"Joy" | Advent, Part Three

Published: Dec. 20, 2020, 5 p.m.

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And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, \\u201cBehold,\\xa0the dwelling place\\xa0of God is with man. He will\\xa0dwell with them, and they will be his people,\\xa0and God himself will be with them as their God.\\xa0He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and\\xa0death shall be no more,\\xa0neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.\\u201d

And\\xa0he who was seated on the throne said, \\u201cBehold, I\\xa0am making all things new.\\u201d Also he said, \\u201cWrite this down, for\\xa0these words are trustworthy and true.\\u201d
Revelation 21:1-5 (ESV)

\\u201cJoy is nurtured by anticipation. If the joy producing acts of God are characteristic of our past as God\\u2019s people, they will be characteristic of our future as God\\u2019s people. What we have known of Him, we will know of Him. Just as joy builds on the past, it borrows from the future.\\u201d
- Eugene Peterson

When the\\xa0Lord\\xa0restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who\\xa0dream. Then our\\xa0mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, \\u201cThe\\xa0Lord\\xa0has done great things for them.\\u201d The\\xa0Lord\\xa0has done great things for us; we are glad. Restore our fortunes, O\\xa0Lord, like streams in the Negeb! Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! 6\\xa0He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
Psalm 126:1-6 (ESV)

  1. Joy is a perspective
  2. Joy is a placeholder

\\u201cAll joy reminds. It is never a possession, always a desire for something longer ago or further away or still \\u201cabout to be.\\u201d\\u201d
- C.S. Lewis

  1. Joy is a life of purpose
  2. Joy is a Person

You make known to me\\xa0the path of life; in your presence there is\\xa0fullness of joy;\\xa0at your right hand are\\xa0pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 16:11\\xa0(ESV)

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.\\xa0And an angel of the Lord\\xa0appeared to them, and\\xa0the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, \\u201cFear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all\\xa0the people.\\xa0For\\xa0unto you is born this day in\\xa0the city of David\\xa0a Savior, who is\\xa0Christ\\xa0the Lord.\\xa0And\\xa0this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby\\xa0wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.\\u201d\\xa0And suddenly there was with the angel\\xa0a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, \\u201cGlory to God\\xa0in the highest,\\xa0and on earth\\xa0peace\\xa0among those with whom he is pleased!\\u201d When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, \\u201cLet us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.\\u201d\\xa0And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby\\xa0lying in a manger.\\xa0And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.\\xa0And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.\\xa0But\\xa0Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.\\xa0And the shepherds returned,\\xa0glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Luke 2:8-20 (ESV)

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