31st May 26 am ~ Joy No One Can Take Away

At the cross, Jesus doesn't just suffer bravely, he dies for sinners, taking the guilt that was not his own, taking that judgment that belonged to us, laying down his life for his sheep as he promised, and accomplished reconciliation with God. That very event that would crush the disciples becomes the event that would save those disciples and save us. [00:26:06] (26 seconds)  #CrossSaves

How is that possible? Because joy is tied to the realities that cannot be overturned as Christ has died and has risen and reconciled us to the father and has secured eternal life for his people. So as long as that remains true, there is a reason for us to have joy today. It does not mean that our Christian life will feel equally joyful at all times. [00:34:31] (30 seconds)  #JoyInResurrection

The joy that the Bible speaks about is much deeper than that. It's not temperamental advantage or natural cheerfulness, a positive frame of minds, but joy is one of the fruits of the spirit. It means that joy is something that the Holy Spirit grows in the life of a Christian who fixes our eyes on Jesus Christ. Joy will not become self generated if it is a fruit of the spirit. It is spirit produced, Christ centered, rooted in the gospel of Jesus. [00:14:58] (36 seconds)  #SpiritProducedJoy

Speaking of an inward settled depth of joy, not a passing lift, a circumstantial moment that makes us feel happy, but a gladness that reaches the very center of our being, the center of who we are, and that great promise comes and no one will take your joy from you. Think about that. No persecutor, no critic, no season of loss, no grave, no devil can take it. [00:33:58] (33 seconds)  #JoyNoOneCanTake

And it's why joy can't be produced by our moral efforts as we've compared the fruit of the spirit for moral effort over the last couple of weeks. You can improve some habits, but still be called inwardly. You can be more disciplined and still lack joy. You can become outwardly respectable and have a spiritual dryness within you. Moral reform might look tidy on the outside, but it does not fill your heart. [00:27:52] (31 seconds)  #BeyondMoralEffort

Think about it in the context of what happens at the crucifixion. Within hours, the disciples will fail. They will scatter. Peter denies him. Their courage collapses. Jesus, knowing all this, says, I will see you again, and this brings enormous comfort because joy is secured by the risen Christ who comes to his people. It comes not by our effort, but by his firm grip on us. [00:33:07] (40 seconds)  #JoyByChristsGrip

Because the cross, as they saw that what was happening, would not feel like a small setback. It was a disaster. At Calvary, it looked like everything had gone wrong. Their hopes had been buried. Their confidence, the disciples would collapse. Jesus tells them though before all this happens, that their darkness, the darkness has a purpose. Because at the center of God's plan was the cross itself. [00:25:13] (33 seconds)  #CrossHadPurpose

Yet Jesus defines joy this way. He says it plainly, you will weep. You will be sorrowful. So where does Christian joy begin? It begins by being honest about our sorrow. That might be deeply helpful for some of us this morning because beneath our restlessness, there may be a sense of sadness. Beneath our flatness, there may be a sense of grief. [00:20:40] (28 seconds)  #HonestAboutSorrow