Christmas is Coming: Joy
Christmas is Coming:Joy
Pastor Charlie Weir
Luke 1:1-4 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
While happiness is circumstance dependent, joy is Jesus secure. To have joy is to elevate the promise over the process. Joy evaluates the precariousness of the present through the lens of a secured and fixed future.
Opposite of Joy
sadness/grief/sorrow
misery/despair/trial
numb/indifferent/disheartened
Joy in Christ is much more than learning how to “believe the best” it is learning how to believe The Promise!
The Promise of Jesus are the seeds of Joy.
Malachi 4:1-3 (Message) “Count on it: The day is coming, raging like a forest fire. All the arrogant people who do evil things will be burned up like stove wood, burned to a crisp, nothing left but scorched earth and ash—a black day. But for you (words of Hope), sunrise (word of Joy)! The sun of righteousness will dawn on those who honor my name, healing radiating from its wings. You will be bursting with energy, like colts frisky and frolicking. And you’ll tromp on the wicked. They’ll be nothing but ashes under your feet on that Day.” God-of-the-Angel-Armies says so.
“Nothing is over until God says it’s over and when He says’ something is over, it’s over!”
- Pastor Charlie
Luke 1:13-20 (NIV) 13 … “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” 18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” 19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”
Malachi 4:5-6 (NIV) 5 “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”
Zechariah’s hesitancy is typical of ours. When God taps us for mission we ask, “Who me?” When God promises the end of a difficult season we ask, “How?” Remember, Joy begins with a promise. If you wait on a promise to be fulfilled before you begin to be joy-full you will miss out on a lot of joy!
Q: What does it take to live in the promise of joy during a pause?
A: Receive, Obey and Sing!
Luke 1:39-45 (NIV) 39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
Mary’s Song
Luke 1:46-55 (NIV) “My soul glorifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. 50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. 51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. 52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful 55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”
Mary’s joy produced an uncontainable personal song, “The Magnificat” meaning ‘my soul magnifies the Lord’.
She worships and rejoices…
In God because of His knowledge of her and His deeds for her.
In God’s extended mercy demonstrated through His past mighty deeds. Why this piece? Because “what God did, God still does”!
In His reordering of authority – the “lifting the humble” In Jesus’ first sermon He said: “Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the Earth.”
In His filling the hungry with good things. Jesus also said this in that same first sermon: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled.”
Zechariah’s Uncontainable Personal Song
Luke 1:68-75 (NIV) 68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. 69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David 70 (as he said (promised) through his holy prophets of long ago), 71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us—72 to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, 73 the oath he swore to our father Abraham: 74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear 75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
Zechariah’s Song Continued…
Luke 1:76-79 (NIV) 76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, 77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven 79 to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide
Our Song of Joy
Stanza 1
Remembrance
Psalm 98: 1-3 (NIV)1 Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. 2 The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. 3 He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Our Song of Joy
Stanza 2
Celebrate Present Promise
Psalm 98:4-6 (NIV) 4 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; 5 make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, 6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn— shout for joy before the LORD, the King.
Our Song of Joy
Stanza 3
Look Forward to the Future Promise
Psalm 98:7-9 (NIV)7 Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. 8 Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; 9 let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.
An Advent Bow
Joy is sparked by a promise. Don’t waste another joy minute, go ahead and en-joy the promise!
Joy in Jesus isn’t wishful thinking. 2 Corinthians 1:20-22 20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. 21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
Joy is not depleted in the pause. 2 Peter 3:8-10 8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Joy is supported by history. God’s past work in history opens the door for His promise to be applied to me.
Joy culminates in a firsthand experience with God’s loving kindness expressed in Jesus.
While happiness is circumstance dependent, joy is Jesus secure. To have joy is to elevate the promise over the process (pause). Joy evaluates the precariousness of the present through the lens of a secured and fixed future.