Joy Advent, 2021 (2)

Joy Advent, 2021

“The Joy of Salvation”

Isaiah 12:1-6*

Pray

Hook

What day? The greatest day of your life.

-What has been the greatest day of your life?

-When you got that one gift for Christmas?

-When your crush said they liked you back?

-Had an amazing day with friends or family at an amusement park.

-When you graduated from High School or college?

-When you got married.

-Started the job you always wanted.

-Had a child.

-Had grandchildren.

What was the best day you ever had?

Illustration - Best day for our family. The day Alissa was born.

-Not only do I remember how happy I was when Alissa was born.

-I’ll never forget how happy my oldest daughter was, who was 6 years old.

-She came in the room smiling so big you could see the last molars in her mouth.

These days cause us to rejoice … to have joy.

-We’ve all had amazing days.

-The day our passage is talking about is the day that you will see Jesus face to face in heaven.

-It will eclipse your best day on earth.

-All of the promises of salvation will be realized.

As we will see. This prophecy about the future applies to us today and to Christmas.

-This prophecy of the future is also lived out today.

Transition - ???

Our passage today starts out talking about a special day in verse 1.

This applies directly to this passage because this prophecy is talking about the first day of you being in heaven with God.

-Final and full salvation in heaven with Jesus.

-This passage also applies directly to our salvation today.

In verse 1, Not only “in that day will I give thanks.” but

Today I will give thanks! Why?

God has turned my life upside down.

I have been redeemed.

I have been set free from the enslavement.

Vs. 1, Shown Mercy - delivered from sin and satan.

What is the day in verse 1? - The day of salvation.

There is a great thankfulness. Why are you to be thankful?

-You were brought from darkness to light.

Transition - First …???

Shown Mercy

Why were you shown mercy?

Why were you spared the punishment that you deserved?

-vs. 1, You were by nature a child of wrath.

What is wrath?

God intensely hates all sin.

God’s wrath is the good and appropriate response when the perfection that He created is broken.

God’s wrath is the loving response toward what has ruined His creation that He cares for.

Illustration - When you hear about a young child who is neglected or abused in some terrible way - we not only feel sad and hurt for the child, but some of us get angry at what happened.

God’s has an intense and right anger toward the sin of the unsaved.

Can we be perfectly honest. In our culture, in the US, we have stopped believing in sin. We certainly have stopped believing that sin deserves punishment.

-Most Christians are no different.

-Most Christians are humanists and believe that when a child is born, he or she is born with a bent to be morally good.

-The Bible tells us that we are born selfish.

-Augustine tells in his book “Confessions” of how a baby will see another baby nursing, get jealous and cry - because he is not being fed at that moment as well.

-We don’t have to teach our 2 year old to say, “No”.

-The point is that selfishness is the broken human condition.

-We all need a savior.

-Transition?

Why was I under God’s wrath?

-Have you ever tried to talk to a person and they stick their fingers in their ears and yell so they can’t hear you?

Romans 1:18-19, This person suppress the truth. They push the truth away.

There are a gazillion ways we do this:

We get busy, we rationalize, we ignore God, we allow our family to be the pearl of our affection.

-For SOME people, who chose not to come to church, they do so to suppress the truth in their life. Pause

Transition -This is where God’s great kindness enter the story.

God gives mercy to His children.

- His Children do not get what is deserved.

Anger Turned away - The reason God’s anger turned away from the Christ Follower was because His Son, while on the cross, endured the wrath of God that was pointed toward you. Jesus took on Himself the wrath you deserved.

-On the first day in heaven with Jesus, this will all be crystal clear.

-Now, we see it too & it brings joy.

-If you are in the family of God you are under the New Covenant.

-Now that you have surrender your life to Jesus, God relates to you completely (move arms) differently.

-No longer does God relate to you out of His wrath.

-He gladly and gives you grace.

-End of verse 1 says, He comforts you.

He desires to comfort you because He is your child.

end of verse 1 says, “Your anger is turned away and you comfort me.”

How is a child comforted?

-He is loved and held close.

-He is spoken to with gentleness and his tears are wiped away.

Listen to the heart of God

Dan Ortlund’s Book, Gentle and Lowly

“What helium does to a balloon, Jesus’s yoke does to his followers. We are buoyed [lifted] along in life by his endless gentleness and supremely accessible lowliness. He doesn’t simply meet us at our place of need; he lives in our place of need. He never tires of sweeping us into his tender embrace. It is his very heart.”

God desires to comfort you.

He will gladly and generously comfort you when you come to Him.

Response to the great love and mercy of God.

***If you do not know Jesus as your Savior, will you trust Him now?

I give thanks

I open my heart with humility and thank Him because without Him I would be lost.

-Would you respond right now and in your heart say, “Thank you Jesus for saving me.

-Say it to God now with a humble heart, “Thank you for saving me.”

Transition - And out of that thankfulness we see the Redeemed Declare.

Say out loud in verse 2, READ

We see in verse 2 a Stout Statement

II. Statement of Salvation, vs. 2, The Declaration

Behold - Look, Listen (let me have your attention)

A. -God is my salvation, then we see the result - the fruit of salvation -

“I will trust, I will not be afraid.”

Why is it that the Christ Follower can have peace and not be afraid.

-We trust in a God who works out of a supple sovereignty.

In His mighty rule over all he is compassionate.

-In this Supple Sovereignty...

-God is for you.

-He wants what is best for you.

-He has a tender love for you.

-You can trust and not be afraid.

And in verse 2 we see that God has become the Believers strength and song.

-God is not only your power. He is also the one who fills the believers heart.

Illustration - Do you know the most often used subject of all our songs?

From the Song of Solomon to Hair metal of the 80’s the subject of “love - and romance.” is most often sung about.

Examples of popular songs:

50’s - Heart Break Hotel

60’s - Stand by your man

70’s - 3 times a lady or Jolene

80’ - You give love a bad name, or all my exes live in Texas.

2010 - Marry Me or Single Ladies

All of those are popular and fun songs.

Do you know why artists have to keep coming our with new songs?

Songs eventually get old. They wear out. They burn out.

There is one song that will never get old or wear out.

It is so well written it will last for eternity and stay as fresh as the first day you sung it.

It’s the song of those who have miraculously had their life changed by Jesus.

They REJOICE in Jesus.

We sing these kinds of worship songs here on earth.

-The song of God’s greatness and of His great love.

Why does a Christ Follower sing to Jesus. He/she is daily reminded of having their life changed from death to life.

-We sing out of joy, because God has changed our life.

Note - The believer does hold this great song to Himself. He declares it.

-He let’s people know.

Transition - Not only is salvation to be stated out-loud. It is to be experienced.

Here in a very short verse in verse 3. We rejoice because our Salvation is Sweet.

III. Sweetness of Salvation.

read verse 3

-Salvation is more than a biblical truth.

-It is more than a theological concept.

-Salvation is also, an experience to be enjoyed.

-It’s a sweetness that goes beyond your tongue.

-It is sweet to your soul.

-Your is more than satisfied in what God has done.

-It REJOICES in what God has done.

Look how far we have come in the passage.

-In verse 1 there is the bitterness and heaviness of God’s wrath that was on us.

pay attention to the difference

He has brought you soul from heavy bitterness to the sweet saving water of salvation.

NOW

-Your soul is satisfied, it is refreshed , it is reborn.

-God has awakened your heart to the JOY of His greatness at work in you.

-Will you right now from your heart, Say to God -THANK YOU FOR JOY.

Pause

Transition - This life changing miracle that God has done in your heart demands a response. It is a response of joy.

IV. Spiritual Response

Read vs 4-6

A. Give thanks, How do we thank God? (Look at the Next Phrase)

B. Call on His name, cry out to Him

-The biggest marker in your life of spiritual pride (your hearts attitude that you don’t need God) is a weak prayer life.

You thanking Him and praising His name

C. Proclaim his name to the people

-We proclaim God’s name among the people because we want to bring more worshipers to God.

-We want others to experience the JOY of salvation.

-We proclaim the greatness of God to others because someone proclaimed His greatness to us.

D. Sing - for joy, vs. 5

E. Shout - for joy, vs 6

Closing Illustration

One of the beauties of God is that His love and forgiveness is for all kinds of people. Especially for the poor and rejected.

-The night that Jesus was born there was a group of men that were poor, smelly, and that society didn’t like very much who God appeared to.

It was the shepherds. Shepherds had the reputation of being a rough group and were known in town for being thieves.

They were rejected by men, but they were not rejected by God.

The angels and heavenly hosts appeared to them.

They went and saw the Christ child.

Their lives were changed and they were filled with Joy.

And they responded to Him.

Luke 2:17-18

17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. Note how when you encounter Jesus. When he is in you.

When you’ve received His grace, When He has become sweet to your soul,

Your love for Him comes out of you.

It comes out of your mouth.

You tell others.

Today in our passage we see all kinds of outward responses.

vs. 1, Praise

vs. 2, He is my song.

vs 4, make known, proclaim

vs. 5, Sing & tell all the earth

vs. 6, shout and sing for Joy

The 2 questions you have to answer today is this.

Has my life been changed by Jesus?

-Do I trust in Him?

2nd question - Who will I tell?

Someone shared Jesus with you.

Who will you share with.

It starts with just 1 simple phrase.

“Jesus changed my life.”

Who will you tell that Jesus has changed your life?

Why? In your midst is the Holy one of Israel.

We celebrate Christmas because, God was among us.

Where is Christmas in this? Where is joy in this?