"Advent - Joy" Pt.3

Hi, this is John Ozanting, lead pastor of Evolve Church, and this is the Evolved Church Podcast.

Thanks so much for tuning in.

We hope that you find today's message encouraging and full of hope for wherever you're at.

All right, there's a lot of mixed information out there, and uh so I did some research, which is just the way I am because I'm a I'm a student, and some say this that joy is this deeper notion of contentment, and that happiness is contingent on stuff, it's kind of fleeting.

But others say that joy is the momentary emotion, like cheering on the oilers when they score an overtime goal in the playoffs, or when there's a come from behind victory when you're playing pickleball.

And they say that happiness is the deeper state of meaning.

So I just think they cancel each other out, so I don't really give a rip which one is which.

All I know is there's something called joy, and we have it.

I mentioned to a friend who's a Bible teacher out of Phoenix that I was preaching on joy, and I asked, Do you have any suggestions?

And unrelated to that question, I sent her a couple pictures of Merrick since she knows her family and she loves her grandkids, and I wanted to show off the lovely snow since one day you're palm trees in blue sky, the next day you're in a blizzard.

And so, if you could throw up that other picture, when we got home, along with shoveling sidewalks, I put up my nativity scene, and little Merrick was helping me a little bit, and uh, I wanted a picture of him, and of course, Merrick is a poser, just like his mom.

Does that cost five bucks?

Yeah.

Anyways, and then here's what she said in a text back about any suggestions on how to approach the issue of joy.

She said, start with that picture right there.

And I wondered when she wrote that, I thought, do children experience more unfettered joy than adults do?

Life life happens, right?

All that stuff stacks up as we get older, responsibilities.

And then she said this, she texted again and she said, So many things come to mind with that picture.

The joy on your grandson's face, the joy of a child knowing that he is loved and he's free to play.

His joy, juxtaposed against the nativity scene in the background.

Well, I'm sure that night wasn't so easy for Mary and Joseph.

That no matter how hard things get, maybe what blizzards or storms are blowing in your life, he, Jesus, will always be our shelter.

And that is a cause for joy.

Joy to the world.

Joy to the world, really?

Have you been following what's going on in Syria?

Other places around the world?

Maybe in your own life.

Last Christmas I spoke at the blue Christmas service here at Evolve, and blue, it was to address, uh, be a service of encouragement for those for whom Christmas is difficult.

Blue, sad, melancholy.

Christmas isn't a great time of year for a lot of people.

In fact, it makes it very tough because all the excitement, all the bright lights, the gifts, the family gatherings, the feasts, the kids with wide-eyed wonder, smiling faces, all those things are like painful reminders that life isn't going so good.

And they feel like outsiders viewing everyone else's happiness.

And maybe even as you sat here this morning and watched Silent Night being sang, you're not there.

It's not a silent night for you.

It's a night of chaos, a life of chaos, and it's difficult, and you're wondering where the joy is.

Bono, the lead singer for you too, sang a song called Peace on Earth, and maybe some of you know it, but I'm gonna just quote to you a couple of the lines.

Jesus, in the song you wrote, the words are sticking in my throat.

Peace on earth.

Hear it every Christmas time, but hope and history won't rhyme.

So what's it worth?

This peace on earth?

Hope and history won't rhyme.

I suppose Bono meant for us to wrestle with the reality of what's going on behind all the bright lights of Christmas and see the state of the world in the dark alleys and ghettos of our existence.

How could there be hope for the hopeless?

How could there be any joy in the tears that many of us cry?

And yet, joy to the world.

Amid the harsh truths of existence, there is a greater, a deeper truth that gives us hope, peace, and joy.

There is a light that shines in whatever darkness.

And so as we focused on these December Advent Sundays, we're gonna concentrate on joy this morning.

And it's a gift of the Holy Spirit.

Now, the that holy trio that was up here, they read my Bible passage for me from Luke chapter 2.

Luke 2 · chapter mention

So, as we did in the first service, if we can just fast forward through a couple of the slides and we're gonna stop there at verse 10.

The angel said to them, Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.

Good news of great joy that will be for all people.

And so, what are we to make of this amazing story?

How are we to understand this angelic announcement?

And why of all people to shepherds?

They were largely treated as second or third class citizens because of the nature of their work, they were not able to keep all the ritual purity laws.

And yet, let me give you this interesting little tidbit, speculative for sure.

But some scholars think that these weren't just any shepherds, that they were the ones who were tending the sheep for the temple sacrifices, and perhaps even tending or raising the lamb that would be sacrificed on the Day of Atonement.

So, could it be that those who tended the sacrificial lambs were invited to pay a visit to the one who would be the ultimate lamb of God, taking away the sins of the world?

It's a great thought, but ultimately we don't know.

So don't say that that's the way it was.

Before I tackle the good news of great joy message from the angel, I have some questions.

Have you ever really entered into what it would have been like for those shepherds that night?

If I was there, it would have scared the liver out of me.

Don't know about you.

I wonder what did they talk about when that angelic choir finally disappeared?

Did they say, did that really just happen?

What did they talk about?

On their way to find the baby, did they chat it up with Mary and Joseph?

We we tend to kind of rush through that whole scene, the manger scene is cute.

But what if they hung around and chatted with Mary and Joseph for a little while?

Maybe they had an interview for an hour to learn their story.

What was it like?

Can you imagine a conversation like that?

And then I wonder, did they really believe that this baby was the Christ, the Messiah?

Well, they must have because guess what it says in the Bible?

The Bible says that they spread the news.

And then I wonder, I kind of fast forward in the lives of those shepherds, and I wonder, did they maintain an interest in what happened to that baby?

The next year on December 25th, or whatever the date was, did they remind each other, hey, guys, do you remember what we were doing a year ago on this very night?

Remember those angels?

And I wonder, did the shepherds follow Jesus on Instagram as he was growing up?

Did their expectations and joy maybe slowly dissipate as the years kind of went by?

Or about 30 years later, if the shepherds were still alive, do you think they ever got to hear Jesus preach?

I wonder.

Did they hear the crowd cry, crucify him, crucify him?

Did they witness that Lamb of God being sacrificed on that cross?

I like to think that maybe they were part of those 500 believers to whom Jesus appeared, resurrected, Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians.

And my curiosity wants to get the shepherds back on the stage of the Gospels, but Dr.

Luke didn't administer the medicine I want.

So there are those words, too, that the angel said, Do not be afraid.

Well, of course the shepherds were freaking out, no doubt about it.

It was a supernatural appearance, it's not every day.

And the angel had to calm them down, like saying, This, Relax.

I'm not here to punish you, I'm not here to torment you, I'm not here to condemn you, but to let you know that the God who so loved this world has just given his only son.

And if you believe in him, you will have everlasting life.

Let me ask you this, Evolved Church.

What are you afraid of?

What are you afraid of?

Maybe some of you, it's a little scary to think that there actually might be a God.

Does it cause you to fear?

What if all this Bible stuff really is true?

What should I do with my life?

And so this Christmas season, perhaps all of us need to rethink that news that it actually is good news.

The root word for good news is evangel or gospel.

And so the angel was an evangelist.

And guess what that made the shepherds?

They became evangelists as well.

Oh, not the TV kind who fleece their TV audience.

Verse 17 tells us that those shepherds spread the word.

And when I read about this, my mind went to Mark chapter 1 when Jesus began his ministry, finally.

Mark 1 · chapter mention

And it says this that after John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee and began to preach the good news.

The time has come, he said.

The kingdom of God is near.

Repent and believe the good news, this evangel.

And maybe it's the term that repent scares us.

Maybe we're kind of jaded a bit with what repent means.

We commonly associate it with this scowling, yelling preacher, pointing that bony finger, I know what you did.

Smarting up.

Joy to the world, really?

And the guilt mongering is anything but a message of good news.

It's judgmentalism, it's legalism, it's beating down, it's condemnation.

This is the good news of God, really?

Now, certainly, forgiveness of sins and the obliteration of guilt is good news.

But there's so much more than that.

William Barclay, in his excellent little commentary, says, a gloomy Christian is a contradiction in terms, and nothing in all religious history has done Christianity more harm than its connection with black clothes and long faces.

Now, if you're dressed in black today, don't feel picked on.

Thank you.

Yeah, I appreciate that.

Gonna get rid of that one.

Are we on?

Keep going.

All right, thank you.

I know that's annoying.

My apologies.

So you get 10% of your tithes back.

Sorry, I didn't get permission for that, did I?

Okay, all right.

What repentance requires is a change of mind first.

And the first thing we need to change is in our thinking is what this good news really is.

So I proposed the following twist on a translation of Mark chapter 1.

Mark 1 · chapter mention

Not just repent and believe, but repent by believing.

This is good news.

Change your mind.

This really is good news.

It's good news of great joy because God didn't send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.

As the message renders it, God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was.

He came to help to put the world right again.

He came to make amazing grace amazing again.

So do you know this joy?

Or is it that there are highs and lows in your joy?

So let me confess to you, I haven't always felt like shouting for joy in church.

Just six months ago in June, I received a phone call that my nephew had taken his life.

Tim had given his heart to Jesus when he was a teenager or younger than that.

He worked with athletes in action.

He played hockey over in Russia for Athletes in Action.

But he took his life.

I couldn't pray.

Bennett and Megan, fortunately, were with us at the lake when that phone call came.

They prayed with us.

But it was shock.

It was devastation.

And it still is.

All those questions.

God, where were you?

God, why didn't you stop this?

I felt like one of the angry psalmists.

God, why didn't you do something?

Why didn't you encourage him?

Why didn't you send someone his way?

All those questions.

That next Sunday we were in church, sitting right about where you are, Terry, I guess.

And I was not in the place to sing any happy songs.

My heart was not rejoicing.

Throughout that worship service, I was gritting my teeth.

I tried to zone out.

I had my eyes closed.

And then at some point, while the singing was going on, I'm sure I heard the Holy Spirit say to me, Brian, I know you're worshiping.

Thanksgiving isn't the only way to enter the gates into my presence.

Grief and tears and questions can be authentic ways to encounter my love.

And perhaps just perhaps for you.

Grief and pain will get you fast-tracked to the front of God's line.

Christmas presents.

I suppose you're all gonna get some.

They consume so much of our attention, money, and stress.

But what would you most like from Jesus this Christmas?

Presence or presence?

The getting of stuff can bring us a measure of happiness and joy, and achievements can bring a measure as well, and relationships can be good.

But there is absolutely nothing that will compare with the presence of Jesus Christ.

How beautiful is the experience of God's love, his presence that we felt this morning in the room.

As we worship together, as we focused on him, as the Holy Spirit fills a room like this, or he fills a room in your own house when you're alone with him on your knees or with scripture open and you're in prayer and you are being still and you are knowing, really knowing that he is God.

He's your God, he's your father, he's Emmanuel, God with you.

And that brings joy through the Holy Spirit.

Now I'm gonna quote several proverbs to you throughout, and so whoever guesses the or gets counts the number, right number of the proverbs that I'm gonna use gets a free hayride next week.

First one, 1420, each heart knows its own bitterness and no one else can share its joy.

Each heart knows its own bitterness.

But then Paul writes in Romans chapter 12, he says, Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.

Romans 12 · chapter mention

And isn't that kind of like a contradiction?

But I think not.

Because if you're here this morning and all is well with you, maybe it's better than well, maybe you're riding just a high.

Well, I thank God with you.

I do.

I don't know the depth of your rejoicing, but I love when others are in any great place that God has led them into.

I'm not like the curmudgeon who once wrote, Every time a friend succeeds, I die a little.

If some of you have that in you, you can come to the altar later.

But if some of you are here and all is not well right now, then perhaps you identified somewhat with my experience back in the summer, and this talk of joy to the world just doesn't cut it.

And I would never say that I know what you're going through.

I don't.

I don't know your bitterness in heart.

Most certainly I don't want to be dismissive with those cliches.

You ever heard someone come up to you, got the victory, brother?

Well, no, don't.

Proverbs 25-20.

Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day or like vinegar poured on soda is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

Let me just paraphrase it, like one who sings happy songs to a heavy heart.

I'm not going to sing those types of happy songs to you, nor will I say that I feel your pain.

Rather, what I wish to say is, can we be of any comfort to you?

I don't want to see you hurting like this.

I really don't.

I really wish Christianity was a genie in the bottle, adventure, all of our wishes granted, a life of ease and trouble-free motoring.

I wish Jesus, I really do, would put out every fire.

That he would calm all the troubled waters in your lives, that he would instantly remove the hate, the hurt, that there would be peace on earth, that there would be just constant joy.

But you know what?

One day.

One day that is going to happen.

For 2,000 years, the church has prayed the prayer from Revelation 21, 20.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

He is coming again.

I believe that with all my heart.

He will right all wrongs, he will dry all tears, there will be beauty for ashes.

He's going to give us a garment of praise that will never take off.

Holy, holy, holy, one day.

Even so come, Lord Jesus.

Let that be our prayer.

In the meantime, as we long for that future Advent, we also marvel at the first Advent.

Christmas is a time to marvel.

It's a time to hope against all hope.

The time to look for the light that shines in dark places of our lives and to be that light to other people.

It's a time to thank God for that one day when Jesus was in a manger, when he did send his son, and to thank him also for that one day that is still coming when he will return for all of us.

And I see that truth as the bedrock of my joy.

The apostle Peter wrote these words.

He said, Though you have not seen him, you love him.

That's us.

We've never seen Jesus.

How amazing is it that you love him?

Peter was amazed by that.

And even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and you're filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

It is joy unspeakable and full of glory.

In fact, it's joy unshakable, the bedrock of joy.

There's the mysterious tension that Bruce Coburn captured in one of his songs when he wrote this tears can sing, and joy can shed a tear.

The life is howling all around us, one thing after another, and it's unrelenting, and others around us seem to have it all together, which only makes it worse for us.

There can still be that flicker of hope in Jesus, who is the joy of the whole earth.

And joy isn't always yeehaw, high five type of stuff.

And I want to tell you this a flickering flame, Jesus will not blow out.

A bruised reed, he's not going to break.

So if you feel like your hope is flickering, your joy is almost out, you feel like you're somewhat broken, he comes alongside you.

He will not break you, he will not blow out that flame, seeing you're not hot enough for him.

The theologian Dr.

Wikipedia said this joy is the state of being that allows one to experience feelings of intense, long-lasting happiness and contentment of life.

And I think that's pretty good.

But it was the term contentment of life that got me going because it reminded me of what the Apostle Paul said in one of my favorite passages in Philippians chapter 4.

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

And I'm going, it's up there, including some of my paraphrase.

I know what it is to be in need, to suffer, to have dark days, to wonder why bother.

It's too frustrating.

I'm too weak.

It's discouraging.

And by the way, the Apostle Paul experienced all those things you can read about in Scripture.

I'm not making that up.

So I know what it is to be in need.

I know what it is to have plenty.

I know what it's like to be successful, to have days where things go well.

But I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether I'm well fed and hungry, or hunger, or whether I'm living in plenty or in want, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

And I love the paraphrase, I can handle anything that comes my way because Jesus is my joy and he gives me that strength.

And so contentment is this basic, important ingredient of joy.

Are you content?

Wouldn't that be a great gift for all of us to be content?

Joy is the ability to say, it is well with my soul, no matter what's going on around you.

And so Paul says, I've learned the secret.

What's the secret?

I think the clue is back in verse 5 of chapter 4 in Philippians.

The Lord is near.

The Lord is near.

And maybe Paul meant that, you know, he felt that Jesus was going to come back really shortly in his life.

But I think it's something else.

I think the apostle Paul was so confident in his relationship, he was a man in Christ, that he always felt Jesus was near him and it gave him strength.

It gave him strength to be whipped, to be stoned, to be rejected, to be hated, to be disrespected, and to continue wanting to share the joy of Jesus with others.

And so he would write from the bedrock of joy, also in Philippians, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

I'm torn between the two.

You see, when Paul wrote those words, he was in prison wondering if he was going to be executed.

I'm torn.

To live is Christ, to die is gain.

I'm torn between the two.

I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far, but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.

You see, Paul wanted to go on sharing the joy, the good news, like the shepherds did.

He was convinced he had joy despite his circumstances.

He knew the sufferings of this present time were worth comparing with the glory which would one day be revealed in him.

Romans 8:18.

Romans 8:18

So here are two key points.

We have a mission to believe the message of joy.

Do you believe what the angel said to the shepherds?

That's your mission.

And so we repent, we work on our minds by believing that faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God.

So I ask you, encourage you, I cheerlead you, would you continue to build your bedrock of joy by spending time in God's word like never before in 2025 coming up?

Would you visit Jesus in the book?

You can't visit him in the manger, but you can visit him daily in the book by learning who you are in Christ and that he is near you.

Second point, you have an assignment, and I'm not giving it to you, Jesus did.

Share the joy, as the shepherds did, because Jesus told you that you are the light of the world.

You are.

You are the light of the world.

There are people walking in darkness who need to see a great light, and you are that light.

Be the light.

Let them see the light of Jesus in you.

Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.

You carry that good news from that distant land of Bethlehem.

Like cold water to a weary soul, a soul walking in the darkness of hopelessness, of emptiness, of unfulfillment, of lack of peace is that good news of great joy, and you have it.

It also says that a man finds joy in giving an apt reply.

And how good is a timely word?

You have that timely word to share with other people.

Not only will you bring light and joy to others, but you will see the needle on your own joy meter increase rapidly.

And you know the answer to this.

Could there ever be a greater gift than to lead someone into the presence of Jesus for the first time?

And so, people, let us not be joy gluttons, let's not be joy hoarders.

Two more Proverbs.

A generous man will be blessed, for he shares his food, substitute his joy with the poor.

It also says, one man gives freely, he shares his joy freely.

And guess what?

He gains even more.

I love that.

Another withholds unduly but comes to poverty, he's the one who's the grumpy Christian.

And so to encourage us all to bring joy, I want to share with you a brochure I found several years ago at Beulah Alliance Church.

So I swiped it from the information desk.

And it's a guide on how to bring joy or to bless other people, and you'll see the acronym coming up here shortly.

So bless, B-L-E-S-S.

And the B is this begin with prayer.

Just asking God very simply, you don't have to be flashy words.

Just God, would you give me a chance?

Would you provide me with an opportunity today?

Help me to be aware of the leading of your Holy Spirit.

Nudge me.

L, listen to God.

Because if you're going to ask him stuff, he might just want to answer you.

So if you say, God, give me an opportunity, listen to God.

And listen to other people, strike up conversations with them, show a genuine interest with no agenda other than you want to know them.

What's your story?

And then maybe E.

You graduate to E and you want to eat with them or have coffee with them or spend more meaningful time with them.

Pickleball.

Instead of eating, it's cheaper.

No agenda, but just you want to get to know them and to love on them.

S.

Serve.

Simple stuff like a practical need.

Maybe they can't cut the grass or well, shovel their snow.

Ask how you can help.

Again, no agenda but to love on people.

Then finally, as you build relationships, the final S, which is story, where you finally earn the right as a friend to these people to share your story in the story of Jesus Christ.

And so this guide here is it's like a quick light voltage increaser in your life because you are the light of the world.

And you'll see the uh image there at the back of this.

And uh you can find the brochure online at beulah.ca slash bless.

So check it out for your own copy.

So finally, what is our joy?

What is it?

What is our joy?

Well, of course, number one is Jesus.

There is no question about it.

Jesus is my joy.

God with us.

It is truly the greatest story ever told.

He's with us, he's for us.

And you know what?

Maybe the Lord will really love it.

If right now, in this moment, you would pray this prayer.

Restore unto me the joy of your salvation.

What is our joy?

Number two, it's our future hope.

Pastor John O'Menched in Titus chapter two, I believe last week, that we're waiting for our blessed hope, the appearance of Jesus Christ.

One day.

And then three, what is our joy?

It is our present purpose because you're all called to live a joy-driven life.

Maybe you want to write that book.

A joy-driven life.

Bless other peoples.

And so we don't just sing glory to God in the highest, but we bring him glory by blessing other people.

How do you spell joy?

Maybe you're wearing the wristband, J-O-Y, or how about C Y B, which is count your blessings.

Count your blessings.

That's how you spell joy.

And consistent with the Christmas season, let's put it this way: let's substitute the word count with unwrap.

Unwrap those gifts that are all around you, always have been around you.

And that'll bring joy to the generous Father who gave each one of us so much in Jesus Christ.

Joy to the world.

The Lord has come.

Let Earth receive her king.

Have you?

Received your king.

Would you bow in prayer?

Christians, would you just intercede quietly for a minute?

And I want to just address maybe some in this room.

You don't have the peace, you don't have the hope.

Maybe you've given your heart to Jesus before, maybe you don't know Jesus.

But Jesus wants to come alongside you.

And he wants to give you something deep-seated joy.

He wants to bring his peace into your life.

He is the Prince of Pea.

And so if you're here this morning and you need prayer, there will be people at the front who will pray with you, meet with you.

And if for the first time you want to enter into this Christianity stuff and you want to give your heart to this Jesus, you want to know this joy, this freedom of being in Him.

I'm going to encourage you to pray this prayer and to the rest of the room, all the Christians, would you pray this out loud along with me?

Dear Father, thank you for sending your son Jesus to pay a price I couldn't afford.

Today I choose to surrender all of my life to you.

Would you lead me?

Would you forgive me?

Would you fill me with your Holy Spirit with your love, your grace, your peace, and help me to sing joy to the world?

Will you make all things new in me today and every day?

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Thank you so much for listening to today's message.

If you're ever in the Edmonton area, pop by for a visit.

And if you need any more information, visit EvolveChurch.com.

We hope to see you soon.