Finding Joy In Our Discouragements

Yellowstone

Good Morning. So today we get to try and wrap our arms around Joy. Now just a little disclaimer. If we have anybody in here named Joy please do not try to go give Joy a hug. Social distancing please. Metaphorically speaking we are going to wrap our arms around Joy.

When I told Elisha that I was preaching and what the topic was she had some great feedback for me. She told me that my sermon really only needed be one sentence. Now some of yall got excited right there.

She said you should just say I find joy in my wife. And while yes that is true that will only work for me so we might be here for a few minutes.

Has anybody in here ever been to Yellowstone National Park? It’s a unique and beautiful place. It was the first National Park established in the world. Even if you haven’t been you’ve likely seen pictures or video of Yellowstone. Think about all the wildlife that is there Eagles, Elk, Wolves Bears Bison…then theres the mountains and waterfalls and rivers.

But perhaps the most memorable thing for most people is the geysers.Right? The park basically sits on top of a huge supervolcano that is brewing beneath the surface.

Now believe it or not there are many different types of geysers. Usually there’s water involved like Old Faithful which is probably the most famous geyser in the world. It erupts about 20 times a day shooting steam and water into the air.

There are other well known geysers in the park too. The Grand Prismatic Geyser is the largest hot spring in the US and there are countless small pools and puddles that bubble and occassionaly shoot superheated water.

Then there’s these muddy geysers called mudspots. They are like cauldrons of goo somewhere between liquid and solid. Kind of like a pot of oatmeal on a stove. They bubble and boil and come in different colors depending on the minerals they hold.

So why in the world am I talking about geysers this morning. They kind of remind me of JOY. And like geysers JOY bubbles and overflows and has to find its way out in some form or another.

Sometimes for some people it’s a big bursting eruption like Old Faithful and other times JOY might be a slow boil or bubble like those mudspots. But no matter what’s surrounding it or influencing it JOY has it’s source deep within.

JOY is the trait we are exploring today. If you’ve been with us the past couple of weeks you know we are celebrating ADVENT. Quick recap ADVENT means “coming” or “arrival” and is marked by expectation, waiting, anticipation, and longing. ADVENT is not just an extension of Christmas however its a season that links the past, present, and future.

ADVENT offers us the opportunity to share in the longing for the coming of the Messiah, celebrate His birth and to long for His second coming. Each week of this series we are focusing on a different attribute of God represented in the coming of Jesus: HOPE, PEACE JOY and LOVE.

SO today Because Jesus has come to be God With US, we can experience JOY no matter what discouragement we may be going through.

There is a lot of joy in the Biblical Christmas story especially early on. It is important to note that this joy isn’t seperate from pain and dissapointment. In fact much of this story is born out of long disappointment and grief. Let’s dig in to the stories of Elizabeth and Mary.

Luke’s Christmas story begins a little earlier than Mary and Joseph and Jesus with a prophet named Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth.

Luke begins in Chapter 1 verses 5 through 7

New Living Translation Chapter 1

5 When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron. 6 Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations. 7 They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old.

There’s a lot of information right here in these two verses. First we have Herod keeping the Jews under harsh Roman control. These are difficult times. Then we meet Zechariah and Elizabeth both of priestly lineage. In a time with religious corruption and power plays these two are described as righteous, blameless, and faithful. Luke also tells us they are old but have never been able to have children.

That changes suddenly and miraculously when Gabriel shows up and tells Zechariah that his wife is going to have a son.

We will pick it up in verse 11

New Living Translation Chapter 1

11 While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. 12 Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. 13 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. 14 You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. 16 And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. 17 He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”

18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.”

19 Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! 20 But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”

Now it seems that Elizabeth is quicker to recieve the news than her husband was. IN verse 25 she says:

New Living Translation Chapter 1

25 “How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.”

Now there’s an odd note in verse 24 about Elizabeth going into seclusion for 5 months. Maybe that has something to do with her not being able to have children. I’m sure that would have been a lifelong source of pain and sorrow and even shame in that culture. I’m sure she questioned herself. I’m sure the rumor mill was busy casting blame on her and perhaps pregnancies that ended in miscarriage that dashed her hope and self worth.

Maybe that’s why she stayed in seclusion. Letting her hope blossom into JOY.

Now if we were watching the movie version of this some deep narrator voice would come on and say…MEANWHILE IN GALILEE…Gabriel makes another appearance this time to Mary and he’s delivering the most important and miraculous pregnancy announcement ever.

New Living Translation Chapter 1

28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

Now check out Mary’s response to this in verse 38

New Living Translation Chapter 1

38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.

She accepts the news willingly and gracefully but don’t you know the doubts started coming in waves after that. Not married, pregnant, engaged. She was about to face scorn and shame and ridicule. Even Joseph her fiance didn’t believe her at first He made plans to break off the engagement.

Now Luke tells us in verse 39 that Mary hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea to where her relative Elizabeth lived.

And this right here…This is where JOY erupts.

Against the backdrop of discouragement, distance, grief, and shame JOY comes bursting through for these two unlikely mothers.

Here is what Luke records in 41

New Living Translation Chapter 1

41 At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

42 Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. 43 Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? 44 When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. 45 You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”

No more explanations, no more worry about being understood All Mary had to do was say hello and not only did Elizabeth know but Elizabeth’s baby knew and leaped within her. This is exactly what Mary needed and her JOY came busting through as well.

She praises and thanks God beginning in verse 46:

New Living Translation Chapter 1

46 Mary responded,

“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.

47 How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!

48 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,

and from now on all generations will call me blessed.

49 For the Mighty One is holy,

and he has done great things for me.

50 He shows mercy from generation to generation

to all who fear him.

51 His mighty arm has done tremendous things!

He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.

52 He has brought down princes from their thrones

and exalted the humble.

53 He has filled the hungry with good things

and sent the rich away with empty hands.

54 He has helped his servant Israel

and remembered to be merciful.

55 For he made this promise to our ancestors,

to Abraham and his children forever.”

This is an outpouring of JOY in the midst of all the distress and turmoil that has happened and will happen JOY flows out from Mary. There are three things I think we can take and apply to our own experience with JOY from this story.

It’s OK to be joyful— and HAPPY

For some of us this is a no brainer. For some of us this makes us a little uncomfortable and a lot of that depends on our past and our spiritual history. Often in Christian circles the two get split with happiness being more of a secular idea which is less valuable and JOY as spiritual and more important.

But the Bible doesn’t make any distinction between joy and happiness. The original Hebrew and Greek terms used in the Bible to describe the two are essentially interchangeable.

There is great joy in the Christmas season and it’s good to embrace and celebrate that joy. Sometimes it’s hard to find the right balance in our lives to really experience it. THose of us who are driven by obligation, busyness and guilt during this season It’s ok to stop say no and pause and embrace a part of this season that brings you personal happiness.

And to those of you who are hurting or grieving or feeling discouraged by this past year it’s OK to feel and embrace JOY. God sees you no where you are.

Our longing for happiness and joy is a natural desire that God has placed within us Whatever term we want to call it the most important part is our of joy and happiness.

2. JOY is our Strength

There is a great example of this in the story of Nehemiah. He got permission to return to from excile in Babylon and rebuild Jerusalem starting at its walls.

This wan’t just a construction project it was a spiritual reawakening. In chapter 8 he calls all the people together and they bring out the Law of Moses and read it. Nehemiah is calling the people to remember and return to their relationship with God. Some are weeping. There were probably some tears of joy but most were from sadness as they recognize their guilt and drifting from God.

Then Nehemiah says this in chapter 8

New Living Translation Chapter 8

10 And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!”

Celebrate…Enjoy....Why? They were weeping. Because this is a time for joy that God has brought them back and is restoring their city. AND THEIR HEARTS. And the source of strenght is the ver JOY of the Lord.

Our true source of happiness, joy, fullfillment comes from Jesus. He brought JOY into the world and provided ultimate fulfillment and life. The apostle Peter describes it this way

New Living Translation Chapter 1

8 You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9 The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

Now this is not a don’t worry be happy, put on a plastic smile and fake it kind of joy. Sometimes joy is like Old Faithful erupting from our spirits and sometimes it is a thick slow bubble to the surface. The JOY of the Lord can be felt no matter what we are facing. And that leads to my final point.

3. We can CHOOSE JOY

There are a lot of uses of the word REJOICE in the BIBLE. REJOICE is the verb form of JOY. It’s the action of feeling or expressing joy and delight.

Notice is starts with the prefix-----RE----- The RE prefix means once more, or again, or a return to. So to REJOICE is to return to JOY. It’s a choice and action we can take to return to JOY. I’d like to add that for us it is a return to our source of joy ITS A RETURN TO JESUS.

This is the only way we can find true delight and satisfaction. The process is the same for all of us. No matter where we find ourselves in our current situations.

We must return regularly, daily, constantly to JESUS our source of JOY> It’s why rejoicing is our process of refueling our tank, restoring our strength, and renewing our spirits. It’s reconnecting with our Savior.

It’s in this process the Apostle James’s words make sense when he encourages us...

New Living Translation Chapter 1

2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

Sometimes that’s the last thing we want to hear. Joy can sometimes feel so FAR AWAY. James isn’t telling us to be happy about our trials He’s saying Find JOY in them. See beyond them to the bigger picture. GOD is working for our good in every situation. That bigger picture starts at our source in JESUS.

PSALM 13 is a great example of rejoicing. It starts with a painful cry.

New Living Translation Psalm 13

1 O LORD, how long will you forget me? Forever?

It ends with a reminder and a declaration

New Living Translation Psalm 13

5 But I trust in your unfailing love.

I will rejoice because you have rescued me.

This is where we find authentic joy. Rejoicing in GOD. This is how we celebrate in this season as we remember and turn to Jesus who has come to be with us and to give us joy.