Battle Plan for Indestructible Joy

Introduction

Illustration - New Years Resolutions: It is the first Sunday of a new year. This is typically the time that many will be working on New Year’s Resolutions. It is a time that many will be reflective about their life, about their priorities, their habits, and about their values. The’ll be laboring to improve themselves somehow this year. I believe that is a good excercise to do, not just on New Years, but regularly the Christian ought to be reflective. But, while setting goals for health and wealth are not wrong, it is a shame to me that so many Christians do not prioritize their growth in the Lord, and take the time to adequately consider where you are weak, and where you need new and better habits to give glory to God.

Personal: And so, permit me to ask you a simple question. Do you have a plan for sustaining your deep and abidinig joy in the Lord in 2024. I need not remind you that 2024 is going to be yet another highly divisive year in this country. The temptation will be to see the division, the unease, the uncertainty, and the hostility of secular culture slip into your faith, and into our Church. And so I ask again, as a watchman praying to prepare you for what lies ahead. What is your plan?

Context: Originally I was set to preach two message this week and next week on Acts 18. As I began to prepare earlier this week I was overwhelmed by a sense that we only needed one week in Acts 18 (next week), and that to begin the year, we needed a deep dive into the goodness of God. I was led by the Spirit to Psalm 136, a congregational song of praise to God. We are going to read this together the way it is meant to be read.

Let us stand for the collective reading of Psalm 136.

“For his steadfast love endures forever.”

From this Psalm, I want to give you ten parts to your battle plan for indestructible joy.

Meaning & Application

I HE IS GOOD (1)

Verse 1 provides us with our first reason to give thanks to God. He is good. How many of you know that God is good? Oh Church, He has been, and continues to be so good to us. So much better than we deserve.

God As Father: One of my favorite images of God, is that of a good heavenly father. Some of us when we think of God as Father, we filter that image through our own father, and if you didn’t have the greatest dad in the world, you might have a very wrong impression and sense towards God. You might think of God as a bit more distant, not very intimate. You might think of God as emotionally unengaged. You migth think of God as a strict disciplinarian who knows not tender love. But no, God is a good father. He knows you intimately, and rejoices in your coming to him with every need and every desire. He is a good father. He is firm with his beloved, and will not stand idly by while they harm themselves through sin and neglect, but he lovingly disciplines those he loves. He is a good father.

Reasons We Forget This: Some of us go through so much of life thinking so little of all the ways that God has been good to us. This is due to a few reasons.

Some are Blind: Some in this room are blind. You don’t have any spiritual eyes to see God’s goodness. You might even call your spiritual, but in reality you’re not. Because until you believe in God’s Son, Jesus Christ, and his death and resurrection for the forgiveness of your sins, you are blind. Like the Apostle Paul, you need the scales to fall from your eyes. You need to receive Jesus.

Consumed With Ourselves: Others don’t see God’s goodness because they’re consumed with themselves. They wouldn’t say it like that, but they are. Their priorities, their schedule, their loves, are all about the self and their career. This is sin.

Overwhelmed with Sorrow: Still others have trouble seeing God’s goodness because you are overwhelmed with sorrow. O my heart hurts for you. I do not know why the Lord has permitted such sorrow in your life, but I do know the promises of God, and I remember that God is able to use our sorrow, and our hardships to draw us closer to him, to press our faith deeper into him. To you, may your sorrow form intimacy with your good Father.

Close Section: God has not forgotten you. Through every hardship of your life, God has been good to you, because that is his nature, he is good. We must never grow weary of recounting all the ways God has been good to us.

II HE IS THE GOD OF GODS (2-3)

Second, we can give thanks to God because He truly is is God.

Psalm 136:2–3 “Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;”

Two different words are used here to describe God. He is Elohim of Elohim and Adonai of Adonai.

Elohim of Elohim: As God of God, Elohim of Elohim, he is not in rival with any other spiritual power. He stands so far superior to any other spiritual entity, that to compare anything in the spiritual realm to him is a joke. He is omnipotent, meaning he has all power. He is omnisient, meaning he knows all things. No other spiritual power is like this.

Lord of Lords: But secondly, he is Lord of Lords, Adonai of Adonai. This phrase in some ways is synomous, but the term can be used of earthly rulers and kings. Elsewhere in Scripture it says that He is the King of Kings. In other words, every earthly power, ultimately bends the knee to him.

Might Sound Strange: This might sound strange to you to thank God for being God. But in reality this is the basis of a healthy prayer life. God is worthy of worship, not because of all the wonderful things he does for us, but because he is God, and there is no other beside him or before him. Consider the opposite for a moment.

Chance: What if we lived in a world where there was no God of Gods in control. Then, ultimately your life would be bound by chance and ultimately by chaos. What happens to you has no rhyme or reason to it. What a terrifying existence that would be.

God But not Good: Or what if God was God but he was not good. What if we were in the hands of an unjust judge, of an unrighteous God?

Close: Oh praise God, He is God, and He is good! You’ve got a reason to praise!

III HE ALONE DOES GREAT WONDERS (4)

Third, he alone does great wonders, verse 4. What are we speaking about here? Our God is a miracle working God. His works are wonderful. The Christian is a person whose eyes have been opened to see the extraordinary all around them. And Church, I want to call you up to this way of seeing in 2024. We must be a “wonder seeing” people.

See Yet Not See: We must not be like the hypocrites that Jesus preached against.

Matthew 13:13 ESV

This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

It is possible to see with our eyes, and yet not see with our spiritual eyes what is really happening underneath everything that happens in our life. It is possible to come to Church and participate in worship, and yet not be overwhelmed by a spirit of worship. It is possible to serve the poor, and take refugee families into your home, and not see the image of God stamped upon their souls. It is possible to know that 2+2=4, and yet not praise God for a universe designed with order and logic. Ask God to give you eyes to see his wonders everywhere!

Let’s consider the next three categories particularly to think more on his wonders.

IV HE IS CREATOR & SUSTAINER (5-9)

Fourth, He is Creator and sustainer. Verses 5-9 take us on a tour of creation. He made the heavens, he spread out the earth above the waters, he made the sun and the moon, day and night. The Christian is one who must regularly be overwhelmed by God’s majesty in His creation and sustaining of the world.

Seminary Professor: I’ve shared before that I had a seminary professor who instructed us that every day we needed to take at least one moment to see something of God’s creation and stop in wonder at it. For me, I try to do this on early morning prayer walks. I’ll stop and watch a squirrel run up a tree, or look at the intricacies of bark growing, or the sun rising. You don’t need to be in the mountains to wonder at God’s creation. The Scriptures say,

Psalm 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”

Facts: I have a secret love of documentaries about nature and creation. I am overwhelmed by them. Truly God’s glory is all over creation.

Have you ever watched a hummingbird flutter in place. What a proclamation of the wonder and glory of God.

Have you ever seen a Great White Shark leap out of the water to catch its prey. What a proclamation of the wonder and glory of God.

Have you ever watched a peacock spread its feathers. What a proclamation of the wonder and glory of God.

Have you seen the guile of a pack of wolves working together as a team to catch their next meal? What a proclamation of the wonder and glory of God.

Have you seen the mating dance of a riflebird, how it dances and spreads its beautiful feathers to attract a mate. What a proclamation of the wonder and glory of God.

What about the crowning glory of his creation? Humanity. Upon each soul ever made is stamped the image of God. A soul worthy of dignity, and honor. What a proclamation of the wonder and glory of God.

Sustainer: But if you see this text, God is not only the creator who made these things, but he is the sustainer that keeps the world spinning. Were he to stop sustaining his creation, it would utterly fall apart. Think about the dependence you have on God. Your life, all of it, supported by God’s sustaining mercy.

Reflect: You have much to thank God for.

V HE IS REDEEMER (10-16)

Fifth, thank God because he is a redeemer. Verses 10-16 recount how God redeemed his people Israel out of Egypt. Those who are familiar with the Biblical narrative will pick up on this language. Verse 10 he struck down the firstborn of Egypt. Verse 11 he, “brought Israel out from among them.” Verse 13, he “divided the Red Sea in two.” And Verse 14, “Israel passed through the midst of it.” Verse 15 he “overthew Pharao and his host in the Red Sea.” And verse 16 he “led his people through the wilderness.” This is a brief summary of the story of the Exodus.

Two Ways to See Exodus: The Exodus from Egypt, for a Christian, is both a true story of history that of how God redeemed his people out of slavery and blessed them with the promised land, as well as a story that points to a larger story of Christ and his Church. Just as God redeemed Israel out of slavery in Egypt, if you are a Christian he has redeemed you. And your redemption in Christ is the most significant thing about you.

Redemption in Christ: The Bible teaches us that each of us were born into slavery, just as those Israelites. We were slaves to sin. We were bound with invisible shackles in servitude to sin. Our mind was corrupted and we were unable to think about the world and about simple fact in a godly way. Our hearts became corrupted and we cherished the wrong things. We cherished the love of self, the love of achievement, and every worldly thing. We were “dead in our trespasses and sins.”

But Christ: But Christ parted the Red Sea and set the captives free. Christ redeemed us from that slavery. By perfectly obeying the law, Christ accomplished what none of us ever could. And by suffering on the cross, Christ went underneath the just wrath of God in our place. One man suffering for many.

2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Thank God!: You want to talk about indestructible joy? Let’s talk about the joy of having Christ as your redeemer! May this be the forefront of your prayers, every day. Never forget to recount that you were a slave to sin, bound to your Father who was the devil, and destine for an eternity apart from God in hell. Let your redemption bubble inside of you a love for God that cannot be taken, an amazement at God that cannot stunted.

VI HE IS & WILL BE VICTORIOUS (17-22)

Sixth, thank God be he is and will be victorious. Verse 17-22 recount the next part of Israel journey. After they made it through the Red Sea, and they came into the promised land, there were wicked kings that stood in their way. These kings were terrible pagan kings who were known for human sacrifice much like the ancient Aztecs who built temples of human remains. This was wicked. It was an abomination. And when Israel came into the land of Canaan, God gained victory over all of them because He is Lord of Lords. Verse 17 and 18 he struck down “mighty Kings.” Verse 19 “Sihon king of the Amorites.” verse 20 “Og, King of Bashan.” Verse 21-22 then tells us that he took the land that belonged to those wicked kings and he blessed it and gave it to Israel.

Cultural Examination: We can thank God that He is and will be victorious. We are in a season of world history where we have more access to information than any generation before us. We not only know what is happening locally, but we have detailed on the ground reports of what is happening all around the world. We have watched over the last few years, a war in Ukraine with Russia. We have watched as the Satanic regime known as Hamas brutally raped, mamed, tortured, and killed Israeli civilians. And each person in this room is aware of their short list of wickedness they have seen both on a broad scale and personally.

It Might Sound Trite: Now, it might sound trite to say that God will be victorious, but in fact its not. This is the reason for the Christian’s optimism. Jesus rose from the grave. Even death could not hold him. And at the moment he rose from the grave, Satan and his army of fools roared in angst for they knew they were defeated. At that moment, Satan was bound. This does not mean tucked away in some spiritual cage somewhere. What it means is that his wings were clipped. His ability to deceive the nations from believing in the one true and living God and finding the life that is truly life was ended. And since Pentecost, that first day the Holy Spirit was given, the Gospel has been going forward in power to every tongue, tribe, and nation.

In the End: In the end, Christ has total victory. In the end, Hamas is crushed. In the end, every ruler and tyrant and individual that dares to stand against the living God, will be put to shame. And Christian, you can take great pleasure in that. Christ will have ultimate victory. You may not see it in your life. But that does not mean that deep and abiding hope in what is God is doing should be removed from you.

VII HE REMEMBERS US (23)

Seventh, in verse 23, thank God because He remembers us. In our lowly estate he remembers us. It is not uncommon for me to hear from some poor saint who is struggling through some challenge in life, that he or she feels bad bringing their issues up to God, for two reasons. One, they know that in the grand scheme of things, someone somewhere has it far worse. And two, God is dealing with such great things, he has little time for the prayers of the lowly.

Minister Personally: No, he remembers us in our low estate. Permit me a moment to minister to you at the begining of this year. We enter a new year with great hopes don’t we? We enter a new year with longing to be better, to change bad habits, and start better habits. January is great! But by the time February rolls around, many slowly become disillusioned at their own lack of fortitude. It is easy to become dishearted when trials seem to last far longer than we ever imagined they would. It is easy to begin to feel like the prophet Habakkuk who cried.

Habakkuk 1:2 “O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save?”

Doyou ever feel like that? Does God feel distant in your hardship? He is not. God responded to Habakkuk,

Habakkuk 1:5 ““Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.”

God is Working: God is working in a thousand ways in and through everything you endure. If you are a Christian, you are beloved by God. If you are a Christian, you are his precious child, whom He cherishes. Thank God today that he remembers. Remember tha he remembers you. Let a fresh flame of adoration be lit in your heart as you consider today that God remembers everything. He knows it all. He is near to you.

VIII HE RESCUES US (24)

Number 8, in verse 24 we see that He rescues us. Now we have alread seen that he redeems us. But here we must specifically that he rescues us. From what? From everything!

Illustration - Where is God: Another common question I get is why does God permit so much evil. And while I would never minimize that question, I do recognize that that is a subjective question. I wonder what amount of evil we would experience on a day to day basis if God’s sovereign hand of grace were to suddenly be removed from us? In other words, I wonder how much God rescues us from daily that we just don’t take notice of, or forget to thank him for.

Dad Saves: There is a thing on the internet called Dad Saves, its video clips of Dads just nearly supernaturally protecting their kids. A bat flies out of a batters hands towards a child’s head, and the dad grabs the bat out of midair. Or a child falls off a swing set head first, and the dad catches him wiht one hand behind his back. Most of the time the kid doesn’t even know he was one step away from death. Likewise, I wonder how much God saves us from. Not just physically, but mentally, emotionally, spiritually.

He Protects the Church: But much more, God protects His Church. I have learned this as a Pastor. It has felt for a while that the true Church is on their heels. And I have learned over the last ten years of ministry, that ministry is not done well on your heals. The risk of being bold in your faith is that you find yourself in a fight that you feel you cannot win. Ah! Yes! It is true. On your own you cannot win. But you are not on your own. Christ is the head of the Church. CHrist loves His Church. And Christ will build his church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. This is why the Church can never be ashamed of the true Gospel, of the truth. We are defended and protected by the giver of truth!

When You Got to Bed: You want indestructible joy? Remember that God is your rescuer.

IX HE PROVIDES US OUR FOOD

Number 9, verse 25, he gives us our food. Let me keep this very short. Christian, did you eat breakfast today? If not, there are some donuts in the back for you. Do you know where your food came from? You say, “Yes, I worked hard, I bought it.” Ah yes, but where did your ability to work hard come from? Where did the job opportunity come from? Where did your mind come from? Never grow weary in thanking God for the little things, like food.

Illustration - Taste Buds: How many of you lost your taste when you got Covid a few years ago? I did. It was aweful. Do you know how grateful I am for taste buds! What a remarkable creation taste buds are!

Application: Permit me to offer a quick and simple application on this point. Let us stop rushing through grace before meals. This does not mean grace needs to be fifteen minutes long and the food gets cold. But if you’re going to say grace, then say it a way that honors our King and demonstrates to everybody at the table that you really believe God gifted you that food.

X HIS STEADFAST LOVE ENDURES FOREVER

We will close on number 10. By looking at that repeated phrase throughout this whole psalm. Why can you have an indestructible joy? Because “his steadfast love endures forever.”

Forever Park. Down here, you may experience all kinds of grief. But when the perfect comes, your joy will truly be indestructible. It is secure. Your soul has been purchased eternally by Christ’s offering of blood on the cross as the satisfaction of your debt to God. And God the father was pleased to receive that payment, that ransom for you. Heaven is yours. Christ’s inheritance is yours. Eternally. After ten thousand years, you will have only scraped the surface of the joys and wonders to behold in heaven.

This year, 2024, learn to build a true eternal perspective. Let your eternal weight of glory overwhelm your temporary heartaches and hardships. Put them in perspective daily. Live for eternity!

Closing

Church, do not let the temptations of worldly mindsets and temporary vision rob you of the joy of your Christian faith. You have indestrible joy in Christ.