|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
A Christmas Study Around the Advent Wreath
Faith Community Church, Pipestone, MN
Dr. Oliver R. Blosser, Pastor
Sunday, December 23, 2001
Are you a joyful person this Christmas? True joy is only found in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Joy is not found in unbelief- Voltaire was an infidel of the most pronounced type. He wrote, “I wish I had never been born.”
Joy is not found in pleasure- Lord Byron lived a life of pleasure if anyone did. He wrote, “The worm, the canker, and grief are mine alone.”
Joy is not found in money- Jay Gould, the American millionaire, had plenty of that. When dying, he said, “I suppose I am the most miserable man on earth.”
Joy is not found in position and fame- Lord Beaconsfield enjoyed more than his share of both. He wrote, “Youth is a mistake; manhood a struggle; old age a regret.”
Joy is not found in power and military glory- Alexander the Great conquered the known world in his day. Having done so, he wept in his tent because he said, “There are no more worlds to conquer.”
Joy is only found in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. In no other religion and in no other literature is joy so conspicuous as in Christianity and in the Bible. Joy denotes the satisfaction of the soul in attaining its desires.
You can not have joy in your life until your soul finds its satisfaction in the Lord Jesus Christ. Joy is simply the soul’s spiritual satisfaction. Do you have the spiritual satisfaction that brings personal joy to your soul? The Bible describes different levels of joy, such as:
Gladness- And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away, Isaiah 35:10 ; cf., Isaiah 51:11.
Contentment- But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content, I Timothy 6:6-8.
Cheerfulness- A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken, Proverbs 15:13.
Joseph Hayden, the great musician, once explained why his church music was so cheerful- “When I think upon God, my heart is so full of joy that the notes dance and leap, as it were, from my pen, and since God has given me a cheerful heart it will be pardoned me that I serve Him with a cheerful spirit.”
I. There is joy in the soul’s satisfaction.
Luke’s Christmas Gospel speaks of the great joy which believers can have- And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord, Luke 2:10-11. These words were addressed by the angel to the shepherds. Thus the angel spoke to the extent that the shepherds could find personal joy through the Christmas message.
A. Joy is found in God’s character and His acts.
Joy rises above circumstances and focuses on the very character of God. In the Psalms, for example, the psalmist rejoices over God’s righteousness, Psalm 71:14-16; salvation, Psalm 21:1; 71:23; mercy, Psalm 31:7; creation, Psalm 148:5; Word, Psalm 148:14, 162; and faithfulness, Psalm 33:1-6. God’s characteristics as well as His acts are the cause of rejoicing.
Believers can rejoice in the fact that because God is merciful in His character, He in His grace, goodness and greatness brought about the act of salvation through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Titus 3:4-7. To receive this salvation personally brings joy to the believer.
B. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.
The joy required of the righteous person, Psalm 150; Philippians 4:4, is produced by the Spirit of God, Galatians 5:22. Because it is produced by the Holy Spirit, it is holy and pure. It is a gift from God. This kind of joy can look beyond the present to our future salvation, Romans 5:2; 8:18; I Peter 1:4, 6, and to our sovereign God, who works out all things for our ultimate good, which is Christlikeness, Romans 8:28-30. This kind of joy is distinct from mere happiness. Joy like this is possible, even in the midst of sorrow, I Corinthians 12:26; II Corinthians 6:10; 7:4. This is possible because it is the result of the Holy Spirit’s work in the believer’s life- For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, Romans 14:17.
Personally knowing the Lord as Savior satisfies the soul and creates joy, as the angel promised the shepherds, Luke 2:10-11. For I Peter 1:8 affirms- Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Satisfy your soul spiritually at this Christmas time that your joy might be full.
II. There is joy in the finished work of Jesus Christ
Joy is a result of peace with God, secured by the finished work of Jesus Christ, Romans 5:1. This aspect of peace is not a mere feeling, but a permanent state or condition into which believers are brought, solely as the result of the cross, the value of which is placed to their account as the result of faith. No sinner can make his peace with God. Such peace was made when Christ died and rose again. God Himself was the One who made peace through the blood of his cross, Colossians 1:20. He is our peace... preaching peace, Ephesians 2:12-17; cf., Acts 10:36.
Peace, then, is not something, but Someone! Peace is a Person! Peace is possible only through Jesus Christ, who removed the wall of partition between Jew and Gentile in order to bring all people to God. This state of peace was made possible by the grace of God. It was established by God, who represented the divine government, and Christ who represented the offending sinner. The sin-hating God met the sin-bearing Christ at Calvary and settled, once and for all, the sin question. This provided the peace that knows no change.
Receiving this peace in the soul through the completed work of Jesus Christ, creates tremendous joy- I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels, Isaiah 61:10. No wonder the angel could state to the shepherds- Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord, Luke 2:10-11. That baby grew up to become our Savior!
III. There is joy in a right relationship with God.
When you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, your soul will experience personal joy- Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation, Isaiah 12:2-3. As you maintain your personal relationship with the Lord, this joy will continue. How can you maintain this personal relationship with Jesus Christ?
1. Through praise- And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away, Isaiah 35:10, cf., Isaiah 51:11; Psalm 63:5, 66:1, 95:1, 98:6.
2. Through prayer- Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full, John 16:24, cf., Isaiah 56:7.
3. Through personal Bible study- Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts, Jeremiah 15:16.
Practice these Biblical principles and the joy of the Lord will be your strength, Nehemiah 8:10.
Challenge
Just as the shepherds found joy on that first Christmas, so you can find joy- the same joy- this Christmas season. What the Lord did for them, He can do for you!
How do we know they found joy? It is because they shared the Good News of Christmas with others, Luke 2:17-18, 20. If you have that joy, then you will want to do the same!
Through a personal relationship with the Lord, it is the Lord who makes you joyful, cf., Ezra 6:19-22. When your soul is satisfied spiritually, you will say with the Psalmist- And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation, Psalm 35:9.
This is the angelic message of great joy for all people! Claim the joy of the Lord this Christmas!