Advent - Joy
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
You are sitting in a field under the stars. You and the other shepherds are keeping watch of the flocks. The city is packed full of visitors for the census that the Roman emperor had decreed. It would be quite and calm. Like being out camping at night. Maybe you can hear the voices of other shepherds as they chat or sing to pass the evening time.
This is your simple life to care for and watch the sheep in you care all the while under the heavy yoke of Roman oppression. Though you are looked down upon as a lowly shepherd you find life much better out here in the open away from all of the bitterness and anger that resides in the hearts of the people.
Life is hard and it repeats over and over again. As you ponder life's hardships and trials and sit in your own thoughts this evening, the most unexpected thing happens.
8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors!
The only light around is the dim light of a low fire and the combined fire light from the city in the distance. An angel of the Lord is all of a sudden right there in front of them. The Glory of the Lord shone around them. Shone like a lamp the glory of God fills the area with such great light that they are terrified. They were frightened.
Don’t be afraid, listen to what we have come to say. We have good news of great joy.
It has probably been a long time since they had heard some good news. Let alone news that would be of great joy. This news is so good it is megas chara. It will bring mega happiness and pleasure. And it will be for all the people.
What could possibly bring mega joy? What could the news be that comes with the shining glory of God delivered by one of the angels? He has their attention now.
The shepherds hear these things and then the heavenly host opens up in praise God. They give God glory and honor for greatness of his hand. They witness a glimpse of the eternal worship of heaven.
They would go and find every thing as the angels proclaimed and the prophets foretold. After they find the Mary, Joseph, and the new born king they return to the fields.
20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told.
They returned with hearts filled with joy. They are speaking of the amazing things that God had done. For what they have seen and heard.
What is it that make the announcement of Jesus’ birth one of great Joy? Why did the shepherds seeing the proof that the Savior has been born result in praise and worship?
Maybe a starting point might be what is Joy? The common definition today is:
joy (emotion) n. — the emotion of great happiness and pleasure.
This is a very basic and simplistic definition but it is a good place to start as we look at the Advent of Jesus in regards to Joy. But it is more than just superficial happiness and pleasure.
If this was all there was to it the world would be fine. We hear the continual call to “do what ever makes you happy.” We live in a culture that has a primary purpose of promising to deliver any pleasure you are looking for or want to pay for. Promises of happiness are everywhere. Our movies and media are filled with thoughts, ideas, and plans to create a life that is overflowing with happiness and pleasure.
What we come to realize is that to live a happy and pleasant are not as easy everyone is selling. The issue is that joy is really dependent on it’s source. When we think of joy we are thinking of a deep feeling of gladness, delight, and inner happiness. These are all dependent on something outside of us acting on our lives. They are dependent on the blessing that has been recieved.
The more anticipated the blessing the greater Joy, the greater the blessing the greater the joy, and the more enduring the blessing the greater Joy.
The Blessing Anticipated
The Blessing Anticipated
Isn’t is true that the more anticipated a blessing the greater the joy. You have been working hard to get that degree, or that promotion, to win the sports title. When you finally get it you are filled with great happiness. A parent waits for their precious child to be born. Or a cancer patient waits for the test results to come showing that they are now cancer free. There are things in our lives that we long for and the more the anticipation, the further away it seems, the greater the joy when it finally arrives.
The Israelites have been waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promises to Abraham and many others throughout their history for a long time. For generations who looked to the scriptures for when this day would come the day that a savior would come. The Savior that they were longing and waiting to arrive. The awaited king from the line of David.
12 When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up after you your descendant, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
Other men had come and claimed to be the one foretold but they had proved to not accomplish anything. But on this night God fulfills the promise through Isaiah.
14 Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: See, the virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.
God was very specific when he spoke through Micah.
2 Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; one will come from you to be ruler over Israel for me. His origin is from antiquity, from ancient times.
They were actively looking for the one who would come and set them free and rule over them. We see this in men like Simeon that so desired to see this time.
25 There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel’s consolation, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took him up in his arms, praised God, and said, 29 Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace, as you promised. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation. 31 You have prepared it in the presence of all peoples— 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel.
There was great anticipation by many of the people of Israel. They have been waiting for many generations to see these things come to pass. This is much different than our day in which we cannot wait for a microwave to cook our food. If our phone or computer isn’t instantaneous with loading a page we want a new phone.
The people had been waiting a long time and when the arrival came those that recognized the blessing were filled with great joy.
The Value of the Blessing
The Value of the Blessing
Joy doesn’t come with just anticipation. The blessing must also be something of value. If I told each one of you that I have one penny for each of you. I will hold onto it for the next ten years and on that day we are going have a great ceremony and I will hand out the eight five cents that I put away for that day. I am pretty sure none of you would show up or even care if you recieved a penny from me in ten years. But if I had the ability to hand out $100. How many of you would show up? What if it was $100k.
It isn’t just the anticipation, it is also the value of the blessing we are waiting for. What was the blessing they were waiting for? What did people receive because of this good news?
21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
The angel announced that the Savior was born for you. A child that will save his people from their sins. This has been the meat of the beginning of the book of Romans that we have been working through.
6 Likewise, David also speaks of the blessing of the person to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 7 Blessed are those whose lawless acts are forgiven and whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the person the Lord will never charge with sin.
This child would be the the one who’s life, death, and resurrection would pay the ransom and who’s life would be credited to those who believe. All men and women of all time have been in need of a Savior and he now breathes the same air that we do.
Jesus grew and during his ministry God confirmed who he was through miracles and the fulfillment of prophesy and many would believe that he is the one who would save them.
41 Many more believed because of what he said. 42 And they told the woman, “We no longer believe because of what you said, since we have heard for ourselves and know that this really is the Savior of the world.”
He has saved his people. Not by what they have done but by his love so that they would be made right before God and become heirs with Christ with the hope of eternal life.
4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, 5 he saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. 6 He poured out his Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life.
Eternal life is the greatest blessing. For without the appearing of the savior, death would have its victory.
10 This has now been made evident through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who has abolished death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
55 Where, death, is your victory? Where, death, is your sting? 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
What was the value of the blessing that was proclaimed by the angels. The shepherds would not know yet, that this little blessing of a boy would grow up and confound the religious leaders. That he would die a criminals death as an innocent man. That he would pay the ultimate price that one can give.
18 For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb.
This life was precious and proved the great love that God has for his people.
8 But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
For there is no greater price that could be paid.
13 No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.
The blessing that a person receives from Jesus’ life includes redemption as he paid the ransom for sin, Propitiation as he satisfied God’s justice for sin on our behalf, Reconciliation, as he has restored the relationship between God and man, Victory as he has defeated satan, sin, and the final enemy, death. He fulfilled the prophesies of the Old Testament while demonstrating the greatest love the world will ever see as he establishes his church as the cornerstone.
The Nature of Joy
The Nature of Joy
All people can understand and relate to the fact that our joy will be in relation to the value and the anticipation of a blessing. Every person can experience joy in this world but there is more to the joy that a believer has. As a believer there are parts of us that are of the flesh and parts of us that are of the spirit.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.
This list is a summary of the work of God through the Holy Spirit in a believers life. This list can only be present when a the Spirit produced this fruit in a person’s life.
9 You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. 10 Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you.
Though men and women can conform their lives to a culturally acceptable form of these attributes they are corrupted and incomplete as they stand next to these that are produced from God working and through us.
The second item on the list of fruits of the Spirit was joy. The divine fruit that is produced through faith and obedience. Before Jesus was crucified he promised that his joy would be given to his disciples.
11 “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.
A joy that is everlasting.
24 Until now you have asked for nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.
In his prayer he prayed.
13 Now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy completed in them.
Three times Jesus spoke or prayed that their joy would be complete. Filled up. The third time he says that he speaks these things so that they may have his joy completed in them.
There is nothing more that can be given that could give more joy then the life of Jesus and there is a joy that we have that comes not from human flesh and mind but from the divine nature of the Spirit of God that work in us.
The Endurance of Joy
The Endurance of Joy
Without the working of God in us we would never have a Joy that would endure. We are are easily sidetracked and discouraged. We can have the greatest blessing yesterday and forget about it in a single moment the next. We can look at the blessing that someone has given and even take credit for it ourselves which removes the gratitude and delight in what was given. Without the work of God we could never live the way Paul tells the church in Thessalonica.
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray constantly, 18 give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Rejoice always. Has anyone here found that concept to be difficult to understand let alone live out? Rejoice always. But isn’t the world filled with trouble, tribulation, pain, sorrow, mourning, and many other curses that remove a person’s joy? The world is fallen, corrupt, and broken. Filled with all sorts of evils that affect every person’s life including believers. So can you rejoice when life is not going your way?
12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you, as if something unusual were happening to you. 13 Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also rejoice with great joy when his glory is revealed.
The bible never promises that we will be free of these things in this life. There are many who promise that God will take away all of those things. That is one of the false gospels that are being taught. That if you follow long enough, go to the right church, do the right things, that God will remove everything that you find wrong and unpleasant in your life.
I hate to brake the bad news. This not what is promised. There are so many people today that are fed the lie that you can live without trials in this world, if you believe in Jesus. and the gut wrenching part is that they sit and wait and wait for the blessing that will never arrive. They get disenchanted and they walk out of the church. They just fail to show up again because in their minds God is not faithful. What a lie. Instead scripture says.
12 Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.
The blessing was born and lived and died for you to be saved and receive eternal life, not for you to receive an easy life. Some might say this is impossible. Paul would claim to be overflowing with joy in their afflictions.
4 I am very frank with you; I have great pride in you. I am filled with encouragement; I am overflowing with joy in all our afflictions.
How does a person like Paul who had a hard life after his conversion say he is overflowing with joy. His life could never be described as your best life now. None of the apostles ended up with care free calm rides for the rest of their lives. But they were constantly filled with great Joy. How is that possible? One is that the joy must come from the Spirit and the second is that one must see the greatness of the blessing to overshadow the affliction in our lives.
I am always amazed after having kids that any woman would willingly sign up for it again. But when I see the joy on my wife’s face with her new born baby, I get it. The blessing overshadows the affliction. There are many examples where those that are in trials and tribulations who fix their their eyes on what is important.
2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, so that you won’t grow weary and give up.
The result of this type of focus then changes how we see the afflictions in our life.
Persecution is seen as a badge of honor not a condemnation.
11 “You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. 12 Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
After the apostles and disciples had been captured and flogged and commanded to not to speak in Jesus name they left like this.
41 Then they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be treated shamefully on behalf of the Name.
Economic hardship as part of life
1 We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that was given to the churches of Macedonia: 2 During a severe trial brought about by affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.
34 For you sympathized with the prisoners and accepted with joy the confiscation of your possessions, because you know that you yourselves have a better and enduring possession.
Trials are seen a events that mature and complete us.
2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.
In Summary
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. 5 You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials 7 so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
The Lord Jesus did not promise to take us from the world but to give us everything we need to live in it. When we look at the men and women in the bible they endured great challenges, many that lost their life to them. But they persevered because they had great joy and gratitude in what God has done.
Conclusion
Conclusion
If Joy is closely related to being in the presence of God, receiving salvation from God, and living in hope of the promises of God then the opposites of joy could be defined as separation from God, condemnation by God, and despair in the hopelessness without God.
There is much joy in our own heart when we fix our eyes on Jesus. And there is great joy in heaven for sinners who repent and believe.
4 “What man among you, who has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open field and go after the lost one until he finds it? 5 When he has found it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, 6 and coming home, he calls his friends and neighbors together, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep!’ 7 I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who don’t need repentance.
We are in the presence of God. The veil has been torn and we have access into the sanctuary. No more barriers, no more curtains, no more mediators other than Jesus himself.
And we eagerly wait in anticipation for the final blessing, the return of our Lord
20 Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.
When we look to Christmas this year. There will be great blessing for some and great trials for others. But for the Christian we are to Be Glad and Rejoice. Not in the little things but in the work of God on your life.
If we are distracted, let us fix our eyes on Jesus.
If we are ungrateful, let us see his sacrifice.
If we face affliction, hardship, and trial we put our hope in the work of God as we endure as we fix our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him, endured the cross. Consider him who endured hostility from sinners so you will not grow weary and give up.
The birth of Jesus is good news of great joy that on this day a savior has been born. The greatest blessing the world will receive has arrived.
Let us pray.
Let us pray.
Prayer
Communion
Warning
Children, Lost, Sin
19 And he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way he also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
27 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Prayer
Song
Closing
Blessing/Benediction
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
