Sermon: Raising the Jolly Roger

Introduction

JOY really was the superpower of the early church. Luke records this about those first believers in Acts 2: Acts 2:46-47

Acts 2:46–47 ESV

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. Today the church is consumed with being SEEKER-SENSITIVE, with tailoring our worship services to that very thin band of the population that is out looking for a polished religious product. But the thing that is winsome and attractive to EVERY group, in EVERY culture, in EVERY generation, is JOY. The early church was so attractive because they were so authentically and overflowing just having a good time together. They were the happy family that the rest of the world thought was never possible. To the point, a people that are enjoying themselves are unbeatable. But what was the engine of the early church’s joy? It was the gospel - the events surrounding Jesus. Jesus, who came into our darkness like one of us, and who died for our sins, and who was raised from the dead. And more than that, who was ascended on high. But we have, in many respects, lost our MOJO - we’ve lost touch with this joy. Which is dangerous. Look around at the joyless movements of today - whether it be empty Methodist those who are dry and drab and depressed are soon to dry up and die out. But how did we lose this mojo? And how do we get it back? These are the questions I want to explore this morning, through three Scripture passages. These passages describe for us what we should be about, but also the HOW - how we recover this mojo of joy. Three passages, then one theme that runs through them, and then practical application.

1. Three Passages: David, Nehemiah and Paul

And in this, the church saw fulfillment of the Old Testament, particularly Psalm 110:1

Psalm 110:1 ESV

The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”

- which some call God’s favorite Bible verse, because it is quoted in the New Testament more than any other verse. And this is why Peter, just a few verses earlier in Acts 2

Acts 2:34–35 ESV

For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’

, quotes this verse, as a description about what happened with Jesus. This Psalm is written by David, most likely as a coronation song for his son, Solomon. But David, Peter notes, did NOT ascend into heaven, as the Psalm says. So the Psalm was a mystery, as to who it was REALLY about, until now, in Jesus. We could say the message of the whole New Testament is this: Psalm 110 has come true. Jesus reigns. And God IS making all his enemies his footstool. It was, in fact, this Psalm that sustained Jesus throughout all his trials and terrors and betrays and pain and death. The writer of Hebrews in Hebrews 12:2

Hebrews 12:2 ESV

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.

says that for the JOY set before him, Jesus endured the cross. What was that joy? It was the PROMISE that Psalm 110:1 would be fulfilled, and he would soon be SEATED at the right hand of the throne of God. And thus the early church could see that in Jesus, this Psalm was fulfilled. And in it, THEY too experienced the greatest joy, that drew literally THOUSANDS to the faith. For they knew that, though Caesar and the Sadducees, though Rome and the Jews might be against them, even the whole world, their Lord had OVERCOME the world. They BELIEVED this, and they were FILLED with JOY, in the face of what they would otherwise fear or loathe. And thus, in their eating and drinking together, in their rejoicing, they fulfilled what God’s people had to be COMMANDED to do in Nehemiah. In Nehemiah 8:10

Nehemiah 8:10 ESV

Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

the people of God have returned to Israel, but they have not returned to God. They’ve forgotten his word, and 2

David, Nehemiah and Paul now they hear it again. And when they realize how much of it they have not observed, they mourn. But Nehemiah says no, for in this word you’ve received is GRACE and MERCY. So go, and throw a party. Eat and drink together, for this day has been made holy, by God’s grace coming to you. And with all the adversity that you’re going to face, you’re going to need your strength. And the JOY of the LORD is your strength. And they believed that. So today, we too live under this same promise, the promise of the FULFILLMENT of Psalm 110:1 - that God will make all the enemies of his Son his footstool. Paul puts it this way, in his final words of Romans - Romans 16:20

Romans 16:20 ESV

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Romans 16:20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. This is a remarkable verse. God is out to make peace, but not some mamby-pamby peace that’s only words, that’s only that feeling in your heart that you have for like 15 minutes once a week. No, PEACE - total, unending PEACE. This is because he will destroy the one who is, at the core, the ROBBER of all peace, Satan, the devil. The word “crush” here is the kicker. For by this, Paul is going back, far beyond Psalm 110, all the way back to the Garden, and God’s promise to Adam and Eve, after they fell - God is here speaking to the serpent, to Satan:

Genesis 3:15 ESV

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” 3

David, Nehemiah and Paul The word here for “bruise” is literally “CRUSH” or “BATTER” - a repeated striking motion which injures or kills. In Jesus’ case, he would rise from the dead, as if only his HEEL were crushed. He will go into all eternity with scars on hands and feet from the nails. But Satan’s HEAD will be crushed - he will be destroyed forever. And Paul is saying that WE the church, will see this. Actually that’s not quite what he says. We don’t just SEE it. He says that GOD will soon crush Satan under YOUR feet. Plural you - under the feet of the CHURCH. God will do it - He will make Jesus’ enemies HIS footstool. But WE the church are Christ’s body. But we won’t do it - God will, THROUGH us, through HIS people - through the Body of Christ. But how are we strong enough to beat Satan? Not us, but God. Thus the JOY of the LORD is our strength. The people who are having a good time while lay down their lives are simply unstoppable. 4

2. Why no joy?

These truths: 1. the ASCENSION and REIGN of Jesus, which we live under RIGHT NOW. 2. The pressing down of Jesus’ feet on Satan, so that he is crushed under OUR feet. 3. The promised completion of that, This should create in us a sort of holy PIRATE-like joy. Pirate-like, since we exist to rob and plunder and undermine the houses of the lord of this current age, Satan. And OUR LORD is totally strong enough and wise enough to do it. And all the while, while Satan attempts his responses, OUR Lord just sits on his throne in the heavens, like a holy pirate captain, and LAUGHS - Psalm 2:1-6

Psalm 2:1–6 ESV

Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”

Thus we SHOULD do all that do with a metaphorical cross-shaped Jolly Roger flying over our heads, the term Jolly Roger being the English name for the flags that identified pirate ships in battle. WE are one of those ships. And this should make US jolly, because, as our ship’s captain told us, our weapons are not cannons or canceling people, but bread and wine and water - the GOSPEL, and, Matthew 16:18

Matthew 16:18 ESV

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. When Jesus said that, he wasn’t saying that the gates of hell would attack US, but that the GOSPEL would break down those gates. Would BREAK. THEM. DOWN. Now then - why? Why do we find such joy in such short supply, amongst US - the larger evangelical church, and US, Grace Church? Why is this JOLLY spirit in such short supply? And I include me in this - I am asking the question of this sermon, and I’ve come to some conclusions about myself that I will share with you as we go. 5

Why is JOY so much of a problem? But we are a joyless people. Never a generation RICHER, and never a generation - especially among young people, reporting psychological conditions, like anxiety and depression. But the same is true among the older as well - so much disillusionment and malaise. Why? There are a thousand reasons, but let us consider a few from our Scripture passages:

Conversion

1. Conversion. The first reason is that so many people are not converted to Christ. We are NOT a Christian nation or generation. And thus, when the people of Acts 2:36

Acts 2:36 ESV

Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

heard the news that Jesus was risen, and more than risen, was now ascended and reigning, that was not good news - that was BAD news. The one they crucified is now their LORD. And so they asked, with the blood draining out of their faces, what must we do to be saved? And Peter told them the gospel, and they were saved. If you find the ascension and return of Jesus not a JOLLY thing, but a scary one, perhaps you too need to be converted. Perhaps you too need to become a Christian. This looks like REPENTANCE - renouncing your old life, to your old country and king, and giving total allegiance to this pirate King Jesus. Which implies FAITH - a life of faith, trusting that your new captain will not lead your astray. And it’s in that repentance and faith, that you will find JOY, a JOLLY existence, like you’ve never known. If you would like to talk to me about that, let’s talk. Love to.

Community

2. Community. The second reason we do not possess this jolly spirit is the American dream has gotten in the way. Our blessings have done a great job in isolating us, one from the other. And so have our philosophies of efficiency. In order to efficiently minister to, say, the youth, we put them all over there, in that part of the factory, and the young marrieds over there, and the retired folks over there. The church is in many ways more informed by Henry Ford than Jesus Christ. But in all the passages we have considered, they are all delivered to a plural YOU, not to you as an individual, but to y’all. Now, you say, well, I”m with other people. Who, I ask. Well, the five other couples I’ve always gotten together with every Tuesday since forever. And while that’s not bad - nothing wrong with that. But that’s a club, not a pirate ship. That breaks down coffee and cookies, not the gates of hell.

Commitments

3. Commitments. By this I mean THEOLOGICAL commitments - what we believe about God. And this, I believe, is the most fundamental. How we hold our theological 6

Why is JOY so much of a problem? commitments has led us to be a most pessimistic generation. We say we are optimists, but we are not. There are, as in so many areas, two ditches here. The left ditch is that we have the RIGHT theological convictions, but we do not posses the COMMITMENT to them, to allow them to shape our day-to-day lives, when we face challenges, or when we’re doing our daily to-do list. We have not humbled ourselves and submitted ourselves under the promises of God, to allow them to shape our COUNTENANCES, as we face life. And so our DAILY, HOURLY sin is that we do NOT, James 1:2

James 1:2 ESV

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,

consider it all joy, when we face trials of various kinds. But the other ditch is this: we have determined that everything MUST go well, and so, when it doesn’t, we retreat to a partial, incomplete theology, that allows us to say, well, I guess everything is going to hell in a handbasket. Oh well. At least I get plucked out of it before the fire gets hot. But that too does not resemble a jolly pirate ship going into battle. That more resembles a group of soldiers who have retreated from the war, huddled up in a cave. So what shall we do? 7

Practical Application

1. Focus on conversion.

I say this because the engine of the church’s jolly spirit is the gospel - the WHOLE gospel. Not the gospel that’s just a get out of jail free card, but the gospel that says that your captain is ascended and reigning, NOW. This is why, BTW, we will be having a FEAST in the near future, on a Wednesday night, simply to CELEBRATE the ascension, like a bunch of jolly, holy pirates. But I say focus on conversion first - with yourself, and with others. Maybe the reason your small group has no jolly spirit is that half the people are not actually converted. I don’t know. But regardless, make the gospel ground-zero of everything you do - whether is fixing the high chair in the nursery, or preaching a sermon. Number two - and I struggle with how to put this one, perhaps because I’m preaching very close to my own lessons here. But it’s this.

2. Let your theology, not your circumstances, govern your countenance.

Under the word “let” here is humility, and the hard work of faith. It’s hard work to confront that inner pessimism, and the pessimistic residue that watching Tucker Carlson or Joe Scarborough leaves you with. But you are no longer a Republican or a Democrat; you are no longer conservative or leftist; you are a member of Christ’s crew, going wherever HE takes the ship. I don’t know any other way to develop this outlook, than to get up a little earlier, and read your Bible, cover to cover. Because from Adam onward, God has been making promises, and keeping them. And He now makes promises to us, promises that He means for us to BANK on, TODAY, and tomorrow, Monday, March 27, 2023. Our theology is nothing more than the truth about what God is ACTUALLY doing in the world. Though it must be held by faith. 8

Practical Application It’s much easier to wake up and look at headlines, or porn or sports scores or whatever. That’s an easier and very WIDE path. The path of discipleship is very narrow, and it takes effort. But that’s why we need his promises - for the joy set before US, we can endure, and endure with a JOLLY spirit.

3. Be killing sin, or it will be killing you.

That phrase was written by the greatest mind - John Owen - of the happiest generation of people - the Puritans. You realize that Satan’s gameplan to get you to sin is not the sin itself, but to pry you away from your JOY in the Lord? You realize that, right? Whether it’s JOY in the sin itself, INSTEAD of God, or it’s the residual guilt afterwards, that makes you hide from God in shame and self-loathing, focused on yourself, and not God - either way, Satan is satisfied. This is why the one thing that David repeats himself about, in his great Psalm of contrition, Psalm 51, is JOY. Let me hear joy and gladness, Psalm 51:8

Psalm 51:8 ESV

Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice.

; restore to me the JOY of YOUR salvation, Psalm 51:12

Psalm 51:12 ESV

Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

. He could see that sin had swindled him out of his most prized possession - the JOY of the Lord. Like Sampson and Delilah, sin aims to do the same with us - to sneak in cut off that thing which gives us all our strength - sufficient strength to destroy entire armies. And both Sampson and David could repent, by God’s grace, but it would be painful. For Sampson, it would mean his death. But he went out like a stud, like a jolly pirate. Be killing sin, or it will be killing you, and your greatest strength - your JOY in the Lord. Take yourself in hand, and put a sword through that thing that’s swindling you out of that strength. Kill it. Either gouge out the eye, or cut off the hand, or do something else less extreme but equally effective. If it looks or feels weird, congratulations, you’re doing it right. It only looks and feels weird because the rest of the world is designed to make you float down that wide stream, in the opposite direction.

4. Become a crew member, not just a passenger.

One of the reasons you are joyless, or someone else here is joyless, is that the two of you never connect. But if you are in Christ, then you are his BODY, and there are spiritual nutrients that need to somehow flow from you to the other person, and vice-versa. And that 9

Practical Application person may not be in your geographic neighborhood, or your stage of life. You are 80, and it may be a 30-year-old, or vice-versa. So what I commend to you is an outside-in approach to Sunday. Outside-in. Prioritize FIRST connecting with those people that you DON’T know as well. Walk right by the person you DO know, and catch them at the end of the day. And see what God does with that connection. Lastly,

5. Pursue the triune God, not joy itself.

C.S. Lewis once said that if you pursue joy as its own end, you will never find it, and you’ll end up in a dry, desiccated existence. But if you pursue God, then you’ll find not only JOY, but all the rest too. So pursue God, above all else. And when we pursue Him, what we find is that He is a TRIUNE God. He is not just the Father, who is the standard of perfection. He is also the Son, who enters our world, and who understands how JOY can look, when you are facing tremendous grief, or fearful threats. He is not only ABOVE all that, but enters into it with us. And even in our most difficult trials and seasons, the Spirit is still with us, connecting us to HIS inner life of perfect joy. So OUR joy need not be perfect. It need not always look the same. It need only be flowing out of HIM. Then it will endure, to the end. 10