Joy that goes deep - Advent 3 - Luke 2:8-20

Joy that goes deep - Advent 3 - Luke 2:8-20

December 15, 2013

Luke 2:8-20

READING

. Luke 2:8-20

INTRODUCTION
. Joy is a wonderful feeling
. It's something we love when we have it and we miss or long for when we don't!
. We feel happy perhaps most of the time, but joy is something that goes deeper
. We may be facing unemployment, but we can still experience joy
. We may have financial struggles, but we can still feel joy
. We may be scraping to get the rent together, but we can still have joy inside.
. “A conference at a Presbyterian church in Omaha. People were given helium filled balloons and told to release them at some point in the service when they felt like expressing the joy in their hearts. Since they were Presbyterians, they weren't free to say "Hallelujah, Praise the Lord." All through the service balloons ascended, but when it was over 1/3 of the balloons were unreleased. Let your balloon go!” - Bruce Larson, Luke, p. 43
. This morning we are going to speak of the joy that is available to us as Christians

JOY DOES NOT DEPEND ON CIRCUMSTANCES

. Paul was an apostle in the early church and wrote most of the New Testament we find in our Bible

. Paul was a great scholar, was respected and had a bright future ahead of him

. But Paul learned that money and the material things of life did not count

. The most important thing was Jesus

. Phil 4:11-13

. He learned to be content whatever the circumstances

. Some of his circumstances were pretty bad

. 2 Cor 11:23-29

. And at the time he wrote the words that he had learned to be content in all circumstances, he was chained to a jailor

. Yet he learned to be content, wherever he was

. Being content is saying “It's ok, I can be at peace here”.

JOY IS A STATE OF MIND

. So joy does not depend on our circumstances.

. That means it is not a feeling of happiness.

. Because we feel happy when something good happens, or sad when something bad occurs

. These are feelings, and they depend on circumstances

. They go up and down from day to day

. Joy is a knowing of what is going on in our life, which transcends pain and hurt and sadness

. Someone this week was reading the book called Jesus Freak, a book about martyrs for the faith

. These people when the flames were licking their feet at the stake, still had a peace inside them which circumstances could not remove.

. “As a third-century man was anticipating death, he penned these last words to a friend: "It's a bad world, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people are the Christians--and I am one of them." Today In The Word, June, 1988

. Deep joy in our heart is independent on what is going on outside

. It is like a river that runs underground, bringing life wherever it goes

JOY COMES FROM JESUS

. As we have seen, joy does not come from circumstances

. It does not come from temporary feelings of happiness

. It is actually more linked to faith and trust, than the things we experience

. Matt 6:33-34

. Jesus tells us to seek first the kingdom of God

. Jesus is the king of that kingdom.

. He is saying he needs to be number one in our life

. The other things of life, which we all need, are less important than putting him first

. This is huge

. We are so often swallowed up in the material things of life, that we neglect Jesus, and he comes second

. He tells us here that he will take care of us.

. That's a promise!

. Phil 4:19 – in context of being content in all circumstances, Paul tells that God will meet all our needs!

. But it is dependent on putting Jesus first.

. We trust him to come through on his promise.

. This gives us peace inside

. We are able to be content, we are able to be at peace

. We now are able to be joyful whatever happens to us

CONCLUSION

. The angels brought tidings of great joy, for all people

. But joy is not something walk around with deep down, unless there is a reason for it

. That joy comes through a relationship with Jesus where he is number one

. If you have never yet developed a relationship with Jesus your Savior, toady you can do so

. If you are missing that deep down joy and want to renew your walk with Jesus you can do so right now.

. Joy can be a part of each of our lives!