WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.160 Something I want to say before we get started is I'm really, really, really thankful for the way we've talked about joy so far this morning. 00:00:08.160 --> 00:00:18.700 With Nathan, with what he read, and with the songs that Jordan and the band have led, I think it's really, really important for us to remember where we were at apart from Christ. 00:00:18.839 --> 00:00:26.699 Remember our worthlessness and our state in hopeless sin for us to understand the joy that Christ brings. 00:00:26.859 --> 00:00:30.160 And so I think that has been really encouraging to me this morning. 00:00:30.240 --> 00:00:35.600 I hope as we look through our text this morning that it will be the same right now. 00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:45.260 So Luke chapter 2 is not going to be our main text this morning, but I do want to start off with part of it in the typical Christmas story that we read. 00:00:46.160 --> 00:00:51.320 Just to talk about how the Lord really does bring great joy in his coming. 00:00:52.120 --> 00:00:55.780 And so let's look at verse 8 of chapter 2 here in Luke. 00:00:57.500 --> 00:00:58.180 It says, 00:01:05.599 --> 00:01:31.340 And suddenly there is with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying, 00:01:31.340 --> 00:01:37.520 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased. 00:01:38.420 --> 00:01:38.880 Amen. 00:01:39.040 --> 00:01:42.700 So this is something that we typically read quite often at Christmas. 00:01:42.939 --> 00:01:46.640 And it's true that the idea of joy really floods the Christmas season. 00:01:47.420 --> 00:01:49.859 Unbelievers think they have joy in this season. 00:01:49.980 --> 00:01:55.980 They think they have it through spending time with their family or receiving a bunch of material gifts. 00:01:55.980 --> 00:02:01.320 But believers, we see this good news of great joy that is to be to all people. 00:02:01.540 --> 00:02:04.460 That salvation that the Lord is bringing. 00:02:04.579 --> 00:02:11.780 And so this morning, I want to help us get a glimpse of a few different aspects of that joy that Christ has brought to us. 00:02:12.180 --> 00:02:15.860 In his life, his death, his resurrection, even in his current reign, 00:02:16.340 --> 00:02:20.759 and in his coming for the second time that we're looking forward to. 00:02:20.759 --> 00:02:28.060 So I want to go to probably the biggest passage we look at for this, and that's Philippians 4. 00:02:28.599 --> 00:02:30.099 So turn with me to Philippians 4. 00:02:30.219 --> 00:02:32.099 This will be our main text this morning. 00:02:37.340 --> 00:02:45.879 I must say before I get going that preaching on a topic is much more difficult for me than being given a text to preach on. 00:02:45.879 --> 00:02:51.939 So be praying for me this morning, and if the Lord will use this for our upbuilding. 00:02:53.939 --> 00:02:56.479 Philippians 4, verses 4 through 7. 00:03:00.259 --> 00:03:06.960 Before we read it, I'd like to remind us, as Nathan does every Sunday, that this is God's word to us. 00:03:07.019 --> 00:03:09.379 It is written for his glory and for our good. 00:03:09.519 --> 00:03:14.759 And we will do well to it, to listen to it, in order to believe its promises and obey its commands. 00:03:14.759 --> 00:03:16.899 So just picking up in verse 4. 00:03:17.859 --> 00:03:18.019 It says, 00:03:18.139 --> 00:03:19.620 Rejoice in the Lord always. 00:03:19.979 --> 00:03:21.359 Again, I will say rejoice. 00:03:21.979 --> 00:03:24.060 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. 00:03:24.379 --> 00:03:25.340 The Lord is at hand. 00:03:25.479 --> 00:03:30.459 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. 00:03:30.659 --> 00:03:32.979 Let your requests be made known to God. 00:03:33.560 --> 00:03:38.519 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 00:03:39.500 --> 00:03:39.780 Amen. 00:03:39.780 --> 00:03:42.900 So this is one of those big go-to texts on joy. 00:03:43.199 --> 00:03:46.000 And I'd just like to walk through it a bit. 00:03:47.020 --> 00:03:53.780 And just to show a lot of the aspects of joy, because there are a lot of different things about it that are pretty incredible for us as believers. 00:03:54.099 --> 00:03:58.599 We won't stay here the whole time, but this is where we'll spend the majority of our time. 00:03:58.599 --> 00:04:03.000 So to be clear about how I'm going to structure this, I'd like to tell you kind of where we're going. 00:04:03.599 --> 00:04:06.840 So I have five different aspects of joy that I want us to look at. 00:04:07.060 --> 00:04:09.900 The first one being our true source of joy. 00:04:11.479 --> 00:04:13.840 The second being the means of our joy. 00:04:14.699 --> 00:04:16.980 The third being a thief of our joy. 00:04:16.980 --> 00:04:20.879 The fourth being the outflows of our joy. 00:04:21.879 --> 00:04:24.800 And fifth being the relentlessness of our joy. 00:04:25.740 --> 00:04:28.540 Don't worry, I'll say all those again for those that are taking notes. 00:04:29.720 --> 00:04:34.840 But starting off with, I think it would be a good idea to define joy before we get into it. 00:04:35.819 --> 00:04:42.420 Way back in the day when Noah Webster was making dictionaries, he used to cite scripture references for all of his definitions. 00:04:42.420 --> 00:04:46.900 And this is one that's way back in the day when that was the case. 00:04:47.540 --> 00:04:55.480 He defined joy as a delight of the mind from the consideration of the present or assured approaching possession of a good. 00:04:56.340 --> 00:05:03.060 It's a delight of the mind from the consideration of the present or assured approaching possession of a good. 00:05:03.980 --> 00:05:06.080 Piper defined it as the following. 00:05:06.079 --> 00:05:15.779 He said that Christian joy is a good feeling in the soul produced by the Holy Spirit as he causes us to see the beauty of Christ in the word and in the world. 00:05:17.259 --> 00:05:18.500 I'm going to read back over that one. 00:05:18.620 --> 00:05:28.699 A good feeling in the soul produced by the Holy Spirit as he causes us to see the beauty of Christ in the word and in the world. 00:05:29.959 --> 00:05:32.779 The word we see here in our text says rejoice. 00:05:32.779 --> 00:05:37.659 That's the most common way to translate the Greek word that is used here. 00:05:37.739 --> 00:05:44.079 In some other spots throughout scripture, it's translated as to be glad or simply translated as joy. 00:05:44.759 --> 00:05:51.679 We see this same word throughout the New Testament in the context of a lot of times when people are healed, people coming to faith. 00:05:51.679 --> 00:06:00.539 And even in those passages where we see believers rejoicing in that they were glad to suffer in the same way that our Savior did. 00:06:00.540 --> 00:06:04.700 That's a really common word often tied to those. 00:06:05.260 --> 00:06:11.340 And so looking at those three, the way it's used in scripture, the way Piper defines it, and the way that Webster defined it, 00:06:11.640 --> 00:06:16.180 we can clearly see that it is a good feeling that follows something we are considering. 00:06:16.340 --> 00:06:17.400 We're thinking about something. 00:06:17.700 --> 00:06:20.660 It's a good feeling that we have in the light of that. 00:06:21.120 --> 00:06:25.340 It can be something that's happening now or it can be something that is happening in the future. 00:06:25.339 --> 00:06:30.639 So let's talk through that and we'll see how it works in our text. 00:06:31.179 --> 00:06:34.339 So both of those definitions are very, very similar. 00:06:35.039 --> 00:06:36.019 Both of them are feelings. 00:06:36.779 --> 00:06:38.719 Feelings are something that we can't control. 00:06:39.939 --> 00:06:46.359 We can do a lot to try to influence our feelings, but ultimately there's a lot that is just out of our control. 00:06:46.679 --> 00:06:50.059 We can't snap our fingers and make ourselves feel a certain way. 00:06:50.060 --> 00:06:53.600 We can definitely do things to influence it, but we can't. 00:06:53.660 --> 00:06:54.740 We can't change it. 00:06:55.500 --> 00:06:56.699 So where does it come from? 00:06:57.199 --> 00:07:01.939 Where does that feeling come from if it's not something that we're directly causing? 00:07:02.579 --> 00:07:03.639 Where does it come from? 00:07:03.819 --> 00:07:05.139 So that gets us to our first point. 00:07:05.840 --> 00:07:09.000 First point is the true source of our joy. 00:07:10.879 --> 00:07:12.480 I think we all know what this is. 00:07:12.540 --> 00:07:14.899 It's pretty clear and obvious in the text. 00:07:14.899 --> 00:07:19.359 It says to rejoice in the Lord always, to rejoice in the Lord. 00:07:20.419 --> 00:07:24.959 What I want us to do is think about how we get to that and why that is true. 00:07:25.399 --> 00:07:28.459 So the true source of our joy is to rejoice in the Lord. 00:07:29.419 --> 00:07:34.239 Webster said that it comes from a consideration of the present or assured approaching possession of a good. 00:07:35.060 --> 00:07:38.699 So he's saying that it comes from looking around and considering what is going on, 00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:42.759 maybe what's going on now or maybe what we think is going to happen in the future, 00:07:42.839 --> 00:07:44.000 what we're assured of. 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:50.819 If he used that word, Piper is super quick to emphasize that it is something that is produced by the Holy Spirit. 00:07:51.899 --> 00:07:56.860 And how it comes to us is by seeing the work of Christ, both in his word and in the world. 00:07:57.279 --> 00:08:01.740 So coming from those two perspectives, I think we can clearly see that, yes, it is a feeling. 00:08:02.360 --> 00:08:08.139 And it's a feeling that we get as we look to that hope that we have in Christ that we spoke about last week. 00:08:08.139 --> 00:08:13.060 And I think it's a really good thing to look to hope, to see joy. 00:08:13.060 --> 00:08:19.759 So I'd like to go back a little bit and think about what Nathan preached on, on hope last Sunday. 00:08:19.759 --> 00:08:26.579 And so I think it's really important with hope to remember our hopelessness without Christ. 00:08:26.980 --> 00:08:28.039 We all know it. 00:08:28.180 --> 00:08:32.539 We try to suppress it, to not think about it, to forget it, to ignore it. 00:08:32.539 --> 00:08:33.419 But we all know it. 00:08:33.500 --> 00:08:36.100 We know all of our natural tendencies apart from Christ. 00:08:36.539 --> 00:08:40.799 We know that apart from God, we always seek our own good and not the good of others. 00:08:40.799 --> 00:08:43.159 We know that we'll act out in lust. 00:08:43.479 --> 00:08:46.659 We know that we'll get angry quickly over really silly things. 00:08:47.059 --> 00:08:52.240 We know that we'll always try to build up our own pride and tear down others. 00:08:52.659 --> 00:08:56.699 We know that we'll be anxious about things that we don't need to be worrying about at all. 00:08:57.319 --> 00:08:58.620 And we know something else. 00:08:58.699 --> 00:09:01.799 We know that because of this, we deserve death and hell. 00:09:02.500 --> 00:09:05.979 We're completely hopeless without Christ. 00:09:06.659 --> 00:09:08.519 We know that we can do nothing to change that. 00:09:08.519 --> 00:09:09.720 We can't change our nature. 00:09:10.299 --> 00:09:14.379 We're stuck sinning and sinning and sinning, and we can't do anything about that on our own. 00:09:14.659 --> 00:09:16.939 We're always going to make the choice to sin. 00:09:17.000 --> 00:09:20.460 We don't have any ability to make the choice to not sin. 00:09:21.100 --> 00:09:22.159 But we do have hope. 00:09:22.259 --> 00:09:24.379 And so let's remember where that hope is coming from. 00:09:24.500 --> 00:09:25.939 Turn with me to Ephesians 2. 00:09:27.879 --> 00:09:28.559 Ephesians 2. 00:09:38.519 --> 00:09:43.559 So this is one of the texts that Nathan referenced last week in the hope sermon. 00:09:43.899 --> 00:09:48.939 I think it'll be really helpful to look at it a bit more to remind of that hope and see that joy. 00:09:50.539 --> 00:09:52.899 I'll look at verses 1 through 10 here. 00:09:52.899 --> 00:09:57.819 Picking up in verse 1, it says, 00:09:57.819 --> 00:10:01.480 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, 00:10:01.919 --> 00:10:05.379 following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, 00:10:05.840 --> 00:10:08.639 the spirit that is now at work and the sons of disobedience, 00:10:09.120 --> 00:10:12.059 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, 00:10:12.220 --> 00:10:14.360 carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, 00:10:14.759 --> 00:10:17.679 and were by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind. 00:10:17.679 --> 00:10:22.319 But God, being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us, 00:10:22.679 --> 00:10:26.939 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. 00:10:27.599 --> 00:10:30.259 By grace you have been saved, and raised us up with him, 00:10:30.599 --> 00:10:33.899 and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 00:10:34.439 --> 00:10:38.319 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace 00:10:38.319 --> 00:10:40.839 in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. 00:10:41.679 --> 00:10:43.839 For by grace you have been saved through faith, 00:10:43.899 --> 00:10:45.620 and this is not your own doing. 00:10:45.620 --> 00:10:49.480 It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 00:10:49.919 --> 00:10:53.240 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, 00:10:53.500 --> 00:10:56.360 which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. 00:10:57.419 --> 00:10:58.940 This is one of my favorite texts. 00:10:59.460 --> 00:11:02.620 This is something that brings me joy. 00:11:03.139 --> 00:11:05.039 I bet a lot of us are feeling that right now. 00:11:05.120 --> 00:11:09.580 We're feeling a delight of the mind from considering this text. 00:11:09.940 --> 00:11:13.539 We're feeling a good feeling in the soul produced by the spirit 00:11:13.539 --> 00:11:18.139 as he caused us to see the beauty of Christ so clear in this text. 00:11:18.839 --> 00:11:20.819 So let's look at this text a little bit. 00:11:21.199 --> 00:11:23.559 Those first three verses, we're described as dead. 00:11:24.039 --> 00:11:26.919 Following the course of this world, following the devil, 00:11:27.860 --> 00:11:30.959 following the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience. 00:11:31.039 --> 00:11:34.839 We're just carrying out the desires of the body, the desires of the mind. 00:11:34.980 --> 00:11:37.480 We're just aimlessly and thoughtlessly doing things. 00:11:37.480 --> 00:11:42.180 Just going about off our desires, not caring about whether they're good or bad, 00:11:42.720 --> 00:11:43.720 or right or wrong. 00:11:44.200 --> 00:11:47.580 We're just following others, not making good choices at all. 00:11:47.820 --> 00:11:48.980 We don't even have that ability. 00:11:49.779 --> 00:11:52.180 We even are told that by nature we are children of wrath. 00:11:52.300 --> 00:11:54.500 And then something I really like after that, 00:11:54.580 --> 00:11:57.139 Paul then reminds us that that's where everybody's at. 00:11:57.759 --> 00:11:59.860 We're all children of wrath without God. 00:12:00.639 --> 00:12:02.500 Before Christ, that's all of us. 00:12:03.399 --> 00:12:04.519 And then we get really excited. 00:12:04.519 --> 00:12:09.559 We get that good feeling down in our soul when we see those next two really precious words. 00:12:10.240 --> 00:12:11.379 It says, but God. 00:12:12.620 --> 00:12:13.299 But God. 00:12:13.399 --> 00:12:14.519 And suddenly we have hope. 00:12:14.919 --> 00:12:16.500 Suddenly we remember Christ. 00:12:17.139 --> 00:12:19.579 Suddenly we have that good feeling, that joy. 00:12:20.579 --> 00:12:22.980 The Lord reminds us that because of his great mercy, 00:12:23.100 --> 00:12:24.559 he has caused us to be born again. 00:12:25.519 --> 00:12:28.019 And this happened while we were still dead in our sin. 00:12:29.059 --> 00:12:30.720 Nothing we did earned us this favor, 00:12:30.720 --> 00:12:33.240 but just by his great mercy, 00:12:33.399 --> 00:12:34.600 he decides to give it to us. 00:12:35.220 --> 00:12:37.740 He gives us grace and undeserved kindness. 00:12:38.500 --> 00:12:39.399 How great is that? 00:12:39.480 --> 00:12:41.600 How precious is that grace? 00:12:41.700 --> 00:12:43.399 When we have done nothing good, 00:12:43.940 --> 00:12:45.840 the Lord just gives it to us. 00:12:48.180 --> 00:12:48.960 It's incredible. 00:12:50.060 --> 00:12:52.500 We could have done nothing to fix our situation, 00:12:52.500 --> 00:12:55.000 and we're worth nothing or by nature useless. 00:12:55.000 --> 00:12:58.860 But the Lord in his grace has shown us mercy, 00:12:59.000 --> 00:13:00.480 has made us his own. 00:13:02.220 --> 00:13:03.539 So what have we just done? 00:13:03.980 --> 00:13:07.200 What have we done in thinking through our Ephesians passage 00:13:07.200 --> 00:13:10.919 and just thinking through all that? 00:13:11.320 --> 00:13:14.879 We have done exactly what Philippians 4 commanded us to, 00:13:14.980 --> 00:13:16.720 to rejoice in the Lord, 00:13:16.940 --> 00:13:20.539 to look to his word and see how we can have joy in that. 00:13:20.539 --> 00:13:23.459 That's exactly what Philippians 4 is telling us to do, 00:13:23.539 --> 00:13:25.079 to rejoice in the Lord. 00:13:25.679 --> 00:13:29.199 So I think we can all say that the Lord is our true source of joy. 00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:31.779 The Lord is our true source of joy. 00:13:33.439 --> 00:13:36.139 So, notes are messed up. 00:13:38.819 --> 00:13:41.699 So, yes, we can all say that the Lord is our true source of joy. 00:13:41.699 --> 00:13:43.879 Next, let's look at the means of joy. 00:13:44.860 --> 00:13:47.299 So, second one is the means of joy. 00:13:47.299 --> 00:13:53.259 I think Piper's definition sums it up really well. 00:13:53.959 --> 00:13:57.679 We get joy by savoring Christ's work as we read it in his word 00:13:57.679 --> 00:14:00.299 and as we see his work in the world. 00:14:01.219 --> 00:14:04.179 We have joy by remembering things that the Lord has done, 00:14:04.319 --> 00:14:06.019 by remembering what he's currently doing, 00:14:06.139 --> 00:14:08.219 and by remembering what he has promised to do 00:14:08.219 --> 00:14:09.979 and that we are assured that he will do. 00:14:11.659 --> 00:14:14.500 So, I'm going to talk through this in those two ways. 00:14:14.500 --> 00:14:16.819 So, we'll start off with the word. 00:14:17.299 --> 00:14:20.179 How we see joy in the word. 00:14:21.199 --> 00:14:24.500 So, the Lord uses scripture so much in causing us to rejoice. 00:14:25.099 --> 00:14:28.439 For me, a super clear passage was that one we just looked at in Ephesians 2. 00:14:28.559 --> 00:14:31.419 We just see a super clear presentation of the gospel 00:14:31.419 --> 00:14:35.219 that makes it so clear of our hopeless state and then our redeemed state. 00:14:35.679 --> 00:14:37.240 So much joy in that. 00:14:37.659 --> 00:14:41.179 When we remember what our state was and what our state is now. 00:14:41.179 --> 00:14:44.679 In so many other passages, we see joy. 00:14:44.779 --> 00:14:46.779 When we see others coming to faith. 00:14:46.959 --> 00:14:48.659 Acts was beautiful to go through. 00:14:49.039 --> 00:14:51.159 I see so many people just coming to faith in the Lord. 00:14:51.219 --> 00:14:52.739 That should bring us so much joy. 00:14:53.779 --> 00:14:57.679 Or passages about the great holiness of God when we consider who God is. 00:14:58.139 --> 00:15:01.319 Or passages of cries to the Lord in distress in the Psalms 00:15:01.319 --> 00:15:04.620 where we realize that people have been in the same boat that we are in. 00:15:04.620 --> 00:15:10.740 Or passages about the great future that we see of enjoying the Lord forever 00:15:10.740 --> 00:15:12.259 in the life to come. 00:15:13.340 --> 00:15:15.159 So, no matter where we look in scripture, 00:15:15.879 --> 00:15:18.039 rightly understanding it will bring us joy. 00:15:18.960 --> 00:15:20.759 No matter what type of scripture it is, 00:15:20.779 --> 00:15:23.080 it should bring us joy when we rightly understand it. 00:15:23.080 --> 00:15:29.800 So, so much of our joy is affected by what we set our minds on. 00:15:29.879 --> 00:15:32.639 So, look in a few verses down in Philippians at verse 8. 00:15:33.460 --> 00:15:34.460 Look at verse 8. 00:15:35.560 --> 00:15:35.960 It says, 00:15:35.960 --> 00:15:40.060 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, 00:15:40.620 --> 00:15:43.920 whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, 00:15:44.040 --> 00:15:47.879 if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, 00:15:48.580 --> 00:15:50.180 now think about these things. 00:15:50.179 --> 00:15:54.739 So, as we set our minds to his word and these things that are in the world 00:15:54.739 --> 00:15:56.299 that are worthy of praise, 00:15:56.819 --> 00:15:58.279 the Lord will fill us up with joy. 00:15:59.359 --> 00:16:03.339 So, I'm moving to our second meaning of joy in the world. 00:16:06.859 --> 00:16:11.539 Seeing this, seeing this this morning with us singing songs together 00:16:11.539 --> 00:16:16.559 in praise of our Savior is a huge way we see Christ's work in the world. 00:16:16.819 --> 00:16:18.899 All of us being redeemed by his grace, 00:16:18.899 --> 00:16:20.659 all of us filthy, dead sinners, 00:16:21.179 --> 00:16:25.179 turned into new, precious nature with a restored image of God. 00:16:25.459 --> 00:16:29.679 That is something huge that we see Christ's work in the world at the present. 00:16:30.659 --> 00:16:34.879 I remember hearing stories at community groups so many different times 00:16:34.879 --> 00:16:37.139 of people sharing their faith with people, 00:16:37.199 --> 00:16:38.299 and those people coming to faith, 00:16:38.360 --> 00:16:42.120 and later learning about them as they've become a part of our fellowship. 00:16:42.319 --> 00:16:44.759 That's Christ's work in the world that is bringing us joy. 00:16:44.759 --> 00:16:48.220 Those same types of stories that we see in acts of people coming to faith, 00:16:48.480 --> 00:16:49.419 we see that now. 00:16:49.600 --> 00:16:51.100 We see that in the world around us, 00:16:51.120 --> 00:16:52.439 and how precious that is, 00:16:52.819 --> 00:16:54.600 and how much joy that should bring us. 00:16:55.480 --> 00:16:57.240 These are all the Lord's work in the world, 00:16:57.399 --> 00:16:58.659 and they should bring us great joy. 00:17:00.659 --> 00:17:03.879 Third point is a thief of joy. 00:17:04.420 --> 00:17:05.680 A thief of joy. 00:17:05.680 --> 00:17:10.680 So there are so, so, so, so, so many different thieves of joy, 00:17:10.820 --> 00:17:13.580 but I just want to focus on the one that's given in our text this morning. 00:17:15.240 --> 00:17:17.299 Look down in verse 6. 00:17:18.200 --> 00:17:20.580 We can see that that thief is anxiety. 00:17:22.340 --> 00:17:22.740 Anxiety. 00:17:25.320 --> 00:17:28.140 This is probably the thief that hurts me the most. 00:17:28.820 --> 00:17:32.620 This is something that I've had to continue to preach to myself constantly. 00:17:33.299 --> 00:17:35.279 Some of y'all that know me really, really well 00:17:35.279 --> 00:17:38.279 know that I really like to always have a plan. 00:17:39.319 --> 00:17:41.099 I'm a person who does well with structure. 00:17:41.319 --> 00:17:45.259 I like to know what I'm going to be doing six months from now, right now. 00:17:45.519 --> 00:17:47.339 I know when I'm doing something, 00:17:47.859 --> 00:17:48.819 how I'm going to do it, 00:17:49.399 --> 00:17:50.379 everything about it. 00:17:50.839 --> 00:17:52.579 Something that's been really hard for me, 00:17:52.859 --> 00:17:54.419 like, because of that, 00:17:54.879 --> 00:17:56.939 has been playing the Christmas Eve service. 00:17:57.219 --> 00:18:01.019 I've talked to, like, a lot of brothers and sisters about it. 00:18:01.019 --> 00:18:03.019 It's a new thing for me, Jordan, and Alex. 00:18:03.180 --> 00:18:04.359 There's a lot of unknowns. 00:18:04.819 --> 00:18:05.879 I don't like unknowns. 00:18:06.099 --> 00:18:07.660 That is something I don't do well with. 00:18:08.319 --> 00:18:11.960 Like I said, I want to know what is going on six months from now, right now. 00:18:12.539 --> 00:18:15.619 And so I've struggled and fretted and worried 00:18:15.619 --> 00:18:18.740 and I've been anxious about little details 00:18:18.740 --> 00:18:20.599 that in the end I know will work out 00:18:20.599 --> 00:18:23.519 and in the end really don't actually matter that much. 00:18:24.519 --> 00:18:26.299 Sure, my personality and nature 00:18:26.299 --> 00:18:28.379 makes me more likely to struggle with those things, 00:18:28.380 --> 00:18:30.160 but what is the root of that? 00:18:31.360 --> 00:18:32.500 The root is sin. 00:18:33.280 --> 00:18:34.140 The root is sin. 00:18:34.240 --> 00:18:34.960 It's anxiety. 00:18:35.220 --> 00:18:35.800 It's worry. 00:18:36.380 --> 00:18:37.800 I'm failing to trust the Lord 00:18:37.800 --> 00:18:39.940 that He will work out all the situations for our good 00:18:39.940 --> 00:18:42.280 and I'm putting way too much weight 00:18:42.280 --> 00:18:43.900 on little things 00:18:43.900 --> 00:18:45.920 that have no eternal significance 00:18:45.920 --> 00:18:48.280 rather than submitting them in trust to the Lord. 00:18:49.420 --> 00:18:51.560 I have to battle this sin constantly. 00:18:51.740 --> 00:18:54.040 I've had to repent and cast my cares upon the Lord. 00:18:54.420 --> 00:18:56.200 I even had to apologize to some people 00:18:56.200 --> 00:18:58.400 who I know were directly affected by my sin. 00:18:59.960 --> 00:19:02.580 Anxiety has been a big thief of my joy. 00:19:03.940 --> 00:19:05.860 It was making me forget the past 00:19:05.860 --> 00:19:08.380 of how God has brought us to this point, 00:19:08.600 --> 00:19:10.500 what He has done on the cross to redeem us. 00:19:10.519 --> 00:19:12.140 It was making me forget the present, 00:19:12.700 --> 00:19:14.319 how God is currently working out 00:19:14.319 --> 00:19:15.580 every situation for our good. 00:19:16.400 --> 00:19:18.080 It was making me forget the future, 00:19:18.840 --> 00:19:20.380 that we'll spend eternity with Him 00:19:20.380 --> 00:19:22.940 and all these circumstances will make sense 00:19:22.940 --> 00:19:25.660 that the only real thing that matters 00:19:25.660 --> 00:19:26.740 of our current circumstances 00:19:26.740 --> 00:19:28.040 are bringing glory to the Lord. 00:19:30.080 --> 00:19:30.920 Verse 6 says, 00:19:31.200 --> 00:19:32.380 Do not be anxious about anything, 00:19:33.140 --> 00:19:35.820 but in everything by prayer and supplication 00:19:35.820 --> 00:19:36.620 with thanksgiving, 00:19:36.760 --> 00:19:39.100 let your requests be made known to God. 00:19:40.240 --> 00:19:41.240 So Paul, by the Spirit, 00:19:41.380 --> 00:19:42.240 is reminding us here 00:19:42.240 --> 00:19:44.160 that anxiety is going to kill our joy. 00:19:44.160 --> 00:19:46.920 He's also reminding something 00:19:46.920 --> 00:19:48.940 really important for me to see 00:19:48.940 --> 00:19:51.740 is that part of being reasonable 00:19:51.740 --> 00:19:53.220 is not being anxious. 00:19:54.279 --> 00:19:55.360 Think about that for a minute. 00:19:55.480 --> 00:19:56.519 Part of being reasonable 00:19:56.519 --> 00:19:57.860 is not being anxious. 00:19:58.800 --> 00:20:00.340 When we remember that our Lord 00:20:00.340 --> 00:20:01.700 is Lord of the universe, 00:20:02.060 --> 00:20:03.900 all-knowing and all-powerful, 00:20:04.460 --> 00:20:05.800 that He's also our Father, 00:20:05.940 --> 00:20:06.759 He's loving, 00:20:06.920 --> 00:20:07.500 He's intimate, 00:20:07.620 --> 00:20:08.240 He's gracious, 00:20:08.759 --> 00:20:11.519 there is no room for us to be anxious. 00:20:11.519 --> 00:20:15.200 The Lord is on our side. 00:20:15.319 --> 00:20:16.400 Who can be against us? 00:20:16.460 --> 00:20:17.759 It is God who justifies, 00:20:17.859 --> 00:20:18.779 who is there to condemn. 00:20:19.720 --> 00:20:21.420 This life is so fleeting, 00:20:21.839 --> 00:20:24.500 so why do we value our circumstances so much? 00:20:25.480 --> 00:20:26.319 So fleeting, 00:20:26.420 --> 00:20:28.400 so why do we value our circumstances so much? 00:20:28.779 --> 00:20:32.099 It is completely unreasonable to be anxious. 00:20:33.240 --> 00:20:34.819 Paul is echoing the teaching of Jesus 00:20:34.819 --> 00:20:36.119 from the Sermon on the Mount here. 00:20:36.700 --> 00:20:38.379 So turn with me to Matthew 6. 00:20:38.380 --> 00:20:58.360 I preached on this text here about a year ago. 00:21:00.140 --> 00:21:01.580 And I think it'll be really helpful 00:21:01.580 --> 00:21:03.300 for us to look back at this 00:21:03.300 --> 00:21:06.700 because anxiety is such a big thief of joy. 00:21:06.700 --> 00:21:10.600 I just think it's really important, 00:21:10.720 --> 00:21:11.620 has been for me, 00:21:12.000 --> 00:21:14.480 to fight anxiety in order to gain joy. 00:21:15.759 --> 00:21:17.720 And so let's look at Matthew 6. 00:21:17.880 --> 00:21:19.900 We're going to look at verses 25 to 34. 00:21:22.460 --> 00:21:23.240 Here it says, 00:21:23.240 --> 00:21:24.420 Therefore I tell you, 00:21:24.519 --> 00:21:26.099 do not be anxious about your life, 00:21:26.160 --> 00:21:27.779 what you will eat or what you will drink, 00:21:27.940 --> 00:21:28.839 nor about your body, 00:21:28.960 --> 00:21:29.740 what you will put on. 00:21:30.140 --> 00:21:31.579 Is not life more than food 00:21:31.579 --> 00:21:32.900 and the body more than clothing? 00:21:33.539 --> 00:21:34.759 Look at the birds of the air. 00:21:34.839 --> 00:21:37.319 They neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, 00:21:37.319 --> 00:21:39.039 and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. 00:21:39.599 --> 00:21:41.039 Are you not of more value than they? 00:21:41.839 --> 00:21:42.480 And which of you, 00:21:42.559 --> 00:21:43.299 by being anxious, 00:21:43.420 --> 00:21:45.819 can add a single hour to his span of life? 00:21:46.620 --> 00:21:47.880 And why are you anxious about clothing? 00:21:47.980 --> 00:21:49.259 Consider the lilies of the field, 00:21:49.319 --> 00:21:49.980 how they grow. 00:21:50.400 --> 00:21:51.819 They neither toil nor spend. 00:21:51.819 --> 00:21:52.619 Yet I tell you, 00:21:52.779 --> 00:21:54.720 even Solomon in all his glory 00:21:54.720 --> 00:21:56.279 was not arrayed like one of these. 00:21:56.960 --> 00:21:58.859 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, 00:21:59.319 --> 00:22:00.439 which today is alive 00:22:00.439 --> 00:22:02.059 and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, 00:22:02.619 --> 00:22:04.339 will he not much more clothe you, 00:22:04.579 --> 00:22:05.500 O you of little faith? 00:22:06.299 --> 00:22:07.500 Therefore do not be anxious, 00:22:07.639 --> 00:22:07.819 saying, 00:22:07.919 --> 00:22:08.539 what shall we eat, 00:22:08.659 --> 00:22:09.480 or what shall we drink, 00:22:09.559 --> 00:22:10.339 or what shall we wear? 00:22:10.819 --> 00:22:12.839 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, 00:22:12.899 --> 00:22:14.079 and your heavenly Father knows 00:22:14.079 --> 00:22:14.879 that you need them all. 00:22:15.379 --> 00:22:17.379 But seek first the kingdom of God 00:22:17.379 --> 00:22:18.220 and his righteousness, 00:22:18.500 --> 00:22:20.259 and all these things will be added to you. 00:22:20.259 --> 00:22:23.379 Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, 00:22:23.539 --> 00:22:25.339 for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. 00:22:25.579 --> 00:22:27.460 Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. 00:22:28.599 --> 00:22:29.660 So here in this text, 00:22:29.799 --> 00:22:32.680 Jesus lists off reason after reason after reason 00:22:32.680 --> 00:22:33.960 for us not to be anxious. 00:22:34.319 --> 00:22:35.359 So many different things. 00:22:35.420 --> 00:22:36.920 He shows us how pointless it is. 00:22:37.000 --> 00:22:39.180 He shows us how ridiculous it is 00:22:39.180 --> 00:22:41.299 for us to let that steal our joy. 00:22:41.299 --> 00:22:44.919 So when I preached this text a long time ago, 00:22:45.000 --> 00:22:47.220 I had seven reasons that Jesus gave 00:22:47.220 --> 00:22:48.839 to not be anxious and trust in him. 00:22:49.240 --> 00:22:52.359 I want to really briefly look through those 00:22:52.359 --> 00:22:53.579 because I think it's really important 00:22:53.579 --> 00:22:55.480 that we see the logic behind 00:22:55.480 --> 00:22:57.980 why anxiety is so bad. 00:22:59.119 --> 00:23:00.059 The first one was, 00:23:00.319 --> 00:23:01.720 life is much greater than food or clothing. 00:23:02.319 --> 00:23:03.460 The early part of this passage 00:23:03.460 --> 00:23:05.099 talks about worrying about food and clothing. 00:23:05.720 --> 00:23:07.399 That shows one of two things. 00:23:08.099 --> 00:23:09.639 It either shows that we are not trusting 00:23:09.640 --> 00:23:11.560 in the Lord to provide for our physical needs, 00:23:11.960 --> 00:23:15.680 or it shows that we are caring way too much 00:23:15.680 --> 00:23:17.140 about what people think of us. 00:23:17.759 --> 00:23:18.640 One of those two things. 00:23:18.759 --> 00:23:21.180 Other people's opinions should grow strangely dim 00:23:21.180 --> 00:23:22.800 when we think about our Savior. 00:23:23.560 --> 00:23:26.100 Cares of this world should look so small in light, 00:23:26.660 --> 00:23:28.720 in light of our eternal joy 00:23:28.720 --> 00:23:29.980 and what the Lord has done, 00:23:30.120 --> 00:23:31.320 is doing, and will do. 00:23:32.500 --> 00:23:34.300 Jesus' second reason that he gave us 00:23:34.300 --> 00:23:35.560 to not be anxious and trust in him 00:23:35.560 --> 00:23:37.800 was we can only do so much. 00:23:37.799 --> 00:23:40.899 So often we try to do everything. 00:23:41.259 --> 00:23:43.139 This is a bad tendency of mine 00:23:43.139 --> 00:23:44.000 that I've had to fight. 00:23:44.619 --> 00:23:46.119 I try to fix everything 00:23:46.119 --> 00:23:47.879 and realize that when I can't, 00:23:47.940 --> 00:23:49.919 I get really, really, really frustrated. 00:23:50.500 --> 00:23:52.799 We have to learn that God is in complete control 00:23:52.799 --> 00:23:53.980 and we're just not. 00:23:54.539 --> 00:23:55.839 We can't do everything. 00:23:56.460 --> 00:23:57.440 When we try to do everything 00:23:57.440 --> 00:23:58.680 and come to the end of ourselves, 00:23:58.759 --> 00:24:00.899 we're left worried and anxious 00:24:00.899 --> 00:24:03.639 and we're refusing to give things up to the Lord 00:24:03.640 --> 00:24:07.060 and to take joy in the fact that God is our Father 00:24:07.060 --> 00:24:08.460 and he is our God. 00:24:11.380 --> 00:24:12.820 We can only do so much. 00:24:12.820 --> 00:24:16.160 Third one was that worrying doesn't fix anything. 00:24:17.040 --> 00:24:21.700 As we often get so worried about situations going on in our lives, 00:24:21.920 --> 00:24:25.200 we lose our joy and hurt others with our sin. 00:24:25.200 --> 00:24:29.059 But the anxiety doesn't fix anything at all. 00:24:29.480 --> 00:24:31.140 Spurgeon said of anxiety, 00:24:31.940 --> 00:24:34.440 Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, 00:24:34.559 --> 00:24:36.880 but only empties today of its strength. 00:24:37.640 --> 00:24:38.920 It doesn't fix anything. 00:24:39.900 --> 00:24:41.400 Another thing that's super clear here 00:24:41.400 --> 00:24:43.539 is that God values his people 00:24:43.539 --> 00:24:45.700 and therefore provides. 00:24:46.539 --> 00:24:49.039 God values his people and therefore provides. 00:24:49.039 --> 00:24:51.379 We can trust our Lord 00:24:51.379 --> 00:24:53.480 because he provides for birds and grass 00:24:53.480 --> 00:24:56.159 and remember who we are to him. 00:24:56.779 --> 00:24:58.379 We are his holy nation, 00:24:58.559 --> 00:25:00.779 his peculiar people that he has brought about 00:25:00.779 --> 00:25:02.759 so that we can proclaim his excellencies. 00:25:03.240 --> 00:25:05.359 Will he not much more provide for us? 00:25:06.480 --> 00:25:08.519 So there's no reason to be anxious about our needs. 00:25:09.659 --> 00:25:12.819 Then I said that anxiety characterizes unbelievers. 00:25:15.019 --> 00:25:17.779 Unbelieving people are constantly worried 00:25:17.779 --> 00:25:19.680 about what other people think of them 00:25:19.680 --> 00:25:22.279 or how they're going to be able to live out the American dream 00:25:22.279 --> 00:25:24.180 focused on material things. 00:25:24.259 --> 00:25:26.660 And they might even worry about some good things 00:25:26.660 --> 00:25:29.599 like how they can best provide for their family 00:25:29.599 --> 00:25:31.599 or how they can eat healthy. 00:25:32.279 --> 00:25:35.480 But they do this so often out of a heart of anxiety, 00:25:35.619 --> 00:25:36.539 a heart of worry. 00:25:38.119 --> 00:25:39.799 Anxiety characterizes unbelievers. 00:25:41.160 --> 00:25:42.720 And verse 34 says, 00:25:43.240 --> 00:25:44.920 Tomorrow will be anxious for itself. 00:25:45.940 --> 00:25:47.740 Tomorrow will be anxious for itself. 00:25:48.720 --> 00:25:51.119 Don't ruin today by worrying about tomorrow. 00:25:51.839 --> 00:25:53.920 Each day has enough trouble for its own. 00:25:55.240 --> 00:25:56.399 Trust in the Lord and do good. 00:25:57.579 --> 00:26:00.339 We can have joy in his completed work 00:26:00.339 --> 00:26:02.539 and its realities for the past, 00:26:02.660 --> 00:26:03.759 the present, and the future. 00:26:04.819 --> 00:26:06.599 And the last one that I really want to 00:26:06.599 --> 00:26:08.619 stick with a bit today 00:26:08.619 --> 00:26:10.079 is that anxiety is sin. 00:26:10.859 --> 00:26:11.619 Anxiety is sin. 00:26:11.619 --> 00:26:14.119 From this passage here in Philippians 00:26:14.119 --> 00:26:16.579 and this passage in Matthew, 00:26:16.739 --> 00:26:19.399 we have in one Jesus telling us not to be anxious. 00:26:19.859 --> 00:26:20.939 And then in Philippians, 00:26:21.019 --> 00:26:23.339 we have Paul reminding us of Jesus' teaching 00:26:23.339 --> 00:26:25.039 not to be anxious. 00:26:25.039 --> 00:26:29.799 So what are we doing when we're continuing in our anxiety? 00:26:31.180 --> 00:26:31.879 We're sinning. 00:26:32.579 --> 00:26:34.339 I can't count the number of times 00:26:34.339 --> 00:26:36.200 that I've heard something along the lines of, 00:26:36.659 --> 00:26:38.700 I know the Lord tells us not to be anxious, 00:26:39.159 --> 00:26:40.379 but... 00:26:40.379 --> 00:26:42.500 I've heard that out of my own mouth. 00:26:42.500 --> 00:26:45.859 By the way we've started that statement, 00:26:46.140 --> 00:26:49.000 we've admitted that we are breaking a command of our Lord. 00:26:50.160 --> 00:26:51.240 It's really dangerous. 00:26:51.940 --> 00:26:53.400 You may have also heard people say, 00:26:53.660 --> 00:26:55.599 I'm not anxious about this. 00:26:55.839 --> 00:26:57.599 I'm just really, really worried about it. 00:26:58.839 --> 00:27:00.160 What is anxiety? 00:27:00.940 --> 00:27:01.240 Right? 00:27:02.099 --> 00:27:03.279 What is anxiety? 00:27:03.440 --> 00:27:05.319 It just means to be really worried about something. 00:27:05.640 --> 00:27:06.579 That's all it means. 00:27:07.220 --> 00:27:07.380 Okay? 00:27:08.019 --> 00:27:09.519 It could easily be translated, 00:27:10.019 --> 00:27:11.000 don't be worried. 00:27:11.000 --> 00:27:12.160 Okay? 00:27:12.539 --> 00:27:14.460 So when we're overly worried about something, 00:27:14.579 --> 00:27:15.420 we are in sin. 00:27:16.079 --> 00:27:19.400 So I'd love to go on and on about the flaws of anxiety, 00:27:19.500 --> 00:27:22.740 but this is not a sermon primarily about anxiety. 00:27:22.880 --> 00:27:23.779 It is about joy. 00:27:24.200 --> 00:27:24.700 So in summary, 00:27:25.519 --> 00:27:28.960 many, many reasons are given by the Lord 00:27:28.960 --> 00:27:30.920 to not be anxious and to trust in Him. 00:27:31.359 --> 00:27:32.099 When we're anxious, 00:27:32.259 --> 00:27:34.599 our mind is not set on the joy we have in the Lord, 00:27:35.039 --> 00:27:37.259 and we're in active disobedience towards Him. 00:27:38.460 --> 00:27:40.920 So anxiety brings our focus from the Lord, 00:27:41.000 --> 00:27:41.740 in His providence, 00:27:42.240 --> 00:27:43.579 where we have our joy, 00:27:44.420 --> 00:27:47.359 and it puts it back on the cares of this world. 00:27:48.339 --> 00:27:49.880 So when we conquer this thief, 00:27:50.380 --> 00:27:51.720 we'll be able to see it. 00:27:51.799 --> 00:27:52.460 We'll be able to know it. 00:27:52.500 --> 00:27:53.539 We'll have that joy, 00:27:54.019 --> 00:27:55.380 and people will be able to see it. 00:27:56.720 --> 00:27:57.980 Because when we have joy, 00:27:58.059 --> 00:27:59.920 it's going to flow out from us. 00:27:59.920 --> 00:28:02.500 So that brings us to the fourth point, 00:28:03.740 --> 00:28:05.340 the outflows of joy. 00:28:06.400 --> 00:28:07.880 The outflows of joy. 00:28:09.940 --> 00:28:12.160 So I have just two outflows here. 00:28:12.160 --> 00:28:16.779 And the first one I'd like to talk about is peace. 00:28:17.880 --> 00:28:19.660 Verse 7, back in Philippians 4, 00:28:20.400 --> 00:28:22.080 says that, 00:28:22.220 --> 00:28:23.259 And the peace of God, 00:28:23.320 --> 00:28:25.259 which surpasses all understanding, 00:28:25.500 --> 00:28:28.460 will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 00:28:28.460 --> 00:28:33.640 So what this verse is saying needs to happen before this peace comes, 00:28:34.480 --> 00:28:35.840 is to rejoice in the Lord, 00:28:36.019 --> 00:28:38.380 and replace our anxiety with prayer, 00:28:38.819 --> 00:28:40.380 and supplication with thanksgiving. 00:28:42.440 --> 00:28:43.380 As we do this, 00:28:43.440 --> 00:28:45.840 this peace that is not based on our circumstances, 00:28:46.180 --> 00:28:47.680 but based on an act of trust in the Lord, 00:28:47.759 --> 00:28:48.420 will come about. 00:28:48.920 --> 00:28:51.539 This will seem bizarre to unbelievers. 00:28:52.299 --> 00:28:55.399 That's why it says it surpasses all understanding. 00:28:56.920 --> 00:28:59.519 So though everything around us may be falling apart, 00:28:59.619 --> 00:29:03.259 the circumstances around us seem just impossible to go through, 00:29:03.879 --> 00:29:06.960 we can have peace because of this great joy we have 00:29:06.960 --> 00:29:08.299 in what the Lord has done for us. 00:29:09.039 --> 00:29:10.839 So we'll talk about that a little bit more later. 00:29:10.839 --> 00:29:14.460 But the second outflow of joy that I'd like to talk about is speech. 00:29:16.819 --> 00:29:17.299 Speech. 00:29:17.299 --> 00:29:22.659 When we love something and have great joy because of it, 00:29:22.700 --> 00:29:24.200 we are going to talk about it. 00:29:24.500 --> 00:29:26.599 As Matthew 12, 34 says, 00:29:26.700 --> 00:29:29.019 out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. 00:29:29.539 --> 00:29:32.539 We're going to talk about the things we love. 00:29:33.059 --> 00:29:35.700 So thinking about my life over the past couple of days, 00:29:36.220 --> 00:29:37.399 I really like snow. 00:29:37.779 --> 00:29:39.339 Snow is something that I really enjoy. 00:29:39.940 --> 00:29:41.299 I like when it's falling. 00:29:41.519 --> 00:29:42.980 I like having snowball fights. 00:29:43.019 --> 00:29:44.180 I like building snowmen. 00:29:44.279 --> 00:29:46.339 I like watching weather predictions. 00:29:46.339 --> 00:29:48.000 I like making weather predictions. 00:29:48.859 --> 00:29:51.740 I like not going to school when it's snowing. 00:29:52.279 --> 00:29:54.359 I like driving my truck in the snow. 00:29:54.500 --> 00:29:55.639 I like walking in the snow. 00:29:55.779 --> 00:29:59.059 I really like that sound it makes when you step on it and it's crunching. 00:30:00.059 --> 00:30:02.019 I like everything about snow. 00:30:03.159 --> 00:30:05.740 So on Friday morning about 4 a.m., 00:30:06.299 --> 00:30:11.199 I woke up and I knew that the snow might be to Cleveland. 00:30:11.500 --> 00:30:14.419 So I was really excited that it might be snowing outside right now. 00:30:14.420 --> 00:30:16.900 So I looked out the window and sure enough, it had not. 00:30:17.140 --> 00:30:18.240 So I was really sad. 00:30:18.779 --> 00:30:23.320 And so I grabbed my laptop and I went and I looked at all of the forecasts. 00:30:23.700 --> 00:30:26.100 And at that point, they were getting a little bit more accurate. 00:30:26.240 --> 00:30:28.259 A little bit, but some more accurate. 00:30:28.740 --> 00:30:29.519 I was so excited. 00:30:29.640 --> 00:30:31.380 They were upping all of the snow predictions. 00:30:31.620 --> 00:30:32.519 I was so excited. 00:30:32.519 --> 00:30:38.379 So I went and got back in bed and Margaret turned over and I like could not hold my excitement. 00:30:38.500 --> 00:30:41.440 I was like, Margaret, Margaret, they've upped all the predictions. 00:30:42.740 --> 00:30:45.599 And she's so frustrated with me. 00:30:45.660 --> 00:30:48.700 She's like, I'm sleeping and like grunted. 00:30:49.240 --> 00:30:51.940 And snow, I'm so excited right now. 00:30:51.940 --> 00:30:57.539 So the morning went on and we still had work. 00:30:58.059 --> 00:31:00.059 We're teachers in Forsyth County. 00:31:00.559 --> 00:31:04.460 And throughout the day, I think I was way more excited than my students were. 00:31:04.620 --> 00:31:05.320 Way more excited. 00:31:05.920 --> 00:31:07.580 They had a test that day. 00:31:07.860 --> 00:31:09.880 And so some of them were getting done with it. 00:31:10.019 --> 00:31:14.259 And I would have my phone out and go show them my phone with the weather predictions. 00:31:14.259 --> 00:31:19.319 And then like sometimes like point out the window, like there's so much snow out there right now. 00:31:21.400 --> 00:31:23.500 But I was so excited. 00:31:24.160 --> 00:31:29.879 So I wrote quite a bit of the sermon on Friday night while watching the snow falling. 00:31:30.359 --> 00:31:34.220 And Margaret got to the point where she was making fun of me because I was so distracted by it. 00:31:34.220 --> 00:31:36.920 I would look up every 30 seconds just to see if it was still snowing. 00:31:37.920 --> 00:31:38.180 All right. 00:31:38.619 --> 00:31:43.079 So all that being said, all that being said, I think y'all are probably seeing my point by now. 00:31:44.259 --> 00:31:47.039 How is my love for snow proven? 00:31:47.920 --> 00:31:49.220 I talked about it constantly. 00:31:49.440 --> 00:31:53.240 It was like something I was dwelling on quite a bit. 00:31:54.480 --> 00:31:54.759 Okay. 00:31:54.879 --> 00:31:56.339 I really, really like it. 00:31:56.400 --> 00:31:57.460 And so I talked about it. 00:31:58.180 --> 00:32:01.059 You might even say that I had a joy associated with the snow. 00:32:02.140 --> 00:32:02.920 So I talked about it. 00:32:03.000 --> 00:32:03.859 Wanted to learn more about it. 00:32:03.900 --> 00:32:06.099 I shared things about it with everyone I know. 00:32:06.099 --> 00:32:08.359 People got annoyed with the snow talk from me. 00:32:09.059 --> 00:32:11.519 So is this true of us with the Lord? 00:32:11.720 --> 00:32:13.240 Do we talk about the Lord constantly? 00:32:13.240 --> 00:32:15.240 Are we excited to learn more about him? 00:32:15.859 --> 00:32:19.099 Are we overwhelmed with joy when we hear more about his work? 00:32:20.220 --> 00:32:21.079 Grab your bulletin. 00:32:22.279 --> 00:32:24.960 You'll see the weekly Spurgeon quote. 00:32:29.299 --> 00:32:30.279 So it says, 00:32:30.279 --> 00:32:41.920 This should make us question a little bit. 00:32:42.299 --> 00:32:44.019 What do we rejoice in? 00:32:44.639 --> 00:32:47.240 What do we find the most pleasure in knowing? 00:32:47.839 --> 00:32:49.399 What do we talk about the most? 00:32:50.339 --> 00:32:53.599 Out of the overflow of our heart, our mouth will speak. 00:32:53.599 --> 00:32:57.159 What do we talk about? 00:32:57.240 --> 00:32:58.119 What do we dwell on? 00:32:58.879 --> 00:33:00.259 Where is our joy at? 00:33:01.279 --> 00:33:02.879 Because we're going to be speaking about it. 00:33:04.099 --> 00:33:10.639 Something really cool about rejoicing in the Lord is that the more we do it, the more joy we will find in it. 00:33:11.419 --> 00:33:12.819 Turn with me to 1 John 1. 00:33:12.819 --> 00:33:33.159 I want us to look at the first four verses here. 00:33:33.160 --> 00:34:03.140 It starts with, 00:34:03.160 --> 00:34:04.460 And with his son, Jesus Christ. 00:34:04.900 --> 00:34:08.880 And we're writing these things so that our joy may be complete. 00:34:10.059 --> 00:34:11.599 So looking at these first four. 00:34:11.720 --> 00:34:16.880 After explaining how they're preaching Christ to these people, they say why they are doing it. 00:34:16.940 --> 00:34:17.800 Look at verse four. 00:34:18.599 --> 00:34:18.860 It says, 00:34:18.860 --> 00:34:25.780 Some translations have your joy there. 00:34:26.280 --> 00:34:27.820 They both make a lot of sense. 00:34:28.320 --> 00:34:33.240 As we proclaim Jesus, we'll find more and more joy in Jesus. 00:34:33.239 --> 00:34:38.559 As people hear about Jesus, they will find that true joy that they've been longing for. 00:34:39.239 --> 00:34:45.279 So our joy will flow out from us in both a mindset of peace and through speaking his name. 00:34:46.119 --> 00:34:50.059 So my last point that I'd like to bring up about joy, I think is really, really important. 00:34:50.639 --> 00:34:53.599 It is the relentlessness of our joy. 00:34:53.599 --> 00:34:56.339 The relentlessness of our joy. 00:35:00.339 --> 00:35:04.000 So Wayne Grudem says of the Philippians 4 text, 00:35:04.000 --> 00:35:34.000 00:35:34.000 --> 00:35:34.900 Always available. 00:35:35.519 --> 00:35:38.280 No matter what the circumstances are. 00:35:38.400 --> 00:35:39.420 Our joy is relentless. 00:35:39.699 --> 00:35:43.639 No matter what is going on around us, we can have joy in God. 00:35:44.099 --> 00:35:47.500 Paul gives us a great example of this through his own life. 00:35:48.139 --> 00:35:50.239 He wrote this letter to the Philippians while he was in jail. 00:35:50.239 --> 00:35:54.239 And this is what he says about his imprisonment. 00:35:54.339 --> 00:35:56.279 Look back to chapter one. 00:35:58.379 --> 00:36:01.039 Picking up in verse 12 of chapter one, it says, 00:36:01.039 --> 00:36:06.359 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 00:36:06.659 --> 00:36:12.719 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 00:36:12.719 --> 00:36:17.779 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, 00:36:17.859 --> 00:36:20.679 are much more bold to speak the word without fear. 00:36:22.739 --> 00:36:26.239 Paul has not allowed his circumstances to destroy his joy, 00:36:26.439 --> 00:36:32.539 but he's instead looking at those and seeing how the Lord is going to use them to continue to proclaim the gospel. 00:36:32.859 --> 00:36:35.099 He's using those to advance his joy. 00:36:35.539 --> 00:36:38.599 He's excited about what the Lord is doing through those circumstances, 00:36:38.599 --> 00:36:42.359 that more people are hearing the gospel and are coming to faith. 00:36:43.719 --> 00:36:46.399 We can be joyous in any situation. 00:36:47.639 --> 00:36:51.559 Because R.C. Sproul can say it better than I can, I decided to quote him on this. 00:36:52.239 --> 00:36:52.459 He said, 00:36:52.599 --> 00:36:59.480 The command to rejoice can always be obeyed, even in the midst of conflict, adversity, and deprivation, 00:36:59.799 --> 00:37:03.879 because joy rests not on favorable circumstances, but in the Lord. 00:37:06.439 --> 00:37:09.379 One more place I'd like you to turn, and then we will close. 00:37:09.980 --> 00:37:12.379 Turn to the Old Testament book of Habakkuk. 00:37:13.679 --> 00:37:17.339 If you're not familiar with it, it is towards the end of the Old Testament, 00:37:17.480 --> 00:37:19.399 in between Nahum and Zephaniah. 00:37:22.759 --> 00:37:24.000 A little bit of context. 00:37:24.259 --> 00:37:29.899 So Habakkuk is an Old Testament prophet who complains to God about Judah's increasing wickedness. 00:37:30.359 --> 00:37:33.480 And Habakkuk eventually comes to terms with the fact that God is sovereign, 00:37:33.480 --> 00:37:37.940 and that his judgment is far beyond what he can see at the moment. 00:37:37.940 --> 00:37:47.860 Part of his response to what the Lord has said in chapter 3 is really powerful. 00:37:48.320 --> 00:37:51.440 I'd like for us to read it together, and then we will pray. 00:37:51.440 --> 00:37:56.500 So verses 17 through 19 of chapter 3. 00:37:56.500 --> 00:37:59.199 It says, 00:37:59.199 --> 00:38:02.820 Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, 00:38:03.179 --> 00:38:07.119 the produce of the olive fail, and the fields yield no food. 00:38:07.559 --> 00:38:11.539 The flock be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls. 00:38:12.179 --> 00:38:13.719 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord. 00:38:13.980 --> 00:38:16.400 I will take joy in the God of my salvation. 00:38:17.380 --> 00:38:19.139 God the Lord is my strength. 00:38:19.679 --> 00:38:21.280 He makes my feet like the deer's. 00:38:21.280 --> 00:38:23.980 He makes me tread on my high places. 00:38:25.019 --> 00:38:25.519 Let's pray.