Joy (Advent)
Notes
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Introduction
Introduction
Introduce myself
The Christmas season is one of my favorite times of the year. A few weeks ago when we had that big snow storm and the kids had a snow day, we decided to decorate for Christmas—before Thanksgiving!
It seems so wrong to say it out loud, but our whole family loved it. We got out the tree, put on the Christmas music, the kids were wearing their santa hats, and the whole world was covered in a blanket of snow. It was amazing!
And then when I got groceries that night, I got some egg nog so I could stand and look at the tree and...sip my egg nog.
I love egg nog! And I don’t mean to throw my wife under the bus, but she has a deep dark secret…she doesn’t like egg nog! But Bexley does, so Bex and I get our egg nog every year and drink it together.
Who here is pro egg nog?
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One of the things I love about this season is that most people are filled with just a little bit more joy than usual. We’ve got the Christmas tunes playing, and we’re baking cookies, and we’re excited to give our family the perfect presents.
The sad part is that all too often it’s just a season…by January, they are back to their old grinchy selves.
Once the presents are opened, and the tree is put away, and the Christmas music stops playing, our sense of joy...fades away.
And it makes me think...
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could experience joy every day?
I think our culture has lost the meaning of Christmas to some degree, and we often attempt to find joy in all the peripheral things during the holidays-gifts, family time, music, decorations, food, etc.
These are all wonderful parts of life that God has blessed us with, they’re not bad things...but they cannot bring us lasting year-round joy.
And this is one of the differences between happiness and joy.
Joy is long-term, but happiness is temporary.
Joy is consistent, but happiness is unpredictable.
Joy is an attitude that defies circumstances, happiness is a feeling based on circumstances.
So some years you feel joy at Christmas, but other years you don’t. You can’t live your life expecting the trappings of Christmas to meet the longings of your soul and give you joy.
You might feel happy for a bit, but when life gets hard, or a friend lets you down, or you get sick…your happiness disappears.
I think the reason for that is that we have been leaning on counterfeit sources of joy.
Leaning on sources of joy that buckle under the pressure. (children, money, golf, alcohol)
What happens when we lean on counterfeit sources of joy?
When we lean on imperfect people, they will let us down.
When we lean on financial security, the inevitable financial struggles of life will leave us without joy.
When we lean on...
So if joy is better than happiness, where can we find joy in life? (pause)
I’m here to tell you that there is a source of true joy that can last all year long. It can give you joy that will last for a lifetime!
Central Truth: Following Jesus is the true source of joy!
I was reading in the book of Luke recently, and I noticed that he has woven this them of joy into the narratives in his biography of Jesus.
4 Sources of Joy From the Book of Luke:
1.Being saved by Jesus
1.Being saved by Jesus
As simple as it sounds, experiencing God’s grace brings so much joy to the human soul.
I want to read you part of the Christmas story this morning from Luke chapter 2 where angels announce the birth of Jesus and the meaning of Christmas
Lk. 2:9-14—
I want to have somebody read you this passage this morning...somebody you probably know already...so take a look at this video.
VIDEO Clip from Charlie Brown 0:51-1:39
That’s what Christmas is all about - this good news of great joy for all people
All the world should be filled with joy at the news that there is a Savior for them!
Shepherds were looked down upon at that time in Israel. They were usually a little rough around the edges
Second class citizens, like tax collectors
For all people - no one is excluded for being too poor, too weird, or too stupid.
If you’re a smelly shepherd ex-con on night shift, Jesus came to save you from the power of sin and death.
If you’re a high school dropout flipping burgers at Burger King and sleeping around, Jesus came to save you from the power of sin and death.
If you are addicted to drugs and you have destroyed your life, Jesus came to save you from the power of sin and death.
Because He died for you...
You can be forgiven instead of living in shame
You can experience healing instead of pain in your heart
You can master your own desires instead of being a slave to sin
You can know the joy of forgiveness instead of the destruction that sin produces
2. Knowing that you will spend eternity with Jesus.
2. Knowing that you will spend eternity with Jesus.
During his ministry, Jesus himself encouraged his disciples to find joy in the fact that they would spend eternity with him.
He had sent 72 of them out on a mission trip of sorts, and when they came back, they were excited at the supernatural power of God that flowed through them
The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Jesus is going “It’s great that you have power over demons from me, but it’s even better that you are on the guest list of heaven!
You see, when you KNOW that you are spending eternity with Jesus, it gives you tremendous security.
The hardships of life cannot take your joy because they are not your ultimate reality.
When you know that your eternal destiny is certain, it enables you to find joy even in the most difficult circumstances, because they’re TEMPORARY.
So when that surprise bill comes in the mail, it doesn’t take away your joy.
When ...
3. Experiencing the Presence of Jesus
3. Experiencing the Presence of Jesus
There’s an interesting narrative that only happens in Luke’s gospel. While she is pregnant, Mary goes to visit her relative Elizabeth, who was also pregnant, and something surprising happened.
In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
If we were to read the rest of Luke, we would find that Elizabeth’s son was John the baptist.
And even in his mother’s womb, he is filled with joy in the presence of Jesus. His destiny will be to prepare the way for the ministry of Jesus, but even as an unborn baby, he is filled with joy that Jesus is here.
But it’s not just John the Baptist.
Long before Jesus, David wrote this about the presence of God:
You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
And now that Jesus has died, and risen from the dead, we have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of each one of us who believe in Him.
We can experience the presence of God anywhere and anytime.
We can experience the joy of being connected to the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes we aren’t aware of God’s presence, but when we remove distractions, worship, and pray to Him, we can experience the presence of God.
It’s even more tangible in corporate worship settings where we are all worshiping Him and seeking Him.
When we worship God as we were created to do, we develop more and more joy in our souls because we are fulfilling our purpose as humans and living in right relationship with God, the true source of joy.
So the presence of God brings joy.
What keeps us from experiencing the presence of God as Christians?
I would say there’s two things: 1. sin and 2. distraction.
As Christians, even though we have been forgiven and we are no longer slaves to sin, we still sometimes sin. And what the entire Bible makes pretty clear is that sin damages your relationship with God.
Our family just read yesterday in John 14 where Jesus says
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
So when we don’t obey Him, it’s out of a lack of love, and we can express our love by repenting and obeying Him more completely.
Sin can bring temporary pleasure, and that’s why it’s appealing. But in the long run it brings destruction, pain, and distance in your walk with God.
Distraction is the other thing that keeps us from experiencing the presence of God.
In Luke 10, Martha was distracted by all these tasks, instead of just spending time with Jesus.
We tell our students at RSM all the time to keep their first love first, meaning that they should keep their love for Jesus as the primary pursuit of their life.
So if you’re feeling a lack of joy this morning, maybe you need to leave sin and distraction behind and pursue Jesus with everything that you have.
Repent for that sin that has come between you and God. Cut those distractions out of your life. They’re not worth it!
Because when you allow the Holy Spirit to move in your life, you experience so much more joy.
The apostle Paul says that joy is a fruit of the Spirit! The more He works on you, the more joy is cultivated in your heart.
4. Being used by God for His plan.
4. Being used by God for His plan.
Te next 10 verses after that passage about Mary & Elizabeth is a worship song written by Mary. It’s sometimes called the Magnificat, and I want to read part of it to you, and you’ll see where Mary is getting her joy.
And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
Mary’s spirit rejoices in God because He has given her a massive role in His plan of redemption.
She says that she is blessed, and that God has done great things for her.
It won’t be easy. People are going to think that she cheated on her fiancee Joseph. She’s probably going to be shamed and excluded by her family and community.
And all those things won’t be happy things. But yet…she is rejoicing. She has joy because she is being used by God as part of His plan, and someday when people see the whole story, they will call her blessed instead of a mess.
You see, serving God is often difficult. And other people don’t understand you, but there is joy in serving Jesus and making an eternal impact with your life.
It’s the joy of living for God’s plan, because the work that you do for Him has an eternal impact.
Can you imagine the joy of accomplishing something that matters in eternity?
It matters way more than how much you have in your bank account.
It matters way more than any award that you get for your work.
You can accomplish something that has an eternal legacy!
That’s the joy that we can have.
That’s the joy that comes to us when we lead someone to Jesus!
It doesn’t matter that life was hard, or our friends thought we were weird, or that we didn’t have as many nice things as our friends. What really TRULY matters is the ways that we make Jesus known to a joyless sinful world.
What if you could lead someone to Jesus? Have you ever done that? Wouldn’t that be incredible to be used by God in that way?
I think that God has someone in mind for you to share the gospel with. Someone that He desperately wants to come to know Him.
So practice sharing your testimony, pray for people you know who are far from the Lord, and say yes to the Holy Spirit when He tells you to share your story of faith with someone.
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Share the joy that you’ve found in Jesus, because believing in Jesus is the only true source of joy!
People who don’t know Him don’t know what they’re missing out on!
To know that your sins are washed away, and you are forgiven!
To have peace in the midst of the storm because you are looking towards your eternal home with Jesus!
To experience a connection with the God of the Universe who loves you!
To be a part of a much bigger purpose than just eating, sleeping, and living for our own pleasure!
This joy is always accessible to those who follow Jesus, and there’s no better way to live!
RESPONSE
Would you bow your heads with me?
If you’re here today, and you have been looking to other things for joy instead of Jesus, I want to give you a moment to respond to the Lord.
Have you been leaning on counterfeit sources of joy? It might not even be sinful, just something or someone that you have been trusting to bring you joy instead of Jesus.
If that’s you today, would you raise your hand? I want to pray for you in just a minute. Raise your hand.
PRAYER FOR REPENTANCE
I also want to make sure that I give you an opportunity to respond this morning if you have never put your faith in Jesus.
If you have been missing out on this kind of deep joy from God that is stronger than your situation, that lasts longer than a moment, that is deeper than any other joy that you’ve ever known…then I want you to put your faith in Jesus today.
He is the true source of joy.
Despite your sin, He loved you so much that He died on the cross to pay for your sins.
He rose again and gives eternal life to us as well!
Would you leave behind your sin and put your faith in Him today?
If you want to experience true joy,
If you want to put your faith in Jesus and follow Him from this moment on, would you raise your hand?
PRAYER FOR SALVATION
-SING JOY TO THE WORLD
Introduction (connection and tension)
Story
One of the things I love about this season is that most people are filled with just a little bit more joy than usual. The sad part is that it’s just a season…by January, they are back to their old grinchy selves.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could experience joy every day?
I think our culture has lost the meaning of Christmas to some degree, and we often find joy in all the peripheral things during the holidays-gifts, family time, music, decorations, food, etc.
These are all wonderful parts of life that God has blessed us with, but they cannot bring us lasting year-round joy.
Difference between happiness and joy
Joy is consistent, but happiness is unpredictable.
Joy is an attitude that defies circumstances, happiness is a feeling based on circumstances.
Some years you feel happy at Christmas, but other years you don’t. You can’t live your life expecting the trappings of Christmas to meet the longings of your soul and give you joy.
Marie Kondo? Does it spark joy?
Hedonism
Dollar store decorations
Counterfeit sources of joy
Leaning on sources of joy that buckle under the pressure. (children, money, golf, alcohol)
What happens when we lean on counterfeit sources of joy?
So if joy is better than happiness, where can we find joy in life? (pause)
I’m here to tell you that there is a source of true joy that can last all year long. It can give you joy that will last for a lifetime!
Central Truth: Following Jesus is the true source of joy!
(Text and participation)
4 Sources of Joy from the book of Luke:
Being saved by Jesus
Lk. 2:9-14—
I want to have somebody read you this passage this morning, somebody you probably know already, so take a look at this video.
VIDEO Clip from Charlie Brown
All the world should be filled with joy at the news that there is a Savior for them!
For all people - no one is excluded for being too poor, too weird, too unfortunate, or too stupid.
Israel - Could not fulfill their end of the covenant
Because He died for you...
You can be forgiven
You can experience healing
You can master your own desires
APPLICATION
Knowing that you will spend eternity with Jesus.
Lk. 10:17-20—Christians should be filled with joy that they are on the guest list of heaven!
Security - You can withstand the hardships of life because they are not your ultimate reality-your eternity is secure.
APPLICATION
Experiencing the presence of Jesus
Lk. 1:39-45—John the baptist is filled with joy in the presence of Jesus, even in his mother’s womb.
Ps. 16:11--
When we worship God as we were created to do, we develop more and more joy in our souls.
Sin only brings temporary pleasure.
APPLICATION
Being used by God for His plan.
Lk. 1:46-49—Mary is filled with joy at being used by God for His plan.
Living with purpose
It’s not easy or comfortable, but there is joy in serving Jesus and making an eternal impact with your life.
???Mk. 10:28-31—will receive a hundredfold, with persecutions, and eternal life
APPLICATION
Conclusion (Gospel and invitation)
Restatement: Believing in Jesus is the only true source of joy!
Application -
gospel presentation-head bowed, eyes closed
repentance for looking to things for joy instead of Jesus.
Response
Joyful song-Joy to the World?
Central Truth: Jesus is the true source of joy!
Scriptures
You have put more joy in my heart
than they have when their grain and wine abound.
God is a better source of joy than food and drink.
You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Maximum joy is discovered in the presence of God.
Psalm 30?
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
My lips will shout for joy,
when I sing praises to you;
my soul also, which you have redeemed.
How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, yes, faints
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and flesh sing for joy
to the living God.
Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
my King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in your house,
ever singing your praise! Selah
Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
As they go through the Valley of Baca
they make it a place of springs;
the early rain also covers it with pools.
They go from strength to strength;
each one appears before God in Zion.
Valley of Baca
When the cares of my heart are many,
your consolations cheer my soul.
God cheers up a worried heart.
This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Choose to find joy in this moment that God has made for you.
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
The joy of knowing Jesus makes us willing to give up everything to have Him.
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth,
There is joy in having kids, especially those who serve God.
And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
v14, 44 noun-agalliasis
v47 verb-agalliao
John the Baptist leaped for joy in Elizabeth’s womb, and she was filled with the Holy Spirit when Jesus was near, even in Mary’s womb.
Mary was extremely joyful because God did something great for her.
Blessed is she who BELIEVED that God would do what He said He would do.
There is joy in the presence of Jesus.
There is joy in being used by God for His plan.
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
There is joy available to everyone in being saved by Jesus!
The birth of Jesus should bring great joy to everyone!
Jesus our Savior became a human for you.
If you understand your need for a Savior, the coming of Jesus is good news!
This is the good news: God became man to save you from your sins
The good news of great joy was proclaimed by the angels to regular people, not the rich and powerful. This good news was for all people!
Just like the angels worshiped God after announcing the good news of great joy, the shepherds worshiped God after experiencing the good news of great joy.
When you experience the good news of great joy from God, you respond by praising God with all your heart.
joy=chara, both an emotional response and an action
Shepherds-Ps. 71:23 -
And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Textual Outline
An Angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds
The glory of the Lord shone around the shepherds.
The shepherds were filled with great fear.
The angel brought them good news.
The angel said “Fear not”.
The angel said “behold”.
The angel said “I bring you good news of great joy”.
The good news of great joy is for all the people.
The angel told them that a Savior is born.
A Savior is born this day.
A Savior is born in the city of David.
The Savior is Christ/Messiah the Lord.
Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.
The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
There is joy in knowing that you will spend eternity with Jesus!
Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Luke 15:10 (ESV)
Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
God is filled with joy when people repent!
See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?”
And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.
And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.”
John rejoiced greatly that Jesus had begun his ministry. He wanted his own fame to diminish and for all the attention to be on Jesus.
The joy of making Jesus famous
Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.
For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much joy in that city.
And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.
Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
Romans 14:17 (ESV)
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Joy in the Holy Spirit is essential to living in the kingdom of God.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Joy is a result of the Holy Spirit’s work
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.
You should always find joy in Jesus!
being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;
And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.
Joy from the Spirit and receiving the word of God during suffering makes you a good example.
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
The joy of fulfilling God’s plan helped Jesus to endure pain and shame.
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith,
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,
But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
You can have great joy that you have the hope of resurrection
Believing in Jesus brings unspeakable joy, even during trials, even though you can’t see or touch Him.
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
Sermonic Outline
The good news that Jesus is our Savior brings great joy
Luke 2:8-20 --
This great joy makes us willing to give up everything to have Jesus
Mt. 13:44 --
We experience joy in the presence of God.
Psalm 4:7 --
Psalm 16:11 --
Lk. 1:41-42 --
We can find joy in the midst of our worries
Ps. 94:19 --
We can find joy in our suffering because of our future hope.
1 Peter 1:3-9 --
1 Thes. 1:6-7 --
Outline 2
There is joy in having kids, especially those who serve God.
There is joy in the presence of Jesus.
There is joy in being used by God for His plan.
There is joy available to everyone in being saved by Jesus!
God is filled with joy when people repent!
When you experience the good news of great joy from God, you respond by praising God with all your heart.
There is joy in knowing that you will spend eternity with Jesus!
True joy is found in knowing Jesus
Notes
Lexham Bible Dictionary
JOY (שִׂמְחָה, simchah; χαρά, chara). Closely related to gladness and happiness, although joy is more a state of being than an emotion; a result of choice. One of the fruits of the spirit (Gal 5:22–23). Having joy is part of the experience of being a Christian.
The Lexham Bible Dictionary Biblical Relevance
In the Old Testament, joy is closely related to victory over one’s enemies. For example, in 1 Sam 18:6 when David returned from killing the Philistine, he was met with joy and dancing. It is also associated with religious acts and feasts, including sacrifices in Psa 27:6 and the Feast of Unleavened Bread (2 Chr 30; Ezra 6).
“Joy” also occurs frequently in songs of praise, most frequently in the book of Psalms (1 Chr 16; Pss 20; 33; 47). The prophets speak of joy, both its being taken away on account of exile (Ezek 24:25; Joel 1:12) and of the joy that will return when the people are restored (Isa 35:10; Jer 31:13).
In the New Testament, “joy” is still used for victory, as shown by the disciples returning with joy since even the evil spirits listened to them (Luke 10:17). However, the victory focuses more on salvation (Luke 15:7)—the presence of Christ, the bridegroom, gives reason for joy (John 3:29). In the New Testament letters, joy is a desired attribute of Christians. Paul expressed frequently the joy he had regarding the salvation of those he was writing to and prayed that they might be full of joy.
The Lexham Bible Dictionary Cultural Relevance
Joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit; it is expected of Christians because it is the natural result of having received salvation. The joy comes on account of what Christ has done, irrelevant of whatever other circumstances are happening in one’s life.
χαρά (chara). n. joy. The experience of gladness.
In the NT, the term chara often denotes a primary response to the reception of the event of eschatological salvation by human beings. There are other cases in which joy is attributed to God or his representatives. The term chara often comes as a result of people experiencing God’s presence by the Holy Spirit. Joy is part of the fruit of the Spirit’s presence and work in the lives of believers (Gal 5:22). Joy enables believers to endure trials and suffering of the Christian life. The Thessalonians received the Word “with much suffering and with the joy of the Holy Spirit,” which probably means joy given by the Holy Spirit (1 Thess 1:6). At the same time, believers are to count their difficulties as joy (χαρὰν, charan; Jas 1:2), and God gives joy along with patient endurance (Col 1:11). In an analogy between parental discipline and God’s discipline, the author of Hebrews acknowledges that discipline does not seem to be joy (Heb 12:11). Joy is connected with and is an evidence of faith (Phil 1:25). For example, Peter tells his audience that though they do not see Jesus Christ, they believe and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and full of glory (1 Pet 1:8). Paul experiences joy when he prays for believers (Phil 1:4). Jesus teaches that one who finds the kingdom of God will, with great joy, give up all of one’s possessions to gain it (Matt 13:44). Chara thus refers to both an internal emotional response and an action that one does. In both ways, this noun is similar to many other words for joy.
The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Abridged in One Volume χαίρω, χαρά, συνχαίρω, συγχαίρω
For Paul chará is the joy of faith (Phil. 1:25) and a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). God’s kingdom is joy (Rom. 14:17). Joy and hope are related (Rom. 12:12). Its opposite is affliction (cf. Rom. 5:1 ff.). Joy actualizes freedom and takes shape in fellowship (12:15). Paul wants to come with joy (15:32). Joy is reciprocal (Phil. 2:28–29). Joy is in God (1 Th. 3:9) or in the Lord (Phil. 3:1). In the relation between Paul and the church, joy is eschatological; the church will be his joy (1 Th. 2:19). The mood of Philippians is one of joy (1:4). This is joy at the preaching of Christ (1:18). It is future joy experienced as joy in the present (4:1). As the joy of faith it includes a readiness for martyrdom (1:25). This joy maintains itself in face of affliction (2 Cor. 7:4ff.). Paul himself, like the Lord, is an example in this regard (1 Th. 1:6). Paul’s apostolic authority works for the joy of the church (2 Cor. 1:24). He rejoices in his own weakness when it means the church’s strength (13:9).
Valley of Baca (weeping)
The name of the valley indicates a dry, arid region since this is where these types of weeping trees tend to grow. As people traveled to Jerusalem to worship, they would pass through this weary, “weeping” place, but their journey was worth it in the end: