Finding Joy in Spite of Discouragement
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I’m gonna take some of us back to our childhoods hear…
Sing this with me… (Joy down in my heart)
I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy
Down in my heart (where?)
Down in my heart (where?)
Down in my heart
I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy
Down in my heart (where?)
Down in my heart to stay
I've got the peace that passes understanding
Down in my heart (where?)
Down in my heart (where?)
Down in my heart
I've got the peace that passes understanding
Down in my heart (where?)
Down in my heart to stay
I've got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus
Down in my heart (where?)
Down in my heart (where?)
Down in my heart
I've got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus
Down in my heart (where?)
Down in my heart to stay
Whew! God Loves to see His Children play! He loves to see US find Joy!
These moments are fun! They make us happy! They bring us Joy… at least for a time…
But… What do we do when times get tough… when life knocks us down… when discouragement sets in?
In those times, it can be difficult to find JOY… amen? It can be difficult to know where to turn… Where to look…
It can seem like JOY is so far out of reach that we will never find it again…
This broken world tells us that Happiness and Joy are two separate things… that they are somehow disconnected, and yet… are both attached to emotions and circumstances… But that couldn't be farther from the truth!
Joy can be found… Joy can be experienced… in the midst of our adversities…
We CAN experience JOY no matter what discouragements we face!
Let’s start with this: What is Joy?
Where does it come from?
Marriam-Webster define “Joy” as “the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune, or by the prospect of possessing what one desires.”
There second definition is: “a state of happiness-felicity.”
But that couldn’t be farther from the truth!
Joy is not an emotion… Joy is not short-term…
You see… unlike what some believe, joy isn’t being separated from pain and disappointment…
In fact, a lot of the time… Joy is born out of long-term disappointment and grief…
Look at Luke 1:5-7
5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.
6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly.
7 But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.
This is where the Christmas story begins… Not with shepherds… babies… and wise men… But with two cousins, who found themselves in extraordinary circumstances…
This short paragraph… This short story… that only Luke chooses to begin with would have spoken volumes to Luke’s audience!
— We’ve got Herod… the Roman appointed King of the Jews… working hard to keep the Jews under the harsh rule of the Romans…
— It’s a reminder that the times were difficult…
This harsh… demanding… anti-Jewish/soon to be anti-Christian world was not full of Joy and Happiness…
This… is where we meet Zechariah and Elizabeth…
— They were both born into Aaron’s lineage… therefore, they were from priestly lineage… making Zechariah a priest…
In a day of religious corruption and political power plays… by even the Church… the Pharisees and Saduccees… Zechariah and Elizabeth stood in stark contrast.
Look at verse 6:
6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly.
Luke describes them as blameless… righteous… faithful…
Luke tells us that they were both old… and had never had children…
That is HUGE!!! It is significant! Not only in light of what is going to happen, but in light of how the world would have viewed Elizabeth as well…
You see… to be childless… to be barren… to not have born children for your husband was a shameful thing in their culture…
Elizabeth would have suffered under the shame… blame… and accusations that would have been thrown at her…
The world would have told Zechariah to marry another woman… one who could give him children… But…
Zechariah loved his wife… and so… they resigned themselves to living the life God had given them… They remained faithful to Him!
Because of that, one day… while Zechariah was fulfilling his duties in the Temple… their lives changed!
The angel Gabriel shows up… and scares the bejesus out of Zech… !
13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.
14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,
15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.
16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.
17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Zechariah is so overwhelmed… and confused… that he can hardly believe it…
18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”
Basically… “How will I know this is true? How can I be sure? What is the sign I will see?”
I love this part!!!!
Gabriel says: “Oh!!! You want a sign… OK, here’s your sign! You won’t be able to speak until the child is born!”
Do you see what happened? Do you see what Gabriel — God — did?!?
Zechariah’s faith wavered… and he asked a stupid question!!!
And Gabriel… Gabriel… I love it… Gabriel says: “Oh… You want a sign! Hold on… I got something for you...”
(pick up sign)
“Here’s your sign!”
It’s like Zechariah came out of the Temple wearing this sign!!!
Now… His wife’s reaction was completely different!
25 “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
Elizabeth believed the news… and when she becomes pregnant, she gives God the glory!
But, I want you to notice something…
Look at Luke 1:24
24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.
There is an odd note in this verse…
You see… It tells us that Elizabeth went into seclusion… basically went into hiding… for the first five months.
WHY????
Why would she go from praising God… to hiding?
Maybe it had something to do with the shame… and disgrace she felt…
Her lifelong inability to have children would have been a source of pain… sorrow… and shame…
We already said it was a big deal in her culture… Think about it…
Bearing children was the only REAL thing a woman had…
They had tried repeatedly through the years… and yet had failed… NOW… their hope had faded…
I am sure that Elizabeth talked to the other women… asking questions… seeking answers… trying to understand WHY!
They probably had plenty to say to her — mostly unfair — putting suspicion and blame on her… maybe accusing her of “being a sinner”… and suffering because of the shame she brought on her husband…
Maybe there were pregnancies that sparked hope… but the hope was dashed by the grief and loss of miscarriage…
Miscarriage… leaves a woman wondering… “Why? What’s wrong with me?”
Regardless of the reasons, We can know that Elizabeth’s self-worth had probably sunken pretty low throughout the years… and hope for change dimmed with age…
She had resigned herself to being just a servant in the Temple…
It might be that she stayed in seclusion for all those months… keeping it to herself… to allow time…
Time to ensure that the pregnancy was going to last… and to let HOPE blossom in her heart…
Whatever the reason, JOY was growing within her.
This is the point in the movie where we’d get a subtitle saying: “Meanwhile, in Gallillee…”
Here comes Gabriel… showing his face again…
This time to Mary!
28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.
31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,
33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
Mary is confused and asks, “How can this be? How can this happen?”
Can you understand her confusion?
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month.
37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
Look at her response:
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
Now… Notice that… Mary accepts the news gracefully… even willingly… even though she asks “How?”
But…
At some point she must have realized what this meant for her… and for Joseph…
She must have realized the challenges and disgrace she would so face…
She must have known that there would be scorn and shame… not only for her, but for her family and for Joseph as well…
It would become obvious that she was pregnant… yet she was unmarried… and we all know what that means!!!
How do you make people believe that the baby in your womb is God’s?
Even Joseph couldn’t believe the news at first…
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.
19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
Joseph planned to break off the engagement…
There is no way to say that Mary’s journey would be an easy one.
Maybe that’s why she hurried off to visit Elizabeth… Maybe she just had to see if what the angel said was true… maybe she needed that little bit of assurance that it really was going to be alright…
But… this is the interesting part… you see… this is where JOY erupts!!!
Against that backdrop of discouragement and disgrace… of grief and shame… of confusion and questions…
JOY comes bursting through!!!
41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!
43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
Do you see what happened there?
— JOY Leapt into their lives!!!
Mary didn’t have to explain why she was there… She didn’t have to worry about being understood…
All she had to do was say “Hello.”
A simple… everyday… greeting… and Elizabeth knew!
Even her baby KNEW! And he leapt for JOY inside her!!!
This was affirmation and encouragement for BOTH of them!!!
Look at Mary’s response:
46 And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”
What a beautiful passage this is! It is a celebration… in the midst of miraculous events!
It is a promise!
JOY can be found no matter what has happened before, or what will come in the future!
I think we need this reminder today…
Regardless of what is going on in your life…
It’s OK to be joyful!
This world cannot dictate when or how you express JOY in your life…
The people in this world cannot dictate when and where you are allowed to be JOYFUL…
It seems odd to say…
For some of us this is a no-brainer… we say “no-duh”… of course we can be joyful!”
But how often have we heard the opposite?
“This is a time for mourning… for solemn activity, not for JOY.”
“This is not the time for singing and dancing… we are in Church.”
What better time?!?!?
We’ve been taught that JOY and HAPPINESS are two different things.
You know the descriptions:
“Happiness is fleeting and temporary. Joy is deeper and more fulfilling.”
Our Christian culture splits the two: “Happiness is secular and, therefore, less valuable. Joy is spiritual and, therefore, more important and fulfilling.”
Is this ringing any bells?
In a “worldly” sense all this is true… When we think about it through our “worldly eyes” through our worldly knowledge, it just makes sense… However…
The Bible doesn’t make a distinction between JOY and Happiness.
They are essentially two words for the same thing.
In fact, scripture uses the same words for both.
You see… It is us who change them… Who redefine them…
Culturally, Happiness and Joy are connected to our circumstances…
But…
Biblically, they are both connected to God.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”
And…
34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.
JOY is found in Christ!
Some of us need to hear this:
It’s OK to want to be happy and joyful.
It’s OK to enjoy these emotions… because God gave them to us!
It’s OK to embrace the JOY we have found in Christ!
There is great JOY in Christmas!
It’s OK to embrace and celebrate it!
Some of us need to hear that!!!!
We’ve been taught that we have to “act right”.
That dancing and playing do not belong in church… that is all about “respecting God”… “Honoring Him”… preserving the “atmosphere” of the sanctuary…
BUT… That’s not correct!!!!
Hear me on this… It’s OK to feel and embrace the JOY God has brought you!
It’s OK to dance in the aisles… to shout “Hallelujah!” and “Amen!”… to celebrate God’s presence…
God loves to see His children celebrate!!!
— David danced in the streets!
— Peter’s jailer — celebrated!!
— The woman at the well and the Gerasene demoniac — celebrated what they had recieved!!!
We need to learn to celebrate Our Lord again this year!
It’s OK to celebrate the JOY Christ has brought to our lives!
Because…
JOY is our strength!
Think about Nehemiah for just a minute…
In Nehemiah 8, we are told that while the people are in the process of returning to the physical city of Jerusalem… there is a spiritual awakening within them.
In chapter 8, Nehemiah brings the people together… He asks Ezra to bring out the book of the Law of Moses and to read from it… It is a call to the people to Remember and Return to God…
As Ezra reads, the people begin to weep…
But look at what Nehemiah tells them:
10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
He tells them “Celebrate! Enjoy it!”
Why???
Because God has brought us back!
God is restoring our city… our hearts…
Our source of strength is the JOY of the Lord!
It’s what fuels us and sustains us!
JOY has come into our lives… And His name is Jesus!
He is our true source of happiness… joy… and fulfillment…
Christmas is a season of JOY… because the Messiah has come… and He has brought JOY into the world!
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 end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
There is an inexpressible and glorious JOY that finds its source in something deeper than our pain… our sorrow… our problems…
BUT… We have to choose it.
I want you to hear this: No matter what we face… No matter what comes our way… No matter what this world throws at us…
We CAN choose JOY!
Marry and Elizabeth did… so can we.
Look at Philippians 4:4
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
“Rejoice” is used a lot in the Bible. But… It’s not a word that we use very often in our culture.
“Rejoice” is the verb form of JOY.
It’s “the action of feeling or expressing joy and delight.”
Look closely at the word… it starts with the prefix “re”…
“Re-” means “once more, or again, or a return to”
Rejoice literally means to “return to JOY.”
It’s a choice… an action…
It means that we choose to return to our source of JOY!
It’s a return to Jesus!
JOY can be found no matter our circumstances… when we turn our gaze… our focus… to Jesus.
This is the only way we can find true delight and satisfaction…
We must return regularly… daily… constantly… to Jesus… the source of our JOY.
Rejoicing is the process of regularly refueling our tank… restoring our strength… and renewing our spirit.
It is reconnecting with our Saviour.
Look at James 1:2-4
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.
Let’s be honest… That’s not what we want to hear when we’re hurting, is it?!
Sometimes JOY can feel so far away when we’re grieving… depressed… afraid… or our problems are looming over our heads.
BUT… That’s not what James is talking about…
James isn’t saying that we should be happy ABOUT our trials and problems… He’s saying that we can find JOY IN them when we look to God.
God is always right there with us… and He is always working for our good… all we have to do is look to Him.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
There is encouragement to be found in the Psalms…
The Psalms are honest and raw… the writers pour out their feelings in “prayer-like” songs and poems…
As we read… we watch them them transition through the process of remembering and stirring themselves to rejoice… to find strength in and from God…
Psalm 13 begins with a heartfelt cry…
1 How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
But it ends with a reminder and declaration…
5 But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.
This is where we find authentic JOY… This is how we can CELEBRATE and find JOY in the face of adversity.
We have something to celebrate this Christmas… no matter what we are going through.
Let’s remember the source of our Joy…
A Saviour has been born… Our Messiah… our Lord… and He will carry us through and complete His work in us no matter what!
(communion)