BELIEVE: JOY Week 22 September 17, 2017

Intro video

BELIEVE: JOY

Week 22

September 17, 2017

 (Babies laughing video automatically advances to slide #3)

Who can resist smiling when we see a baby laughs?

Let me ask you though, is that because we feel joy or we feel happiness?

It depends on the circumstances, but I would say, watching a video of someone else’s baby laughing is probably happiness. Take the video away, and we might be just as sour and dour as we were when we walked in the door. If that is the case, it is not joy.

 Fundamentally, there are two kinds of people in the world. In Winnie the Pooh, they are called "Eeyores" and “Tiggers.” “Eeyores” can find a burden in every blessing; a dark cloud in every silver lining. No matter how good things are, they can always find something to complain about; something that’s not right. People accuse “Eeyores” of being pessimists, but “Eeyores” know the truth: they are realists. They are the only ones that see reality as it truly is while everyone else walks around with blinders on.

You probably won’t believe this, but I have on occasion been called an "Eeyore."

  The other extreme type is “Tiggers” who find a blessing in every burden; a rainbow in every storm. No matter how bad things seem, they can always find something positive. People accuse "Tiggers" of having their head in the clouds – blissfully ignorant, or perhaps, even in denial. But "Tiggers" know the truth you just have to “turn that frown upside-down” and “keep on the sunny side of life.”

Believe it or not, I have never been accused of being a "Tigger."

Truthfully, there’s a little "Eeyore" or "Tigger" in each of us. But "Eeyores" and "Tiggers" can be equally problematic. One we have to pull one back down to earth. The other is always trying to drag us down into the mud.

Clearly, Tiggers are happy and Eeyores are not… but neither one has the advantage when it comes to Christian Joy.

 You see, I want to be perfectly clear, that when we talk about Christian JOY, we are not talking about being a "Tigger." We are not talking about happiness.

•        Happiness is a state of mind, while joy is a condition of the heart

•        Happiness comes and goes, while joy never changes.

•        Happiness is dependent on the circumstances of our lives, while joy is dependent only on God’s constant love.

•        Happiness is conditional, while joy (like the love we talked about last week) is unconditional.

In the most joyful book of the Bible, Philippians, Paul writes, “I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:11–13, NLT)

 This is a portrait of Christian Joy. We might define Christian joy and trusting contentment in God.

Christian Joy is contentedly trusting in Christ whether we have much or little, because Jesus is enough.

Christian Joy is contentedly trusting that we don’t have to fight the battle du’jur because our strength comes from Christ.

Christian Joy is contentedly trusting that we don’t have to be the winner, because our victory comes from Christ.

Christian Joy is contentedly trusting that whether we feel happy or sad, it is enough to trust in Jesus.

Christian Joy is contentedly trusting that we don’t have to fight our inner "Eeyore." Rather, trusting that Christ is our joy, no matter how we may feel.

Christian Joy is contentedly trusting in Christ for all things. It is like the trust of the baby completely content just to be held safe in a parent’s arms.

Christian Joy is contentedly trusting deep, deep inside that we are always held in the arms of God… and that is really all we need.

How is your Christian joy? If you aren’t so sure you get it yet, you’ll have to get in line. I’ll admit, for a while this week I thought maybe I should find someone more qualified to preach his sermon. I’m not sure I get it myself, but I kept telling myself what I knew I wanted to tell you. “Just because you don’t FEEL joy, does not mean that you don’t HAVE joy. Christian Joy is not a feeling; it is a confidence that Jesus is enough.”

 Jesus says, “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.”  That word “complete” could also be translated “enough.” “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be enough.”

 If you have trouble connecting to joy, try adjusting your perspective. You are not the end all and be all of life. This life and what you see, is not the whole picture. There is a bigger picture that stretches all the way from creation to consummation… all the way from Genesis to Revelation.

Jesus was part of that picture. From a human perspective, who would journey to Jerusalem knowing that a Roman cross was waiting for them? No one if they were focused on themselves and their life. No one if they were looking at the small picture. Hebrews tells us that, “For the joy that was set before him, Jesus endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Jesus knew the joy of being part of a bigger perspective .He faced the cross, not because he had to, but “for the joy that was set before him.”

If we didn’t see the bigger perspective, what woman would endure the pain of labor?

If we didn’t see a bigger perspective who would give to hurricane cleanup?

If we didn’t see the bigger perspective who would undergo surgery or chemotherapy?

If we do not have a bigger perspective, when life just stinks that’s all there is.

In Christ, we are part of a bigger perspective of the kingdom of God. Therefore, no matter how I feel, I can contentedly trust that Jesus is enough… and that is joy.

In Christ, we are part of the bigger perspective of eternal life. Therefore, no matter what this life brings, I can contentedly trust that Jesus is enough… and that is joy.

For the joy that was set before him, Jesus endured the cross. Therefore, as part of the big picture of the kingdom of God, I can contentedly trust that Jesus is enough… and that is joy.

 If you still have trouble connecting to joy, try realigning your priority.

If you don’t decide what is important, others will do it for you. If you don’t decide what you’ll spend your life doing, others will do it for you. The world has expectations of us. Advertisers are all about setting or changing the priorities of our lives. I suggest, however, that we adjust our priority to align with Jesus. Jesus asks, “What good is it for a person to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” 

In Christ, we participate in the greatest priority of all… the salvation of our souls for the transformation of the world.

Let’s get personal. How many arguments in your family are over issues that really aren’t very important? Are they worth losing your joy over? How much of the conflict and anxiety in your life is over silly things? ...most of I would guess. Are they worth losing your joy over? How much of your time do you spend on things that just aren’t all that important? Ask yourself, how long will this last? What value will this activity have in 5 yrs., 10 years? One of the tragedies of this life is people giving first class allegiance to second-class causes... or majoring on minors.

In Christ, we are given a new priority “Love the lord your God… Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Now that is something that lasts. Jesus established life priorities for every one of us: love God and love others. Everything else is filler. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friend.” Greater joy has no one than this they they give their live to loving God and loving others. When we align our life-priorities with Jesus… loving God and others, we discover something very important. We discover that God first loved us. We come realize there is no greater joy in life than contentedly trusting in God’s unrelenting, unstoppable, indescribable love for us. That is true joy.

I started out saying that I thought that maybe I was the wrong person to preach on Joy. In a superficial way that might be true, but when we dig in to the Joy of Christ, we discover that it does not reside here. It resides there. In God. Joy resides in contentedly trusting that God is enough.

When we adjust our perspective, taking ourselves out of the center of the world, we can see that God really is enough.

When we align our priorities with Jesus priorities, we discover that loving and being loved by God really is enough.

Contentedly trusting that God really is enough… is joy in its purest form.

 You have probably seen this

“GODISNOWHERE”

Today I want to show you a different one.

 “:JOYISNOWHERE.”

 Some look at that and read “JOY IS NOWHERE” (Frankly I have done that too much of my life.)

 I tell you joy is not “nowhere”. … Joy is in God... and in Jesus Christ God is now here... and when we shape our lives around God’s perspective and Jesus priorities, we take Jesus in here. Suddenly joy has gone from being nowhere, to be to being out there… to being right here. “JOY IS NOW HERE”

Jesus explains the whole thing. “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be ENOUGH.

May your joy be enough.