The gift of Joy

A Sunday School was putting on a Christmas pageant which included the story of Mary and Joseph coming to the Inn. One boy wanted so very much to be Joseph, but when the parts were handed out, a boy he didn't like was given that part, and he was assigned to be the inn-keeper instead.

He was pretty upset about this but he didn't say anything to the director. During all the rehearsals he thought what he might to do the night of the performance to get even with this rival who got to be Joseph.

Finally, the night of the performance, Mary and Joseph came walking across the stage. They knocked on the door of the inn, and the Inn keeper opened the door and asked gruffly what they wanted.

Joseph answered, “We’s like to have a room for the night” Suddenly the Inn Keeper threw the door open wide and said “Great, come on in and will give you the best room in the house.”

For a few seconds poor little Joseph didn't know what to do. Thinking quickly on his feet , he looked inside the door past the inn keeper then said, “No wife of mine is going to stay in a dump like this. Come on, Mary, lets go to the barn… and the play was back on track.

We are in our Advent series unwrapping the Gift of Christmas..

We have talked about the gift of Hope, the Gift of peace this morning we are going to look at another Gift that comes with the Birth of Christ … and that is the Gift of Joy...

T/S The Christmas Story comes with the proclaimation of joy.... we are going to look at three needs when it comes to our joy..

1. Our need to Aspire to Personal joy.

There seems to be this internal need in everyone of us, to possess happiness.

The philosopher Aristotle called happiness the summum bonum—the greatest good.

“The Greatest Good” is view that happiness is the ultimate goal of people's lives.

Aristotle argued that is why we do what we do, we seek what we seek and love what we love, because we believe these things will make us happy.

Blaise Pascal 17 century philospher in his work Pensées said something similar.

All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end.

The cause of some going to war, and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views. The will never takes the least step but to this object.

This is the motive of every action of every man, even of those who hang themselves. Pascal

The question is — Is it is wrong for a Christian to seek after happiness? Is there such a thing as Christian Hedonism? Does God care about our creature comforts?

I was reading this article by a staff writer of John Piper.. His name is Jon Bloom - the article is entitled: Why your happiness is important to God....

Bloom says that “God blatantly entices us to seek happiness, joy, pleasure —” He quotes

Psalm 37:4 ESV

4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

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.

Is Jon Bloom right? Does God Blatantly entices us to seek happiness? lets keep this thought on the burner as we move through this message.

In the Narrative of Christ’s birth we see the story of God’s attitude towards our personal Joy.

When the Angel appears to Zechariah the father of John the Baptist… He was in the Temple burning incense before the Lord - it was a once in a life time opportunity…as in those days there were more priests than needed and so it was quite an honor for Zachariah to be chosen.. What Zachariah never expected or anticipated was an encounter with an angel.. In Luke we read that...

The Angel Gabriel appears to Zachariah and announces the Birth of John. Gabriel tells Zachariah that he would have a son and his name was to be John and he would be great. He would come with the same spirit of Elijah…meaning that he would be a forerunner like Elijah… and he would bring joy to others… What an incredible promise!

Luke 1:13–14 ESV

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,

Gabriel announces to Zachariahs that his prayers have been answered… now evening prayers would have included praying for the Messiah and the era of salvation… I believe that the Prayer that is answered is both personal and Messianic prayers that had been offered. They are very closely related… the birth of John is part of Mesanic expectation.. fulfillment of both prophesies found in Mal… Mic…

Zechariah and Elizabeth had been faithful in serving the Lord… Luke tells us that they had kept all of the Lords commands and they were blameless… Yet, they had not been able to conceive a child… Gabriel says that to Zachariah you will have a son.. who would be John the Baptist.

The promise that Gabriel gives is that God would bring Zachariah and Elizabeth PERSONAL JOY.

Gabriel says, “You will have joy and Gladness and many will rejoice at his birth”

The phrase “will have joy” is interesting phrase … it comes from one greek word eime “to be” or to “bring into existence” it is written in the future indicative… meaning that this is something that it is both predictive and factual…

He and Elizabeth will be having a child…and he would bring them personal joy… the literal interpretation is that “His birth will make you very happy… He will be your pride and joy....

Sometimes we think that God Only paints in broad strokes.. big picture...and not interested in the details of our lives. It is some how easier for me to believe that God would bring joy to many than God would bring joy to me personally… — For Zachariah and Elizabeth Joy had been delayed but it was coming...

Delays are often painful… and we often wonder why certain things unfold a certain way… We learn that Delays are not always denials…

What we don’t often see is that our story is often woven into His “ Story” — if you find yourself waiting in prayer this morning… be encouraged… trouble may last for an night… but joy comes in the morning… the morning is when God sheds his light upon your life..

Habakkuk 2:3 ESV

For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.

Zachariah does what many of us do and that is that we have a tendency to Doubt when faced with the miraculous nature of faith.

Zachariah starts to try and interpret the events around him with logic and reason. He and Elizabeth…were well past child bearing age… add to the fact that Elizabeth has been barren their whole marriage.…And it is not like they hadn’t tried… they had prayed for so many years .... To be honest they had come to accept the way life was… Why now??

… It is not that Zachariah didn’t know that God could do the impossible....he knew the history of Israel- He knew what God did for Abraham and Sarah… What Zachariah struggled with the fact that God would to it for Him and Elizabeth…

It is sometimes is easier to believe hat God would do it for someone else than for us..

In unbelief. Zachariah asks for a sign and Gabriel gives him a sign...Zachariah looses his ability to speak until the Birth of John…

We learn from Zachariah.. Is that..

God’s pursuit of glory and our pursuit of joy is not supposed to be different pursuits, but the same!

John Piper says, “God is most glorified in you, when you are most satisfied in him.”

Christian Hedonists find their greatest pleasure — in seeking Christ.

The great commandment say in Matt 22. Love the Lord your God with all your heart mond And soul and the second is like it… live your neighbor as yourself.

By Christian Hedonism, we do not mean that our happiness is the highest good. We mean that pursuing the highest good will always result in our greatest happiness in the end.

if you abandon the pursuit of your own joy, you cannot love man or please God. (piper)

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T/S The gift of Joy reveals three needs...

1. Our need to Aspire to Personal joy.

2. Our worlds need to Hear the message of Joy.

Psychologists and neuroscientists have done all kinds of research into the anatomy of joy.

They've mapped the pleasure centers in the brain; they've isolated "joy genes" in our DNA; they've identified the chemicals that stimulate pleasurable feelings; they've studied identical twins in order to explore environmental factors.

There's something to be learned from all these disciplines—there are physiological factors, psychological forces, and environmental influences that affect a person's happiness.

But the bottom line is that there's still a mystery about where joy comes from. Scientists know where it doesn't come from. Numerous studies over many years have determined that joy is not linked to circumstances. Money, success, status, age, gender, ethnicity, even physical health doesn't have any significant correlation to joy.

What Joy is most linked to,,is relationships. Research has discovered that experiences of joy almost always involve a real or perceived relationship with someone or something.

A team of psychologists from UCLA put it this way: "Joy springs from connection and communion between the joyous and another person, object, or idea." UCLA

When Gabriel also Appears to the unsuspecting Shepherds with the message of the good news of great joy for all people…

Luke 2:10 ESV

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.

Gabriel connect Good News to Great joy…

Lets think about the meaning of Good News for at the surface level for a moment…We have all had good news..

The day Pam said yes to a marriage proposal… that was Good News… When Pam fell pregnant with the children… Good News.... I remember the day that I got my acceptance letter to both college and Seminary… It was good News… I remember when I heard back from the search committee that they wanted us to move to California… Good News… The day we sold our House… GOOD NEWS...

We can go through our lives and track GOOD NEWS… Good News makes an impact…and can change the direction of your life....

Proverbs tells us that Good News refreshes the bones..

In other words Good News has within itself sense of Renewal and strengthening…

But the...

Good News that Gabriel announces is “good news of great joy for all people.” The announcement of Joy would strike a note with those who heard this news..… IT WAS A NEW DISPENSATION.. It was the arrival of Messianic age which brought hope not just into the present but eschatological joy… FUTURE HOPE FOR ALL GENERATION and all people… ETERNAL JOY.

We live in a Word that is so Short in the Good News department …

Good News is that Jesus came down to us…

The Good news is found in the manger through the incarnation… John 1:1 --- in the begining was word of God and the word was with God… He is the source of everything… all things were made by him… Then the word became flesh and lived among us… the reason He did this is that every person could experience —everlasting joy..

The Good News is that when we trust God’s grace to save us through the work of Jesus, our sins are forgiven, we get a purpose for living, and we’re promised a future home in Heaven.

God has never made a person he didn’t love. Everybody matters to him.

When Jesus stretched out his arms wide on the cross, he was saying, “I love you this much!”

Rick Warren,

1. Our need to Aspire to Personal joy.

2. Our worlds need to Hear the message of Joy.

3. We need to understand the Anatomy of Joy

A couple of weeks ago our young at heart ministry met again… Frank and Shirley do an amazing job leading this ministry.... It is always fun being with this group … Because laughter and fun is always on the menu… whether it is a joke by a Homer a comment by Bill --- or something Frank has prepared.... there is always something that just brings joy… C.S Lewis said that joy is the serious businesses of heaven.” Joy matters!

The evangelist Billy Sunday once said, “If there is no joy in your religion there is a leak in your faith.”

When Mary goes down to Elizabeths house we are told that baby leaped for joy within his Elizabeths womb.

What followed is Mary’s Song of Praise… This is a response to the Good News…

Luke 1:46–55 ESV

46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; 52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

A. Joy begins from the inside out.

This portion of scripture has been called the Magnificant…simply because it is the first words in written in the latin Vulgate Bible is the Words - Magnificent — Mary is vocalizing something externally that has transpired with in her Heart…

Mary says my Soul Magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my savior.

The soul and the spirit is the immaterial part of a person - it is where we get the word Psyche.... means the inner life of a person… which includes our psychological faculties.. the Bible talks of the heart, or mind, the spirit or it the the conscience part of man…

The great commandment say love the Lord your God with all your heart Soul and mind..

We can praise God with our minds… … One of the reasons why we often don’t have Joy is that our minds are focused on all the wrong things… instead of meditating on things that bring us joy and peace… we think about all the problems in the world…

I have learned is that I will not solve the problems of the world… I can’t solve your problems either.... or my own for that matter of fact… but the life of Joy is lived first in the inner life.

The book of Philippians is the book on Joy… and Paul tells says

Philippians 4:8 ESV

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

The Gr hosa,whatever means, “as much as longs as possible”

As long and as much as possible --- think about honorable things… as long and as much as possible think about justice.... as long and as much as possible things about things that are pure..... as much as possible think about the things are excellent.... And the God of peace will be with you…

The theologian J.I.packer said that

“the secret of joy for a believer lies in the fine art of thinking.”

Mary says — my Soul magnifies the Lord… means to Enlarge or make Great… to cause to be held in greater ...

Mary rejoices in her Spirit… the word pneuma speaks of her spirit --- closely related to the intellectual part of man… is spirit of man… immaterial person — it is the life principle… we are spiritual beings… Spirit can grieve, spirit can resist, the spirit can rejoice… be glad…

Joy has to be internalized..

b. Joy Focuses on Christ The source of joy.

There is a bumper sticker that says, “Joy Happens.” It's a nice thought, and there is something serendipitous about joy, but that message isn't quite accurate.

Research and experience suggest that joy flows. It springs from somewhere and flows into our lives through some relational channel.

Think of it this way: a light bulb has within it all the necessary wiring to light up, but the bulb has to be connected to some external source of power to actually produce light. In the same way, we are wired to experience joy, but some kind of connection is required for that joy to come to life.

There is a theological question WHEN IT COMES TO Christ being THE SOURCE OF OUR JOY. We have to ask ourselves what is our concept of God… Is our concept of God happy God or unhappy a God?

There are some who imagine that God is up there somewhere - just waiting up for us mess up… God of judgement and justice…

If God was only these things - he could not be the source of what we most desire…and that Happiness.

What we see in Mary’s song is her vision of God?

[He] has done great things (v. 49).

Holy is His name (v. 49).

His mercy extends to those who fear Him (v. 50).

He has performed mighty deeds (v. 51).

[He] has lifted up the humble (v. 52).

He has filled the hungry (v. 53).

The vision that Mary has of God… is one of a loving God… full of mercy, full of grace, compassionate… a God took notice of her…that God look upon her with His Favor… Mary knows that it was God’s unmerited favor that came to her… she did nothing deserve anything she was receiving.. it was God who elevated her to the place and privilege of being the mother of the Messiah...- where every subsequent Generation honors her… When they think of Mary they call her blessed… It is means to declare someone fortunate.... It’s God who justifies and makes us righteous…

The American writer O. Henry has a short story about a boy who was brought up in a village. In school he used to sit beside a girl and they were fond of each other. He went to the city and fell into evil ways. He became a pickpocket and a petty thief. One day he snatched an old lady’s purse. It was clever work and he was pleased. And then he saw coming down the street the girl whom he used to know, still sweet with the radiance of innocence. Suddenly he saw himself for the cheap, vile thing he was. Burning with shame, he leaned his head against the cool iron of a lamp standard. ‘God,’ he said, ‘I wish I could die.’ He saw himself.

Christ enables us to see ourselves. It is the death-blow to pride. The moral revolution has begun.

Conclusion

We have just over one week until Christmas day… as some point gifts are going to be put under the tree… There is going to be some waiting… The gifts we are talking about --- you don’t have to wait to open… you don’t have to wait for Hope, Peace --- or joy --- or love…

In fact, if you are waiting for something to happen in order for joy to arrive, you are doing something wrong.

If you are thinking, I'll be joyful after I finish my degree, when I get married, when my marriage ends, when I get that job or that promotion, when we have children, when the kids leave—if you are waiting for joy—then you are doing something wrong.

If you are going to wait until conditions are perfect to be joyful, you will wait until you die. It is often the people who are in the most pain who are the most joyful.

"This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it"

Psalm 118:24 ESV

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

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