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Joy To The
World
Isaiah 12
As we have discussed before I grew up in a house that celebrated
Christmas in two ways. We looked forward with great anticipation to a
big man in a red suit breaking into our home and leaving presents for me
and coal for my brother. But we would always stop during the day to
remember the birth of a Savior Child. As a young boy it didn’t matter
whether He was born on December 25th or July 4th we just waited for the
time when we would talk about that night in the manger, and the Angels
singing in the heavens Glory to God in the Highest.
When Trista and I marred, we discovered that the traditions we were
raised with were not always compatible. While I was raised in Churches
that Celebrated the Birth of Christ, Trista was raised in a church that
preached about the Birth in July and the death in December, and the
twain never mixed.
Now if your were raised like me and are looking for a month long
celebration you are probably going to be a little disappointed this
month. And if your were raised like Trista and would have much rather
have some sermons in July instead of December you are probably going to
be disappointed as well.
This month I wanted us to look at some Hymns that sadly have been
relegated to a certain time of the year, July or December depending on
your tradition. And I want us to sing these together and then talk about
what they mean to us as believers. Because I believe that the words that
we sing in these songs can and should impact us all year long.
What beautiful words Isaac Watts took from the Scripture. “Joy to the
World, The Lord has come.” Church have you ever noticed that we are
called to have Joy? But do we as a body of believers have joy?
I read this week that Robert Louis Stevenson once entered in his diary
what he considered to be an extraordinary thing. He said, "I have been
to Church today, and surprisingly I am not depressed." Can you identify
with that?
I believe that joy is an evidence of the presence of God in your life.
If God is in your life then this fruit of the Spirit will be obvious in
your life.
Now don’t mistake happiness for joy. It’s easy to do that. The Bible
mentions "joy" or "rejoicing" 330 times. But it only mentions
"happiness" 26 times. Happiness depends upon what happens to you. So if
all the circumstances are right, then you can be happy.
Let’s look at an example to see if we can clear this up.
In Acts 16 a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the
future met Paul and Barnabas. This girl followed them, shouting, "These
men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be
saved." Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said
to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of
her!" At that moment the spirit left her.
When the owners of the slave girl realized that their moneymaker was
gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace
to face the authorities. They brought them before the judges and said,
"These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar by
advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice." The
judges ordered them to be stripped and beaten. After the beating, they
were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them
carefully. They were put in the inner cell and fastened their feet in
the stocks. And about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing
hymns of praise to God.
Now would you say that Paul and Barnabas were happy about their present
condition? Beaten black and blue, blood flowing down their back, chained
to a cold damp jail floor? Surely you don’t think that they were happy,
but they were joyous because joy comes from the inside.
If you’re joyful in your heart, then that is good medicine. But if
you’re not joyful, if your spirit is broken, then it dries up your
bones. You become old, tired, and a person no one wants to be around.
Think about it. Who are the people to whom we are attracted? The "Gloomy
Gus" who walks around with a frown on his face? The person who sees all
the bad things in the world, who is thoroughly convinced that everything
is going to fall apart? Is that the kind of person with whom we love to
spend our time?
Not me! I am attracted to the person who has a smile on his face, & joy
in his heart.
But someone says, "Well all right, preacher, I hear you. But
circumstances in my life aren’t that good. Things have been tough. Just
why should my heart be filled with joy?"
Today we are going to look at 3 reasons that we should have joy and what
we are supposed to do with that joy. I believe that if we take these
reasons home with us & live with them daily, that it will make a world
of difference in the way that we feel.
The first one is this: We who are Christians have experienced a great
deliverance.
The Bible teaches that while we were sinners, God loved us.
While we were sinners God sent His Son to die on the cross for us. And
it teaches that when we receive Him into our hearts - when we confess
Him with our lips - when we are buried with Him in the watery grave of
baptism - then God forgives our sins & gives us the gift of His Holy
Spirit.
I know that those are familiar words - maybe so familiar that the ring
of them - the wonder of them - doesn’t have the impact that it once had.
Think about it. We have been delivered!
Delivered from my mouth that spreads Gossip, tells off color jokes, and
curses man. I deserve hell for that but Christ has delivered us.
Delivered from my insecurities that causes me to think higher of myself
that I should, and go out of my way to belittle my spouse, children,
friends, parents, co-workers, and boss. I deserve Hell for that but
Christ has delivered us.
Delivered from my selfishness that causes me to cheat on my spouse, take
things that don’t belong to me, place my family in debt as I try to keep
up with the Joneses, or withhold my tithe from God. I deserve hell for
that but Christ has delivered us.
We have been delivered. If that doesn’t bring great joy into your heart,
then I don’t know what would.
God’s Word says that when Jesus is our Lord & Savior then we have been
delivered from the bondage of sin & have the gift of everlasting life.
That’s reason #1 for joy in our hearts.
There is a 2nd element that brings joy to our hearts, and that is trust.
Every married person here knows that it is difficult for a marriage to
survive unless there is trust between husband & wife.
True friendship requires trust. Where trust prevails then peace &
harmony can also prevail.
In the same way, our Christian life can be a meaningful experience when
we learn what it means to trust God to take care of all things.
Jesus has a favorite phrase that He used over & over again. Depending on
your translation it would read, "cheer up, take heart, be not afraid, or
fear not."
A paralyzed man was brought to Him, & Jesus said, "Cheer up, your sins
are forgiven. Take up your bed & walk." Immediately the man took up his
bed & started glorifying God. He was able to walk, & he was filled with
joy.
Jesus walked on the stormy sea of Galilee & looked into the frightened
eyes of the apostles who were trying to row in the midst of the storm.
When He saw that they were afraid, thinking that He must be a ghost,
Jesus said, "Cheer up. Don’t be afraid. It is I."
In all the storms of life we can hear the voice of Jesus, "Cheer up."
On that last night, in the upper room, Jesus once again started telling
them that He was going to die. But they just couldn’t accept that. So
Jesus looked at them & said, "When the world persecutes you, & when
suffering comes your way, cheer up because I have overcome the world."
You and I have only a limited control over the circumstances, which come
our way. We are not sure what the next few months or years will bring to
our homes, our families, & to our lives.
Maybe some of the bad things we fear will come to pass. But there is
that trust - that sacred bond which brings strength to our life. And
there is the voice of Jesus saying, "Cheer up, because a joyful heart is
the very best medicine that you can take."
The Final reason we have joy is this: We have a great task to perform.
Most people who deal with others realize that the best medicine that can
be given to a person who is depressed - dealing with anxiety is to give
that person something to do.
The bigger the job the better, because the more involved we are in
performing a task - especially in helping someone else - the more apt we
are to forget our own problems & be healed of that which is causing us
distress.
Today do you want a task to perform? We have one?
The task of carrying the gospel around the world. God gave it almost
2,000 years ago & it continues today. We haven’t completed the task.
There are still lost people, friends, neighbors, relatives - people who
do not know Jesus Christ.
God has said, "Here is your task. Let them know that Jesus is Lord -
that He is King of Kings - & that He died for them."
There is an old legend about when Jesus ascended back into Heaven. When
He arrived, the angel Gabriel came up & asked, "Lord, how did it go?"
Jesus answered, "It went all right. I accomplished what I went to
accomplish. I went to the cross & died for their sins."
Gabriel asked, "But do the people appreciate what you did? Do they even
know?" Jesus answered, "Well, a few of them do - Peter, James, John, & a
few others." Then Gabriel asked, "How about the rest of the world?"
Jesus said, "Here is my plan. I plan for Peter, James & John, Andrew &
the rest to tell some others. When those people hear about it, then they
will each tell somebody else. And when those people hear about it they
will each tell somebody else until the whole world knows."
Then Gabriel, knowing the weaknesses of humankind, asked "But what if
they fail? What if Peter & James & John & Andrew don’t tell anybody? Or
what if those people don’t tell somebody else? What if they forget the
message? What if they become indifferent & complacent? What other plan
do you have?"
Jesus looked at Gabriel & said, "I have no other plan."
And He still doesn’t. That is still His plan - for me to tell somebody.
And then for the 2 of us to find 2 more & tell them. And then for the 4
of us to find 4 more & tell them. And for the 8 of us to find 8 more &
tell them, & for the 16 to find 16 & tell them until finally the whole
world knows.
There is no other plan. You want a job to do? We have one. And when
we’re doing it, our hearts are filled with a joy that the world will
never, ever understand.
In the Hymn we sang this morning we said, “Joy to the World The Lord has
come.” But unfortunately to often we sing Joy to the Christians who meet
at 2644 County Highway 250 the Lord has come. The world can’t be joyful
because we haven’t shared.
We offer to you His invitation this morning.
We pray that if you have a decision on your heart that you will make it
today - that you will not wait until some other time - but that you will
come right now.
We pray that you will turn your life over to Him.
And we pray that you will ask the Lord to have His way in your life as
you live each day for Him.
Today you can only have Joy if you know Jesus?
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