Sermon Tone Analysis
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Biblical Joy is our focus for this second week of Advent.
Similar to the way we talked about hope last week, I want to challenge you to think about joy in an intentional way too.
First of all, let’s establish that Joy is a gift from God.
In one sense, anyone can experience joy because God is the creator, and because people are made in his image, and he’s a God of Joy, people can have joy.
In the same way that the emotion of love, and acts of love can be experienced by anyone, and feelings of hope, and fulfillment, and so on…
And all of these when experienced on any level are because God is the moral, absolute, good, infinite, originator of all good things…
But there is a falling short with all of these in this world.
The world is limited, and cannot know love, or peace, or hope, or joy in their ultimate sense.
Neither could Israel.
In the same way that God infused hope into His people through the promises of the coming Messiah, he also infused a sense of Joy in those who understood His work of redemption and salvation.
Put it this way…those who are rescued from sin and the tremendously awful consequences of sinning against God, are joyful.
Those who remain in captivity and bondage, though they might taste joy momentarily, can never know GOD’s Joy.
I want to know GOD’s JOY.
What’s the difference between His Joy, and every other source of joy?
Psalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Fullness.
God is never going to go broke on joy.
He has full joy.
He is full OF joy.
TO be in His presence is to be in the presence of JOY!
But let’s return to this idea of being intentional about joy.
For this, let’s examine this text, Psalm 126:5-6.
Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!
He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
This, being a song of ascent, was a song that was sung as Israel made their journey to Jerusalem for the festival and feast days.
It was a time to remember God’s faithfulness, and what he’d done for them.
In this song, they recall
1.
Their time captivity in Babylon and how God delivered them from it.
2. Their immediate response to their salvation… Joy and laughter expressed outwardly.
“We were like those who dream.”
This is too good to be true.
Is this real?
Are we really free?
3. The affect it had on the enemy nations around them.
Then they said “The Lord has done great things for them.”
And how does the world like Christian experience of God’s salvation?
Some wonder, some mock, some hate, some attack, others are indifferent.
Israel said “We are glad.”
So, believers, be glad in your salvation, and what has been done for you in Christ, no matter what others may say.
Then verse 4 takes a turn from the honeymoon phase of salvation, to the hard work of intentional joy in God, and what it takes to keep moving forward with hope.
Though they were free from captivity, the journey was not over.
SO they would sing… “restore our fortunes like the streams in the Negeb.”
The negeb was a region full of dry river beds that would get flash flood in the Spring.
What causes flash floods?
When there’s more water than the land can handle.
Restore us, oh Lord, like that…
Work in our lives, overflow the riverbanks.
I don’t want just a sprinkling of rain, I want a flood of God’s blessing over me.
That’s the request.
That’s what believers should want.
But look at the reality described in the next 2 verses that finish up this psalm.
Those who sow in tears...
Who are they?
SO we have to think, why are they sowing, and why are they crying?
And then they go from crying to weeping.
Ever been there?
Ever done that and you didn’t even know why you were getting progressively worse?
I’m convinced that the sowing in this text is everything in life that just has to be done, regardless of circumstances.
That’s a learned attitude, isn’t it?
Kid’s don’t get this right away.
They need to be taught.
Go take out the trash please… tears, weeping…and then falling to the floor in a fit, no more forward motion, no more sowing, and definitely no joy.
Adults, we struggle with this too.
Some more than others.
Can’t people be whiny sometimes?
I can.
I hate getting out of bed.
One of the worse things in the world.
But it’s a must if anything of consequence is going to be accomplished in my life and for the people I love.
So I need to be intentional.
But the sowing isn’t necessarily connected to the weeping.
It’s not sad, in and of itself, to sow seed.
it’s the other stuff that encompasses us, and distracts, and frustrates, that makes us cry and weep, but the sowing must still be done.
It’s a crucial part of the process of fruitfulness and joy.
If a farmer doesn’t sow, then no matter what else he does, or how much sun and rain and good fortune there is, he will NOT be coming home with anything.
In verse 1 we see Israel is free from captivity.
They have been restored.
There is salvation and joy and praise on their tongues.
But life is hard.
And sin abounds.
And the curse is still prevalent.
And the world rages on and curses God, and hates good and rejoices in evil.
Those with faith in God are still persecuted.
Work is tiring, and people can be difficult.
It’s laborious to disciple children to follow Jesus when satan tempts them every day.
Then there’s our own sin and rebellion and spiritual laziness that we all deal with daily.
…But we want to be like streams in the Negeb, don’t we?
This is the Christian life.
God’s people don’t stop sowing when tears are flowing.
We look by faith to the promises of God, not because this life is promised get easier, but that final redemption is coming.
There is a day when those who persevere will come home, and the joy will be incredible.
Intentional joy is choosing to sow seeds of righteousness in a world of unrighteousness, because our inner joy is secured in the work of Jesus Christ.
Much of Israel’s history as they awaited the messiah would have felt like great sorrow.
Sorrow in the waiting, with promises of a joy to come that would outweigh the struggle.
They sang this song, and others, to preach to themselves that this life is not all there is, and there is a life to come where joy will be reaped unending.
Praise God for this truth!
Church, this is the intentional joy we need to yearn for, yes, in this season, but at all times and every season.
And we do this by looking to Christ, the completion of our joy in God.
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