Restarting Joy -- Rejoice
Sermon
Sermons on the First Readings
Series III, Cycle C
Object:
Joy does not depend on the external events of life. Adversity may hit us with gale-like force, but the joy in our hearts will be determined by the will of our souls. Joy is a choice!
In his book, Laugh Again, written in 1991, author Charles Swindoll relates that he was on the Dallas Theological Seminary's Board of Regents as they interviewed the first woman faculty member. Her name was Lucy Mabery.
Swindoll chronicles the incredible journey of Professor Mabery on her ride to being a faculty member at Dallas Seminary. He writes that Lucy was rearing a family, teaching Bible classes, and was engaged in a dozen other activities while married to Dr. Trevor Mabery. Dr. Mabery was a successful physician in the Dallas area. At the zenith of his career he was also working with Focus on the Family ministry as a volunteer. He attended a retreat in Montana where he and three other men from the Dallas area had met with Focus on the Family Director, Dr. James Dobson. They discussed plans for the future of the organization and prayed for God's leadership and the direction Focus on the Family should take over the next year. As they were flying back from their retreat meeting, something went terribly wrong with the airplane. The plane lost altitude and power then crashed, killing all four men on board.
Their deaths sent shock waves throughout the Dallas community as all four men were highly respected public figures. Their widows and families were left to pick up the pieces and restart their own lives.
Dr. Swindoll writes that Lucy Mabery chose to do it with joy. Without a moment's hesitation or warning, grief tore into the Mabery family like a tornado.
But, determined not to be bound by the cords of perpetual grief, Lucy remained positive, keen thinking, and joyful. How can a person in Lucy's situation recover, pick up the pieces, and go on? How does anyone press on beyond grief? How do you still laugh at life? How do you put your arms around your children as a new single parent and help them laugh (see joy) in the future? It comes from deep within -- because people like Lucy Mabery set their sails for joy regardless of how the wind blows.1
This is how Isaiah must have felt. His beloved Israel had to fight the foes of hatred, prejudice, and misery from external circumstances, but Isaiah says to hang on. He writes, "You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and the trees of the field will clap their hands" (Isaiah 55:12 NIV).
How can we set sail for a life full of joy?
We Set Sail For Joy By Rejoicing In The Redemptive Goodness Of God (Isaiah 55:10)
God's goodness comes through his creative powers. Isaiah reminds us that we receive the rain and the snow because it is from God. He has absolute control over the weather as well as all the earth produces. It is from his hands and heart that we live. Our confidence is not in the external experiences of life, but in the God who is at work in us and who is in control of everything in our lives. Does that mean temptation or evil or harm will not come our way? Absolutely not! But I can rejoice because I know that God's goodness will override the negative. He will help us discover how to work through the tragedies of our lives and give us direction to make an impact on others. This is not a giddy happiness, but a deep-rooted joy in the midst of trouble kind of experience because we have the goodness of God at the center.
On June 2, 2007, Kelsey Smith ran an errand at a department store in a Kansas City suburb. Kelsey graduated ten days earlier from her high school and was well loved by her family and friends. While at that parking lot she was kidnapped and murdered with her body thrown out near a lake several miles away.
In a Kansas City Star newspaper article on the one-year anniversary of her abduction, the reporter wrote that for more than three days, her family and friends had no clue what had transpired. In the hot sun, they walked the neighborhoods within a five-mile radius of the Target store's parking lot where she was abducted, determined to find Kelsey.
They were too late. Her kidnapper had already carried out his evil deed. So how did they deal with this tragedy? They created the Kelsey Smith Foundation as a way to carry on her name. Their goal is to educate people on how to avoid becoming victims by teaching them safety tips and defensive tactics.
What the Smith family is doing provides an example that can help others when the rain comes. They are just one story. Multiply their story thousands of times with cancer survivor walks, golf outings, friends or relatives of victims starting grief programs or raising money, and it demonstrates that in the midst of tragedy God's goodness and God's love can be demonstrated.
We Set Sail For Joy By Rejoicing In The Word Of God (Isaiah 55:11)
The Holy Bible is the sacred book of Christians, and its first major division is also the sacred book for the Jews. Christians of all denominational stripes refer to it as the word of God.
The English word "bible" is derived from the Greek word biblion, which means "a written volume, roll, or little book" (cf. Luke 4:17, 20; Revelation 10:9). The word came to be applied to the entire collection of Christian sacred writings.2
Evangelicals believe it to be the final and sufficient authority in all matters pertaining to salvation and Christian living. The Bible is filled with exhortation, inspiration, promises, both personal and community, relates salvation history, discloses God throughout its pages, and shares how to receive salvation and sanctification for anyone asking and receiving.
Many years ago lecturer and authoress, Ann Keimel, summed up the joy of receiving God's word.
I think the thing that altered my life was when somebody said to me, "Ann, the Bible absolutely is truth, and it is the power of God speaking to us. You can talk, others can talk, but unless you know his word and read it, it doesn't become a real deep part of you." All I know is that God put it within my heart to read his word, and if I were going to try and encourage somebody to read the Bible, I would ask them to pray for the desire to read the word. I think only God can put that desire in the heart of a human being, and put the desire in that heart so deeply, that he or she will truly be hungry and thirsty for it. Only then does it take on meaning. You have to seek that. You have to want it. And I guess beyond that, I want to love it so much, and I want to say "change me," that without holding it up and admonishing people to read it, they will watch my life; they will see the sparkle in my eyes; they will feel the sunrise in my life; they will hear me laugh; they will see me cry, pick myself up, and go on. They will see all of those things in my life that exude love and power and hope, and that will draw them to God's word, and they will know that's how I got to where I am.3
Do you know the joy of God's word? Have you made it a light on your Christian journey?
We Set Sail For Joy By Rejoicing In Growing In God (Isaiah 55:13)
Gardening becomes a hobby with a passion for many people. It could be said that for some it is an obsession, not just a passion. The work can be intense and time consuming, commencing with soil preparation right on through the planting of the seed or plant. The ultimate goal is harvesting the fruit of the labor, but it is so much fun (and frustrating) with the middle part of watching it grow!
Excitement over someone making a commitment to Christ and becoming a follower should cause every Christian to rejoice. But the excitement should also cause Christians to surround the newborn convert with encouragement, love, and support. Our support of him/her should help in their growth.
Celebrating the Lord's Supper or Eucharist together is a celebration of the growth and the joy of that growth for each of us. Christ came to earth with one specific goal: to die for a lost world. The end was nearing, and the stress, strain, and suffering as the human/divine sacrifice on the cross lay ahead of him. At the Passover table, Jesus reviewed the reason for his coming. He bared his concern with his followers in those closing hours. Two emotions can be detected in that event ... joy and celebration.
Interwoven in the conversation between Jesus and his disciples is the assurance and confidence of the new kingdom of promise, hope, and life. Thanksgiving was offered through blessing and prayer. Throughout the bleakness of the night, the light of spiritual victory pulsates in the words of Jesus. Communion celebrates the victory that Jesus would win for everyone who participates in his sacrifice. Every time the Eucharist is celebrated it is a reminder that we can grow closer to God. It is a confirmation of our acceptance by God through Christ, of our acceptance of Jesus into our lives, and our acceptance of one another. It is the celebration of a spiritual seedling growing into a strong fruitful plant.
Celebration of growth in communion bears the fruit of dignity, purpose, and hope. Come, accept God's invitation to partake in the elements of growth. Bear fruit with a joyous heart! Grow in grace. Rejoice in life!
____________________
1. Charles Swindoll, Laugh Again (Dallas: Word Publishing, 1991), p. 35.
2. Richard Taylor, editor, Beacon Dictionary of Theology (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 1983), p. 70.
3. King Duncan, Lively Illustrations for Effective Preaching (Knoxville: Seven Worlds Publishing, 1987), p. 68. Used by permission.
In his book, Laugh Again, written in 1991, author Charles Swindoll relates that he was on the Dallas Theological Seminary's Board of Regents as they interviewed the first woman faculty member. Her name was Lucy Mabery.
Swindoll chronicles the incredible journey of Professor Mabery on her ride to being a faculty member at Dallas Seminary. He writes that Lucy was rearing a family, teaching Bible classes, and was engaged in a dozen other activities while married to Dr. Trevor Mabery. Dr. Mabery was a successful physician in the Dallas area. At the zenith of his career he was also working with Focus on the Family ministry as a volunteer. He attended a retreat in Montana where he and three other men from the Dallas area had met with Focus on the Family Director, Dr. James Dobson. They discussed plans for the future of the organization and prayed for God's leadership and the direction Focus on the Family should take over the next year. As they were flying back from their retreat meeting, something went terribly wrong with the airplane. The plane lost altitude and power then crashed, killing all four men on board.
Their deaths sent shock waves throughout the Dallas community as all four men were highly respected public figures. Their widows and families were left to pick up the pieces and restart their own lives.
Dr. Swindoll writes that Lucy Mabery chose to do it with joy. Without a moment's hesitation or warning, grief tore into the Mabery family like a tornado.
But, determined not to be bound by the cords of perpetual grief, Lucy remained positive, keen thinking, and joyful. How can a person in Lucy's situation recover, pick up the pieces, and go on? How does anyone press on beyond grief? How do you still laugh at life? How do you put your arms around your children as a new single parent and help them laugh (see joy) in the future? It comes from deep within -- because people like Lucy Mabery set their sails for joy regardless of how the wind blows.1
This is how Isaiah must have felt. His beloved Israel had to fight the foes of hatred, prejudice, and misery from external circumstances, but Isaiah says to hang on. He writes, "You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and the trees of the field will clap their hands" (Isaiah 55:12 NIV).
How can we set sail for a life full of joy?
We Set Sail For Joy By Rejoicing In The Redemptive Goodness Of God (Isaiah 55:10)
God's goodness comes through his creative powers. Isaiah reminds us that we receive the rain and the snow because it is from God. He has absolute control over the weather as well as all the earth produces. It is from his hands and heart that we live. Our confidence is not in the external experiences of life, but in the God who is at work in us and who is in control of everything in our lives. Does that mean temptation or evil or harm will not come our way? Absolutely not! But I can rejoice because I know that God's goodness will override the negative. He will help us discover how to work through the tragedies of our lives and give us direction to make an impact on others. This is not a giddy happiness, but a deep-rooted joy in the midst of trouble kind of experience because we have the goodness of God at the center.
On June 2, 2007, Kelsey Smith ran an errand at a department store in a Kansas City suburb. Kelsey graduated ten days earlier from her high school and was well loved by her family and friends. While at that parking lot she was kidnapped and murdered with her body thrown out near a lake several miles away.
In a Kansas City Star newspaper article on the one-year anniversary of her abduction, the reporter wrote that for more than three days, her family and friends had no clue what had transpired. In the hot sun, they walked the neighborhoods within a five-mile radius of the Target store's parking lot where she was abducted, determined to find Kelsey.
They were too late. Her kidnapper had already carried out his evil deed. So how did they deal with this tragedy? They created the Kelsey Smith Foundation as a way to carry on her name. Their goal is to educate people on how to avoid becoming victims by teaching them safety tips and defensive tactics.
What the Smith family is doing provides an example that can help others when the rain comes. They are just one story. Multiply their story thousands of times with cancer survivor walks, golf outings, friends or relatives of victims starting grief programs or raising money, and it demonstrates that in the midst of tragedy God's goodness and God's love can be demonstrated.
We Set Sail For Joy By Rejoicing In The Word Of God (Isaiah 55:11)
The Holy Bible is the sacred book of Christians, and its first major division is also the sacred book for the Jews. Christians of all denominational stripes refer to it as the word of God.
The English word "bible" is derived from the Greek word biblion, which means "a written volume, roll, or little book" (cf. Luke 4:17, 20; Revelation 10:9). The word came to be applied to the entire collection of Christian sacred writings.2
Evangelicals believe it to be the final and sufficient authority in all matters pertaining to salvation and Christian living. The Bible is filled with exhortation, inspiration, promises, both personal and community, relates salvation history, discloses God throughout its pages, and shares how to receive salvation and sanctification for anyone asking and receiving.
Many years ago lecturer and authoress, Ann Keimel, summed up the joy of receiving God's word.
I think the thing that altered my life was when somebody said to me, "Ann, the Bible absolutely is truth, and it is the power of God speaking to us. You can talk, others can talk, but unless you know his word and read it, it doesn't become a real deep part of you." All I know is that God put it within my heart to read his word, and if I were going to try and encourage somebody to read the Bible, I would ask them to pray for the desire to read the word. I think only God can put that desire in the heart of a human being, and put the desire in that heart so deeply, that he or she will truly be hungry and thirsty for it. Only then does it take on meaning. You have to seek that. You have to want it. And I guess beyond that, I want to love it so much, and I want to say "change me," that without holding it up and admonishing people to read it, they will watch my life; they will see the sparkle in my eyes; they will feel the sunrise in my life; they will hear me laugh; they will see me cry, pick myself up, and go on. They will see all of those things in my life that exude love and power and hope, and that will draw them to God's word, and they will know that's how I got to where I am.3
Do you know the joy of God's word? Have you made it a light on your Christian journey?
We Set Sail For Joy By Rejoicing In Growing In God (Isaiah 55:13)
Gardening becomes a hobby with a passion for many people. It could be said that for some it is an obsession, not just a passion. The work can be intense and time consuming, commencing with soil preparation right on through the planting of the seed or plant. The ultimate goal is harvesting the fruit of the labor, but it is so much fun (and frustrating) with the middle part of watching it grow!
Excitement over someone making a commitment to Christ and becoming a follower should cause every Christian to rejoice. But the excitement should also cause Christians to surround the newborn convert with encouragement, love, and support. Our support of him/her should help in their growth.
Celebrating the Lord's Supper or Eucharist together is a celebration of the growth and the joy of that growth for each of us. Christ came to earth with one specific goal: to die for a lost world. The end was nearing, and the stress, strain, and suffering as the human/divine sacrifice on the cross lay ahead of him. At the Passover table, Jesus reviewed the reason for his coming. He bared his concern with his followers in those closing hours. Two emotions can be detected in that event ... joy and celebration.
Interwoven in the conversation between Jesus and his disciples is the assurance and confidence of the new kingdom of promise, hope, and life. Thanksgiving was offered through blessing and prayer. Throughout the bleakness of the night, the light of spiritual victory pulsates in the words of Jesus. Communion celebrates the victory that Jesus would win for everyone who participates in his sacrifice. Every time the Eucharist is celebrated it is a reminder that we can grow closer to God. It is a confirmation of our acceptance by God through Christ, of our acceptance of Jesus into our lives, and our acceptance of one another. It is the celebration of a spiritual seedling growing into a strong fruitful plant.
Celebration of growth in communion bears the fruit of dignity, purpose, and hope. Come, accept God's invitation to partake in the elements of growth. Bear fruit with a joyous heart! Grow in grace. Rejoice in life!
____________________
1. Charles Swindoll, Laugh Again (Dallas: Word Publishing, 1991), p. 35.
2. Richard Taylor, editor, Beacon Dictionary of Theology (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 1983), p. 70.
3. King Duncan, Lively Illustrations for Effective Preaching (Knoxville: Seven Worlds Publishing, 1987), p. 68. Used by permission.
