Isaiah 9:3-7   You have multiplied the nation and increased its joy.  They rejoice before You according to the joy of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. . .  For unto us a Child is born; unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder.  And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

 

Isaiah 51:11   So the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness; sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

 

Isaiah 55:10-12   For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.  For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

 

Jeremiah 15:16   Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart;  for I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.

 

Habakkuk 3:17-19   Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.  The LORD God is my strength.

 

Zechariah 9:9   Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.

 

Luke 2:10-12   Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

 

John 16:24   Until now you have asked nothing in My name.  Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

Matthew 28:5-9   But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.  Come, see the place where the Lord lay.   And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you."  So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.  And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!"  So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.

 

Luke 24:51-52   Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.  And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.

 

Acts 13:52   And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

 

Acts 15:3   So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren.

 

Romans 15:13   Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

2 Corinthians 8:1-2   Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia, that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality.

 

Gal 5:22-23   But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness, self-control.  Against such there is no law.

 

Philippians 4:4-7   Rejoice in the Lord always.  Again I will say, rejoice!  Let your gentleness be known to all men.  The Lord is at hand.  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;  and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

 

1 Thessalonians 1:5-6   For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.  And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit.

 

Philemon 1:7   For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.

 

James 1:2-3   My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

 

1 Peter 4:13   But rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

 

PRAYER:

 

Our Father in heaven,

      We approach Your throne of grace

      Through the intercession of God the Son,

              Our Great High Priest,

              Our Lord Jesus Christ,

      And by God the Holy Spirit,

                  Who ever indwells all who believe in Jesus.

 

We come to You in need of joy.

 

You have

      Provided redemption from sin for true believers

              By the sacrificial death of our Lord Jesus;

      Provided eternal life 
              By His resurrection from the dead;

      Sent the Holy Spirit 
              To indwell believers forever;

      Given Your Word 
              To convict us of sin

              And implant faith in our hearts;

      Given us true hope, confident expectation 

              Of the future return of Christ,

              Our own resurrection body,

              And reigning with Jesus in His Kingdom

                  When He rules as King of Kings

                  And Lord of Lords on the earth.

 

But we confess this morning that

      We have too often allowed our hearts to be fixed

              On the things of our present age on earth.

      We have let our inner life be dominated by
              Pressures to be more than we can be 
                      At home, at work, at school;

              Thoughts that we have no time for You 
                      In our daily schedules;

              Concerns only for things 
                      That we can see and hear and touch;

              Feelings that we are not receiving any good

                      And that we are hopelessly in a downward spiral;

              Worries of a future of failure 
                      In all that we seek in this world.

 

O Father, we need joy.

 

After much suffering and sorrow in their unfaithfulness to You,

      Your people Israel sometimes learned

          That their true joy was to be found

 

          In Your presence,

          In praising You for your salvation of them in the past,

          In anticipating fulfillment of your covenantal promises

              Of restoration and salvation of them

              In the future Kingdom of Messiah.

 

You were faithful in sending Your Son to Israel.

 

He came,

      Offering Himself as their Royal Messiah,

      Giving His life to pay the eternal penalty for sin,

      And rising from the dead

      To give eternal life to all who believe in Him.

 

As a nation, Israel rejected Him as their King and Savior.

 

But many of Israel did receive Him

      As their Lord Messiah and Savior

      And in His presence, His Word,

          And His salvation,

              Found true joy.

 

And, by Your grace, many of us who are Gentiles

      Have also come to trust in Him as our Lord and Savior,

      And to look for His return to rule on Earth

          As King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

 

God the Holy Spirit has given us

      The fruit of real joy in Jesus,

          Even in difficult and painful and grievous personal trials.

 

By God the Holy Spirit, we have known real joy:

      In personal encounters with the risen Jesus;

      In imitating Jesus’ love for people;

      In praying to You in His name,

              Thanking You for all You have done,

              And giving You petitions for help

                  For ourselves and others;
      Through reports of people coming to faith in Christ;
      Through the fellowship of fellow believers,

              Especially those who minister to us the Word of God;
      In joint service with other believers 
              In spreading the Gospel;
      In hearing of the stand that other believers

  Are courageously taking for Christ,

  Suffering affliction, even persecution, in this life.

 

O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

      We have been filled with joy in the Lord Jesus in the past.

            But we have allowed our joy

    To be suppressed by the things of this life.

 

This morning, as we continue in this service of worship,

      Lead each of us back to joy 
            Through worship,

                In the Presence of our Triune God,

                  With psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.

 

This morning as we partake of the Lord’s Table,

      Lead each of us back to joy 
            Through an encounter with our Lord Jesus,

                  As the One who paid for all our sins forever,

                  And as the One who triumphed 
                      Over death to give us eternal life.

 

This morning as we listen to our Pastor proclaim Your Word,

      Lead each of us back to joy 
            Through faith in Your Word of Promise,

                  For our service of love now,

                  And for our renewed hope in the future reign

          Of our Lord Jesus on the Earth.

 

O God our Father, by Your Holy Spirit,

      Fill us again with the joy that is only in our Lord Jesus.

 

Through our Lord Jesus Christ,

      In whom alone is true joy,

            We pray,

 

Amen.

 

 

Dr. James R. Mook