Good morning. I'd like you to turn with me to Luke chapter 2. Luke chapter 2. Luke chapter 2. And I'll be reading verses 8 through 14. Luke 2.
! Luke 2, 8 through 14.
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone round them, and they were filled with great fear.
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.
And this will be a sign for you.
You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.
Father, thank you for your word and the life that it gives us.
May we be nourished on it today for your glory and for our joy.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
This second week of the Advent season, we have, I'm in the South too long.
We have the opportunity to remind ourselves of the importance of joy in the gospel and in our daily lives.
One thing that the scripture clearly teaches us is that God wants you to experience great joy.
God created you and me with the unique capacity to experience joy.
He has equipped us with physical senses that enable us to enjoy the world around us.
We not only see with our eyes, but we delight in seeing the beauty of sunsets and flowers and puppies and newborn babies.
We enjoy the wonderful sounds of waterfalls, jingle bells, bird songs, symphony orchestras, and familiar voices.
We savor the flavors of milk and honey and smoked jalapeno peppers.
We relish the flavors of peppermint and pine and vanilla and breezes from the sea.
And we take pleasure in the sensations of fur and cotton and water and sand between our toes at the beach in the summer.
And in the gentle, warm touch of friendship.
We also experience joy in significant events like births and weddings, victories and accomplishments and unexpected surprises.
God designed each of us with the capacity to enjoy the world he made.
And I believe he expects us to express our delight.
It is an act of worship when we direct our delight in joy toward him.
In spite of the curse that has tainted our fallen world, we still have the capacity to experience much joy in it.
But I believe God also wants us to experience another sense of joy.
He has actually given us the capacity to enjoy him.
King David declared it in Psalm 16 when he said,
In your presence there is fullness of joy.
At your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
And in Psalm 43 he specifically calls God my everlasting joy.
In spite of the judgment that looms over a rebellious world, the Lord has made it possible for us to experience joy in him even now.
That is Advent joy.
God holds out to you the possibility of experiencing joy in him through the good news of Advent.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Psalm 34 8.
Now, we should expect an increase of joy in a holiday season that celebrates the coming of the Savior into the world.
But we should also be aware that much of the joy we observe at this time is from different sources.
Some are looking forward to a vacation from school.
Some are still dreaming of a white Christmas.
Most anticipate visits with good friends and family.
These as well as the giving of gifts and receiving of gifts bring about happy emotions in all of us.
But much of the joy observed at this season isn't really Advent joy.
Joy that is dependent on a season is not Advent joy.
And any joy that has its source in temporal circumstances is not Advent joy.
The uniqueness of Advent joy can be observed in the story of the incarnation.
And in the association of joy with the announcement of Jesus' birth.
That announcement points to joy's significant role in the gospel.
The passage we read from Luke teaches us that God sent the long-awaited Messiah into the world as a baby
so that you would experience a fuller and more lasting joy.
I believe this truth is emphasized in the passage through an interesting contrast in the story.
The contrast is between the initial response of the shepherds who saw an angel
and the response that the angel indicated most accurately corresponds with the message he was bringing.
I'd like to focus on our time together on that contrast.
Because I believe this contrast highlights two things that God wants us to understand
in order to experience Advent joy.
First of all, the better you understand your need for the coming of Jesus,
the more you can understand and experience great Advent joy.
The first part of the contrast is found in verses 8 and 9.
Look at those verses again with me.
And in the same reason, there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
and they were filled with great fear.
Now, this is not the first time in the Bible that we've seen angels appearing
and bringing great fear to those who observed them.
The Bible records many angelic visitations,
and several include responses such as the shepherds.
If you remember, the prophet Daniel wrote of being completely drained of strength,
falling into a deep sleep, and then trembling on his feet,
simply at the vision of a heavenly being.
And in the previous chapter of Luke's account here in chapter 1,
both Zechariah and Mary had to be told to not be afraid.
But what is unique about the appearance of the angel to the shepherds
is the addition of the phrase,
the glory of the Lord shone around them.
Verse 9.
It's easy, I think, to pass over the significance of that phrase.
During the Exodus, when the glory of the Lord appeared at Mount Sinai,
we're told that it was in a cloud,
and was like a devouring fire at the top of the mountain.
Exodus 24, verses 15 through 18.
And another time, when Moses asked God to see his glory,
God had to put Moses in the cleft of a rock
and covered him with his hand
in order that he might shield him from a direct view of God's glory.
And that was to protect him from death.
Exodus 33.
Now, of the shepherds, it says,
that glory shone around them.
The shepherds' fear was understandable.
Not only because they saw a supernatural being,
that was frightening enough,
but also because of such an encounter with God
that must have been terrifying,
likely heightened their own sense of sinfulness
before a righteous God.
Most of us here have, at some time,
become very aware of our need of Christ.
But many people still don't understand that need.
Well-meaning Christians often misrepresent the need.
Jesus is presented at someone who simply helps us in our loneliness
or gives us a reason to live,
provides significance for our lives,
or even helps boost our self-esteem.
But the gospel message says that we need to be delivered
from God's good, righteous judgment and wrath.
The greatest need everyone born into this world needs,
or has,
is to be delivered from the judgment of a good God.
If you don't sense that need,
it's because you're not a,
you don't see your own self,
really,
in view of this good God.
And this understanding is essential
to experiencing adventure.
The other part of the contrast is observed in verse 10.
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.
The great fear of verse 9 stands in stark contrast
with the great joy of verse 10.
Now,
I admit that the author of the gospel
doesn't comment specifically on the contrast,
but the connection is just so obvious.
In light of the contrast,
I would like to suggest that the Holy Spirit intended
that contrast to communicate something important to us
about our experience of the gospel.
I believe that in order to fully experience
great Advent joy,
you must not only need to grasp your need,
your need of Jesus's coming,
but second,
you need to understand
the joy
of the good news
and
the good news
that brings
that joy.
Now,
what do we mean by joy?
I like
older definitions
because
they're a little more
full.
Webster,
1828
definition of this
English word joy
says,
the passion
or emotion
excited by the
acquisition
or expectation
of good,
the excitement
of pleasurable
feelings
which are caused
by success,
good fortune,
gratification
of desire
or some good
possessed
or by a rational
prospect
of possessing
what we love
or desire.
Gladness,
exaltation.
Isn't that a little more
full than the Oxford
a feeling of great
pleasure or happiness?
This definition
cites various
causes of joy,
but at its core
is a
pleasurable
feeling,
a passion
or emotion
excited by the
acquisition
or expectation
of good,
the excitement
of pleasurable
feelings.
Joy is typically
understood in that
way.
There has been
a great deal
of discussion
about the
difference between
joy and happiness
in the Christian
world.
some make a
strong
distinction
like one
popular
19th century
evangelical
who wrote
this.
Joy is
distinctly
a Christian
world
and a
Christian
thing.
It is the
reverse
of happiness.
Happiness
is the
result of
what happens
of an
agreeable
sort.
Joy
has its
springs
deep down
inside
and that
spring
never runs
dry
no matter
what happens.
Only
Jesus
gives joy.
He had
joy
singing
its music
within
even under
the shadow
of the
cross.
As wonderful
as that
sounds to
us,
it really
doesn't
agree
with either
the English
or the
Hebrew
definitions
of the
word
joy.
joy in
the Bible
refers to
emotions
and
celebrations
but
both
the
godly
and
ungodly
are
referred
to
as
having
or
experiencing
joy.
The
main
distinctions
in the
Old
Testament
are the
objects
of the
joy
which
for the
godly
is God
himself
and
its
duration
salvation.
Job
20
verse 5
declares
the joy
that's the
same
Hebrew
word
simcha
the
main
word
for
joy
all
throughout
the
Bible
it
says
the
joy
of
the
godless
is
for
a
moment.
And
on the
other
hand
Isaiah
says
that
the
godly
are
promised
an
everlasting
joy.
I draw
your
attention
to this
because
over
the
years
some
have
tried
to
present
joy
as
something
altogether
different
from
the
happy
emotions
that
we
share
with
all
people.
What
they
suggest
is
something
like
an
emotionless
joy.
Oxymoron
if I
ever heard
one.
That
just
isn't
so.
The
various
biblical
synonyms
that
depict
joy
simcha
and
sason
and
gil
and
ranan
they
are
all
distinguished
by
the
way
emotion
is
expressed.
There
is a
joyful
shouting
there
is a
joyful
singing
there
is
intense
joy
there
is
quiet
joy
but
in
all
cases
the
joy
is
clearly
observable.
Nehemiah
even
records
a time
when
the
people's
joy
in
Jerusalem
was
so
great
that
it
was
heard
at
a
far
distance.
Nehemiah
12
43
says
this
and
they
offered
great
sacrifices
that
day
and
rejoiced
for
God
had
made
them
rejoice
with
great
joy
the
women
and
the
children
also
rejoiced
and
the
joy
of
Jerusalem
was
heard
far
away.
Now
the
angels
announcement
of
great
joy
of
the
good
news
of
great
joy
to
the
shepherds
was
described
as
one
that
brings
the
same
great
joy.
joy
it's
joyous
news
because
it's
the
fulfillment
of
the
long
awaited
answer
to
the
human
predicament.
It
is
the
news
of
the
anticipated
messianic
king.
It
is
news
of
a
savior
who
is
Christ
the
Lord.
It
is
news
of
God's
gracious
plan
to
save
his
people
from
his
wrath
through
the
death
the
sacrificial
death
of
Jesus.
It
is
the
news
of
forgiveness.
It
is
the
news
of
granting
a
righteousness
to
those
who
are
unrighteous.
I
can't
help
but
believe
that
the
contrast
seen
here
in
these
few
verses
is
intended
to
emphasize
the
wonder
of
the
message.
It's
benefit
to
Israel.
It's
grander.
It's
mystery.
And
it's
amazing
initiation
in
these
humble
circumstances
among
shepherds
and
sheep.
But
I
also
believe
there
is
something
more
being
communicated
here
by
the
phrase
great
joy.
The
prophets
of
Israel
wrote
a
great
deal
about
joy
and
predicted
a time
when joy
would be
prominent.
I
mean,
they
didn't
just
indicate
that
there
would
be
joy
at
the
arrival
of
the
new
heavens
and
the
new
earth.
But
they
prophesied
that
joy
would
characterize
the
new
heaven
and
the
new
earth.
In
Isaiah
65,
17
through
19,
we read
this,
for
behold,
I
create
new
heavens
and
a
new
earth
and
the
former
things
shall
not
be
remembered
or
come
to
mind
but
be
glad
and
rejoice
forever
in
that
which
I
create
for
behold,
I
create
Jerusalem
to
be
a
joy
and
her
people
to
be
a
gladness.
And
then he
says
something
interesting.
I,
the
Lord
speaking,
will
rejoice
in
Jerusalem
and be
glad
in
my
people.
No
more
shall
be
heard
in
it
the
sound
of
weeping
and
the
cry
of
distress.
Now,
this
passage
informs
us
that
God
himself
rejoices.
It's
a part
of who
he
is.
And
that
he
has
destined
us,
the
people
of
God,
to
reflect
his
joy
in
one
great
climactic
amazing
eternal
way.
We
characterize
our
joy
and
reflect
his
joy.
And
that
joy
will
never
end.
Now,
though the
prophet spoke
of a day
that is
still to
come,
there's
no doubt
that God
wants you
to experience
this joy
now.
Advent
joy is
a message
of present
joy
as well
in the
anticipation
of a
future
joy.
The
first
Christians
experienced
this
joy.
And
joy was
a
prominent
characteristic
of the
early
church.
One
theologian
in the
late
19th
century
said
this,
the
New
Testament
is the
most
buoyant,
exhilarating,
and joyful
book in
the entire
world.
Do you
see it
that way?
In the
pages of
the New
Testament,
we see
joy
everywhere.
We see
it in
the
proclamation
of the
gospel
in
Philippians
1.
We see
it in
the
joy
of the
salvation
of the
lost
in
Luke
15.
We see
joy
in
suffering
Romans
chapter
5.
We see
joy
in
persecution
Acts
541.
We see
joy
in
prison
Acts
1625.
Joy
at the
loss
of
property
for
the
sake
of
Christ
Hebrews
1034.
And
joy
because
of
faithful
disciples
written
by
John
in
2nd
John
and
3rd
John.
The
New
Testament
also
directly
instructs
us
to
rejoice
in
the
Lord
always
in
Philippians
chapter
4.
And
it
reminds
us
that
our
joy
in
the
midst
of
trials
is
inexpressible
and
full
of
glory.
1st
Peter
1.
8.
Now
in
case
you're
wondering
inexpressible
doesn't
mean
there
that
it
can't
be
seen.
It
just
means
that
you
can't
express
it
enough.
No
matter
how
expressive
your
emotion
of
joy
is,
it
is
not
enough
to
meet
with
the
glories
of
what
we
have
been
given
and
promised.
Advent
joy
is a
joy
that
transcends
all
other
joys
because
it
is
based
on
the
goodness
and
greatness
of
God
the
Father
the
Son
and
the
Holy
Spirit
in
their
presence
and
eternal
work
on
our
behalf.
It is
a
relational
joy
that
we
experience
a
joy
we
share
with
one
another.
It
is
an
experiential
joy.
It
is
observable
and
undeniable.
It
is an
effectual
joy.
It
powerfully
affects
the way
we
live
and
strengthens
us
to
resist
the
misguided
joys
of the
world.
And
it
is
a
lasting
joy.
A
joy
that
never
ends
but
ever
increases.
The
contrast
of
fear
and
joy
in
the
story
of
the
shepherds
encounter
with
the
angels
and
the
glory
of
the
Lord
instructs
us
about
God's
desire
for
us.
It
teaches
us
that
God's
or
God
sent
the
long
awaited
messianic
king
into
the
world
as
a
baby
so
that
you
would
experience
great
joy.
Fear
and
joy
in
our
own
lives
are
often
gauges
of
spiritual
health.
Fear
has
many
causes
but
it
generally
indicates
that
we
haven't
fully
embraced
and
experienced
Advent
joy.
I
would
like
to
close
with
a
quote
from
a
pastor
who
spent
a lot
of
time
studying
the
topic
of
joy
and
is
somewhat
of an
authority
on
Jonathan
Edwards
perspective
of
ever
increasing
joy.
And
he
writes
this
perhaps
the
greatest
mistake
you
could
possibly
make
is
to
think
that
an
emphasis
on
joy
breeds
passivity
or
leads
to
a
safe
and
self
absorbed
lifestyle
or
an
approach
to
Christianity
in
which
the
believer
is
so
obsessed
with
the
condition
of
his
heart
or
his
emotional
state
of
being
that
he
neglects
his
family
or
ignores
the
need
of
his
neighbor
or
becomes
coldly
indifferent
toward
the
lost
or
retreats
in
isolation
from
the
hurts
and
needs
of
others
and
then
he
goes
on
to
define
this
joy
it
is
a
deep
delight
and
joy
in
the
all
satisfying
beauty
of
Christ
that
stokes
the
white
hot
flame
of
passion
for
the
plight
of
the
nations
it
is
the
it
is
deep
delight
and
joy
in
the
all
satisfying
beauty
of
Christ
that
energizes
the
will
of
man
or
woman
to
make
whatever
sacrifices
are
necessary
to
preserve
a
marriage
that
is
falling
apart
it
is
deep
delight
and
joy
in
the
all
satisfying
beauty
of
Christ
that
empowers
the
human
heart
to
overcome
addicted
behavior
and
sustain
the
soul
in
its
fight
against
sin
and
temptation
it
is
deep
delight
and
joy
in
the
all
satisfying
beauty
of
Christ
that
enables
weak
and
broke
the
weak
and
broken
soul
to
persevere
when a
job
is
lost
or a
child
rebels
or a
promise
is
shattered
or a
dream
comes
to
not
it
is
deep
delight
in
the
joy
of
an
all
satisfying
beauty
of
Christ
that
encourages
the
timid
and
fearful
heart
to
engage
and
confront
the
Christless
culture
in
which
we
live
with
the
good
news
of
the
gospel
of
the
cross
of
Christ
and
the
life
of
forgiveness
and
hope
that
can
only
be
found
through
faith
in
Jesus
it
is
deep
delight
and
joy
in
the
all
satisfying
beauty
of
Christ
that
will
sustain
a
church
through
adversity
and
bind
the
hearts
of
its
people
together
in
unity
and
love
and
mutual
affection
this
is
the
joy
that
is
ours
for
the
taking
now
and
forever
because
God
has sent
to us
his
son
a
savior
who
is
Christ
the
Lord
joy
to
the
world
indeed
so
may
God
bless
you
today
and
this
next
year
with
a
greater
awareness
of
your
need
of
Christ
as
well
as
with
a
greater
experience
of
the
satisfying
fullness
of
Advent
joy
this
season
and the
coming
year
let's
pray
together