Make sure I turn this, okay, I turned it on.
Good morning.
You ever feel like when you've got all the congestion and everything, you're kind of just walking through soup, trying to think through soup and talk through soup?
You know, that's kind of how it's been for the last few weeks.
I'm feeling that way again today.
Joy.
Much in Scripture is said about joy and rejoicing.
Paul will write, rejoice with those that do rejoice.
Weep with them that weep.
We're also told to rejoice evermore.
Joy is something that is found in scripture in many different ways, many different contexts, all throughout old and New Testament alike.
It's a human expression and a human experience.
There are things that are
part of life that bring joy, and we rejoice in them.
There are some natural joys that we see exhibited and explained in Scripture.
If you turn to Luke chapter 1, you find an example of this.
Luke chapter 1, beginning in verse 10, there is a man whose name is Zechariah.
His wife Elizabeth and himself are barren, they have no children.
we read beginning of verse 10, the whole multitude, he's priest by the way, the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.
prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth." You know, there's a natural joy that comes at the news of a child being born.
And the angel says to Zechariah, you will experience this joy of fatherhood.
I don't know if anybody's noticed, you know, Justin and Megan seem to have slightly different temperament about them over the last few months.
Why?
Because of the joy that they're anticipating.
But there's also some
additional ideas, know, natural joy that just exists in this world that's a part of people's lives.
Turn to Matthew chapter 2.
Matthew chapter 2, beginning in verse 9, the wise men have come from the east and they are coming to find the one whose star that they've seen, the king who was to be born, the one
who was to be born king of the Jews.
And they heard the king, verse 9, they departed and behold the star which they had seen in the east went before them till it came and stood over where the young child was.
When they saw the star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy and when they came into the house they saw the young child with Mary his mother and fell down and worshiped him and
when they had opened their treasures they presented gifts to him gold frankincense and myrrh.
I want you to focus on verse 10.
they saw the star, not when they saw the Christ, when they saw the star, they had observed this, they had traveled this great distance, they had inquired amongst the Jews in
Jerusalem, where's the Messiah supposed to be born?
All of this, by the way, the text tells us and makes it clear, they didn't see the star the whole way they were journeying.
They saw the star while they were in the east, they didn't see the star again until they arrived at Bethlehem.
They didn't follow the star to Jerusalem.
They saw the star.
They knew what it meant.
They came to Jerusalem.
They inquired where the child was to be born.
When they arrived in Bethlehem, they saw the star again.
And they rejoiced when they saw it.
Here's what I want us to get from that.
When you go through a long journey or you go through a long process to achieve a mission and you realize you've succeeded.
There's joy.
You've gone through a great long endurance of difficulties in order to accomplish something, and when you realize you're on the home stretch and you're going to make it,
there's joy and there's rejoicing.
And that's what those individuals, those wise men were experiencing.
They realized they had arrived.
They realized they were going to accomplish what they set out to do.
In Acts chapter 8, Philip is preaching in Samaria, and as he arrives in Samaria, he begins to perform miraculous works that God had given him the ability to do through the gifts of
the Holy Spirit, and he heals people.
And in Acts chapter 8 and verse 8, we're told that the whole city rejoiced.
because individuals who were sick, who had ailments, were healed.
You know, it's a natural joy when someone who's suffered for a long time with a disease or with an ailment or with some sort of disability, and they're able to recover it, recover
from it.
There's a natural joy that we experience when we realize they've been made whole.
All of these are natural joys.
All of these are things that doesn't matter what race you're born to, what ethnicity you have by way of background, where you've lived in your life, what continent you've lived
on, or what family or religion you have.
All of these are joys that everyone who is human experiences.
But the New Testament speaks about a joy that isn't a natural joy.
It isn't part of just the experience of the human family.
It is rather the Christians' joy.
Now, as we go through this, you might be tempted to think, you know what, Aaron, I've read and talked with a lot of people who are a part of a lot of different religions, and maybe
this joy really isn't unique to Christianity.
And I challenge you to consider this, there are those who will take great comfort in being told a lie because they want the lie to be true.
Imagine a parent.
who brings a child to a doctor.
and the child is terminal with an illness.
And they bring the child to the doctor because they firmly believe the doctor can heal the child.
And the doctor looks at the child, examines the child, and the doctor is not of upright character but does want to get paid.
and the doctor says to the parents, yes, I can cure the child.
Here, pay this and I guarantee he'll live.
Has that type of thing ever occurred in the history of human race?
Certainly.
When the parents who firmly believe that this individual can heal their child, give them, give the person the money, do you think they're anticipating a great joy, though all they
have actually had is a lie been given to them?
Sure.
Do you think that when they realize that they were lied to, they'll have the same joy after they come to that realization that they had when they were lied to?
No.
Be careful to not equate the belief of coming joy with the reality of coming joy.
to not equate the comfort of believing it will all be okay with the reality of salvation.
There are those who go through the world in their daily lives truly in their mind comforted that they are saved when they are not.
How do I know?
In Acts chapter eight, there was a city in Samaria that had believed Simon the sorcerer had the power that he claimed to have when all he really had were a bunch of lies and
deceptions.
And the moment they came to the realization that he was a liar, that all the comfort and all the things that he had ever taught them were wrong,
They had the opportunity to grasp real joy because what did they do?
They heard the preaching of Philip, they obeyed the gospel, and they experienced true joy and salvation.
As a matter of fact, it was so discernibly different that even Simon
observed what Philip taught and what Philip did and realized that everything he had done until that point was nothing in comparison to that, and he obeyed the gospel and received
the same salvation.
Am I saying that there are individuals who are teaching that which is false, who are teaching people to believe in Muhammad, who are teaching people to believe in Buddha, who
are teaching people to believe in false doctrines that claim to come from Christ but have no association with Christ whatsoever?
Am I claiming that everyone who teaches that is knowingly deceiving people?
No.
But I am saying that if they would open the words of Scripture and be obedient and willing to hear the truth, they would immediately realize that what they're teaching is false.
But here's our discussion.
It pertains to joy.
It pertains to a joy that the Scriptures make very clear only exists in Christ.
It only exists coming from God, and it is only available to those who are willing to be obedient to God,
and remain faithful to Him.
Consider Luke chapter 2.
Luke chapter 2, the shepherds of Bethlehem are out on the fields, out on the prairies with their sheep.
And as the time has come for the taxes to be paid to Rome, Rome has required that all of the citizens go to their birthplace, to their home city in order to have the census occur
in order to pay the taxes.
And so there is a resident of Nazareth whose name was Joseph.
who takes himself and his betrothed wife, who is with child, Mary, and travels from Nazareth, which is in the north portion of Galilee, of Israel, and travels down to the
southern portion of Israel, down to the city of Bethlehem, where he is from.
When they arrive there, there's no room for anyone, because Bethlehem is a little city, but there's a lot of people who've moved away, and they're all back.
So there's no room at the inn.
And so they will spend the night with the animals.
And in Luke chapter 2...
As the shepherds are out taking care of their sheep, something occurs.
Luke chapter 2, beginning in verse 5, they arrive there in Bethlehem, verse 6, so it was that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.
And she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid."
And the angel said, verse 10, to them, do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which will be to all people.
For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord.
And this will be the sign to you, you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes laying in a manger and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly hosts praising
God and saying glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will,
toward men.
So it was when the angels had gone away from them into heaven that the shepherd said to one another, Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass which the
Lord has made known to us.
And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger.
Now when they had seen him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this child.
And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
There's no one in all history except one individual named Jesus that this event has occurred concerning.
There were no angels at the birth of Muhammad announcing his arrival.
There were no angels at the birth of those who have taught the doctrines of Hinduism announcing their arrival.
There was no angel arriving at the birth of Joseph, or of Joseph Smith, who taught the Mormon doctrine.
There was an angel that arrived at the birth of Jesus.
And notice his announcement to the shepherds before the multitude of angels arrive.
His announcement to the shepherds is, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which will be to all people.
In order for us to understand the Christian joy that exists from God for those who are His people, we must understand that it was a joy that had never existed apart from God.
and had never been fulfilled until this day.
And yet an angel came to tell these shepherds, this joy has arrived.
Something has changed from all history prior to this moment and will change all history in the future.
The joy was announced at this time.
The joy that is different from all other joy.
was announced in Luke chapter 2.
But notice also those who can be recipients of it.
It was a joy that was pronounced that great joy will be for all people.
When the announcement was made to Jewish shepherds tending sheep outside of a Jewish city, outside of a location named Bethlehem in a Jewish nation, the promise was not great joy to
the Jews.
Rather, it was great joy to all people.
The joy of salvation.
How do we know that the discussion pertains to salvation?
Well, you've got to go to when the remainder of the angels arrive.
After the statement is made, suddenly, verse 13, the angel, behind the angel was a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest and on
earth, peace, good will toward men.
God had performed an action that would bring about peace, that would bring about His good will to mankind.
And it was in the form of Jesus being born.
It was in the form of salvation arriving.
There's a reason why John, in John chapter 1, tells us that grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
It's not as though God had never exhibited any grace to mankind prior to that point.
And it is not as though God had never declared any truth to mankind prior to that point.
It is that the embodiment of God's grace and His truth were
Jesus Christ.
And there was no point prior to then where God's presence had been with man as it was then.
Christian joy is announced, the joy of salvation is announced, and it is connected exclusively in all history to Jesus Christ.
Therefore, having that joy apart from Jesus Christ is impossible.
But then consider as well, there's joy because of the Christian's, or the salvation's assurance.
I could tell you this morning that I know beyond a shadow of a doubt.
that when my children are grown and have children of their own, this nation will still be continuing, blessed, and prosperous.
And while I might believe it with all my heart, I couldn't possibly be telling you the truth that I know beyond a shadow of a doubt because I don't know that I'll be here
tomorrow or that the world will be, do I?
I might have great confidence that we'll make certain changes and that we'll operate in a certain way and that if all of those things being true,
occur the way that I imagine they should and all things being equal, then maybe there's a possibility that it will come to pass.
But that isn't assurance, is it?
And I certainly hope you don't stake your life on my knowledge of what's gonna happen years ahead of now.
But the Christian's assurance isn't based in human knowledge.
It isn't based in our words.
It isn't based in our ability to discern.
It isn't based in our capability to look at all the facts of life and derive a conclusion.
Christian assurance is found in the Word of God and in the actions of God and in the promise of God.
In Luke chapter 10, Jesus appoints of his disciples to go out into the cities of the Jews and to teach people.
This is one of those occasions, he does this another time with the twelve, where Jesus isn't going to be present as they go teaching.
They're going on their own.
So he sends them out two by two.
They go into the cities and they're told what not to take.
They're told what not to do.
They're told what to do.
They're told what to teach.
They go into the cities of the Jews and they teach people.
And then they return.
Verse seventeen.
then the seventy returned notice with joy saying Lord even the demons are subject to your name they went out with the authority of Christ they taught and they acted with the
authority of Christ and they found that they were even able to cast out demons by the authority of Christ and when they come back they're ecstatic they're overjoyed at what
they have experienced and what they've been able to do
And he said to them, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
Jesus confirms that the actions that they participated in had an effect on the nation as if Satan had been toppled in his control of the nation.
But then notice what he says, behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.
Jesus refocuses these 70 and their attention away from the joy they have at the experience they've been able to go through and the abilities they've been able to accomplish and the
things that they've been able to do and He refocuses it on the assurance of God.
He says, not rejoice that you've had power to do something on earth.
Rather rejoice that your names are written in heaven.
as Paul writes to the church at Philippi.
He's coming close to concluding that letter.
and he writes about some brethren.
and greets them.
And he says concerning those brethren there in verse 3, for their names are written in the book of life.
What's he mean by that?
Paul is using terminology that Old Testament and New Testament alike, the Jews would have been and the Christians would have been familiar with.
That God knows who belongs to him.
and that when salvation comes to an individual and when they continue in that salvation as these laborers had done they had remained steadfast, verse 1 of chapter 4, with God.
They had continued in the work that they were supposed to do, that had been given them by God, and they remained faithful to God and Paul says these people have an assurance of an
outcome.
because their names are written in the book of life.
God knows who belongs to him.
And Paul knew by inspiration and by revelation that those individuals were saved and belonged to God.
Now you might note and you may think, you know what, there's some other passages where the idea of being written in the book of life comes up.
And, as a matter of fact, it comes up numerous times in the book of Revelation.
In Revelation chapter 3, concerning the churches of Asia Minor, as John is writing to them, you read in Revelation chapter 3 and in verse 5, as John writes to the church at
Sardis, he says, he who overcomes.
shall be clothed in white garment.
And I will not blot his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels." Jesus says to the church through John, I have a record
of those who belong to me.
They're the ones who overcome the world.
They're the ones who remain faithful to me.
They're the ones who don't soil their garments.
They're the ones who don't turn aside from the truth.
They're the ones who, when they arrive in heaven, I will announce their name to God and the angels." In your mind, you might visualize the old...
1700s, 1800s time period over in Europe where somebody would arrive at a big social gathering and there'd be the guy with the stick and he'd pound the stick and he'd announce
the name of the person who's arrived.
Jesus says, will confess their name before God and His angels.
These belong to me.
But you'll notice He said, I will not blot
out their name from the book of life.
Every other reference to the book of life in the book of Revelation is a negative one.
Every other reference is their names are not written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
Every other reference in the Book of Life says judgments coming on those whose names are not there.
See, the joy of a Christian in the salvation offered by God has to do with the assurance of that salvation.
Yet God has made clear that there is no assurance of anything but judgment to anyone whose name is not written in the Book of Life.
As matter of fact, there's a whole scene in the book of Revelation where there's a judgment scene where the book of life is open and there's another book that's opened.
And judgment comes on all those whose names are not written in the book of life.
You see, there's a reason why I say there's a joy that exists only to Christians.
Because while there are those who have hope and expectation of salvation, they have no fact or assurance of salvation because their names aren't written in God's book.
but there's also the joy that exists from salvation's victory.
So often in life, the joy we feel is anticipated until it arrives.
But we anticipate the joy of the baby being born and then the baby arrives.
We anticipate the completion of the long journey and then it arrives.
Have you ever been on a journey with a
Bunch of children in the back saying, when are we getting there?
They're waiting for the joy of getting out of the seat and experiencing the destinations.
The joy is not on the journey, it's the destination.
But with the Christian's joy, there's the joy that is found in the overcoming victory here in this life.
and the assurance of victory in the life to come.
John writes in 1 John chapter 1 and in verse 4, I write unto you that your joy may be full.
John's writing to them about Christ.
He's writing to them about the salvation that they have in Christ.
He's writing to them about the forgiveness they have in Christ.
He's writing to them about the assurance that they have in Christ.
He's writing to them about the love that God has shown to those who are in Christ.
And John says, I'm not writing to you that someday in the future your joy may be full.
I'm writing unto you right now that your joy may be full.
And third John, John writes in third John, verse four, no greater joy.
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
John says the greatest joy that I can have in this life is knowing that my children are obedient to God.
But John will also make it clear that the joy that we experience comes from overcoming the world.
In Matthew chapter 5, Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount,
will declare to those who he says are blessed.
He will declare, blessed are those, verse 9, who are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely.
For my sake, rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Jesus makes it clear that the Christians' joy in the salvation and the victory of salvation is because that victory is assured even over persecution.
Even over the individual experiences in this life where those who hate God and hate His truth will choose to abuse those who love God and love His truth.
Jesus says when you experience that persecution, don't let your joy slip.
Don't believe that it means you're not right with God, rather rejoice in it because you're not the first one who went through it.
But if you consider as well 2 Corinthians chapter 7, Paul writes to the church at Corinth and he expresses to them his joy over their repentance.
In 2 Corinthians chapter 7, Paul writes,
Open your hearts to us, verse two.
have wronged no one.
We have corrupted no one.
We have cheated no one.
do not say this to condemn, for I have said before that you are in our hearts to die together and to live together.
Great is my boldness of speech toward you.
Great is my boasting on your behalf.
I am filled with comfort.
I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation." Paul was going through the persecution that Jesus had described.
And he says, yet I'm exceedingly joyful.
Why, Paul?
for indeed when we came to Macedonia our bodies had no rest but we were troubled on every side.
Outside were conflicts, inside were fears.
Nevertheless, God who comforts the downcast comforted us by the coming of Titus and not only by his coming but also by the consolation with which he was comforted in you when he
told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me so that I rejoiced even more for
Even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it, though I did regret it.
For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while.
Now I rejoice not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance.
For you were made sorry in a godly manner that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.
For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted, but the sorrow of the world produces death.
Paul writes to the church at Corinth and he had written many things that they needed to correct and he had sent that letter by Titus.
Titus had delivered that letter.
He had told them all the things that Paul said that they were doing that was wrong, had condemned them for doing them, and then he brought back word and said, they've gladly
received me and they've gladly received your letter and they've repented.
we're reminded that the joy that we find in salvation is over persecution and trials, yes, but it's also in our overcoming and our victory over past sin.
Paul was able to experience the joy and even greater joy because he realized that those who had fallen,
from obedience to God had been willing to repent and return and once again make their lives right with God.
Salvation's victory is found over persecution and it's found over past sin, but John will write in 1 John chapter 4 and chapter 5 that it's found in the love of God and the faith
which overcomes the world.
1 John chapter 4 verse 20, someone says, love God and hates his brother, he is a liar.
For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
And this commandment we have from him that he who loves God must love his brother also.
Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born God.
And everyone who loves Him who begot also loves Him who is begotten of Him.
By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep His commandments.
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.
And His commandments are not burdensome for whatever is born of God overcomes the world.
And this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith.
But he who is, but, sorry, let me try that again.
Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the son of God.
The Christian's joy is not
an emotion.
Emotions are temporal.
Christian's joy is an assurance of outcome.
It is an assurance that no matter what happens in this life, we know exactly how it will end.
It will end with victory in Christ.
It will end with this life being replaced
with the reward that is to come.
It is the assurance that we have not followed as Peter writes cunningly devised fables, but rather the inspired Word of God.
So while I cannot and should not and will not assure you that if you live in this world and you continue living in this nation for decades to come that all will be well, I can
assure you of this.
If you obey the one who was proclaimed by angels to be the one who would bring joy to the world, and if you remain faithful to him,
being born a child of God through the watery grave of baptism and you continue faithful to Him until this life is over.
That though you will experience hardship, trials, tribulation, persecution, sin, difficulty, the need for repentance, and continuing,
When this life is over, we have the assurance of having overcome the world by faith and receiving the end of our joy, the salvation of our souls.
If you're here this morning and you have need of the joy found in Christ, why not take hold of it today?
Why not be obedient to God?
You remember that John wrote there in 1 John chapter 5?
Here's the love of God, if we keep His commandments, and then we know that our faith will overcome.
If you have need of the invitation, why not come now as we stand?