Advent 4: (Joy)The Joy of the Lord is Our Strength
Advent 2023 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Intro
Intro
The president of a college I went to used to have a catchphrase that would drive us all crazy. In any situation, as soon as we started to look sour-faced because of anything or expressed displeasure with something, he would utter those two dreaded words… “Choose Joy!”
It would drive us crazy because we wanted to feel the frustration with our situation and the pleasure that comes from complaining about it and having someone reinforce us in our displeasure. And there were definitely times where I didn’t think joy was the proper response!
I remember that sometimes students would confront him on it saying something along the lines of, “do you really expect me to be happy about this?”
And he would respond in the most infuriating manner. “I’m not asking you to be happy about it. Choose joy!” And then he would walk away!
As irritating as it was, he did have a point.
This morning we lit the candle of joy and so often when we use the word “joy”, we’re actually confusing it with happiness.
That’s a word that we tend to have some difficulty with. Not just in living joyfully, but even defining it and understanding what it means. How would you describe “joy”? What comes to your mind when you think of joy?
Much of our culture tends to think and speak about joy as something that is equal to happiness. We talk about the joys of living in the country. The joy of spending time with family. The joy of giving presents or receiving presents, but really all of these are more in line with the true understanding of happiness.
You see, the word “happiness” comes from the same root as the word “happenings” as in your happiness is based on the happenings, or circumstances, in your life.
But joy is something different. Joy, especially in the biblical and Christian sense, is not something that is based on circumstances, but on a person.
All throughout the Scriptures we see the promise and description of joy, and it does not come across in the same way that we tend to speak of joy. Let’s look at a few verses together to see how this is true.
Let’s start with Habakkuk 3:17-18
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.
Did you catch that?
Though famine and poverty may come (and they certainly did!) Habakkuk is dedicated to rejoicing in YHWH and taking joy in his God! And Habakkuk is a prophet who saw extremely distressing things in his time! His prophecy is full of questions and complaints to God, asking Him to act against violence and distressing situations in Israel! But then Habakkuk declares what we just read! That even though he may face terrible circumstances, he will take joy in the God of His salvation!
Let’s look at our own lives for a second. Are you quick to turn to joy in all situations? Or are you more likely to hold onto complaints? I gotta be honest for myself, I can be so quick to look to complaints when difficulties arise in my life. I can get stuck in the trap of blaming, complaining, and frustration, completely ignoring or forgetting to rejoice in the fact that I have been saved by my Creator! I have a heavenly Father who cares for me more than I can selfishly care for myself.
So here’s a self-diagnostic question. Ask yourself this.
Do I take joy in the God who saved me, or do I complain about my circumstances?
Let’s continue on in Psalm 16, a Psalm of David.
11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
In this Psalm, David is crying out, proclaiming the goodness of following God and being in His presence and he also explains that those who seek to worship and follow other Gods will not know joy!
David is writing as a man who knew anxiety and knew sorrow! He was called by God to be a king and instead was hunted by the false king who would not give up the throne. He lost children to illness and war. He had to stop a rebellion brought on by his own son! If anyone has reason to not be joyful, surely it’s David!
But David instead sings of the joy of following the path of life that God has set forth, he sings of the pleasures and joy of being in God’s presence!
So two more diagnostic questions
If I am experiencing sorrow, is it because I am following other gods?
Do I find following God to be a pleasure or a burden?
In the book of Nehemiah, the Israelites have returned from their exile and are working to rebuild their nation and their culture. Many of them had never heard the teachings of YHWH in the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, LEv, Num, Deut), and so they had Ezra their scribe read to them. And as he read to them in Nehemiah 8, the people began to weep and mourn because their sin against their God was being revealed to them! They had never heard these things because they had adopted the customs of the land around them when they were in exile! They wept because they realized how great their sin was against their God! But what did Nehemiah say to them in verse 9?
9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. 10 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.”
When the Israelites were aware of their sin and were properly mourning over their sin, they were then able to celebrate and feast, because it wasn’t just any other day that they realized their sin. If you continue reading chapter 8 you will see that they were shown their sin and need for their creator during the time of the feast of booths. The feast of booths was a time of celebration dor the ways that God provided for their forefathers as they journeyed from Egypt through the wilderness to the promised land! It was a day of great joy!
And now, as they have realized the ways they have rebelled against the commands of God they are mourning over their sin and Nehemiah says “Stop it! This is to be a day of rejoicing! For the same way that our God led our ancestors through the wilderness, He has now led us out of the wilderness of sin and into the light of His righteousness! Go and feast and take joy in our God because He takes joy in us and strengthens us through that joy!”
Diagnostic:
4. Are you primarily looking to strengthen yourself by your joy, or by God’s joy?
And finally, we have the very words of Jesus to his followers, to us in many ways, in John 15.
10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
Jesus has given his commandments so that we will know joy! isn’t that wonderful?!
Diagnostic:
5. Am I not experiencing joy because I am not keeping the commandments of Christ?
Recap:
1. Do I take joy in the God who saved me, or do I complain about my circumstances?
2. If I am experiencing sorrow, is it because I am following other gods?
3. Do I find following God to be a pleasure or a burden?
4. Am I primarily looking to strengthen myself by my joy, or by God’s joy?
5. Am I not experiencing joy because I am not keeping the commandments of Christ?
Brothers and sisters, the way that we find joy is not by changing our circumstances, but rather by looking to a person, Christ!
A few weeks ago we were blessed by the first question of the Heidelberg Catechism, “What is my only hope in life and in death?”. The Westminster Catechism, a different and very helpful series of questions and answers about what it means to be a Christian, begins with a different question
“Q: What is the chief end of man?”
I’m sure you’ve asked a version of this question. It probably sounds more like “What is my purpose in life?” but it’s the same question. Usually it comes from a sense of unfulfillment that is keeping us from being able to experience joy. We are looking to see what sort of circumstances will mean that we are fulfilling a calling from God on our life! I spent so many years trapped in an anxiety over this question because well-meaning Christians around me told me that God has a wonderful calling on my life and when I find it, I’ll know. But they never told me how I would know!
So I spent years either second guessing every choice I was making or feeling an arrogant sense of destiny, that God was calling me to do this thing or that thing. To one day marry that girl or go to a certain college. No one warned me that my own strong desires and passions could feel a whole lot like finding a calling. Do you know how much of a fool I was? Do you know how many people I hurt because I was chasing some supposedly mystical calling that was really just my sinful flesh seeking its own joy? Oh, how I wish someone would have worked through this catechism with me because the answer is so much more simple than I could have imagined and it has brought so much peace and joy to my life!
So what is your purpose? What is the chief end of mankind?
A: Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
How marvelous! How freeing! To know that my joy, my calling, my purpose, my joy! is not based on placing myself in the right circumstance! My entire purpose in life is to glorify God and take joy in Him forever! This is freeing because I can do this no matter what my circumstances are! My calling is based on my joy in God!
If I am married my purpose is to glorify God and take joy in Him alone.
If I am single my purpose is to glorify God and take joy in Him alone.
If I am a parent my purpose is to glorify God and take joy in Him alone.
If I have no children my purpose is to glorify God and take joy in Him alone.
If I have a job that allows me to be blessed with excess my purpose is to glorify God and take joy in Him alone.
If I am out of work and struggling to pay the bills my purpose is to glorify God and take joy in Him alone.
If I am in good health my purpose is to glorify God and take joy in Him alone.
If I am looking death in the face my purpose is to glorify God and take joy in Him alone.
If I have always had great self control my purpose is to glorify God and take joy in Him alone.
If I have faced addiction my purpose is to glorify God and take joy in Him alone.
If all my family are Christians and are wonderful supports to me my purpose is to glorify God and take joy in Him alone.
If my family is broken and antagonistic toward my faith my purpose is to glorify God and take joy in Him alone.
If I am a neighbor my purpose is to glorify God and take joy in Him alone.
If it is Christmas Day my purpose is to glorify God and take joy in Him alone.
If it is any other day my purpose is to glorify God and take joy in Him alone.
If I am a student my purpose is to glorify God and take joy in Him alone.
If I am a plumber my purpose is to glorify God and take joy in Him alone.
If I am a stocker at Kroger my purpose is to glorify God and take joy in Him alone.
If I am a truck driver my purpose is to glorify God and take joy in Him alone.
If I am retired my purpose is to glorify God and take joy in Him alone.
If I am on disability my purpose is to glorify God and take joy in Him alone.
If I am young and energetic my purpose is to glorify God and take joy in Him alone.
If I am old and tired my purpose is to glorify God and take joy in Him alone.
Brothers and sisters, joy is not based on your circumstance. It is based on a person and knowing who he is and what he has done! Your purpose in life is to take joy in Him and bring glory to His name whether you are a Christian or not!