Sermon Tone Analysis
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Intro: Because it is the Christmas season, how many of you remember a joyous Christmas?
Personal Story – I was little and I got up early in the morning to see what was under the tree………
I am not using the word “Happy.”
In our English language
Worldly happiness is circumstantial and comes and goes like the wind, just like Hope and Peace.
It is a feeling
In the Greek it means Blessed and Fortunate .
Joy comes from within, it is more than a feeling,
In Hebrew it is a Cry of jubilation, it is a shout also defined as a war cry.
We are going to take a look at
Text : Psalms 126
Psalm 126 (ESV)
1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad.
4 Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negeb!
5 Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!
6 He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
Context
Zion pillaged; people uprooted and forced out, everything taken.
You are left with nothing, not even a dream.
You are forced to walk to Babylon,(800 miles) you can look back and see nothing but smoke.
Your future is anything but certain.
The opposite of Joy is gloom ( a form of depression) Then we start asking questions.
We immediately ask the question why?
Or Why is this happening to me.
Why - The toughest question you can ever ask.
Sometimes why is accompanied by silence.
When all this is happening It is easy to lose your joy.
Health problems, Covid being back, Finances, Children are sick, bad report card, Uprooted, or in a place of unfamiliarity, Even Age
This passage of scripture is in 3 parts 1-3, 4, 5-6 – Check it out you can see the divisions
Gods people became the outcast - They lost their joy
PERSONAL ILLUSTRATION – Ladies you are making the perfect dinner for your husband and the kids and all of a sudden you get a phone call or a text, it is your best friend.
You tell your friend about the amazing evening your going to have and the great dinner your making.
But, You get into a hour long discussion and then suddenly you smell something burning.
Your dinner is Burnt to a crisp
Your joy has turned into anger.
Then you blame your friend because she would not stop talking and messed everything up for you.
Today, I want to answer the question HOW?
How do I get my Joy back?
1.Joy comes when you change your perspective.
(vs 1-3)
Sometimes we need a different view point or position.
It isn’t what God has taken away, it is how do I experience the peace of God in the circumstance.
Vs 2-3 - The Lord has done great things –
God never left His people they left him.
God is there you just don’t realize it.
God is still in control.
God is the God of Inheritance God is the God of your inheritance .
You might receive little in way of an inheritance here on earth, but in heaven it is going to be amazing.
Transition
Sometimes we as Christians believe for some reason, we are immune from difficulties.
It is how we handle the difficulties that shows where our Joy comes from.
Scripture says the Joy of the Lord is our strength.
God can bring good out of a bad situation.
Joy comes when we ask – What do you want to teach me, How can I glorify God in this
2. Joy comes like seasonal rain.
(vs4)
vs 4 said, Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negeb!
(desert)
California went through a drought and fires and we all cut back another 20% on our water usage.
Peoples lawns dried up.
Many put in fake grass or bark or rocks.
But even with the adjustments, Now that the rains are here it was a time of refreshing.
The rain now signals the end of the fear.
– Fire season is officially over here and good fortune is upon us.
Look back to the previous rains and don’t let the present drought drive you into depression.
We are tempted to think God is like the drought and the rain will never come.
3. Joy comes by having tears turned into Joy (vs5-6)
What does this really mean – “Repentence”
It is a picture of repentence.
It is a complete turnaround
“The psalmist celebrates the return of the Jews to Palestine after the Babylonian exile” (BCWT Pg. 377).
The people are given life ( fortunes).
God is a God of turnarounds.
It is a picture of renewal
It is a picture of birth.
(Tears in child birthturns into tears of Joy)
It is a picture of the cross – That is why Jesus could go to the cross joyfully
LK 6:21 Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
Spiritual renewal can happen during a bad situation or right after one
II.
How do you hang onto it once I get it back?
1.
By faith
We must remember the former because joy is contained in faith.
In faith your mouth will be filled with laughter and your tongue will sing the glories of the Lord.
Then the world (those not in the faith) will know the tender mercies of God and that the Lord has done great things.
We know the end of the story, there will be a final overthrow of Satan and his hosts.
We will walk in peace, we will have King Jesus on the throne.
The source of true joy is God
Faith is understanding the reward.
Do you know there is a reward at the end of this life for all believers
2. Joy comes as you journey back to Christ.
Illustration: have you ever been on a trip and when it was finally time to go home you were very happy.
You had a lot of fun.
It was a long journey but you started to miss your own bed, your own schedule and everything else you missed.
It was a long journey back but each mile is one closer to Jesus.
Everyday your alive is one step closer to Jesus.
Pretty soon the familiarity comes back
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