Joy Anyway
Anton Topilnyckyj · Tidal Church Miramichi · September 27, 2026 · Joy Anyway series
Anton Topilnyckyj explores Philippians 1:1-8 and other passages to show that joy is a gift from God, not just happiness. Followers of Christ can choose joy, practice it daily, and live it out together, whatever their circumstances.
More from Anton Topilnyckyj · The Joy Anyway series
Topics: Joy, Faith, Relationships
Transcript
[0:01] Did everybody leave? Good morning. There we go. We're all here. I got to move this so you can see me. You know, there's an old gospel hymn that I came to love when I was in Westchester Station, Nova Scotia, and it's called Joy Unspeakable. Joy Unspeakable became one of my favorites. It was written by Barney Elliott Warren in 1900. I'm presuming most of you weren't around then, but you've probably sung the song at some point. The Course reads, it is joy unspeakable and full of glory, full of glory, full of glory.
[0:53] It is joy unspeakable and full of glory. Oh, the half has never yet been told. The half has never yet been told. We're going to dig into joy today and take a journey through joy to see how it is a divine gift and it changes us. When we become new creatures in Christ, when we give our hearts and our lives to Jesus Christ, it comes with a divine gift of joy. What Barney was trying to convey is that the definition of real joy cannot be expressed in words alone. You see, we have no complete concept of true joy. You may have come in here this morning thinking you knew what joy was all about, but I guarantee you it's more, so, so much more than what we could ever conceive.
[2:00] The joy that comes with a life surrendered to God. So if you haven't surrendered your life to God yet, speak to me afterwards. Have I got a deal for you? If you have, if you have, then this will be a reminder of how blessed we are as God's children. Our scripture verses are from first Philippians 1, 1 to 8. This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ, Jesus. You know, Paul was in jail when he wrote this.
[2:45] He didn't get to go home and have a meal and sleep in his own bed. He was in jail. He was a prisoner. And yet he says this, I am writing to all of God's holy people in Philippi who belong to Christ Jesus, including the church leaders and deacons. May God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace, grace and peace. Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. That's kind of like me, you know, when I stand up here and I look at these faces or I think of you throughout the week, I give thanks to God that I get to belong here and meet with you wonderful, wonderful people.
[3:39] Whenever I pray, I make my request for all of you with joy. For you have been my partners in spreading the good news about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. And I am certain that God who began the good work within you will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Now, each of us is going to get a card today. That's our memory verse. So we're going to do a little practice. Okay, so read this with me. And I am certain. There you go.
[4:27] That God who began the good work within you will carry continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. So that'll be a good thing to stick on your fridge or maybe even on your mirror in the bathroom. So you remind it that this is our memory verse for this part of our series. So it is right that I should, this is Paul again. So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you.
[5:12] For you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the good news. God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus. You know, Philippi was not a rich church by any stretch of the imagination, but they have been partnering with Paul in his ministry. And you know, kingdom economics are different than earthly economics. In earthly economics, you invest and you get back your return, but it's just your return.
[6:05] In kingdom economics, when we share with ministers or other gospel spreaders of the faith, this is why we give at the church every week because this builds our ability to go and make disciples. It allows us to have programs and groups that we can meet with. And so when we share, like when we give to something like, let me see, Miramichi Bible Camp. And I can't remember the figures, but there were a lot of kids that gave their hearts to Christ this year at Bible Camp. And everyone here who gave money to that shares in that growth. It's an investment that goes deep and wide, and you'll never know how much you've changed someone's life.
[7:03] Well, you might know when you walk through the gates of heaven, because they might just meet you there and say, you know, I met Jesus at Miramichi Bible Camp and you were part of it. And this is Paul again. No, this is not Paul again. I finished that. Often we can mistake joy and happiness as meaning the same thing. Who thought that the joy and happiness were the same thing? Oh, you're just not going to fess up, are you? Oh, okay. There's Karen. She thought it was. But they don't mean the same thing.
[7:50] Not at all. Joy is an inner feeling, and happiness is an outward expression. Joy endures hardships and trials and connects with meaning and purpose according to a website called compassion.com. We pursue happiness, but joy is a choice that we make. Joy is contagious. Have you ever noticed that? I worked for 21 years with Investors Group, and the one big thing that we were taught when I was in training was this. People love to jump on the coattails of enthusiasm.
[8:38] So if you're walking around like a lemon-sucking Christian and your face is down here and you're dragging your feet, nobody's going to ask you about who you worship on Sunday. I guarantee it. I guarantee it, because they just won't care. But if you're walking around infused with the joy of the Lord, they're going to want to know what's up with you. How come you're so joyful? So this is something that we need to choose every day when we wake up. This morning, we will discover what joy is all about. We will learn how as Christians, saved by grace, we can choose joy, we can practice joy, and we can live joy. Let's begin with how we can choose joy.
[9:36] Our scripture for choosing joy is taken from Hebrews 12, 1 to 2. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance, the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross. His circumstances did not steal his joy.
[10:33] True joy requires total surrender. We don't have agendas anymore. We don't have stuff that we got to do. We don't have any other focus but Jesus Christ. That's total surrender. And then Jesus shows us what that looks like, real joy. Joy is an attitude that defies circumstances. It defies circumstances. People may see you going through really hard stuff, but then they'll also see your joy and they'll wonder, how can this be? How can they be joyful when they have such hard things to face?
[11:29] This morning, no. Let's begin with how we can choose joy. Oh, I read that. Oh my goodness, I'm having a time today. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. There was a lot of shame, not just pain with that cross. A lot of shame. Now, he is seated in a place of honor beside God's throne. Jesus looked to the joy awaiting him in heaven and thus was able to endure the cross. His circumstances did not steal his joy. True joy, like I said, requires total surrender and Jesus shows us what that looks like.
[12:20] Joy is an attitude that defies circumstances. In Luke 23, 34 to 38, Jesus was heard asking the Father, now get this, to forgive the very ones who have rejected and tortured him. He asked the Father to forgive them, even though they've just finished torturing him. And crucifying him. Joy brings meaning to life. Psalm 1611 says, you will show me the way of life. You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.
[13:08] Now that's got to put joy in your heart. If you have given your life to Christ, you get to spend forever with Jesus. Isn't that amazing? That is amazing. That's a reason for joy. Without God, we are without direction and life is without meaning. Without God, we are without direction and life is without meaning. Joy doesn't need a smile to exist. Did you get that? It doesn't need a smile to exist. A few years ago, we suddenly lost a dear friend. He was fine in the morning.
[13:57] It was about 11 o'clock in the morning. He called his wife and said, I don't feel good. By that night, he had passed away from an aortic aneurysm, just like that, gone. You see, we never know when our last five minutes are going to be. That's why the Bible tells us, be ready, because we don't know when we're going to meet the Lord. We just don't know. His wife was devastated. We were in New Brunswick when it happened. We were visiting. But we made our way back for the celebration of life, and it was indeed a celebration. There was so much joy in the room.
[14:44] Well, how can that be? The joy of the Lord was evident because Raya knew where John was, and though she desperately missed him, she had the assurance and joy of one day being reunited with him. She still struggles, but she continues to choose joy. How many of us can say the same thing? How many of us can say the same thing when we face something hard? Can we still choose joy? Can we maintain our joy even when we don't feel like smiling? Karl Barth, a Swiss theologian, says, joy is the simplest form of gratitude.
[15:39] Joy is the simplest form of gratitude, and our gratitude will determine our altitude. Our gratitude will determine our altitude. So far, we know that we can choose joy. Now let's learn how to practice joy. Our scripture comes from 1 Thessalonians 5, 16 to 18. Always be joyful. Not sometimes be joyful. Not be joyful when you feel like it, but always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
[16:29] This is God's will. Choosing joy is not natural. It takes practice. It must be intentional, especially in today's world. If you turn on the news, you'll know what I'm talking about. It's almost impossible to find good news anywhere. That's why it's such good news that practicing joy is not dependent on our situations or our circumstances. You know, when we found out a few years ago that Dan had cancer, it was a blow, my husband. It was a blow. And yet, he never lost his joy.
[17:19] He went through terrible chemo, and then he had a heart attack, and then he had severe COVID. It was just like cards, a deck of cards, or a house of cards falling. It was just like one thing after another after another, but he never lost his joy. Because he knows Jesus, and he knew that no matter what happens, that's where he was going to end up. Even if he didn't make it through the cancer, he was going to be with Jesus. There is a wonderful book titled The Practice of the Presence of God.
[18:06] Has anyone read that here? I did. It contains everything needed to make anything, including joy, an intentional practice. It was first published in France in 1692, and written by someone called Brother Lawrence. He was a cook in a monastery. Brother Lawrence had an insatiable hunger for God. He couldn't get enough of God. Are you like that? Does your day open up with, yes, I get another day with God. Because that's what Brother Lawrence was like. He was known for his joy and serenity as he worked at the most menial of tasks.
[18:57] Clearly, he had discovered that life's secret to practicing joy is in practicing the presence of God. We tend to go through our days from one crisis to another, or one event to another, and we forget that God is with us. That the Holy Spirit, if you've given your heart to Christ, the Holy Spirit's right here. He's with you. Acknowledge him. He's not anette. Don't call him anette. He is the Holy Spirit, and he takes up residence in our hearts. Finally, be thankful in all circumstances. As God's children, no matter what our circumstances, we know he is on our side.
[19:59] When I feel like I'm getting run at by the enemy, I like to say something like, well, my dad is bigger than you, because he is. He's the King of heaven. He's the God of the universe. Romans 828 is our promise from God to that effect, and we know that God causes everything to work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. We each have a purpose, and when we're called according to that purpose, God causes everything to work together for good, as we submit to him.
[20:44] Mother Teresa was quoted as saying that, Joy is a net of love by which you catch souls. I like that. Joy is a net of love by which you catch souls, because everyone wants to ride on the coattails of enthusiasm or the coattails of joy in this case. Thus far, we have discovered that we can choose joy and we can practice joy. Now let's finish off with how to live joy. Our scripture is taken from Romans 14, 17 to 18.
[21:30] For the kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. That makes it simple, doesn't it? We don't have to worry about what we're going to eat or drink. Our sole purpose is to be living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God and others will approve of you too, because they see it. They see it and they want it. There's such a lack of hope in our world today that real joy expressed on a daily basis, on a minute by minute basis, is contagious and it draws people towards God.
[22:28] Joy runs deep and overflows. It's not merely a surface emotion experienced one moment and gone the next. Most importantly, joy blooms through connection and thrives in relationships. If you hear nothing else today, hear that. Joy blooms through connection and thrives in relationships. You've heard me say it before and I'll say it again. We are designed to be in relationship. No man is an island. That's why we call this our family. We are meant to be in relationship with our family and with other people. So if you haven't signed up for a group, I would advise, ours is called a soup group by the way. So you get soup and you get biscuits and dessert. And then we study the Bible.
[23:33] And no men with skirts. Sorry, I heard that. So I guess all the men I was going to let in with a skirt, I'm not going to now. It's just for women. Hebrews 10.25 is a verse well worth memorizing. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. The enemy loves to isolate. It is a trap we must avoid at all costs. We must stay connected. We are the church, not this building.
[24:20] And we need each other. This is just bricks and mortar. I mean, I appreciate it, especially on a really rainy day. But it's not the church. We are. We are the church. The joy of the Lord is our strength, not possessions, not positions, but the joy of the Lord. Now that's good news. That's good news. Four summers ago, I was at Beulah family camp and I went forward one evening for prayer. The speaker asked for people to come and lay hands on those who had come forward.
[25:05] For the longest time, I knelt alone, feeling defeated. And then I felt a hand on my shoulder. Someone was crying and praying for me. I still get the goosebumps when I tell this story. It was powerful. I can't begin to describe the feeling of joy and peace that settled into my heart as this person prayed. Who was this? I wondered. When she was done, I turned around and to my complete surprise, stood a child. She was maybe 10, 11 years old, tears running down her face.
[25:56] Her name I discovered was Jeddah. And she is an empath. She's empathic. She can feel people's pain and she connects with people's pain and she knows what to say over people's pain. Her grandfather is a pastor and anytime I saw Jeddah during the remainder of family camp, she was praying, laughing or singing. She had a quiet strength, uncommon in a child of her age. And it was obvious that she lived in the joy of the Lord. Living in joy is not about eating or drinking or even about age.
[26:44] Although getting old is not for the faint of heart. I will tell you that. I'm finding that out day by day. The joy of the Lord is the gladness of heart that comes from knowing God, abiding in Christ and being filled with the Holy Spirit. Charles Swindle makes a wonderful point about living a joy-filled life. He says, I cannot even imagine where I would be today were it not for the handful of friends who have given me a heart full of joy. Let's face it, friends make life a lot more fun. Amen?
[27:31] So there you have it folks. As Christians saved by grace, we can choose joy, we can practice joy, and we can live joy regardless of our circumstances. So what's stopping us? Why do I see sometimes Christians that look like they've been sucking on a lemon for an hour? Why do I see that? Where is their joy? Where is their joy? Well, I have a theory. You know that. I always have a theory. It's called an epidemic of Christianity light, as in L-I-T-E, Christianity light.
[28:18] It's like when you go by those juice boxes and they say, crystal light means no sugar, no substance, no sugar, no substance. I mean, sugar is a food group, right? But Christianity light is so dangerous. Here's what it means. We snack on God's word, pray sparingly, and play at church while we work at play. Play at church while we work at play. We have our priorities upside down.
[29:03] This may sound harsh, but God's word warns us to examine ourselves and see where we are in the faith. We're not just supposed to walk around wondering, hmm, am I doing okay with God? No. We need to examine ourselves, go deep and say, what's my spiritual life like? How's your joy meter this morning? How is it this morning? How are you doing? Do we find that our joy is dependent on our circumstances? This is the part where we get to come together as family and encourage one another.
[29:49] Not only is it okay to ask one another, how are you doing spiritually? I invite people to ask me that because pastors are not better than anyone else. We're called to a higher standard, but we struggle and we put our pants on the same one leg at a time like everybody else does. So I invite people, come and ask me, Sharon, how are you doing spiritually? You know it's biblical to do that. You don't do it to make somebody feel like that. You do it because you care and you know that we need to keep our life in line with Christ.
[30:41] So let's learn together to be a church of joy -filled believers that Mother Teresa says become nets of love to catch souls. Amen. I'm going to invite the worship team to come back.