Fullness of Joy | Sunday, December 15, 2024

Amen, amen! Praise God. Thank you, Anthony and the worship team. Good morning, Cross Connection Church. You guys can have a seat. For those of you who may have forgotten who I am, I'm Miles, the pastor here at this church. I haven't been here for the last few weeks, and I just want to say how grateful I am for our team here at Cross Connection Church. We have a wonderful team of pastors who fill in for me when I am out of town.

It's not the best time of the year to be out of town, but I had to go to Kentucky. In fact, I'm so thankful for the warm weather here in San Diego. It's only warm in comparison because it was about 23 degrees when I left Louisville, Kentucky, the other night. I'm very happy to be back. I was out there at Southern Seminary doing some research work for my PhD, so I'm glad to be back with you all here.

I am also thankful for Pastor Jason, who filled in a few weeks ago, and for Pastors Nick and Garrett, who went through the Scriptures. As we always do this time of year, we've returned to some common themes from the Scriptures because Christmas is just 10 days away. It's hard to believe we are already just 10 days out from Christmas! It has been said and sung. In fact, I was on my way here this morning with my daughter, Evangelene, in the car, and we had Christmas music playing. "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" played, serving as a great reminder that it truly is the most wonderful time of the year.

As you saw in our announcements, we want to make sure that you come out next Saturday night for our Nativity Night. We learned last year that one of the keys to joy—something we will be talking about today—was nine tons of snow for the kids at our Nativity Night, and we will have more snow this year. It will be tons of fun! You can make sure to take some of those cards we've been giving you for invites. It's a great opportunity to invite some people to come out. We will have a fun time next Saturday night.

Next Sunday morning, we didn't put this in the announcements, but the last Sunday before Christmas has become kind of a unique Sunday here at Cross Connection Church. We call it Ugly Christmas Sweater Sunday. So, next Sunday, I hope to see you sporting your very festive attire for Ugly Christmas Sweater Sunday. It might sound sacrilegious, but I guarantee you it's not. There are no awards, but our regular service is next week, and then the following day, Monday, a week from tomorrow, we have our Christmas Eve Eve services here. All that information is in your bulletin, so make sure you come out to all those events.

Events, as I said, it is the most wonderful time of the year. However, as I have been thinking about that reality and knowing that I would be talking about joy this Sunday, I realized, while reflecting on our church and a number of individuals and families I know, that the last several months, or even throughout this year, have been a challenging time for many people.

When we are going through difficult and challenging times, I think you would agree it is hard to be happy. It is actually very easy to begin to think that joy will never return during such periods. As we all navigate the ups and downs of life, we must remember that we live in a fallen, broken world. Whether you are a Christian or not, you will encounter trials, which the Scriptures refer to as difficult times.

It is in those difficult times that we need to remind ourselves of some very important themes from the Scriptures. This is one of the reasons I enjoy returning each year to the series of teachings on themes that have been associated with Christmas for centuries within the church. This time in the Christian calendar is called Advent. During the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, many Christians throughout the centuries have revisited the themes of hope, peace, joy, and love.

Pastor Nick and Pastor Garrett have talked about the first of those themes over the last couple of weeks. Pastor Garrett discussed peace last week, and Pastor Nick talked about hope the week before that. This week, we will focus on joy, and next week, we will discuss love.

If you have been a part of this church for a while, it may seem a little redundant that we talk about the same themes. However, it is really good to return to these themes and remind ourselves of their significance. My younger daughter, Evangelene, just turned 13 a couple of weeks ago. We have four kids: two girls and two boys. For each of my kids, as they reach 13 years old, I write them a letter. I gave one to Ethan when he turned 13, and another to Addison when she turned 13. Now, I have written one for Evangelene as she has turned 13.

The last third of the letter is always the same. I have written similar things to Ethan and Addison, and now I say them to you, Evangelene. When I write those things, I think of...

Paul's words in Philippians 4 remind us of the importance of repetition in our spiritual lives. In Philippians 3:1, he says, "Finally, brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe." He emphasizes that it is not a bad thing to say the same thing over and over again. If you're a parent, you can relate to this; you often find yourself repeating good advice to your children, such as, "Don't hit your sister."

The Apostle Peter in the New Testament picks up on this same idea when he writes in 2 Peter 1, "For this reason, I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, even though you know them and are established in the present truth." He acknowledges that as long as he is alive, he will stir them up by reminding them. It is beneficial to revisit these same concepts repeatedly, especially those like hope, peace, joy, and love.

When we think about Advent, the word itself signifies arrival. The first coming of Jesus brings the fullness of hope, peace, joy, and love, along with many other blessings. These elements are crucial, particularly as we navigate a world filled with challenges. During trials or difficult circumstances, we may struggle to find happiness and can easily slip into a mindset where we believe joy will never return. In such moments, it is essential to be reminded of the hope, peace, joy, and love that we have in Christ Jesus.

Reflecting on what robs us of our hope, peace, joy, and love, we find that one of the most significant factors is the loss of a loved one or the reality of death. Death is a heavy topic that many of us prefer to avoid, yet there are times when we cannot escape the thoughts surrounding it. Often, this occurs when we are alone with our thoughts, perhaps struggling to fall asleep in the darkness of a room. It is in these quiet moments that the weight of such realities can press down on us.

There is a passage from King David, written 3,000 years ago, that addresses this very issue, reflecting on the reality of death and its impact on our lives.

The night season refers to those moments when you are alone with your thoughts, lying in bed. Even though you may be contemplating the distressing reality of the uncertainty of death, which can feel very dark, people have wrestled with this for millennia. David, too, wrestles with these thoughts in the Psalms. However, even in his contemplation of such heavy topics, he returns to themes of hope, peace, and joy.

This is beautifully expressed in Psalm 16, a very famous passage. If you turn in your Bibles to about the middle, you will likely find yourself in the Psalms. Psalm 16 is where David's contemplation on this subject is found, and I love this passage of Scripture for what he looks forward to. I will pick it up at verse 7.

Psalm 16:7 states, "I will bless the Lord; I will praise God who has given me His counsel. He has given me His word, His encouragement. My heart also instructs me in the night season." Here, we see that David is alone with his thoughts, perhaps on a sleepless night, reflecting on these profound issues. He declares, "I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel. My heart also instructs me in the night seasons."

David continues, "I have set the Lord always before me; I am looking to the Lord because He is at my right hand. I shall not be moved. Therefore, my heart is glad; there is joy and rejoicing. My glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope." In this verse, we find themes of peace, rest, joy, and hope.

David is having a contemplative moment, thinking about something that keeps him awake at night. Yet, his heart returns to gladness, joy, rejoicing, peace, and hope. He acknowledges, "For You will not leave my soul in the grave." Some of your Bibles may say "Sheol," which is the Hebrew word for the grave.

In these night seasons, David reflects on the uncertainty and darkness of what comes after this life. This contemplation can be distressing and may rob us of our hope, peace, and joy. Yet, David proclaims, "I rejoice, and I have gladness, and I have rest, and I have hope," even while thinking about what will happen in the grave. "You, God, will not leave my soul in the grave, nor will You allow Your Holy One to decay or see corruption."

Here's the key: this is a beautiful verse. In Psalm 16:11, David writes, "You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." These themes that we've been talking about over the last few weeks, and that we've discussed every Christmas for many years—hope, peace, and joy—are all present in this passage.

The context of this verse is David contemplating the uncertainty of life after death. Even though he is reflecting on something that can rob us of our peace, hope, and joy, he declares, "I am filled with gladness. I have hope, joy, and peace because I believe this: You, God, will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

As I mentioned, we often avoid thinking about death, and it may seem like an odd topic to consider during Christmas. However, death is a very real part of life, and the statistics are staggering: ten out of ten people die. This fact doesn't offer much hope, does it? It only seems hopeless if we view death as an ending rather than a beginning. If death is merely the point where everything ceases and we decay in the grave, then it is indeed bleak.

Yet, David, writing 3,000 years ago, asserts that this is not the case. He expresses his trust in God, believing that God will show him the path to life. He emphasizes that in God's presence is fullness of joy and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore. These are hope-filled, peace-producing words that bring joy.

When we talk about hope, as we frequently do, it is important to understand that the Biblical teaching around hope is not wishful thinking, especially when the odds are stacked against you. For example, wishing to win the lottery is wishful thinking; the odds are against you, and it probably won't happen. However, Biblical hope, as presented from the Old Testament to the New, is an absolute certainty that the promises of God will come to pass.

David had this hope 3,000 years ago, believing that God would show him the path to life that leads into the presence of the Father, where he would find fullness of joy forever. He looked forward to something that would be fulfilled in Christ Jesus when Jesus comes at His Advent.

Coming at His arrival, we know that Jesus picks up on these very same themes on the night before He would be crucified. He is with His disciples, partaking of the Passover meal with them. He institutes the Last Supper, which we are going to partake of today. His disciples, as they are with Him, are hearing what He has been saying for probably weeks leading up to this moment, but especially on that night. He is preparing them for His departure, knowing what is going to happen within the next cycle of hours. They are troubled by this; the weight of the loss of the one they hoped in, Jesus the Messiah, is heavy on them.

He says to them in John chapter 14, "Let not your heart be troubled." He can tell that they are distressed and unhappy about what is going on. He offers them a way to deal with the troubling nature of their hearts in that circumstance. He continues, "You believe in God; you believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions," or other translations say many places to dwell. "If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again to receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also."

He reassures them, saying, "You know the way where I am going." However, one of His disciples objects, saying, "We have no clue what you're talking about." They are distressed and worried about what is going to happen in the next several hours. Jesus tells them not to be troubled, reminding them that they believe in God and also in Him. He is going to prepare a place for them, and they know exactly where He is going.

Thomas then says, "We don't have a clue what you are talking about. We don't know the way to get there." In response, Jesus gives one of His most famous sayings in John 14:6: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me." These words from Jesus fulfill what David had predicted or prophesied in his nighttime musings a thousand years before: "You will show me the path to life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." Jesus is declaring, "I am the path to life. I am the way that you will come to the Father. No one comes to the Father except through Me." He is saying this is the path into the...

The presence of God brings a fullness of joy, and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore. He is fulfilling the words of David in this passage: "In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." These are the three themes we have been thinking about: hope, peace, and now joy. The joy that both David and Jesus are talking about is an enduring joy that lasts forever. In Your presence is this kind of joy.

As we are on this third Sunday in Advent, discussing these themes, I want to ask you two questions. The first one is: What would fullness of joy look like? If you were going to have absolute fullness of joy, what might it include? If we asked one hundred different people to describe fullness of joy and write it down, we would find some differences. However, over time, we would begin to see some similarities.

I have thought a lot about this. What would fullness of joy look like if we could have it? I think there are a number of things it would encapsulate. First, fullness of joy would be connected to being close to and united with the people you love forever. Fullness of joy would also be connected to having total safety and security, where everything is provided for and you are safe.

Additionally, fullness of joy would mean being free of guilt and shame, no longer consumed by the shame or guilt of things you have thought, said, or done in the past. All those burdens would be relieved and taken away. Fullness of joy would also be freedom from anxiety and worry.

Now, I’m sure you could come up with many other things that fullness of joy would amount to or encapsulate, but at the very least, fullness of joy would include connectedness and relationship. It would involve rest, security, and provision. Fullness of joy would mean completeness of salvation and forgiveness, so that you are not shamed or guilty over things you have done in the past. It would also encompass fullness of peace and hope.

So, that’s the first question: What would it look like? That’s what I think it would look like. The second question is: How many of you would like to have fullness of joy? If you're not raising your hand, pay attention. How many of you want fullness of joy? Absolutely!

I think a lot of people believe that fullness of joy is not possible because we have been happy before and have experienced joy before, but all those...

Things have been temporary. You've probably been to the happiest place on Earth. If you take small children there, by about 4:00, it's not the happiest place on Earth anymore. It's certainly not the happiest place on Earth when you get the credit card bill afterward. Even the things that we think are the most happy and joy-producing in this life are just temporary.

When we talk about fullness of joy, a lot of people think it's not possible because all the happy experiences they have had in this life are temporary. Even the relationships that bring us such great joy, even if those relationships last for a lifetime, only last for this lifetime. At some point, those relationships will be severed by death. We think fullness of joy is not possible because very few people actually attain a level of safety, security, and provision in this life where they don't have to worry about any physical or practical realities at all. Very few people get there, and even those who do often lose those things in the end.

There are many reasons that people struggle with the concept that fullness of joy is even possible. However, I want to show you from the Scriptures. Point number one, if you're taking notes: Christ's arrival makes fullness of joy accessible. His Advent, His arrival, makes fullness of joy accessible. The last word, "accessible," is important. Notice I did not say Christ's arrival makes fullness of joy certain, because it's not.

In this passage of Scripture in John's Gospel, where Jesus talks about not letting your heart be troubled, He says to them at the end of His conversation in John chapter 16, "In the world, you will have trouble, but be of good cheer; in Me, you might have peace." I really wish that He would have swapped some words there and said, "In the world, you might have trouble, and in the world, you will have peace." But He didn't say that. Why? Because Jesus speaks truth; He doesn't lie to us to make us feel good. He says, "In this world, you are going to have trouble. You are going to go through difficult things, but in Me, you might have peace."

There's the possibility: peace, hope, and joy are accessible in Jesus Christ. They are available in Jesus Christ. When He comes onto the scene, He makes these things available. This is what the prophets in the Old Testament, hundreds of years before the coming of Jesus, looked forward to. One of the most famous passages of this is actually a passage that appears in a lot of Christmas cards. If you received some Christmas cards this year, the odds are...

This passage of Scripture might show up in one of those Christmas cards from Isaiah chapter 9, where the prophet says, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulders. His name shall be Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace, there shall be no end. He will sit upon the throne of David to order and establish his kingdom with justice and peace from this time forth and forevermore." Those great words from Isaiah 9:6-7 show up in a lot of Christmas cards, but the context in which Isaiah spoke or wrote those words, 700 years before Jesus, was him looking at his nation and his people who were about to go into a really dark time.

It was going to be a distressing, dark, and difficult time for the people of Israel, not just for a short period but for hundreds of years. They were about to be exiled from their land, removed from their homeland, and lose everything. In the midst of that, he prophesies and predicts a future joy, trying to describe this joy because he is saying this is a joy like no other joy. This is a joy that is increasing unto abundance for eternity; you are going to have it, and it's never going to go away.

He uses picturesque language that the people of his time would understand. He said it’s going to be the joy kind of like the joy that you receive when you are victorious in battle. To the victor goes the spoils. The one who is victorious in battle not only survives but also wins, and now that they have won, they are going to receive the joy of the spoils of the battle. He said this future joy that’s coming, in spite of you going through a really dark time, is going to be joy like when you receive the spoils.

He also said it’s like the joy that you receive when you bring in the harvest. It’s very unlikely that too many of you make your livelihood by farming, so the idea of the joy of the harvest is not something you fully understand. But we might say it like this: it’s like the joy of bringing in a huge Christmas bonus that you did not expect. It’s not just like the jelly of the month club; it’s a really good bonus. What kind of joy would you have if you received that? It would probably be big joy.

So Isaiah is trying to say this is going to be maximal joy, but it’s greater than that. It’s greater than the spoils of war; it’s greater than bringing in the harvest. And where is this joy going to come from? It’s not going to come from a...

The thing is, it's going to come from a person. In Isaiah 9:6, it says, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given." He is the source of this joy. Isaiah is predicting this 700 years before Jesus shows up on the scene. He is saying that this joy, which is going to be maximal joy, abundant joy that lasts forever, will outdo any other joy that you could experience in this life. It doesn't come from a thing or a place; it comes from a person.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. Seven hundred years later, when another one of Isaiah's prophecies finds its way into Christmas cards, it is fulfilled. Isaiah 7:14 says, "A virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and you shall call his name Emmanuel," which means "God with us." When that is fulfilled 700 years later and Christ the King is born in Bethlehem, we will talk about this on Christmas Eve, on the 23rd.

There were some angels that appeared to some shepherds who were watching over their flocks outside of Bethlehem. What did they say? They came to them and said, "I bring you glad tidings of great joy." They said, "We bring you gospel good news of great joy." What was the source of this great joy that the angels announced to the shepherds? "For there is born to you this day in the city of David one who is Christ the Lord," the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecies and the fulfillment of all mankind's hope.

They looked forward to this one who would be Emmanuel, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. He is God with us. In His presence, David said 3,000 years ago, "In His presence is fullness of joy, and at His right hand, pleasures forevermore."

The awesome thing about the coming of Jesus is that He doesn't just come to give joy, peace, or hope as objects that He gives to you as gifts. He comes as the embodiment of all those things. He is joy embodied, hope embodied, and peace embodied. When we get to love next week, He is love embodied.

Point number two, if you're taking notes: Jesus is the fullness of joy embodied. When you come into His presence and receive Christ into your life, you are...

Receiving into your heart the fullness of hope, peace, and joy embodies why Jesus could say to his distressed and troubled disciples, "Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me." He is going to show us the path to life. He is the way, the truth, and the life. Not only is He the way, the truth, and the life, but He also says, "I am the resurrection and the life." In John chapter 11, He is the source of life that is filled with joy, hope, and peace in abundance.

The ultimate promise of Jesus, of this Kingdom that He is going to bring us into, is a promise that is ultimately fulfilled at the end of all things when the fullness of His Kingdom comes. In Revelation, the Revelator John reveals to us something of what this Kingdom is going to be like. He says in Revelation chapter 21 that in this Kingdom, there will be no more death, no more sorrow, no more crying, and no more pain. All those things that rob us of hope, peace, and joy are done away with in the future Kingdom that Christ will bring. This is the certain hope that we have; it is not wishful thinking. It is an absolute, certain, sure, and steadfast hope that is not disappointing.

Now, that is what we have to look forward to. The obvious question would be, "But what about now?" We are still in the midst of a troubling world that is broken and fallen. Can we begin to experience this fullness of joy now? I believe that we can. It is not only in heaven or in the future Kingdom where we experience this fullness of joy; this joy is something that we can experience right now.

Point number three, if you're taking notes: by faith in Christ Jesus, we receive joy that is increasing unto abundance for eternity. How can we lay hold of this? This is what is accessible because Jesus has made the fullness of joy accessible to us. By faith, we can apprehend it; we can lay hold of it. How? First, by receiving Christ Jesus into our lives by faith, by receiving His salvation.

That brings us to the doing away of all guilt and shame for all past wrongs. It leads to the laying hold of fullness of joy, hope, and peace in Christ. This is what Paul talks about in Romans chapter 5. He says, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we receive Christ's righteousness because we trust in His finished work on the cross. Because we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him, through Jesus Christ, we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God."

There are all three of those things: peace, rejoicing, joy, and hope. These things are apprehended by us because of what Jesus finished when He was on the cross. When He said, "It is finished," He made it possible for us to lay hold of hope, peace, and joy in Christ Jesus. He says, "And not only that, we glory in tribulations." Who on earth has joy and rejoicing even in troubling circumstances? Only the person who has apprehended hope, joy, and peace in Christ.

We have joy; we have glory in tribulation, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance, perseverance character, and character hope. This hope, the hope that we have in Jesus Christ, does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit given to us.

So, the first answer to the question of how we lay hold of and apprehend this hope, peace, and joy is to receive Christ Jesus by faith in the salvation that He gives. In addition to that, how do we grow in the fullness of joy—not just something we look forward to in the future? How do I begin to lay hold of joy, hope, and peace today?

The answer comes in that passage where Jesus said to His disciples, "Let not your heart be troubled." If you have your Bible open, turn to the Gospel of John. If you're in the Psalms, turn to the right; eventually, you're going to find Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. Turn to the Gospel of John, chapter 15. It's in John chapter 14 that Jesus says, "Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me." But in John chapter 15, He adds to this. In John chapter 14, He says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me."

In the very same conversation, on the very same night, just hours before Jesus would be betrayed and eventually...

Crucified, He says this in John 15, verse 1: not only am I the way, the truth, and the life, He says, "I am the Vine, and my Father is the vine dresser." In John 15:1, it states, "Every branch in me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit." You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

Now He says this: "Abide in me, and I in you." As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, and you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without me, you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he is cast out as a branch and withered, and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

But if you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this, my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so you will be my disciples indeed. As the Father loved me, I also have loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love.

Now note this verse 11: "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full." How can we lay hold of fullness of joy in this life in spite of difficult trials and troubling circumstances? How can we lay hold of this hope, this peace, and this joy that is increasing unto abundance for eternity—not just in heaven when sorrow, pain, death, and sickness are done away with, but now? How can we have fullness of joy right now?

Point number four, and I'll try to wrap it up: the fruit of fullness of joy in my life is the result of abiding in Christ. If I want to see the fruit of joy increase to abundance in my life, what do I need to do? Well, as a branch, I need to abide in the vine. When I think of fruit, as Jesus is talking about here, I am immediately reminded of what Paul says in Galatians chapter 5, where he talks about the fruit of the Spirit—the produce of the Spirit of God living, residing, and working in and through you.

Life is about love, joy, and peace. These three things are central to our Advent series: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. These qualities increase unto abundance as we are plugged into abiding in the vine. God the Father, the vine dresser, comes in and removes any branch that does not bear fruit. We need to get rid of all those dead branches that don't bear fruit so that we can produce much love, joy, and peace. However, this can only happen as we abide in the vine, because apart from me, Jesus says, you can do nothing.

The obvious question is: how do I do this weird thing called abiding in Christ so that I can experience hope, peace, joy, and love in abundance in my life? Jesus answers this question directly. The first thing He says is to abide in my word and let my word abide in you.

If you find yourself in a difficult, distressing, or troubling situation—perhaps a trial where you feel weighed down by the heaviness of this life—how do you begin to apprehend the joy of God in your life? First, you begin to abide in His word and allow His word to abide in you. Every single person I've ever talked to who finds themselves in that place of distress is encouraged to abide in God's word.

When they ask, "What does that mean?" I explain that it involves putting God's word into your mind and heart. You begin to continually immerse yourself in His word, and God will transform you by the renewing of your mind. Some may respond, "That can't possibly be that easy." I then ask, "Have you tried it?" Sometimes we hesitate to try things that seem too simple, thinking, "Well, that's just dumb."

For example, there was a man in the Old Testament named Naaman. He was a servant of Elijah and had leprosy. Naaman came from Syria and wanted Elijah to heal him. Elijah instructed him to baptize himself, to dunk himself seven times in the Jordan River. Naaman became upset, thinking it seemed too simple and foolish. He refused to go into the dirty river and walked away angry. However, one of his servants suggested that he should at least try it, even if it seemed stupid.

You should try it, even though it seems simple. When I talk with someone who's having a hard time because they don't have joy and are going through the difficulties of life, I want to encourage you to do what Jesus encouraged you to do: abide in His word and allow His word to abide in you. He promised that if you do, then fruit will be produced in abundance.

What is the fruit? One of the fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5 is joy. So, the first thing is to abide in His word. Have His word, Scripture, be in your mind and in your heart. The second thing He says is to abide in my love. How do you abide in His love? He says, "You will abide in my love if you keep my commandments."

If I want God's joy to be produced in my life, first I abide in His word. I put His word into my mind and into my heart, and then I put His word into action in my life. I start to do and believe the things that His word says to do and to believe. If I, by faith and by the enabling power of the Spirit, begin to abide in His love by keeping His commandments—doing the very things that He tells me to do—what does He promise will be the result? He says fruit will increase.

So, joy, one of the fruits of the Spirit, increases in my life as I put God's word into my mind, into my heart, and into action in my life. I'm abiding in His word, I'm abiding in His love, and I would add to that, you abide within the body of Christ, the family. You begin to spend time with other believers who also walk and follow after God's word; they abide in His word and abide in His love.

You might say, "Well, those people are weird. I don't know if I want to hang out with them." I get it; we are kind of weird. But I promise you, your joy will increase. Here's the awesome thing: it's not temporary. Your joy increases unto abundance for eternity as you follow Christ, who is the resurrection and the life. He promises that even if you die, yet shall you live on into eternal life, and He will lead you to the presence of the Father. In His presence is fullness of joy; at His right hand, He places me forevermore.

Now, this may seem like a weird Christmas message, but this is what Advent is all about. Jesus came to this world to bring the fullness because He is the embodiment of hope, peace, joy, and love. He makes these things real.

Accessible and apprehendable to us, God makes His message clear, not just because He came, but for the reason for which He came. We will celebrate this in a few months when we get into the spring. The reason Jesus came is the cross. He said in the Gospels, "I have come to seek and to save that which is lost. I have come to give my life a ransom for many." On the cross, that's exactly what Jesus did; He fulfilled His purpose, making it possible for you and me to be saved and to receive His joy, peace, hope, and love, increasing unto abundance forevermore.

Today, we are going to remember His body that was broken for us and His blood that was shed for us, which makes all of this possible by partaking of communion. I am going to invite Anthony and the worship team back up here, and they will lead us in a song. As they do, our ushers will go around and provide the elements for communion if you don't already have them. In this moment, we are remembering Jesus's body that was broken for us and His blood that was shed for us. This makes all of the things I am talking about this morning, which seem almost incredible to us, possible. We can have joy, peace, hope, and love for eternity, increasing unto abundance forever.

It was on the very same night that He said to His disciples, "Let not your heart be troubled." On that same night, He said, "Abide in My word, abide in My love, and abide in Me, and you will bear much fruit." It was on that very same night that He took the bread and the cup and offered it to His disciples, telling them, "This is the way by which you apprehend these things. This is the way by which you are able to lay hold of these wonderful things: hope, peace, joy, love, and many other great things."

Father God, I pray that You would prepare our hearts as we come before Your presence now. As we prepare in just a moment to sing praise and worship to You, I pray that You would ready our hearts to receive as we partake of communion and remember the wonderful things that You have done for us. You make the fruit of the fullness of joy, hope, peace, love, and many other things available to us as we abide in You.

Having been rescued by You through Your death, burial, and resurrection, prepare our hearts now, we pray. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

It was on that very same night that Jesus exhorted His disciples to not be troubled, to believe in Him. He encouraged them to abide in His word, to abide in His love, and to abide in Him. He took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, "Take, eat; 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 blood of the New Covenant, My blood. Do this in remembrance of Me." Let's partake together.

Lord, we find in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testament, that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. Jesus, You gave Your body to be broken and bruised for us. You were wounded for our transgressions; You were bruised for our iniquities. The punishment so that we could have peace was upon You, and by Your stripes, we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to our own way. But, Father, You laid our iniquity upon Christ, and Jesus, You bore all the wrath and punishment for our sins so that we could receive Your salvation, Your justifying saving grace, by trusting in You.

God, we thank You for Your grace, and we pray that as we trust in You and abide in You, and abide in Your word and in Your love, You would produce in our lives the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control, and many other things. May these fruits be abundant in our lives so that others we come in contact with may see Your goodness.

We would see it and be drawn to trust and faith in You as well. We praise You, Lord, for Your goodness. We pray that this Christmas season we would be able to share the good news of Your grace with others without fear, shame, or embarrassment. Your arrival makes the fullness of joy, peace, love, and hope accessible and available. Those things are found fully in You; in You all the fullness dwells.

Lord, I pray that we would find in You all that we deeply desire and need. We praise You. Would you stand with me as we close with a benediction? Please pass your cups to the center aisles, and our ushers will receive them.

May the Lord bless and keep you. May He make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May He lift up His countenance upon you and give you His peace. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of His Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.