Joy. The happy God Today’s talk can be summed up in this one sentence; I look at Him, He looks at me, And we are happy. Today is the third week of Advent and we focus today on joy. I want to give you an entirely new angle on this concept of joy. Let me just define joy. Joy is a good feeling in the soul because you know God is up to something. Joy is an internal state of happiness that leads to outward expressions of celebration. Happiness is fleeting and is dependent upon circumstances being what you want them to be. Joy is something that can be had in all circumstances. Where does this joy come from? How do we get it? Nehemiah 8:10 Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” So, my strength is somehow connected to the joy of God? God has joy? God is a happy God. God is love and he lives in perfect and joyful relational harmony with his son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. At the center of the universe is God the father, God the son, God the Holy Spirit – what we call the Trinity. And at the center of the universe is the intimacy and the love and the joy in this relationship. God would love to draw you into the center of the inner joy of the Trinity. At the center of everything is this; God is love loving. Here is a tiny glimpse of it in the prayer of Jesus for his people in John 17. John 17:21 …that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The father in Jesus. Jesus in the father. In perfect unity. In perfect oneness. And then Jesus invites us into this loving relationship through the Holy Spirit. The joy of the Lord is found consistently throughout the Bible. We are going to focus mostly on the New Testament. Luke 2:8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “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.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Can you feel and sense the excitement and joy coming out of heaven that the most monumental thing to ever happen on earth has just occurred. It’s good news but it’s better than that. It’s good news of great joy. But it’s even better than that. It’s good news of great joy for all people. In the joy is… A Savior is born. John 15:11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. But now let me give you the most unbelievable verse about joy in the whole Bible. This verse comes from a prophet in the Old Testament who is speaking to the Jews about judgment but then he starts speaking about a better day that is coming. Zephaniah 3:16 “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. 17 The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Can you believe what this is saying? This mighty God is a happy God. He rejoices. He takes joy. He’s delighted. Over you. This mighty God is a happy God. He quiets you. What does this mean? He wants to rock you in his arms. In silence he just wants to love on you. And he does this over you. You. This makes God happy. And the last part… This mighty God exalts over you. He is singing. He is celebrating. He’s in a festive mood. He is full of joy in his song. This is a moment of delight. For you and for him. And this makes God happy. It is the joy of God to make you holy and blameless before him (Ephesians 1:4). It is the joy of God that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Romans 8:1). It is the joy of God rejoices over his bride, God rejoices over you (Isaiah 62:5). It is the joy of God to make all things work together for good for those who love him (Romans 8:28). It is the joy of God to call you his child right now (1 John 3:2). It is the joy of God to give you what you lack (James 1:5). It is the joy of God to give you a new identity – Isaiah 62:4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate, but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married. Hebrews 12:2…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. What is the joy that made him endure the cross? It was you. I look at Him, He looks at me, And we are happy. Psalm 16:1 Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. 2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” 8 I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. 11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Let’s see what GOD can do! Pastor Brian Harrell