SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES - CELEBRATION

Next week we will close out our series on Spiritual Disciplines. The last four weeks we have discussed the corporate disciplines – those that require other people. Confession and why that is considered corporate, how to confess and who to as well as confession leads to forgiveness, and we discussed what forgiveness is and what it is not.

We talked about worship and while it includes singing it is not limited to singing and utilized William Temple’s quote that says to worship is to, “quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.” Worship is our response to a Holy, Righteous, and Living God and how true worship leads to service.

Last week we talked about Biblical Guidance – how God set it up, who we should seek guidance from, and the warnings of who not to seek guidance from but also a self-check to make sure we don’t engage in unbiblical guidance. We concluded with Guidance moves us to seek the Will of God– for this we must be acquainted with God and that comes through Prayer and Reading – God’s Word, God’s Will, God’s Way and that God will not lead us or send us someone to lead us that contrary to His Word but are consistent with His Character.

The final discipline that Foster talks about in his book, is the Discipline of Celebration. Augustine of Hippo said, “The Christian should be an Alleluia from head to foot!”

Before we begin to dig into celebrating – let us Pray!

I. Why Celebration?

We don’t take ourselves too seriously – must have if we truly practice the spiritual disciplines (Pharisaical)

Not a call to dip our toe in the pool of sin –

It is said secularly that laughter cures many aliments – need to laugh with others. Depression oppresses the heart –

Don’t overwork ourselves – celebration gives up perspective – we need to be able to laugh at ourselves – maintain balance – not develop an overinflated idea of ourselves

Joy begets joy begets joy – it is also said that laughter is contagious – celebration brings about more opportunities to celebrate – one of the few things that is multiplied by giving away

Spiritual Disciplines become dull and drab without joy and celebration – run risk of becoming Pharisaical with celebration.

When Christ came to earth there was celebration –

Luke 2:10 – 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.

Christ started His ministry by declaring a year of Jubilee –

Luke 4:14-19; vv18 – 19 – “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Year of Jubilee – cancelled all debts, all slaves released, plant no crops, return property to original owner – cannot Celebrate the year of Jubilee without complete trust in God!

Nehemiah recognized the importance of it –

Nehemiah 8:10 – 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.”

God commanded Israel to celebrate the goodness of God three times a year

Joy not only brings strength to the Jews but a cohesion – we see that in the Nehemiah verse –

Celebration is central to not only each Spiritual Discipline but also our Christian walk and relationship with God.

Without Celebration – each discipline becomes dull, cause lack of motivation, can become Pharisaical – without Celebration we easily abandon our disciplines.

Joy is the second fruit of the Holy Spirit living in us

Galatians 5:22 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Joy gives us energy, Joy gives us strength to endure, joy revives us

Psalm 118:24 – This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Paul reminds us.

Philippians 3:1 – Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you

Philippians 4:4 – Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.

1 Thessalonians 5:16 – Rejoice always,

1 Corinthians 5:8 – Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

II. What Is Biblical Celebration?

Obedience

There can be no joy without obedience to God and trust in Him – Luke 11:28 – But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

Without obedience to Christ our celebration can be hallow and meaningless – with no joy our happiness – we go through the motions and sing songs hoping God will give us a spiritual transfusion

Joy only comes from obedience – long lasting joy –

We can't bless our food and the gripe about the taste, texture, cost, or service

We can’t say we will pray for you and the complain about the person when they walk away

(Forcing KaiLee to say ILY and TY)

Joy is the result of the disciplines functioning and being a part of our lives; a part of our spiritual walk and relationship with the Lord.

Philippians 4:4 – Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.

1 Thessalonians 5:16 – Rejoice always,

When Israel was led out of Egypt Miriam the prophetess led a celebration

Exodus 15:20 – Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing.

David Celebrated Bringing the Ark of the Covenant home

2 Samuel 6:14-16 – And David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the horn. As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart.

III. How Do We Biblical Celebrate?

Practice

1. Singing, Dancing – Psalm 150, says praise Him with trumpet, lute, harp, tambourine, DANCING, strings and pipes, cymbals and clashing cymbals

2. Laughter

3. Utilize creative gift of imagination (turn family time into celebrations (Jehovah Witnesses),

a. Celebrate big events – birthdays, marriages, graduations, anniversaries.

b. Celebrate small events – School project finished, school recognitions, changes in behavior for the good,

c. Celebrate as a family – game night, Smorgasbords, family movie night

d. Be creative!

4. Take advantage of religious and political holidays

a. May Day – deliver flowers to a neighbor

b. Have people over for Memorial Day or Labor Day BBQ

5. Find ways as a church family to celebrate

Celebration gives us the strength to live in and practice all of the other disciplines and keep a correct view of them.

The Psalmist exclaimed Psalm 126:2-3 – Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad.

How do we rejoice always? Matthew 6:25 – “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”

How can we celebrate a year of jubilee without fully trusting God? How can celebrate without fully trusting God?

Foster says – “If we think we will have joy only by praying and singing psalms, we will be disillusioned. But if we fill our lives with simple good things and constantly thank God for

them, we will be joyful, that is, full of joy. And what about our problems? When we determine to dwell on the good and excellent things in life, we will be so full of those things that they will tend to swallow our problems.”

We have to consciously choose to celebrate – this does not happen by circumstance or chance