Jesus is the UnBreakable Joy for three primary reasons. First, Joy is God’s will for you. Second, Joy is God’s doing. And, lastly, Joy is your choice.
In the following lines, I’m going to talk all about that with hope that God’s UnBreakable Joy changes you for the better.
Joy is God’s Will for You
Read Luke 2: 8-14,
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 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. 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. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” ESV.
The news the angel brings to the shepherds, based on Luke 2, is about the coming birth of Christ, the Savior and Lord. This good news is of “great joy that will be for all the people.”
“All the people” means everyone, including the Shepherds who were the first to hear the news. The phrase also represents all those with whom the Shepherds would share the news. It includes you and I, as hearers of God’s good news, as well as those who will hear this message in the future.
Pay attention to this statement: “fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”
What the angel implies is that the good news of great joy should cast away all fears. Most of the Shepherds were poor and low income people.
Yet, God chose to share the great news about His UnBreakable gift of Joy with this group of people.
Why did God choose to do it first with these people? And, why not with the religious leaders who had so much influence in society?
One key answer to the question could have to do with how open the Shepherds were.
- They were humble to receive this gift of God’s UnBreakable Joy.
- They did not question much of what they had heard.
- They were willing to explore more and check out the sign the angel had given them about baby Jesus.
There could be more reasons why God chose to send God’s angel first to the Shepherds. No where else in the four gospels, there is mention of them beyond what we read about them in Luke 2
The gift is that Jesus Christ is God’s UnBreakable Joy for all us, then and now. It is thus God’s will for all us to be joyful.
[clickToTweet tweet=”If God did not intend for you and me to be joyous, God would have never sent Jesus Christ to us.” quote=”If God did not intend for you and me to be joyous, God would have never sent Jesus Christ to us.” theme=”style3″]
Jesus came into the world to take our place and die for us. He chose that path so that you and I do not have to go through it. And, through faith in Jesus, we now receive the UnBreakable gift of Joy.
Listen to the full audio sermon below
Read these verses,
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18. ESV.
Paul, in his letter to the Church in Thessalonica (and the rest of Asia Minor), is telling them about the will of God. According to him, God’s will is to rejoice, pray and give thanks in all circumstances.
For Paul, God’s UnBreakable gift of Joy is God’s will for you and me. If you pay attention the Scripture above, he uses two ways to state it: rejoice and give thanks.
In other words, God wants you and I to be joyful. God does not want it to be only a temporary experience, but something we have at all times.
[clickToTweet tweet=”In all circumstances, bad and good, we should rejoice and give thanks to God. ” quote=”In all circumstances, bad and good, we should rejoice and give thanks to God. ” theme=”style4″]
Joy is God’s Doing
Joy is God’s UnBreakable gift that we receive through faith in Jesus Christ. That makes joy something God can do in us. Don’t get me wrong here. We may choose to create our sources of joy.
But, these kinds of joy are temporary. They come and go away, because they are human-made.
The Joy I am talking about is God-made. It is the one we only receive from God through Jesus Christ: the UnBreakable Gift. [clickToTweet tweet=”God’s joy does not fade away like what we give to each other. ” quote=”God’s joy does not fade away like what we give to each other. ” theme=”style6″]
It is a joy that lasts forever. It does not depend on our feelings. Nor does it depend on our own accomplishments.
How do we get to experience such a Joy? Is it even possible to experience that kind of Joy while here on earth?
You can experience the UnBreakable gift of Joy right now because of the following:
- God is with you (Immanuel).
- God is your consolation.
- God is your hiding place.
- God is your salvation and righteousness.
- God provides for you with everything.
Joy through Prayer
“Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” John 16: 24. ESV.
Jesus, the UnBreakable gift of Joy, shows the disciples a way to experience Joy. It is also becoming clear that that we can receive that kind of Joy and experience it while on this earth.
“Your joy may be full,” Jesus’ own words, implies that prayer is a discipline that opens us to God’s UnBreakable gift of Joy.
Through prayer one can experience fullness and higher satisfaction in life.
Patience in Affliction
Joy comes out of embracing affliction or any challenge you face in life.
Be happy in your hope, stand your ground when you’re in trouble, and devote yourselves to prayer. Romans 12: 12. CEB.
One reality you and I cannot change is that we all go through some tough times, in one way or another.
Being human means that you will have to face sin, loss, grief, sadness, growth, illnesses, job loss, and more.
But, the question is how you handle all what you go through in life.
Paul, writing to the Romans, is talking about 1)hope, 2)standing your ground and 3)prayer.
Hope does not mean you are positive. It is believing in something more powerful, and which can make things better. It is believing in the working power of God.
Out of this belief you choose to devote yourself to prayer.
Not only do you have to pray, but you also have to stand your ground, no matter what happens in your life.
To stand your ground has to do with your belief system or your values.
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Joy Is Your Choice
Based on 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul encourages the Church to choose to be joyous and rejoice.
Science has also affirmed it. Joy is not an external experience. It is what you experience in your inner being.
Your surroundings and everyday living can affect your Joy. But, they can only do so when you let them.
Three things you have to do now that you’ve chosen to be Joyful.
First, love and believe in God.
Remember that God works all things for the good of His people. And, you are one of them because of your faith in Jesus Christ.
Although you’ve never seen him, you love him. Even though you don’t see him now, you trust him and so rejoice with a glorious joy that is too much for words. 1 Peter 1: 8,9. CEB.
To love and believe God means:
- You trust that God is in charge.
- You know and tell yourself every day that God will make all things work according to God’s plan, which is the best for you.
Paul writes a little bit about that to the Church in Rome,
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8: 28. ESV.
God’s plan becomes a reality through you.
You answer God’s calling to be God’s child and live in a manner worth of God’s calling in your life. Living that way implies believing and trusting God. It also tells that you love God as a response to God’s love.
Second, it is out of believing, trusting and loving God that you become bold to face anything.
For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12: 10. ESV.
As you choose to be content, joyful and thankful, even in tough times, you will be getting stronger.
Strength is the fruit of perseverance, endurance and an attitude of gratitude.
Third, live in a way that pleases God.
Every storm, challenge or trouble you face in life comes often hits the core of who you are. In other words, tough times that tend to kill your Joy, question your values.
Being human means you are both spiritual and emotional. You are also a rational being.
Everything that comes your way affects your spiritual, emotional and rational “self.”
All this comes down to your core values, which should draw on your faith and trust in God. So, keep believing and living in obedience to God, no matter what!
In conclusion
Jesus Christ is the UnBreakable Joy for us. What you’ve got to do is to:
- Hold onto Jesus Christ and choose to trust that God.
- Tell yourself that everything is under control.
- Nothing or no one can break God’s Joy in your life.
