Choose Joy!

Eastford Baptist Church

December 7, 2006

“But the angel said to them, do not be afraid. I bring you good news

of great joy that will be for all the people.

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;

He is Christ, the Lord.”

(Luke 2: 10,11)

I read a story this week about a pastor who was asked to lead the opening prayer for a national sales convention for a carpet cleaning business. As he observed their meeting, he was impressed by how excited and enthusiastic they were about their products and their jobs. Now make sure you get this – this is a carpet cleaning convention. Now I don’t know about you – but when it’s time for me to drag out the vacuum cleaner or the carpet cleaner, I generally don’t get all that excited about the potential joy I might experience during stain removal from a rug! But the people at this carpet cleaning convention were apparently different. They were truly excited about their profession. Now here’s what happened; He said someone would bring out carpet samples with a wide variety of dried stains such as mud, wine, blood, chocolate, or ketchup. Then the spokesperson would apply the company’s carpet cleaner and the audience would wait with excited anticipation as the speaker scrubbed the stain. After a few minutes, as the stain disappeared, the audience went nuts. They stood and whistled, and clapped and cheered. The pastor said they were so excited they reminded him of a bunch of happy puppies jumping around. They were genuinely joyful over stain removal!
This visiting pastor was deeply affected by the enthusiasm of these people. As he was driving home, he stopped his car and bowed his head and asked the Lord to forgive him for not demonstrating the same kind of excitement about the good news of Jesus Christ. At that moment, a powerful idea grabbed him. He thought, “These people have taken something ordinary and turned it into the most important thing in the world.” His next thought was: “We have taken the most important thing in the world and turned it into something ordinary.” His carpet cleaning friends jumped around and cheered with full throated enthusiasm when they discovered that some tough old stain couldn’t stand up to their miracle cleaner. Sometimes we often can’t find enough energy to say “amen” after we hear some great timeless truth that has eternal implications for each of our lives.
How about you? Will you experience and celebrate the joy of the Lord today? You might say, “I don’t know if I’m joyful, but I am fairly happy.” Don’t settle for happiness – choose joy instead. Here’s why: Experiencing joy is different than experiencing happiness. Happiness and joy come from two different sources. Happiness is tied to the circumstances around us. Happiness is a result of the happenings around us happening to happen the way we happen to want them to happen. Joy, on the other hand, originates in what we find in Christ. It is full and complete and deeper than happiness. Joy in Christ abides, no matter what happens in our lives. External circumstances can’t touch inner joy.
The angels announced good news of Great Joy with the birth of Christ! An extraordinary event was taking place. God was becoming a man. An infant was becoming a savior. The infinite was becoming a dependant little child. The King of Kings was becoming a servant to all. If ever there was something to be joyful about, it was now! Joy to the world, the Lord has come! There is nothing ordinary about their announcement. In fact it’s the most extraordinary announcement in all of human history. Heaven’s joy had arrived in the form of a babe in a stable. He is the one that has the power to remove the stain of sin in every person who trusts in Him. Joy is Heaven’s gift to us through Christ.
Now catch this: The carpet cleaners might be happy the stains disappeared from their carpets when their cleaner was applied. But reality dictates that their carpets are going to get dirty all over again with use. When the stains return, their work has to begin all over again. (but maybe that makes a carpet cleaner happy!) The good news that brings great joy for us is that the terrible stain of sin each of us has in our hearts is washed away completely and forever through the blood of Jesus Christ. The only real miracle cleanser the world has ever known is the blood of Jesus. His cleansing power is complete, finished, sufficient and forever. God says, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18) Now that’s something to get excited about! As the old hymn says, “What can wash away my sin? / Nothing but the blood of Jesus! / What can make me whole again? / Nothing but the blood of Jesus! / Oh precious is the flow that makes me white as snow / No other fount I know, / Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”
Whatever else you might experience today – I hope that you experience the joy of the Lord. Unspeakable, unending, undeniable, unshakable, unimaginable, indescribable joy! Christian – that’s your heritage. I pray that throughout the day it is also your choice.

Joyfully yours,
PT