SPEAKER_00: It's good to be with you this morning.
SPEAKER_00: My name is Mac.
SPEAKER_00: I'm one of the pastors on our team.
SPEAKER_00: Welcome, welcome.
SPEAKER_00: Also, want to welcome all of you who are joining us from home.
SPEAKER_00: Before I dive into my message, I want to um double-click on what Katie said about urine giving.
SPEAKER_00: I don't mean to feed a fed horse here.
SPEAKER_00: That's the PETA-friendly way of speaking.
SPEAKER_00: But we are a little bit behind in our budget.
SPEAKER_00: It's normal to kind of have some catch-up to do during January and December and January, but we are more behind than usual.
SPEAKER_00: And I don't know entirely why, to be honest with you.
SPEAKER_00: We're growing as a church.
SPEAKER_00: Our numbers are up from previous years.
SPEAKER_00: Our stewardship is dialed in.
SPEAKER_00: We're considerably spending less than our approved budget this year.
SPEAKER_00: We did have the parking lot project, so I think we're um assessing that many maybe have diverted their funds to pay for that project and it sort of subtracted from general fund giving.
SPEAKER_00: But I'm sharing this with you because I don't like being in this position.
SPEAKER_00: We try to avoid what I call the financial Hail Mary Pass at the end of the year.
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
SPEAKER_00: A lot of churches rely on December to make budget.
SPEAKER_00: And the more they spend during the year, the bigger that financial Hail Mary Pass has to be.
SPEAKER_00: And we just want to avoid that.
SPEAKER_00: We uh invite people to give consistently throughout the year because we genuinely want to become generous people, not just once a year, but throughout the year.
SPEAKER_00: And that, of course, then helps us um um practice wise stewardship and know how to prioritize needs and stuff like that.
SPEAKER_00: So again, I want to make it clear there's no guilt or shame, there's no pressure here, but we do want you to know what our need is so that it can inform how you pray.
SPEAKER_00: And it's very simple.
SPEAKER_00: This is what Josie and I are doing, this is what we're inviting you to do is just sit with open hands and go, God, how are you asking me to give in light of this need?
SPEAKER_00: And if God says do nothing, then do nothing.
SPEAKER_00: But otherwise, uh, we'd invite you to step into that.
SPEAKER_00: And um, as Katie mentioned, we've already had some people step into that this past week, which is really encouraging.
SPEAKER_00: So you guys are an awesome community.
SPEAKER_00: You've always stepped in generously, and I'm excited to see how God works among us this year.
SPEAKER_00: All right, we are in our Advent series right now.
SPEAKER_00: Uh, this, of course, is a season of waiting and preparing.
SPEAKER_00: We're waiting and preparing our hearts for the arrival, uh, the coming of Jesus into the world.
SPEAKER_00: And traditionally, there are four themes that anchor each week of the Advent season.
SPEAKER_00: Um, that's hope, peace, joy, and love.
SPEAKER_00: And what we've been naming in this series, you guys, is that the world offers a counterfeit version of each one of these.
SPEAKER_00: Something that appeals, appears to be the real thing, but actually isn't.
SPEAKER_00: So there's sort of this counterfeit hope that doesn't really deliver on all that it promises.
SPEAKER_00: There's this pseudo-piece that sort of cracks and crumbles the moment there's stress or conflict.
SPEAKER_00: There's this false joy that's actually circumstance contingent and a conditional love that you only receive if you've earned it or if it's convenient to give.
SPEAKER_00: And in this Advent series, we're entitling it a better way because this is what God gives to us in Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus not only exposes these counterfeits for what they are, but then invites us into an upside-down kingdom that is characterized by the real thing.
SPEAKER_00: So genuine hope that's rooted in God, who always delivers on what God promises.
SPEAKER_00: A real peace that can withstand pressure and surpasses understanding.
SPEAKER_00: A genuine joy that like bubbles up on the inside and then spills out on the outside, and an unconditional love that you don't have to earn, but you open your hearts and your hands to receive.
SPEAKER_00: So today we're gonna be looking at the theme of joy.
SPEAKER_00: And I honestly think that this may be the one you guys in our culture that we chase after the most and yet get the most wrong.
SPEAKER_00: Um and part of the problem is we keep to get we keep getting duped.
SPEAKER_00: We ch we chase after stuff that we think is going to give us joy, but those things never deliver.
SPEAKER_00: And it sort of reminds me of those all those fitness gimmicks out there that promise to give you beach body results, you know, but they're clearly not going to deliver.
SPEAKER_00: And I realized, you know what, just as there are many things that promise to give us joy, there are a lot of fitness gimmicks out there that prom that promise to turn you into a shred show, but they just don't work.
SPEAKER_00: And so here's my top five list of fitness gimmicks that absolutely will not make you jacked or ripped or toned, okay?
SPEAKER_00: These are in descending order.
SPEAKER_00: Some of these will blow your mind.
SPEAKER_00: Number five is the hula chair.
SPEAKER_00: All right?
SPEAKER_00: This is an office chair.
SPEAKER_00: Um, underneath the cushion is a motor.
SPEAKER_00: And what it does is it produces a swiveling motion as if you're doing the hula hoop.
SPEAKER_00: All right?
SPEAKER_00: And the promise is that you will get six-pack abs.
SPEAKER_00: This will strengthen your core while you're sending emails.
SPEAKER_00: Okay, you guys, abs start in the kitchen, not in the swivel chair.
SPEAKER_00: You're more likely to get a disc bulge in your lumbar spine than six-pack abs from this.
SPEAKER_00: And I will tell you right now, if you want to make sure that you don't have any friends in your workplace, you can get a hula chair, all right?
SPEAKER_00: Guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00: Uh, here's another one.
SPEAKER_00: Um, this is the treadmill bike.
SPEAKER_00: Yes, wow.
SPEAKER_00: This is the treadmill bike.
SPEAKER_00: This is a non-pedal bike that allows you to run, and that's what propels the bike forward.
SPEAKER_00: It's almost like this person was confused about what kind of exercise they wanted to do.
SPEAKER_00: Like, I kind of want to go for a run, but I also want a bike.
SPEAKER_00: Why do I have to choose?
SPEAKER_00: Boom, treadmill bike.
SPEAKER_00: You see?
SPEAKER_00: But let's be honest, this is like a high school science fair project that went sideways and never should have gone to market.
SPEAKER_00: And if you want to guarantee that not only will you have maybe a bad wipeout, you will also have no friends in your neighborhood, okay?
SPEAKER_00: And you might not be able to park your car in your garage, so you'll have to do the self-start in the winter, right?
SPEAKER_00: Here's number three, you guys.
SPEAKER_00: This is the Power Plate Pro 7.
SPEAKER_00: That's concerning to me because that suggests there were six previous models to this thing.
SPEAKER_00: Um, guess how much this thing costs?
SPEAKER_00: $13,000.
SPEAKER_00: I kid you not.
SPEAKER_00: It's got a commercial grade motor underneath it, and what it does is it vibrates.
SPEAKER_00: It it the design is to jiggle all the excess fat right off your body while you're doing different exercises.
SPEAKER_00: So you can do a lunge and a bicep curl while it shakes the fat off your body and it doesn't work.
SPEAKER_00: I can think of 13,000 other ways to spend$13,000.
SPEAKER_00: Uh, number two, you guys all know about this one.
SPEAKER_00: This is the Thighmaster.
SPEAKER_00: This became a big deal in the 80s.
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
SPEAKER_00: Some of you are going, oh, I fell for that one, right?
SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah, yep.
SPEAKER_00: Uh, yeah, I could see Amy, you are a sucker for this one.
SPEAKER_00: This uh this one you can do while you're sitting on the couch eating ice cream.
SPEAKER_00: And I will tell you, never once have I looked in the mirror and been like, yep, it's time to get in shape.
SPEAKER_00: And you know where I'm gonna start?
SPEAKER_00: My inner thighs.
SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna get those adductors ready to go.
SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_00: The number one, the number one, and I don't even know if I should mention it, and I'm not gonna put it on the screen, is the shake weight.
SPEAKER_00: And that's all I'm gonna say, okay?
SPEAKER_00: Now, now here's the thing, you guys, and if you don't know what the shake weight is, you shouldn't Google it.
SPEAKER_00: Okay, I'm just gonna ask a friend and they'll explain it to you, okay?
SPEAKER_00: It's easy to laugh at these gimmicks, right?
SPEAKER_00: And and it's so easy to see through them.
SPEAKER_00: You're not gonna get a six-pack on the hula chair.
SPEAKER_00: Like we can see up, this isn't going to work, but for some reason, when it comes to joy, we keep getting duped by counterfeits.
SPEAKER_00: We keep trying to obtain joy um from the wrong things, chasing after these momentary highs that we think are going to satisfy us and fulfill us, and they simply don't last.
SPEAKER_00: And I'm convinced that at the heart of this is a conflation, uh a confusion about what true joy actually is.
SPEAKER_00: So here's the conflation.
SPEAKER_00: Most of what we call joy is actually just happiness.
SPEAKER_00: Right?
SPEAKER_00: So we live in a culture that conflates and confuses happiness with joy, and the two, you guys, they're not the same thing.
SPEAKER_00: And we keep getting duped by this again and again.
SPEAKER_00: There's all these things that promise to give us joy, and so what do we do?
SPEAKER_00: We go after them.
SPEAKER_00: This is why we're addicted to our phones.
SPEAKER_00: We scroll and we like and we swipe, because it gives us a momentary sense of pleasure.
SPEAKER_00: You get a little dopamine hit, and then you want more and you keep going.
SPEAKER_00: This is why so many of us are addicted to our jobs, because they promise, if you're successful in it, it promises to give you joy.
SPEAKER_00: And so you work hard and you strive, and when you make forward progress, you get a little dopamine hit, a little ego bump, but then it runs out.
SPEAKER_00: I'm convinced that most people in our culture are living in a state of perpetual frustration.
SPEAKER_00: And the reason why is because deep under the surface there's this emptiness, this inner emptiness, and they keep trying to fill that emptiness with dopamine hits.
SPEAKER_00: We're like hamsters uh uh on the wheel, going for the next hit, the next hit, the next hit, and eventually we collapse in exhaustion and we end up depressed and feeling empty all the same.
SPEAKER_00: Our culture promises us joy but conflates joy with happiness, and the two aren't the same.
SPEAKER_00: So the question is what's the difference between these two?
SPEAKER_00: Right?
SPEAKER_00: What's the difference between joy and happiness, and how do we get in on this joy versus just settling for happiness?
SPEAKER_00: Well, here's the big picture.
SPEAKER_00: This is the main answer is that happiness is circumstantial, whereas joy is eternal.
unknown: Uh uh.
SPEAKER_00: And I want to tease this out for a bit.
SPEAKER_00: Because first of all, you need to know there's a major source difference between joy and happiness.
SPEAKER_00: So the source of happiness is things outside of you going well, favorable circumstances.
SPEAKER_00: This is the source of happiness, is pleasant circumstances.
SPEAKER_00: So maybe you get a job promotion or you get a new job, that's a good thing, that's wonderful.
SPEAKER_00: Or maybe you buy a new pair of shoes and that's exciting, or you put something on Facebook and get a lot of likes, whatever it is, it's favorable circumstances.
SPEAKER_00: Things going well.
SPEAKER_00: And and the problem is that the results of those things are temporary.
SPEAKER_00: Favorable circumstances won't last forever, your circumstances are bound to change, and the impact, even when your circumstances are going well, it won't produce lasting results.
SPEAKER_00: It's temporary and it fades.
SPEAKER_00: And so let's say you put a post on social media and it gets 500 likes.
SPEAKER_00: Well, that's gonna make you feel good inside.
SPEAKER_00: You're gonna get a little ego bump, some dopamine is gonna come from that.
SPEAKER_00: But a week later, that ain't gonna be there anymore.
SPEAKER_00: And you're gonna have to produce another post like that in order to feel good about yourself, or even a better one.
SPEAKER_00: And if it comes in lower, you're gonna feel miserable about yourself because your social standing appears to be falling.
SPEAKER_00: You see how this works?
SPEAKER_00: So happiness is rooted in what's happening to you, and it and the results, even if they're good, don't last.
SPEAKER_00: The source of joy is not favorable circumstances.
SPEAKER_00: The source of joy is God.
SPEAKER_00: Psalm 16, 11 says, You fill me with joy in your presence.
SPEAKER_00: I love that.
SPEAKER_00: You fill me with joy where in your presence.
SPEAKER_00: Joy comes from God.
SPEAKER_00: So, yes, joy comes from something outside of you, but that source is God.
SPEAKER_00: And so the avenue, the pathway to experiencing joy is relationship with God, connection with God, abiding in God.
SPEAKER_00: And as you stay connected and go deeper in relationship with God, what happens is the joy that God is, as Father, Son, and Spirit becomes yours by grace.
SPEAKER_00: And then it takes up residence in you.
SPEAKER_00: It starts to grow in you.
SPEAKER_00: And the results aren't temporary, it's something you take with you wherever you go.
SPEAKER_00: This is why you can have abundant joy even when your circumstances stink like an outhouse.
SPEAKER_00: Why?
SPEAKER_00: Because God is with you even when life stinks, and God is a source of joy, so you have access to joy even when life is hard.
SPEAKER_00: Like for the joy set before him, we're told, Jesus endured the cross.
SPEAKER_00: Those aren't fun circumstances, but Jesus was able to have joy in the middle of it.
SPEAKER_00: Here's how a few others put it.
SPEAKER_00: Charles Spurgeon says, there is a joy in the Lord that is independent of all outward circumstances.
SPEAKER_00: So again, we need to separate circumstances from our experience of joy, because you can have joy in the middle of pain and suffering.
SPEAKER_00: Elizabeth Elliott said, joy is not necessarily the absence of suffering, but the presence of God.
SPEAKER_00: We experience joy to the degree that we're connected to God through Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Another way to get at this is to say that happiness is like a roller coaster.
SPEAKER_00: Okay?
SPEAKER_00: It goes up and down depending on your circumstances.
SPEAKER_00: And circumstances are contingent.
SPEAKER_00: Happiness is dependent on what's happening to you.
SPEAKER_00: Happiness happening.
SPEAKER_00: Happiness is dependent on what's happening to you.
SPEAKER_00: And because of this, you guys, happiness is fleeting and flaky.
SPEAKER_00: It's fragile and flimsy.
SPEAKER_00: It will fade because your circumstances don't remain constant.
SPEAKER_00: The one constant in life is that your circumstances aren't constant.
SPEAKER_00: Okay?
SPEAKER_00: It's like Jesus summarized the Sermon on the Mount.
SPEAKER_00: Happiness is like building a house on the sand.
SPEAKER_00: Because the moment the storm comes, it's gonna wash away your happiness.
SPEAKER_00: You guys tracking?
SPEAKER_00: So happiness is like a roller coaster.
SPEAKER_00: It's gonna go up and down throughout your life, but joy is more like an anchor.
SPEAKER_00: Alright?
SPEAKER_00: Imagine you're a boat on the water, and joy is like an anchor that you're tethered to.
SPEAKER_00: Some days are gonna be beautiful and sunny.
SPEAKER_00: Everything's smooth and it's beautiful.
SPEAKER_00: Other days, though, there's gonna be storms on the lake, and you're gonna be going up and down.
SPEAKER_00: And joy is like that anchor that's holding on to you, whether you're going up and down, because God is always with you.
SPEAKER_00: You can stay connected to God in the good times, you can stay connected to God in the bad times, and when you're connected to God, God will give you the joy that defines who God is.
SPEAKER_00: It's not flimsy and flaky.
SPEAKER_00: Joy is steadfast and solid.
SPEAKER_00: It's got density to it, it's got weight to it, it's got gravity to it.
SPEAKER_00: It's more like building your house on a rock.
SPEAKER_00: So that when the storms of life hit, your joy doesn't go anywhere because it's not rooted in what's happening around you.
SPEAKER_00: It's rooted in the one you're connected to.
SPEAKER_00: Here's a chart I put together for uh explaining the difference, okay?
SPEAKER_00: Happiness is based on what's happening around you.
SPEAKER_00: Joy, though, is based on presence, namely God's presence.
SPEAKER_00: Happiness comes from your circumstances, joy comes from connection with God.
SPEAKER_00: Happiness is external.
SPEAKER_00: Joy is also external because it doesn't come from you, it comes from God.
SPEAKER_00: But then it takes root in you.
SPEAKER_00: So it becomes something that's internal to you.
SPEAKER_00: Happiness is temporary, it fades.
SPEAKER_00: Joy is enduring and strengthening.
SPEAKER_00: Happiness is an emotional reaction, whereas joy is a spiritual posture that you can carry with you wherever you go.
SPEAKER_00: Happiness often avoids pain.
SPEAKER_00: Joy, I've noticed though, often deepens through pain.
SPEAKER_00: Happiness spikes.
SPEAKER_00: Joy is more of a stabilizer.
SPEAKER_00: Happiness can be manufactured, joy can only be received, which we'll talk about more in a moment.
SPEAKER_00: Whereas happiness happens to you, you guys, joy happens in you.
SPEAKER_00: Whereas happiness depends on what's happening, joy depends on the one who's with you at all times.
SPEAKER_00: Whereas happiness requires everything to be right in your life, joy is present even when things aren't right in your life.
SPEAKER_00: Whereas happiness evaporates in a moment, joy endures and is available in every moment.
SPEAKER_00: Whereas happiness is an emotion, joy is actually the fruit of the spirit at work in your life.
SPEAKER_00: And whereas happiness is something we chase, joy is something that we receive.
SPEAKER_00: You guys see the difference here that I'm trying to articulate?
SPEAKER_00: Kind of?
SPEAKER_00: Because this was one of my primary goals.
SPEAKER_00: So if I haven't been clear here, I failed today.
SPEAKER_00: I really want you to understand that there's a difference between these two and to be able to articulate what that difference is.
SPEAKER_00: The world continues to offer us happiness, but it's but it's masquerading as joy.
SPEAKER_00: And we need to be able to see this difference.
SPEAKER_00: Happiness is the counterfeit to the joy that Jesus came to give us.
SPEAKER_00: And so Jesus not only comes to expose this counterfeit for what it is, but then to invite and give us the real thing.
SPEAKER_00: So here's our bottom line for today it's Jesus is the source of a joy that lasts.
SPEAKER_00: That's not temporary, it doesn't fade.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus is the source of a joy that lasts.
SPEAKER_00: Real joy, genuine joy, flows from Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus is where lasting joy is found.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus is the joy well that is never going to run dry.
SPEAKER_00: And he gives us a joy that your circumstances can't steal or snatch away, that the troubles in life can't ruin or destroy, that doesn't uh change with the rise and fall of each circumstantial event in your life.
SPEAKER_00: Through relationship with Jesus, we receive a joy that lasts, that we carry with us wherever we go, because Jesus is with us wherever we go.
SPEAKER_00: This is what Jesus wants to give us, and we're reminded of this in the Christmas um story.
SPEAKER_00: You guys, here's what you need to know is that joy uh should be normative in the life of people who follow Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: It should be a normative thing for you to experience joy.
SPEAKER_00: I'm not saying that you won't have seasons where it's harder to access or grab a hold of, but to some degree, joy should be normative for followers of Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Martin Luther once said, uh, a Christian without joy is a sick Christian.
SPEAKER_00: Because if you're truly connected to Jesus, who is the source of joy, that should rub off on you.
SPEAKER_00: You see what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_00: And this is part of what Jesus came to give us.
SPEAKER_00: So what I want to do is I want to trace the theme of joy through the Christmas story in Luke's gospel, because what we're gonna see is that the Christmas story comes wrapped in joy.
SPEAKER_00: So we're gonna start in chapter one.
SPEAKER_00: We're looking at Luke's gospel, and this is just the first two chapters.
SPEAKER_00: We're gonna look at this theme of joy.
SPEAKER_00: Starts in just the 13th verse.
SPEAKER_00: The angel said to him, referring to Zachariah, do not be afraid, Zachariah.
SPEAKER_00: Your prayer has been heard.
SPEAKER_00: Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.
SPEAKER_00: This is referring to John the Baptist.
SPEAKER_00: He will be, notice this, he will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: So remember, Zachariah is like this priest, he's old in age, so is his wife, they can't have kids, and here's this miraculous promise: you're gonna have a child, and you're gonna name him John, John the Baptist.
SPEAKER_00: And John, remember, his whole purpose was to prepare the way for Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: And notice what it says John will be a joy and a delight to you.
SPEAKER_00: So the one who prepares the way for Jesus brings joy, and he's preparing the way for the true source of joy.
SPEAKER_00: You see that?
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
SPEAKER_00: Then let's keep going in the story.
SPEAKER_00: This is why joy, you guys, is present the first time Jesus and John interact.
SPEAKER_00: So here's what it says.
SPEAKER_00: When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, so now we're at this place in the story where Elizabeth is pregnant with John, Mary is pregnant with Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: The baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
SPEAKER_00: In a loud voice she exclaimed, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear.
SPEAKER_00: But why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
SPEAKER_00: As soon, notice this, as soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb, referring to John, leaped for joy.
SPEAKER_00: Okay?
SPEAKER_00: So this is the first time Jesus and John are sort of in proximity to one another.
SPEAKER_00: They're both infants, and that greeting is characterized by joy.
SPEAKER_00: And then this joy between them begins to multiply and become contagious to other people.
SPEAKER_00: So in Luke 1, 57 and 58, it says this when it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son.
SPEAKER_00: Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.
SPEAKER_00: Okay, you guys, the first century readers would have paid attention to this theme that's growing and building as the narrative is progressing.
SPEAKER_00: They would pay attention and notice man, there seems to be a lot of joy that's building here.
SPEAKER_00: And so then it comes as no surprise that when Jesus arrives in the world, at the center of the proclamation of this good news is an announcement that brings about joy.
SPEAKER_00: Here's what the angels say to the shepherds in Luke chapter 2.
SPEAKER_00: The angel said to them, Do not be afraid.
SPEAKER_00: I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.
SPEAKER_00: Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you.
SPEAKER_00: He is the Messiah, the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: Good news of great joy for all people.
SPEAKER_00: What a statement.
SPEAKER_00: The gospel, you guys, literally means good news.
SPEAKER_00: If you're trying to share Jesus with someone else and it sounds like bad news, you're doing it wrong.
SPEAKER_00: Supposed to be good news that causes great joy, and it's not just for some people, it's for all people.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus came to give us joy, a joy that lasts, a joy that characterizes God Himself.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus came to get us in on that kind of joy.
SPEAKER_00: This is what Jesus wants to give us.
SPEAKER_00: In fact, if you keep tracing this theme of joy through the Gospels, and we can't do all of it today, we'll see that this is central to what Jesus wants his disciples to experience.
SPEAKER_00: In John 15, 11, Jesus said, I have told you this, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
SPEAKER_00: Listen to that.
SPEAKER_00: My joy, the joy that I am, I want to be in you, and I want it to be complete.
SPEAKER_00: I want it to be full.
SPEAKER_00: In Romans 14, 17, it says, the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking.
SPEAKER_00: Think about dopamine hits.
SPEAKER_00: When you eat something nice, it produces pleasure.
SPEAKER_00: It's enjoyable, right?
SPEAKER_00: But it doesn't last.
SPEAKER_00: You need to eat the next day.
SPEAKER_00: That's how it works.
SPEAKER_00: So the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking.
SPEAKER_00: It's not about chasing dopamine hits, but rather joy in the Holy Spirit.
SPEAKER_00: This is what Jesus came to give us: a joy that lasts.
SPEAKER_00: And it should be normative for followers of Jesus to experience that joy and exude joy to the people around them.
SPEAKER_00: So here's the question: how do we get in on this?
SPEAKER_00: How do we become more joyful?
SPEAKER_00: How do we cultivate joy in our lives?
SPEAKER_00: Well, here's the deal: the moment you start asking that question, you're going to encounter a paradox.
SPEAKER_00: A paradox that you need to face.
SPEAKER_00: And here it is.
SPEAKER_00: You can't make joy.
SPEAKER_00: You can't make it, but you do have to choose it.
SPEAKER_00: So let me tease this out.
SPEAKER_00: Let me tease this out.
SPEAKER_00: First, you can't make joy.
SPEAKER_00: Um, in other words, you can't manufacture it or engineer it.
SPEAKER_00: You can't generate joy in your life on your own.
SPEAKER_00: It's impossible.
SPEAKER_00: Um, Angela Williams Gorell, she wrote a book called The Gravity of Joy, and she says this we cannot make joy like we make spaghetti.
SPEAKER_00: Joy is a gift.
SPEAKER_00: And I love that image because we all know how to make spaghetti.
SPEAKER_00: It's pretty easy.
SPEAKER_00: You can buy canned sauce, right?
SPEAKER_00: And you just follow the instructions, you do the noodles, you pour it on top, you're good to go.
SPEAKER_00: But joy isn't like that, you guys.
SPEAKER_00: You can't buy it in a package, you can't follow some simple steps, and then you're joyful.
SPEAKER_00: That's not how it works.
SPEAKER_00: Joy is a byproduct of proximity to God, being in relationship with God.
SPEAKER_00: And in proximity, we we receive a joy that we can't create on our own.
SPEAKER_00: We don't create joy, we receive it.
SPEAKER_00: Another way to get at this is that joy is the fruit of the Spirit, not a fruit of our striving.
SPEAKER_00: It's not something you can crank out on your own.
SPEAKER_00: Joy is God's work, and our role is just to surrender to the things that God wants to give us with open hands and open hearts.
SPEAKER_00: So you can't make it, but you do have to receive it.
SPEAKER_00: And receiving it, you guys, is a choice.
SPEAKER_00: This is why you have to choose it.
SPEAKER_00: Henry Nowen said this: Joy does not simply happen to us.
SPEAKER_00: We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.
SPEAKER_00: Receiving God's joy, the joy that God wants to give you, is a choice.
SPEAKER_00: And the reason why is because God is not going to act on you without your permission and consent.
SPEAKER_00: God is not coercive or controlling.
SPEAKER_00: He honors the free will and the agency He gave us.
SPEAKER_00: And so I want you to hear this because this is ultimately true about how all transformation works.
SPEAKER_00: That you can't just sit back passively and then God zaps you and you become fully transformed.
SPEAKER_00: That's not how it works.
SPEAKER_00: God isn't gonna zap you and then you become joyful.
SPEAKER_00: God wants you to cooperate and participate and surrender to his love.
SPEAKER_00: That's how transformation works, and that's how you'll experience joy.
SPEAKER_00: Not sitting back passively saying, God, zap me and make me joyful, but rather, God, how do I surrender to the work you're doing in my life, knowing that's how I get in on your joy.
SPEAKER_00: And this is something you guys, you can do no matter what your circumstances are, no matter how difficult and challenging they are.
SPEAKER_00: And this is why Scripture actually commands us to choose joy even when it's difficult.
SPEAKER_00: In James 1, 2, it says, consider it pure joy, pure joy.
SPEAKER_00: My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, you guys, trials is when circumstances stink.
SPEAKER_00: Trials is when you get punched in the gut and you're sort of gasping for air.
SPEAKER_00: And yet in those moments, we're told that we can choose joy.
SPEAKER_00: Why?
SPEAKER_00: Because you can not ignore your circumstances, but you can focus on the person who's with you in your circumstances, and in light of that, you can receive the stamina, endurance, perseverance, and joy you need that actually changes how you're relating to your circumstances.
SPEAKER_00: Here's the deal, you guys.
SPEAKER_00: Joy is something that is always available to us because God is always with us.
SPEAKER_00: And this proclamation that God is always with us is truly at the center of the Christmas story.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus was called Emmanuel, which means God with us.
SPEAKER_00: And the last thing Jesus promises to his disciples when he leaves is, all authority has been given to me.
SPEAKER_00: And he says, I will always be with you.
SPEAKER_00: There's never a moment.
SPEAKER_00: Some of you guys are going through some hard stuff right now.
SPEAKER_00: I know because I've been talking to you, and that's the challenges you're dealing with are real.
SPEAKER_00: Don't ignore those.
SPEAKER_00: They're hard.
SPEAKER_00: But you're not alone in them.
SPEAKER_00: And the God who is joy is right there by your side, wanting to give you joy, perseverance, endurance, and all that you need to keep moving forward.
SPEAKER_00: So we can't manufacture joy, it's not like spaghetti, but we can receive it, and receiving it is a choice.
SPEAKER_00: So I want to go back to this question of how do we cultivate joy in our lives?
SPEAKER_00: And these are our action steps for today.
SPEAKER_00: Okay, so there's a handful of them.
SPEAKER_00: But the first one is disconnect from joy counterfeits.
SPEAKER_00: Drop the substitutes that dupe.
SPEAKER_00: We're all getting duped.
SPEAKER_00: So the first step is to sort of wake up to the things we're chasing after that can't give us real joy.
SPEAKER_00: So here are your reflection questions for the week.
SPEAKER_00: These reflection questions are designed to help you sort of surface those substitutes that you're getting duped by.
SPEAKER_00: What do I turn to when I'm stressed, bored, or empty?
SPEAKER_00: What do you turn to?
SPEAKER_00: Your phone might be one of those things.
SPEAKER_00: I'll just tell you, that's true for me.
SPEAKER_00: What gives me a quick high, but always leaves me wanting for more?
SPEAKER_00: What gives me a quick bump, but then I need another one in order to replace it that when it fades, right?
SPEAKER_00: What do I rely on to feel okay and would flip out if it was taken away?
unknown: Right?
SPEAKER_00: Is there anything if it if it was removed from your life, you'd start twitching, getting a little itchy?
SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_00: What are those things?
SPEAKER_00: And then here's the second action step is then to abide in God's presence.
SPEAKER_00: When you take something away that you're somewhat reliant on, it's it's not fun.
SPEAKER_00: You will get some withdrawal symptoms.
SPEAKER_00: And the key is to not develop a false, a new uh attachment, a new addiction, but rather to sit in that open space without feeling it and simply be present to God and the grace he wants to give you.
SPEAKER_00: And so as you identify these counterfeits, the key isn't to get attached to something different, it's to sit in the discomfort of that in God's presence, to press into God's presence.
SPEAKER_00: Thirdly, invite the Spirit to produce joy in you.
SPEAKER_00: As you sit in God's presence, ask God to give you God's joy.
SPEAKER_00: Ask God.
SPEAKER_00: And here's a prayer you can pray.
SPEAKER_00: Holy Spirit, produce and ripen the fruit of your joy in my life.
SPEAKER_00: And that's something you can pray when you're with God, focused on God.
SPEAKER_00: It's something you can pray throughout the day, especially if you're going through a difficult time where things are uncertain and hard.
SPEAKER_00: You can just put that prayer in your back pocket and take it out whenever you need it.
SPEAKER_00: Holy Spirit, produce and ripen the fruit of your joy in my life.
SPEAKER_00: Number four, cultivate an attitude of gratitude.
SPEAKER_00: I know that's a cheesy statement, but it's true.
SPEAKER_00: Part of the reason why we lack joy is because we aren't actually attending to the blessings God has already given us in our life.
SPEAKER_00: I am so guilty of this, you guys.
SPEAKER_00: There's so many things in my life that are part of God's blessings to me, and I just take them for granted.
SPEAKER_00: It's just on cruise control, and there's an attitude of entitlement underneath it.
SPEAKER_00: And when you genuinely pause and you go, oh no, here are the things, big or small, that I can be grateful for that are God's gift to me today, and you actually then uh enter into expressing gratitude from like a heartfelt, genuine place, it transforms you.
SPEAKER_00: This is the best medicine for defeating depression and mental illness, is just to cultivate gratitude for God's presence and gifts in your life.
SPEAKER_00: And finally choose joy in the heart.
SPEAKER_00: Joy doesn't mean the absence of suffering, pain, or grief.
SPEAKER_00: But it is something that we can receive as we remain in honest connection with God, no matter what we're experiencing in life.
SPEAKER_00: And so I encourage you, if you're in a tough season, memorize James 1-2.
SPEAKER_00: Consider pure joy.
SPEAKER_00: Pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds.
SPEAKER_00: Um, so that's what I have.
SPEAKER_00: We have coffee hour after the service today.
SPEAKER_00: Uh, we want to be a community that's connected, so don't run out the door.
SPEAKER_00: Um, Kevin redid our donut order.
SPEAKER_00: So if you're noticing more donuts and more sprinkles, guys, make sure to thank Kevin.
SPEAKER_00: He's on it, okay?
SPEAKER_00: Um, but we have coffee hour after this.
SPEAKER_00: I also want to just put a little uh plug out there.
SPEAKER_00: I do think that during the Christmas season there's an uh increased openness um to all things spiritual.
SPEAKER_00: People are just spiritually more open.
SPEAKER_00: And as I shared last week, all the data suggests people aren't gonna come to faith in Jesus uh through some random guy like me.
SPEAKER_00: That's not gonna happen.
SPEAKER_00: Most people come to faith because um of investment and invitation.
SPEAKER_00: So so it's the it's you all investing in people who maybe don't have a church home or don't know Jesus, and then inviting them not to listen to me, but into a community that loves like Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: So maybe just take some space.
SPEAKER_00: This is for all of us, just take some space and go, God, who have you put in my life?
SPEAKER_00: They're asking me to invest in deeply this season.
SPEAKER_00: And is there an opportunity for you to invite them, not to just one of our services, but to encounter a community that looks and loves like Jesus?
SPEAKER_00: Is this making sense?
SPEAKER_00: No?
SPEAKER_00: Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_00: A couple of you got it.
SPEAKER_00: That's always encouraging, you know.
SPEAKER_00: I take notes after each weekend, and I'm like, did they get it?
SPEAKER_00: You guys got like a C today.
SPEAKER_00: So I'm just kidding.
SPEAKER_00: I'm totally joking, just teasing, relax.
SPEAKER_00: Um, let's stand and pray together.
SPEAKER_00: God, we thank you that you are the source of true joy.
SPEAKER_00: And man, if we're honest, sometimes we pursue joy, but we pursue it in the wrong places.
SPEAKER_00: It's like we leave you out of the equation.
SPEAKER_00: And so I pray, uh I pray this that you would deepen our relationship with you.
SPEAKER_00: That once again you give us hearts that desire you above all else, knowing that as we press in with you, you will give us what we can't generate on our own.
SPEAKER_00: And ultimately, God, we want to be not just joy filled people, but a joy filled community that gives witness to your good news that you came to rescue us, to redeem us, and to reconcile us.
SPEAKER_00: We pray these things in Jesus' name.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: Go enjoy.