.
He came to save us from our sin which separates us from God. What he was about to go through when he shared this event with his disciples, telling them of his certain death, he wanted them to know… what is about to happen is for you… for the hope, peace, and joy to the world through his sacrificial death on the cross.
True joy comes about by having a healthy perspective on life created by faith, balancing tension and stress caused by trials and tribulations. By faith in Jesus, we receive hope, peace, and joy… all be cause God loves us.
Our faith is built on His love and us trusting in Him for all things… believing that he is in control and has everything under control.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
The difference between happiness and joy is said to be this: happiness is an emotion in which we "experience feelings ranging from contentment and satisfaction to bliss and intense pleasure," whereas joy "is a stronger, less common feeling than happiness." We experience joy when we achieve selflessness to the point of personal sacrifice. Oct 7, 2014 That’s what Jesus did… he sacrificed himself for His disciples… for us and that is what gave him joy, even in the midst of facing death.
It is important to know the difference between being happy and having joy.
Sheryl Crow famously wrote in a song, "If it makes you happy, it can't be that bad. If it makes you happy, then why ... are you so sad?" Crow apparently could discern that being happy isn't always what is best for us.
Rev. Dr. Christopher Benek is the associate pastor of family ministries at Providence Presbyterian Church.
Joy and happiness are wonderful feelings to experience, but are very different. Joy is more consistent and is cultivated internally. It comes when you make peace with who you are, why you are and how you are, whereas happiness tends to be externally triggered and is based on other people, things, places, thoughts and events. by Psychologies
Happiness is in circumstances...
Joy is in identity!
Jesus wants us to find our identity in Who he is, in who you are, and why you are...
The Bible clearly tells us who Jesus is. Next week we will be looking at
In this verse we are told Jesus is the One and Only Divine Son of God.
The Disciples believed that. Their faith would sustain them in the midst of trials and tribulations for the rest of their earthly lives. Jesus wanted them to know that, because he knew people would hate them for their belief and the stance the took on Who Jesus truly is.
In this passage Jesus identifies himself as the Vine; God the Father as the Gardner and his disciples as the branches. The central point of this passage is that if you remain in Him and He remains in you, you will be filled with Joy, regardless of the circumstances in life.
A good Gardner cuts out the dead branches and burns them, because they are dead and ineffective.
A good Gardner also prunes every branch that bears fruit so it can produce more fruit.
Both the cutting out and the pruning sound unpleasant - one more than the other.
The dead branches are destroyed. The pruned branches still exist because they are of value and still producing fruit. Even though it my be unpleasant, it’s purpose is significant and it brings satisfaction.
God’s desire is for us - to bear fruit - to experience the joy of bearing fruit - a fruit that reflects and emulates the life of Jesus.
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
The purpose of trials in life is to bring us to maturity; completeness for us. That was the message of Jesus to His disciples.
Sometimes we create our own trials; other times God allows them to come so that he can get our attention as to what our walk with him is truly like.
In the case of the Disciples, they would experience trials that they had no control over, other than standing up for their faith in Jesus. And because they would, Jesus wanted them to know; even in the midst of life’s most challenging circumstances you can experience, hope, peace, and joy.
11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
This entires dialogue between Jesus and His disciples is about His love for them and that no matter what happens in the days to follow, He will always be with them; love them. He wanted them to know the inner joy that comes, apart from outer circumstances.
a few weeks ago I journaled about a man who was asked if he knew whether or not God approved of him.
Nick Gumbel in his writing on the Bible in One year wrote: ‘
God loves you unconditionally, wholeheartedly and continually.’ These were the words of the late Alex Buchanan, described as a pastor to the pastors. He was partially blind, profoundly deaf in one ear, with only 5% hearing in the other; he had suffered nerve damage during major surgery that left one side of his face paralysed. I remember hearing him speak about God’s love and he kept repeating the words, ‘God loves you unconditionally, wholeheartedly and continually.’
When he finished his talk he came up to me and said, ‘Do you believe that God approves of you?’ I said, ‘Actually, I really struggle with that because I know things about myself that no one else knows and I find it difficult to believe that God approves of me.’ He replied, ‘We all struggle with that. But God wants you to know that he approves of you. He wants you to know he loves you unconditionally, wholeheartedly and continually.’
So as you come to Christmas this year, think on those words… that’s why Jesus came… He came in love and His love is unconditional, wholeheartedly, and continually.
Prior to Jesus teaching at this point in the Bible, Christmas reminds us of his coming… So, like the Disciples, like you and me, Mary and Joseph had good days and bad days; their life was filled with good news and bad news… Life can be like a roller coaster, up and down, up and down...
As we focus on what Jesus said about Joy and then read the story of Jesus birth, here is what we find...
and then read the story of Jesus birth, here is what we find...
Good news… they were pledged to be married! Marriage is a great joy; ment to be an ever lasting joy; because in marriage, you discover who you are and how much you are loved as well as who the other person is and how much they need love and how capable you are of loving!
18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.
Bad news… before they came together, Mary become pregnant. It wasn’t a result of their physical union, rather it was a result of the immaculate conception of the Holy Spirit who came upon Mary in Spirit only, not physically and she conceived! WOW - Amazing - But how?
In the proper context of marriage, having a baby is both exciting and terrifying news at the same time… WOW, I’m going to be a father or mother… woo… can I do this? am I … are we ready for this?… we all face those thoughts.
Bad News… Joseph found from Mary’s own lips that she was going to have a baby… but how could this be? It wasn’t something that Joseph could find an immediate answer to. It wasn’t until he wrestled with it and thought he had come to the right conclusion by silently divorcing her, so she would not receive any public shame and ridicule. But then God gave him some ‘Good News’ An angel appeared to him and said, “It’s going to be ok!
This is where faith comes in… believing in God, trusting in Him… abiding in him… Him being in you and you in Him.
As we continue in the story of the first Christmas… Christ’s coming, we continue to see good new and bad news...
Good news… they worked things out and proceeded to get married
Bad New… censes would be taken that required Joseph to return to his home town, the town of Bethlehem… The bad news gets even worse in that Mary is ready to have that baby… No travel advised… but they had to go… the trip from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem Judea? 80-90 miles. On a good day you could travel 20 miles, but imagine taking that trip with a wife who is expecting. I can’t imagine that it was an easy journey.
Good News… they made it! Hurray
Bad News… there was no room in the inn
Good News… there was a stable, with some hay to make a bed for Mary and eventually Baby Jesus arrived. Great Joy...
So as we listen to the teaching of Jesus about His joy being in us and our joy being complete, how do we truly experience this joy? Where does it come from?
4 For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you,
5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.
The Bible tells us that we have been chosen. If you are here today or listening on the Radio, the ‘Good News’ is meant for you! God’s joy is meant for you because you are listening.
God’s joy is for you!
According to this verse, it comes with power! With the Holy Spirit… speaking to you brining you to conviction that Jesus is real… the Christ! His birth was special and significant. He came to die for your sins and mine. He then rose from the dead, declaring that if you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, you will be saved!
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
In
6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.
… We find that once we follow Christ, we learn to imitate his life of love and forgiveness, grace and mercy. We welcome his message with Joy given to us by the Holy Spirit!
God’s Holy Spirit is speaking to you meant to give you joy. That is were real joy begins for any of us.
Joy is the fruit of the Holy Spirit in you
Joy is a promise from God
11 Those the Lord has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
In the Holy Spirit will show you how to turn from idols! Things and people… to serve the living God who will rescue you from the coming wrath of God towards sin.
9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,
9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,
In we at told we are continually filled with Joy and the Holy Spirit
The Holy
52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Our Joy comes from God…
41 I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul.
Does God want you to experience joy? Yes He does. John the Baptist wrote at the height of his ministry, when Jesus arrived, these words…
29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.
Doing God’s work brought him joy…
helps us to see where joy comes from as well.
A miktam of David.
1 Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”
3 I say of the holy people who are in the land, “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
4 Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods or take up their names on my lips.
5 Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
11 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.
, ,
8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure,
11 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.
Yes, God wants you to known Him and the joy that comes from knowing Him. Obedience to Him marks the cause of our fruitfulness and joy is the result.
Obedience to God reveals our true nature as a disciples of Jesus Christ. God’s glory is that you be the fruit of His Holy Spirit.
Following Christ will not be without trial and tribulation, but the benefits far outweigh them.
No one can take Gods joy from you…
22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.
Jesus had great joy in pleasing God by living a faithful and fruitful life
The purpose of his teaching is to give us the Good News of abundant life ‘In Him’ Not a joyless existence…
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
The command for us to obey is for us our joy! That was and still is Jesus desires for each one of us! In his prayer to God the father before his crucifixion he said,
13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.
Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 2814 Joy: Beneficial in Every Way
2814 Joy: Beneficial In Every Way
Scientists have been studying the effect of laughter on human beings and have found, among other things, that laughter has a profound and instantaneous effect on virtually every important organ in the human body. Laughter reduces health-sapping tensions and relaxes the tissues as well as exercising the most vital organs. It is said that laughter, even when forced, results in beneficial effect on us, both mentally and physically. Next time you feel nervous and jittery, indulge in a good laugh.
Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 2823 Haydn’s Music
2823 Haydn’s Music
Haydn, the great musician, was once asked why his church music was so cheerful, and he replied: “When I think upon God, my heart is so full of joy that the notes dance and leap, as it were, from my pen, and since God has given me a cheerful heart it will be pardoned me that I serve Him with a cheerful spirit.”
—Gospel Herald
Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 2828 Feeling Sorry for Herself
There is never a day so dreary,
There is never a night so long,
But the soul that is trusting Jesus
Will somewhere, somehow find a song.”
—Donald Grey Barnhouse
Bill Bright founder of Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU) wrote...
“Joy is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. it is one of God’s attributes. Humanly speaking, it is that which encompasses and transcends both happiness and sadness. Once endowed with joy, a person is not likely to lose it and, in fact, it grows with awareness of it. Joy is like the sun, always shining even when night falls or clouds cover it. Happiness is like the moon, waxing and waning.
Happiness is born in the mind, joy in the heart. Happiness comes from humans, joy from God.”
I have seen what a laugh can do. It can transform almost unbearable tears into something bearable, even hopeful.