Joy

Advent 2024  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  38:26
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Yahweh's joy for us, Our joy in Yahweh.
The third Sunday of Advent is “joy” - joy in the first and second advents of Jesus.
Zephaniah 3 is a prophesy that covers aspects of Jesus’ first coming and his second coming.
It expresses the “already-not-yet” tension in which we wait for Jesus’ second coming.
We will be answering these questions concerning joy in the advents of Christ:
How is joy expressed?
Why do we have joy?
What is the source of our joy?
Who rejoices over us?
How does he rejoice over us?
When is this joy realized?
Zephaniah 3:14 .
Zephaniah 3:14 ESV
14 Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Zephaniah commands the Israelites to express their joy in three ways.
First, they are to sing aloud.
Second, they are to shout.
Third, they are to exult.
The first expression of joy is to “sing aloud”. This reminds me of Psalm 98:4-6
Psalm 98:4–6 ESV
4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! 5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody! 6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!
Thankfully, for me it not singing with joy in perfect pitch or harmony. It is singing making a joyful noise.
Song is an effective way of expressing joy. It is also an effective way of cultivating joy in our lives.
The second expression of joy is to “Shout”. Yippee! Hallelujah! Amen! Psalm 35:27 embodies this shout of joy.
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!”
Let’s give a shout of joy to the Lord.
The third expression of joy is to “exult”. The football player expresses his joy by exulting in the in zone with a victory dance. Isaiah 61:10 says
Isaiah 61:10 ESV
10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
We need to live in the triumph that Christ has purchased for us on the cross. Perhaps this could be expressed in a victory dance.
Zephaniah 3:15-16 .
Zephaniah 3:15–16 ESV
15 The Lord has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil. 16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak.
Zephaniah 3:15-16 gives us the answer as to why we have joy.
First, we have joy because judgement has been taken away.
Second, we have joy because our enemy, the devil, has been defeated.
Third, we have joy because Yahweh is in our midst, removing our fear.
We have joy in the removal of judgement. This was fulfilled in Jesus’ first advent, through his death and resurrection.
We have joy in the removal of judgement, for “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace...” (Ephesians 1:7).
We have joy for the enemy has been defeated. Colossians 2:15 makes this clear.
Colossians 2:15 ESV
15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
We have joy because Yahweh is in our midst - God with us, Emanuel. The Spirit of God dwells in us (Romans 8:9-11).
Romans 8:9–11 ESV
9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
Hallelujah! God is in us, working on us.
Who is our source of joy?
Yahweh is our joy. Psalm 16:11.
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.
Zephaniah 3:17 .
Zephaniah 3:17 ESV
17 The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
Who is rejoicing over us?
Yahweh is rejoicing over us.
He rejoices over the redeemed with saving power.
He rejoices over the redeemed with gladness.
He rejoices over the redeemed with quieting love.
He rejoices over the redeemed enthusiastically, with loud singing.
When are these joys realized?
These joys are an “already-not-yet” tension, culminating at the second coming of Christ.
The spiritual aspects of joy have been fulfilled in Christ’s first advent.
The physical aspects of joy will be fulfilled in Christ’s second advent.
Rejoice in Yahweh, for he is rejoicing over you.
In his second advent we will experience forever the fulness of joy.
“Come, Lord Jesus, come!”
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