Our Joy: Complete In Christ

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,

Isaiah 49:1–13

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

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

thank you

thank you

thank you

thank you

thank you