The Discipline of Divine Joy

• The Nature of Joy [00:36:04 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor contrasts the cultural view of joy as a fleeting feeling or innate disposition with the biblical view of joy as a divine command and a spiritual gift.
• [Psalm 33](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+33&version=KJV) and Emotional Lordship [00:35:25 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor introduces the sermon series structure, focusing on bringing specific human emotions, starting with joy, under the lordship of Jesus.
• Scriptural Basis for Joy [00:36:45 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor cites multiple biblical passages (Psalm 32, Philippians 4:4, James 1:2, Galatians 5:22, Romans 15:13) to demonstrate that joy is commanded and produced by the Spirit.
• The Nature of Joy (Command vs. Gift) [00:37:09 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that joy is both a divine command and a spiritual gift, explaining that pursuing joy in action produces joy in feeling, citing St. Augustine and Pastor Eugene Peterson.
• The Power of God's Word [00:41:41 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor contrasts the fleeting, subjective nature of human music with the eternal, objective power of Scripture, which has sustained joy across cultures and centuries.
• Sovereignty and Control [00:50:35 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor contrasts modern visibility (social media/news) with King David's lack of insight, arguing that joy comes from trusting God's control over the unknown.
• Divine Sovereignty and Hidden Deliverance [00:52:21 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that believers can shout for joy despite lacking visibility into global events because God controls nations and kings, often turning back dangers before they even enter our vision.
• Righteousness and Qualification for Joy [00:57:01 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor questions who qualifies as 'righteous' to shout for joy, connecting Psalm 33 to Psalm 32 to explain that those whose transgressions are forgiven are the upright who can praise God.
• The Metaphor of the Untuned Instrument [00:59:46 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the analogy of bringing an 'untuned instrument' to God, suggesting that believers do not need to fix their lives before approaching God; instead, God tunes their hearts to sing His grace.
• Communion as the Pursuit of Joy [01:00:35 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor identifies communion as the primary means to pursue joy, linking the 'new song' of Revelation to the gospel of Jesus Christ, inviting those with faith to partake and those without to reflect.
• Communion/Sacrament [01:09:56 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references Jesus' words regarding his body and blood, establishing the sacrament as a reminder of grace and forgiveness.
• Prayer [01:10:19 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor leads a congregational prayer thanking God for Christ's endurance of the cross and the gift of communion.

• Sermon Illustration [00:31:10 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor recounts a commencement speech by country musician Eric Church, who used the analogy of an out-of-tune guitar to describe how a single discordant note ruins the beauty of music, paralleling how our hearts are often 'out of tune' with God.
• Sermon Illustration [00:36:04 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the analogy of the flu to describe how people often mistakenly view joy as something that just happens to you or that you catch, rather than a deliberate pursuit.
• Sermon Illustration [00:39:38 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the analogy of the flu to explain how joy is 'contagious' through proximity to God, similar to communicable attributes. He also uses the illustration of lifting arms to command the heart to praise, citing Pastor Eugene Peterson.
• Sermon Illustration [00:46:13 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about his music taste, specifically getting stuck on the song 'Tub Thumping' by Chumbawamba in 1998, to illustrate how human music has a limited shelf life and fails to sustain joy long-term.
• Sermon Illustration [00:49:22 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references his ministry experiences in hospital rooms and funerals to demonstrate the enduring power of Psalm 23, contrasting it with secular songs that lose their appeal over time.
• Sermon Illustration [00:51:20 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor contrasts the modern ability to know global events via social media with King David's lack of visibility, illustrating that David's joy stemmed from trusting God's control over the unknown.
• Sermon Illustration [00:54:01 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references Pastor James Boyce's insight that many deliverances are unknown to us because God turns them back before they come into our vision, illustrating hidden divine protection.
• Sermon Illustration [00:59:46 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the analogy of musical instruments, stating that believers should bring their 'untuned instruments' (flawed lives/hearts) to God, who will retune them to sing His grace, rather than waiting to be perfect.
• Sermon Illustration [01:01:41 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor connects the 'new song' sung in Revelation 5 to the sacrament of communion, illustrating that Jesus is the substance of the new song and that communion is a communal act of remembering His redemptive work.
• Sermon Illustration [01:11:07 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the metaphor of bringing 'guitars of our hearts' before God to sing his grace afresh.

• Pastoral Charge [00:47:17 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor asks the congregation to listen to the song 'Tub Thumping' by Chumbawamba on their drive home.
• Pastoral Charge [00:41:32 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor issues a repeated imperative for the congregation to 'shout for joy' based on three theological reasons: divine command, the power of God's word, and God's sovereign works.
• Pastoral Charge [01:03:40 ▶️ 📄]
  > Those who have not put their faith in Jesus are instructed to wait on partaking of communion and engage in silent reflection.
• Pastoral Charge [01:04:08 ▶️ 📄]
  > Believers are invited to partake in communion as a reminder of Jesus' sacrifice.
• Pastoral Charge [01:04:43 ▶️ 📄]
  > Believers are instructed on the logistical steps to participate in communion (coming up the aisles, taking bread).
• Pastoral Charge [01:11:07 ▶️ 📄]
  > To bring their hearts before God and sing of His grace as they leave the service.

[00:01:38] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:01:38] Good morning. Good morning and welcome to Midtown Community Church. It's a pleasure to have you all here today. And by all, I mean people who actually showed up on time, which is fine. We're happy to have you. A special welcome to any guests we have today and to those joining us online. We're just glad that you could come and worship God with us today.
[00:01:59] So my question for you today is this.
[00:02:02] Are you tired?
[00:02:04] Are you fatigued?
[00:02:06] Perhaps because you were here on time, you got up extra early?
[00:02:09] Well, so many studies have shown that most of us exist in a state of sort of semi-exhaustion.
[00:02:16] And on page three of your bulletins, you will find today's call to worship.
[00:02:20] And in it, we will see that God has something to say to those who are tired, to those who are exhausted.
[00:02:26] And so I will read the portions marked leader. Please join with me for the bolded portions marked all.
[00:02:32] And at this time, I'd invite you to stand, if you are able, and join with us as we recite today's call to worship.
[00:02:41] It's taken from Isaiah 40. Let's go.
[00:02:44] Have you not known, have you not heard, the Lord, the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth?
[00:02:51] he does not faint or grow weary his understanding is unsearchable he gives power to the faint and to him who has no might he increases strength even youths shall faint and be weary and young men shall fall exhausted but they who wait for the lord shall renew their strength
[00:03:16] they shall mount up with wings like eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and

[00:03:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:03:25] not faint let us worship together that the lord has made to rejoice and be glad this is the day that the lord and rejoice we will rejoice and be glad let's do that again this is the day to
[00:04:13] The bridge is a little weird, but here we go.
[00:06:28] is the day and we have this hope for we are his own is the day come and sing your praise for the lord now reigns are his own this is the day continue to praise his name together

[00:08:43] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:08:43] is of heaven again so on page six of your bulletins you'll find today's confession of sin

[00:13:03] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:13:03] and assurance of pardon. Now confession is good and healthy for many reasons. One of those reasons is it reminds us who's in charge. There is a God. He does hold us accountable for our sins
[00:13:17] and he did provide a savior for those who would repent and believe. And so please join with me in reciting the confession of sin. Most merciful father, we have sinned against you and are guilty
[00:13:31] before you. Forgive us for the sins of our tongues, for the sins of our eyes, for the sins of our hearts, and above all, for the rebelling against your lordship and doubting your love. Holy Father,
[00:13:48] kill our envy, remove our pride, melt our hearts. Give us grace to be holy, kind, gentle, pure, to live for you and not for ourselves, to be transformed into your likeness, to live holy for your glory. Take away our mourning and give us music. Remove our sackcloth and give us your
[00:14:15] beauty. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Church, look up and receive your assurance of pardon taken from Psalm 32.
[00:14:25] Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
[00:14:30] I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity.
[00:14:34] I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.
[00:14:43] Thanks be to God.
[00:14:46] After confessing our sin and being assured of our pardon in Christ, we have the opportunity to now respond with a song of thanksgiving, and at this time we'll also take up our tithes and offerings.
[00:14:56] Now, if you're a visitor, please feel no pressure to give.
[00:14:58] But for the rest of us, whether your action today is to put something in the offering plate or not, when it comes past you, it's an opportunity for you to ask yourself a question.
[00:15:09] What is your motivation? Why do you give?
[00:15:12] God tells us that he loves a cheerful giver.
[00:15:16] Think to yourself, is it a joy to be giving to the work of the Lord?
[00:15:20] Let me invite the ushers up, and we can respond with a song.

[00:15:24] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:15:24] Amen. Let's cut past to the Lord together.

[00:15:26] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:15:26] Let's pray together.
[00:20:10] At this time, children up through fifth grade are dismissed for children's church.

[00:20:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:20:25] So parents, you can bring your kids up front, find the teacher for your class.
[00:20:29] While they're being dismissed, take a moment, greet somebody new around you.
[00:20:32] All right, if everybody can take a seat at this time.
[00:22:52] All right, so welcome to Midtown Community Church.
[00:22:54] My name is Lindsey Williams, one of the pastors here.
[00:22:57] Glad you could join us for worship this morning.
[00:22:59] I will draw your attention to a couple items on page 11 and 12 of your bulletin.
[00:23:06] On page 11, one of the things that we as pastors are doing this summer is we're encouraging a book for the congregation to read this summer if you're looking for some good summer reading.
[00:23:17] We're recommending this book by Andy Crouch called The Life We're Looking For.
[00:23:22] The tagline is Reclaiming Relationship in a Technological World.
[00:23:26] So you can get this on iTunes, Kindle.
[00:23:29] You can purchase a physical copy on Amazon.
[00:23:32] I think there's probably another copy or two out front you could take as well.
[00:23:36] But we'd love for you to pick this up and consider reading this this summer.
[00:23:40] Also, we're starting a new sermon series beginning today on the book of Psalms.
[00:23:45] I think the email that we sent out this week, Midtown Connection, gave a few resources for you to consider to follow along.
[00:23:53] One of them, which you got a couple copies out front, is called The Songs of Jesus by Tim and Kathy Keller.
[00:24:00] And this is basically devotional that kind of works through Psalms on a given day.
[00:24:04] So if you're looking for some sort of devotional reading, pick this up.
[00:24:08] it's a great resource. It'll be a great way to supplement what we're doing here on Sunday mornings. Other announcements on page 12. First, on June 17th, we're going to have our first annual kickball game as a church. So this is for kids and kids at heart, all ages, if you want to play
[00:24:31] in a game of kickball and have the chance to throw a kickball at my face. I mean, what's better than have the opportunity to do that. Then we'd love for you to show up. That's on June 17th at the
[00:24:41] baseball field under the lights at North Hills Park. We'd love for you to join us. Again, this is for kids of all ages, so I will definitely be there. And then Friday, June 17th, we've got a
[00:24:53] women's night of worship at the home of Kayla Berkey. So ladies, daughters, this is a great opportunity for y'all to spend some time together in worship. In the foyer on the podium is our church prayer calendar. And so if you want to have an opportunity to be guided in prayer
[00:25:16] individually as a family this summer, pick up this calendar. This is for the month of June, a great opportunity to keep connected with your church family, even as you're sort of traveling around for vacations. So that's it for announcements. We're here to continue in
[00:25:30] worship. Warren's going to come pray, and then we'll jump into God's Word.

[00:25:40] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:25:40] Please join with me in prayer. Lord, you tell us in Proverbs 19 that many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purposes of the Lord that will stand. And Lord, we stand in awe of your
[00:25:55] power, that no human agency can overcome it. You are greater than all. Your plans will stand.
[00:26:03] And Lord, we are stunned that you have a purpose for us at the individual level.
[00:26:08] You are so great, and we are so small, yet you think about us, and you love us.
[00:26:15] You map out our days.
[00:26:17] It's a bit like me having detailed, specific plans for each ant in a colony.
[00:26:22] But so often we act like our plans are the central determining factor of our lives, that we can accomplish anything if we just plan and work hard enough.
[00:26:33] and we forget that the real mastermind is you.
[00:26:38] Lord, forgive us for this arrogance.
[00:26:42] And thank you that your plans for us are good and you proved that by dying on the cross to cover our failings and our sins.
[00:26:52] And so, Lord, when the world seems crazy, when we hear of wars, unrest, injustice, and internally when our lives are heavy, when there is sickness, loss, betrayal, When we feel that heaviness in all these hard aspects of life, help us to take comfort that you are in control.
[00:27:14] Your purposes cannot be stopped.
[00:27:18] Help us also to hold our plans loosely and to prayerfully consider your purposes while making those plans.
[00:27:27] And Lord, speaking of your purposes, we now have the privilege of opening a book that is full of you telling us what your purposes are.
[00:27:35] Thank you for your word of God.
[00:27:37] Thank you for the Bible.
[00:27:38] Thank you that we get to learn from it every week, that we can read it at home, that we can be saturated in your purposes, your plans.
[00:27:46] And we pray for your servant Lindsay as he preaches today that we will be able to absorb what you have for us.
[00:27:52] This, Lord, is not the work of human effort.
[00:27:55] This is the work of the Holy Spirit.
[00:27:57] We pray that you would work in our hearts, our minds, our ears, that as we encounter you today, we leave changed, looking a bit more like you, shrugging off weight that we shouldn't have been carrying,
[00:28:10] strengthened by your grace, your strength.
[00:28:13] Thank you, Father God, for not leaving us without direction, but for giving us your words.
[00:28:19] In Jesus' name, amen.

[00:28:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:28:20] This morning's scripture reading is from the book of Psalms, chapter 33.
[00:28:39] Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous.
[00:28:45] Praise befits the upright.
[00:28:47] Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre.
[00:28:49] make melody to him with the harp of ten strings. Sing to him a new song. Play skillfully on the strings with loud shouts. For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in
[00:29:05] faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice. The earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their
[00:29:17] host. He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap. He puts the deeps in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord. Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spoke and it
[00:29:32] came to be. He commanded and it stood firm. The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing.
[00:29:39] He frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the Lord stands forever. The plans of his heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen
[00:29:52] as his heritage. The Lord looks down from heaven. He sees all the children of man. From where he sits enthroned, he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth. He who fashions the hearts of them
[00:30:07] all and observes all their deeds. The king is not saved by his great army. A warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great
[00:30:20] might it cannot rescue. Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, and on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in
[00:30:31] famine. Our soul waits for the Lord. He is our help and our shield, for our Lord is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we
[00:30:45] hope in you. This is the word of the Lord. I'm from UNC about a month ago, and the commencement

[00:31:10] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:31:10] speaker was this country musician named Eric Church, and he began his speech starting with the sound. And you know the sound, right? It's the sound of a guitar that's out of tune. It almost gets there, but doesn't quite do it. And there's this ancient, honest part of your brain that knows
[00:31:36] it immediately, right? You don't need any training to hear it. You just know. And it's the sound of something beautiful that has not been tended to. So when these strings are in tune and they're
[00:32:02] played by somebody other than me. They can stop a conversation cold. They can carry a broken person through the worst night of their life. They can make a room full of strangers feel for three minutes like they've been friends forever. But if even one of these strings is off,
[00:32:27] the whole court unravels. Not gradually, not politely, but the moment you strike it, you know. And I think he's right when Eric said that life runs off of this very principle.
[00:32:50] This summer, we're starting a new sermon series on the Psalms, which it's kind of called the songbook of the Old Testament, authored primarily by King David. And the psalms were written, and actually let me get my mic here on, the psalms were written in the knowledge that you and I
[00:33:10] are a lot like the guitar that I just played. You know, many times, right, the metaphorical guitars of our hearts are out of tune. Like we can't get the right tune in our relationships in our work with ourselves, in our relationship with God.
[00:33:33] The Protestant reformer John Calvin, he called the Psalms an anatomy for all parts of the soul because there is not a single emotion that is not represented in this book as a mirror to us.
[00:33:50] And in that sense, right, the Psalms are an invitation to bring all of our emotions, right, no matter how out of tune they are before God.
[00:33:58] But more than that, the Psalms are about letting God retune our emotions, our thoughts, our hearts, our fears, our hopes, and to bring them under the lordship of Jesus.
[00:34:13] That's what this whole book is about.
[00:34:15] It makes me think of the line from that famous hymn, Come Thou Fount, tune my heart to do what?
[00:34:26] To sing thy grace.
[00:34:29] As human beings, we are all a singing people.
[00:34:34] Some of you sing a lot better than others, but God wants to tune our hearts because the God of Christianity says, I don't want you to stop singing.
[00:34:48] I want you to tune your hearts so that you can sing the one true authentic song that the God of this universe created for you to uniquely sing in the context of this world.
[00:35:01] So here's how we're going to structure our sermon series here.
[00:35:05] Building off of Calvin's idea that this book is an anatomy for all parts of the soul, each week we're going to look at a specific human emotion, one of the strings on our metaphorical guitars of our hearts
[00:35:20] that's represented here in the Psalms, and we're going to ask this one question.
[00:35:25] What does it look like to bring this particular emotion under the lordship of Jesus?
[00:35:32] Psalm 33 that Meredith just read tells us from the very beginning what emotion that we're going to tackle today.
[00:35:39] So the psalm, it begins with these words.
[00:35:42] Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous.
[00:35:47] So how does Psalm 33 invite us to bring joy under the lordship of Jesus?
[00:35:55] So let's jump in.
[00:35:56] First, right out of the gate, we should shout for joy because it is a command.
[00:36:04] So often when we think of joy, particularly maybe this emotion, treating joy, we treat it sort of like the flu.
[00:36:13] And what I mean is that it's something you catch, right, but you can't really go and get it.
[00:36:20] Or it just happens to you, right?
[00:36:24] Or perhaps maybe you think of joy as sort of like an inner disposition that you're born with, right?
[00:36:31] Like maybe some people are born just more joyful and others are maybe more melancholy, and that's just sort of how it is.
[00:36:38] But this idea that joy is a command, it's interesting, right?
[00:36:43] It's all over the Bible.
[00:36:45] The very first verse, right?
[00:36:47] It begins with a command.
[00:36:49] Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous.
[00:36:54] If you go back to Psalm 32, the one before this one, we're commanded there.
[00:36:58] Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.
[00:37:09] With all these verses, you will not find an addendum that says, but only if you feel like it.
[00:37:16] This idea, it continues through the New Testament.
[00:37:19] Philippians 4.4.
[00:37:20] It says, rejoice in the Lord always.
[00:37:24] Again, I will say rejoice.
[00:37:27] Or take James 1-2.
[00:37:29] This is a passage that's talking about the reality of suffering and pain and trials in this world.
[00:37:35] And yet, in James 1-2, he nonetheless says, count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.
[00:37:46] Joy is something that you and I are commanded to do.
[00:37:53] On the other hand, consider the fruit of the Spirit.
[00:37:57] Galatians 5.22, we're told, but the fruit of the Spirit is love.
[00:38:02] And what comes next?
[00:38:04] Joy.
[00:38:05] Romans 15.13, the Apostle Paul, he's praying for the church in Rome, and he says this, May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing.
[00:38:19] So this is interesting, right?
[00:38:20] Because with these verses, we get the sense that joy is something that you don't have control over, right?
[00:38:27] It would seem to be a gift that only the triune God can give us.
[00:38:33] So joy is both a command and it's a gift.
[00:38:38] You are commanded to pursue joy.
[00:38:43] Now, if you look at the first verse in Psalm 33, it's worth noting that we're not commanded to pursue joy in a generic way.
[00:38:53] It's a pursuit of joy in something particular, right?
[00:38:56] And that's in God.
[00:38:57] And the way it works is as we pursue joy in action, over time, it will produce joy in feeling.
[00:39:08] St. Augustine, in his book, The Confessions, he gave a prayer that I think captures really well this paradox of command is both, or joy is both a command and a gift. He says, give what you command,
[00:39:21] O Lord, and command what you will. So here's the reality. You cannot go and just get the flu at Walgreens or wherever else, right? But you have a really good shot at getting the flu if you are in
[00:39:38] close proximity to someone who has it, right? Well, much like the flu, joy is contagious.
[00:39:51] You know, in theological circles, we talk about the communicable attributes of God. Attributes of God that are communicable, not in the diseased way, but in a really good way. Joy is one of those communicable attributes, meaning if you pursue God, his joy will eventually rub off on you if
[00:40:10] you give it enough time. You catch it because you pursue it. Pastor Eugene Peterson, he said it this way. He said, you can lift up your hands regardless of how you feel. It's a simple motor movement.
[00:40:29] You may not be able to command your heart, but you can command your arms.
[00:40:35] And so he goes on to say, lift up your arms.
[00:40:38] And just maybe your heart will get the message and be lifted up also in praise.
[00:40:43] He says we're psychosomatic beings, meaning that our body and our spirit are inextricably linked.
[00:40:51] So go through the motions of blessing God, and your spirit will pick up the cue and follow along.
[00:40:58] Now, I'm not making a polemic for raising hands in worship.
[00:41:02] Some of y'all do, some of you don't.
[00:41:04] But I think that illustration works nonetheless because it reminds us that there is a role that you and I play when it comes to worship.
[00:41:15] Your emotions, and you may hear me say this again, your emotions are like a dance partner, but they are the dance partner that should never take the lead in that dance.
[00:41:27] They should follow the lead of something.
[00:41:32] So shout for joy because God commanded it.
[00:41:35] Second, shout for joy because God's words are powerful.
[00:41:41] So verses 1 through 3 is basically the command to rejoice.
[00:41:46] But then beginning in verse 4 in our passage is where David starts to answer the why of the command.
[00:41:53] So here's what he says.
[00:41:55] For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.
[00:41:59] In verse 6, he says, By the word of the Lord, the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth, and all their hosts.
[00:42:07] Then look at verse 9, where again it says, For he spoke, and it came to be.
[00:42:12] He commanded, and it stood firm.
[00:42:17] So this idea of words bringing joy, I don't think this is a uniquely religious concept, right?
[00:42:26] Like going back to what Eric Church said in his commencement speech, about playing his guitar, right?
[00:42:33] A really good song can stop a conversation cold, carry a broken person through the worst night of their lives, make a room full of strangers feel for three minutes like they've been friends forever.
[00:42:46] I'd imagine if I gave you like a minute, all of you can think of a song that when you hear it, it just makes you happy.
[00:42:56] But I like to suggest that there's something different about the lyrics that have been written by God, something that the best musicians today can only offer in a fleeting moment, but God's word can do much more.
[00:43:18] The psalmist, he begins by reminding us that God's words, they do more than that, right?
[00:43:24] His words, they're always true, right?
[00:43:27] They never falter or lie.
[00:43:29] You never have to worry about the author behind the music ever betraying the very words that they've sung for us on the radio.
[00:43:38] Or consider verse 6.
[00:43:40] We often take this for granted, that this idea that when God brought the world into existence, He did not do so through His hands.
[00:43:50] He did so through what?
[00:43:53] His words.
[00:43:55] This is the entire account of creation in Genesis 1.
[00:43:59] The words of God are more powerful than anybody else's words that have ever been spoken in human history.
[00:44:07] Consider verse 7 where it says, He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap.
[00:44:14] He puts the deeps in storehouses.
[00:44:19] Water is powerful.
[00:44:24] We live in North Carolina.
[00:44:26] We're getting ready to hit hurricane season.
[00:44:29] And we know how powerful water can be in this season.
[00:44:34] It can destroy homes and cities.
[00:44:37] And yet what this passage is telling us is that even water is ultimately under the authority of God's Word.
[00:44:46] A hurricane does not hold a minuscule of the power that God has.
[00:44:52] If you go to Proverbs 8.29, it says this, When God made firm the skies above, when He established the fountains of the deep, when He assigned to the sea its limit so that the waters might not transgress His command,
[00:45:06] when he marked out the foundations of the earth.
[00:45:11] In the ancient world, the sea was the most dominant image for describing the uncontrollable chaos of this world.
[00:45:23] This is all over the map, wherever you are in the world, right?
[00:45:27] The very fictional story of Godzilla was meant to, he came out of the sea as a reflection of this understanding that the ancient world understood that there's nothing more out of our control, nothing more chaotic than the sea and the ocean itself.
[00:45:47] Ancient people's greatest fears were attached to the sea.
[00:45:51] But God's word has the power to tame those things that we deem to be the most chaotic in the world.
[00:46:00] You know, when it comes to my experience with music, whenever I find a song that I really like, I'll listen to that song over and over and over again.
[00:46:13] Kara's smiling because she knows this and it drives her crazy.
[00:46:18] When I find a song and it gets in my head, it's like every time we get in the car, it's like I gotta play the song.
[00:46:23] And so I just play it over and over again.
[00:46:26] And inevitably, probably half the time, this song that I find that I just wanna play over and over again is a song that she actually doesn't like.
[00:46:33] um when we first got married um 1998 um there was this one song that came out on the radio and i just couldn't stop listening to it so i bought the cassette tape and i just played that
[00:46:49] song over and over and over again you know what song i'm talking about all right so a couple days ago i turned on the car and it accidentally came up because in preparation for the sermon i wanted
[00:47:00] to listen to it. You know what song it is? Go ahead. It's the song Tub Thumping by a band called Chumbawamba. Listen to it on the way home. It's an awesome song, at least in my opinion.
[00:47:17] And that's sort of how it works with music. We have overlap, but it is really hard for a group of people to have all the same taste in music. It is really hard for a song to appeal to a broad
[00:47:34] range of people. One of the other reasons why my music listening habits drive my wife crazy is because she knows what is inevitably going to happen in about three to six months. The very song that I fell in love with, I'm going to hate because I've listened to it so much. I'm just
[00:47:54] going to wear it out. It's sort of a reminder that it's incredibly difficult for a song not only to appeal to a large group of people, it's also difficult for any given song to sustain joy
[00:48:11] over a long period of time. It has a definitive shelf life. Just like an example, does anyone here have as their favorite song something that was written about 75 years ago? Like, I'd guess not, right? I don't know if you could even name a single secular song that was written 75 or 100
[00:48:38] years ago. Can't even think of one. And what are the chances that your musical tastes would be the same as someone who lives in Zambia, Greece, Albania? But the Word of God is different.
[00:48:55] It has given joy to people all over the world.
[00:49:03] And it's been doing it for 2,000 years and counting.
[00:49:09] You know, in my ministry, I've sat with people in hospital rooms when their loved one is passing away in that moment.
[00:49:22] I've been with people when they're sort of have this dark cloud of a cancer diagnosis.
[00:49:29] over them. At this point, I think I've officiated pretty much every kind of funeral that you could imagine. I've talked to people when they've told me that their puppy dies, or when people are experiencing a major bout of depression. And yet, take like Psalm 23. Psalm 23, over the past 20
[00:49:56] years has perpetually ministered to all the previous types of situations that I've just described. It's incredibly powerful, right? The Word of God has the most diverse listener base with the longest shelf life of any lyrics that anybody in this world has ever produced,
[00:50:19] and that should give us joy. All right, shout for joy because he commands it. Shout for joy because his word is powerful. Shout for joy because God's works are power. So this takes us to verses 10
[00:50:35] through 12, where it begins, the Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing. He frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the Lord, it stands forever. David takes joy in knowing that God is in control, and not just as it relates to the things that David can see,
[00:51:01] but even the things that he cannot see. That's really what's being referenced here.
[00:51:06] So I wonder if we take it for granted what it's like to live in a world where we know what everyone is doing all around us all the time, right? Like, this is true on a personal level.
[00:51:20] without talking to any of you, I know which of you were at any of the two Hurricanes games that took place in the Lenovo Center this week. And the reason why is because of social media.
[00:51:35] But this is true on a global level, right? We know about the Ebola outbreak in Africa.
[00:51:43] I know about this random American missionary who contracted Ebola while ministering to people there. We know what's happening in the Strait of Hormuz on a daily basis, pretty much. We know who is in power of every nation in real time. Our situation, though, is incredibly different than
[00:52:08] that of King David when he wrote Psalm 33. Have you considered that? Right? He didn't have any of the insight into the things happening outside of his home, outside of his kingdom. Right? He had
[00:52:21] no clue whether there was a foreign nation who had a new king or that that kingdom might be right on the precipice of the doorstep of the nation of Israel at any moment, right? He had far less
[00:52:34] visibility and insight into what was going on in the world around him than you or I have ever experienced. And yet what you see in this psalm is that he has this sort of joy that suggests
[00:52:50] that he's not imprisoned, he's not enslaved, he's not living in constant fear and anxiety of whatever is going on in the world around him.
[00:53:00] All the things that he does not know that you and I do, he's able to shout for joy because he entrusts that all those things that are outside of his control are firmly well within the control
[00:53:15] of the God in whom he is shouting.
[00:53:19] You know, I recognize that at any point in time, shouting for joy and me telling you, go people, right? Shout for joy. That can be hard to come by for some of you, depending on where you're at at this given moment, right? Some of you are probably
[00:53:37] dealing with really difficult relationships, difficult employment challenges. Maybe you're dealing with health scares. It's really difficult seasons in life. And so me telling you to shout for joy. That just feels a little hard. When I was doing some research on this chapter and these
[00:54:01] couple verses in particular, I came across the words of Pastor James Boyce. He said this about the verse I just read. He said, many deliverances are probably unknown to us because they are turned back before they even come within our vision. Many deliverances are probably unknown to us
[00:54:25] because they are turned back before they even come into our vision.
[00:54:29] So, yes, we can find ways to take joy in the things that we have, but we should also take joy in the things that we don't have, the ways in which God has spared us.
[00:54:46] 1 Corinthians 10.13, it says, God is faithful.
[00:54:49] He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, He'll also provide the way of escape that you may be able to endure it.
[00:54:58] One of the ideas of this passage is that there are temptations that God has made sure that they didn't even come into your life.
[00:55:07] They are not even on your radar.
[00:55:09] And the reason they are not on your radar is because of that verse 10 I just described, that God is in control of not only your life, but the lives of everybody around you individually, collectively,
[00:55:21] all the way down to nations and the decisions of kings because that's who God is.
[00:55:30] That's what he's able to do.
[00:55:33] And so we should take joy in knowing that.
[00:55:38] Finally, shout for joy because it's simply about delighting in the one who is delighting in you.
[00:55:48] This is really the content of verses 13 through 19 in our psalm.
[00:55:53] And so it begins with these words.
[00:55:54] The Lord looks down from heaven.
[00:55:58] he sees all the children of men for where he sits enthroned he looks on all the inhabitants of the earth then look at verse 18 it says behold in the eye of the Lord is on those
[00:56:14] who fear him on those who hope in his steadfast love that he may deliver their soul from death the same God who commands us to shout for joy the one whose words can quite literally move mountains and seas.
[00:56:36] A God who holds nations right in the palm of His hand.
[00:56:42] This God, He sees the children of men.
[00:56:46] His eyes, they're upon those individuals who hope in His steadfast love.
[00:56:53] If you go back to verse 1, did you notice how He qualified the recipients of this command?
[00:57:01] He said, shout for joy in the Lord.
[00:57:06] And then he said, oh, you what?
[00:57:10] Oh, you righteous.
[00:57:12] And then he adds another line to reinforce it.
[00:57:14] Praise befits the upright.
[00:57:18] And so here's the question then, if this whole thing about joy is something that's given to a unique set of people, how do you know if you qualify to be called righteous?
[00:57:29] How do you know if you are the upright for which praise befits you?
[00:57:36] So one of the interesting aspects of Psalm 33 is that this is actually one of the few psalms that you'll find amongst the 150 that doesn't have a title to it.
[00:57:47] So most of the psalms begin with a little title.
[00:57:52] It might say a Psalm of David, a Maxwell of David, which is another word for a musical, or it might say to the choir master here, or there's a couple other authors in the psalms as
[00:58:01] well. Interestingly, Psalm 33 doesn't have a title. It's missing. It isn't there. The last time that you have a psalm without a title, you have to go all the way back to Psalm 10. That's the
[00:58:16] last time you find a psalm without a title. All right. The reason why is because most people believe that verse 1 is not the beginning of the psalm. It's actually the very middle of the psalm
[00:58:32] that begins in Psalm 32, right? It's a two-disc set. If you don't know what a disc is, I'll explain it later. Psalm 32, it begins with this title, Psalm of David. And so Psalm 32 and Psalm 33 are
[00:58:56] actually joined together. They're not meant to be taken separate from one another. And I don't know if you caught this, but our elder Warren, when he read the Assurance of Pardon, did you catch where that Assurance of Pardon came from? It came from the very first verse of Psalm 32,
[00:59:15] which begins with these words, blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, who are the righteous. It's those who are able to see a God who simply delights in them.
[00:59:31] A God who sees us even when we're convinced that we have nothing for which we can shout for joy.
[00:59:37] A God who delights in his children who have the courage to bring their untuned instruments before him.
[00:59:46] If you want to catch more joy in your life, if it feels like ever elusive, here's my suggestion.
[00:59:57] Be in the presence of the most joyful person that you can find.
[01:00:02] and you won't find anybody who is more joyful than God himself.
[01:00:08] And here's the beauty of it.
[01:00:10] You don't need to tune all the strings of your life before coming into God's presence.
[01:00:15] Just bring whatever strings you got.
[01:00:17] No matter how untuned, no matter how bad that instrument sounds, you just let him tune it for you.
[01:00:28] That's really the invitation of the gospel, that he will retune our hearts so that we can sing his grace.
[01:00:35] You know, the sacrament of communion is really the first and best step that we can take towards joy in this very moment.
[01:00:48] All of the strings of our hearts, I'd imagine they are all just at least a little bit off key this morning, a little bit out of tune.
[01:00:58] Maybe for some of you, you're like, you have no clue how out of tune my instrument is.
[01:01:05] I have had a horrible week, and I have made it even worse.
[01:01:11] So this is a table where you bring your instrument to Jesus.
[01:01:16] You know, in Psalm 33, one of the things we're told at the very beginning is to sing to the Lord a new song.
[01:01:24] And you'll see this refrain throughout the Psalms.
[01:01:27] Sing to the Lord a new song.
[01:01:29] It's this idea of having a fresh experience of God's grace.
[01:01:34] Interestingly, this idea of a new song, it shows up again at the very end of the Bible.
[01:01:41] If you go to the book of Revelation in chapter 5, we see this description of heaven.
[01:01:47] And in this description of heaven, we see all of God's people singing what?
[01:01:52] A new song.
[01:01:53] And here's what it says.
[01:01:56] And they sang a new song saying, worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain.
[01:02:04] And by the blood, you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you've made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.
[01:02:21] The gospel says that Jesus is actually the substance of that new song that we're looking for.
[01:02:28] If you need a fresh experience of God's grace in your life, it's actually found in the person who actually instituted this sacrament 2,000 years ago.
[01:02:39] And so what communion is, is it's really an opportunity for all of us to join in the chorus of God's people here today, all over the world, over the past 2,000 years from people over 2,000
[01:02:55] miles away, who are all singing the same song of what Jesus did 2,000 years ago on our behalf.
[01:03:02] And so if you want to catch joy, communion is an opportunity for us to pursue that joy individually and personally, and to know that we are pursuing that joy together in community.
[01:03:17] This sacrament of communion is an opportunity for people who have gotten to a point in their lives where they want to pursue joy, but not joy generically, but joy specifically in the person of Jesus Christ. And so if you've never put your pursuit of joy in the person of Jesus Christ,
[01:03:40] if he is not the substance of it, if you don't believe in what he did on the cross 2,000 years ago, then this sacrament of communion is probably something you need to wait on and not partake of until you get to that point in your journey
[01:03:52] where you can say, I really believe that Jesus is the substance of this meal.
[01:03:57] And so if that's you, if you haven't put your faith in Jesus, feel free to use this portion of the service as an opportunity for silent reflection and maybe start having some conversations with God.
[01:04:08] But if you have put your faith in the person of Jesus, if you see him as the substance of your joy, and you want to pursue joy in your relationship with Jesus, then this is an opportunity for you to be reminded
[01:04:21] that on the night that Jesus was betrayed, he took the bread, he broke it, and he gave it to his disciples, and he said, this represents my body that was broken for you.
[01:04:35] After the supper, Jesus took the cup, and he said, this cup, it represents my blood.
[01:04:39] but it was shed for many for the forgiveness of sins.
[01:04:41] Drink from it all.
[01:04:43] So here's how we do communion here at Midtown Community Church if this is your first time.
[01:04:48] Again, this is open to anybody who's put their faith in Jesus Christ.
[01:04:51] And if that's you, then after I pray, you'll come up through either of the center two aisles.
[01:04:57] You'll pinch off a piece of bread.
[01:04:59] If you need a gluten-free option, that will be provided in my far right, your far left.
[01:05:04] And then every tray, the outer ring is grape juice.
[01:05:08] Everything else in the center is wine.
[01:05:11] So take according to your conscience.
[01:05:13] You'll exit through the exterior aisles, return to your seat, and then I will lead us so that we, as a community of faith, can pursue our joy in Jesus together as the body of Christ.
[01:05:26] Let me pray, and if those who are serving would come forward at this time.
[01:05:33] Heavenly Father, joy really is one of those emotions that is quite elusive for us.
[01:05:46] And even if we can find ourselves in a place where we have joy, we know that it's really difficult to sustain that.
[01:05:52] The world makes it really difficult.
[01:05:56] But we take this sacrament of communion to be reminded that there is a joy that finds us even in the midst of pain and hardship and loss.
[01:06:10] There is a joy that meets us even in the midst of the greatest trials and the greatest burdens.
[01:06:17] And so Jesus, I pray that you would give each one of us the courage to pursue you as the substance of our joy and that by your grace, you would use this sacrament that we would catch it
[01:06:31] and that we would receive the joy that the only triune God is the one who can give.
[01:06:38] We pray this in your name, amen.
[01:09:56] Jesus said, this represents my body.
[01:09:58] It was broken for you when you eat of this, remember me.
[01:10:16] He then said, this cup, it represents my blood.
[01:10:18] Shed for many for the forgiveness of sins.
[01:10:19] drink for all of you. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you that 2,000 years ago, your son, you for the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross, he scorned its shame, and now sits at the right hand of God the Father. So your death on the cross was actually your
[01:10:53] pursuit of joy in us and sinners. And so we thank you that you've given us this sacrament of communion for your church as a perpetual reminder of the grace that is available to us that we can
[01:11:07] bring the metaphorical guitars of our hearts before you and you can to them so that we can sing your grace afresh help us to do that as we leave here today in jesus name amen let's stand

[01:11:19] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[01:11:19] and sing our final song together you will see that song that will lead and the voice of the Savior. Join in the song of the Lord.
[01:11:52] Let's do that again. You will sing this to the pride of the Savior. In the song of the Lord. You will call back.
[01:12:16] We join in the song of the Lord. We'll say to the Lord, give thanks. You will not be once to save. You will call every tribe and benediction go with these words from Philippians 4.

[01:14:55] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[01:14:55] Rejoice in the Lord always. Again And I say, rejoice.
[01:15:00] Amen.
[01:15:00] Go in peace.