Embracing Joy: The Christian Call to Celebration

Summary

### Summary

In today's sermon, we explored the profound theme of joy and celebration as integral aspects of the Christian life. Drawing inspiration from the poet Mary Oliver, we began by acknowledging that joy is not meant to be a fleeting experience but a substantial part of our lives. We delved into various literary examples, from the Iliad to The Great Gatsby, to illustrate how celebrations are often central to human narratives. However, the Bible offers a unique perspective on celebration, emphasizing that God desires us to celebrate and find joy in His blessings.

We examined Deuteronomy 14, which describes the annual harvest celebration where people are encouraged to feast and rejoice in God's presence. This biblical mandate to celebrate is not just about indulgence but about recognizing and amplifying our enjoyment of God's goodness. We discussed how Christian habits, including celebration, are formative practices that shape us into the likeness of Jesus. Unfortunately, Christians are often not associated with joy and celebration, a misconception that needs to be corrected.

Jesus, the epitome of joy, demonstrated the importance of celebration throughout His ministry. His first miracle at the wedding in Cana, where He turned water into wine, underscores the significance of joy in the Christian life. Jesus taught that abiding in His love leads to overflowing joy, a joy that is meant to be shared and celebrated communally.

We also touched on the concept of malformation, where our need for celebration becomes divorced from our gratitude to God. This separation leads to secular celebrations lacking transcendence and Christian gratitude becoming mere perseverance. The deliberate habit of celebration, however, aligns us with the joyful God who brings beauty and joy even amidst suffering.

Christian celebration is sacramental, pointing to the enduring reality of God's kingdom breaking into our world. It is a communal practice that invites others to experience God's goodness. We are encouraged to start small, be budget-conscious, create regular rhythms, and invite others into our celebrations, making them a gateway to belonging and discipleship.

### Key Takeaways

1. Joy as a Divine Mandate: Joy is not a fleeting crumb but a substantial part of our lives that God desires for us. The Bible encourages us to celebrate God's blessings, as seen in Deuteronomy 14, where people are instructed to feast and rejoice in God's presence. This celebration is not just indulgence but a recognition of God's goodness. [02:57]

2. Jesus, the Embodiment of Joy: Jesus, who carried the heaviest burdens, was also the most joyful person. His first miracle at the wedding in Cana, where He turned water into wine, highlights the importance of joy and celebration in the Christian life. Abiding in Jesus' love leads to overflowing joy, a joy meant to be shared communally. [08:19]

3. Malformation and Secular Celebrations: Our need for celebration often becomes divorced from our gratitude to God, leading to secular celebrations that lack transcendence and Christian gratitude that becomes mere perseverance. The deliberate habit of celebration realigns us with God's joy, bringing beauty and hope even amidst suffering. [14:46]

4. Sacramental Nature of Celebration: Christian celebration is sacramental, pointing to the enduring reality of God's kingdom breaking into our world. It is a communal practice that amplifies our enjoyment of God's goodness and invites others to experience His grace. This celebration is a gateway to belonging and discipleship. [19:57]

5. Practical Steps for Celebration: Start small by marking moments of celebration that point to God's goodness. Be budget-conscious and create regular rhythms of celebration, such as birthdays and feast days. Be spontaneous and responsive to God's surprises, and always invite others to share in the joy of God's goodness. [28:03]

### YouTube Chapters

1. [0:00] - Welcome
2. [0:45] - Introduction to Joy
3. [02:57] - Biblical Mandate for Celebration
4. [04:39] - Deuteronomy 14: Feast and Rejoice
5. [06:28] - Christian Habits and Formation
6. [08:19] - Jesus: The Embodiment of Joy
7. [10:08] - Overflowing Joy in John 15
8. [11:39] - Definition of Christian Celebration
9. [13:21] - Malformation: Secular vs. Sacred Celebrations
10. [14:46] - The Deliberate Habit of Celebration
11. [16:34] - Story of Vedran Smailović
12. [18:22] - Dallas Willard on Joy and Suffering
13. [19:57] - Sacramental Nature of Celebration
14. [21:47] - Personal Stories of Celebration
15. [24:36] - Celebration as a Gateway to Belonging
16. [28:03] - Practical Steps for Celebration
17. [31:06] - Closing Prayer and Transition

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. Deuteronomy 14:22-26 - "Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always. But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the Lord your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the Lord will choose to put his Name is so far away), then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the Lord your God will choose. Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice."

2. John 15:9-11 - "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."

3. Psalm 16:11 - "You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."

#### Observation Questions
1. According to Deuteronomy 14, what are the Israelites instructed to do with their tithe if the place of worship is too far? ([02:57])
2. In John 15:9-11, what does Jesus say will happen if we remain in His love and keep His commandments? ([08:19])
3. How does Psalm 16:11 describe the experience of being in God's presence? ([10:08])
4. What was Jesus' first miracle, and how does it relate to the theme of joy and celebration? ([08:19])

#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does Deuteronomy 14 emphasize celebrating in the presence of the Lord with whatever food and drink one desires? How does this shape our understanding of biblical celebration? ([02:57])
2. How does Jesus' teaching in John 15:9-11 connect obedience to His commandments with experiencing complete joy? What does this imply about the relationship between love, obedience, and joy? ([08:19])
3. Psalm 16:11 speaks of "eternal pleasures" at God's right hand. How does this verse help us understand the nature of joy in the Christian life? ([10:08])
4. The sermon mentioned that Christian celebration is sacramental, pointing to God's kingdom breaking into our world. How does this concept challenge or affirm your current understanding of celebration? ([19:57])

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a recent celebration in your life. How did you acknowledge or fail to acknowledge God's goodness in that moment? What could you do differently next time? ([11:39])
2. Jesus' first miracle was turning water into wine at a wedding, highlighting the importance of joy. How can you incorporate more joy and celebration into your daily life, especially in your spiritual practices? ([08:19])
3. The sermon discussed the concept of malformation, where our need for celebration becomes divorced from our gratitude to God. Can you identify any secular celebrations in your life that lack transcendence? How can you realign them with gratitude to God? ([14:46])
4. Christian celebration is described as a communal practice that invites others to experience God's goodness. How can you create opportunities for communal celebration in your church or community? ([19:57])
5. The sermon suggested starting small and being budget-conscious in our celebrations. What are some practical ways you can celebrate God's goodness without spending a lot of money? ([28:03])
6. Think about a time when you felt immense joy but did not share it with others. How can you make a habit of inviting others into your moments of joy and celebration? ([26:18])
7. The sermon mentioned that celebration can be a gateway to belonging and discipleship. How can you use celebrations to build deeper relationships within your small group or church community? ([24:36])

Devotional

Day 1: Joy as a Divine Mandate
Joy is not a fleeting crumb but a substantial part of our lives that God desires for us. The Bible encourages us to celebrate God's blessings, as seen in Deuteronomy 14, where people are instructed to feast and rejoice in God's presence. This celebration is not just indulgence but a recognition of God's goodness. [02:57]

Deuteronomy 14:26 (ESV): "And spend the money for whatever you desire—oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household."

Reflection: Think of a recent blessing in your life. How can you intentionally celebrate this blessing in a way that acknowledges and honors God's goodness?

Day 2: Jesus, the Embodiment of Joy
Jesus, who carried the heaviest burdens, was also the most joyful person. His first miracle at the wedding in Cana, where He turned water into wine, highlights the importance of joy and celebration in the Christian life. Abiding in Jesus' love leads to overflowing joy, a joy meant to be shared communally. [08:19]

John 15:11 (ESV): "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt the joy of Jesus in your life. How can you share this joy with your community today?

Day 3: Malformation and Secular Celebrations
Our need for celebration often becomes divorced from our gratitude to God, leading to secular celebrations that lack transcendence and Christian gratitude that becomes mere perseverance. The deliberate habit of celebration realigns us with God's joy, bringing beauty and hope even amidst suffering. [14:46]

Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 (ESV): "I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man."

Reflection: Identify a secular celebration you participate in. How can you infuse it with gratitude to God, making it a more meaningful and transcendent experience?

Day 4: Sacramental Nature of Celebration
Christian celebration is sacramental, pointing to the enduring reality of God's kingdom breaking into our world. It is a communal practice that amplifies our enjoyment of God's goodness and invites others to experience His grace. This celebration is a gateway to belonging and discipleship. [19:57]

1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV): "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

Reflection: Think of a communal celebration you can organize or participate in. How can you make it a sacramental experience that points others to God's kingdom?

Day 5: Practical Steps for Celebration
Start small by marking moments of celebration that point to God's goodness. Be budget-conscious and create regular rhythms of celebration, such as birthdays and feast days. Be spontaneous and responsive to God's surprises, and always invite others to share in the joy of God's goodness. [28:03]

Nehemiah 8:10 (ESV): "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.'"

Reflection: What is one small way you can celebrate God's goodness today? How can you invite someone else to join you in this celebration?

Quotes

1. "The God of the Bible wants us to celebrate. hope you caught that in the teaching text. Look again with me at it. It's Deuteronomy 14 and following. It's talking about the annual harvest celebration. Now, when the Lord your God blesses you with a good harvest, it's a when, it might be too far to carry. A tenth of your year's income. The minivan might not make it. So liquidate a tenth of your harvest and travel to the temple. And now here comes the surprise. When you get there, you may use the money to buy any kind of food that you want. Cattle, sheep, goats, wine, or other alcoholic drink. Then feast in the presence of the Lord your God and celebrate with all your household." [02:57] (52 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "We probably don't often stop to think of our lives as being comprised largely of an array of habituated actions. And nor do we often stop to think about how these habits that we have formed end up forming us. But from ancient philosophers like Plato through to modern writers like James Clear and his atomic habits, people who have thought deeply about how human beings change agree that habits have a formative role in our lives. And perhaps that's why we're here today. Perhaps no tradition is richer on this front than our own Christian tradition." [06:28] (45 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "We are joy vessels. We are joy vessels designed on purpose to be filled up and overflowing with the joy of God. Listen how David puts it at the end of Psalm 16. You make known to me the path of life. You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. You hear that? Pleasures everlasting in the right hand of God. This is how the ancient Christians envisioned life with God. This is the with God life that Jesus came demonstrating to us and that he offers for us. This is the life that you were built for, a life of joy." [10:08] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "Christian celebration is the amplification of our enjoyment of God by sharing and marking his goodness together. All the parts of that sentence are important. It is possible to celebrate alone, but the practice, the Christian practice of celebration is traditionally done together. It's a communal habit. And it consists in sharing the goodness of God, whether that's feasting on the richness of the harvest, whether that's pouring around glasses of champagne at a graduation, whether that's delighting together in a performed piece of art or in a ritual. The goodness is shared, but it cannot terminate in the sharing of the good thing." [11:39] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "When we fail to celebrate, we are leaving enjoyment of God's goodness on the table. This is the formation stage of the transformation parabola we've been talking about. In this series, we are designed on purpose by a good God for good things. That's what we read in our Christian story. We are built to experience and to enjoy God's goodness, and for that pleasure to be amplified by celebration. You all know what to expect next. We are designed for good, but along the way, we become malformed. Although we've been designed for joy, we are designed for good. We are designed for good, but along the way, we become malformed." [13:21] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "The deliberate habit of celebration reminds us that while sin and evil are a regular part of our lives, we are not built for them and they will not last. We are built for joy. Dallas Willard puts it this way. This world is radically unsuited to the heart of the human person and the suffering and the terror of life will not be removed no matter how spiritual we become. It is because of this that a healthy faith before God cannot be built and maintained without heartfelt celebration of his greatness and goodness to us in the midst of our suffering and terror." [18:22] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "Christian celebration done well points to a world that exists now that's breaking in now into our brokenness and that will outlast it. You know, the fancy theological word for this is sacramental. Christian celebration is sacramental. It has its feet on the ground of our reality, but it raises our gaze to a yet more enduring reality of the presence of the kingdom of God. And you are meant to taste that when the bread hits your lips and the wine slides across your tongue. You are meant to hear that when the applause and the singing breaks out as a person splashes up through the waters of the baptismal tub, blinking like a newborn." [19:57] (50 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8. "Some of you are really good at celebrating and sadly you've been made to feel like that has to be separate from your faith and that certainly there's no use for that gifting in the church. And that's not true and that's not the way it should be. Maybe you're an Enneagram 7 and you know how to get the marrow from life, but you feel like you got to shut down that part of your wiring when you're hanging out with your church family. But it isn't just wiring. That is gift. It's a gift that has been given to you for your enjoyment, but for the building up of the church family." [21:47] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

9. "Imagine this. Imagine that instead of being known for conspicuous consumption, you're known for being the least consumerist on the block and for being killjoys. Christians in Baltimore become known for being the least consumerist on the block and yet for throwing the greatest celebrations. That would be a change. There's one more crucial element of Christian celebration that I haven't touched on yet. Shortly after Pastor Sam and Esther moved from Princeton to Baltimore to help start St. Moe's, their son Ethan made a hundred days." [24:36] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

10. "Celebration can be the portal to belonging. Look back with me at our teaching text, particularly verse 29. Did you notice it? It's talking about the harvest. Give it to the Levites who will receive no allotment of the land among you, as well as to the foreigners living among you, the orphans and the widows in your town so that they can eat and be satisfied. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all your work. It's not just the owners of the harvest who get to celebrate God's goodness. God's people are meant to fold outsiders into the enjoyment of God's goodness through celebration. And that is the heart of the gospel." [26:18] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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Transcript

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