Living In The Future

December 31, 2017 (010911)

Living for the Future

Philippians 3:20-4:9                NOTES NOT EDITED

SIS: Since most of our existence will be spent living in the future - an eternal future - and, since every action has eternal consequences, we need break free from the past and live right in the present.

Yogi Berra once quipped, “The future sure ain’t what it used to be.”  That is such a philosophically deep (or vague) statement that an entire book could be written trying to interpret it.  It certainly seems to have a dark view of the future, and not one of great hope.  The fact is:  we can influence our futures.

A few years ago, 1985 to be exact, a movie came out that was very exciting and fun entitled, "Back to the Future."  Michael J. Fox plays an adolescent boy named Marty Mcfly who mistakenly gets catapulted into the past in a winged-door, stainless steel Delorean -- do you remember those? Time travel creates a lot of interesting scenarios for Marty McFly--not all of them good.  He has to find a way "Back to the Future." 

Think about the idea of eternity for a second.  Is there any other idea or concept (outside of God, Himself) that is so immense and so important?  The Bible teaches that our attitudes and actions in the present have consequences - some of them eternal consequences.  It seems in light of the fact we will spend a few years here on earth but a "gazillion" years in eternity, makes me think we should really consider deeply the way we are living our lives.

Like Marty McFly, we can get stuck in the past which will impact not only our present, but our future.  We have to find a way to break free of the past and live for the future.  Like, McFly, we need to discover a way to escape from the past.  To help us think about this, let's watch how McFly gets, "back to the future."

VIDEO

SIS: Since most of our existence will be spent living in the future - an eternal future - and, since every action has eternal consequences, we need break free from the past and live right in the present.

We can start living for the future today by realizing, first of all,

1.  We need RIGHT POLITICS (3:20-21)

20 but our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious  body,  by the power that enables Him to subject everything to Himself.

For many people -- perhaps most of us to some degree -- "politics" is a dirty word, a dirty business.  Politicians promise us "hope and change" and leave us on the street corner hopeless and begging for change.  Modern Politics has become consumed by a lust for power and completely out of touch with morality.

A little girl was sitting with her Dad while he was watching some political talk show on T.V.  The Dad was engrossed in his political program.  The little girl was more interested in the Fairy Tale book she had on her lap.  At one point the little girl asked innocently, "Daddy, do all fairy tales begin with 'Once upon a time'?"  The Dad was also engrossed in his political talk show and answered, "No dear, some fairy tales begin with the words, 'If I am elected.'"

People often ask me, "What political party are you a member of?"  I'm no longer comfortable with either party.  While I believe we must stay engaged in the political process as believers, I believe we need to break free from being absolutely identified with any political party.  We need "new politics" to fit our "new citizenship." 

The word translated, "citizenship" is the word from which we get our English word, "politics."  The oldest form of the word means a "town, or large fortified territory."  It came to refer to any "city."  Citizenship refers to the common beliefs and practices held by those in a city, or polis, thus the idea of politics. 

As Christians, our common beliefs and practices should not be dictated by any political party, but should be dictated by Heaven and Her King, Jesus Christ.

As citizens of heaven, our "new politics" mean:

1) We have new citizenship papers.  Our names are written down on the census of heaven, if we are believers. (Phil. 3:20)

2)  We are under new leadership.  Last January 20^th, leadership in the White House passed from the House passed from Obama to Trump.  The change has been radical—almost radioactive!  For a believer, when we were born-again, our leadership transferred from the "flesh," to the "Spirit," from the Devil to the Lord Jesus Christ.  That is an even more radical change.  While we may live and work in this world, we are no longer citizens of this world, but pilgrims and wayfarers whose allegiance lies beyond this world. (Gal. 5:16-18).

3)  As citizens of Heaven we not only have new papers, and new leadership, but we obey new laws.  Again, we have to live and work in this world with its set of laws, but ultimately as citizens of heaven we need to obey heaven's laws first and foremost. (Jer. 31:33)

At one point (among many) the apostles came under attack from the religious authorities (the Sanhedrin) for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.  In most matters, the Sanhedrin or Jewish Council were the civil authorities for the Jews.  The apostles were arrested by the temple police (yes the Temple had a police department), and thrown into jail. 

An angel came at night and set them free with the command, "Go and preach."  So they went out and began teaching and preaching again.  Again, the authorities sent the police with the charge:

Didn’t we strictly order you not to teach in this name? (Acts 5:28)

Peter, speaking for the apostles, replied,

We must obey God rather than men. (Acts 5:29)

Living in such a way as to be fully prepared for heavenly citizenship in the eternal future requires that we practice, "Right Politics."

2.  We also need RIGHT PRAYING (4:6-7)

The Lord is near.  6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I have become absolutely convinced of two facts:  1)  Praying is absolutely essential to any hope of having a "Happy New Day," let alone a "Happy New Year," and in the final analysis, a "Happy Eternity."  We must pray often.  2)  Everyone prays.

By saying everyone prays, I'm not saying everyone prays right.  But everyone prays and in all kinds of places.  For example:  many are under the false notion that there is no longer "prayer in public schools."  Having taught in public school, I can assure you that as long as there are "tests" in school, there will be "prayer" in school. 

People pray all the time.  I've been at the scene of an accident for example at a high school football game.  The star quarterback took nasty hit from a linebacker and snapped his angle in front of the crowd.  From several different people I heard this prayer, "Oh, my God!" 

So, everyone prays at some point or another.  The key issue of learning to "Live for the Future" is "Right" praying.  What is "Right Praying?"  First, it requires a proper relationship to Go.   Look at our text again.  Verse 4:5 ends with the words,

" The Lord is near."

Praying right begins with a right relationship with God through Christ.  Years ago a famous Southern Baptist preacher got into hot political water for making the statement that, "God does not hear the prayers of the Jews," or anyone else who does not have a relationship with Him through His Son.  The context of that sermon was left out of the liberal, anti-Christian press.  The full context of that statement was, "God does not reward a person's prayers until they first pray to ask for forgiveness of sins."  God doesn’t “save” us until we make Him, “Lord.”  You can't pray right if you are not living right and you can't be living right unless you have a right relationship with God based upon the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Second, right praying requires an attitude of gratitude.  Notice in verse 6 the attitude we should have when praying: with thanksgiving.

Third, it requires a solid foundation in the Word of God.  Jesus said,

John 15:7 If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.

Dwell on the words, "whatever you want," for a moment.  That's some powerful incentive for learning to pray right!

Prayer is a powerful tool in mining for prosperity.  My big problem with the "health and wealth" preachers is that they distort prayer by confusing "confidence" with "arrogance."  We do not DEMAND God answer prayer, but through a solid knowledge of God in the Word, we have great confidence in both His willingness and capability.

The Word of God does in fact exhort us to  “approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time” (Heb. 4:16)

Believers are welcomed--encouraged by God Himself--to come before Him with our needs.  We can be confident that God will ALWAYS hear our prayers and ALWAYS give us the very best answer possible according to His mercy, His Grace, and His timing.  We can be "confident," but we should not be "arrogant." Confidence is based upon knowing Who God is.  Arrogance is based upon a false view of who we are.  Right praying requires a "thankful heart" that realized we come to God at His invitation and based upon His mercy and grace.

Right politics and right praying begin to set us in the right direction for "Living in the Future."

3.  We also need a Right THINKING (4:8)

During the formative years of my ministerial training, a man with the strange name, "Zig Ziglar," held audiences both secular and sacred, spellbound by his whimsical words of wisdom.  Zig Ziglar was, and still is, a master motivator with a solid relationship with Jesus Christ.  Over 80, he still teaches a Sunday School class at a mega-church in Dallas, TX.  He is the author of over 25 books, 10 of which were best sellers.

His motivation speeches are sermons without all the Scripture references.  One of the phrases that has always stuck with me over years was, "We must eliminate stinkin' thinkin'.  Zig Ziglar defined stinkin' thinkin' as negative, defeatest, worldly thinking.  Zig advocates a "heavenly way" of thinking--a Right Way of Thinking.  This is described in 4:8:

8 Finally brothers, whatever is true,  whatever is honorable,  whatever is just,  whatever is pure,  whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence  and if there is any praise—dwell on these things.

It is so hard to "dwell on heavenly things."  We live in a world full of negative sounds, negative circumstances, and negative people.  Trying to eliminate stinkin' thinkin' from a human standpoint is like trying to sanitize a pig sty.  Even if you could manage to get is looking and smelling better, it wouldn't be long before it was once again smelling bad.

The word translated "dwell on" (HCSB) means to "deliberate about, or to think deeply about."  We might even say contemplate.  The idea is to take time and effort to align yourself with God's thoughts, not the world's thoughts.  The only way to do that is to "get into the Word of God and remain there." 

Joseph Kepler, a Father of Modern Astronomy said to him science was "Thinking God's thoughts after Him."  In fact, "thinking like God" is the very basis for all the historic breakthroughs in modern science. Science works because God designed the world in a way that His laws govern every aspect of our universe.  Christian thinking is, “right thinking,” and “thinking right.”

Right politics.  The Right Way of Praying.  The Right way of Thinking all begin to orient us to "Living for the Future by Maximizing the Present."

While right politicking, right praying and right thinking all contribute to orienting our attitudes toward an eternal perspective, according to our text today, this is not enough to prepare us for our eternal future.  The Word says we need the

4.  The Right LIVING to prepare us for the future (4:9) 

9 Do what you have learned.

I don't think Paul could sum up the matter much more succinctly than this:  "Do what you have learned."  The NIV says, "Put it into practice."

From beginning to end, the Bible admonishes us to conform our behavior to God's standards.  Simply knowing of or thinking about what God has instructed us does not substitute for "doing it."   James sums up the matter like this:

1:22 But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his own face  in a mirror; 24 for he looks at himself, goes away, and right away forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts—this person will be blessed in what he does.

All of the "Right Thinking" in the world will be of little or no eternal value unless it results in "Right Living."  This does not contradict the doctrine of "salvation by grace alone through faith alone."  No, this verifies the power of God's grace. 

A grace that does not lead to Right Living is the wrong kind of grace, and in a biblical sense, no grace at all.  The saving kind of grace always leads to "Right Living."  Perhaps not "perfectly right," but definitely oriented to right living.

I read a story that fascinated me.  "GET ON WITH IT, YOU OLD GOAT."  I heard the story about a college choir which was all set to present a concert in a large church which was to be carried live by a local radio station. When everything appeared to be ready, the announcer made his final introduction and waited for the choir director to begin. A tenor was not yet ready, however, so the director refused to raise his baton. All this time, nothing but silence was being broadcast. Growing very nervous, the announcer, forgetting that his microphone was still on and that he could be heard in the church and on the air, said in exasperation, "Get on with it, you old goat!"   Later in the week, the radio station got a letter from one of its listeners -- a man who had tuned in to listen to the music from the comfort of his easy chair. When he heard "Get on with it, you old goat!" he took the message personally. He had been doing nothing to further God’s work, and this startling message was enough to convict him and get him going again.

Sometimes we need a wake-up call, don’t we? Maybe you’ve received that call this morning and God is saying to you, "Get on with it, you old goat...or young goat." It is time to act.  We cannot afford to sit comfortably in our "Religious Lazy Boy" while the world dies and goes to hell.

Well, one would think that having the right politics, the right way of praying, the right way of thinking, and the right way of living, would certainly be enough to prepare one for "eternity that waits just beyond death's door."  But, there's more.  To fully prepare to "Live for the Future," we need the

5.  Right Dying (3:18-19; 4:3)

Pay close attention to verses 18-19, of chapter 3:

18 For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame.  They are focused on earthly things.

I can feel the pain in Paul's voice when he speaks these words.  They are hard words to hear.  The end of a person who does not surrender to Jesus as the Lord of Life is "destruction and shame."

I see evidence everywhere I go of "destruction and shame" -- which so often go together.  I see marriages being destroyed by infidelity or apathy.  I see young lives being destroyed by drugs and alcohol.  I see our nation being destroyed by avarice and greed.  I see our government being destroyed by corruption and lusts for power.  Destruction is all about us.  People are being drug down into the abyss -- the pit from which the Beast of the Tribulation will arise:

Rev. 17:8  Why are you astounded? I will tell you the secret meaning  of the woman and of the beast, with the seven heads and the 10 horns, that carries her. 8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up from the abyss and go to destruction.

A few chapters later the Beast is mentioned again:

19:20 . . . the beast and those who worshiped his image.  Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 

Then after  the final judgment, Destruction (Apollyon)
is mentioned again,

Rev. 20:13 Then the sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades  gave up their dead; all  were judged according to their works. 14 Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.  This is the second death, the lake of fire.  15 And anyone not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

People who don't die right, face a horrible eternity in a Lake of Fire where their destruction and shame becomes an eternal state.  The thought of such a destruction and shame facing those who do not find the Right Way of Dying, drove Paul to tears.

What is the Right Way of Dying.  Phil. 4:3 lays it out as simply as possible:

3 Yes, I also ask you, true partner,  to help these women who have contended for the gospel at my side, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers whose names are in the book of life.

The Right Way of Dying simply means that we have our names recorded in the Lamb's Book of Life.  That means we have surrendered to Jesus Christ as the Lord of our lives.  By this single act of commitment, we are ready to "Live for the Future" because we have found the Right Way of Dying.

Oh, dear friends, so much more could be said in regard to "Living for the Future."  Like Marty McFly, we need to escape the past and get to the future.  Whatever sins held us back in the past year, we need to confess them and let them go. 

Since most of our existence will be spent living in the future - an eternal future - and, since every action has eternal consequences, we need break free from the past and live right in the present.

Because eternity is so immense, it is immensely important.  If you get eternity wrong, you get it all wrong.  If you get stuck in the past, live wrong in the present, you are not prepared for the future -- an eternal future.

Climb into the DeLorean -- let's head back to a fantastic future!

Advent 4: Joy

December 24, 2017
Experience Joy!
Matthew 1, Luke 2      NOTES NOT EDITED

SIS – Joy is not only something we experience but it is something we practice—what we do enhances or distracts from our sense of joy.

My Christmas preaching story is to always save the topic of “joy” for the last Sunday of Advent, after speaking about love, hope, and peace.  For me, joy is the sum of all those other great gifts of Advent.

Joy is a remarkable thing.  Scientists have actually studied the experience of joy and find it to be highly beneficial—as if any joyous person needs a scientist to tell them that.

An article in Executive Digest says, in part:  “Scientists have been studying the effect of laughter on human beings and have found, among other things, that laughter has a profound and instantaneous effect on virtually every important organ in the human body. Laughter reduces health-sapping tensions and relaxes the tissues as well as exercising the most vital organs. It is said that laughter, even when forced, results in beneficial effect on us, both mentally and physically.”  Find something to rejoice in every day—it will do your body good!

Heaven is a place of rejoicing—eternal rejoicing.  When we fix our gaze upon heaven, it not only changes our outlook, but how we look outwardly.  The great Baptist preacher, Charles Spurgeon, once told the students in his preaching college that they should be careful to match their facial expressions with the topic they were speaking about. He said, “When you speak of Heaven,” he said, “let your face light up, let it be irradiated with a heavenly gleam, let your eyes shine with reflected glory. But when you speak of Hell—well, then your ordinary face will do.”

What the great pulpiteer meant was that the very topic of heaven alone should be sufficient to change both our outlook on life and our outward appearance in life.  Joy allows us to transcend the “ordinariness” of life and its many troubles.  Joy is that powerful.

We can more clearly understand joy when we look at those who experienced that first Christmas.  Joy is a hard notion to pin down with a sufficient definition.  The dictionary describes joy as, “a feeling of great pleasure or happiness.”  That is OK as far as it goes but it does not express adequately the biblical understanding of joy.  The best way of getting a grip on what joy means is by seeing it in action.  I’ve showed this clip as it relates to gratitude, but it equally demonstrates what it means to experience joy.

Even a casual reading of the Christmas Story reveals that a captivating, invigorating, and motivating joy was stirred up in the heart of all those who recognized that Jesus was special—a gift from heaven.  Let’s read the angel’s announcement regarding joy, and then look at how joy affected several people in the Christmas Story.

LK 2:1-11

What is joy?  Joy often leads to jumping would be one conclusion.  The Greek word for joy has an extensive usage both in the Bible and in the secular world.  The range of its meaning is both broad and deep.  Getting hold of the meaning of true joy is a bit like trying to catch a greased pig at the county fair.  You see it.  You pursue it.  You get a hold on it.  But, it gets away.  Joy is hard to define.

My conclusion from a study of the original word shows two streams coming together to form the river of joy.  One stream is “delight or glad-heartedness.”  This is a delight that goes much deeper than happiness which is related to pleasurable circumstances.   Joy is sustained not by one’s circumstances but by the focus of one’s faith—that is, delight arising from a focus on the Person and Work of Jesus Christ.  The word joy is in the same family as the word, “grace,” or the undeserved “favor” of God.  Only those “upon whom God’s favor rests,” can truly experience joy.  Joy is the delight we receive as a gift when we receive Jesus as Our Lord and Savior, and focus on Him in our daily life.  A second stream contributing to the river of joy from a biblical perspective is “expectation.”  Expectation is related to the sustaining belief that what God has promised, He will provide.  Those meeting the baby Jesus immediately recognized that He was the Messiah, whom the Jews had been expecting for millennia.  Joy sprang to life when people saw Jesus—the literal fulfillment of God’s promise. So, I have come up with my own definition of “joy”—expectant delight.  As long as one stays focused on God in Christ one has a sense of expecting good things to come, and that brings continuing delight.

Now, let’s look at a sampling of those who experienced joy as they experienced the Christ child that first Christmas.  I have already mentioned John the Baptist, another baby not yet born who “leaped for joy” when meeting Jesus—Who also was still in the womb.  So, I’ll begin our survey of people who met Jesus and experienced joy with:

1.  Simon—SEEK for it (Lk. 2:25-26)

Before we examine Simeon’s joy at finally seeing the Messiah, let me point out some interesting facts regarding this event.  First, we are talking about two time periods after Jesus’ birth.  Verse 21 speaks of the “eighth day” which would be the prescribed time for circumcision.  This demonstrates that Jesus was “born under the Law to redeem those under the curse of the Law” (Gal. 4:4).  In fact the Law is mentioned five times in this passage to establish this fact (uke 2:22, 23, 24, 27, 29) This clearly identifies Jesus as the “sacrificial lamb that would take away the sins of the world” (John 1:29).  Between verse 21 and 22 pass 33 days—“days of purification for Mary” after giving birth (Lev. 12:3-4).  A third part of this story comes when Simeon meets Jesus as He is brought to the Temple for consecration (setting Him aside for service to God).  Finally, we see Mary bring an offering of “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.” These “doves” (or pigeons) were prescribed as “burnt offering and sin offerings” (Lev. 12:6-8).  This offering demonstrates two important truths about Mary.  One, she was sinner as much in need of a savior as anyone else, contrary to the teachings of the Catholic church (since 1850).  Two, they were poor and could not afford a lamb which was the typical sin offering.

Into this event of Jesus in the Temple enters the character called, Simeon.  ²⁵ There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel’s consolation,  ⁿ and the Holy Spirit was on him. ²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah.

We are told Simeon had been “waiting to see the Messiah.”  We are not told how long he had waited, though it implies he had been seeking the Messiah for some time.  Verse 29-30 tells us that Simeon’s patient seeking resulted in an experience of great joy:

²⁹ Now, Master, You can dismiss Your slave in peace,

as You promised.  ³⁰ For my eyes have seen Your salvation

Joy results when we live “devout and righteous lives in anticipation of one day seeing Jesus face to face.  Joy comes from SEEKING it.

2.  Mary—to have joy we must SING for it (1:46-55)

⁴⁶ And Mary said: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

⁴⁷ and my spirit has rejoiced  in God my Savior.

Mary goes on to overflow in praise about the immense joy and satisfaction she feels because of her relationship with Almighty God.  I may be spiritualizing the text a bit, but it seems obvious that Mary’s heart had much to say that mere prose could not express.  This is one of many songs (commonly referred to as such in commentaries though it doesn’t specifically state they are musical tunes) related to the Christmas story in the Bible.  Zechariah also had a song.  It demonstrates how joy simply cannot—should not—be suppressed but must be expressed in some way—such as singing.  I cannot stress strongly enough how important a place singing has throughout Scripture.  I’ve said before, the largest book in the Bible is the Book of Psalms—the Hebrew songbook.  

In one (of many) situations as the nation Israel entered into battle they did not lead with heavy artillery, but with choirs.  2Chron. 20 details one such battle between Israel and an arch-enemy, Moab: 

²¹ Then he consulted with the people and appointed some to sing for the Lord and some to praise the splendor of His holiness.  When they went out in front of the armed forces, they kept singing.

We have the same examples from the American military as our cavalry would charge into battle at the bugle’s call.  During the Civil War a drummer and fife player would lead the march.  Music has also been shown to be quite effective in medicine as well.  Multiple studies have shown that calming music can lower blood pressure rates and can even lower the stress hormone cortisol just as much as anti-anxiety medications (www.thefix.com).  Singing and music are powerful ways to call up feelings of joy from deep within our souls.

When God touches your soul you must not suppress it.  The Theological Dictionary of the N.T. states this about joy:  “joy is not just inward. It has a cause and finds expression.” You will enjoy great delight and experience deep joy if you “sing for joy.”  By singing we normally think of harmony, melody and music.  We would all do well to find some form of “musical expression” in order to draw up from deep within us sounds of joy arising from God dancing upon the strings of our heart.

There are many ways to sing about what God is doing in your life.  One is to simply sing.  Some are not as “delightful in song” as others.  Perhaps you could play an instrument.  OK, some are not as talented musically as others—then play a radio (or mpg player these days) and sing along, or hum along.  But, one way to experience joy is to sing about it.  Let music draw up from deep within your soul feelings of rapturous delight that mere prose or common speech cannot elicit.

I think too many Churches underestimate the power of music to produce, not only joy, but greater devotion in general.  In too many churches the music is sort of an “hor d’oeuvre” before the main meal of the sermon.  This really turns church music into little more than a musical performance rather than true worship which will increase our joy.

The key is this:  what God does deep within us, we must get out of us!  Joy bubbles up from deep within when we sing.

3.  Elizabeth—SHARE it.

Joy is never a solo performance.  Look at Lk. 1:57:

⁵⁷ Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she had a son. ⁵⁸ Then her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her His great mercy,  ^z and they rejoiced with her.

The NIV says, “and they shared her joy.”

Let me summarize the story leading up to this joyous occasion.  Elizabeth was Mary’s cousin.  Six months before the angel announced to Mary that she would have a son an angel appeared to Elizabeth’s husband, Zechariah the priest, and said,

¹³ But the angel said to him: Do not be afraid,  Zechariah,

because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. ¹⁴ There will be joy and delight for you, and many will rejoice at his birth.

This baby would be John the Baptist who would prepare the way for the ministry of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.  Jesus said of John, “Among those born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has appeared” (Mt. 11:11).  So, when John was born it was truly a remarkable and wonderful occasion, not only because of who John was but because Elizabeth and Zechariah were old and beyond child-bearing years (Lk. 1:18).  So, the joy from Elizabeth giving birth to the fore-runner of the Messiah was powerful and contagious.

When it comes to truly experiencing joy the principle seems to be, “the more the merrier!”  We all have experienced this phenomenon.  When our children are born we are filled with joy.  As family and friends come to see the new baby, we experience the joy of birth all over again.  A room full of people and a new baby generates an explosion of joy.  This is true for every major event or accomplishment in our lives.  The more we share a joyous event, the more joy we experience ourselves.  Joy is like a snowball rolling down a hill—it gets bigger and bigger as it goes.

I have a little plague hanging on my wall that my Mom sent me many years ago.  It is a poem that talks about “love” but I believe it also applies equally to “joy.”  I’ll change the words to make my point:

The joy in your heart is not just there to stay
Joy is not joy ‘til you give it away.

Sharing multiplies our joy.  Isn’t that what Christmas is really all about—sharing the joy we have in knowing Christ with others?  Gifts, decorations, and such are nice, but Christmas is really about friends and family sharing the joy of Christ.  That’s where we find real joy.

4.  The Three Wise Men—SACRIFICE for it (Mt. 2:1-2, 11)

2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in Jerusalem,  ² saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?  For we saw His star in the east  ^l and have come to worship Him.”

Then verse 11 . . . Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped Him.  Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

The true spirit of Christmas is giving.  God gave His Son.  The Wise Men gave the Son gifts, and we can give the world the joy that comes from hearing the gospel message of Jesus Christ.  The first “Noel” or the first Christmas carol talked about “joy and giving.”

¹¹ Today a Savior,  who is Messiah  the Lord,

 was born for you in the city of David.

Two key words appear in that verse:  “for you.”  As I said last week “the greatest Christmas gift is not UNDER a tree, but ON a tree.”  Christmas is about God “giving His Son, Jesus” who would die on an old rugged cross to be the Savior of the world—to be the Savior “for you.”  Jesus, and the joy He brings, is a gift from God just “for you.”

The Wise Men’s action of “giving gifts that first Christmas demonstrate that the joy of meeting Jesus just cannot be suppressed—true joy must be Expressed.

Over and over in the story of Christmas we see that joy is a feeling that just cannot be contained—it must be expressed in some tangible way.  The gifts from the Wise Men represent a great sacrifice, not so much because they were gold, a precious metal, or frankincense and myrrh, expensive fragrances, but because they travelled over 500 miles to deliver their gifts.  They literally risked life and limb travelling over harsh and dangerous regions to get to the Messiah.  It represented a journey of perhaps months, perhaps a year.  We know this because by the time the Wise Men arrive Matthew says that they “entered a house” (v11).  Jesus and His family were no longer in the stable. 

Also, the word describing Jesus changes from Luke birth narrative to Matthew’s visit by the Wise Men.  In Luke’s account Jesus is referred to as a “brephos,” or infant.  In Matthew’s account by the time of the visit of the Wise Men, Jesus is referred to as a “paidion,” or toddler.  Also, we know that the Wicked King Herod in an attempt to destroy the Newborn King Jesus, ordered all baby boys in Bethlehem under the age of two years (Mt. 2:16).

The journey of the Wise Men was long, arduous, risky and expensive.  The gifts they brought were expensive.  The Wise Men’s actions represent a great sacrifice.  True joy always involves great sacrifice.  It costs something to follow Jesus and to share his love with others, but it is through sacrifice that we experience the deepest and most meaningful joy in our relationship with Jesus.  In fact, James says,

^1:2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers,

whenever you experience various trials.

Jesus also experienced how joy increased through great sacrifice.  Hebrews 12:2 gives us this remarkable description of true joy:  Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses  surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance  the race that lies before us, ² keeping our eyes on Jesus,  the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him  endured a cross and despised the shame  and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.

Remember I said earlier that my definition of joy was “delightful expectation.”  Hebrews describes this virtue as “the joy that lay before Him” – delight and expectation, or “expectant delight.”  How could it be that Jesus is described as both a “man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isa. 53:3) and at the same time as a man “anointed with the oil of gladness (joy) above all His fellows?” (Psa. 45:7).

Here’s what we must grasp:  sacrifice does not diminish our joy but multiplies it.  This principle is repeated many times throughout the Scriptures.  If we want true joy, we must SACRIFICE for it.

It costs something to give away the “joy of knowing Jesus.”  Many, many people who claim to be Christians exhibit “zero” joy in their lives.  The reason is simple:  they sacrifice little or nothing in service to the Kingdom.  The may give a little of their time.  They may give a little of their talents and treasures.  But, most Christians, especially in America know “little” of real sacrifice.  Consequently, they experience little joy in their lives.

Yet, in the Underground Church in China (as well as in other areas of the world where Christians are persecuted heavily) the joy of worship and service make the sacrifices they face almost melt away.  The persecuted church in China is so full of the joy of salvation that they will often meet from 8 in the morning to 8 in the evening to worship and listen to a sermon—a 12 hour sermon!  They must meet in caves or in remote forests just to keep from being killed or imprisoned.  Far from diminishing their joy, their sacrifice fans the flame of their joy into a raging inferno of praise and an unquenchable thirst for God’s Word!

The Christmas story is filled with people experiencing a supernatural joy:  Simeon, Anna, Mary, Elizabeth, the Wise Men and more.  They all have one thing in common.  The source of their joy was meeting Jesus Christ.  Focusing on Jesus Christ is the only source of deep and abiding joy.  Experience Jesus this Christmas and experience joy.

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