Finding Joy and Authenticity in Life's Wilderness

 

Summary

In today's gathering, we explored the profound theme of finding joy in unexpected places, particularly in the wilderness of our lives. As we lit the third Advent candle, symbolizing joy, we acknowledged the challenges of experiencing joy amidst the world's heartaches and personal struggles. The wilderness, a recurring biblical metaphor, represents those times when our support systems are stripped away, leaving us vulnerable and exposed. Yet, it is precisely in these moments of desolation that we can encounter God in a transformative way.

Reflecting on personal experiences, I shared a poignant story from 2004 when our church faced division over the inclusion of LGBTQ individuals. This period of wilderness taught us the liberating power of authenticity and the freedom that comes from not seeking human approval. In the wilderness, we discovered the gift of being true to ourselves and the ease of repentance, as we no longer feared judgment.

The wilderness is not just a place of isolation but also a space where God meets us. It is where we can prepare the way for the Lord, as John the Baptist did, by embracing repentance and forgiveness. The leveling of the playing field, where all lives are valued equally, is a powerful message of hope and salvation.

We also heard the story of Jen Hatmaker, who faced her own wilderness after supporting gay marriage. Her journey reminds us that human approval can become an idol, and stepping into the wilderness can lead to a community of authenticity and joy.

In my own life, the wilderness was marked by personal loss and grief, yet it was also a time when God showed up powerfully. The naming of a star after my son Elijah was a poignant reminder of God's grace and presence, even in the darkest times. Psalm 147 reassures us that God heals the brokenhearted and knows each star by name, affirming that we are never alone.

As we continue this Advent season, let us embrace the wilderness, knowing that it is a place where we can find joy, community, and God's unwavering presence. We are called to welcome others into this space, offering them the same grace and acceptance that God extends to us.

Key Takeaways:

1. Joy in the Wilderness: The wilderness, a metaphor for life's desolate moments, is where we can encounter God and find unexpected joy. It is in these stripped-down places that we can truly experience God's presence and grace. [19:56]

2. Authenticity and Freedom: Embracing authenticity in the wilderness frees us from the need for human approval. This liberation allows us to repent and seek forgiveness without fear of judgment, leading to a more genuine relationship with God and others. [45:21]

3. Leveling the Playing Field: The message of the wilderness is one of equality and value for all lives. God's salvation lifts the lowly and humbles the exalted, reminding us that every life is precious and worthy of respect. [46:19]

4. Community in the Wilderness: Stepping into the wilderness can lead to a community of authenticity and joy. By rejecting the idol of human approval, we find others who are thriving in their own wilderness experiences, creating a space of belonging and acceptance. [51:56]

5. God's Presence in Grief: Even in the depths of personal loss and grief, God is present, offering comfort and healing. The assurance that God knows each of us by name, as He does the stars, provides hope and joy in the wilderness. [56:45]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[14:26] - Joy in Unexpected Places
[19:07] - Lighting the Candle of Joy
[19:56] - Promises in the Wilderness
[20:41] - Wilderness Experiences
[42:18] - Personal Wilderness Story
[43:04] - Freedom in Authenticity
[44:05] - Embracing Repentance
[45:21] - Liberation from Approval
[46:19] - Leveling the Playing Field
[51:12] - Jen Hatmaker's Wilderness
[51:56] - Community Beyond Conformity
[53:40] - Finding Joy in Grief
[55:56] - Naming a Star
[56:45] - God's Healing Presence

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Isaiah 40:3-5 - "A voice of one calling: 'In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.'"
2. Psalm 147:3-4 - "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name."

Observation Questions:
1. What does the wilderness symbolize in the Bible, and how is it portrayed in the sermon? [46:19]
2. How did the speaker describe their personal experience of the wilderness in 2004, and what was the outcome? [42:18]
3. What role does authenticity play in the wilderness according to the sermon? [45:21]
4. How does the story of Jen Hatmaker illustrate the concept of the wilderness? [51:12]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the wilderness experience lead to a deeper encounter with God, as suggested in the sermon? [46:19]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that the wilderness can be a place of liberation from the need for human approval? [45:21]
3. How does the leveling of the playing field in the wilderness reflect God's view of equality and value for all lives? [46:19]
4. What does the naming of a star after Elijah symbolize in the context of finding joy in grief? [55:56]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you felt like you were in the wilderness. How did you experience God's presence during that time? [46:19]
2. In what areas of your life are you seeking human approval, and how might embracing authenticity in the wilderness free you from this need? [45:21]
3. How can you actively work towards leveling the playing field in your community, ensuring that all lives are valued equally? [46:19]
4. Consider a personal loss or grief you have experienced. How can you find joy and God's presence in that situation, similar to the speaker's story about Elijah? [55:56]
5. How can you create a community of authenticity and joy in your own wilderness experiences, as described in the sermon? [51:56]
6. What steps can you take to welcome others into the wilderness, offering them grace and acceptance as God does for us? [57:48]
7. Identify one way you can prepare the way for the Lord in your life, following the example of John the Baptist in the wilderness. [46:19]

Devotional

Day 1: Joy in the Wilderness
In the wilderness of life, where support systems are stripped away, one can encounter God in transformative ways. These desolate moments, often marked by vulnerability and exposure, are paradoxically where unexpected joy can be found. The wilderness is not merely a place of isolation but a sacred space where God meets us, offering His presence and grace. It is in these stripped-down places that we can truly experience the depth of God's love and the joy that transcends circumstances. [19:56]

Isaiah 35:1-2 (ESV): "The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God."

Reflection: Think of a current challenge in your life that feels like a wilderness. How can you invite God into this space to discover unexpected joy?


Day 2: Authenticity and Freedom
Embracing authenticity in the wilderness liberates us from the need for human approval, allowing us to live genuinely and seek forgiveness without fear of judgment. This freedom fosters a deeper relationship with God and others, as we are no longer bound by the expectations of others. In the wilderness, we learn the liberating power of being true to ourselves, which leads to a more authentic and fulfilling spiritual journey. [45:21]

Galatians 1:10 (ESV): "For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."

Reflection: Identify an area in your life where you seek human approval. How can you begin to shift your focus towards seeking God's approval instead?


Day 3: Leveling the Playing Field
The wilderness experience conveys a powerful message of equality and the inherent value of all lives. It is a place where God's salvation lifts the lowly and humbles the exalted, reminding us that every life is precious and worthy of respect. This leveling of the playing field calls us to embrace repentance and forgiveness, preparing the way for the Lord as John the Baptist did. [46:19]

James 1:9-10 (ESV): "Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away."

Reflection: Consider someone you may have overlooked or undervalued. How can you show them the respect and value that God sees in them today?


Day 4: Community in the Wilderness
Stepping into the wilderness can lead to a community of authenticity and joy. By rejecting the idol of human approval, we find others who are thriving in their own wilderness experiences, creating a space of belonging and acceptance. This community is marked by genuine relationships and shared journeys, where individuals support one another in their pursuit of authenticity and spiritual growth. [51:56]

Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV): "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."

Reflection: Who in your life can you reach out to today to build a more authentic and supportive community?


Day 5: God's Presence in Grief
Even in the depths of personal loss and grief, God is present, offering comfort and healing. The assurance that God knows each of us by name, as He does the stars, provides hope and joy in the wilderness. This divine presence reminds us that we are never alone, even in our darkest times, and that God's grace is sufficient to carry us through. [56:45]

Psalm 34:18 (ESV): "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit."

Reflection: Reflect on a time of grief in your life. How did you experience God's presence, and how can you seek His comfort in current or future times of sorrow?

Quotes

"We know that that's what we're supposed to feel this time of year, a sense of joy. At least that's what all the carols and the movies and the Christmas cards and the commercials tell us. But perhaps we're not paying attention. Joy seems in short supply these days. Is it wise to be joyful when there's so much at stake each and every day? Are we even allowed to be joyful when there's so much heartache in this world?" [00:19:18] (30 seconds)


"We all know what it's like to be in the wilderness, don't we? A loved one dies. We receive an unexpected diagnosis. Our marriage ends. We lose our job. Our best friend stops corresponding to us. Our church. Our family rejects us. Our family rejects us. Or maybe it's just plain loneliness. But we know what it's like, don't we? To live in that wilderness." [00:41:46] (39 seconds)


"But you know, there's something freeing when people decide they don't like you, because then you don't have anything to live up to. You don't need to try to gain their approval, right? I mean, it is freeing. You can be your authentic self, because I no longer need to get their approval. It's actually really, really freeing." [00:44:51] (23 seconds)


"When you're not worried about winning people's approval, repentance, saying I'm wrong, apologizing, becomes a lot easier. Because you don't care that you made a mistake. You're not worried about people saying, oh my gosh, she made a mistake. Okay. It's freeing. It's an amazing gift. And sometimes I think you have to go to the wilderness to receive that gift." [00:45:32] (32 seconds)


"He was in the wilderness, and he was preaching, preaching a message of repentance, of forgiveness, of learning to live in that place where we can say, I was wrong. I'm sorry. Please forgive me. But he was in the wilderness doing it. Why? You saw that list of all of those important people, didn't you?" [00:45:56] (26 seconds)


"all of your places of comfort all of those places that are familiar everything is stripped away and what you discover is God God is there in the wilderness and so I'm sure John discovered God's presence in the wilderness and then he goes and he starts preaching that the valleys would be lifted up and the mountains would be made low and and the crooked would be made straight and everyone would see God's salvation what an amazing message right everything that is low will be raised up it's a leveling of the playing field isn't it saying that oh my goodness everyone teachers and football players famous football players they'll be the same right they'll have the same value and worth millionaires and homeless people they will get the same respect because this playing field has been leveled because God sees every single life and says this life has value this life is important this life has meaning and when God does that that playing field is completely leveled and so those that the world reveres become just normal people and those that the world shuns become normal people like all of us" [00:47:42] (96 seconds)


"In 2018, at Christmas, I had a very difficult wilderness experience. In four months of that year, from June until October, October, my son was killed in June and I know this is nothing in comparison, but my 17 -year -old cat died in September and then in October, we sold my mother's home, the home that my kids had known as their grandparents' home pretty much their whole life, and mom moved in with us. Pretty stressful, right? A lot of things going on and definitely felt like I was in the wilderness Christmas I was dreading it just didn't feel like there was any way to find joy in that Christmas now don't get me wrong I loved having my mom with me but she was grieving she was grieving giving up her independence she was grieving the loss of her grandson we were all just in this place of grief and felt like we were stuck in the wilderness and then joy was then dating her now husband Shawn and Shawn brought with him three amazing children and so suddenly at Christmas we had children around and you know there's nothing like kids to help you realize that life is short that God is here and and that joy is here and that joy is now like the rest of us." [00:53:58] (95 seconds)


"And I remembered the psalm that says that God is the one who placed all the stars in the sky and calls them by name. And so I went and read that psalm on that Christmas day. And here's what it says. It's Psalm 147. Praise the Lord, how good it is to sing praises to our God, for he is gracious. We serve a God of grace." [00:56:19] (37 seconds)


"But God showed up in a very powerful way and reminds us that there is joy precisely in the wilderness and that we are not alone in the wilderness. And so on this series of hospitality where we're looking at the ways that Jesus invites us all and how we're called to invite people, we are called to invite people to welcome them who are living in the wilderness, no matter what their wilderness is, to accept them where they are. If they want to cry, let them cry. If they want to be angry, let them be angry. They're in the wilderness." [00:58:14] (39 seconds)


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Transcript
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