Restore your Joy

Our theme for 2024 is “Possessing the Land.”

We began the year by saying that we want to take hold of purpose and be intentional

Now we are at advent, looking toward the coming of Christ.

I wanted to remind us again of our overall vision - the four R’s

At the same time, we consider Christ’s coming in terms of the advent theme’s of Hope, Joy, Peace and Love.

So we arg combining those thoughts.

We respond with hope.

We are restored to joy.

We release His peace.

And we relate in love.

Let’s remind ourselves of who we are called to be as we remind ourselves of who Jesus is and why He came.

This is an active “taking hold of” advent.

Last week we talked about Creation - Fall - Redemption.

It’s the story of the Bible.

And it’s the story of our lives.

And this story - especially the redemption part - is the basis of hope.

Romans 15:13 ESV

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

God fills us with joy so that our hope increases.

This verse confirms the source of joy—God Himself—overflows us with hope through the Holy Spirit.

That brings us to the second R - restore.

What if you don’t have joy?

What if your life is really a mess and you feel really pathetic?

You might be tempted to think that you have to have it all together first and then you will experience joy.

But just the opposite is true- joy comes first and increases our hope.

Then hope does it’s work and that is the work of redemption or restoration.

If you are following our Advent devotional, “The Everyday Gospel” by Paul David Tripp, yesterday’s devotion was about Job. Job is the character in the Bible who lost everything and then finally had a revelation of God who restored Job and everything that he lost. Job praised God in his suffering and it led to his full restoration.

Dr. Trip notes how joy seems to be incompatible with our feelings during times of suffering. Bust there is a deeper and more lasting joy that is cultivated at precisely those times. “We experience ‘sturdy joy’,” he says, “the kind that does not rise or fall with our circumstances - when what we want most for ourselves matches what God wants for us.”

True joy - or ‘sturdy joy’ is rooted in our relationship with God, the assurance of His promises, and His constant presence which brings hope and renewal.

Notice that it comes from ‘wanting most for ourselves what God wants for us.’

Aligning our heart with His.

God is good and true joy comes from realizing and internalizing His goodness.

Remember that God is redeeming us - restoring us back to the goodness of creation.

If you can get a picture of what that looks like - I guarantee it brings joy!

We are going to take a look at some mentions of joy in the Christmas story and discuss how this kind of joy restores us back to God as the source of joy.

Rediscover Joy in Christ

Matthew 2:9–11 ESV

9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

Imagine the moment you've been waiting for finally arrives—like Christmas morning when you rush to see what’s under the tree. The excitement, the joy—it fills your heart beyond measure. In Matthew 2:10, the Magi experience a joy that’s described as ‘exceedingly great.’ Their hearts were bursting because they realized the significance of what they had found: the Savior. That kind of joy doesn’t just make you smile; it transforms you. Just like that Christmas morning, the joy of Christ should light us up with hope and anticipation.

“They rejoiced exceedingly with great joy” - I wonder what that looked like.

These are pretty smart guys - academics.

Academics are not usually noted for expressions of emotion - but these guys were!

The stars literally aligned and pointed straight to the birthplace of Jesus.

Witnessing the even of the century - no the millennium - or really, of all time!

OK, that would be enough to get anyone excited.

I wish that just reminding you about Jesus coming to earth would bring you that kind of joy - but maybe it doesn't?

We all have a lot going on.

Especially the holiday season.

We have presents to buy.

Meals to prepare.

Perhaps we have guests coming or we are the ones who are travelling.

Perhaps our minds are clouded by memories of loved ones who are no longer here.

Joy isn’t automatic...

Joy comes to those who look for it.

Matthew 2:1–2 ESV

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

The wise men’s discovery was the culmination of years of study and a long journey.

I understand years of study.

You may know that I am just wrapping up my doctoral project thesis. I’m writing the final chapters of what is going to be over 125 pages of dissertation. Plus the 156 page resource that I wrote over the summer. I have over a hundred resources in my bibliography. One book alone is over 900 pages. I have spent the last three years doing research. But if you include that this project is based on a previous book that I published, it is the culmination of almost twenty years of experience.

I am looking forward to ‘rejoicing exceedingly with great joy’ when I graduate next year.

But that is nothing compared to finding the savior of the world.

These guys probably came from the regions of Babylon where the great libraries of the time were located.

They studies the stars to see what indications were left by the Creator as to the course of history.

They compared what they saw in the heavens to what was written by prophets like Daniel, who probably studied in those same libraries.

Prophets like Ezra who compiled the writing of Moses and helped to structure the Old Testament writings into what we now have today.

These men bore witness to the truth of God in a land where they did not know God, but they sought after knowledge.

They wanted to know the truth.

The prophet Jeremiah wrote:

Jeremiah 29:13 Tanakh

13 You will search for Me and find Me, if only you seek Me wholeheartedly.

Many people seek God and they seek for joy, but when they don’t find it immediately they give up.

Have you ever thought that God did not answer your prayer because you didn’t get and answer right away?

Have you ever asked God a question and thought He wasn’t listening because you didn’t hear anything?

Did you really think that you answer what just going to drop out of the sky?

Your answer is there, but you have to look for it.

There are a million possible answers, like the vast multitude of stars.

But only one is the right one - which one?

I don’t know - you will have to study them to find out which one stands out as being unique.

“One of these things is not like the others”

Put in the time - do your research.

Make it a discipline to seek God.

Joy is there waiting to be discovered.

Joy come when God illuminates His promise.

Matthew 2:3–6 ESV

3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 6 “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”

The promise of God was right there all along in the scroll of the prophet Micah.

It wasn’t until the academics from Babylon came asking around that bothered to notice what it said.

Micah was one of the early prophets who prophesied before The Northern Kingdom of Israel was invaded by Assyria.

He prophesied that a deliverer for the Northern Kingdom was going to come from one of the small towns intermingled with the cities of Judah.

But this deliverer was not just for Israel.

Micah 5:4–5 (NLT)

4 And he will stand to lead his flock with the Lord’s strength, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. Then his people will live there undisturbed, for he will be highly honored around the world. 5 And he will be the source of peace. ...

Did you catch that?

He is a leader, not just for Israel, but a world leader - the source of world peace.

Herod probably wondered why academics from Persia were interested in the local politics of Judea.

But here’s your answer - there was a prophesy of the promise of a leader who will bring world peace!

The star appearing did not tell them all of that.

The star just showed them that something big was up and then showed them where to look for the answer.

A star illuminates - the promise was already there and had been for a long time.

The Holy Spirit illuminates the promises of God, just like that star.

John 14:26 CSB

26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.

Sometimes the biggest obstacle that we face is ignorance.

We don’t know what we don’t know.

Our breakthrough might already be happening, but we don’t know it.

God has already answered our prayer, but we don’t see it yet.

Joy is waiting, but we aren’t there yet.

Sometimes we need to pray, not for revelation, but for illumination.

God has already revealed Himself.

In Jesus.

In His Word.

Maybe even in your circumstances - we just need eyes to see it.

Question for Reflection:

Ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate (turn the light on) in your heart and mind. Help me to see what you want me to see! Now, what is He showing you?

Receive the Savior's Message

Luke 2:8–16 ESV

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 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. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.

The shepherds were not looking - they had the message declared to them - but they also received joy!

How did joy come to them if they were not looking for it?

They simply received the message and were filled with joy.

Hearing the message, fear turns to joy.

The first thing we see with the shepherd was that they were afraid of the messengers.

They had to get over their fear to hear the message of great joy.

Sometimes we have to learn to move from fear to joy.

In the midst of the Great Depression, people often turned to humor to cope with their dire situation. One group even organized a ‘Joy in the Face of Fear’ contest, where participants shared funny stories about overcoming hardships. Some of the other things that people used to distract themselves were: 1. Dance competitions 2. Swallowing Goldfish 3. Reading the comics in the newspaper. This historical example illustrates how joy can triumph over fear, reminding us that laughter is often the antidote to anxiety.

Joy is where you find it - you just have to learn to overcome your fear.

For the shepherds, they just had to get past the fact that they were being visited by angels and hear what the angels were saying.

The angels were not asking them to dance or swallow goldfish - they just had to listen!

Just receive the message - oh, and of course, tell the message!

Joy leads us to action .

If you can get past fear and into joy - joy has its own motivation.

Getting there is usually the hardest part.

But once you hear the message, you need to do what the message says.

The angels told them that they would find the baby - so they needed to go and find the baby.

Why did they need to find the baby?

Well the wise men were running a bit late and someone needed to bear witness to the birth of the savior.

Their job was to be a witness to the joyful event that was happening on earth.

Receiving the message brought joy and joy led to action.

Philippians 4:4 CSB

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

In Philippians 4:4, Paul writes to rejoice always. This is not just a suggestion; it’s a call to action! The early Christians, despite facing persecution, found joy in their faith and were spurred on to share the Gospel with boldness. This shows us that this divine joy is a catalyst for action—it prompts us to live out our faith joyfully and actively engage in God’s mission.

I think what we need to understand here is that joy is not an end in itself.

Joy is not the goal.

Joy is just the beginning.

Joy means you got the message - now what are you going to do with it?

Question for reflection:

2. What does it look like when joy becomes the impetus instead of the goal? Instead of ‘how do I get joy?’ rather ask ‘what should I do with my joy?’

Rejoice in God’s Presence

Psalm 16:11 ESV

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.

Our lives are not just lived looking for joy or happiness.

Our lives should be lived from joy and happiness.

Joy is not just something we all want, it is the source of so much more!

The Bible commands us to rejoice, to because we are suppose to be happy, but because that is how we can become happy.

The Bible also equates joy with the presence of God.

Joy is part of His nature and character.

That is why joy is also a fruit of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22 ESV

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

The fruit of the Spirit are aspects of God’s character which the Holy Spirit brings into our lives.

So when you think of joy, think of God as the source of joy.

God is the source of everything that is good.

Psalm 16:1–2 ESV

1 Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. 2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”

Last we we noted that God created the world and it was good.

Do you know why it was good?

Because God created it!

The world took on the nature of God - His goodness!

In Psalm 16 it says that there is fullness of joy in God’s presence.

That is because God Himself is the source of joy.

But the psalm doesn’t start out joyful.

The psalmist is looking to God for refuge - for safety.

Things are not good for the psalmist!

So why go to God for refuge?

Because, the psalmist says, not only is God good, but there is no good apart from God.

If every attempt to find joy fails - go to the source!

When David was at one of the lowest points of his life, he went to God to restore his joy.

Psalm 51:12 NLT

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.

Notice how David prays for joy to make him willing to obey.

He realized that the joy of his salvation was the motivation for his obedience.

He needed to go to the source to get his own resources to do what he needed to do.

Sometimes when we are hurting God is the last person that we want to go to.

Maybe we blame God for things in our life?

Maybe we think that God only wants to see us when we are happy?

Maybe we think God is stern and judgmental?

No that’s other people acting like they are God!

Maybe we didn’t realize that there is not good apart from God?

Joy is found in relationship with God.

Psalm 16:5–9 ESV

5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. 6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. 7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. 8 I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.

So basically the psalmist is saying, ‘I may not have everything, but I have you God, and that’s enough!

First of all, I am going to thank God for what I do have.

My lot in life is not bad - at least not all bad- I can accept it as a gift from God.

I can trust God to lead me in ways that are both cognitive and also intuitively.

I submit to Him my desires and trust him to guide my heart.

I trust him not only to bring me to joy, but to shape what brings me joy.

After all, we want ‘sturdy joy” right?

I think the reason so many people don’t find joy in God is because they don’t take the time to get to know Him.

Of when they do find some joy or comfort they think that they are done.

Joy is just the beginning of restoration.

Joy is there to multiply hope so that you experience God’s abundance.

It’s eternal joy!

When Israel was rebuilding Jerusalem, and they going to celebrate a feast which is usually a solemn time, Nehemiah said - we need joy!

Nehemiah 8:10 NLT

10 And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”

We need a morale booster, says Nehemiah!

We are not going to get the job done by being so hard on ourselves.

Nehemiah understood that the joy of the Lord is not the goal, but the motivation.

Joy is not just a desired outcome, it is our very strength.

The goodness of God is a creative force that is still at work in the world.

His goodness is still working in you and in me, restoring us to joy!

Question for reflection:

3. Does your relationship with God bring you joy? If not, what needs to change so that the Joy of the Lord becomes your strength?