Advent: Joy

From Pastor Ryan Lewis's message on Luke 2 • December 16, 2020

The sound of children laughing. Serving others. Joining with fellow believers in worship. The anticipation of Christmas.


JOY. It’s easy to describe, but not as easy to define.

In Luke 2:10-11, an angel announces,  “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”


This verse tells us WHO joy comes from -- Jesus.


Perhaps it’s hard for the world to define joy because the world doesn’t know the true source.


Joy is a gift.

God’s arrival to earth in the flesh was always part of His plan. It was prophesied and longed for by His people. When the angel made the proclamation in Luke 2, this is what people had been waiting for -- in darkness -- for centuries, JOY.


Joy had been lost in the garden; God was no longer with His people.


When Jesus came back -- God in flesh! --  He bridged the gap. He is the SOURCE of joy and the GIFT of joy.


As receivers of this gift, we have a responsibility with it.


Joy is our duty and our delight. 

Any gift -- especially one as incredible as this -- should merit a response of gratitude to the giver.

Philippians 4:4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” We are to joy and then we are to re-joy.

“What a gracious God we serve, who commands us to rejoice!”- Charles Spurgeon


The joy of a believer is not dictated by our circumstance. Joy is our duty because it’s a gift we have received in Christ, His joy is found in us.


“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18


“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that  your joy may be full.” - John 15:11


Joy may be our duty, but it’s not ours to perform in our own power. The Holy Spirit produces joy in our lives.


To get more joy, the world tells us we should “pray harder” or “have more faith”. The Bible tells us the opposite… that when someone believes and trusts in Jesus, the Holy Spirit is in that person and produces fruit in their life.


Joy is a fruit.


The primary source of joy in our lives is the Holy Spirit; not us. We don’t have to work really hard to find joy… we can unwrap the gift of Jesus and connect with the source of joy Himself. 


John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”


A vine only produces fruit because of what it’s connected to; it is rooted in its lifesource. When we abide in Christ and are rooted to the vine, the Holy Spirit produces much fruit! Joy included.


One of the things Satan tries to rob us of is our joy. Always the deceiver, he twists the truth and allows us to think that we can find more joy in things of this world than we can with God. Just like Adam and Eve in the garden, when they reached out to grab their own fruit, they received shame, guilt, anxiety and depression.


The irony is that when we try to grab our own joy we get these things too --  anxiety, stress, depression -- that lead us farther away from the Source.


The ultimate Source of joy is God. To find joy, abide in Him and trust where He leads. 


Joy is our delight.

When we find joy in Jesus, we are free to delight in our relationship with Him and the good gifts He gives us. Joy is not something look for, it’s something we appropriate -- or go deeper and deeper into -- when we are abiding in Christ.


When we stop looking at people and things as our source of joy, we are free to find joy in people and things.


God is the ultimate source of joy.


“Joy is a gift from God that “is ours today because Christ is here; it’s ours tomorrow because Christ will be there, and it’s ours forever because he will never leave us.”  -Amy Carmichael


Ever since sin entered the world, all of the earth has been longing for joy. The only person we will ever find joy or love or peace in is Jesus Christ.


Let us abide and rejoice.


..


Watch this sermon here. 

Freed to Serve

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