Fullness of Joy | Sunday, December 14, 2025

I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; my heart also instructs me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope. For you will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will you allow your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:7–11)

Joy rises and falls with our circumstances—but in Christ there is a fullness of joy that increases unto abundance for eternity.

Joy That Goes Up and Down

Did you know that orange is the color of joy? We're talking about joy this morning, and joy is something we all experience in rhythms and cycles. A few years ago I discovered that one ingredient for Christmas joy is to turn nine tons of ice into fake snow at our nativity night—and the kids were overjoyed. So the next year we got more, and this year even more.

But when I was in Kentucky last week for a doctoral seminar, I learned the other side. On the last day I got a notification that my flight was delayed because snow was coming in. At that moment, snow decreased my joy substantially. The same thing—snow and ice—increases joy for kids at nativity night and decreases it in another context. Joy can go up and joy can go down. It can be affected by our circumstances, and sometimes it feels elusive. Some of you here are riding a moderately high joy this season. Others—our high schoolers facing finals week—are watching their joy decrease. Pray for our youth.

A Nation Pursuing Happiness

Joy is always something we are seeking, desiring, pursuing. Our nation is built on this very concept: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." We are a people pursuing happiness from our founding. People define joy and happiness differently, but I don't think pursuing joy is necessarily a bad thing.

Here at Cross Connection Church, we want your joy to be full. That's why we do fun things. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "We are fellow workers for your joy" (2 Corinthians 1:24). I want to adopt that for myself. I am a fellow worker for your joy.

But many things steal our joy. One that robs joy in our time is the constant barrage of information—radio, TV, email, social media, podcasts, notifications on our watches and phones. We're inundated, constantly triaging information, trying to file it away as fast as possible because there's just too much. I see our Sunday gathering as a moment to set that aside and focus on what is genuinely and truly helpful. So let me take you back to a 3,000-year-old text from King David, Psalm 16.

David's Confidence in the Face of Death

Over the years I've often been asked: when I die, will I immediately go to be with the Lord, or will I wait until some future time to be raised? Many in our heavily Catholic-influenced area wrestle with this, because Catholic teaching holds that upon death you do not immediately enter the presence of the Lord but go to a place of waiting—purgatory—for a purging or purification. Honestly, that sounds fearful; it doesn't increase my joy.

There's also an aberrant teaching, more common in Christian-adjacent cults, that when you die your soul separates from your body and enters a suspended animation called "soul sleep"—like the cryogenic freezing you see in sci-fi movies. That seems horrifying. It gives me no peace. Whether purgatory or soul sleep, neither gives me joy. And David believed neither, because he says, confidently in faith, "You will not leave my soul in the grave to see corruption. You will show me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy."

We don't typically like to think about death. In American culture in 2025, we keep it as far from us as we can, yet we're confronted by it through the news, through social media, and through the deaths of those close to us. Death consistently ranks among people's top fears. Jerry Seinfeld put it well years ago: the number one and number two fears for most Americans are death and public speaking—and public speaking is often listed over death. Therefore you'd rather be the guy in the casket than the one giving the eulogy. A lot of people fear death, and many today try to deal with that anxiety using psychedelics, which I think is a bad idea. There's a better way.

Hope, Peace, and Joy in the Path of Life

David didn't have death anxiety. He had peace, hope, and joy because he boldly proclaimed, "God, you will show me the path of life—the path to your presence. In your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." Hope in the biblical sense isn't wishful thinking or blind optimism. It is an absolute certainty of future good. David had that, and God desires that we each would have it.

Part of what makes death distressing is that we don't know with total certainty what comes after, apart from revelation. And the statistics are overwhelming: ten out of ten people die. You will die. I know it's not a great Christmas message, but it's reality. And before you send the email—yes, I know about Enoch and Elijah. But the stats remain frightening. David, however, says, "I have peace and hope, which gives me gladness and rejoicing, because I'm not going to rot in the grave. I'm going to walk on the path of life into God's presence." If you had that certainty, wouldn't death be a little less scary?

Jesus: "I Am the Way"

Now join David's words to the words of his descendant, Jesus, on the night before He died. He knew He would die on the cross, and His flesh was so distressed that in Gethsemane He sweat great drops of blood—a known medical phenomenon brought on by great anxiety. To His distressed disciples He said some of the most famous words of Scripture: "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions... I go to prepare a place for you... that where I am, there you may be also." When Thomas said they didn't know the way, Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).

David, a thousand years before Jesus, said in faith, "God, I am certain you will show me the path of life." And Jesus, a thousand years later, says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. I am the path to life." He also said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live" (John 10/11). That is gospel—good news.

What Would Fullness of Joy Look Like?

David said, "In your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." This joy in Christ is special, good, enduring—a fullness of joy that is forever. But "fullness of joy" as a concept raises a question for me: what would it actually look like?

If we all wrote down our lists, we'd see common themes. Fullness of joy would mean being close to and united with the people I love. It would mean safety and security—not having to worry about provision and protection. It would mean being free of guilt and shame. Think of Jelly Roll, the singer with face tattoos. A few years ago he didn't look joyful—you'd cross to the other side of the road. But he met Jesus in prison and has had a transformative experience of grace. On the Joe Rogan podcast this last week he spoke about the redemption he's experienced and how he's free from guilt and shame. That is fullness of joy. It would also mean being free of worry and anxiety, because you cannot be joyful and anxious at the same time.

So fullness of joy is connectedness of relationship, rest and security and provision, the completeness of salvation and forgiveness, and the fullness of peace and hope. How many of you would like to have that? You'd be a fool not to.

Why People Resist the Idea

Many people resist even the idea of fullness of joy, because every happy thing they've experienced has been temporary. Relationships, even the best, are eventually split by death—which is why your marriage vows said "till death do us part." Very few people have ever experienced total security of their practical provisions. They resist for all kinds of reasons.

But here is point number one: Christ's arrival makes fullness of joy accessible. Notice I didn't say certain—I said accessible. The Advent, the coming of Jesus we celebrate at Christmas, reminds us that His arrival makes fullness of joy accessible. How do I know? Because Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life—the path into the presence of God, where, David said, there is fullness of joy.

Isaiah's Joy Greater Than the Harvest

This is exactly what Isaiah, 700 years before Jesus, was talking about: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6–7). Those verses are Christmas-famous, but the context is key. The five preceding verses speak to people going through a very dark period—a foolish leader named Ahaz, and the threat of annihilation by the Assyrians.

Into that darkness Isaiah declares it will not last forever; joy is coming, greater than anything they can imagine. He paints it with metaphors. It's like the joy of bringing in the harvest—or in 2025 terms, like an unexpected huge Christmas bonus, not the jelly-of-the-month kind, but a real one. And it's even greater than that: like the joy of bringing in the spoils of war after you've fought and survived and won. Then verses six and seven tell us where this joy comes from—this child, this Son, who brings His kingdom. The joy is connected to the One called, two chapters earlier, Immanuel—God with us.

Jesus Is the Fullness of Joy Embodied

God doesn't just bring joy; He is joy. This is what Advent is all about. The angels told the shepherds, "I bring you good tidings of great joy... for unto you is born this day a Savior." Because Jesus is God incarnate, here is point number two: Jesus is the fullness of joy embodied. Fullness of joy is no longer just a concept floating in the ether—Jesus makes it tangible.

And how do you come into His presence? By coming into relationship with Him, by receiving Him. When you receive Him, you receive fullness of joy. Then He can say to you, in the face of any circumstance—good or bad—"Let not your heart be troubled," because you trust in God and trust in Christ, who has given you a certain promise that produces hope and peace and joy. Jesus is the path into God's presence, where there will be no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain. That is the certain expectation, the steadfast hope, of the Christian.

Joy Increasing Unto Abundance for Eternity

But all of that can seem distant—it's after death, after this. What about right now? Is fullness of joy only something to be satisfied when I die? I believe Scripture teaches we can begin to experience it now. Here is point number three: By faith in Christ we receive joy that is increasing unto abundance for eternity. It's up and to the right. It starts when Christ deals with my sin, redeems me, makes me a new creation, and frees me from guilt and shame.

Every other happy situation you've experienced had an end. This does not. And even though there are ups and downs along the way—like the stock market's trend line over fifty years, going up but jagged like a yo-yo on the stairs—it is joy increasing unto abundance for eternity. Pastor Mark hit on Romans 5 last week: "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit." Hope, peace, joy, love—all four are right there.

The Fruit of Abiding in Christ

How do we experience this joy now? The answer is tied to Jesus' teaching in John 15 about abiding. He tells His followers, "Abide in Me. Stay connected to Me like a branch on the vine. Abide in My word; let My word abide in you. Abide in the body, My family, the church." After this exhortation, He says, "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full" (John 15:11).

So here is point number four: the fruit of fullness of joy in my life is the result of abiding in Christ. It's that simple. He talks about abiding in the vine and producing good fruit, and the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 is "love, joy..."—there it is. We abide in Him by abiding in His word, by obeying what He tells us, and by connecting with the body of Christ through prayer and fellowship. That's why we push so hard for growth groups, life groups, and connect groups—so you can experience joy in Christ Jesus.

Joy in the Midst of Suffering

The experience of increasing joy is ours as we abide in Christ. We can even have joy in tribulation. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 8 that "in a great trial of affliction" they had "abundance of joy." How is that possible? Only in Jesus Christ—but it is possible in Him. Throughout his writings Paul links joy with suffering. That's why James can say, "Count it all joy when you fall into various trials." It's possible because in Christ Jesus is the fullness of joy.

So my exhortation is this: seek and pursue joy. It's part of the ethos of America—life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. Pursue your joy, your hope, your peace—because ultimately the source of those things is Christ. We are surrounded by people pursuing happiness, who have bought the lie that if they just get the job, the contract, the degree, the relationship, the gold medal, then they'll be happy. And we've all seen the reports from those who achieved those things and admitted, "It didn't make me happy." You'd think we'd learn from their mistake, but instead we think, "They did it wrong; I'll do it better." You'll figure out the same thing.

The Gospel Wins Again

One of the most amazing things to watch over the last ten years is Joe Rogan. A decade ago he said a lot of horrible things about Christians. Two weeks ago he said he's going to church—that the people there are super nice, that in the parking lot they let you go in front of them, that they get together and just open the Bible and explain it. How on earth did that happen? A lot of people have been praying. And I guarantee that if you sat with him, after all his money, fame, and celebrity, he'd tell you none of it gave him lasting joy. God is moving him toward Christ. He's not alone—Andrew Huberman recently said the same thing: "I started praying and reading the Bible, and suddenly I have joy." The gospel wins again.

Seek those things that bring hope and peace and joy, because you cannot find them apart from Christ. When you interact with people at school, work, the job site, or a holiday party this week who tell you things haven't been going well, give them a push in the right direction: "Keep seeking your joy, but you won't find it in that thing you've been looking at. It's only found in Him." "Seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above"—because in Him dwells all the fullness of God, and you are complete in Him. Amen.

Communion

Where does all of this ultimately come from—the joy, hope, peace, and love we so desperately long for and actually need? Without these things we do not fare well, psychologically or physiologically. It is only possible because on that same night Jesus told His disciples, "Let not your heart be troubled," He took the bread and said, "This is My body which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of Me." Let's partake together. In the same manner, after they had eaten, He took the cup and said, "This is the cup of the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." Let's partake together.

Closing Prayer

Lord, thank You that You take this concept and make it real and tangible, so that we can hold it, see it, smell it, and taste it. It incorporates all of our senses to remind us of the goodness of Your grace and Your love, which makes it possible for us to know hope and joy and peace and love—and to make those things known to others. God, thank You for this season and what it reminds us of. Help us to take advantage of the opportunities to share the good news of this season with those we interact with this week. We praise You in Jesus' name. Amen.