Advent: JOY

It’s crunch time! Christmas is a week from today and it seems like there are a million things to do before Christmas Day, and that can be stressful. In the hustle and bustle of the season, God wants us to know that Joy has come into the world, that is what we are celebrating.

The message is clear in Scripture, but are we listening?

Christmas time is the only seasons that has its own genre of music that is played constantly for more than a month. Many of these songs declare the source of true Joy is found in the birth of Christ who came to save the world from their sins. But are we listening?

End of the semester classes, tests, work, Christmas parties, Christmas activities, snow, cooking, cleaning, family time, shopping, gifts, decorating, Hallmark Movies, and the list goes on of all the activities we are involved in that preoccupy our minds and hearts. Some of them are good and necessary, others are distractions. Most should point us toward the meaning of the season, but instead of producing the hope, peace and joy found in Christ, it is producing stress, anxiety and pressure.

Our normal daily tasks, schedules and stresses are now combined with the fun, eventual but crazy holiday seasons. It can be overwhelming at times, but it can also be the most wonderful time of the year.

Think back to that first Christmas and what Mary and Joseph must have felt. They were living their normal lives and preparing for their future. They were engaged to married, when God supernaturally intervened in a unique way to bring His Son Jesus into the world through the virgin Mary. Now that certainly disrupted their plans, but God assured both Mary and Joseph, through the angel Gabriel, that He was with them.

Now the engage couple, in the midst of planning their wedding, are going to be the earthly parents of the Son of God. That seems like a lot of pressure. And yet they were willing and obedient to God. And then the government decides this would be a good time for a census.

Now Mary and Joseph not only have normal life and activities, a marriage to prepare, a unplanned pregnancy to explain, but now they have to travel too. They couldn’t call for an uber, or jump on the train, but had to travel to Nazareth. No 7/11s on the way, no gas stations or McDonalds. Then, upon their arrival there was no room in the inn. No Motel 6 with the light on, no hospital bed for the delivery. Only a lowly stable was found late at night, while Mary’s contractions were getting closer and closer.

Talk about stress, anxiety and fear. In spite of this, God’s message was “Do not fear.” God was saying, “I got this, and I got you. Don’t worry.” Yet, how could they have not been fearful, anxious and worried? Any new parent approaching the birth of their first child must have a million questions, feelings and emotions jogging around in their heart and mind.

That’s when it happened. All the busyness, stresses and noise where push away by the arrival of the baby Jesus. The wonder of new life, little hands, a baby’s cooing, drowned out everything else and a new, different sensation developed. Joy.

Joy To The World

Christmas is about Joy coming to the world in the person of Jesus Christ.

Luke 2:10–11

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

The good news and great joy was that the little baby born was not a typical baby, but the Son of God. He was a human baby, with all the normal human baby dependencies. The joy His birth brought was not just for Mary and Joseph, or the shepherds, but for all the world.

Joy and happiness can often look and feel the same, but biblical joy is so much more. Happiness is an emotional response triggered by external influences. Joy is deeper and fuller, based on the hope we have in Christ. In difficult times, you may not be happy, but you can be joyful knowing God has not abandoned you in your hour of need.

Jesus came to bring joy to the world, for anyone who trusts in Him (John 1:12). Do you have the joy of Christ? Have you placed your trust in Jesus?

Your Joy

Christmas is about you experience the joy of a personal relationship with Jesus.

John 15:11

These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

The message of Christ birth is intended to impact you personally. When you hear the message and believe in the Son of God, He becomes your greatest joy. Jesus gives you His joy and He becomes your joy!

There can be no greater gift offered to the Son of God on His birthday than to trust Him. If you want Jesus to be your joy, you must repent of your sins, accept your need for a Savior and acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God. In doing so, you will be adopted into His forever family and the Joy of the Lord will become your strength.

God’s Joy

Christmas is about God expressing His joy in His children.

When I think of the Joy of the Lord in the sense of the Joy the Lord has in what He has done and the joy He has in His children. 

1 - God's Joyfully Motivated

Hebrews 12:1–2

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

God’s joy is the source of and provision for our joy. Jesus consider the joy set before Him and was willing to sacrifice Himself in order to save us. What a demonstration of love (Rom 5:8)!

2 - God Rejoices

Luke 15:8–10

“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

God takes joy when a sinner comes to repentance. You could say, when a sinner begins to take Joy in Jesus, the father rejoices in the presence of the angels!

3 - God Sings

Zephaniah 3:17

The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

Such an intimate expression of joy the Father has over His children is to sing over them.

God initiated His redemptive plan to bring Joy to the World through the coming of Jesus Christ as a baby. As the Christmas story unfolds and God’s plan of redemption becomes clear to us in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus, we have joy unspeakable! It is through the lens of Christ that we see that Christmas is a time to see how our Heavenly Father expresses His joy toward us.

Advent: Peace

Luke 2:14

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Ready or not, Christmas is almost here! Are you ready? Somehow, I feel ready and not ready at the same time. Certainly I do not have my Christmas gift shopping done, I tend to procrastinate on shopping. But I am ready for the family time, the Christmas activities, and the celebration of Christ.

There is a whole lot of preparation that goes into the Christmas season. What do you do to prepare yourself for the holiday?

Over Thanksgiving weekend I took some time to clean my house to prepare for the decorations. Picking up clutter, throwing out junk, sweeping and mopping the floors. The preparation took on several stages from disorder, to ordered chaos, to putting things back together, and then everything being clean.

Then there were the several trips to the basement to bring out the boxes of Christmas decorations. My recently clean living room was once again cluttered. Changing seasonal pictures, hanging up stockings, setting up the tree, and before too long the decorations were in place, the floor vacuumed again and the house is clean and decorated. The decorations and the lights, along with some Christmas music made my home feel very peaceful and inviting.

However, in preparation for Christmas, things got messy before they were clean, then they became cluttered before they were beautified, it became busy before it was peaceful.

What I just described is one way to prepare for the holidays, but let me ask again, what do you do to prepare yourself for the holiday?

This time around, I want you to forget about the lights and the decorations. I want you to think about your heart and your mind. The business described above is only one distraction that takes place this season. There is shopping, late night sales, school parties, company parties, family parties, etc. So many things to do, yet so very little time to pause and reflect on the true meaning of the season, Jesus Christ.

The advent season is a time in a Christian’s life to reflect on the glory of the Gospel that God delivered to this world through His Son and how our lives should reflect the love He displayed for us. Last week we talked about how the way we live our lives should adorn the doctrine of Christ in such a way that draws people to Christ. Specifically, we looked at how looking back at God’s faithfulness creates hope in the present and future promises of God. As we anticipate Christ’s return we live in the hope He provides.

This week, as we consider preparing for Christmas, we will look at the peace that Christ brings to those who believe.

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Luke 2:14

How would you define peace? Most of us initially think of peace in terms of war, i.e. no war means peace. Is that all there is to it?

Here is a brief video explaining the biblical use of peace in the Old Testament and the New Testament:

                           

What are some things that stand out to you from the video? How did your understanding of peace change?

I liked the illustration of the wall, having recently gone through Nehemiah in our sermon series, and how each brick has its place and is important to the completion of the whole.

How does this definition of peace affect your view of the story of the Bible?

“The theme of the story is shalom: all things in their created place doing what they were created to do in loving relationship with their creator,” said one commentator.

Let’s keep this in mind as we look at a few Scriptures mentioned in the video and a few others that refer to peace. Read through each one and reflect on how the understanding of Shalom and Eirana we just heard provide a deeper understanding to these verses.

Isaiah 9:6

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Luke 2:14

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Romans 5:1

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:14–16

For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

Colossians 1:19–20

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

In the first advent of Christ, we see that peace with God was part of God’s plan from the beginning. In His preparation for us to receive this peace, things got messy before they became peaceful. The creation rebelled, they doubted, they disobeyed, and they fought with Him, yet all along we see He was arranging and rearranging the chaos into order. Just when history seemed to be at its darkest moment, Jesus entered into our space. He took on our clutter, our sin and nailed it to the cross. His preparation for Christmas brought us the gift of grace and peace with our Creator.

Every day we face new struggles and trials, are we living in the peace that the Prince of Peace gave His life for? There are so many distractions in this life from family, school, tests, end of semesters, work, bills, friends, relationships, smart phones, social media, and on and on, that it is so important that we Christians take full advantage of the Advent season to focus our attention on God’s gift of His Son.

One of my favorite passages in Scriptures is also a promise of peace:

Isaiah 26:3–4

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.

Consider that promise, when you choose to fix your mind of the everlasting Rock, God Himself will keep you in perfect shalom, peace! It means that He will bring order to your chaos, that He will fill the empty holes of your life and bring you to a feeling of wholeness and completeness in Him.

So how can we keep our minds stayed on Him this Christmas season? 

Look in your rearview mirror.* Take a few moments to consider all the mercies God has given you in your life, starting with the most recent and moving farther back. Look back at the story of Christmas, the life of Christ and believe again the story of His resurrection. Look back on the countless stories of God’s faithfulness to an unfaithful people in the Bible, and consider His faithfulness to you.

Look ahead.* Peer off into the future hope we have as believers, the second advent of our Savior. He will return and make all things new! “We will have ultimate shalom, unending and ever-increasing joy for all eternity.” He will put an end to chaos, to anxiety, to depression, to sickness, to death and sin. And you will get to see Jesus face to face!

Look at your right now.* Consider your current struggles in light of the past faithfulness of God and the future hope. How does this reshape your perspective of the right now? Remember, whenever we begin preparations for something big, things often get messy before they become peaceful. You may be in the messy season of life, but hold on, Jesus is working and preparing you for shalom.

*borrowed/inspired from "What Would God Say To Your Anxiety" by Dave Radford's article on desiringgod.org.

Advent: HOPE

Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

2 Corinthians 9:15

Christmas time is here! I am one of those who does not like starting Christmas early. I want to wait until after Thanksgiving Day before I gear up for Christmas. But once Thanksgiving is over, it’s Christmas time!!

Growing up, it was always the Saturday after Thanksgiving that we set up our Christmas tree and put up decorations. In a matter of hours, the house would go from fall decorations to being adorned for Christmas: a Christmas wonderland. Mom still does a fantastic job of making their home a cozy Christmas home that inspires anticipation for Christmas day.

This year, on Black Friday, I saved 100% of my money by staying home and cleaning in order to set up my decorations. I wait until Thanksgiving is over because it builds up the anticipation for the Christmas season, but now is the time to enjoy the season, the decorations and the festivities.

One thing that is left for me at home, is to adorn my tree with ornaments. Right now, it is a plain tree with lights on it. It looks nice, but when a tree is properly adorned it looks beautiful and inviting.

Ornaments for Adorning

Did you know that we are called to be ornaments to adorn the doctrine of God (Titus 2:10)? I was caught in wonder at this phrase as I read through Titus 2. The doctrine of God is not lacking anything in itself, so what does it mean to adorn the doctrine of God?

If we are Christ followers then we have the opportunity to follow Christ in such a way that it causes others to be attracted to the message. On the flipside, we can live in such a way that causes people to have no desire for the message because we are unloving or hypocritical. Paul is commanding us to live in such a way that brings glory to God and inspires others to follow Jesus (Matthew 5:16).

Here are some of the Ornaments from Titus 2:10-14

1.     1^st Advent – “the grace of God appeared”

2.     Faith

3.     Grace

4.     Salvation

5.     Saying “NO” to sin

6.     Saying “NO” to worldly passions

7.     Self-Control

8.     Upright

9.     Godly

10.  Hope

11.  2^nd Advent – “the appearing of glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”

12.  Redemption

13.  Purification

14.  Zeal for Good Works

This is an amazing list, and we could spend a lot of time on each one. But this week I want to focus on Hope. Before we dig in to the Hope here in Titus 2:13, let’s consider what Hope means throughout Scripture by watching this Word Study on Hope from The Bible Project.

Hope is so much more than wishful thinking or optimism based on odds. It is looking back at God’s past faithfulness and having a confident anticipation of the future. As Christians, we look back at the resurrection of Jesus Christ as the basis of our hope for today and tomorrow.

Hope prior to the 1^st Advent

Have you ever been promised something in the future that you didn’t get until later? Or are you waiting for the fulfillment of that promise? Maybe your parents promised you $20 if you get an A in your class, or a car when you turn 16, or a trip to Disney World.

What was(is) it like waiting for it? How does that motivate you?

Confidently looking forward to something we desire brings motivation to continue to study hard, to stay focused and endure.

What happens when that promise seems to get delayed or pushed off? It affects our excitement and motivation, right?

God promised His people that He would not forget about them, but that He would send a Messiah to deliver them from their oppression. Here’s a summary of God’s promises: a “seed of the woman” who would crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15; Romans 16:20), a prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15, 18; Acts 3:22; 7:37), a priest who would surpass the first-covenant order (Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 5:4–6; 7:11–17), a son of king David and heir to his throne (Isaiah 9:7; Matthew 1:1; 22:42) who would be greater than David, as his Lord (Psalm 110:1).

Throughout the history of Israel, they waited with anticipation and hoped for a Messiah. They had to wait for centuries, hoping for the deliver to come. Along the way, God provided prophets to remind His people of His promises to encourage their hope in Him. Until the end of Malachi, the last OT prophet. From the time of Malachi until the angel Gabriel delivered a message to Zechariah, there was a gap of 400 years of silence from God.

The people of Israel had to hope in the silence. They had to remember the faithfulness of God in the past to fuel their hope for God’s deliverance in the future. Promises such as this:

Isaiah 9:2, 6-7

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone…For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

And so they waited. Could you imagine waiting for your whole life for something and never getting a chance to see it come to pass, all the while holding fast to your hope? Their hope wasn’t wasted. God proved to be faithful to His promise with sending Jesus that 1^st Advent.

In Titus 2 it says, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people.” Advent means appearing. The first-time Jesus came, He came as a baby bringing peace to the world, for all who would believe. Jesus first Advent was to bring salvation through His sacrifice. Some define grace as God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. The arrival of baby Jesus is when grace appeared. His faithful life, death and resurrection is what provides salvation for all who believe.

Jesus is the Messiah that was promised. He did come to fulfill the hope of all those who believed in the promises of God. His resurrection testifies to the truth and power of His message.

Hope in the 2^nd Advent

The hope of advent doesn’t end with Christmas, remember the first appearing of Jesus. That is just the start. No, the hope of advent continues with us today as we look forward to Jesus’ return, which Paul calls our “blessed hope!”

“waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).

As Christians, we need to hold fast to the hope of His return. We wait expectantly for Him to come back and make all things new. Salvation has come in the 1^st advent and begun it’s work in and through us. In the 2^nd Advent, salvation will have its complete work and put an end to sin, darkness, evil, disease, and death. Most importantly, Jesus will come back to take us to be with Him.

John 14:3

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

Looking forward to our future hope with Christ should motivate us to pursue Christ today. When our eyes are fixed on the hope we have in the person of Jesus, we will say no to ungodliness and yes to being like Jesus. We will forsake the worldly desires and we will desire Christ above all else.

How will you adorn the doctrine of God this Christmas?

Here are three ways to make the most of this Advent season:

Ask God to reveal His presence to you. As a result of the first Advent, Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit who is ever present with us. He promises that if we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. Nothing can give us more hope than awareness of God’s presence.

Look for God working around you. God is always working, but often we go through our days without seeing it. If we are not looking for it we might miss it. Look for God working and get involved.

Keep record of what God does, thank Him for it and tell others. God’s faithfulness gives us hope in His promises. You need to see what He does, celebrate it and thank Him for it. Tell others about what God is doing. It is a good thing to boast about Jesus.