West Park Baptist Church

Loving God, Loving People, Impacting the World

joy

Advent 2020 – Zechariah 9:9 (Dec. 19)

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This week it has been good to focus on joy. We need joy to rule our hearts, and not to give in to what our circumstances and feelings might otherwise demand. The joy we’ve read about this week in our Advent passages has described the joy of knowing Jesus Christ and placing Him first in our lives. 

Zechariah was a prophet to the Jews who returned from exile in Persia to Jerusalem. The temple was not yet rebuilt, and the construction often halted. Zechariah encouraged the people to not give up, to trust the Lord to rebuild them as a nation, and that the long-awaited Messiah King would come. 

Have you ever felt discouraged in recent days that your work or your relationships or something else important was just too hard for you to work at? I imagine that’s how the Jewish people felt when they looked at their unfinished temple, longing for the glory of the old temple, and wondering if God would keep His promises to send the King. 

Zechariah wanted to encourage the people, so he wrote what God told him to record for them.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9, ESV)

Rejoice greatly. What might that look like? I imagine it was a lot like the people who welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem the day He rode in on that colt. They cried out with excitement, they cheered; they threw their coats on the dirty ground for Jesus to ride over. Their joy reached a fever pitch as they cried out, “Come save!” Joy in seeing your King arrive would cause any of us to forget ourselves and join in the glad song of welcome that the Savior King is here! 

We are like the Jews in Zechariah’s day. We are easily discouraged and lose sight of the promises of God. Yet, Advent is a time to remember that God’s promises are certain. Jesus rode into Jerusalem as our King. And if you read 2 more verses in Zechariah (chapter 9, verses 10-11), you’ll see that the prophecy that Jesus fulfilled by riding on the colt is not fully accomplished just yet. Some day, and maybe soon, the King will return to fully make right all the wrongs and reign from His throne here on earth. Again, we say, Come, gracious King! Rule in all our hearts and on Your throne. 

Even now, let every heart prepare Him room. 

Advent 2020 – 1 John 1:1-4 (Dec. 17)

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The main truth of Advent is that in the Person of Jesus Christ, God took on humanity and came to earth to live among us. This is what the Apostle John could never get over. 

John is likely in his 80s when he wrote the verses in today’s Advent reading. He was living in Ephesus, where he’d resettled to avoid the Roman conquest of Jerusalem. Yet, elderly and far from home, John is filled with joy. Why? Because he got to live alongside Jesus Christ, listening to him, talking to him and touching him. God really came to the earth, and His desire was to hang out with and experience life as a human. 

John’s letter begins rather abruptly as he brings us into the experience he had when Jesus was with him and the other disciples. John wants us to share that experience with him, but he says it starts with us believing his eyewitness report. Both in John’s day and in our time, people deny that God really came and took on flesh in the Person of Jesus Christ. What advantage is there to deny that truth? Well, false teachers love the opportunity to lead people astray, and it also gives us a sense of freedom to sin that ultimately traps and destroys us. 

John says that God “was made manifest” (2), meaning He was revealed to be seen and known. God’s mission wasn’t hidden. The Messiah wasn’t concealed. He came to be known by his people and to know them. 

Ultimately, this is why we can have fellowship with God the Father and with Jesus Christ: God took the initiative to live among us and rescue us from our sin. 

But God didn’t stop there. He didn’t go to all the trouble of taking on human flesh merely to take on human sin. Now, that was a massive, only-God-could-do-that thing, but He continued from there to personally come to each sinner, even now, who calls on Him by faith and fills them with joy. Where does that joy come from? It comes from the Word of Life Himself, Jesus, living in you. 

Even though John was old and Jesus had returned to heaven decades earlier, he still could not get over the wonder of what God had done through the Person of Jesus Christ. He was out to spread joy, so that all of us could be filled with joy along with him. A joy that doesn’t depend on the circumstances around us. A joy that doesn’t mean the same as the feeling of happiness. This is joy that defies circumstances and rises above feelings to give us deep, abiding joy – because Jesus dwells with us. 

 

Advent 2020 – Luke 2:8-14 (Dec. 16)

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The darkest day of the year is coming soon. December 22nd here in East Tennessee is supposed to have just 9 hours and 43 minutes of daylight. That means we can expect 14 hours and 17 minutes of darkness. 

Darkness. These winter weeks are dark, and sometimes bring with them sadness, depression, loss and fear. I don’t mean to sound bleak, but sometimes winter is bleak. And dark.

Darkness is the backdrop to so much of the Christmas story. Have you ever noticed that? 

  • Isaiah’s prophecy about Christ’s birth was for “people who walked in the darkness and dwelt in deep darkness” (Isaiah 9:2).
  • “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5)
  • Zechariah rejoiced in Luke 1 that the Messiah would “visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness…” (1:78-79)

And that leads us to our advent reading today. The shepherds were out in the fields… at night. Think of the darkness of a pasture on the outskirts of a small village. The sheep were huddled together, the tired shepherds remaining vigilant against constant threats against the sheep emerging from the darkness. 

Suddenly, an unearthly light fills the whole sky – an angel from heaven is there with a message for these shepherds! Scarcely do the men have time to recover from the shift from night to day but they hear the most wonderful news: 

[10] “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. [11] For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. [12] And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:10–12, ESV)

Good news of great joy! That’s wonderful news for these shepherds, especially as they hear it is for all the people. It’s not just for the kings of the world or the religious leaders or the rich. It’s all the people, even these tired and perhaps smelly and for sure ceremonially unclean shepherds. The Messiah, Christ the Lord, has come, and He is the Savior for all the people. 

Here’s what I think is most intriguing in this scene: the sign the shepherds must look for is not a star or even an angel but a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in an animal’s feeding trough. The splendor of this moment, this bright moment of heaven’s light piercing the dark night, does not compare with the glory of Jesus. He is the one the light points to. In fact, He is the Light that came into the world!

Oh, let those angels singing fill up your senses today. Their song is “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased.” God stepped down into our darkness. Sing your gloria back to Him today. Whatever darkness you feel pressing in on you, He is the Light that awakens you to good news of great joy. The darkness cannot overcome the Light!

Advent 2020 – Isaiah 35:1-10 (Dec. 15)

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Everlasting joy is on the way; Just hang on to the Lord!

That, in a nutshell, is the message of Isaiah 35. And that’s the message we need more than anything.

This week starts with the report of a dear church member who has gone on to be with the Lord. I’m grieving with the family, but I’m looking forward to a day when all the suffering and death I see is reversed, when, in the words of Isaiah 35:10 we “shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” 

I’m so thankful the Lord is aware of our suffering, our losses, our lost state, and that He didn’t remain distant but came to us. Isaiah the prophet looked forward to the time when God would come. “Behold, your God will come with vengeance” he said, “then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy” (4-5). 

We have a sure and certain promise that joy is on the way. The Lord guarantees it. We just need to hold on and trust Him, no matter what. 

Do you see in those descriptions of verse 5 the work of Jesus Christ? In His first advent He healed the blind, deaf, lame and mute. He prioritized that work out of compassion for those in any form of bondage, and He did it so we would know that God had come to dwell among us. 

But Jesus has not yet done everything in Isaiah 35, and in that we learn that His second advent will deliver even greater work as He brings to us everlasting joy. 

I can’t predict what will happen between today until the second coming of our Lord. It’s a guarantee from Jesus and Paul that perilous times will come that will shake our faith. But when Jesus comes again, we will live in His country, safe, full of wonder, filled with love, and bursting with everlasting joy. 

Meditate on what you will experience when the Lord Jesus comes again in His second advent. You can catch a whiff of the joy of eternity wafting back to refresh you even now. 

Everlasting joy is on the way; Just hang on to the Lord!

Advent 2020 – Matthew 2:10-11 (Dec. 13)

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They rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 

That’s what Matthew told us about the wise men. Wouldn’t it be amazing to feel a joy well up inside of you that exceeds the greatest of joys? What’s even greater is that these men experienced that kind of joy in the midst of weariness and trouble. 

I’m reminded of one of the most dangerous Christmases I experienced growing up – the time our family oven caught fire. To be specific, the pot holders that were in the oven drawer caught fire during the oven self-cleaning cycle. Smoke wafted through our home until it eventually reached our bedrooms. Our dog, who typically slept on my parents’ bed, wasn’t much help alerting us to the danger as she got down to hide under the bed. Mom and dad woke up, realized the danger, and once they figured out where the smoke was coming from ran to the kitchen. Dad grabbed something to help him pull out the hot oven drawer, then he opened the back door and flung the drawer and everything in it outside! With the smoldering pot holders outside and the immediate threat of the fire over, mom and dad helped me to wake up and go downstairs to sleep in the basement where the air was clearer. We had a family room down there, and that’s where the Christmas tree and all the presents were. I remember through the fog of late night sleepiness seeing a gigantic stocking (at least 3 feet long) filled with toys, candy and all manner of once-in-a-lifetime goodies. The danger aside, I realized that this year was my year to get the giant stocking. Talk about joy in a young kid’s heart! From the danger of the fire, to the joy of seeing such a huge display of dad and mom’s love for me – it was a night of danger that ended up leading to such joy. 

Now, back to the wise men. They are the ones who start us off on this Sunday of advent thinking about joy that exceeds joy. What captivated their hearts? What delighted their eyes? They saw the star that had led them supernaturally once again appear. That star led them to Jesus, who by this time was no longer an infant in a manger but a young child at home with his mother. They fell down at the feet of Jesus and worshipped him, giving him gifts fit for a king. It’s really rather doubtful that these men knew the truth about Jesus being the God man sent to the earth to save us, but their actions are appropriate and demonstrate the right response for each of us today. 

Whatever trial you face today, whatever hurt or difficulty you feel, purpose to seek the Lord Jesus Christ. Like those wise men from long ago, set your hearts on seeking Jesus and worshiping him for who he is. The joy you will experience will be so much greater than my childish joy in seeing that stocking. You will be with the One who loved you and gave himself up for you. 

This week we will focus each day on joy. We need it, always, but particularly this advent season. While it’s easy to despair or be consumed with the trials, it’s hard to hold onto joy. The Lord knows that. He doesn’t expect us to pretend to be joyful although we really feel the pain of life. No, he calls us to come to him. He even uses all kinds of circumstances to lead us to him. Trust him today that he will lead you to experience the joy of his great heart, even when life is hard and joy is harder to hold onto. 

Questions for today:

What is a time of great joy for you connected to Christmas?

In what circumstances have you experienced the joy of the Lord Jesus? 

 

Abide: Joy

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Joy. Sometimes I confess it is elusive. Whenever I seek to be joyful or to rejoice it isn’t easy to turn that faucet on. Can you identify with that?

Personally I see as a pastor a lot of pain in people’s lives. Sin and struggle. Hurt and loss. Disappointments from circumstances and people. If I’m not careful, that’s all I see, and rejoicing feels like a foggy land I can’t get to. You may be there too!

Joy is not as simple as pasting on a smile or merely acting happy.

So, what is joy anyway? And how can we rejoice in this challenging life?

Let’s turn to Psalm 33:1–5

[1] Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous!
Praise befits the upright.
[2] Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre;
make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
[3] Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.
[4] For the word of the LORD is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.
[5] He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD. (ESV)

This Psalm teaches us that “praise befits the upright.” In other words, it’s fitting for God’s people to be full of joy!

I love hanging out with genuinely joyful Christians. They aren’t easily offended, they approach hard issues with patience, they love people and laugh freely. In other words, they exhibit the other Fruit of the Spirit in their joy. Do you know people like this?

Recognize that God wills all His people to be like this. He commands us to rejoice:

  • Shout for joy (1)
  • Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre (2)
  • Make melody to him with the harp of ten strings (2)
  • Sing to him a new song (3)
  • Play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts (3)

The Lord knows our hearts need to be primed to rejoice, and those commands tell us the means to rejoice in joy. I find Jesus rejoicing in song like this in the New Testament. He knew this Psalm and obeyed it fully. He sang with His disciples after the Last Supper on the way to the Garden of Gethsemene. He sings even now as our Resurrected Lord and King in Heaven (see Heb. 2:12). Jesus was and is today and will forever be the most joyful Person we could ever be with. What does He delight and rejoice in? Psalm 33 gives us fuel for rejoicing like Jesus.

  • We have joy because God has given us His Word and forever settled it. He won’t change it. What He says is true and totally trustworthy. So, rejoice! (33:4,11)
  • We have joy because God has given us His steadfast love. He won’t remove it from us, no matter what happens to us or what we go through. So, rejoice! (33:5,18,22)
  • We have joy because God controls all the nations. Nothing happens outside of His power and control. The blessing is on the nation who fears God. So, rejoice! (33:10-12)
  • We have joy because the stability and strength of our lives doesn’t depend on our strength or the shaky foundation of human leaders. God Himself is our strength. So, rejoice! (33:13-19)
  • We have joy because we have the Lord. Christ is our gladness and joy. So, rejoice! (33:20-22).

Joy, then, is a settled gladness in God – who He is and what He does.

So, friends, when you feel down, even struggling with depression, don’t try to fake your way out of it. There are hard realities in life, and the joyful Christian doesn’t ignore them. He or she instead shifts the focus from the hard realities to the unchanging truth of God.

From time to time Pastor Sam Polson has reminded us of the prayer of Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20:12 – “Lord, we don’t know what to do” (the acknowledgement that life is tough, trials are at the door, and we don’t have the resources to change things) “but our eyes are on you” (the God who speaks, loves, controls all things, gives strength to His people and delights us with His presence). Yes, instead of looking to get joy, God’s people look to the Lord. And joy comes.

How, then, can you experience joy?

  • Spend quality time in God’s Word, orienting your mind and heart on God’s truth.
  • Pray, worshipping God for who He is.
  • Focus on the Lord Jesus, praising Him for His sacrifice and life given for you. Praise Him for His joyful presence always.
  • Sing songs of praise to the Lord!
  • Gather (and thankfully we will soon!) with God’s people. Surround yourself with genuinely joyful Christians, those types I referred to above. Seek them out, for that kind of Spirit-driven joy really seems to be contagious!

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. (Philippians 4:4, ESV)

A song to remind you of our Joy in Christ – Forever Jesus

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control

Counsel for the Heart: Bearing Spiritual Fruit (Gal. 5:22-23)

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Would you like to know a guaranteed way to glorify God?

The Lord told us in John 15:8 –

“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”

We glorify God by bearing much fruit. Today we go back into Galatians 5:22-23 to examine more closely the fruit of the Spirit. By knowing what type of fruit the Holy Spirit produces we will grow in opportunities to glorify our Father. This is also our memory passage, so remember to meditate and memorize as you read today.

Galatians 5:22–23

[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (ESV)

Getting to the Heart:

One of the most helpful things we can do with this list of spiritual fruit is to understand what each part of the fruit means, what it replaces, and even what tends to be a counterfeit version of each part. I’ve been helped so much by the Bible study resource Galatians for You by Tim Keller1, and I’ve created a chart below based on his helpful explanation of the fruit of the Spirit.

Fruit  Definition Opposite Counterfeit
Love Love and care for a person based on their good, not on what they bring to you Self-protection; self-promotion Attraction for someone based on what they add to you or how they make you feel
Joy Happiness and delight in God for Who He is and what He does in the world Hopelessness; depression Happiness based on changing circumstances
Peace Confidence and rest in the sovereign wisdom and control of God Anxiety and fear Not caring about something; feeling indifferent
Patience The ability to stand up under the pressures of life without lashing out in anger toward God and others Resentment toward God and others Cynical lack of care
Kindness Motivation that serves others for their good in a practical way, out of a sense of complete inner security in Christ Envy; refusal to rejoice in another’s prosperity Serving others to ultimately manipulate them or prove to God or others our worth.
Goodness Also means integrity; being one person or the same person wherever you are Hypocrisy Speaking your mind and not holding back truth to make yourself feel better or look good
Faithfulness To be absolutely trustworthy and always true to your word Being a friend only in good times Being loving but never willing to confront when needed
Gentleness Humility, specifically self-forgetfulness, prioritizing others and responding calmly even when they are aggressive Attitude of superiority or self-absorption Spirit of inferiority, speaking ill about yourself
Self-control Ability to endure in hard times by focusing on the important not the urgent Impulsiveness or recklessness Willpower to endure difficulties to prove your worth or strength

Sometimes it’s necessary to slow down in our Bible reading and really dig in to specific words to better know the Lord’s message. This passage with this list is a case in point: we need to really understand these aspects of the Spirit’s fruit. It’s all so we can bear the fruit that brings joy and glory to our Father.

Today a group of men came to our home to cut down some trees that we had let grow over the years but that had become a nuisance. It is amazing how much more light, area to grow other things and even just to play in that the removal of those trees provided.

Walking in the Spirit is like that, I think. All of us have some motivating attitudes that are contrary to the fruit of the Spirit. Jesus came to deliver us from that ruling flesh that loves to assert self and sow destructive works. The Holy Spirit is the power to come in and chop those works down at their root level and open up your life to the light and freedom of God (Gal. 5:1).

Let’s talk it over:

  • Where are you seeing growth this week in the Spirit?
  • Do you see any opposites in your attitudes and actions?
  • Do you spot any counterfeits to the Spirit’s fruit?

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, we believe that it is for freedom that You came to set us free. That freedom is the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control that the Spirit produces. This is the fruit we see in You, Lord. We love You because of who You are and how You shared that fruit with people all the time. There was never a time when You were not bearing fruit, and You are worthy of the greatest freedom and joy. Yet You took on our record of fleshly works and received the punishment for reckless, self-absorbed living that defied God and defiled our fellow man. Oh, we love and thank You for paying for those many many sins. But we love and thank You all the more that now You share Your Spirit with us so that we might walk with You and experience what You alone deserve. Help us to glorify our Father by bearing much fruit today. Amen.

Worship in Song:

His Mercy is More

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  1. Galatians for You resource by Tim Keller. Pages 141-142 used for the chart above.