Sermons
A Joy More Than Seasonal
Series: The Way Of SalvationA JOY MORE THAN SEASONAL
Sermon By Terry Siverd
Cortland Church of Christ / December 15, 2019
One of the true indicators of Christian discipleship is JOY.
As we will talk about next Sunday - - the Sunday before Christmas - - Jesus arrived on the scenewith joy.
Regarding the Magi, Mt.2:10 records, when they saw the star, they REJOICED exceedingly with GREAT JOY.
In one of Jesus' parables (Mt.13:20-21) He tells of a sower who went forth to sow His seed.
Some of the seed fell on rocky soil. Jesus identified this soil as the heart of a man/woman who hears the word,
and immediately receives it with joy. Jesus goes on to describe this man, noting that the seed failed
to take root and the joy that initially sprang forth proved to be only temporary or short-lived.
When afflictions and persecutions arrived he not only lost his joy, but he himself fell away.
In Lk.10:1ff, Jesus appointed 70 others (beside The Twelve Apostles) to go and labor in the harvest.
They were not to be farmers, per se - - “laboring in the harvest” was a metaphor preaching and teaching the gospel.
They were sent out with limited supplies (no purse, no bag, no shoes) on a rather perilous mission (vs.4).
Jesus said to them, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves (vs.3).
Despite the inherit danger involved, the seventy went out: having table fellowship with others, healing the sick
and announcing: The kingdom of God has come near to you (vss.8-9).
Jesus forewarned the seventy that they might encounter opposition.
When rejected, Jesus authorized them to declare God's judgment against such houses and towns.
The one who listens to you, listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me;
And he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me (vs.16).
In Lk.10:17-20 we read these words: The seventy returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us
in Your name.' And He said to them, 'I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Behold, I have given you
authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall injure you.
Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.'
There is a state of mind called HAPPINESS that frequently issues from positive events, like these enumerated.
A celestial sign from heaven … a seed that germinates quickly … a daunting mission that blossoms with success.
JOY is unlike happiness, which can be capricious (easy-come & easy go, subject to whims, impulsive and unpredictable).
We find this attribute of JOY in Paul's delineation of the fruit of the Spirit: Love, JOY, peace, etc. (Gal.5:22).
This JOY is much more than happiness. This JOY is deeply rooted.
We might even say that it is a JOY that is hardened or cemented into our character so as to remained fixed.
Unlike happiness, joy It is not attributed to an occasional out-pouring of upbeat results.
Neither is it a seasonal joy, brought on by a holiday or some special celebration or a particularly exciting event.
The kind of stand of mind, heart and soul that we are eager to implant and cultivate is a stout JOY.
It is a joy that is so deep down that it has the capacity to remain unaltered by the strains and upheavals of life.
The psalmist writes, weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning (Ps.16:11).
We witness this unmovable and continually-replenishing JOY at the end of Luke's gospel.
Jesus had been crucified, but He came forth from the tomb. After appearing to many over 40 days (Acts 1:3),
Jesus has ascended back to heaven, departing from their midst. But Lk.24:52 records,
they returned to Jerusalem with GREAT JOY, and were continually in the temple, praising God.
This state of being is further identified in Acts 2:46-47 - -
And day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house,
they were taking their meals together with GLADNESS and sincerity of heart, praising God and having
favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
This steady infusion of JOY on the part of the early Christians is not just observed in one or two passages.
It seems to all-compassing and omnipresent.
When Philip preached in Samaria, Acts 8:8 summarizes noting, there was much rejoicing in that city.
Acts 13:52 makes a generic assessment of these first-century believers:
the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
The apostle Paul writes to the church in Corinth to urge them to be like those in Macedonia (2Cor.8:1-5/NCV) - -
And now, brothers and sister, we want you to know about the grace God gave the churches in Macedonia.
They have been tested by great troubles, and they are very poor. But they gave much because of their GREAT JOY.
I can tell you that they gave as much as they were able and even more than they could afford.
No one told them to do it. But they begged and pleaded with us to let them share in the service for God's people.
And they gave in a way we did not expect: they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us. This is what God wants.
Perhaps here is one of the keys to fostering and sustaining a resilient and steadfast JOY.
THEY FIRST GAVE THEMSELVES.
We will never be fully mature with an abiding JOY if we don't first empty ourselves of self.
People who are fixated on “me, myself and I” will never be a truly joyful people.
Another key to growing strong in joy is a determination to
KEEP ON LIVING A CHRIST-CENTERED LIFE.
In Rom.5:11, Paul states:
we exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
Another passionate text about this “Christocentricity” is found in Gal.2:20 - -
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life that
I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.
Paul opens his letter to the church in Colosse, telling them how he has been praying for them (Col.1:9 -12) - -
...We have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will
in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord,
to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience;
JOYOUSLY GIVING THANKS to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
For several years now I have been wanting to teach I class on PRAYING THE PSALMS.
Ordinarily we think of the Psalms as a Hebrew Psalter (songbook), which it was.
Many of these psalms/songs are also prayers.
Among these many recorded songs and prayers is a recurring theme.
Ps.66:1-2 / shout joyfully to the God, all the earth; sing the glory of His name.
Ps.81:1 / Sing for joy to God our strength; Shout joyfully to the God of Jacob.
Ps.95:1-2 / O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
Ps.84:4 / Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; break forth and sing for joy and sing praises.
Ps.100:1-2 / Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing.
I began my preparations for this sermon determined that I would try to be brief and to the point.
I've been a bit long-winded lately.
(At this juncture you surely must feel like shouting for joy!).
One final note.
This constant, steady, deep-down, abiding sense of JOY is indispensable.
To be crystal clear about what I mean by this - -
We cannot claim to be a true child of God and have not have this sterling attribute of JOY.
If we are not a people filled with great joy attested by an ongoing gladness and sincerity of heart,
something is seriously wrong with our discipleship.
When the apostle John wrote his first epistle, he seemed to have one primary goal in mind.
He reveals his ultimate aim in 1Jn.1:4 - -
I am writing this, S0 THAT OUR JOY MAY BE MADE COMPLETE.
May these sacred words imparted by The Holy Spirit (Scriptures that I've referenced in abundance this morning)
touch our hearts, minds and souls in persuading us to realize that we must be a JOY-FILLED people.
“'Tis a season for Joy!”
Yet we are striving to nurture a joy that is more than seasonal.
Listen to me: For all of us who wear the name of Christ Jesus, JOY must be at the heart of who we are!!
