How to Have Joy

December 15, 2024

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Well good morning!

It’s great to be here with you. My name’s Chase if we haven’t met. I serve as the lead pastor here at The Corners....and If you have a bible go ahead and turn to the book of Psalms – chapter 51, and I’m also gonna read from Malachi. The last book of the Old Testament. Psalm 51 & Malachi chapter 4 is where we’re going to start today, and then we’ll spend most of our time in the gospels.

While your turning there, can we give a shout-out to any first-time guest we have this morning, we’re so glad you’re here. (pause) And then let me also say – I was so encouraged to hear the reports from our Home Group Leaders about our Home Group Sunday this week. There should be a few pictures on the screen behind mefrom a few of the home Groups....but those of you who were able to gather as a group, I hope you were blessed by our smaller gatherings last Sunday. And if you’re a guest with us and you’re like what are you talking about...well our church is privileged to be able to rent from the Nordonia High School here...in fact can we also give a shout out to Carlton who’s back there running the lights every week....we’re privileged to be able to be here week after week...but there’s certain weeks we can’t be here because of something that’s going on here....and since we value gathering...right that’s one of the things we talked about last series, right...we prioritize the gathering....so since we don’t want to just do nothing...we get creative...and one of the ways we get creative on those weekends especially in the cold months is by having Home Group Sunday where we gather in groups and watch a prerecorded service and then talk about it.

And this isn’t just something to do because we can’t be here, but it’s really become a part of our DNA...as we connect in smaller groups, and so it’s great to see so many of you taking part in that.

And so one more announcement before we dive in and hopefully you see how it’s connected to the Home Group Sunday we just had – or at least to the fact that we weren’t here last week.......we’re gonna start something new here at the corners that Lord willing you’re gonna here pretty much every week going forward...and it’s called the Stick Six challenge.

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What is that...well this is primarily directed towards any of you who are visiting for maybe the first time or still trying to decide if this church is for you. Every local church is different, right? And we believe that it takes a while to really get to know a church, and what we’re about, and our leadership....and so we want to challenge you that if you’re looking for a church home...to give us six weeks before making a decision.

We’re not the perfect church...but after six weeks we think you’ll know enough about us to know if this is a fit for you...we have off site Sundays every two to three months so there’s a strong possibility one of those will fall in the six week challenge, and so you’ll be able ot experience and that – again – to see if this is the church for you...and if it’s not we can even offer some suggestions to help you find a church family...but if you have been coming for six week and haven’t connected yet...I’d like to challenge you stop by the Outlet and fill out one of our connect cards. Because while we value gathering...we don’t want to just gather...but we want to connect with you.

Sound good? So this is the six week challenge. Give us six weeks if you’re still exploring and if you’ve been here six weeks or more and haven’t taken a first step to connect yet – fill out the connect form at the Outlet.

[SLIDE]

As for now...if your Bible’s open to Psalm 51 and or Malachi chapter 4. I’m gonna read just two verses that will set the stage for where we’re going today. So if you’re able and if you’re willing would you stand for the reading of God’s word.

Psalm 51 – context

11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

And then in Malachi - context

4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.

5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”

PRAY

[SLIDE]

Well this is our third week in our church’s Advent series. Right, we’ve been following the traditional advent route...maybe this is new to some of us...maybe we grew up in church and stuck with a more traditional advent plan like this...but Advent...historically is the four Sundays leading up to Christmas and it culminates on Christmas Eve....and then that kicks off the Christmas season.

Right, in our modern day cultural context the Christmas season is really what leads up to Christmas...and maybe we’ll extend it to New Years....but definitely come new new years...we’re moving on...onto the new, right?

Well historically in the church – until really the last couple hundred years ...Advent has been the season of preparation leading up to celebrating the birth of Jesus...and then the Christmas season begins and it’s celebration time for like 12 days...thats where the song the 12 days of Christmas comes from.

And...during Advent...the four Sundays leading up to Christmas....there’s four common terms we usually hear around Christmas time lumped together...and traditionally in the church, one of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas is dedicated to one of them. [SLIDE]

Here they are on the screen...HOPE...PEACE....JOY...and LOVE.

And the reason why these words are mentioned so much during this season, is because really understanding the Christmas story...and focusing on the fact that God became man...right that’s what Christmas is all about – it’s called the INCARNATION....and when we really focus on that, we realize that it’s only because of the incarnation we can experience Hope...Peace...and Joy...and it’s because of the incarnation that we can really know what Love even is, amen?

But here’s the problem. Okay...if you saw the service from last week...I kind of mentioned this then...but if we’re not carful...we can over sentimentalize this season...and even these words...and really they can lose all there meaning.

And so the past couple weeks we talked about this with hope and peace...that the hope that we have in Jesus is seen in the entire story of the Bible from Page 1 – Chapter 1 – Verse 1....to the final verse in Revelation we see the whole story is the story of God and his rescue mission if you will to redeem sinful, fallen, broken humanity with Himself...and he did so through becoming one of us...and the whole Old Testament is waiting...and longing for...and hoping for God to save us...and then now we’re living between the first coming of Jesus and waiting for him to return where we’ll spend eternity with him! That’s our true hope in this crazy world.

And then last week we saw that we can have peace as we wait because of WHO Jesus is.

The one who calmed the storm...the one who walked on water is the same God who parted the waters in the book of Exodus, and here’s the craziest part... he’s the same God who’s present with us this morning. And we saw that focusing on those truths that we can’t fully wrap our mind around can bring us peace in even the craziest parts of our life.

Well now we come to Joy. [SLIDE]

Anybody recognize her. Who is it? It’s Joy! Right? One of my favorite animated movies. Top five all time. But it’s the movie Inside Out, right? And if you’ve never seen it. First of all that’s your action step. Its not a Christmas movie....but the movie is following the emotions of this young girl named Riley. And the emotions are anthropomorphized into characters like this....there’s joy...and sadness...and anger...and a bunch of others.

Well, I was looking a little into the character of Joy for the movie...and some of the earlier concepts for the movie. And here’s what I found. Originally the character was going to be called Optimism. And then for a brief stint they through around the idea of Happiness....but here’s why decided against that. And here’s why – this a quote from an article about the movie.

Inside Out’s creators, including director Pete Docter, made a smart choice to name her character “Joy” instead of “Happiness.” Ultimately, joy is just one element of happiness, and happiness can be tinged with other emotions, even including sadness.

Okay I won’t spoil the movie, but if you’ve seen it you know Joy and Saddness have to learn to work together, but – Did I just spoil it? My bad.

But here’s my whole reason in mentioning this. The director, and the writers of Inside Out realized that there’s a difference between Happiness and Joy. (pause) But they were missing something. Okay – they said joy is just one part of happiness. (pause) And that sounds good and all...but I don’t think that’s entirely true. No, here’s what I want you to know and this is our overarching point for the day: [SLIDE]

Unlike happiness, joy is not tied to our external circumstances.

What do I mean by that, well what this means, is that if we think of Joy and Happiness as simply synonymous, I think we’re missing the mark. (pause) And even if we think of Joy as simply a subset of multiple emotions that leads to happiness like what the Inside Out Directors are seeming to imply...that joy is just an element of happiness....again, I think we’re missing out on what the bible labels as true joy.

Okay let me read just one passage that I think really illustrates this...this won’t be on the screen behind me, but check this out. This is from Hebrews chapter 12 and here’s what it says [SLIDE]

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the – what’s that word - joy that was set before him endured the – what’s that word - cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Nothing happy about the cross.

Okay, there’s several verses we could look at but again...I just want you to see there’s something fundamentally different about joy and happiness. (pause)

[BLANK SLIDE]

See, there’s so much talk in our culture about the pursuit of happiness...in preparing for this message, I saw a statistic that said on Google there are close to 100,000 searches every single day from people who are asking how can I be happy.

There was a report called the 2024 world happiness report....Its like 180 pages and I only read like 14 because it wasn’t happy at all. (Puase) but it showed that the United States is the 24th happiest country in the world....that the younger generations are less happy than the older which is actually a shift in relatively recent time.

And this one was is really not a happy stat... 45 percent of people have not felt true happiness for more than two years and 25 percent don't know, or have forgotten, what it means to feel truly happy.

If those statistics are to believed, which I think they are....than that means many in this room as well are longing for happiness. (pause) Maybe you’ve forgotten what it means to be truly happy.

Well what I want you to know today is that while happiness is great...right, I don’t want to sound like we shouldn’t enjoy being happy....if you go into work tomorrow and your boss doubles your salary...that should bring some happiness. If you go to the doctor and get a clean report of health...that’ll bring happiness. If the Browns beat the chiefs today...okay lets be realistic....But happiness is great. BUT – what I want you to know is that what we need is something deeper...and that something deeper is Joy.

So how do we find true joy? That’s the question I want to answer....and I want to do something a little different before we turn to the Word and see the answer in the Word. I want to look at the Heidelberg catechism.

Okay, Catechisms are historic documents written in question and answer form to help us understand and articulate the truths of scripture. Okay...so these aren’t on the same level as the bible, but they help us because we stand on the sholders of the men and women who wrote them. So I want to look at the first and second questions of the Hidelberg Chatichism, so this is over 500 years old. But lets read these together. I’ll read the question and then lets read the answer out loud together.

[SLIDE]

- READ QUESTION & ANSWER 1

So that’s what brings us hope...that’s what brings us peace and should bring us joy...but look at question 2

[SLIDE]

- READ QUESTION & ANSWER 2

How counter cultural is that? Like the world says that we’re not supposed to talk about all that, right? Like we’re not supposed to talk about sin and depravity...all that. No...that won’t bring joy and it certainly won’t bring happiness.

[BLANK SLIDE]

I love this quote from Blaise Pascal (17th century Mathmaticism...the one who said there’s a God shaped hole in all of us)

“Being unable to cure death, wretchedness and ignorance, men have decided, in order to be happy, not to think about such things.”

Right this is the approach. Let’s distract ourselves from the brokenness of the world....let’s get lost in the fictional universes of books and movies and TV shows, or poor all of our attention into sports or bring outdoor....or the lives of our children or spouse....and that’s all great....

but what happens when our favorite author writes in a plot twist we don’t like. Our our favorite TV show gets canceled. Or if something happens to our children or our spouce....like there’s no lasting joy tied to even the best parts of life outside of Christ.

But what the catechism reminds us...again these truths stemming from scripture....is that joy is rotted in knowing who we are before God...and what God did about that.

We don’t like to talk about sin....but the only way to find joy in the good news of scripture is to realize there’s bad news.

And I think we find that joy illustrated in a remarkable way...in the life of one man who didn’t shy away from the bad news – and that’s John the Baptist.

[SLIDE]

So what I want to do with the rest of our time....the second half of this message is to look at the life of John the Baptist...see where he found joy...and then see how that compares to our lives, and how we can find joy.

So that’s the outline for the rest of our time together. John the Baptist’s Life...His Joy...and our Life and Our joy....so if your Bible is still open to Malachi 4, I want to read the last couple verses again.

5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”

[SLIDE]

Now check this out....we saw this when we walked through the bible last year and saw how the whole book is one connected story. Jump over to Luke chapter 1.

Context....man named Zacheriah is doing his priestly duties in the temple

11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.

Now I say this every Christmas...angels as described in the bible are terrifying!

13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

So from the moment John was born....he was given one job. (pause) Prepare the way for Jesus!! And somehow...some miraculous way....he knew this from the time he was in utero. Jump down to verse 39 of Luke 1. And this is amazing. This is after now Mary has also been approached by an Angel. She’s told she’s gonna give birth to Jesus. Well Mary and Elizabeth the mother of the one who would become John the Baptist were cousins. We don’t know if they were first cousins or exactly what the relationship was, but they’re related and look at verse 39.

39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.

Now, there’s a lot we could draw from this story. But there’s just one point I want to make. Here it is: [SLIDE]

From before John the Baptist was born, he had one purpose in life, to serve Jesus.

Okay....again...he was the one who was prophesied about from before the New Testament time began...400 years before his birth, his birth...or his existence was foretold. He is in many senses the last Old Testament prophet, even though his story shows up in the New Testament...but there’s really just one thing to know about his life...and that’s that he was born to live for – and as we’ll see in a second – to die for...Jesus.

Now...many of us have heard the story of John the Baptist....we know who he is....if we didn’t grow up in church, maybe we haven’t.

But turn with me to Mark chapter 1. I’m just gonna read a few verses.

While you’re turning there, let me say John the Baptist has nothing to do with any of our modern day church denominations.

[SLIDE]

And I say that only partially joking, but I’ve heard people ask if John the Baptist is tied back to the our modern day notions of Baptists...like there’s John the Baptist....you know...Doug the Lutheran...and Pete the Methodist or something.

So, no - if the modern day notion of Baptist is in your mind...he was very different. (pause)

But check this out....Mark chapter 1, verse 1. This is the start of Marks Gospel...and we looked at two stories in Mark last week to see that Mark really has one goal in his writing and that’s to emphasize the divinity of Jesus. (pause) So check this out. Mark 1:1

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,

“Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, 3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’”

Pause really quick....YHWH – this is a claim to the divinity of Jesus

4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. (This is meant to tie him to Elijah (don’t have time to turn there) 7 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Now...the next verses show us the Baptism of Jesus, but turn with me to just the previous book...Matthew Chapter 3 verse 13 because Matthew elaborates just a little more on the baptism of Jesus than the other Gospel writers. And I think it’s worth reading his account.

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Okay so a remarkable story...losts we could unpack there as well, but lets jump to one final sections of scripture and that’s John chapter 3.

I told you we were gonna be jumping around all the Gospels today. We just read from Mathew, we saw Marks claim of Jesus’ divinity through the ministry of John the Baptist, we saw John’s orgin story if you will – that he jumped with joy in the womb at the mention of Jesus in the book of Luke...now look at John chapter 3.

And this is right after one of the most well known stories in the Bible....John 3:16 and Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus. We’ll come back to that conversation next week, Lord willing. But check this out. I’m gonna read in the NLT starting in verse 23, so John 3:23

23 At this time John the Baptist was baptizing at Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there; and people kept coming to him for baptism. 24 (This was before John was thrown into prison.) 25 A debate broke out between John’s disciples and a certain Jew over ceremonial cleansing. 26 So John’s disciples came to him and said, “Rabbi, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you identified as the Messiah, is also baptizing people. And everybody is going to him instead of coming to us.”

Okay, so you see what’s happening? People see Jesus’ crew baptizing people and John’s people are like – yo John he’s steeling your people. Like people are going to him instead of you!!

Let’s put this in today’s perspective. John people are going to his church instead of yours! People are going to his small group!! (pause) But look at John’s response this is amazing.

27 John replied, “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven. 28 You yourselves know how plainly I told you, ‘I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him.’ 29 It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the bridegroom’s friend is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success. 30 He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.

See John realized who he was....what his mission was....and who Jesus was. (pause) Which leads to our second point – John’s joy.

[SLIDE]

John the Baptist's joy came from humbly recognizing who Jesus was.

His joy stemmed from humility.

So what’s this have to do with us today? Well this brings us back to where we started. There is a fundamental misunderstanding in our culture of what our primary pursuit should be.

Our jobs, our relationships, our kids, our spouses...non of that can or will bring ultimate fulfillment in our lives and non of that can bring lasting joy! Because what we need is a joy that transcends the lows and the highs of life...but all of those are other things are often the causes of the lows and the highs! (pause) So how do we have a joy that’s constant in the lows and highs of life?

And often the approach, and I already said this, but the approach is to try and distract ourselves, from the lows? Like when our job causes stress, when our spouses disappoint, when our kids stress us out...we look for joy in distractions.

Social media, drinking, sports....you name it. Well, I love this quote from C.S. Lewis he says:[SLIDE]

It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

We are far to easily pleased. And so.... brothers and sisters, and this goes far beyond the realm of any cultural self-help guru of our day, what we have to realized is that in our life we can’t find true joy in that which fluctuates, and we can’t find true joy in the distractions...but here’s where we begin to find a lasting joy and this is our third point.

In our life, we have to realize that our primary purpose is to serve Jesus.

[SLIDE]

Our primary purpose in life is to serve Jesus.

That’s it! Which brings us back ot the Hidleburg....What is our only hope in life and death? That we are not our own, but belong to him! Or what about the Westminster Catechism?

Do you remember how that starts? Question 1 - What is the chief end of man? Answer? To glorify him and enjoy him forever! How do we do that? Question 2 By the word of God because that is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy Him.

See this is why the catechisms help us because the remind us to take our eyes off of the temporary and to focus on the eternal because when the storms of life hit....that was last week’s message, right...when the storms of life hit we need something deeper than try and and be happy.

We need something deeper than what the 100,000 people on google are searching for every day in their pursuit of happiness...we need something that will get us through the storms and that’s a focus on Jesus!!

Which brings us to our final point.

True joy comes when we humbly recognize who we are, and who Jesus is.

See this is where it all comes together with John the Baptist....There’s no prophesy in the Bible about any of us having to go eat locust and where camel skin the desert. Everybody say amen to that, right...we don’t have to do that.

But do you remember what we saw in Ephesians in the last series? That if we’re in Christ, we were chosen before the foundations of the world.

If you are a follower of Jesus, than just like John the Baptist, you were chosen from before you were born. And that should define everything about you.

And when we realize that God loved us so much...despite our sin...despite all the foolish things we do day in and day out...all of our foolish thoughts...he loves us....so much he sent his son to die for us...then how can we not want to live our lives in total surrender to him?

How an we not want to make him the focal point of our lives? (pause) And when we do that...when we make him the focal point of our lives...not all the other things...even the good things....when Jesus is at the center...that should humble us...and bring with it joy.

John the Baptist would go on to be imprisoned. He’d go on to be executed....for really no reason at all. Before then in matthew 11 – we won’t turn there – but when John’s in prison he here’s what Jesus is teaching...and it doesn’t quite sound like the conquring king message he thought Jesus was gonna bring, and so he sends messengers to jesus to ask...like are you the guy we’re waiting for? You sure?

John’s life...like ours...wasn’t necessarily remarkable, right? I mean he’s in the Bible and we’re still talking about Him...but it wasn’t....filled with happiness. (pause) Like anyone want to trade spots with him? Eat bugs, wear itchy clothes, and get your head cut off? No?

But through it all...he had joy.

See, this is the kind of Joy Paul’s talking about in Philippians, and this is the last verse we’ll look at and then we’ll land the plane. Philippians 4...i’ve said many times this verse get’s taken out of context - maybe more than any other verse...this verse is often used to say I can do whatever I want, I can get whatever I want...you know Jesus is my good luck charm and give me what I want but look at this verse.

[SLIDE]

11...I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.

Pause....the whole backdrop fo this chapter is joy....he starts by calling the people his joy....he says he’s rejoicing...but...and we can’t exegete this passage...but Paul’s locked up! Like John his life isn’t always happy! But look at this. He says I’ve learned to be content. The Greek word there is Auta-rah-kays....and one commentator says the term is used in the New Testament to express a Christian’s sufficiency in God’s provision.

12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Do you see what he’s saying!! He’s saying whether I have what I want or not...whether my external reality is matching with my internal desire...or not....I’m good. Why? Because I’ve got Jesus!!

See many of us are looking for in our career, in our degrees, in our relationships, or in any other things that which only Jesus can fully satisfy.

We’re looking for joy in the temporary. (pause) But true lasting joy comes in saying...that’s all good....happiness is awesome. I want to be happy. But even if I’m not...I’ve got Jesus.

So I want to ask you church....is Jesus plus nothing....enough to bring you joy.

If you lost all that dear to you....would you still be able to say that you have joy?

I love this quote from my mentor, Pastor Derwin Gray...he says this [SLIDE]

“Joy isn’t everything working out. Joy is God forming you into a person whose circumstances no longer dictate your emotions.”

That’s hard, right? I am in no way trying to say this is easy nor am I claiming to have mastered this. But...this is why we need this. [SLIDE]

Our discipleship pathway, right? You thought this was over from the last series. No this is hear to stay for our church.

This is why we need to prioritize the gathering. Because...and this is so important here this church...this is so important especially as our church continues to grow. We have to realize that we are not an assembly of perfect, trial free people.

No, we’re far from it. (pause) See what can happen in churches of any size, but especially as we see more and more new faces is we can think....man I’m the only person in the struggle. I’m the only person who’s kids don’t listen. (pause) I’m the only person struggling with this sin. I’m the only person who got into 17 arguments with my spouse on the way here.

No, we’re all a bunch of broken people. And if you’re perfect you should probably leave because we’ll mess you up.

But this is what’s so beautiful about the church gathering...is that we’re a bunch of broken messed up people who are saying yeah we’ve got problems, but we’re leaning on Jesus. (pause) And we’re encouraged by each other week in and week out in our mutual pursuit of joy despite our circumstances.

That’s why I love our call to worship!

But this isn’t enough, right? We need to form deeper connections to help us when we loose sight. We need to be connected to each other outside of Sundays so that we can call each other out in our walk....and say hey I think your priorities are off...like you’re focusing a little too much on the world and not Jesus. That doesn’t happen in the corporate gathering, but it does in our Discipleship Communities, right? And as relationships are formed in our serve teams.

And we want ot know God....so that he continues to mold our hearts and shape our affections...and then we Grow in maturity and true and lasting Joy defines us, and then we want to help others have that same Joy!

And it’s a constant cycle....we need this in our pursuit of Joy.

But it all comes back to a focus on Jesus, right?

CONCLUSION [SLIDE]

Let me share this with you and then we’ll be done. We’ve said each week that this series is called Emmanuel God with Us because Emmanuel...the name means God with Us.

God didn’t remain distant...but he became one of us, right? Well, I think one of the most clear pictures of this is seen in Jesus’ baptism. And I got this from my pastor growing up, Pastor Alistair Begg...and the bible doesn’t clearly state this so this is conjecture....but he said it’s not hard to imagine that the baptism ministry of John there may have been a line of people getting baptized, right?

- We’ve all been in that situation, right....a line whether it’s at the BMV or Ceader Point.

But he said, think of the fact that there may have been a line...and John’s Baptism....we didn’t really hit on it, but scripture makes it clear...it was a Baptism of Repentance...what’s the mean...it means everyone in the line knew they were sinners.

By being baptized by John....you’re making a public declaration of faith saying...I am a sinner I would like to turn from my ways and repent.

But then something happened. (pause) Jesus got in line.

Jesus got in the line full of sinful men and women....even though he was without sin. Why? You ever think about that? Why did Jesus need to be baptized? (pause) well there’s a number of theological reasons, but here’s just one...this is a qupte from Pastor Alistair Begg here’s what he says:

He was identifying with our predicament. He was making it clear that he didn't come to live at arm's length. He was making it plain that he loved those who were in the line and knew them to be sinners. This is the Jesus to whom we're introduced.

And then he says,

God the Son, in the experience of incarnation, exposing himself totally to the events of time, walks into the Jordan river in an expression of solidarity with people for whom he would one day die. And in that moment of putting himself in the line, if you like, the Father who opens the windows of heaven sends the other accompanying member of the Trinity to alight upon him in gentleness to assure him of his place, and speaks from Heaven this word of attestation.

Friends how can this not give us joy despite our circumstance. I don’t know what kind of week you’ve had. Even in the last 24 hours, I know we have people in our congregation who have been walking through the lowest lows. (pause) Happiness is not always within reach, and friends God-forbid we ever become a church where we show up on a put on a face that says we have it all together because we don’t!

We’re all struggling....if we could open up the mics we’d be here till next week....

We’re not trial free...and there’s moments...maybe even the majority of moments for many of us when happiness as defined by the world may be far from reach...but...listen to me the God who created us...came down from heaven...became one of us...stepped into line with us...and would ultimately die for us so that if we put our faith in him we can have everlasting hope in the world that is to come....we have a peace that surpasses all understanding now...and we have a deep unsurpassable joy regardless of our lives’ circumstance...not because of anything we’ve done...but because of Jesus is God and God is with us.

And that’s what Christmas is ultimately about.

So I have to ask...do you have this hope and peace and joy? Do you know what it means to be joyful not just on the mountain tops, but in the valley? That’s why we started with Psalm 51...

If not, we’d love to pray for you. (people in back and elder at outlet)

Gonna end with a song......

PRAY