Security systems! Some people have a car alarm that sounds an alarm. Some people have a home security system. When you leave home, you set the alarm. If anyone opens a door or a window or trips a motion detector, an alarm sounds or perhaps the police receive a phone call. Some people keep a baseball bat by their night stand. Some people keep a handgun near their bed or a shotgun inside a bedroom closet. People use these things to keep unwanted people out of their homes and automobiles and away from their valuables.
How about your heart? What kind of a security system do you have for your heart? Perhaps you don’t have one so unwanted visitors just walk right on into your heart whenever they want—unwanted visitors like worry or doubt or anxiety or fear or uneasiness. On this third Sunday of Advent our hearts turn from sorrow over sin to joy over the forgiveness of sins. This joy comes from Jesus and it guards our heart from many unwanted thoughts which can rob our joy.My dear people, I pray that you follow the command of the Apostle Paul: REJOICE IN THE LORD, ALWAYS! REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS! 1. Jesus will soon arrive! 2. His peace will guard our hearts.
Paul wrote these words to the Christians at the Greek City of Philippi. He wrote these words while in chains under house arrest. But he commanded his fellow Christians: 4 rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! The Philippians could have said to Paul, “Well, you sure don’t have much to rejoice about, Paul!” But Paul commanded them not to rejoice in their present circumstance. He told them to rejoice in the Lord. In other words, a believer can find a reason to experience happiness even in the saddest of circumstances, even without material comforts. “Rejoice in the Lord!” he commanded them. Then he told them what the Lord was about to do! “5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” The Lord is near. Jesus, the Advent King, is this close to destroying all things in a ball of fire. The thought of Jesus’ imminent return fills believers with happiness. They do not fear his judgment for they know that his death, his horrible suffering upon a cross of wood in his first Advent has cancelled their sin and cancelled the punishment for their sin. Believers rejoice at the thought of Jesus 2nd Advent. Jesus will also cancel sadness and cancel pain and cancel grief and cancel disappointment. Jesus soon will snatch you out of this depressing place. So a believer might find himself in troubled economic circumstances or experience severe grief—yet he still finds a reason to be happy—to rejoice in the Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ, who soon will come.
A believer has so much to rejoice about that their joy becomes clearly evident to others. Paul commands them, “ 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” Let your gentleness be evident to all. Believers know Jesus will come soon. This makes them happy and glad even though they might have great reasons to be sad. This rejoicing over Jesus’ imminent return keeps them from feeling sorry for themselves. This joy keeps them from thinking everybody else has it better than they have it. This joy in the Lord, leads them to be gentle with others who might sin against them. This happiness in Christ inspires them to see the hurts and sorrows of their fellow human beings and motivates them to give generously of themselves. Their joy comes not from their present circumstances—not how well off they are or how many problems they do not have. Their joy comes from the fact that Jesus is about to come and end their present sad circumstances. They rejoice in the Lord, that their Lord is near.
Children, why are parents sometimes grumpy? Why does your spouse act in a bad mood? Why does your boss seem so touchy sometimes? We often find ourselves in a bad mood because of worry, because of anxiety. Something isn’t right in our life. Something is missing. You see in all hearts lives a very selfish and sinful thought—“everyone else has it better than I do.” They don’t have to work as hard as I do. They don’t have as many problems as I do! They have more money than I do and they have more stuff than I do.” This selfish, self-centered thought makes us think only ourselves. We feel sorry for ourselves and say, “Why aren’t other people helping me or showing their love to me?” You would have to admit to me that everyone struggles at times with such sinful thoughts. How can you and I rejoice when it seems like we don’t have much to rejoice about? Well, rejoice that Jesus died for the daily and regular selfish thoughts that infect your heart. Rejoice not in the circumstances in which you find yourselves, rejoice not in whether you have a job or not or how much money you have or don’t have. Rejoice not in how many problems you have or don’t have. Rejoice in the Lord. Jesus canceled your sin. He is also about to cancel sorrow and pain and grief. He is about to carry you into heaven. Let your joy show. Instead of sitting around feeling sorry for yourself, you can look down the pew and see the hurts and pain of your fellow Christians and strive to ease their hurt and pain.
REJOICE IN THE LORD! He soon comes. While we wait for him, Jesus has given us something that gives us joy even in difficult times--peace that will not come from an improving economy. His peace is the forgiveness of sin. That peace is best security system ever for our heart. REJOICE IN THE LORD. His peace will guard our hearts.
Even in troubled times, believers in Jesus, find a reason to be happy. They might have many things to worry about but they still can find happiness. Paul gives us another command, “6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Those things that want to walk into a Christian’s heart and rob their Christian of their joy—well, Paul, says, present them all to God. With continuous prayer throughout the day, with specific urgent requests, bring these things to him in prayer, these things that want to fill our heart with anxiety and doubt and fear and uneasiness. Speak them to your God in your personal prayers.
When believer take these things to their God in their regular and constant prayers, these things that can sneak into their heart and rob their joy, this is what happens. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. God is holy. We are sinful. God is just and he will send us sinners to hell. How can there be peace between a holy God and a sinful people. The angels sang, “Peace on earth.” Peace now that Jesus has come and he allowed his Father to punish him for the sins of world. This is the peace of God, that goes beyond all human understanding—why would God punish his son for our sins? Who can understand it? That peace will guard our hearts. It will stand like a sentry-keeping out worry, keeping out anxiety, keeping out uneasiness. Why? If our Father in heaven would let his son die in our place, would he not also always provide all that we need, would he not also give us what he knows we need even in the times of great grief or troubled circumstances. Even in those times we still have a reason to rejoice—to rejoice in the LORD. His peace will guard our hearts.
If you drive your car through the gates at the air force base in Grayling, Michigan, what will the guards do? If you cut the fence with a pair of wire cutters and sneak through under the cover of darkness, what will the men on duty do? They will shoot you. They will shoot you dead. That’s what guards do? They keep out unwanted people. God has given you a security system to guard your heart from thoughts who want to sneak into your heart and rob you of your happiness. That security system is the forgiveness of sins-the peace of God, the peace between us and God. As we remember that forgiveness for our selfish hearts, we remember that God will preserve us and take care of us in whatever circumstances—good or bad. But you arm that security system when you hear his Word. I am a little worried. It seems as though people are coming to church less and less. I would remind all of you of the importance of regular, regular church attendance. In addition, if you had a busy fall, then why not come to extra services we have been having for Advent. You have some worry in your heart; tell your family, “Ok, which service should we worship at this year on Christmas eve, the 5:00 or the 7:00?” You have a feeling of uneasiness in your heart; say to your spouse, “I see we can receive Holy Communion on Christmas Day and on the Sunday after Christmas as well this year.” That is how you arm the security system in your heart so that all those unwanted thoughts like worry and anxiety cannot get in and rob you of your happiness. The peace of God, the forgiveness of sins guards our hearts and minds. Rejoice. Be happy. Be Glad. Oh, tears might be stinging your eyes, I know. And yes, I know, there might not be as many material things to enjoy. Yes, I know, you are wondering how you are going to make ends meet now that you don’t have a job. Rejoice in the LORD. He is almost here and those tears that sting your eyes will soon be gone. Those intruders who want to sneak into your heart and take away your happiness—well, the peace of God, the forgiveness of sins, will guard your hearts. Amen.
