Angel Speak - Part 2: The Beginning of Joy

Judith

Introduction

In a first year freshman English class - a professor stated: "Let us establish some examples of opposites. Mr. Nichols, what is the opposite of joy?"

"Sadness," said the student.

"Fine. And the opposite of depression, Ms Biggs?" "Elation," she replied.

"Very good. And you, Mr. Cates, what is the opposite of woe?"

"I believe that would be 'giddy up,' sir."

The French have a saying: "Joyeux Noel" - it means "Merry Christmas"

For many of us - Christmas is anything but "merry" or "joyous" as the French put it. Too much of the time we feel the opposite of what we expect to feel at this time of year.

The bustling about, fighting crowds at the mall, spending more money than we have, going to endless parties - you know how it goes.

But on the night of the 1st Christmas - beings from heaven brought a message that meant the end of fear - and the beginning of joy - not just any joy either, but great joy. Maybe we all need a little "giddy up" in our Christmas to bring back that joy.

Look at Luke 2:10

"I bring you good news": Euang-ghelidzo "evangelize" from the words: "good", and "messenger" (this is the same word for angel)

"? of great" = megas - its not just any old joy but Mega joy that the news of Jesus brings. And isn't that so? When we find out there is a Savior, isn't that the best news we have ever had? So what happens after we come to Him? What happens to our joy?

" ?joy" =calm delight

How many Christmases have you experienced a "calm delight"? How much of your life do you experience "calm delight."?

That's what we're going to talk about - joy. What it is, what it is not - and how to find it, not only during this holiday season, but every season of the year and of your life.

What joy is not

What is the opposite of joy? Sadness? Despair? Its interesting because St. Gregory of Nyssa (who lived in the 4th century A.D.) wrote that the opposite of joy is pleasure. He defined joy as "being with God" and pleasure as "self gratification."

There is something to that, I think. We miss the joy of God because we have our eyes on the wrong things - and often that wrong thing is ourselves.

Rom 14:16-18
17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.

o Paul is chastising the Roman church for creating false standards and using those standards to judge other, supposedly weaker, Christians.
o We can't expect joy to come by the circumstances that surround us - even in the church and we can't measure joy by how self satisfied we are. This can be a mistake.

What joy is

So what's the difference between joy and happiness? We learned from studying the Beatitudes that happiness comes from being transformed from sinner to saint - into God's image.

If happiness is what you are - joy is what comes from that transformation.

Happiness comes from becoming like God - joy comes from having God's life flow through you - the joy doesn't come from you - but from God - like a long refreshing drink of water from a hose on a hot summer's day. You can feel the water going down, cooling, reinvigorating - transforming you from the inside out from hot and parched to cool and comfortable.

Joy is knowing everything is going to be all right - despite the circumstances
More than that, joy is a feeling that everything is all right - despite circumstances

Why Joy begins with Jesus' birth

1. Jesus provides the conduit for God's joy to flow to us.

He is the hose that allows water to flow from heaven and end up quenching our thirst.

No wonder the shepherds searched, no wonder the wise men traveled so far. Think of Jesus, not as the infant in the stone feeding trough, but the oasis in the desert, the answer to the question, the source and the focus.

God wants to fill us with His joy. Is that amazing or what? Why would the one who owns the entire universe want anything to do with us? Because He wants a relationship - a two-way relationship.

How do we get joy into our life? 7 steps to Joy

1. Joy comes through repentance

Nehemiah 8:10
10 Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
(after the reading of the law and repentance)

God's joy is our strength - but only after we reflect on our lives, identify areas that don't reflect God, and repent, or change our minds about those things.

We might feel weak and unworthy - but we can gain strength from joy - if we seek Him instead of focus on ourselves.

2. Joy flows out of trust & faith

Rom 15:13
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

1 Peter 1:8
8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

We "overflow" with hope - and find joy so intense that it is impossible to describe. But it comes from trust - being persuaded that God is there, and that He is good. Joy comes from loving someone so deeply - but someone whom you can only experience through faith - not sight.

It's not the kind of joy that demands a sign or proof. For instance - the kind of temporary joy by someone that's heard the "good news" or "glad tidings" but hasn't really brought it deep within them.

Luke 8:13-14
13 Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.

Joy with no root of faith brings failure and hopelessness - but life rooted in faith brings joy.

3. Joy comes from following the truth

3 John 4
4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

To walk with the truth means to "hit the streets" literally - put your weight down on the path that God sets before you. Peripate'o - to tread around. The word "truth" comes from a root that means "to not conceal." How much truth exists between you and God - are you real with Him, open to Him, transparent?

And secondly - are you sold on the truth of God - His good news, His path to rightness, His ways?

4. Joy comes through obedient love

John 15:10-11
10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

In John 14:15 Jesus said: "If you love Me, keep My commandments." What it means is - we can't just say we love Him - we must yield ourselves to His will - love each other, deny ourselves, take up our cross - no matter the opposition.

5. Joy comes by growing in God

Gal 5:22-24
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

As we obey we grow - and just as a fruit tree, fed by rain and soil and sun - we will bear fruit in time. Don't be anxious - there is nothing you can do to make the fruit grow other than plant yourself firmly in the soil of God's garden - soaking up His presence and His Word.

6. Joy comes through enduring grief and pain

Not all the days in God's garden are calm - sometimes storms rage.

John 16:20-23
20 I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

Hebrews 12:2
2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

When we had children - my wife and I would go to classes, childbirth classes. One of the things they would teach was for the woman to focus on something - anything, other than the pain. That's how we can help endure pain - by focusing on the joy that Jesus' has waiting for us.

7. Joy comes by encouraging others to walk with Christ

1 Thess 3:8-9
8 For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. 9 How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?

We need to take what we have learned - no matter how little - and encourage others to follow - real joy comes from seeing others saved, others encouraged in their walk with the Lord.

So practically, how does this work?

I'm glad you asked.

I want to give you some tips on how to make your Christmas, and your life, more joyous.

1. Joy doesn't come from you, so ask for it from the Holy Spirit

2. Water only flows when the faucet is turned on - so let God's joy and life flow out of you to others - you will be surprised how much you get filled in return.

3. Don't focus on what you don't have - but on what God has done in you, is doing in you, and will give to you

4. Use times of grief, sadness, or despair as calls to walk passed your fear, into the stable and give honor and worship to Jesus