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00:00:01 [Applause] [Music] my and then after a little while you will see me at this some of his disciples said to one another what does he mean by saying in a little while you will see me no more and then after a little while you will see me and because i am going to the father they kept asking what does he mean by a little while we don't understand what he's saying jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this so he said to them are you asking one another what i meant when i said in a little while you will see me no
00:00:48 more and then after a little while you will see me very truly i tell you you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices you will grieve but your grief will turn to joy a woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world so with you now is your time of grief but i will see you again and you will rejoice and no one will take away your joy in that day you will no longer ask me anything
00:01:25 very truly i tell you my father will give you whatever you ask in my name until now you have not asked for anything in my name ask you will receive and your joy will be complete though i have been speaking figuratively a time is coming when i will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my father in that day you will ask in my name i'm not saying that i will ask the father on your behalf no the father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that i came from god
00:02:03 i came from the father and entered the world now i am living the world and going back to the father this is the reading of his word good morning everyone my name is massimo and it's a privilege to be with you and speak to you from god's word today is the second advent and advent means coming in the advent season christians all over the world reflect on the first and second coming of christ our one article said we are looking back on christ's previous coming in celebration while looking ahead to his
00:02:46 second coming in eager anticipation understanding this brings clarity to christmas songs we sing as well such as um oh come on come emmanuel and joy to the world so doing advent remember that our savior what our savior did for us when he came died on the cross rose again and then promised to come again and restore everything fully dietrich bonhoeffer once said celebrating advent reminds us that we are poor and imperfect and look forward to something greater to come so traditionally uh four or five candles
00:03:26 are placed together uh each carry a meaning um four in a circle and if you have a fifth one the fifth one is put in the middle and usually the meanings are hope joy love peace and the middle one is christ now i i googled and i tried to figure out which one is the right order and different sides different traditions different denominations different countries had all different orders however one thing they had in common is that over the advent season christians all over the world take time to reflect as they light a
00:04:01 candle a week so what we will do today is we reflect together on joy what it is how we experience it and how we pursue it all questions i hope to speak into today now we are in a season that where joy scars reflecting over the last two years many of us have faced trials losses hardships some of us are still in the middle of pain so how can we have joy this christmas let me pray and then let us look at christian joy together from this text let us pray father we thank you for your word may the preaching of your word lift up
00:04:49 jesus and by the power of the spirit fill us with the newness of joy this morning amen now the world rejoices in different things than we do this text this morning talks about jesus crucifixion and as he talks about his crucifixion the text is talking about that jesus will will go and the people at that time would rejoice that they finally got rid of him also they thought the pharisees and the roman soldiers all who considered jesus a threat would celebrate at his death this verse shows that christian joy the christians find
00:05:42 joy in what the world finds join is completely different and that's because the concept of joy is vastly different christian joy is really counter-cultural so here are the three things that are unique about christian joy and this is how we will structure the rest of our time together this morning christian joy is eternally robust christian joy is experienced through sober reflection and christian joy is made full through god's presence let me say it again christian joy is eternally robust christian joy is experienced through
00:06:17 sober reflection and christian joy is made full through god's presence let's look at the first one christian joy is eternal robust what makes you happy what gives you joy a good book a glass of wine receiving your paycheck hearing i love you from a loved one watching a movie a relationship sex success wealth good food what happens when all these things disappear what happens when you can't get them or lose them well your joy turns to sorrow but jesus said that for christians it's different our sorrow will turn to joy
00:07:06 and he uses this illustration he says in verse 21 when a woman is giving birth she has sorrow because her hour has come but when she has delivered the baby she no longer remembers the anguish for joy that a human being has been born into a world now he's talking about a real woman a real pain real sorrow and that is pre-anesthesia pre-epidural and it's not like the post-birth pain suddenly stopped not that her body pains suddenly halts but now her mind is consumed with the baby the jaw of the child outweighs the anguish
00:07:48 of the birth the pain is there but it does not consume her mind it does not control her no the joy controls her now can you help me switch the next slide this means that joy is non-circumstantial it means that joy is not based on your circumstance it means that christian joy can coexist with sorrow a john piper in uh one of his conferences held with gospel city network talked about the sequential and simultaneous nature of joy sequential there is sorrow now it exists right now and later there will be joy
00:08:52 so first there is sorrow and then joy will come much like the woman who gives birth but there's also simultaneous nature of joy james says in what james 1 verse 2 counted all joy my brothers when you meet trials of various kinds for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness and the steadfastness has full effect that you may be perfect and complete lacking in nothing so joy in the midst of trials second corinthians talks about as it says that you can be sorrowful yet always rejoicing
00:09:34 and in philippians 4 4 paul says rejoice always and again i say rejoice a strong statement that often when we look at it we downplay we read rejoice always and we probably think this must mean something else he he can't mean that we are supposed to be always joyful but it does exactly mean that the clue for us is that it says rejoice in the lord always it's based on christ it's based on jesus now some of you know that my father passed away last year and it was a really hard time for me and my family especially because it was so
00:10:14 unexpected and sudden however as i was reflecting for myself about the simultaneous nature of sorrow and joy my father's death came to mind now during his funeral even the months following leading towards christmas how could we rejoice as a family we missed him dearly but at the same time we could rejoice for we know where he is with our lord enjoying god's full presence we felt sorrow for everything he was and we missed him but we felt joy because of everything christ is and has done everything my father was we missed
00:10:59 but because of christ we could rejoice you see joy is not based on your current circumstance or the various trials that you may face christian joy can co-exist with sorrow and there's something to look forward to as well because there's a sequential nature of joy that a greater joy will come in the morning and if joy comes from christ and the love we have for him and from him then when sorrow comes and drives you closer to christ it actually pushes you deeper into that joy christian joy is non-circumstantial
00:11:42 it is both simultaneous and sequential but it is also guaranteed truly truly i say to you our text says in verse 20 you will weep and lament but the world will rejoice you will be sorrowful but your sorrow will turn into joy verse 22 so also you have sorrow now but i will see you again and your hearts will rejoice and no one will take your joy from you will is the word here it doesn't say maybe or perhaps or if it is unconditional it is not based on works or merit but it's not something that you would
00:12:26 have to accomplish or achieve different texts in the bible tell us that it's a fruit or a gift galatians 5 21 says it's a fruit romans 14 says it's a gift and romans 15 says may the god of all hope fill you with all joy and peace and believing so that by the power of the holy spirit you may abound in hope you see it's god who fills you with joy it will happen as a christian if you have placed your faith in jesus joy is guaranteed it is a gift it is a fruit it is given to you by the father unconditionally
00:13:10 but not just is it unconditional it is also everlasting verse 22 again so also you have sorrow but now but i will see you again and your hearts will rejoice and no one will take your joy from you nothing can take it away now it can be subdued it can be dampened but it can't be taken away second corinthians 4 8 through 9 says we are afflicted in every way but not crushed perplexed but not driven to despair persecuted but not forsaken struck down but not destroyed joy will always resurface it will always shine through again
00:14:01 nothing can take it away because your joy is not in your circumstance it's not in your situation it is in jesus and i'm sure that neither death nor life nor angels nor rulers nor things present nor things to come nor powers nor heights no depth no anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of god in christ jesus our lord nothing can take it away so this shows that our joy christian joy is eternally robust it is non-circumstantial it is simultaneous and sequential it is
00:14:42 guaranteed it is everlasting christian joy is eternally robust so that covers what christian joy is but how do we experience it how does it become real in our life and this leads us to our second point for today which is that christian joy is experienced through sober reflection let me say that again christian joy is experienced through sober reflection if you look at the text you will see the phrase you will see me over and over again in verse 16 a little while and you will see me no longer and again a little
00:15:23 while and you will see me so some of his disciples said to one another what is it that he says to us a little while and you will not see me and then again a little while and you will see me and because i'm going to the father and then in verse 22 so also have sorrow so also you have sorrow now but i will see you again and your hearts will rejoice and no one will take your joy from you jesus is talking about the disciples seeing the resurrected jesus again saying that that is what will give them
00:16:00 joy but it's not just seeing him that gives joy but it's actually witnessing and seeing the resurrected jesus that gives them joy so what i'm trying to say here that is the implication behind seeing jesus that gives him joy not just the presence of jesus which is a great joy of course and i'll talk about that later but the implication behind the resurrection that gives them joy the truth behind seeing the resurrected jesus for the resurrection reveals or proves who jesus is it means that he is god
00:16:42 it means that he is truly messiah that he is the savior of the world he is the christ it means he is who he says he is and that he has overcome death and sin and that all his promises are really true the resurrection is the proof of all of that it is the thoughtful implication of seeing a resurrected jesus that brings joy so to experience this joy you have to ponder ponder upon his death and resurrection now what does the world tell you you should do to find joy well usually the world will tell you
00:17:27 forget the pain drown out the pain get high drink binge watch netflix have an affair watch porn overwork pharrell williams and his song happy says it might seem crazy what i'm about to say sunshine she's here you can take a break i'm a hot air balloon that could go to space with air like i don't care baby by the way can nothing bring me down my level's too high to bring me down because i'm happy what is he saying he's saying happiness is like a hot air balloon that goes to space he's describing an emotional high that
00:18:04 can't bring him down now he's not saying get high or take drugs but he's still likening happiness to an emotional high that can be achieved well in his song he says by doing whatever you want to do just don't care or taking a break um now i just want to say that there's nothing bad about the song i i like myself some pharrell and it's a really fun tune to dance to and listen to but it just demonstrates the world review of experiencing joy another worldly solution for joy is avoiding pain it says do everything to avoid losing
00:18:48 the joy cut out difficult people kill the killjoys don't do anything that might cause discomfort turn your mind away ignore the pain switch your brain off don't think on it now bobby mcferrin and maybe i'm a little bit outdated here but still strangely relevant in his song don't worry be happy says in every life we have some trouble but when you worry you make it double so don't worry be happy ain't got no place to lay your head somebody came took your bed don't worry be happy the landlord said your rent is late he
00:19:26 may have to litigate don't worry be happy he's painting a picture to not be bothered by the reality of your circumstance just switch off you see the world says don't think switch off your brain whereas christian joy comes from thinking thinking deeper and harder and longer on the resurrection and its implication when was the last time you took time to really ponder upon jesus and his death and his resurrection if you think about it you will realize that you are justified your sins are forgiven you will have eternal life
00:20:16 the world will be perfect one day you will be in the presence of the almighty glorious god there will be world peace there will be perfect equality there will be no more sexism no more racism no more classism no more poverty no more sorrow and the more you think on this you will realize that everything else anything else everything else in comparison to this weight of glory that is to come well it will just seem momentary and light true joy comes from sober reflection and not drunken mindlessness
00:20:57 not from getting high or being sober not by action or non-action but by reflection not by ignoring the present reality but seeing them in the light of the resurrected christ yes there is pain yes there is brokenness because of sin in the world but because of christ we can count it all joy because we know a greater joy will come in the morning until then in reflection of the past and anticipation of the future we can rejoice in the present and again i say we can rejoice christian joy is experienced through
00:21:44 sober reflection have you experienced this joy often we have moments of this joy glimpses of it but how do we take hold of this fullness of joy now this leads us to our last point for today christian joy is made full through god's presence not christmas presents though growing up i felt a great joy through the gifts from my parents however what i mean is god's presence god with us that makes joyful so the text is telling us that there is a concept of full joy a complete joy meaning that we can experience
00:22:34 partial joy without experiencing complete joy let's look at verse 23 in that day you will ask nothing of me truly truly i say to you whatever you ask of me of the father in my name he will give it to you until now you have asked nothing in my name ask and you will receive that your joy may be full there's the statement here of fullness of joy and that that fullness of joy comes through asking the father what does it mean to ask your father of course it's prayer it's through prayer and prayer specifically in the name of
00:23:14 jesus and then you will receive and your joy will be full now what does it mean to ask in the name of jesus to get a fuller view of this concept let us look at another passage just a chapter before our passage today let's look at john 15 1 through 17. and if you have your bibles with you um i would invite you to open them up uh go to john 15 we're going to camp out there for just a little bit i want you to see that how john 15 shows the fullness of joy and how it relates to asking and how that relates to john
00:23:54 16. so if you have your bibles open them to john 15 and i'm reading out of the esv so try to follow along with me so john 15 one onwards it says i am the true vine and my father is the wine dresser every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away and every branch that does not bear fruit he prunes that it may bear more fruit already you are clean because of the word that i have spoken to you now this is a famous passage the father is the wine dresser jesus is the wine and we are the branches
00:24:34 and then he starts talking about abiding look at verse four abide in me and i in you as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine neither can you unless you abide in me i am the vine you are the branches whoever abides in me and i in him he is that bears much fruit for apart from me you can do nothing if anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers and the branches are gathered thrown into the fire and burned if you abide in me and my words abide in
00:25:10 you ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you he says ask and abide and then he moves to bearing fruit verse eight by this my father is glorified that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples and after bearing fruit he moves to obedience ask the father as the father has loved me so i have loved you abide in my love if you keep my commandments you will abide in my love and then from from keeping the commandments obeying he then moves to love just as i have kept my father's commandment and abide in his love
00:25:54 now this is verse 10 and i'll skip over verse 11 just for a moment and go to verse 12 and he starts now with love this is my commandment that you love one another as i have loved you greater love has no one in this that someone lay down his life for his friends and then he goes back to obedience if you are my friends and you are my friends if you do what i command you no longer do i call your servants for the servants to not know what this master is doing but i call you friends for all that i've heard from my father i
00:26:29 have made known to you and then from obedience he moves back to fruit you did not choose me i choose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit shall abide see back to abiding and asking so that whatever you ask the father in my name he may give it to you so there's a little literary structure that's going on here and it moves like this abide and ask bear fruit obey commandments love love obey commandments bear fruits and then back to asking and abiding and sandwiched in between the two loves
00:27:16 is verse 11. and this is the point that john is trying to point us to because it's right in the center it's sandwiched right in the middle between all the asking abiding the bearing the fruit obeying the commandments the love right in the center is this statement it says this these things i have spoken to you that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be full this full joy that chapter 16 is talking about is explained earlier in chapter 15 here now just to help you illustrate a little bit of what we just talked about let me
00:27:53 show you this picture so look at this picture that's why it talks about abide and ask fruit obedience love love obedience fruit and joy is right smack in the center the point of all of this is so that our joy can be full and it's begins and ends with abiding and asking which of course leads to fruit and obedience and love and all that gives joy another way to say it is this way as you love god it will result in obedience which will bear fruit and this is how you experience this full joy and it begins and ends with asking and abiding
00:28:38 why because all of the above is how we truly experience god well through love through obedience to the bearing of fruit in your life through the fruit of the spirit and through your ministry through making more disciples this is where you see god at work go make disciples of all nations and i will be with you is what jesus says and as we day in and day out abide and ask and obey we experience the presence of god and dare there lies the joy now this is not a work it is a privilege it's not something you must do to be
00:29:20 saved but it's something that you're now able to do because you are saved it's a sign of your salvation and with it it carries that ultimate joy that complete joy see it's it's crucial in the fight for joy that we do not confuse or combine uh justification the fact that we are saved and sanctification to growing in christ likeness or holiness confusing them will in the end undermine the gospel and it will turn the justification by faith it means god truth that we are declared innocent before him because of
00:29:57 the work of christ into justification by performance that you can you have to do certain things to be saved only if you perform in a certain way now if that happens the great gospel weapon in the fight of joy will fall from our hands god accepts us on the basis of christ's righteousness not ours obedience of course is the necessary evidence that the seed of the spiritual life is in our soul and that our faith is real but oh what difference does it make to be assured in a discouraging discouraging darkness
00:30:40 of our own imperfection that we have a perfect righteousness outside ourselves namely christ so you can now abide and pray and obey and ask and love because of christ because you have access to god and only in his presence you have full joy you see the key is it is about access it is about the presence of god king david in psalm 16 says this i bless the lord who gives me counsel in the night also my heart instructs me i have set the lord always before me because he is at my right hand i shall not be shaken
00:31:33 therefore my heart is glad and my whole being rejoices my flesh also dwelts secure for you will not abandon my soul to shield or let your holy one see corruption 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 me say it again in your presence there is fullness of joy at your right hand our pleasures forevermore in our text this morning in verse 25 jesus said i have said these things to you in figures of speech the hour is coming
00:32:22 when i will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but i will tell you plainly about the father in that day you will ask in my name and i do not say to you that i will ask the father on your behalf for the father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that i came from god i came from the father and i have come into the world and now i'm leaving the world and going to the father you see how he's talking about the first coming and the second coming it is because he came
00:33:05 because he came and will come again we can have joy because he came died and rose again and went back to the father he says you do not have to ask the father and i saw i do not have to ask the father on your behalf but you yourself can come to the father for through loving jesus and unknowing and his finished work on the cross the father now loves you too and all of us we can now approach him direct no intermediaries are required we can stand before him today in prayer and one day fully in his presence we have
00:33:46 complete access to the father ourselves jesus death on our behalf granted us access to the full presence of god in whom lies fullness of joy it is because he jesus who had all the joy and who was with the father left and came down and to become the man of sorrow that we who deserve all sorrow may experience the fullness of joy in the father's presence it's because jesus on the cross was forsaken that we are accepted and we can have that excess access to god and it is there in his presence god's presence
00:34:37 where we can find fullness of joy now you may wonder but i sin i i i don't always obey brothers and sisters the good news is that in christ you do perfectly obey you do have perfect love and you bear perfect fruit so this christmas look to jesus if you if you lack joy if you're down if you're hurt if you desire a a joy that is eternally robust guaranteed everlasting put your faith in jesus he is our joy he came he's emmanuel he's god with us through him we experience the full presence of god ponder upon the cross
00:35:33 and the resurrection think and think deeply abide in jesus abide in his love pray obey ask because the christian joy is eternally robust it is experienced through sober reflection and it's made full through god's presence a presence that you can enter because he came and died and rose from the great grave and promised to come again this advent ask for more of his presence to be felt in your life ask in the name of jesus ask and you will receive that your joy may be full now before we close in prayer
00:36:22 if you have any prayer requests if you want somebody to pray with you please just send pray into a text message right now and somebody will come and pray with you let us pray heavenly father we come before you this morning and we might not have reasons to rejoice um so many things in the world are are not the way they're supposed to be because of the brokenness that we experience and the brokenness in us and the brokenness around us but father we know that your joy is not just sequential it's not just sorrow now
00:36:59 enjoy tomorrow but there is joy now because you are with us and as we ponder upon the cross and we ponder upon your first coming anticipate the second coming because of your resurrection father we ask that by the power of your spirit this morning you will fill us with joy and you in jesus name we pray amen
