The Joy of Salvation | Luke 2:10, Philippians 4:4 and 1 Peter 1:8-9

[0:00] Welcome to Ontario Community Church, where we're dedicated to encouraging, equipping, and engaging lives for Christ. Located in Ontario, Oregon, Pastor Patrick Daley preaches insightful sermons from the Word of God, offering practical applications for modern living.

[0:17] We're delighted to share this sermon with you. So my wife, before in her time in Hawaii, she was the head of school for a Montessori school, and she jokingly likes to tell people that it's easier to work with five kids than it is with 35 kids, because that's the amount of kids that she had in the Montessori school that she had to oversee.

[0:41] And sometimes she would tell me, sometimes teachers and parents may act like children at times as well. So sometimes you have to add that to the list. But certainly going from 35 kids to five kids has just been a really easy transition for her.

[0:57] I'm just going by what she's saying. I gotta be honest here, you know? But I have to say that was really good for the children to be able to just celebrate and do their Christmas play, their Christmas songs together.

[1:09] It just always is a good, just a good time, a good reminder of when we were children. How many of us did something like that when we were young? Some of us, maybe, some of us maybe not. Some of us maybe don't like admitting that, but we did, right?

[1:23] And that's really great seeing just the next generation partaking in Christmas songs, and it's just really, really amazing for that. Well, good morning, and Merry Christmas, everyone.

[1:36] Can you believe in eight days we're gonna be on Christmas Day? Like, that's a little bit unbelievable right now, and that's just wild. The time flies.

[1:48] I mean, I was looking at the beginning of December and now preparing for next year and everything, where does the time go? But it's certainly a great time for us to be in the Christmas spirit and to really reflect and to think about Jesus Christ being born in the manger at the time where Jesus Christ being born changes the course of history.

[2:11] And so today we are going to continue our message series, which is Journey to the Manger, Prophets, Promises, and the Prince of Peace. And the title of the sermon for today is going to be The Joy of Salvation.

[2:25] And for many of you, you should all have your notes on here and feel free to follow along. Our scripture reading is, we're gonna have three scripture readings from Luke chapter two, verse 10, Philippians chapter four, verse four, and 1 Peter chapter one, eight through nine.

[2:46] You don't have to know all that right now. You can refer to your notes on there. And you know, in this Advent season, we've gone over the hope that comes from Jesus Christ.

[2:56] We've also gone over that Christ is the Prince of Peace. It's the peace that comes from Him that surpasses all understanding. And today we're going to talk about joy, specifically the joy of our salvation, the joy that comes from the Lord, the unspeakable, the inexpressible joy that comes from Him.

[3:18] You know, joy is a word that we hear so much in this Christmas season, amen. Right, you think of Christmas cards that we send to our friends and to our families. Or sometimes you may have a cup, I'm not gonna say what company, but you might have a cup that will say joy or might have a Christmas theme going on.

[3:36] You might see signs when you're going to your friends or families to work as you're driving in your car. You might see a sign that says joy, joy to the world, the Lord has come.

[3:49] And when we read this, we think about the proclamation of Jesus Christ, that He is coming to this earth. And certainly it is a reminder for us to be joyful.

[4:00] And in this season, look, there's a lot of time for festivities, the lighting of Christmas trees, the putting up of Christmas trees. Do you all have a Christmas tree yet?

[4:11] If you don't, it's not too late, you know, and don't forget. So let's just be mindful of that. And certainly we put up our Christmas trees, we just get in that spirit, that warm, jolly spirit, so to speak.

[4:25] And the joy that we think of when we think of scripture, it's a little bit different than when we're talking about joy in the human sense or joy that's in the world.

[4:37] When we talk about scripture, we're talking about joy that is transcending, something that is beyond the physical. The joy of our salvation, the joy of the Lord, it transcends our circumstances.

[4:52] And one of the beautiful things about the joy of the Lord is knowing that you are safe and that you are secure in the arms of God. For in believing in the Lord, there is safety and there is security that is in Him.

[5:07] And I'm speaking of a joy that is rooted in who God is and what God has done for us, that God loved us so much that He sent His Son to be born in a manger.

[5:21] What an incredible love that our God has for us. But before we go any further, I'd like for us to take time, let's take some time in prayer and let's ask God to be with us as we turn to the scriptures about having the joy of the Lord, the joy of salvation and how it transcends our human understanding of worldly joy.

[5:45] As it were, will you pray with me? Let's pray together. And Father God, we thank you for giving us this time and this opportunity for us to come together and be present with our friends, with our families, and with our church community.

[6:00] We're grateful that we have the opportunity to open your word and to hear your word. May we prepare our minds and our hearts for the coming of your Son, Jesus the Messiah, the Christ.

[6:13] And Father, you sent your Son. You love us so much that you sent your Son down to earth, the word becoming flesh, and you provided the way. You provided truth for us and you provided new life.

[6:28] Be with us as we explore your word and what your word has to say about joy in our lives. For knowing you, we have the joy of the Lord.

[6:42] And this joy that you offer to us is something that is different. In fact, it is greater than human joy. There is joy in our salvation, knowing that you provided salvation to us through belief and that you God will never forsake us and you will never abandon us.

[7:03] And I pray that everyone in this congregation, everyone here today and even those that are not with us today, that they may believe in Jesus the Christ, that they may grow in faith and that they may serve you by doing good in your holy name.

[7:19] It is in Jesus' holy and mighty name that we pray and we all say together, amen. Before we open our Bibles, I would like for us to take a quick moment.

[7:31] Let's turn to the person, let's turn to those around us. Let's turn to the person next to us. I want us to share, let's put that on the slide here, a moment of joy.

[7:42] Turn to your neighbor, share a moment of joy that you have experienced in your life. It can be something that has happened recently or it can be something that's happened in the past.

[7:53] So let's take a couple of moments and just think of a moment. Just it can be anything that's happened of a moment of joy. You know, it's always great to share in moments where we experience joy, where we experience happiness in our own lives, right?

[8:13] Sometimes we have a brief moment of joy when we finished a test, right? We were finishing a hard day's work and we're like, I'm glad this is over with, right? There's little moments that there's small things that can bring a smile to our face.

[8:28] And sometimes there are events that happen in our life that really just bring joy to our life. I know it brings me great joy when I see my children and they're not throwing a fit, if I'm being honest here, right?

[8:41] But certainly in these small moments of joy, it's earthly joy, right? It's human joy. But today we're gonna speak about something that is much greater, the unspeakable, the inexpressible joy.

[8:54] So we're gonna go deeper into that kind of joy, the joy of our salvation, the enduring joy, the profound joy that comes from Jesus Christ.

[9:04] When we speak of joy in this Advent season, it's beyond the festivities and the activities. It's something that comes from the Lord. And joy specifically in this season, in the biblical sense, it transcends, like I said, our everyday experiences and our earthly moments.

[9:22] So let's turn to the Word of God and let's go to our first scripture reading, which is going to be from Luke chapter two, verse 10. And I'm gonna go ahead and put that on the screen right now.

[9:34] Let's see if it works. There we go. It's gonna be on page 1018.

[10:03] All right, are we all there? All right, let's read it together. So Luke chapter two, verse 10. And the angel said to them, what? Fear not, for behold, I bring you what?

[10:15] Good news of great joy that will be for all the people. So what is being brought here? Good news of great joy.

[10:26] And I want us to take note of that as we are going forth here. I know it's a section of what's happening of the birth of Jesus Christ, but there's something that's significant about this.

[10:40] You know, last week we talked about Luke chapter two, verse 14, which was talking about the word doxa, which means giving glory to God in the highest, giving him the highest honor and the highest praise that our God is worthy of our praise.

[10:57] So the angel is speaking to the shepherds and he says the words, fear not, two very powerful words, right? Some translations will say, do not be afraid.

[11:10] And we find in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament, fear not is something that should give us great comfort.

[11:21] Do not be afraid. If an angel appeared before you when you were working, I'd be a little freaked out. I'm gonna be honest here. And if an angel told me to fear not, I would hopefully believe him, but I'd still be a little overwhelmed with the presence of an angel here.

[11:38] So the angel, a messenger from God is saying to the shepherds who are watching their flock, saying the famous words. And so often in scripture, do not be afraid, fear not.

[11:51] It's self-explanatory here. And sometimes it's not easy for us when we're told to not be afraid. Think of the times I mentioned last week of the when Peter was out on the water and he was sinking because he was walking on water.

[12:09] He saw Jesus walk on water, but he had that doubt and he was afraid. And how often do we get afraid when the Lord works in our life?

[12:19] How often are we afraid? And for those of us who have seen angels, if you have gotten afraid, I can understand. So it goes on, fear not for behold.

[12:31] The angel is saying behold, right? Listen up here. I've got something to say. The angel is going further. I bring good news. What's significant about this particular wording is that the announcing of good news is similar to the word evangelize.

[12:49] The Greek word that is being used, very similar, right? When we think of evangelism, we think of proclaiming the good news of the gospel, that Jesus Christ is providing salvation and that by believing in him, believe in the Lord and you shall be saved.

[13:07] So it's very similar language here. I'm bringing forth good news. I am evangelizing. That's what the angel is doing to the shepherds. I am evangelizing to you.

[13:17] It's a proclamation. It's the announcement of Jesus Christ coming. It's similar in the language to evangelize. Like I'm saying, when we evangelize, we are proclaiming, we are preaching the good news of the gospel.

[13:32] So the angel is announcing the good news. The angel is evangelizing, so to speak, to the shepherds of the coming of Jesus Christ. And I don't know about you if I was a shepherd and an angel came to me and was saying, I bring good news to you.

[13:47] You should listen up. Certainly it's a very kind of shocking moment in your life, but listen, what is this good news?

[13:57] Well, it goes on saying in the verse, good news of great joy, right? Let's say that together. Good news of great joy. The angel is saying, I'm bringing good news of what?

[14:08] I'm bringing good news of great joy. This joy is great joy. It's describing cheerfulness. It is describing delight. It is describing gladness.

[14:18] And it is experiencing that great joy. And in the context of these verses, the great joy is speaking of God's fulfillment of prophecy, God's fulfillment of the promises that are made, the coming forth of Jesus Christ.

[14:33] Do you realize that in the Old Testament, it is slowly revealing what is to come in Jesus Christ? The fact in Micah 5-2 that there would be a savior that would be born in the city of Bethlehem.

[14:47] When we look at the Gospel of Luke, it's talking about the city of David. All of these prophecies are being lined up and they are fulfilled in Jesus Christ's birth.

[14:57] And also there's other prophecies fulfilled in his ministry. That's so significant about our savior to see that in the Bible, you have a collection of so many books written throughout time and throughout history that point to Jesus.

[15:13] They point to Jesus, the Messiah. And this is how people back then, and people now can have joy in the Lord. It is through realizing and it is through acknowledging that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of many prophecies of God's promises and that salvation is through belief in Jesus Christ.

[15:33] Can I get an amen? Right, salvation comes from the Lord. And it goes on to say, good news of great joy for what? What does the verse say? For some people, does it say only for young people, only for young people, only for old people, only for the rich, right?

[15:52] No, it says it's for all people. We end this verse with the angel saying that the good news of great joy is for all people. And what a great parallel, what a great connection we can see with us spreading the news of the gospel, the good news of the gospel to other people.

[16:10] Is the gospel only for some or is it for everyone? Is this good news of great joy? Is it for all people or is it for some people? It is for everyone, just like in John 3.16, whoever, whosoever believes, everyone, all, not some, not the rich, not the poor, not the tall, not the short, it's for everybody.

[16:35] And you know what, that's one of the reasons why I'm Christian is that salvation is available for everyone. Can you imagine if heaven was filled with the rich? I gave more money than you, I gave 10 million, well I gave 15 million, well I gave 20 million.

[16:48] That's not what we're talking about. That's not the salvation that we're talking about. We're talking about salvation that is made available for everyone by believing in Jesus Christ, for all people.

[17:00] The good news of Jesus' arrival, it was announced to the shepherds. And Christ later on in the gospel accounts, commands us to share the good news of the gospel to all people, go out into all the world, right?

[17:18] And share in the good news, make disciples and baptize people, the great commission, it's all connected. And in this particular sense, the angel is announcing, look, the angel is making such a radical announcement, good news of great joy.

[17:39] And think about that, the availability of salvation to all people, there's confidence and there is joy in knowing that you are saved by grace through faith.

[17:51] There's great confidence in that. So certainly there is joy in knowing the Lord. Let's go to our next passage in scripture. It's gonna be in Philippians chapter four, verse four.

[18:04] We're gonna put that on the screen here. It's gonna be on page 1165. Excuse me, it's 1166, it's the next page.

[18:34] We all there? All right, let's read it together. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say rejoice.

[18:45] The apostle Paul is encouraging the church in Philippi to rejoice in the Lord always. So much so that he has to repeat himself.

[18:56] Now, obviously the word rejoice, it's not exactly the word joy, but it's joy in action. Think about that. It is to be, it's the state of being joyful or filled with joy or joy in action.

[19:10] And this is the ending of the book of Philippians where the apostle Paul is writing about unity and humility and following the Lord and how important it is to understand that righteousness comes through faith and not by works.

[19:23] And that's found so much scattered through scripture. We're saved by grace through faith, right? We're not saved by works, but we are saved so that we can do good in the name of God.

[19:36] There's a difference there. And this is one of those times and one of those books that talks about how we are saved by grace through faith. We receive salvation in believing Jesus Christ.

[19:47] We're not saved by what we do. We are saved by what is done. And this last week I was talking about Philippians chapter four verse seven, which was talking about the peace of God which surpasses all understanding that it will guard your hearts and your mind in Christ Jesus for the things that we receive from God, salvation coming from God, the hope that comes from God, the peace that comes from God, even the love that the Lord has for us is beyond the physical.

[20:18] It is beyond what us as humans can do. And I know that's very contrary to scripture because you go in the bookstore or you go online and you see these gurus who say you have a limitless life.

[20:31] Right? They say you can do anything. Can you though? I mean, let's be honest here. It is God who is beyond us, right?

[20:42] And it is us that trust in God. God supplies us this very life and gives us all that we need. The love that God has for you is beyond the love that even we can love for each other.

[20:58] Think of God's forgiveness, for example. Now I know for all of us, we don't have tempers here, right? We don't get angry, right? We don't get frustrated, you know?

[21:11] We're not like that. Well, let's think about this. When someone does you wrong, are you quick to forgive? For some of us, maybe.

[21:22] For others, it might be really hard to forgive someone. Or when we get angry, but think of how the Lord is slow to anger. I love those kind of verses. I'm like, what do you mean slow to anger?

[21:35] So the peace that comes from the Lord, the love that comes from the Lord is something that is far greater than us. And I know that's a very humbling concept for us, but it just goes to show us that is why we trust in the Lord because he is the supplier.

[21:52] He is the source of life and salvation. The hope that comes from Christ is greater than human hope. The peace that comes from Christ is beyond understanding.

[22:05] And the joy of our salvation is beyond what the common everyday person, what they exhibit joy. So it goes on to say rejoiced, right?

[22:17] Similar to joy, being joyful in the Lord. The verse goes on saying that we are to be actively joyful, joy in action or rejoicing because of the Lord.

[22:29] And of course we rejoice because the Lord has given us Jesus Christ. That is a reason for us to rejoice. That is a reason for us to be joyful. That the Lord has given us Jesus Christ and through Jesus Christ, God has given us salvation.

[22:44] So it says rejoice always. The Greek that is being used, it's pretty common, right? Always, right? There's nothing really hidden there. And then it says, again, I will say rejoice.

[22:56] It's repetition, the apostle Paul is having this emphasis again, showing how important it is for us to be joyful in the Lord. So the question in this specific verse may come of, well, what are they rejoicing in?

[23:11] Right, they're rejoicing in the Lord. Can you get a little more specific? Well, certainly rejoicing in the salvation that we receive from the Lord. What God has done for you, that God sent his son for you.

[23:23] There are many ways that we can rejoice in the Lord, even for the blessings of your own life. Every moment and every breath that we receive, our own friends and our families, they are all but a gift from God.

[23:38] Every time you wake up in the morning, that is another day, another gift from God. I mean, that's profound and it's really definitely hard to think about, because sometimes we don't wanna get up, right?

[23:51] Sometimes we don't wanna go to work. Sometimes we just wanna sleep in a couple more hours. Let's be honest here, we've all felt this way before, but every day is a gift from God. There are many ways that we can rejoice in the Lord.

[24:05] And so when we think about joy, let's think about the joy of our salvation, that we have an assurance of forgiveness for our sins, that we have reconciliation, the promise of eternal security and eternal life in Jesus Christ.

[24:20] It is important that we should know that when we celebrate with joy for what God has given to us, what he continues to do, there's truth that's found in scripture.

[24:32] There's so much that we can learn and grow in. And as we've read in the Philippians 4, 4 verse, many of us will know Philippians 4, 13, which talks about that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

[24:45] Do you guys know that verse before? Right? Some of you know that verse. Well, in the context when we're looking at Philippians 4, 4 and rejoicing in the Lord always, Paul is going on further.

[24:57] He's talking about how he has learned the secret that in every circumstance, as a result from rejoicing in the Lord, he has learned how to be content in his life in every circumstance, meaning in the highs and in the lows of this life.

[25:12] So what that means here and in the context of this, when we rejoice in the Lord, we are able to learn how to be happy with what God has given to us, to be content with what God has given to us in the highs and in the lows of life.

[25:29] And that's a very powerful verse because when Paul is saying, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength, he is talking about how he has learned by rejoicing in the Lord to be happy with what he has.

[25:42] That's very powerful and it adds a lot more depth into the common verse that's used on cups or stickers or t-shirts or whatever and that's fine.

[25:52] It's very, there's truth there, but there's more depth to it. We can rejoice in the Lord in this Advent season for the coming fourth of the birth of Jesus Christ in the manger in Bethlehem, but also the coming fourth of salvation in him.

[26:11] We should have great joy in our God and we should rejoice in the Lord. The kind of joy that we receive is an indescribable joy and I'd like for us to turn to our final verse in 1 Peter, 1 Peter chapter one verse eight through nine.

[26:29] Did I just put eight through nine? It's supposed to be chapter one eight through nine, but it's on page 1200 three. All right, 1 Peter chapter one verses eight through nine.

[26:56] Are we all there? It's our final verse. Though you have not seen him, you what? You love him. Though you do not see him, you what?

[27:10] Believe in him and rejoice with joy that is what? Inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

[27:27] And in reading this verse, there's some key things that we keep in mind. First, it has to do with the fact that these Christians who are in Asia Minor, they have not physically seen the Lord Jesus, but despite not seeing Jesus Christ in the flesh, they love Jesus and they believe in him.

[27:49] How many of us have not seen Jesus, but yet we love him and we believe in him, right? That's what it's talking about. You have not seen him yet, you love him, right?

[28:01] He's talking specifically to these Christians. And because of this love and because of this belief, listen up, because of the love and the belief that these Christians have in Jesus, they rejoice with joy that is inexpressible.

[28:15] It is basically saying here that they are actively being joyful. They are glad, they are filled with gladness and that this joy that they are experiencing, it is so powerful, it is overwhelming.

[28:30] It is inexpressible. And as some translations say, it is unspeakable. To receive that joy that is so powerful that it is overwhelming. Just think about that, having that joy in the Lord, that confidence in the Lord.

[28:46] What is so powerful about this joy is the fact that it is a result of having faith and trust and love in the Lord, despite not seeing him.

[28:58] And that is very powerful. Just as Paul discovered the secret of being content in every season of life, so too can we receive this joy.

[29:09] It is even said in Galatians chapter five verses 22 through 23, which talks about the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Because when you believe in the Lord and you receive salvation, you're gonna wanna grow in the Lord.

[29:24] And all of us will produce fruit. Well, one of the fruits of the Spirit is joy. These things are produced in the life of a believer.

[29:34] And it is allowing for God to work in your life and through your life, right? It works internally in your mind and in your heart and through you, the interactions that you have with people.

[29:49] We will all produce fruits. And the wonderful thing about this first Peter passage is the fact that it is a result of their faith. It is a result of believing in the Lord.

[30:01] You will receive salvation for your soul. What beautiful language. In believing in the Lord, you will receive peace that is beyond understanding.

[30:12] And in believing in the Lord, you will receive joy from the Lord that is unexplainable, that is inexpressible and it is beyond human understanding. The ability to still be able to have joy, even when bad things happen, is unexplainable to many people.

[30:27] Just consider the book of Job. A man that lost pretty much everything and was still faithful to the Lord. That is the joy I'm speaking of.

[30:40] It's also, well, the peace as well. The peace that Job probably had at that time, despite losing everything. Sometimes when you hear of a Christian who's gone through a bad event, someone from the world or sometimes even other Christians may say, you lost everything.

[30:59] How are you so calm? How do you still have this joy? Well, the world may not understand, but we can learn from scripture.

[31:10] The peace that surpasses all understanding and the inexpressible, the unspeakable joy that comes from the Lord. Just like how God loves us so much.

[31:23] I mean, how easy is it for us to love like the Lord? Is it easy for us or is it difficult?

[31:34] Maybe not the easiest thing to do, but just think of, that's how the Lord loves us, though. Something that may be difficult for us is easy for the Lord. That the Lord loves us and forgives us.

[31:46] It's just, it's wonderful. We must take to heart that we should not be afraid and that the good news of great joy is the gospel message that is found in Jesus Christ.

[32:00] And we get to experience the peace that surpasses all understanding and the emphasis for today is the unspeakable joy, the great joy and rejoicing in the fact that God sent his only son to the manger.

[32:15] That's the beautiful thing. God sent his son to Bethlehem, the city of David, who is Christ the Lord, who would perform such miracles as turning water into wine, healing the sick, raising the dead, teaching many parables, the suffering servant who would live and die and on the third day rise again.

[32:38] God sent his son, that whoever, that all, whosoever, whatever translation you're using, it's everybody that everybody who believes shall not perish but have eternal life.

[32:51] And if you are seeking for joy that is beyond what the world has to offer, believe in the Lord and be saved and be on a path of sanctification, be on a path of becoming more like Jesus because let me tell you, being saved is the beginning of your spiritual walk with the Lord because God will mold you into the men and into the women that God wants you to be.

[33:13] Walk with the Lord, be more Christ-like. I am reminded of John chapter six, verse 47, where Jesus is saying, truly I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.

[33:27] And as we close, I want you to remember those moments of joy that you shared with your neighbor today. Just as these moments, these small moments, they brighten our lives, they put a smile on our face.

[33:40] So too does the joy of our salvation illuminate our souls. This advent, let the joy of Christ's coming fill you with a spirit of joy, with a spirit of gladness and that it overflows to those around you so that we can share in the good news just as the angels evangelized, right?

[34:06] They proclaimed the good news of great joy. Let us be encouraged to share in our faith, to share in the gospel message to our friends, to our family and to our neighbor.

[34:20] Let us rejoice in the Lord. Let's pray together. And Father, we thank you for the indescribable joy that comes from believing in your son, Jesus the Christ, Jesus the Messiah.

[34:35] Fill our hearts with the joy of your presence. May we be content and may we be joyful in every season of life knowing that you are here for us.

[34:48] For in believing in you, we are saved and we reminded how you will never abandon us and you will never forsake us and you're always there for us.

[34:58] May we follow in your footsteps. Lord, we ask for the strength to share this joy with others, to be lights in a world that is full of the lost and of the broken.

[35:11] May our lives, may it reflect the hope, the peace, the joy and the love that you have generously given to us. I pray that everyone here may know you, that may believe in you, they may grow in faith in you and go out and do good in your name.

[35:34] It is in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior that we pray and we all say together, amen. Thank you for tuning in to the Ontario Community Church sermon podcast.

[35:45] For more about our church and how you can get involved or support our mission, please visit ontariocommunitychurch.org. May God's blessings be with you.