Joy.
Jesse did a good job.
He identified that happiness and joy are different,
and indeed they are.
I just want to walk through some of
the folk around the Christmas story.
You notice here, Zachariah is quite filled with
joy, as he's saying, praise the Lord, and
giving blessing to God for what he's doing.
That's joy when disappointment is overcome.
And this life can have many disappointments, can't
it?
But when it comes into the season of
the birth of Jesus, one of the things
that happens just before is the birth of
this baby whose name is John.
We call him John the Baptist, or John
the Baptizer.
And you know, it is a time in
his father and mother's life, Zachariah and Elizabeth,
when disappointment is overcome.
You see, for so long, they had been
childless.
But listen to the praise and the joy
that's flowing because of the touch of God.
And it is because of the coming of
the Savior, all of this is to set
the scene for him.
I think of a dear lady that we
ministered to in Saskatoon, who would say every
time somebody announced they were pregnant, it seemed
like somebody was sticking a sword through her
heart.
And I remember praying with her at a
communion service one day.
And in December and in March, she called
me and said, you remember what you prayed?
And I said, no.
She said, you said, Lord, let there be
a little person on her knee by this
time next year, and it's going to happen.
And he's a fine redheaded specimen of a
lad called David and going on strong with
the Lord.
You see, joy comes and touches our areas
of disappointment.
And you know, there can be quite a
few of them.
Our failure to achieve our goals.
I like to write down 10 things that
I'd like to do at the beginning of
every day.
And all too many days, there's still a
bunch of them left come the end of
the day.
And you can get disappointed in not being
able to do everything that you wish you
could do.
But Jesus, his coming addresses that failure, that
humanness that we have.
And emptiness and loneliness and all of those
kind of things that can come and come
into our life so quickly.
It is the joy of the coming of
Jesus that sets that hope before us, that
God is still at work and he is
still on his throne.
When opportunities don't work out.
I wonder how often Zachariah had thought, oh,
you know, something's gonna work out, but it
never did.
Until that day when he was serving the
Lord in the temple and the angel came
to him.
So how would you feel this morning?
The things that have cast you down in
the dumps, perhaps for a long time.
And an angel just walks in there and
says, it's gonna be different now.
It's gonna be different now.
Now, Zachariah was just like you and me.
He had a struggle with unbelief.
Am I really seeing this?
Am I really hearing this?
Because of his unbelief, the angel system, you're
just gonna be dumb now until the baby
is born.
And when John is born, they're gonna name
him Zachariah, like his father.
See, that's one of those traditions that goes
along and we have it in my family
except it skips every generation.
My grandfather was called John and his grandfather
was called John and so on.
But as you think here, Zachariah steps in
and says, no, no, his name is John.
You see, the joy is just bubbling out
because he has not only heard what God
said, he has seen it fulfilled.
And you know, there are times when nobody
understands the things that are going on in
our hearts, but God sees and knows it
all.
I love in the Exodus when the children
of Israel are crying out to God, set
us free, set us free.
And what does scripture say?
It says that God came down.
Not only did he hear their cry, but
he came down.
And there's the touch again of joy and
hope that comes through that.
The coming of Jesus addresses our disappointments.
There have been times in my life when
I wanted more than anything to be something
or be somebody or have something or get
something.
And I smile even as I say it.
My first thing that I can remember really
wanting was a pocket knife.
Oh, if I could just have a pocket
knife.
And my mom and dad would say, you'll
cut yourself.
But of course I said, no, I just
had a pocket knife.
I'd really have it together.
So guess what was the first thing I
did when I got my pocket knife?
Embarrassing to go and ask for a Band
-Aid.
You see, the things that we look for
and think that that would be best for
us often aren't.
But the coming of Jesus, he comes to
bring real joy and real hope.
And sometimes when he just redirects things, oh,
how good it is just to give it
up.
We were talking upstairs at prayer time about
the heart that really honors God.
And I think about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
Do you remember those three guys?
And the king says to them, is your
God able to deliver you?
And they say, yes, O king, our God
is able to deliver us.
But if not, don't you love those words?
If not, we're okay.
We're not gonna go your way anyway.
We're going on with God.
Now what a picture of surrender and total
surrender that is.
No longer to be troubled and to be
mad at people.
There's no animosity toward that king who in
human terms is about to take away their
life.
They're just saying we're in the hand of
God.
And he is the real joy bringer.
You find in the Christmas story that joy
comes when we're chosen for a special service
for God.
If you turn back just a few verses
to Luke chapter one and beginning at verse
30 and down through 33, it says, but
the angel said to her, this is Mary,
do not be afraid, Mary, you have found
favor with God.
You will be with child and give birth
to a son and you are to give
him the name Jesus.
He will be great and will be called
the son of the most high the Lord
God will give him the throne of his
father David and he will reign over the
house of Jacob forever.
His kingdom will never end.
Earthly kingdoms come and go.
Things change in the heartbeat, don't they?
But here is the joy that comes from
being chosen for a special service.
What is the result when that is announced
to Mary?
The result is what we call in scripture,
Mary's song.
Because the coming of the savior brought such
joy.
She couldn't contain it, it just kind of
bubbles out.
And she's thanking God for all that he
is doing in her heart and in her
life.
She is one who is available to God.
And you know, there are many times in
your life and mine when God would seek
to use us and we just need to
be available to him.
But when was the last time that you
heard a Christian say, praise God from whom
all blessings flow.
He chose me to go and tell you
about the Lord Jesus.
Do you know, Darren, that the Lord chose
me this morning to speak to you about,
oh, this is a different kind of joy
than the joy that presents bring or the
joy that material things work.
This is a joy that is so deep
seated, you just can't keep it in.
God's plan of redemption is in place for
you and me because of the coming of
Jesus.
And when we walk by faith, the joy
of the amazing works of God is there.
I wanna tell you, we have seen God
amazingly work in this congregation in the last
seven days.
Indeed, the last nine days, because Brad saw
him at work in that Omni as many
young people from all over the city came
and other great things have happened this week.
You know, when that thing called the clothesline
happened, about 80 people walked through here and
picked up some clothes for children and so
on.
And a lady wrote to us in an
email expressing just her gratitude and the job
that you as a church did was remarkable
to touch her life.
Wonderful things.
But you know what happens?
We so easily can drift by them and
forget that this is the gift of God
at work in us, day by day, doing
so many great things.
And we need to just say, Lord, I
wanna take every opportunity to serve you.
Now, I've never found a congregation that loves
me or that I love as much as
Glenn can.
But I wanna say this to you graciously
and with respect.
I'm still looking for a congregation and long
to be a part of a congregation that
is saying, Lord, Lord Jesus, pick me, pick
me.
Lord, I'd love to go.
Lord, I see that young person and the
pain in their eyes.
Is there some word, Lord, you could give
me just to say something to them?
Lord, I see that senior citizen and the
pain of all that life has thrown.
Is there an encouragement that I could bring?
Oh, God.
Now, you see, the joy, you just can't
contain it because the other side of that
reminds me of a young Metis lady that
we ministered to oh, so many years ago.
We went one night to do a service
in a lodge for seniors who couldn't move
around anymore.
Remember Shelly's face as we came out of
that place?
She had a glow and a big smile.
And I said to her, you enjoyed that?
She said, something wonderful happened to me.
And I'm thinking, well, I wonder what that
could be.
Maybe somebody gave her some financial help or
something, you know?
And I said, well, what is it?
And she said, Mrs. Hutchinson.
Is this dear old saint sitting in a
wheelchair?
And what did she say to this young
girl?
She said to her, God has a plan
for your life.
God has something that he wants to give
just to you.
You just say tender before the Lord and
let him work it out.
Oh, I think about this opportunity to serve
him.
Maybe this is why we're so short on
joy these days.
Because we don't have that sense of report.
Look at what the Lord has done.
D.L. Moody, great evangelist, grade three education.
Gotta love it.
Only God can do that.
He went to a Bible study one day
and the guy who led the study just
finished the study with these words.
The world has yet to see what God
will do through one person who is totally
surrendered to him.
And Moody walked out of that place and
said, God, I'm gonna be that man.
Oh, I don't have time to tell you
the whole story of Moody, but I tell
you this.
In a week in London, he watched 80
,000 people respond to the gospel.
No wonder he had joy.
The Queen, Queen Victoria came to one of
those services and they said to him, the
Queen is here, the Queen is here.
Moody said, I hope she'll be blessed.
He wasn't worried about the Queen, he knew
the King.
And he knew the outcome of serving the
King with a full heart.
There's joy and amazement all over the place
when you look at the scriptures concerning the
birth of Jesus.
There's joy and amazement in heaven.
How do we know that?
Well, it tells us here in Luke's gospel
and the second chapter that at his birth,
the angels did what?
Sang.
They poured out praise, they poured out joy
at the birth of the Savior.
When God became a man, heaven could not
contain the joy.
Oh, I tell you, when we walk by
faith, this joy is intended to be ours.
Friends, what is it that you're looking for
this Christmas time?
Is it peace in the family?
Is it a togetherness for the family?
Is it all those good things that traditionally
Christmas brings?
Can I just say to you, the greatest
gift is that Jesus lives in you and
longs to work through you and will do
a change in hearts and lives through you
and through us as a congregation, even in
this area and in this city.
Did you notice that the joy and the
amazement that pours forth from heaven speaks about
the birth of the King?
Now, I've pondered this a little bit and
all through history, I see that there are
people who are born princes.
You know what I mean?
When they're born to a royal lineage, they
are born a prince.
What do we call Charles?
Prince Charles, right?
Well, isn't it unique to be born a
King?
And that's our Jesus.
He is the unique Son of God.
As we think in John 3, 16, the
only Son of the Father in that sense.
Born a King, not diminished in power.
Yes, he shed that kingly spot there in
glory to come here, but he was born
here as a baby, yes, but as what?
King.
And the gifts that they came and brought
to him of gold and frankincense and myrrh,
you know, gold is a gift for a
King, yeah.
You'll find that there is joy of promises
that have been given by God and they
are fulfilled as you look at the text
through Luke's gospel, especially about the coming of
the Lord Jesus.
I'll go turn with me to chapter two
in verses 26 to 29 for just a
couple of moments.
Chapter two, 26 to 29.
Begin at 25.
It says, there was a man in Jerusalem
called Simeon.
He was righteous and devout.
He was waiting for the consolation of Israel
and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
It had been revealed to him by the
Holy Spirit that he would not die before
he had seen the Lord's Christ.
Moved by the Spirit, he went into the
temple courts when the parents brought in the
child Jesus to do for him what the
custom of the law required.
Simeon took him in his arms and praised
God.
There is that joy coming out in praise
again and again and again.
How many years had Simeon waited since God
gave him the promise?
I'm grateful that God doesn't give me a
promise today and fulfill it tomorrow.
I'd grow so callous with that.
But there are times when we wait upon
God knowing that he will do exactly what
his word says and how wonderful it is.
As you look at the examples in scripture,
you think about Simeon here.
He must have gone to the temple day
after day after day.
He must have wondered, is this ever gonna
happen?
God, I know you said it, but is
it gonna happen?
The great promise of life, the great promise
of Christ is always fulfilled.
That day when he walked into that temple,
think about the coincidence that he came into
the temple just at the time that Mary
and Joseph are bringing Jesus in.
Don't you love this?
How in scripture, things just interact in God's
perfect time and way.
He had gone there thousands of times, but
that day, it was different.
What is it that you've gone to God
for?
Thousands of times.
Oh, that in faith believing, it would be
different today.
And the joy of Jesus would pour out.
It would pour out promise.
Two more and I'll quit.
There is the joy of seeing Jesus in
chapter two, verses 36 through 38.
It says there was also a prophetess, Anna,
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of
Asher.
She was very old.
See, Brad, there were old people in the
Bible.
She had lived with her husband seven years
after her marriage and then was a widow
until she was 84.
She never left the temple, but worshiped day
and night, fasting and praying.
Coming up to them at that very moment,
she gave thanks to God and spoke about
the child to all who were looking forward
to the redemption of Jerusalem.
There's that pouring forth of praise and joy
again.
Here is this one who is coming just
again at the right moment.
There she's coming to worship and here he
is, the Savior.
Here.
You know, in North America, oftentimes, we have
this thing called easy believism where we say,
say this prayer and you're saved and that's
the end of it.
Couple of years ago, I was ministering in
Holland in some of the reformed churches there
and I stayed with a couple and the
wife said, I've gone to church all my
life, but I'm still not sure that if
I died today, I'd go to heaven to
be with Jesus.
And I said, have you prayed for it?
And she said, yes, I've prayed for it,
but I don't know if I have it.
And I said to her, you know, there
comes a time when we just have to
believe what Jesus said.
But you know what her situation was?
She didn't want to be mistaken.
She understood that this was the most important
thing that she could ever know or do
and she just did not want to be
mistaken.
But I remember on toward one o'clock
that night as we just looked at verse
after verse after verse of how Jesus says,
if you call, I will answer.
If you invite me in, I'll come in.
And I remember the tears as she said,
oh God, you did it.
You did it the first time I asked
you.
I've just tried to go on in unbelief.
I said to her, what is it that
changed in your heart this night?
She said, as we looked through these verses
about Jesus, I saw Jesus, I saw that
he came for the world.
Yes, but he came for me, for me.
Isn't that how Anna must have felt that
day?
Here he is.
She didn't find a program.
She didn't find a philosophy.
She found a person, a savior.
I want you to notice she was going
to worship and that's where she found him,
at the place of worship, the place of
the word and prayer and fasting.
If we want answers, this is still where
we find him.
One last thought before we move to the
Lord's table.
And some of you will be in shock
because you didn't think I could preach in
less than 30 minutes, but it has happened
before.
Think for a moment about the joy of
the leper who comes to say, Jesus, if
you're willing, you could heal me.
And Jesus says, I'm willing, be healed.
Think about the joy of the blind man,
born blind, who meets the Lord Jesus and
he touches his eyes.
No wonder when he was questioned, he just
said to the leaders, to the Sanhedrin, I
don't know if he's a sinner or not,
but I know for sure that when he
touched my eyes, they opened.
Think about the joy of the mother leading
a burial procession out of the community called
Nain.
And she meets the Prince of Life at
the city gate and looking at the circumstances
and the pain and the agony.
Jesus just says, young man, get up.
Think about the joy of those ladies, the
mourning that they went to the tomb, trying
to sort out, how are we gonna get
in there?
Isn't that always our problem?
How are we gonna do it?
And what is it that they discover?
God has already done it.
The tomb was opened.
And again, the angels are singing joy.
Let's take a moment or two just to
meet the Lord in prayer, just right where
we are.
When was the last time, my dear friend,
that the Lord Jesus filled you with such
joy you could not contain it?
Yes, there's hurt in this world.
Yes, there are difficult circumstances in this world.
Yes, there are things in this world that
we cannot change.
But beyond all that and above all that,
the coming of the Lord Jesus fills us
with joy because truly nothing is impossible with
God.
So let me just encourage you in these
moments as we pray, those issues and burdens
that you're carrying, those changes that you're looking
for, those plans that you have, set them
at the foot of the cross.
And just take a moment of absolute surrender
and like those three young men of old
say to the Lord, but if not, I'm
still going on with you.
For you are the life giver and the
joy bringer.
You are the hope of time and eternity.
Lord, we're so grateful that you're here in
this room at this moment.
And just as we have been looking at
the testimony of your word and the fact
that it brought such joy to so many
lives around the birth of our Savior, Lord,
would you grant to us in this moment
of quiet surrender, freedom.
Joy, faith, hope, strength, love.
Lord, would you continue with us as we
come to meet you at your table?
Would you do such a continuing work in
our hearts just to draw us on after
yourself?
Lord, we'll be careful, Lord, to give you
and you alone all the glory in Jesus'
name.