Jesus and Joy 

Welcome to No Compromise Radio Ministry. I don't think I can talk today. I just had a tiny handful of Reese's Bites or Bits or something. Boy, it's going to rain outside. New England weather. 72 a couple days ago, 97 in a few days.

I guess we could probably have a different intro show. We could maybe do this. What if we did this for songs?

That'd be a good one. I don't have the rights, though.

Is this for my iPhone? Welcome to No Compromise Radio Ministry. This is Mike Davidson. One deep river. That'd be a perfect intro. Crazy. All right, what do we got up for today? I could say what do we have on tap, except some of you fundamentalists might not like things on tap.

Although I had an athletic—is it athletic? Non-alcoholic IPA the other day after a bike ride. It wasn't too bad just because I was hot. You could have kombucha on tap. You could have athletic beer on tap, non-alcoholic beer.

When I grew up, non-alcoholic beer was—what was the name of it? It really tasted horrible. Near beer, that's it. Near beer. I don't know what happened, but how do we get on that subject? I said, oh, what do we have on tap?

You can get my book, Cancer's Not Your Shepherd, on Amazon. Sexual Fidelity on Amazon and Discovering Colossians on Amazon. Those are the latest books. Oh, Gospel Assurance as well. I recorded several episodes for American Gospel Television on the Cancer is Not My Shepherd theme, and I have some more recording to do this Monday, and then I'm going to send it off to Brandon Kimber at American Gospel Television, and he's going to do his magic with quotes and all that other stuff, and hopefully people will be encouraged.

Of course, you can put in really any sickness, any trial, because the whole thing is focused on Jesus anyway, but since I had been going through cancer treatments, am going through cancer treatments, I thought I'd do Cancer is Not Your Shepherd.

I mean it's hard to be—unless it's a Puritan title. Cancer, muscular dystrophy, MS, blood disorders, and all these other things are not your shepherds. I just put Cancer is Not Your Shepherd. Today, part two of Jesus, no shock, and joy.

Jesus, No Shock, and Joy in Luke

Jesus and joy. And what we were doing is we were looking at the gospel of Jesus according to Luke, Physician Luke, and Jesus had just got done talking about himself as being a physician. Of course, Jesus is going to be around ungodly people.

By the way, that's the only kind of people there are in the world except him. Of course, he's going to have to be around ungodly people. Doctors, go visit the sick. Jesus is going to be around ungodly people, really bad people, wicked people, sinful people.

I'm reminded of 1 Corinthians 1, where you understand what kind of people does God save. Paul said to the church of Corinth, For consider your calling, brothers. Not many of you were wise according to worldly standards.

Not many were powerful. Not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom of God, that is, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.

Sounds like Jeremiah 9, verses 23 and 24 to me. God chose, God chose, God chose. And he chose not many who are wise, not many who are powerful, not many who are of noble birth. And as the commentators say, at least he doesn't say not any.

I mean, there's a few rich people, right? There's a few noble people. There's a few wise people, according to the world. Sometimes God does that. But most generally he chooses people like me, people like you.

And the Lord Jesus saves those kind of people. Well, when he saved Levi, also known as Matthew, the tax collector, Matthew, of course, believed Jesus and responded with immediately following him, just like they did back in those days.

If you were to follow a rabbi, you would actually get up and follow a rabbi, and he leaves his post. He's not going to be able to get his job back. He's not going to probably get any job, knowing he's a tax collector, a Jewish man trying to excise taxes from Jewish people to give to Rome, some of it to put some of his own pocket.

And Levi has a huge party, invites tax collectors and sinners, the worst of the worst, sinners being a term for people who did not follow Mosaic law. Gentiles had no Mosaic law. They did whatever they wanted.

Sinner in the New Testament, sinner saved by grace. In the epistles, rather, in the gospels, sinner are these horrible people. Jesus shows up, and he's dining with them. He's eating and drinking. And then the Pharisees say afterwards, they confront.

They're not there at the party. They wouldn't want to be. They show up, and they say, well, you should be fasting. John's disciples fast. Disciples of the Pharisees fast. We're fasting. We're mourning.

We're sad. And you're eating with tax collectors and sinners. You should be fasting. And Jesus asks the rhetorical question, as we learned last time, if the bridegroom is around, the groomsman will do what?

And then we also ask, for us, reading the Bible and thinking about our eternal immutable God, if we have the bridegroom, Jesus, and we're the bride, should the bride be happy when the bridegroom is around?

And for us, he is around, and he's always been around. I mean, for those men, something happened, remember? Because Jesus died, and then they fasted. Then they were mourning. Then they were gloomy. And by the way, what happened to the Pharisees when Jesus died?

They began to feast then. They began to celebrate. They had the big parties, I would imagine. So no compromise radio ministry today. I want to remind you that if you're a Christian, you should have joy because you have Jesus.

And more importantly, he has you. No matter what trial you're going through, I regularly say to people, excuse me, if you knew what happened to my wife's parents when she was little, four years old, I think two and four, she lost her parents.

So under five years old, you lose both parents in tragic, tragic, tragic circumstances. If my wife can have joy, anyone can have joy because it's not about circumstances. It's about the one who gives joy, the Lord Jesus.

The fruit of the Spirit is, of course, joy, love, joy, peace, et cetera. One preacher said, if you have no joy in your religion, there's a leak in your Christianity somewhere. Now, that guy didn't have very good theology, but I like the quote.

So I'm not going to tell you who it is because I don't want to quote people that I don't like. I mean, I personally like, but I don't like their theology, as one writer said. But I can tell you that Nietzsche, the German philosopher, said about Christians, I would believe in Christian salvation if they looked a little more like people who had been saved.

Hence our little slogan at No Compromise Radio. Sometimes Christians need to send a missionary to their face. Now, many times I do the wrong thing, and so this is not me trying to tell you I'm always great in everything because part of this is not going to be great.

I wasn't feeling well with these cancer treatments. I went in, they gave me a shot to increase my neutrophils, made my bones ache because the bone marrow started working overtime to make more bone marrow and neutrophils and all that, just feeling horrible.

And I went in for a local blood test, and then I needed to fax that in to the cancer hospital that's an hour away, no traffic hour away, with traffic one and a half, two hours away, and gnarly, gnarly traffic.

When I first moved to New England, people didn't want to go to the airport. It's an hour away, or to Boston, pretty much, because it's so hard to get in there. I mean, after the big dig, it made it easier to travel 90 all the way into Logan and not go 90, 93.

By the way, you notice I did that in New England fashion. In New England, we don't say the. In California, you take the 405 north to the 101 to the one, or you take the five or the 805, or you take the 10, the 110, the 605.

Try to remember the 210, the, is there a 118? I think there's a 118, not the 180, but the 118. What else is up there? You have the 55. I think that's down to Newport Beach. You have, I don't know. What's up there in Corona now?

The 70? No. The 80? I -80? Anyway, put the definite article. In New England, you don't do that. What we would say in California about New England's road that goes through the middle of the state and it's the turnpike, you might call it the turnpike.

You might call it the pike, but it's not the 90. It's 90. It's not the 93. It's 93. It's not route 12. It's 12. I'm trying to do the New England thing. Once in a while, I can remember to not put the definite article in there, but it seems kind of weird to me.

Just like if you say we're going down to the Cape, Cape Cod, you don't say that. You say we're going down Cape. At least it is a little south of Boston, and you don't say we're going down to the basement.

I mean, that's too many words. Come on. You say down basement. It's kind of like you call your dog basement, down basement, or if you have a cellar, a cella. You go down cella. You don't go down to the cellar.

There you have it. The shopping carts in New England are called carriages. The president's name, his last name, first name was Bill. His last name was Clinton. Where are we? What are we doing? I have no idea.

I think only Judge Judy would know where we are. How long have you been on that medication? Well, the answer to that question, Judy, is I've been on the cancer medicine since November of last year. I'll either be on it through November of this year or next year.

Then you have to take other pills to counteract those pills. Thankfully, cancer is not my shepherd. Back to the story. The cancer hospital reads the local blood results and say, you got to come right in today to get a shot because some of your numbers are bad still.

Okay. I'm driving in. I just had done a radio show for Stand Up for the Truth. Stand Up for Truth, is there the definite article on names? In Green Bay, Wisconsin. I was talking. Actually, as I was talking about Jesus, the great shepherd, it was ministering to me.

I was thankful even for that because I could hear myself speak. I'm thinking as I'm driving in, this is not going well. You normally are not supposed to do this. They gave me the shot two weeks ago. It should have worked.

Why is it not working? What's going to go on? I felt like I was going to die a couple weeks ago. Now what? Am I going to be able to go to California to see my grandkids? Will I see my two daughters who aren't married, married?

I walk them down the aisle. All these things started going through my mind. I'm trying to suppress it all. I'm trying to fight it. I'm trying to have replacement theology to think about good things. You can't think about two things at the same time.

You can alt-tab pretty fast and switch back and forth. Thankfully, the Lord has made our minds so we just can focus on one thing. Some of my time was sinful on the way in. Other times was my life is in your hands, Lord.

I'm trying to obey Psalm 90. Teach me to count my days. Can you imagine that Psalm written by Moses? Some say he had to bury, not him personally, but he had to bury 700 people a day. 500 people a day, whatever the number is.

To get rid of 2 million people in 40 years, you can do the math. I guess I could have done that right now. 375 a day or something. Who knows? Hundreds a day. I get tired when I do one funeral in a day.

Then I get to the hospital and they say, we misread the tests from this local place. Your local place. You don't need a shot. Your numbers are great. I said, what? Thankfully, I was so happy to hear the news that I didn't care.

I just had to drive through Boston traffic down 90, down Cape. Crazy. How did I respond on the way home? I wasn't even mad that I had to drive all the way in. Who knows how much money I wasted. I stopped off at a Jersey Mike's and had a turkey and cheese number seven Mike's way.

I figured out my name is Mike. I have to have Mike's way. I didn't even mind that they put on the dumb oil over everything. I just thought, now I'm happy. But I will say, even in spite of some of my wrong sinful attitudes on the way in, I still had some joy.

I still was all tabbing with joy because in spite of circumstances, we can still have joy because we have Jesus. He has us. And when you look at the Lord Jesus, everything about him exuded joy. He was a joyful man.

Whatever joy a man's supposed to have, he had it. And things surrounding him were joyous. At his birth, the angel said to them, do not be afraid for behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which shall be for all the people.

For today in the city of David, there has been born for you a savior who is Christ the Lord. Everything about Jesus oozes joy. At his birth, they're saying you should have joy. At his word, Jesus' word, John 15, Jesus said, these things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be made full.

John 17, but now I come to you and these things I speak in the world that they may have my joy made full in themselves. At Jesus' ascension in Luke 24, and he led them out as far as Bethany and he lifted up his hands and blessed them.

And it came about that while he was blessing them, he parted from them and they returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple praising God. And for us, our sins are forgiven.

Death is conquered. You can hear Paul mocking death. Where's your victory, O death? Where's your sting? Because we can give thanks to God who gives us victory through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Many times people say they'll know we're Christians by our love.

Remember that old song in the 70s? Maybe it was an earlier song, but I sang it in the 70s. I remember going to the Lutheran youth group and I went there and there was kind of like an intercity youth group.

And so a bunch of youth groups all got together. And first of all, I thought, okay, this is interesting. Different Christians that weren't from the church professing Christians. I don't know how many were.

I wasn't. And there were some ladies there that were attractive to me. And I don't know how old I was, 14 or 15. But they were charismatic. And I don't think I've ever told a story before. I thought, well, I don't know.

It seems like they've got something that I don't have. Charismatic stuff, that's true. But I paid attention when I normally wouldn't have because they were pretty. That's a dumb reason to have any theological concepts.

But I was more receptive to it. And it seems like they, and maybe some of them really were born again. They really knew God. They really seemed like they knew who he was. They talked to him like he was real.

And he heard them. And we sang that song. We are Christians by our love. By our love. Well, they should also know we're Christians by our joy. Because we can't be unsaved. We can't be unjustified. We can't be unforgiven.

1 Peter 1, verse 8. And though you have not seen him, Jesus, you love him. And though you do not see him now, but believe in him, you persecuted Christians in Cappadocia and all these areas that Peter's writing to.

Then fast forward 2 ,000 years to us today. You greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory. Isaiah 61, 10. I will rejoice greatly in the Lord. My soul will exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation.

He has wrapped me with the robe of righteousness. As a bridegroom decks himself with the garland. And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. Gypsy Smith, he said, You could not get a hallelujah out of some Christians if you squeeze them through a ringer.

We have Jesus. We don't need to be mourning. If you want to fast because you're going to lay on hands on an elder. Or you want to fast because it is a time of mourning. You're going to lose a loved one or something like that.

I'm not saying anything negative about that. I am saying, though. We can have joy no matter what. Listen to this chapter where Jeremiah says in Jeremiah 31. Later goes on to talk about the new covenant.

Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away. Say, he who scattered Israel will gather him and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock. For the Lord has ransomed Jacob and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.

They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion. And they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord. Over the grain, the wine, the oil. Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance. And young men and the old shall be merry.

And I will turn their mourning into joy. I will comfort them and give them gladness for sorrow. I will feast the soul of the priest with abundance. My people shall be satisfied with my goodness, declares the Lord.

There can be joy for you, dear Christian, no matter what. Because we're living on this side of the resurrection. Isaiah 25. On this mountain, the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.

He will swallow up death forever. And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces. And the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth. For the Lord has spoken. It will be said on that day, Behold, this is our God.

We have waited for him that he might save us. This is the Lord. We have waited for him. Let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation. You, Christian, can have joy because you're right with God. You're declared righteous.

I know you have trials. I know you have issues. So don't we all. Christian, you can be joyful because one day you'll be glorified. The triune God will glorify you. It's as good as done. It's even in the past tense in Romans chapter 8, verse 30.

Remember? He chose you in eternity past. The Father did. The Son died for all your sins. He knew every one of your sins and he paid for them. What kind of friend do you have in Jesus? What kind of comforter is the Holy Spirit?

Can anything separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus? If God is for you, who can be against you? If he's given you the Son, won't he give you everything? Romans 8, verse 32. You had a stony heart and it was changed into a heart of flesh.

Who did that? Can you have joy because of that? Martin Lloyd-Jones preached in London for a long time at Westminster Chapel. He said, If ever the world needed the witness and testimony of Christian people, it is at this present time.

The world is unhappy. It is distracted and frightened. And what it needs is to see stars shining out of the heavens in the midst of the darkness, attracting the world by rebuking that darkness and by giving it light, showing how it too can live that quality of life.

Mike Ebendroth, No Compromise Radio Ministry. Martin Luther, if you had to pick the most famous hymn that he wrote, of course, it would be A Mighty Fortress. Based on Psalm what? Psalm 46. But one person called this hymn that he wrote, The Hymn of the Reformation.

I wonder what The Hymn of the Reformation would be about. Bondage of the Will, Sola Fide. I mean, those are wonderful concepts to work through. It's entitled, Dear Christians, Let Us Now Rejoice. D. Scott Meadows, here in New Hampshire, a pastor.

Wonderful man. He is the one that brought my attention to this hymn. I'm not going to read the whole thing. But it is entitled, Dear Christians, Let Us Now Rejoice. And the timing is six years after the 95 Theses.

Dear Christians, now I'm going to talk directly to you, No Compromise Radio listeners. If you're in your tractor, if you're in your avocado field, if you're on your bicycle, if you are driving to work, I'm talking to you.

Dear Christian, let us now rejoice, that of good cheer and with one voice, and dance in joyous measure, we sing in love and pleasure, of what to us our God hath shown, and the sweet wonder he hath done.

Full dearly hath he wrought it. My good works, they were worthless quite. A mock was all my merit. My will did hate God's judging light, to all good dead and buried. Even to despair my anguish bore, that naught but death lay me before.

To hell I was fast sinking. Then God felt sorry on his throne to see such torment rend me. His tender mercy he thought on, his good help he would send me. He turned to me his father heart, ah, then was his no easy part, for of his best it cost him.

To his dear son he said, Go down, it is time to take compassion. Go down, my heart's most precious crown, be the poor man's salvation. Lift him out of sin's scorn and scath, and strangle for him cruel death, that he with thee live forever.

How do we respond, Luther ends with, To heaven unto my father high, from this life I am going. But there thy master still am I, my spirit on thee bestowing. Whose comfort shall thy trouble quell, who thee shall teach to know me well, and in the truth shall guide thee.

What I have done and what I have said shall be thy doing, teaching, so that God's kingdom may be spread all to his glory reaching. I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. What about you? Mike Abendroth, No Compromise Radio Ministry.

You can write me, mike, at nocompromiseradio .com.