Everlasting Joy - Advent 4

Intro

We come now to the last of our Advent Sundays, next Sunday is Christmas. We have encountered Hope, Peace, and Love, and now come to Joy.

Joy is a major theme of the Bible, and both Judaism and Christianity, despite nasty depictions of them by the enemies of God, are both faiths of great joy. Rather than take you through what the Bible says, I’ll let the Bible Project do that for you. So let’s watch this video from their Advent series on the theme of joy.

Bible Project Video

[Play video]

But what is joy and where does it come from?

This is an excellent overview of the development of joy through the Bible. But when I look at the references to joy in Scripture, I can’t help thinking that there is a common element to them all.

Let’s think about it:

Joy in the Old Testament comes from God’s presence in the appropriate operation of nature and human relationships; God’s saving power setting some things right; or in the people’s confident hope in God setting all things right.

Joy in the NT comes from Jesus’ presence; from the power of his death to save us, setting things right between us and God; and from our hope in Jesus ultimately setting all things right at his second coming.

Can you see a common element? Any ideas?

It seems to me that we can understand Biblical joy as an exuberant delight in things being the way they are supposed to be, that is, being in line with God’s will and desire. To put it another way, joy is a feeling, a knowing, and a spiritual experience all at once, in response to a situation which matches the way we were designed to be. We can feel joy without everything being right, of course, but at least some important things must be right for us to experience joy.

Unfortunately, we are fallen creatures, beings who have turned away from our purpose and design, so we can get confused about the way things are meant to be—what is truly right. And this creates the sort of unholy joy we see in those who are consumed by their own plans and purposes.

But most people still have enough experience of God’s presence to understand what’s right. As the Apostle Paul says, they can see his eternal power and divine nature in the things of creation. And so we can be, as C S Lewis expressed it, surprised by a holy sort of joy like a child’s delight in discovery, or when we achieve a long dreamed-for and worthy goal, or when we make some important step in a valued relationship.

Let’s look at one example of joy from the Old Testament, and see if it helps us understand joy a bit more, and how we might cultivate it in our own lives.

Isaiah is a book full of the promise of joy. We’ve chosen one passage that is so representative of joy that Jesus chose to reference it when John the Baptist asked him if he really was the Messiah. Let’s read:

Bible

Isaiah 61:1–7 NLT

1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. 2 He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies. 3 To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory. 4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins, repairing cities destroyed long ago. They will revive them, though they have been deserted for many generations. 5 Foreigners will be your servants. They will feed your flocks and plow your fields and tend your vineyards. 6 You will be called priests of the Lord, ministers of our God. You will feed on the treasures of the nations and boast in their riches. 7 Instead of shame and dishonor, you will enjoy a double share of honor. You will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.

Unpacking Isaiah’s example

The first part of Isaiah’s prophecy describes the restoration of justice, of fairness which was lost when Adam and Eve turned their backs on God and set themselves up, and us, as the ones who decided good and evil. We’re so bad at that task that we have created legions of poor, prisons full of captives, and a world of the brokenhearted.

But the Messiah, God’s servant, will repair all that. Things will be restored to what they should be.

This restoration is not just an external one, but an internal one. Israel, God’s people will be made righteous. God’s people will turn their hearts back to him, and their lives and minds and souls will be rightly ordered again.

God’s people will not be subjected to those who rebel against God. Rather, the fruits of rebellion will serve only those who do the right thing. We are such rebels at heart that this is hard to hear, so let me put it this way: those who want only to lord it over others will instead be the servants of others, and those who care for others will be cared for. We don’t like to think about those who rebel against God as uncaring and hurtful, but that is precisely what they are. By disobeying God they go against the grain of nature, including their own nature, and end up destroying themselves and those around them, no matter how much they protest they are doing it out of “love” or “freedom.”

The result of God’s restoration to right living, right thinking, right being, is eternal joy.

Joy now

Now, obviously this is in the future. All things have not yet been put right. And yet the New Testament talks about experiencing joy in the present. How does that work?

Well, the Apostle Peter has a very pithy explanation that reveals how Isaiah’s prophecy is to be fulfilled:

1 Peter 1:3–6 NLT

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5 And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. 6 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while.

Our joy as Christians comes from our certain hope in salvation. In Jesus, God has already set us right with him, and it is only a matter of time before the process is finished. Jesus has set free the captive and comforted the brokenhearted, but he has yet to restore all things to the way they should be.

We are like a couple celebrating their engagement. The engagement isn’t the end goal: marriage is. But the engagement is worthy of joyous celebration because it is a commitment to that marriage happening. It gives the couple great hope in one another.

We, too, await the marriage—the union of Jesus with his church, us—which will be finally celebrated at the end of time. But until then we live with certain hope, even better hope than an engaged couple, because Jesus is more trustworthy than any mere man. That hope is so certain that it is as if we already have the thing itself, and have just stepped away for a moment. And that certainty that all is right fills us with joy.

What is the joy killer?

But so often we don’t experience this joy! Especially in the Western church. Think about how Christian marriages fall apart at the same rate as non-Christian. How churches struggle to work together. How the loss of a child or other suffering can cause people to fall away. Is it suffering that kills joy in the hearts of Western Christians?

Peter continues his letter:

1 Peter 1:7–9 NLT

7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 8 You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9 The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

So suffering actually refines our faith: it makes it even more precious and wonderful. It increases our joy, it doesn’t reduce it.

So what is our joy killer?

[Ask people to contribute]

It is anxiety. You see, anxiety is focusing on what’s wrong, instead of what’s right. Joy is a response to sensing what is right, but anxiety focuses on what’s wrong, instead of recognising what God has already done and what God most certainly will do.

You see, we are anxious when we don’t trust either God’s power or God’s love for us. When we look at the Joneses and we think we are poorly off, we doubt God’s love for us. When we are sick or lose someone (in our society with its dogmatic denial of death, unless its on our terms) we doubt God’s love. When we look at the chaos of the world, whether it be social decay or natural disasters, we doubt God’s power to protect us.

When we lose that confident hope in God, we lose our joy. Anxiety is the joy killer.

How do we defeat the joy killer?

So how can we defeat the joy killer? How can we cultivate joy in our lives?

Jesus tells us to look at the ravens, to consider the lilies—it is God’s provision that makes nature glorious, and God loves us more than he loves creation, so won’t he provide for us? Jesus concludes:

Luke 12:29–31 NLT

29 “And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. 30 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. 31 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.

In fact, Jesus, ever a practical thinker, adds a bit of extra advice:

Luke 12:32–34 NLT

32 “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom. 33 “Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. 34 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

Jesus knows what a distraction possessions are. In our society we belong to our belongings. Isn’t our society structured around consumerism? Don’t we approach everything from a consumer perspective, whether it be material possessions, relationships, or even accolades? And what is the result? Not joy or happiness or even contentment, but rather rampant anxiety. Doesn’t that sound like our society?

We must be ready to let go of our possessions (it doesn’t have to be all of them), and to give them to those who need them. If our heart is where things grow old, where thieves steal, we will always be anxious. But if our heart is in heaven, we will experience nothing but joy.

The apostle Paul offers a helpful explanation of how to cultivate our mind in a way that protects us from anxiety:

Philippians 4:6–9 NLT

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

If we train ourselves to think on the things of God, to trust our loving, capable God with all our cares and concerns, then God’s peace will replace our anxiety, and the joy of salvation will flourish in our hearts. (I must confess that I don’t spend enough time in prayer, and I think I’ve failed myself, my family, and Renew in that way. Indeed, I’ve been struggling with anxiety about Atalia for months because I’m not coming to God with my concerns enough. But the Spirit can transform me, and you.)

It sounds trite, but it’s not. This is the lived experience of millions throughout the last two millennia. We, too can experience joy in recognising how our hearts are aligned the way they should be, towards God, and in looking forward with confidence to his making everything good and right.

Conclusion— Take joy in God’s salvation

I want to finish with a beautiful piece of poetry from about twenty-six hundred years ago, at a time of great upheaval and danger. Let these words of Habakkuk be our prayer as we come to this time when we celebrate God’s great rescue mission at Christmas.

Let’s pray.

Habakkuk 3:17–19 (ESV)

17 Though the fig tree should not blossom,

nor fruit be on the vines,

the produce of the olive fail

and the fields yield no food,

the flock be cut off from the fold

and there be no herd in the stalls,

18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord;

I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

19 God, the Lord, is my strength;

he makes my feet like the deer’s;

he makes me tread on my high places.

Amen