Yohan Sebastian Bach wrote 200 cantatas in Leipzig. Number 147 in the 200 cantata catalogue is often played at weddings, Christmas, easter and other big events. The whole Cantata is titled Heart and Mouth and Deed and Life. The tenth and last movement of the cantata contains a melody that many of us know today as the piece “Jesus Joy of Man’s Desiring.” .... Thank you, Bach. There is another work that reminds me of the joy that we can have in Jesus. That work is by the Apostle Paul, is part of the corpus of the New Testament, and is called Philippians.
Philippians is often called the Epistle of Joy. When Paul opens his letter to this church, as is his custom, he begins by telling them what he is thankful for. For this church, he especially tells them that his thanksgiving to God is expressed with joy. Philippians 1:3-6 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Consider the extent of Paul's joy of thanksgiving in these words. He thanks God in EVERY memory of them. He does so ALWAYS in EVERY prayer. HE does so for ALL OF them and he does so with joy. Paul has seen God do something in this church. He has seen the regenerating power of the Spirit in their salvation. From that first day that these dear brothers and sisters came to Christ, their partnership with him in the gospel has not stopped.
Paul then is aware of something that must be a motivating reality behind his joy. In verse 6 Paul says that he is confident (sure of this) that God who did this marvelous saving work in this church will keep them in his preserving, faithful hands, and continue to sanctify them in their faithfulness until the day they stand before Jesus face to face. This tells us that salvation is a work of God, sanctification is a work of God, and the perseverance of the saints is a work of God. God starts, continues, and completes his work in the church. That should give us both confidence and joy as we serve Him.
When you see a faithful church partnering in the gospel, do you experience this joy? Do you consider that the only reason you can have it is because your confidence is in our God who saves to the uttermost?
Nineteenth century pastor and theologian, Charles Bridges, described this confident joy in Christ's work through pastoral ministry in the church with these words. "We must acknowledge that the grounds of support and encouragement are fully commensurate with the momentous difficulty of the work. How cheering is the recollection of our office, as the ordinance of Christ, and as the standing proof of his love to his Church! For will he not honor his own institution, and secure its appointed end, in the glory of his name and the prosperity of his Church? Will not he that sent us furnish us for our work? May we not plead his ordinance, as the ground of dependence upon him for all needful assistance and encouraging acceptance?...
Did we depend upon the failing support of human agency, or upon the energy of mere moral suasion that we should cry out prostrate in heartless despondency - 'Who is sufficient for these things?' But the instant recollection that our sufficiency is God, lifts up our hearts in the ways and work of the Lord... the cheering joys connected with the ministration of life and righteousness - together with our own personal interest in its blessings - all combine to invigorate faith and expectancy under all apprehended difficulties.
That sounds like the same confident joy that Paul describes to the Philippians and Bach compels us to sing. Be joyful, church, we are in GOOD hands.