Christ in the Psalms, God our Joy - SERMON NOTES

Below are Pastor Ben's sermon notes from this past Sunday, in case they may be helpful for further study.

Joy from the past

Cultivating awe (1,3): (1) “fortunes” = “captives” (2) “like those who dream” — a turn of events that is hard to process, like recovering from a life-threatening illness (Naaman, Jesus’ miracles, resurrection) (3) sometimes feel the Lord is not near or paying attention (cf. Psalm 42:1-3) — a helpful response is remembering the past — personally (cf. Mary) (4) learning to cultivate hope in future eternal awe (cf. advent)

Cultivating laughter (2): (1) mouths filled with laughter, tongues with joy — our mouths often convey/reflect our heart (cf. Mt. 12:34) (2) what makes us laugh/smile — dog in 18-wheeler, danger of coarse joking, remembering relief from difficulty (cf. communion passage) (3) presence of joy in the lives of believers (cf. Gal. 5:22) (4) the nations take note and recognize the Lord for who he is — joy in our lives can be a powerful witness for the Lord — apply to missions

Joy in the present

Cultivating prayer (4): (1) line one in prayer form — still much work to be done (2) condition of the land after 70 years of not being worked — desert imagery (i.e. Negeb) (3) a reality of the Christian life is periods of dryness (4) some captives stayed because life was easier there — spiritual dryness may tempt us to turn to false sources of joy (5) overcoming dryness cannot be forced, it must be received (like rain) (6) prayer connects us to true source of joy (Christmas lights in neighborhood)

Cultivating perseverance (5-6): (1) perseverance added to prayer (cf. Ezra 3:12-13) (2) sowing and reaping picture difficulties in making the land fruitful again — joyful lives are not produced through the paths of least resistance (3) that which is frustrating/disappointing keeps our hearts focused on the joy that only the Lord can provide (cf. James 1:2-4) (4) “heavy joy” story — our unique callings/contexts are paths in which we must endure (cf. Mt. 9:35-38)

Conclusion: (1) “by inviting God into our difficulties we ground life – even in its sad moments – in joy and hope” (Nouwen) (2) what are your greatest difficulties and have you invited Christ into the midst of them? (3) Ortlund — what brings Christ greatest joy is turning to him for help