When Nathan texted me several weeks ago and asked me if I would be willing to preach during the Advent season.
! I was honored for sure, just because I reflect on my life over the past six years as a young believer in the faith.
And so often do not feel that I am worthy of standing up here preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to you all.
And at the same time, he asked me if I would be interested in preaching on joy or peace.
And I felt more confident and prepared in that moment to preach on peace.
And as I reflected on that and prayed through that over that week that he had asked me,
I decided that I wanted to preach on joy because I don't know or at that time I didn't believe that I fully understood what joy in Christ means.
So it was a task that I had an opportunity to take on so that I would understand what joy in the Advent means.
So today, that's my hope, is that I would be able to translate to you what I've learned about joy in regards to the coming of Christ.
And that your joy would also be made complete in that.
So I'll be camping out most of the day or most of the morning in the book of Philippians.
There's not one verse specifically that I'm going to hone in on, which is abnormal.
But it is because it's a topical text or a topical sermon on joy.
So I'm going to be kind of going through several different verses throughout the Scripture,
but predominantly in the book of Philippians.
So if you want to find your place there, you can.
Philippians is nicknamed the Epistle of Joy.
And it's fitting.
The word joy or its joy in its verb, rejoice, is found 14 times in the book of Philippians.
The word Christ is found 50 times in the book of Philippians.
So there is a correlation there that I hope to draw this morning.
But I'm going to start with giving you two different definitions of joy.
I'm going to give you the world's definition of joy,
just simply from a Google search of how do you define joy.
How does Google, which I can easily say is a pretty good reflection,
what Google does, what they believe,
is a pretty good reflection of what the world, by and large, believes and does and thinks.
So the Google definition that I found of joy is,
it is a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.
A feeling of great pleasure and happiness.
Something that I kind of thought about that,
okay, well, it's a feeling, this is going to be a little bit difficult,
because I'm a man, I don't often like to talk about my feelings.
But at the same time, the Christian definition,
a great definition that I found by John Piper,
also defines it as a feeling,
which made it even more difficult for me.
There's no getting around the fact that joy is a feeling that I produce.
So his definition, I want you to copy this down if you write,
it is a good feeling in the soul,
produced by the Holy Spirit,
as he causes us to see the beauty of Christ in his word and in his works.
So there are four main elements of that definition,
and I'm going to be breaking those down this morning in a more practical sense.
But those key elements, it is a feeling.
It cannot be conjured up, it cannot be manufactured.
That's one of my biggest struggles in the early part of my marriage right now,
is sometimes I know that I'm supposed to be feeling something,
but I may wake up in the morning and not feel certain affections towards my wife.
I may not feel like going into work.
These are certain things that I feel or that I don't feel.
And I've learned that I can't simply manufacture those feelings.
Despite what my mind is telling me,
my soul is not producing those feelings.
And it's impossible for you to simply produce those feelings on your own.
It is something that your soul produces.
Again, it is in the soul.
It's feelings and emotions.
And it is produced by the Holy Spirit.
Joy is produced by the Holy Spirit.
True joy.
Joy in Christ is produced by the Holy Spirit.
I'm just going to read this.
You don't have to turn here.
But Galatians 5.22 and part of 23 gives you the fruits of the Spirit.
This is a production of the Spirit.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Those are all things that the Holy Spirit within you as a Christian does produce.
If you find that you lack all of those,
then you need to reflect on whether or not the Holy Spirit is within you.
If it's not producing any of these things,
then it's something to be questioned.
It's something to be sought out.
And then the final element of John Piper's definition,
as he causes us to see the beauty of Christ.
So this is ultimately where our joy hangs.
This is ultimately where it comes from.
This is, if there is any fact that produces the joy within your soul,
it's that it is in Christ.
And so this morning, as we're talking about the Advent season,
Advent means coming.
It means the coming of Christ.
So how does the coming of Christ produce joy within us as a believer?
A couple of the texts that I found that relate directly to Jesus' coming
are straight from his mouth when he comes here to earth.
He says in Luke 19.10, no need to turn there,
for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which is lost.
Key word there, talking about the Advent,
for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which is lost.
In Mark 2.17, he says,
I came not to call the righteous.
And he was actually talking about those who believed that they were righteous.
He's talking to the Pharisees.
They weren't righteous.
Despite what they believed, despite what their works testified outwardly,
they were not righteous.
But he says, I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.
Therefore, he came to call sinners.
If there's anyone in here that believes that they're not a sinner,
that you are part of the righteous,
before knowing Christ,
turn with me to Romans 3.19.
Now we know that whatever the law says,
it speaks to those who are under the law,
so that every mouth may be closed,
and all the world may become accountable to God.
All the world may become accountable to God.
Because by the works of the law,
no flesh will be justified in his sight,
for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.
He's talking to Jews first,
and then he's talking to the Gentiles.
For those who believe that you're saved by your works of the law,
by knowing the law,
by thinking that you uphold the law,
you've actually fallen incredibly short of it.
There's been nothing in you that has produced the righteousness
that is required by a holy God.
So therefore, the law is what condemns you.
Every single one of us in this room
have been condemned by the law,
written by a holy God,
that reflects his character.
So when we talk about Jesus coming,
we know, therefore, that if we are sinners,
he had to come to save us from the wrath that was to come,
the justice that was justified,
and that will be justified by God.
As he gives his wrath to the people who disobey him,
who do not believe in him,
who do not follow his law,
who do not uphold it to the T.
Therefore, he sent his son to live
and exemplify that law to the fullest extent,
so that we would be found righteous in him.
I want to give you a couple of examples
of joy produced by the coming of Christ
as he came to earth for the first time as a child.
Turn with me to Luke 2.
And this is something that I really wanted to understand.
I said, so,
we talk about the advent,
the coming of Christ,
so we're celebrating Christmas.
Surely there is something,
just a very tangible
thing that I can find
in historical accounts
that would show me someone's joy
about Jesus coming.
I found it
in Luke 2.
I'm going to start in verse 25,
and I'm going to read through 32.
It's about a man named Simeon.
He's a high priest
devoted to the Lord.
And he's definitely familiar
with the Old Testament
because he recites it
in his rejoicing
once he sees the Messiah,
once he sees baby Jesus.
And then I'm going to go back
to where,
in the Old Testament,
in Isaiah,
where he is quoting,
where Simeon is quoting from there.
And it's showing you
who Jesus is
or what he was supposed to be
when he came.
And all of this
should produce the joy
that we're looking for.
I'm going to start in 25.
And there was a man in Jerusalem
whose name was Simeon.
And this man was righteous and devout,
looking for the consolation of Israel.
And the Holy Spirit was upon him.
And it had been revealed to him
by the Holy Spirit
that he would not see death
before he had seen
the Lord's Christ.
And he came in the Spirit
into the temple.
And when the parents brought in
the child Jesus
to carry out for him
the custom of the law,
then he took him into his arms
and blessed God and said,
so what he's about to say
is his outward expression,
his verbal expression of his joy
that he now receives
in getting to hold
the Christ in his arms.
Now, Lord,
you are releasing your slave
to depart in peace.
I mean, I can go in death
and be happy.
According to your work,
for my eyes have seen
your salvation,
which you have prepared
in the presence of all peoples,
a light of revelation
to the Gentiles
and the glory
of your people, Israel.
And that's his outward expression
of his joy.
That's him rejoicing
that he now gets to witness,
bear witness
of the coming of Christ.
Turn with me to Isaiah 49.
I'm going to read about half
of Isaiah 49,
verses 1 through 13.
And this whole prophecy
is about Jesus coming to earth
to save man.
And in the end of it,
the beautiful part,
at least the end of the half
that I'm going to read,
is it tells you again
that it should produce
some sort of rejoicing.
It should produce
some sort of joy
that Jesus has come.
Listen to me,
O islands,
and pay attention,
you peoples from afar.
The Lord called me
from the womb,
from the body of my mother
he named me.
He has made my mouth
like a sharp sword,
in the shadow of his hand,
he has concealed me.
He has also made me
a select arrow.
He has hidden me
in his quiver.
He said to me,
you are my servant,
Israel,
in whom I will show
my glory.
But I said,
I have toiled in vain,
I have spent my strength
for nothing in vanity,
yet surely the justice
due to me
is with the Lord
and my reward
with my God.
And now he says,
the Lord who formed me
from the womb
to be his servant,
to bring Jacob
back to him
so that Israel
might be gathered to him
for I am honored
in the sight of the Lord
and my God
is my strength.
He says,
it is too small a thing
that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes
of Jacob
and to restore
the preserved ones
of Israel.
I will also make you
a light of the nations
so that my salvation
may reach to the end
of the earth.
I'm going to stop
right there real quick.
Right there he's saying
that I'm not sending
Jesus Christ
just simply to save
the Jews.
I'm not coming here
just simply to save
those who are of Israel.
I'm going to make
your name great
and known
amongst all of the nations
so that their joy
may be complete.
Thus says the Lord
the Redeemer of Israel
and its Holy One
to the despised one
to the one
abhorred by the nation
to the servant of rulers
kings will see
and arise
princes will also bow down
because of the Lord
who is faithful
the Holy One of Israel
who has chosen you.
Thus says the Lord
in a favorable time
I have answered you
and in a day of salvation
I have helped you
and I will keep you
and give you
for a covenant
of the people
to restore the land
to make them inherit
the desolate heritages.
Saying to those
who are bound
go forth
to those who are in darkness
show yourselves
along the roads
they will feed
and their pasture
will be on all bare
will be on all bare heights.
They will not hunger
or thirst
nor will the scorching heat
or sun strike them down
for he who has compassion
on them will lead them
and will guide them
to springs of water
I will make my mountains
a road
and my highways
will be raised up
behold these will come
from afar and low
these will come
from the north
and from the west
and these will come
from the land of Sinem
shout for joy
O heavens
and rejoice
O earth
break forth
into joyful shouting
O mountains
the Lord
has comforted
his people
and will have compassion
on his afflicted.
So again
the coming of Christ
was always supposed
to produce joy.
It's a beautiful testimony
of that
and again
Simeon gets to live
that out
as he now understands
the prophecies
of old
he sees that now
fulfilled in Christ
and he's pleased to know
that the Messiah
has come
to save
his people.
So the
practical
meanings of that
what does that mean
for the Christian?
There are two things
I'm going to hone in on
so where does a Christian
find their joy
and we've talked about
that he finds it in Christ
but specifically
where does he find it
in Christ?
When we talk about it
when we say
in Christ
abide in Christ
sometimes
I struggle with that
because it can be
like an abstract thing
how do we do that?
How do we abide in Christ?
And then also
how does a Christian
express
their newfound joy?
So on the
subject of
where does a Christian
find their joy?
Well they find it
first and foremost
in their belief
in the coming
of Jesus Christ
it is in their faith
in the coming
of Jesus Christ
it is in their faith
in the death
of Jesus Christ
on the cross
for our sins
and it is also
in the faith
that he rose
from the dead
you know
we talk about
we often use
the
I think it's in
1 Corinthians
Paul talks about
at Easter
we often bring this up
that we are the most
to be pitied
if Jesus Christ
did not rise
from the dead
that's right
he's absolutely right
we have no joy
if Christ did not
rise from the dead
so that was the culmination
of what he came here
to do
he came here
to live righteously
he came here
to die on behalf
of our sins
and he came here
died resurrected
and conquered death
go to
Philippians 3
and this is where
I'll be spending
most of the time
again
it's in Philippians
Paul the apostle
believes firmly
in his identity
in Christ
he believes
and knows
that Christ
was sent to die
for him
on his behalf
it was revealed
to him
it was a revelation
by Jesus himself
that the law
was not going
to save Paul
so he says
in Philippians 3
8
this is something
that many of you
are familiar with
I'm sure
I'm going to read
through verse 9
but this is
again
what shows
his true faith
in the power
of Christ
it says
more than that
I count all things
to be lost
in view
of the surpassing
value
of knowing
Christ Jesus
my Lord
for whom I have
suffered the loss
of all things
and count them
but rubbish
so that I may
gain Christ
and may be found
in him
not having a righteousness
of my own
derived from the law
but that which is
through faith
in Christ
the righteousness
which comes
from God
on the basis
of faith
therefore
everything
the way that Paul
found
that his identity
his joy
was made complete
was believing
in his identity
in Christ
he's placing
full hope
in the coming
of Christ
and the death
of Christ
and the resurrection
of Christ
secondly
as it's revealed
in our faith
in Jesus
this is affirmed
in his word
one of the biggest
things that
I and Nathan
and many others
when they come up here
they find ways
to make
the gospel
practical to you
in your life
and one of the most
ways that the gospel
is made practical
on a daily basis
in your life
is the revelation
of Jesus
in his word
Jesus himself
affirms
the testimony
of scripture
the importance
of scripture
from Genesis 1-1
all the way
to the end
of Revelation
and John
he's talking again
to the Pharisees
the Pharisees
were individuals
who knew
or believed
that they knew
the scripture
many of them
could recite
the Old Testament
I think all
it was actually
required
that all Pharisees
all men
who attained
to this level
of priesthood
had to recite
essentially
the entire Old Testament
it wasn't called
the Old Testament
for them
can you imagine
I think by the time
they were like
seven or eight
or nine
if that's what
they aspired to be
if that's what
their family
wanted them to be
they had to learn
the Pentateuch
they had to learn
the first five books
of the Old Testament
they had to recite it
so even though
they believed
that they knew
what the scripture said
it was obvious
that when Christ came
they didn't see the signs
they didn't understand
Isaiah 49
because they didn't know
that this was the Christ
despite all evidence
pointing to him
being the Christ
the chosen one
sent to save Israel
so he says in John
Jesus says to them
in John 5 39
you search the scriptures
because you think
that in them
you have eternal life
it is these
that testify
about me
so there's two ways
an individual
can look at scripture
you can look at scripture
and learn to know it
learn to understand it
historically
and place your hope
that because you know
religious things
that is somehow
saving to you
I can affirm
that there was
a very
there was a
small part
in my life
where I was involved
in church
from the ages of like
8 to 12
or something to that effect
and I don't think
I ever opened the Bible
to read it for myself
but I believed
in the good works
of the Bible
I believed
that it was
something that identified
me as a Christian
it was
identified me
as American
thus somehow
being a Christian
but the truth is
is that even if I knew
the scriptures
from beginning to the end
none of that produced
any true identity
in Christ
but Jesus is saying
that in those scriptures
and he's not only talking
about the Old Testament
it is talking about
the significance
him saying this
shows you the significance
of knowing the Old Testament
but he's also talking about
the gospels
that came after that
the epistles
that men wrote
about our practical life
in Jesus Christ
all the way to the revelation
of John
that the scriptures
testify about Jesus
so if we have our faith
in Jesus
it would make sense
that we are to find
and be assured
in that hope daily
by the seeking of his word
especially as Americans
especially as literate people
you have a great opportunity
to know Jesus
through his word
you have a great opportunity
to understand
the things that he has said
the things that he has commanded
of us
as his people
through the reading
of his word
with these two things
combined
you will find
your joy complete
because you're finding
it ultimately in Christ
but joy doesn't have
much of an application
if it's not able
to be applied
to circumstances
in your life
so I do agree
that feelings
are circumstantial
things that happen
to you
will produce feelings
and therefore
I want to talk
a little bit about
how we use this joy
in Christ
in our suffering
and sorrow
because this is where
you will find
your joy made
most complete
I promise you
I can attest to this
with Matt Sossman
this week
I suffered
very minimally
compared to most
but he and I
came under a great attack
of poison ivy
this week
and when I say great
I mean the whole
right side of my face
and neck
was ballooned up
throughout the entire
course of this week
and so many times
I was repeating
to myself
I was like
I have no joy
my again
my joy was based
on my circumstances
I was sore
I was
my skin was
just chewing me up
that's how I would
describe it
spread onto my arms
and other parts
of my body
that was just
miserable
but at the same time
my joy was not based
in those external
circumstances
my true joy
was found in Christ
again that's a
such a small
example
in comparison
to the ways
that people
have suffered
and are in sorrow
especially this week
but
James
says this
he says
consider it all joy
my brethren
when you encounter
trials of various kinds
knowing that the testing
of your faith
produces endurance
and let endurance
have its perfect result
so that you may be
perfect and complete
lacking in nothing
so consider it all joy
when you find these trials
when you come across
these trials
when these trials
are put onto you
because ultimately
that joy is to point you
to your faith
joy is ultimately
to point you
to your identity
in Christ
to your belief
in the gospel
he says
that produces
an endurance
simply says
this trial
is temporary
I don't know
how long
some people's
suffering may last
you don't either
but even
for an 80 year span
that is temporary
in light of eternity
turn with me
to 1 Peter 1
3-9
you can hold your place
in Philippians
because I will go back there
the apostle Peter
is talking to people
who are
under tribulation
who are being persecuted
who are being dispersed
who are suffering
he wants to encourage them
what you're going to find
the elements in here
is that he encourages them
in their identity
in Christ
and their identity
in Christ
produces the joy
that he's hoping
for them to find
blessed be the God
and father
of the Lord Jesus Christ
who according
to his great mercy
has caused us
to be born again
to a living hope
through the resurrection
of Jesus Christ
from the dead
to obtain an inheritance
which is imperishable
and undefiled
and will not fade away
reserved in heaven
for you
who are protected
by the power of God
through faith
for a salvation
ready to be revealed
in the last time
in this
you greatly rejoice
even though now
for a little while
if necessary
you have been distressed
by various trials
so that the proof
of your faith
being more precious
than gold
which is perishable
even though tested
by fire
may be found
to result
in praise
and glory
and honor
at the revelation
of Jesus Christ
and though you have not
seen him
you love him
and though you do not
see him now
but believe in him
you greatly rejoice
with joy
inexpressible
and full of glory
obtaining as the outcome
of your faith
the salvation
of your souls
the identity
that they now have
in being believers
in the Christ
who came
produces
that joy
inexpressible
I want to
I didn't know
how I was going
to tie this in
but throughout this week
as I was on bed rest
essentially all week long
because my
again the poison ivy
was all over my arms
up until Friday
I did not want to move
my arms past this position
it was in the elbow
and all sorts of places
so even talking
or texting
I was doing this
reading
I realized how bad
my sight is
when I would hold a book
even this far
and had trouble
seeing the words on it
but I've been reading
a book
over the past
six months
called Atlas Shrugged
and as I was reflecting
on what joy
looks like
for the non-believer
and the believer
I found myself
getting into the climax
of this book
and Wes
shall not warn me
when I got to
a certain point
I was going to realize
how tragic
the main character
the hero of the story
really is
so the book
climaxes
on a
70 page monologue
by the hero
of the story
there's nothing
that interrupts him
he's been a mysterious
figure throughout
the entire story
and he
he gets an opportunity
to basically
share his whole thoughts
to the entire world
and explain to them
where he believes
man's chief joy
and his chief aim
is
I'll sum it up
for you briefly
and it's not going to be
as intellectual
as the author
I can put it
but ultimately
man's joy
and his happiness
is found in his existence
his ability
to think
and his ability
to produce
with his thoughts
his ability
to seek out
his own happiness
based on
the mind
that he has
so I
as I was reading this
this week
this monologue
the words happiness
the words joy
the words pleasure
come up a few times
this is where you see
Ayn Rand
the author of this book
you see
where she found
her joy
and she was someone
who kind of authored
the philosophy
of objectivism
meaning that there are
absolutes in the world
and these are things
that as Christians
you
I do believe
that most of you
would believe in these things
which is good
it is true
they're absolutes
Socrates' premises
Aristotle's premises
what she takes is
A is A
A is never a non-A
2 plus 2 never equals 5
it will always equal 4
so she's really trying
to combat this
liberal order of thinking
that things are relative
but she even tries
to define that
define happiness
as an absolute thing
that can be achieved
by man
which I agree
with her to an extent
but I'm going to read
to you this excerpt
from the main character
her hero
and you're going to see
the flaws
in his happiness
and where he finds his joy
happiness
is the successful
state of life
pain is an agent
of death
happiness is that
state of consciousness
which proceeds
from the achievement
of one's values
a morality
that dares to tell you
to find happiness
in the renunciation
of your happiness
to value
the failure
of your values
is an insolent negation
of morality
a doctrine
that gives you
as an ideal
the role of a sacrificial animal
seeking slaughter
on the altars of others
is giving you death
as your standard
by the grace of reality
and the nature of life
man
every man
is an end
in himself
he exists for his own sake
and the achievement
of his own happiness
is his highest
moral purpose
but neither life
nor happiness
can be achieved
by the pursuit
of irrational whims
just as man
is free
to attempt
to survive
in any random manner
but will perish
unless he lives
as his nature requires
so he is free
to seek
his happiness
and any mindless fraud
the torture
of frustration
and all his
all he will find
unless he seeks
the happiness
proper to man
the purpose of morality
is to teach you
not to suffer
and die
but to enjoy yourself
and live
so I would say yes
by and large
I agree
with that
conclusion
of that statement
a man is
supposed to find
his happiness
in the way
that he lives
and his purpose
of life
and she is
again
she is combating
several different
things in here
so I don't
I would love
I highly encourage
many of you
to read it
it's been considered
next to the Bible
second to the Bible
the most influential
book in American history
however
me trying to understand
what her
joy
and what her
happiness looks like
it's really a
changing thing
which is kind of
ironic
it's relative
to her circumstances
she
Ayn Rand
the author
never really found
the joy
that she believed
she was looking for
she may have
defended that she was
happy her entire life
that she found
the joy
that was not
perishable
for the 80 years
that she lived
on earth
I think it was
like 75 years
but at the same time
I can tell you
that she did not
she met a man
when she moved
to America
from the Soviet Union
in 1929
and married him
they were married
for 50 years
which is incredible
and you can look
at that
externally
you can say
that's someone
who was probably
very pleased
with their marriage
very happy
and content
found a lot
of pleasure
in that relationship
she even
dedicated
Atlas Shrugged
to her husband
Frank O'Connor
and Atlas Shrugged
was considered
her
the magnum
office
was like
the main piece
of work
that defined
her as an author
that sent her
straight into fame
I learned
this week
that she had
a 14 year affair
with her best friend's
husband
at the end
of her 50 years
of marriage
so in the last
14 years
of her 50 year
marriage
it was obvious
that she was not
content
it was obvious
that she was not
pleased
and happy
she could not
find her pleasure
and joy
in her husband
in her relationship
the man that she
dedicated her
greatest work
to
and she does
a great job
at arguing
the non-absolutes
of faith
of religion
she never once
mentions Christ
at no point in time
does she ever mention
Jesus Christ
she constantly
mentions God
she mentions
the origins
of sin
but she doesn't
hone in on the
absolute truth
that Jesus Christ
came
she doesn't
acknowledge that
even though
there are facts
we have it
in our scripture
it's revealed
to us by men
who saw him
that Jesus
was an absolute
if Jesus came
he came to die
if he came to die
he also came to rise again
and he did that
and therefore
we know that we can
find our joy
in the absolute
of the personhood
of Jesus Christ
in tying all that
together
I'm going to read you
one more quote
from Charles Spurgeon
in a book
that was given to me
by a dear friend of mine
it's called
God's Joy in Your Heart
I highly recommend it
for anybody
who just struggles
emotionally
wakes up in the morning
and does not feel
your heart pulled
towards Christ
finds that you are
depressed often
this book
is a topical book
so you don't necessarily
need to start
in chapter 1
and read to chapter 15
you can pick up
in any chapter
and read that subject
so I'm going to read
to you
something that defines
how we as Christians
see our identity
in the salvation
given to us by Christ
that produces joy
suppose me to be
in fear
about the health
of some dear friend
well I say
I should like to have
my friend healthy
but I want to feel safe
about that friend
I do not know anything
about the state of my friend
just now
and I am uneasy
now I tell you
if I could get to feel easy
then I would be convinced
that my friend is well
why you would justly reply
there is no connection
between the two things
the proper mode of procedure
is to find out
whether your friend is well
and then you will feel easy
you say
I would believe
I am saved
if I felt happy
is there any logic
in that
on the contrary
first believe
that you are saved
and the happiness
will follow
you cannot believe
that you are saved
while you persist
in doing what God
does not tell you to do
namely looking
to your own joy
and peace
instead of looking
to the finished work
of Jesus Christ
Christian men
are but men
when they have
a bad liver
or an attack on bile
this was written like
150 years ago
or some trial
and then
they get depressed
if they have
ever so much grace
I would defy
the apostle Paul himself
to help it
and what then
well
then you can get joy
and peace
through believing
I am the subject
of depressions
of spirit
so fearful
that I hope
none of you
ever gets
to such extremes
of wretchedness
as I go to
Charles Spurgeon
struggled with depression
his entire life
despite being
one of the
most faithful men
to preaching the gospel
but I always go back
again by this
or I always get back
again by this
I know I trust Christ
I have no reliance
but in him
if he falls
I shall fall with him
but if he does not
I shall not
because if he lives
I shall live also
and I spring to my legs
again and fight
with my depressions
of spirit
and my downcast soul
and get the victory
through it
so may you do
and so you must
for there is no other
way of escaping
from it
in your most
depressed seasons
you are to get joy
and peace
through believing
now how does the
Christian express
their joy
we know that they
can find their joy
in their faith
in their belief
in the gospel
they know that
they can be reassured
of Jesus
who he is
who he says he is
and what he has done
in his word
so now as the Christian
how do we express that
we express it in two ways
so living out of the gospel
is one expression
of your joy
and a partnership
in the gospel
so living out by the gospel
or living out the gospel
in your life
turn to Philippians 4
I'm going to read
in verse 4
through 7
and this is Paul again
reassuring the people
of the faith
that they have
letting them know
that they now
get to live that out
he says
rejoice in the Lord
always
again I will say
rejoice
let your gentle spirit
be known to all men
the Lord is near
be anxious for nothing
but in everything
by prayer
and supplication
with thanksgiving
let your request
be made known to God
and the peace of God
which surpasses
all comprehension
will guard your hearts
and your minds
in Christ Jesus
so not that they have
Christ
they should be rejoicing
and he's telling them
you should live that out
lastly
in the partnership
of the gospel
and this is ultimately
what Paul is
rejoicing in
throughout
the book of
Philippians
is he's rejoicing
in the partnership
that he now has
with the people
of Philippians
hearing
that they are
faithful
to the gospel
that he got to bring
to them
they've placed their faith
and hope
in Jesus Christ
there are several
different verses
that identify this
I'm just going to start
from the very beginning
and I'm going to read them
to you
you can write them down
take a note
Philippians 1
3-5
so this is in his introduction
I thank my God
and all my remembrance
of you
always offering prayer
with joy
in my every prayer
for you all
in view of your
participation
in the gospel
from the first day
until now
Philippians 1-21
for to me
to live is Christ
and to die is gain
but I am to live on
in the flesh
this will mean
fruitful labor for me
and I do not know
which to choose
but I am hard pressed
from both directions
having the desire
to depart
and be with Christ
for that is far
much better
yet to remain on
in the flesh
is more necessary
for your sake
convinced of this
I know that I will
remain and continue
with you all
for your progress
and joy
in the faith
so that your proud
confidence in me
may abound
in Christ Jesus
through my coming
to you again
so Paul's joy
is made complete
in knowing
and partnering
with people
who desire
to know Christ
Philippians 2
1-5
therefore if there is
any encouragement
in Christ
if there is any
consolation of love
if there is any
fellowship of the spirit
if any affection
and compassion
make my joy complete
by being of the same mind
maintaining the same love
united in spirit
intent on one purpose
do nothing from selfish
or empty conceit
but with humility
of mind
regard one another
as more important
than yourselves
do not merely look out
for your own personal
interests
but also for the
interests of others
have this attitude
in yourselves
which was also
in Christ Jesus
his joy
is made complete
by those
who are living
like Christ Jesus
by seeing their life
lived out
Philippians 2
29
receive him
and he's talking
about Epaphroditus
a man that he's sending
he may have sent
this letter with him
to the Philippians
receive him then
in the Lord
with all joy
and hold men like him
in high regard
because he came close
to death for the work
of Christ
risking his life
to complete
what was deficient
in your service
to me
in Philippians 4
1
therefore my beloved
brethren
whom I long to see
my joy
and crown
in this way
stand firm
in the Lord
my beloved
again
Paul's joy
is expressed
in his partnership
in the gospel
with the Philippians
we as believers
our joy
should be made
it should be expressed
it should be found
in the compilation
of partnership
of the gospel
and us gathering
as believers
not just on Sundays
on Mondays
through Fridays
and Saturdays
in our community groups
in our discipleship groups
all of these different things
in your family
for those who have
Christian families
that you get to go home to
on the holidays
rejoice
and be glad in that
find joy
in that partnership
that you have with them
I'm going to read something
you don't have to turn here
but this kind of
I was reminded of this
in reading through
that climax
of Atlas Shrugged
and then I turned here
the other day
just to be reaffirmed
at the absolute
of Jesus Christ
the truth
that Jesus Christ
has come
comes from 1 John
1-1
the introduction
of John's epistle
I love reading John
because he has to make it
very clear
that he witnessed the Christ
in so many different ways
he wasn't
he wasn't some aberration
he witnessed him
in his person
he saw his crucifixion
and he saw his risen body
walking and eating with him
so he opens up
in 1 John
he said
what was from the beginning
what we have heard
what we have seen
with our eyes
what we have looked at
and touched with our hands
concerning the word of life
and the life
was manifested
and we have seen
and testify
and proclaim to you
the eternal life
which was with the Father
and was manifested in us
what we have seen
and heard
we proclaim to you also
so that you too
may have fellowship
with us
again that's his partnership
in the gospel
and the believing of this
and indeed
our fellowship
is with the Father
and with his Son
Jesus Christ
it is made complete
in the Godhead now
these things
we write
so that our joy
may be made
complete
as John goes on
to talk about
what it means
to be a believer
in Christ
if you say you're a believer
then it will look like this
if you're not
then it will look like this
but he finds his joy
in expressing it
to the people
that Christ has come
and they've
they get to place
their faith in him now
and that he rejoices
in that
so let us
as a people
especially as we go into
we continue on
into the Advent season
let us rejoice
in the coming of Christ
that he has come once
that he died once
that he was resurrected once
and that he is coming again
as Matthew
talked about
in Revelation
like if you really want to see
the second coming of Christ
if you really want to find joy
read the entire book of Revelation
because that is something
that you will
some of you may not understand
but you're going to see
that there is joy to be had
from the believer
as Jesus comes again
not going to read anything from there
but I do highly encourage it
so let me just close in prayer
for us this morning
thank you