Joy for the Downtrodden

Story: sermon is about joy, but we read the word “troubled.” (imagine!) Bible written to suffering people; joy comes when we are troubled. Mary experiences God and expects

Prayer - preach joy. People need the joy of your salvation; better things are coming

Series - don’t skip straight to silent night - O Come, O Come…joy??? Music in darkness

Difference between joy and happiness???

knowing and experiencing God, not what people say or what is happening around you

more consistent - still struggle; dependent on what’s going on

Joy from what God is doing or will do, happiness from things that benefit

Introduction - Trailer of documentary, Following the Ninth, Ode to Joy

Beethoven's Ninth Symphony (ode to joy, joyful joyful) a man with little to be thankful for. Sick, no family, and completely deaf, created an anthem of joy…and protest? inspired:

Tiananmen Square; Chile, Pinochet (peenushay) dictatorship,Berlin Wall came down

Show Trailer - joy in suffering; power in joy; how do we get joy; be joyful

Cannot contrive; - How to get it

Annoy - “Be joyful!” “Don’t tell me how to feel!”

oy is to characterize a Christian - a fruit of the spirit. a command, an expectation.

Joy comes from 2 places: Experience and Expectation

Joy of present experience (e.g. miraculous grace; change; strength)

Joy for the future (harder when you look for the end of suffering; God has a plan

Joy (not elation, happiness) comes from 2 places: How we experience God and What we expect of God (Experience God, Expect to) - Experience and expectation

Experience - remembering, discerning - Luke 1:42-43 (Mary even in pain)

In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!  But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

Rewind the tapes. Everyone’s story s different. What has God done?

Joy in our Possessions? Grateful for possessions, joy if they are taken away?

Sin? Shame? Guilt? Addiction? Brokenness? Spiritual Oppression? Discipline? Sent?

caring relations = painful privilege of sharing one’s pain; Pain is real, God more real

Joy is experiencing God at work. “Testimony time!” (no boring testimonies - unique)

Joy comes from 2 places: Experience and Expectation of God

Expectation - Hard; from experience of God (past and present) Luke 1:46-47

“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

God has worked in the past, expect God to continue (sustained; disciplined; sent)

Eternal life; personal assessment - prayer, scripture, spiritual conversation???

Closure - Joy comes from 2 places: Experience and Expectation of God

“Don’t Put God in a box.”; only see God = Struggle to find joy

Only seeing God in pleasure, desired answers, outcomes. Look for God in pain,

Where is God taking you? Excitement

Practice? There is power in joy - ode to joy; boldness to sing a political song

Only from God, can’t be contrived; comes from experience and expectation

oppressed: ode to joy; frustration in surgery; God has a plan after surgery

You are alone - joy frees us from depression

Conclude: Be Joyful.

God does has worked in your life, and he’s not done