The God who Gives Joy, Advent 3

The God who gives Joy.

When was the last time you had a good belly laugh? Like almost cried you laughed so hard?

When was the last time you woke up chipper?

When was the last time you were genuinely smiling even though you were hurting or facing a challenge?

Joy strengthens us.

Joy is inner resilience. It fills the heart with energy, hope, and courage, especially in difficulties. Many cultures—and Scripture itself—teach that “the joy of the Lord is your strength” because joy stabilizes and fortifies the soul.

Joy anchors us beyond circumstances.

Happiness depends on what happens.

Joy can exist even when circumstances are hard, because it flows from purpose, connection, and hope.

It reminds us that life is bigger than the present moment.

Joy keeps the heart open.

Where fear and anxiety shrink the soul, joy expands it.

Joy makes us more generous, more relational, more empathetic, and more willing to take healthy risks.

Joy deepens relationships.

Joy is relational. Neuroscience shows that shared joy builds trust, attachment, and emotional safety.

It bonds families, strengthens friendships, and unites communities.

Joy fuels worship and purpose.

Joy draws us toward what is good and meaningful.

It fuels a heart of worship and keeps our motivations rooted in love, not fear.

Matthew 2:1-11

Joy is found in Jesus and results in generous expressions of worship.

One contrast you cannot miss, is that The Magi were royal and brought gifts in worship. Herod, king, was envious and sought to take life.

Magi vs. Herod

1. Worship vs. Self-Importance

Magi: Seek the true King, rejoice in His presence, kneel in humility, and surrender their direction to God’s leading.

Herod: Masks hostility with fake worship while operating from fear, pride, and self-preservation, refusing to yield his throne.

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2.Generosity vs. Greed and Envy

Magi: Open-handedly give costly gifts, honor Christ with devotion, and celebrate God’s work beyond themselves. They had Joy

Herod: Hoards power, offers nothing, becomes consumed with envy, and resents any honor that doesn’t center on him. He had fear.

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3. Alignment with God vs. Antagonism to God

Magi: Follow God’s guidance, respond to His revelation, and willingly join His redemptive story.

Herod: Resists God’s rule, rebels against His purposes, and aligns with worldly systems of control, violence, and self-exaltation.

The way of Herod is the way of fear, control, and self-preservation

…grasping for power, threatened by God’s rule, driven by greed and envy, and willing to harm others to protect a fragile throne he felt was “his own”.

…if we feel like it’s our, we protect it at all costs.

…if we know it’s not ours, we give it back freely

The way of Herod will never satisfy.

Isaiah 55:1–3 “1 “Come, everyone who is thirsty, come to the water; and you without silver, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without silver and without cost! 2 Why do you spend silver on what is not food, and your wages on what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and you will enjoy the choicest of foods. 3 Pay attention and come to me; listen, so that you will live. I will make a permanent covenant with you on the basis of the faithful kindnesses of David.”

Isaiah 55:8–12 “8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration. 9 “For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return there without saturating the earth and making it germinate and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, 11 so my word that comes from my mouth will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do.” 12 You will indeed go out with joy and be peacefully guided; the mountains and the hills will break into singing before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.”

Haggai 1:5–7 “5 Now, the Lord of Armies says this: “Think carefully about your ways: 6 You have planted much but harvested little. You eat but never have enough to be satisfied. You drink but never have enough to be happy. You put on clothes but never have enough to get warm. The wage earner puts his wages into a bag with a hole in it.” 7 The Lord of Armies says this: “Think carefully about your ways.”

…Envy will create entitlement that robs our joy. (Hag 1)

The way of Herod is the way of our secular culture, and it won’t satisfy.

1. We equate joy with achievement.

In America, joy is often pursued through productivity, success, and performance.

We tell ourselves things like:

• “I’ll be happy when I get the promotion.”

• “I’ll feel joy when I’m financially secure.”

But achievement-based joy is fragile and short-lived—one setback can collapse it.

Result: Exhaustion, burnout, anxiety, and a constant sense of “never enough.”

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We confuse joy with consumption.

Joy is marketed as something you can buy, whether it’s:

• a new phone

• a vacation

• a bigger house

• the next Amazon box on the doorstep

Consumer culture trains us to feel temporary highs, not durable joy.

Result: Momentary excitement → followed by emptiness → leading to more consumption.

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We pursue joy through comfort and convenience.

Much of our culture orients life around avoiding discomfort:

• convenience apps

• instant entertainment

• minimal waiting

But deep joy requires presence, relationship, and sometimes struggle—things convenience can’t produce.

Result: We become less resilient and more easily overwhelmed.

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We pursue joy separately instead of communally.

American individualism says:

• “You do you.”

• “Find your personal happiness.”

But joy is relational by design. Neuroscience confirms: joy grows when it is shared. joy comes most deeply through giving, serving, loving, and receiving love.

Result: We often feel lonely even while “chasing happiness.” A culture centered on the self struggles to find real joy.

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We chase stimulation instead of satisfaction.

Entertainment, social media, and digital dopamine spikes keep us stimulated but not satisfied.

We are over-entertained but under-fulfilled.

Result: Dull hearts, shorter attention spans, and constant restlessness.

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We mistake freedom for joy.

American culture often celebrates freedom as:

• no limits

• no obligations

• total autonomy

But limits, commitments, and responsibility actually create meaningful joy because they build stability and purpose.

Result: A culture full of options but low on meaning.

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Bottom Line, The American pursuit of joy often leads us to:

• chase happiness instead of cultivate joy

• seek stimulation instead of transformation

• elevate self instead of community

• run faster instead of slow down

• hoard instead of give

Meanwhile, true joy—biblical joy—comes from worship, connection, generosity, and aligning our lives to God’s purposes, not cultural pressures.

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The way of the Magi is the way of humble, sacrificial worship

…seeking God’s true King, following His leading with open hands, offering costly generosity, and rejoicing in the presence of Christ.

The Way of the Magi will always lead to joy, because worship and generosity are the way of Jesus.

The Magi viewed Jesus as a gift to earth; Herod viewed Jesus as a threat to his way of life. How you view Jesus will determine everything.

Generosity Liturgy: Holy Father, there is nothing i have that you have not given me. All i have and am belong to you, bought with the blood of Jesus. To spend everything on myself, and to give without sacrifice, is the way of the world that You cannot abide. But generosity is the way of those who call Christ their Lord; who love Him with free hearts and serve Him with renewed minds. Who withstand the delusion of riches that chokes the word; Whose hearts are in your kingdom and not in the system of the world. I am determined to increase in generosity until it can be said that there is no needy person among us. I am determined to be trustworthy with such a little thing as money that You may trust me with true riches. Above all, I am determined to be generous because You, Father, are generous. It is the delight of Your daughters and sons to share Your traits, and to show what You are like to all the world.  Amen.

Proverbs 11:25–30 (NLT) — 25 The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. 26 People curse those who hoard their grain, but they bless the one who sells in time of need. 27 If you search for good, you will find favor; but if you search for evil, it will find you! 28 Trust in your money and down you go! But the godly flourish like leaves in spring. 29 Those who bring trouble on their families inherit the wind. The fool will be a servant to the wise. 30 The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life; a wise person wins friends.

Joy abounds when we choose to sow seeds of blessing to others and to God.

Gifts are meant to be shared with others.

Paul says the gifts God gave us are for the common good.

We may not be gifted with mercy, but we all must show mercy. For us without the “gift”, it becomes an act of discipline and devotion; and we learn and take motivation from those who excel at generosity, mercy, etc.

Joy is found in fellowship with God and His family.

1 John 1:3–4 “3 what we have seen and heard we also declare to you, so that you may also have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.”

Romans 15:32 “32 and that, by God’s will, I may come to you with joy and be refreshed together with you.”

fellowship = participating partnership

Philippians 1:3–5 “3 I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, 4 always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.”

Philippians 4:10–19 “10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly because once again you renewed your care for me. You were, in fact, concerned about me but lacked the opportunity to show it. 11 I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself. 12 I know how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. 13 I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me. 14 Still, you did well by partnering with me in my hardship. 15 And you Philippians know that in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you alone. 16 For even in Thessalonica you sent gifts for my need several times. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the profit that is increasing to your account. 18 But I have received everything in full, and I have an abundance. I am fully supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you provided—a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

Joy is found living outward with an open-hand, not inward with a tight grip.

joy comes in the seeds of generosity, not envy.

holding and hoarding what you have, will not bring you joy.

contentment and sacrificial generosity will bring you joy.

we resist the way of the world during this season - envy, consumerism, and comparison.

Paul commands those with resources to excel in this, and others to contribute as a worship

1 Timothy 6:17–19 (CSB) 17 Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy. 18 Instruct them to do what is good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and willing to share, 19 storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of what is truly life.

• Greed twists joy into indulgence—“more stuff = more happiness.”

• Materialism promises joy through experiences and purchases, but only Christ gives lasting joy.

2 Corinthians 9:6-14

God loves a joyful giver, because He delights in His kids acting like Him and glorifying Him.

Communion Ending...

Christmas truth: Joy is not about getting everything you want, but receiving what you could never buy—God’s Son.

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Talk it Over (being honest & open with friends, a spouse, or your Group)

This week we looked at the Advent theme of Joy given by God. What is one idea from Sunday’s message that impacted you?

Read Matthew 2:1-11. What is the Holy Spirit saying through these verses?

In what ways do the Magi’s actions in Matthew 2:1-11 exemplify the joy that comes from worship?

How does the biblical understanding of joy differ from the world's definition of happiness?

What are some practical ways you can express joy in your daily life, even during tough times?

How can you recognize when you are choosing temporary pleasures over lasting joy?

What steps can we take as a community to cultivate an atmosphere of joy and generosity?

Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-14. What does this passage tell us about joy and generosity?