Joy to my World

*baptisms

Advent theme of Joy: Luke 2:1-11

Luke 2:1–11 ESV

1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. 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.

“Joy To My World”

In 1700’s england in a young man by the name of isaac watts was born in southhampton england and grew up going to a local protestant congregation wher his father was a lay preacher in that church. from a young age Isaac had an amazing aptitude for poems and writing. One sunday walking back from the church service to their home He apparentlt remarked to his father that the songs at church were dull and didnt spark much excitement to which his father stopped and turned back to him and said “isaac, dont criticize unless you willing to do something about it” (or words to that affect)

This served as permission to Young Isaac and he begun to write hymms… some of which later when he would become a pastor himself, would have the congregation sing the brand new hymm to emphasize and bring home the sermon for that sunday…

one such sunday he had the congregation sing this song after an advent message he brought about JOY in the Lord

1. Joy to the world; the Lord is come; Let Earth receive her King; Let ev'ry Heart prepare him room, And Heav'n and nature sing.

2. Joy to the Earth, the Savior reigns, Let men their Songs employ, While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains, Repeat the sounding joy.

3. No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make his blessings flow Far as the curse is found.

4. He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove The glories of his righteousness, And wonders of his love.

Now i could only imagine sitting in church and being presented a sheet of paper or whatever it was and for the very first time seeing these words, this great poetic hymm

I marvel at this hymm and its writer becuase of the revelation that they must of had to pen these words…. and when i studied a litle but of the life of isaac watts, he wasnnt exactly living in a happy time, or in “happy circumstances:

But …Isaac watts had a revelation that Joy was alive in Him. He was now alive in the Joy of the Lord

Are you a happy person? if i was to ask someone close to you… are you happy - i wonder what the would say? i wonder what would be given as testimony about you.

Is happiness a feature of your life on a regular basis?

Some people talk about Happiness as the one deciding factor in life. If you look around - it seems to be what most people are chasing - Whatever it is… that makes them: Happy

But the bible has much to say about happiness but instead of the word happy - it employs a different word which we know as JOY.

Psalm 4:7 “7 You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.”

Psalm 16:11 “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.”

Habakkuk 3:18 “18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.”

There is a distinction here - The bible seems to guide us to focus on JOY rather than the emotion driven state of happiness

And here the ANGEL of the Lord appears to them and says: this birth which has happened today in Bethlehem will be the source of MUCH JOY

Luke 2:10 (ESV)

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.

Luke 2:10 (NIV)

10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.

One of the central themes of advent is JOY. Not happiness, but JOY.

So lets focus in on that today - and allow God to speak to our hearts

I think its important to remind us of this today that we are called to be people of God who are people of JOY - why? well lets get into it:

1.JOY IS NOT HAPPINESS

are you happy? or are you filled with JOY?

there is a difference between what the world calls HAPPINESS today… and what the Bible describes as JOY for the believer.

write this down: HAPPINESS IS TEMPORAL, JOY IN THE LORD IS ETERNAL

The angel of the Lord said this birth, the birth of our lord, will CAUSE GREAT JOY.

Not happiness. (which it includes)

Not emotion. (which it includes)

This is a clear distinctive of the believer:

The world wants to be happy - and if your not - keep looking for your happiness…. But the world is continually LET DOWN by happiness!

there is increasing levels of depression which is because of the age we are living in and specificially its related to overall happiness. Where you look determines what you think

If you are looking at someone else - for that level of THING in life - You will be let down because what is someone elses version of happy is not the same as yours.

Depression rates are so HIGH - dont need to GO into this but happiness it seems is an increasing moRE DIFFICULT GOAL - and i think the reason is that weve forgotten perhaps how happiness works. Its WHATS HAPPENING AROUND US!

I know this because i love doing the THINGS that make me HAPPY. what are they?

I love to go out on my boat - and FISH

I love to go out on my surf board - and surf

I love to smoke a 10lb rack of ribs for 6 hours...

but what is the commonality between thos things - YES THEY MAKE ME HAPPY - But they ALSO END

The boat returns to shore

The wave im surfing on ends

The meal is HAD

Happiness is NOT ENOUGH - Do you see why the angel didnt say happy now?

This is the reason

Because Happiness is temporal (its not enoughyt

(know there is a difference: you may not be happy…. and if you are - remember no one can steal your joy) because…..

2.JOY PENETRATES TO THE LEVEL OF THE SOUL & SPIRIT.

Romans 14:17 ESV

17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Three quick words to get us around this: INTERNAL, CENTRAL, ETERNAL

Joy is Internal - Its not surface level. Its deeper than emotional state, current situations or circumstances,

Joy is Central - Joy in the Lord is a central theme in our lives, not a periphal one. I cant have Joy in one area and be miserable in another. I cant claim to have the koy that comes from God yet be unhappy or bitter towards God because of my plight. Joy is central. It takes the lead role front and center or not at all…..

Joy is Eternal - “Joy is like Happiness, but with purpose”. eternal significance.

Think about this: No one is miserable in HEAVEN. There is ETERNAL JOY?

why> because you get to see Jesus. You get to see GOD.

(dimly lit.. now fully seen)

JOY changes the game for a person - why because it resides at the deepeest level of the soul. But its what JOY does that makes it so amazing.

Joy cannot be contained within the individual.

Joy in the Lord is expressed:

With strength

Nehemiah 8:10 ESV

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.”

With Praise

1 Kings 1:39–40 ESV

39 There Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!” 40 And all the people went up after him, playing on pipes, and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth was split by their noise.

The pslams are filled with examples of Joy expressed in Thanksgiving, Worship and Praise… and in a life that Gives GOD THE GLORY.

Psalm 35:27 ESV

27 Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, “Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of his servant!”

3.TRUE JOY IS ONLY FOUND IN THE LORD JESUS

JESUS WILL CAUSE YOU TO HAVE GREAT JOY

How do you get this joy?

Luke 2:10 NIV

10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.

cause and effect… right there: Jesus / a attentive gaze at Jesus will cause GREAT JOY.

Looking at Jesus: and you will have this GREAT JOY in your life.

A constant, full and complete JOY: continous and consistent….. the issue with this in our world today is that far too many people visit the story of Jesus, consider it Joyful, and then dont ever loop back for anothe 365 days and nothing every changes at the level of the spirit.

TRUE JOY IS FOUND IN JESUS (In the Manger)

When we gaze upon him, with the eyes of our spirit, we are forever changed.

Its in Jesus that we will be our most joyful: He said it himself. Jesus promised it actually. We talked about promises last week, but listen to what He said to His disciples in John:

John 15:7–11 (ESV)

7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 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.

This word: full.. in the greek it means to recieve a complete filling, a full degree supply all that is needed:

its the same word used in the early church when they recieved the holy spirit:

Acts 13:52 (ESV)

52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

TRUE JOY IS FOUND ONLY IN THE LORD JESUS… and THE PROMISED HOLY SPIRIT. No where else will we find this kind of fulfillment

Do i want you to be happy? sure… if the moment provides for it….

But what i do really want… what does God really want for your life?

the Joy that only comes in YOU SEEING JESUS. This is GREAT JOY

True Fulfillment comes from the Lord, and no other place

“There is nothing that be given at Christmas time that will anser the hole in your heart. For it is not a material; hole.: it is a spiritual hole, And until that spiritual void is filled, then we live in a world without fulfillment” - Begg.

Isaiah 29:19 ESV

19 The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord, and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.