THE ONE WHO IS WORTHY
Second Sunday of Advent: Joy
Sunday, December 7, 2008; Mark 1:1-8
Introduction: The definition of archaeology is “the systematic study of past human life and culture by the recovery and examination of remaining material evidence.” Archaeologists try to recover data and remains from past civilizations to prove that life existed there, and they seek to reconstruct what that life was like. For many people, the remains aren’t always that impressive, and the work of an archeologist is painstaking, and not that exciting (unless you are Indiana Jones)!
Today is the second Sunday of Advent where we think about and talk about Joy. I would like to propose to you this morning that to find real signs of life in Christians, we must be able to find the evidence of “JOY.” One who is a real follower of Christ will be alive; alive with the spirit of joy. As we are told in Galatians 5:22, joy is the second fruit of the Spirit. So let us look at why so many Christians seem to lack joy, and then discover how we can all be alive in the “joy of the Lord.”
I. A Lack of Joy- (Philippians 4:4-7; 1 Tim 3:3; Titus 3:2; 1 Pet 2:18)
READ Philippians 4:4-7- (4) Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
We can see here in this passage that there are 5 aspects of joy: rejoicing, gentleness, prayerfulness, gratitude, and peace. So, it would make sense that to be lacking in these qualities would keep one from having joy.
a. No rejoicing- The Greek word for “rejoice” is “chairo.” In the Bible,
we see many events that take place which cause people to rejoice: the incarnation (God becoming flesh in Jesus Christ); being with others who believe in Jesus; the hearing of the good news that God forgives and brings new life to all who confess and believe in Jesus; and the prospect of a reward in heaven. These are just a few instances. Unfortunately, these occasions don’t necessarily bring rejoicing to many people. The incarnation is just something that happened 2000 years ago. The good news of God doesn’t always seem like good news when you go through the struggles of life. The prospect of a reward in heaven seems so far off that it is not on people’s minds, because we live so much in the ‘here and now.’ Being with other believers is not always occasion to rejoice, because we allow so many things to get in the way. So consequently, all too often, we don’t see a lot of rejoicing.
b. No gentleness- The apostle Paul said: “Let your gentleness be known to
everyone.” How many people around you would you classify as gentle? Would many people classify you as gentle? And yet, gentleness is a characteristic of a person who is full of joy. Why is this?
The Greek word translated as "gentleness" ( epieikes ) appears infrequently in the New Testament. When it is used, it is contrasted with such qualities as hostility, harshness, and quarrelsomeness. (1 Tim 3:3; Titus 3:2; 1 Pet 2:18). Gentle people seek peace rather than conflict. Though they may speak the truth with conviction, they don't use words to wound, but words that communicate and heal. So the joy of life is experienced through living in the truth and peace of God. Unfortunately, much of our lives is not lived in gentleness.
c. No prayerfulness- The third characteristic is prayerfulness. A person
who is alive with the joy of the Lord is one who knows where to turn. As Paul said: “…but in everything, with prayer and supplication…make you requests known.” I’ve said this before, and I will say it again, we should have the constant response of going to the Lord for guidance in all areas of our lives. But whether it is they don’t want to bother the Lord with trivial things, or whether they just haven’t ingrained it in their minds to pray all the time, people usually only go to the Lord when they have big requests to bring to the Lord. If we are truly alive in Christ, we'll pray the first thing in the morning and the last thing before bed. We'll pray in good times, bad times, and ordinary times. We'll pray alone and we'll pray together with other believers. But I don’t see this happening often enough. And because of this, people struggle to experience joy in their lives.
d. No gratitude- The next area Paul talks about is gratitude. When Paul
talks about praying, he talks about it in regards to being grateful; grateful to be able to pray and grateful for having a God who answers prayer. But an all too familiar attitude with people is that of expectation. When we expect God to do things for us, and our prayers are answered as we expect, then we are not thankful, because it is what we expected; what we thought should have happened. However, if our prayers are not answered as we expect, then we get angry at God because we thought God should have answered our prayers like we asked.
If you were to analyze our world, you would not see a lot of gratitude. Maybe it is because we really have an abundance of things, and therefore don’t appreciate what we do have. Or maybe it is because we live in a free world; a land that was established for the pursuit of happiness. But we have sought out happiness in the wrong places, and thus have grown discouraged. Without an attitude of gratefulness, there will be no joy.
e. No peace- Lastly, Paul talks about peace. Peace comes from
having our fears and burdens eased; either by their being taken away, or by us trusting that they are unwarranted, or by believing that God will work them out. Peace doesn’t come from having everything calm in your life, but rather by knowing that you are protected and guarded against ultimate harm. But how often do we worry? Our worry only intensifies the lack of peace in our lives. Our worry keeps us from being able to trust anything or anyone. Our worry keeps us from focusing on what God would want us to focus on, and carries us to a place of unstableness. People have no peace, because they do not trust God as they should. And without a sense of peace in their lives, they lack the joy that comes from God.
II. Joy Discovered- (Mark 1:1-8)
a. The source of joy- Example: “Who Helps the Helper?” Illus.
Unlimited, p. 283. There is a story of a young man who came to a renowned doctor in Paris complaining of depression. He believed this doctor could help him overcome his depression. The doctor told this young man that he needed to get to know someone named Grimaldi, a leader of a café society. As the doctor said: “Let him show you how to enjoy yourself and you will get well.” The young man was quiet for a moment, and then replied to the doctor: “That is a problem, doctor, because you see, I AM GRIMALDI!”
Happiness and joy are not the same things. Happiness comes from our experiences. When they are good, we are happy. But there will always be times in our life when things are not good. We have to understand that joy is something that is deeper, and that can come only from God.
In our text this morning, we read from the first chapter of the gospel of Mark. The passage starts out by telling us about John the Baptist. John the Baptist was given the task to prepare the way; he was a messenger. But John the Baptist was not to be the focus. His message was clear: “… ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming…I have baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’”
We see here that Jesus came filled with the Spirit of God and came to fill us with the Spirit of God. Which is important, because if “joy” is a fruit of the Spirit, we need to be filled with the Spirit to have joy as a part of who we are. We must receive the source of joy, Jesus Christ into our lives. Jesus is the One who shows us the example of gentleness, prayerfulness, gratitude, and peace. Jesus is the one who teaches us how to rejoice at all times and in all ways. Jesus IS the source of joy!
b. The One who is worthy- This last week I came across an e-mail I had
received a while ago titled: “36 Ways to Reduce Stress.” I thought this was appropriate both for the season and the topic, so I would like to take a few moments to read some of them to you…. PRAY; go to bed on time; GET UP ON TIME SO YOU CAN START THE DAY UNRUSHED; say no to projects that won’t fit into your time schedule, or compromise your metal health; DELEGATE TASKS TO CAPABLE OTHERS; simplify and unclutter your life; ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO DO THINGS AND TO GET TO PLACES; take one day at a time; SEPARATE WORRIES FROM CONCERNS SO THAT YOU CAN LET GO OF THE ANXIETY; live within your budget (nothing stresses people out more than money worries); DO SOMETHING FOR THE KID IN YOU EVERYDAY; eat right; GET ORGANIZED SO EVERYTHING HAS ITS PLACE; every day, find time to be alone; TALK TO GOD RIGHT ON THE SPOT WHEN YOU HAVE A PROBLEM; make friends with godly people; LAUGH; laugh some more; DEVELOP A FORGIVING ATTITUDE; talk less and listen more; SLOW DOWN; remind yourself that you are not the God of the universe; EVERY NIGHT BEFORE YOU GO TO BED, THINK OF ONE THING THAT YOU ARE THANKFUL FOR.
Now much of this might seem obvious, but the truth is that so many people don’t follow this good advice; advice that really can cut down on the stress in our lives. But even though following this advice can help reduce the stress, it will not fully bring joy to our lives. That joy can only completely come from Jesus Christ.
As we will be singing at the end of the service, the familiar Christmas Carol and hymn “Joy to the World,” which says: Joy to the world, the Lord is come, let earth receive her king. Jesus is the king, the one who is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving. As we understand the words of this song, we will understand that we are not worthy, but the one who has come, Jesus Christ, He is worthy, and in Him we will find joy…As we receive Jesus, we will put ourselves in that place where joy can abound, where we will pray and give thanks and rejoice.
Conclusion: If someone walked into our church, how would they know that we are a church full of joy? By the way we exhibit those five characteristics: rejoicing, gentleness, prayer, gratitude, and peace. But even more, we will exhibit the humble adoration of our worthy king, who has come to us and fills us with the Spirit of God.
The Christian life, if it is anything at all, should be consistently joyful. I'm not saying we need to deny our pain. I’m not saying that we need to pretend our life is perfect. The truth is that our struggles and failings are the very thing that ends up helping us to rejoice in the Lord because they drive us to the cross, to the One who is worthy where we receive God's mercy and grace. Joyful living is a response to what God has done in Jesus Christ. If you want to pray with more faith, if you want to trust God more, if you want to be more joyful, begin with thanksgiving. Remember God's goodness to you and tell him all about it. You'll find your faith coming alive, your prayers expanding in their scope and boldness, and God’s presence experienced more deeply. Gratitude is one of life's greatest gifts. When we're grateful, we savor life's goodness. Gratitude magnifies our joy in living. Furthermore, when we remember how God has graced us and when we give him thanks in return, our faith is kindled and we're inspired to pray bigger prayers. But more than the asking, our prayers will connect us with the One who can carry us through all aspects of life. And because of this reality, we will be able to say: “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice.” Amen.
Second Sunday of Advent: Joy
Sunday, December 7, 2008; Mark 1:1-8
Introduction: The definition of archaeology is “the systematic study of past human life and culture by the recovery and examination of remaining material evidence.” Archaeologists try to recover data and remains from past civilizations to prove that life existed there, and they seek to reconstruct what that life was like. For many people, the remains aren’t always that impressive, and the work of an archeologist is painstaking, and not that exciting (unless you are Indiana Jones)!
Today is the second Sunday of Advent where we think about and talk about Joy. I would like to propose to you this morning that to find real signs of life in Christians, we must be able to find the evidence of “JOY.” One who is a real follower of Christ will be alive; alive with the spirit of joy. As we are told in Galatians 5:22, joy is the second fruit of the Spirit. So let us look at why so many Christians seem to lack joy, and then discover how we can all be alive in the “joy of the Lord.”
I. A Lack of Joy- (Philippians 4:4-7; 1 Tim 3:3; Titus 3:2; 1 Pet 2:18)
READ Philippians 4:4-7- (4) Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
We can see here in this passage that there are 5 aspects of joy: rejoicing, gentleness, prayerfulness, gratitude, and peace. So, it would make sense that to be lacking in these qualities would keep one from having joy.
a. No rejoicing- The Greek word for “rejoice” is “chairo.” In the Bible,
we see many events that take place which cause people to rejoice: the incarnation (God becoming flesh in Jesus Christ); being with others who believe in Jesus; the hearing of the good news that God forgives and brings new life to all who confess and believe in Jesus; and the prospect of a reward in heaven. These are just a few instances. Unfortunately, these occasions don’t necessarily bring rejoicing to many people. The incarnation is just something that happened 2000 years ago. The good news of God doesn’t always seem like good news when you go through the struggles of life. The prospect of a reward in heaven seems so far off that it is not on people’s minds, because we live so much in the ‘here and now.’ Being with other believers is not always occasion to rejoice, because we allow so many things to get in the way. So consequently, all too often, we don’t see a lot of rejoicing.
b. No gentleness- The apostle Paul said: “Let your gentleness be known to
everyone.” How many people around you would you classify as gentle? Would many people classify you as gentle? And yet, gentleness is a characteristic of a person who is full of joy. Why is this?
The Greek word translated as "gentleness" ( epieikes ) appears infrequently in the New Testament. When it is used, it is contrasted with such qualities as hostility, harshness, and quarrelsomeness. (1 Tim 3:3; Titus 3:2; 1 Pet 2:18). Gentle people seek peace rather than conflict. Though they may speak the truth with conviction, they don't use words to wound, but words that communicate and heal. So the joy of life is experienced through living in the truth and peace of God. Unfortunately, much of our lives is not lived in gentleness.
c. No prayerfulness- The third characteristic is prayerfulness. A person
who is alive with the joy of the Lord is one who knows where to turn. As Paul said: “…but in everything, with prayer and supplication…make you requests known.” I’ve said this before, and I will say it again, we should have the constant response of going to the Lord for guidance in all areas of our lives. But whether it is they don’t want to bother the Lord with trivial things, or whether they just haven’t ingrained it in their minds to pray all the time, people usually only go to the Lord when they have big requests to bring to the Lord. If we are truly alive in Christ, we'll pray the first thing in the morning and the last thing before bed. We'll pray in good times, bad times, and ordinary times. We'll pray alone and we'll pray together with other believers. But I don’t see this happening often enough. And because of this, people struggle to experience joy in their lives.
d. No gratitude- The next area Paul talks about is gratitude. When Paul
talks about praying, he talks about it in regards to being grateful; grateful to be able to pray and grateful for having a God who answers prayer. But an all too familiar attitude with people is that of expectation. When we expect God to do things for us, and our prayers are answered as we expect, then we are not thankful, because it is what we expected; what we thought should have happened. However, if our prayers are not answered as we expect, then we get angry at God because we thought God should have answered our prayers like we asked.
If you were to analyze our world, you would not see a lot of gratitude. Maybe it is because we really have an abundance of things, and therefore don’t appreciate what we do have. Or maybe it is because we live in a free world; a land that was established for the pursuit of happiness. But we have sought out happiness in the wrong places, and thus have grown discouraged. Without an attitude of gratefulness, there will be no joy.
e. No peace- Lastly, Paul talks about peace. Peace comes from
having our fears and burdens eased; either by their being taken away, or by us trusting that they are unwarranted, or by believing that God will work them out. Peace doesn’t come from having everything calm in your life, but rather by knowing that you are protected and guarded against ultimate harm. But how often do we worry? Our worry only intensifies the lack of peace in our lives. Our worry keeps us from being able to trust anything or anyone. Our worry keeps us from focusing on what God would want us to focus on, and carries us to a place of unstableness. People have no peace, because they do not trust God as they should. And without a sense of peace in their lives, they lack the joy that comes from God.
II. Joy Discovered- (Mark 1:1-8)
a. The source of joy- Example: “Who Helps the Helper?” Illus.
Unlimited, p. 283. There is a story of a young man who came to a renowned doctor in Paris complaining of depression. He believed this doctor could help him overcome his depression. The doctor told this young man that he needed to get to know someone named Grimaldi, a leader of a café society. As the doctor said: “Let him show you how to enjoy yourself and you will get well.” The young man was quiet for a moment, and then replied to the doctor: “That is a problem, doctor, because you see, I AM GRIMALDI!”
Happiness and joy are not the same things. Happiness comes from our experiences. When they are good, we are happy. But there will always be times in our life when things are not good. We have to understand that joy is something that is deeper, and that can come only from God.
In our text this morning, we read from the first chapter of the gospel of Mark. The passage starts out by telling us about John the Baptist. John the Baptist was given the task to prepare the way; he was a messenger. But John the Baptist was not to be the focus. His message was clear: “… ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming…I have baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’”
We see here that Jesus came filled with the Spirit of God and came to fill us with the Spirit of God. Which is important, because if “joy” is a fruit of the Spirit, we need to be filled with the Spirit to have joy as a part of who we are. We must receive the source of joy, Jesus Christ into our lives. Jesus is the One who shows us the example of gentleness, prayerfulness, gratitude, and peace. Jesus is the one who teaches us how to rejoice at all times and in all ways. Jesus IS the source of joy!
b. The One who is worthy- This last week I came across an e-mail I had
received a while ago titled: “36 Ways to Reduce Stress.” I thought this was appropriate both for the season and the topic, so I would like to take a few moments to read some of them to you…. PRAY; go to bed on time; GET UP ON TIME SO YOU CAN START THE DAY UNRUSHED; say no to projects that won’t fit into your time schedule, or compromise your metal health; DELEGATE TASKS TO CAPABLE OTHERS; simplify and unclutter your life; ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO DO THINGS AND TO GET TO PLACES; take one day at a time; SEPARATE WORRIES FROM CONCERNS SO THAT YOU CAN LET GO OF THE ANXIETY; live within your budget (nothing stresses people out more than money worries); DO SOMETHING FOR THE KID IN YOU EVERYDAY; eat right; GET ORGANIZED SO EVERYTHING HAS ITS PLACE; every day, find time to be alone; TALK TO GOD RIGHT ON THE SPOT WHEN YOU HAVE A PROBLEM; make friends with godly people; LAUGH; laugh some more; DEVELOP A FORGIVING ATTITUDE; talk less and listen more; SLOW DOWN; remind yourself that you are not the God of the universe; EVERY NIGHT BEFORE YOU GO TO BED, THINK OF ONE THING THAT YOU ARE THANKFUL FOR.
Now much of this might seem obvious, but the truth is that so many people don’t follow this good advice; advice that really can cut down on the stress in our lives. But even though following this advice can help reduce the stress, it will not fully bring joy to our lives. That joy can only completely come from Jesus Christ.
As we will be singing at the end of the service, the familiar Christmas Carol and hymn “Joy to the World,” which says: Joy to the world, the Lord is come, let earth receive her king. Jesus is the king, the one who is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving. As we understand the words of this song, we will understand that we are not worthy, but the one who has come, Jesus Christ, He is worthy, and in Him we will find joy…As we receive Jesus, we will put ourselves in that place where joy can abound, where we will pray and give thanks and rejoice.
Conclusion: If someone walked into our church, how would they know that we are a church full of joy? By the way we exhibit those five characteristics: rejoicing, gentleness, prayer, gratitude, and peace. But even more, we will exhibit the humble adoration of our worthy king, who has come to us and fills us with the Spirit of God.
The Christian life, if it is anything at all, should be consistently joyful. I'm not saying we need to deny our pain. I’m not saying that we need to pretend our life is perfect. The truth is that our struggles and failings are the very thing that ends up helping us to rejoice in the Lord because they drive us to the cross, to the One who is worthy where we receive God's mercy and grace. Joyful living is a response to what God has done in Jesus Christ. If you want to pray with more faith, if you want to trust God more, if you want to be more joyful, begin with thanksgiving. Remember God's goodness to you and tell him all about it. You'll find your faith coming alive, your prayers expanding in their scope and boldness, and God’s presence experienced more deeply. Gratitude is one of life's greatest gifts. When we're grateful, we savor life's goodness. Gratitude magnifies our joy in living. Furthermore, when we remember how God has graced us and when we give him thanks in return, our faith is kindled and we're inspired to pray bigger prayers. But more than the asking, our prayers will connect us with the One who can carry us through all aspects of life. And because of this reality, we will be able to say: “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice.” Amen.
posted by Logan's Blog at 11:39 AM
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