The Advent of Joy | Sunday, November 29, 2020

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined. You have multiplied the nation and increased its joy; they rejoice before You according to the joy of the harvest... 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 9:2–6)

The coming of Christ is the coming of joy—a joy that increases unto abundance forever and carries us through even the chaos of a year like 2020.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

In spite of all the chaos that has been 2020, it is the most wonderful time of the year. I hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, whether it was spent with loved ones, socially distanced, or over Zoom. From about September through the end of the year is my favorite season, and I think a lot of people feel the same way. I know there have been a lot of additional stressors this year, but I hope that in spite of those things your joy may be full.

For about the last ten years, this is one of the things I've talked about every holiday season. As we come into Christmas time, it is a time of the year that we dedicate to talking about joy, hope, love, and peace—all the great truths the Bible speaks about. And within the church and our Western culture we have a tradition of singing that traditional Christmas carol, Joy to the World. It is important to remind ourselves that one of the things Christmas speaks of is just that: the advent of joy.

Unto Us a Child Is Born

This is exactly what the prophet Isaiah spoke of some 2,800 years ago. He prophesied about the coming of the Messiah, which is what Christmas is all about—the celebration of the advent of Jesus into this world. Those words, "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given," are common on many Christmas cards this time of year. We have recognized for a very long time that these words speak of Jesus, some 700 years before His birth.

Notice that the coming of this child, the Son that would be given, brings great joy. His coming brings joy like when you bring in a huge harvest. Even though we don't live in an agrarian society, maybe you brought in a large Christmas bonus, or you hope to. It would bring an increase of joy. Or joy like when you are released from a huge burden—when you pay off that loan and you are now debt free. The advent of Jesus is the advent of joy. His coming brings joy to this world.

For the Christian, this should make us want to celebrate things like Thanksgiving and Christmas all the more, and hopefully encourages us to share this reality with others who don't yet know it. Even if it is cliché, it's still true: Jesus is the reason for the season. We should be very bold to share that, especially if we've experienced the joy and peace His coming brings.

Happiness, Joy, and a Joy That Lasts

There is sometimes a discussion on the difference between happiness and joy. While one might make a clear distinction—happiness being connected to happy happenings, and joy being something that can be experienced independent of them—I'm not entirely sure that distinction is all that important. But I will make two brief points.

Four hundred years ago, the French philosopher Blaise Pascal observed that all men seek happiness, and I believe that is true. The pursuit of happiness is even enshrined in our Declaration of Independence. But while all humans seem to seek happiness and joy, we accept that such things are fleeting; they quickly pass away. So we are on a never-ending pursuit for something we have come to feel we will never fully apprehend in its fullness.

But the joy that Jesus brings, the joy revealed in the Scriptures, is a joy promised to be increasing unto abundance for eternity. That is why the psalmist David wrote in Psalm 16, "You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." The path of life is Jesus, who said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." Jesus promises increasing joy unto abundance for eternity.

Joy Through Trials

The joy the gospel promises is a joy that abounds forever, and it carries us through both happy and not-so-happy times. The one who has the hope of increasing joy unto abundance for eternity can endure even difficult seasons like what many have experienced in 2020. We can experience joy in the midst of difficult seasons with an inner assurance of eternal joy and God's presence.

When Jesus was facing the worst suffering anyone could ever imagine through the cross, He spoke of sorrow being turned into joy (John 16:20). He encouraged His disciples that His joy would remain in them and their joy would be full (John 15:11), and that this joy was something no one could take from them (John 16:22). All of these things come in the lead-up to His betrayal and crucifixion—and in the midst of that He encourages His disciples about a fullness of joy found in Him that can never be taken away.

It is this kind of joy that makes it possible for the follower of Jesus to do what James says in James 1—to count it all joy when you encounter various trials. Even in the midst of trials, we recognize that God has an eternal work He is accomplishing, which means the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Gratitude Unlocks Joy

I often take for granted that everyone knows these things, but the fact is there are many people in our society who don't know what the Bible teaches about joy. The advent of Jesus is the advent of joy, and the joy He promises is ever-expanding and eternal. One of the keys to unlocking this joy in this life is, of course, the gospel—but another key is gratitude.

If you are pursuing happiness and finding it elusive, the first step is to realize these things are ultimately found in Jesus alone through the gospel. The second step is to understand that joy is unlocked in our lives as we give thanks to God for the things He has given us. Years ago, the talk radio host Dennis Prager wrote a book called Happiness Is a Serious Problem, in which he writes: "Yes, there is a secret to happiness. It is gratitude. All happy people are grateful, and ungrateful people cannot be happy. We tend to think it is being unhappy that leads people to complain, but it is truer to say that it is complaining that leads people to become unhappy. Become grateful and you will become a much happier person."

I think Prager is onto something, and I think it's one reason the New Testament teaches us to be grateful even in difficult times. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16 Paul says, "Rejoice always"—a command we may fail at routinely. Verse 17 says, "Pray without ceasing." If you can remember five words, you can memorize two verses. Then verse 18 says, "In everything give thanks." In 2020—in the challenges of coronavirus, job losses, economic downturns, and politics not working out as you hoped—Paul says in everything give thanks, "for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Give Thanks, for He Is Good

I have found that even when I am going through difficult things or am frustrated and upset, if I stop and pray and begin to give thanks to God for the good things He has done in my life, He increases my joy. Paul also encourages us in Ephesians to "give thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ."

The psalmist repeatedly commands, especially in Psalms 105, 106, 107, and 118, "Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever." If you want to unlock joy in your life, it isn't going to come through a new relationship, a new car, a new dog, a new house, a new job, or a new presidential administration. Why? Because breakups come, the new car gets totaled, the dog dies, the house needs repairs, the company downsizes, and presidents fail. But the mercy of God endures forever, and the joy of God is eternally increasing unto abundance for those who trust Him. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, and your gratitude will unlock greater joy even during challenging seasons.

It Is More Blessed to Give

Not only does gratitude unlock joy, but as you follow Jesus there is something else the Scriptures teach and that I've experienced personally: generous giving increases joy. Paul alludes to it in Acts 20:35, speaking to the church leaders at Ephesus: "I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

Through this challenging season, we've seen many people devastated by coronavirus and the economic fallout from our government's response. Because of your commitment to Cross Connection Church during 2020, we've been able to support families within our church. We recently helped one family impacted by job losses, and they wrote back: "To all of our generous friends, we are very touched by your care and concern... It is embarrassing to receive help; it is humbling. It feels much better to give than to receive. But we are very grateful... and to continue to faithfully pray for us is evident of the love of Jesus at work in all of your hearts."

In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul writes of the Macedonian churches—where cities like Philippi were—that "they are being tested by many troubles and they are very poor, but they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more, and they did it of their own free will... Their first action was to give themselves to the Lord." Gratitude is a key to unlocking joy in this life, even in severe trials—and so is generous giving. Jesus is not a liar: it is more blessed to give than to receive, and many of you have experienced that blessing yourselves.

An Invitation to Give

With that point, I'm going to do something I rarely do. Last Thursday was Thanksgiving, Friday was Black Friday, tomorrow is Cyber Monday, and this coming Tuesday is what has come to be known as Giving Tuesday. In response to the commercialization and consumerism of our culture, this day has been set aside to encourage people to give. I would ask you to prayerfully consider giving to Cross Connection Church as we prepare to finish 2020 and get ready for 2021.

This ministry doesn't exist without you—without your prayers, your commitment to serve, and your commitment to give. You can give by going to give.lifeinconnection.com or by sending any gift to the church address. Thank God we're almost done with 2020. As we head toward Christmas, I'm looking forward to all that God is going to do. It was out of the chaos that God brought forth the beauty and goodness of creation, and I believe it is out of the chaos of 2020 that God is going to do exceedingly abundantly more than we can imagine.

May Your Joy Increase

There is still much uncertainty in many hearts as we move through this weird time, but I want to remind you that God is still on the throne and working mightily. Jesus promised He would build His church and that the powers of hell would not prevail against it, and that is still true. My prayer is that the God of hope will fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

May your joy increase this Christmas season as you pursue the abundant, eternal joy found only in Christ through the gospel. May you experience His joy unto fullness as you give thanks to God, for gratitude increases our joy, and as you give generously to others, for it is more blessed to give than to receive. The fruit of the Spirit is joy. May God fill you to overflowing—with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control—so that these things overflow toward others.

We all have co-workers, neighbors, friends, and family members who don't yet know the joy and peace found in Jesus Christ. Even as you fight the crowds and face the additional stressors of 2020, may the peace, patience, joy, and self-control of Christ overflow from us to others, as we experience it to fullness in our own lives.

Closing Prayer

Father God, I thank You so much for Your church, for Cross Connection Church, and I ask that You would pour out afresh and anew in abundance Your Holy Spirit upon Your church, that these things we're talking about would overflow from our lives—that we would be a conduit of Your love, Your joy, Your peace, and Your grace to others. Lord, teach us how to be a grateful and thankful people, that Your fullness of joy would abound in us. Teach us how to be selfless and giving just as You are, that we would give to others.

Would You pour out a blessing upon Your church wherever they are. I know there are people who watch this regularly who aren't necessarily connected to our church. I pray that You would draw them nearer to You during this time, that they would experience Your presence in a greater way—and as they do, that they would find that in Your presence is fullness of joy, and at Your right hand pleasures forevermore. And now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.