Jesus Brings Joy

HOOK. I want to ask you a question this am

Is there a sound, smell, or something you see that can cause automatic fear in you

Maybe it’s even unexpected.

Strong Breath Inhale causes automatic fear in me!

If I hear it, my heart immediately starts to pound!

This is my mother’s fault!

Mom has a tendency to take strong breath  inhale when she is frightened

It will send shivers down your spine!

At 32, the noise causes extreme panic in my life

I vividly remember the first time I ever heard the noise!

We were on Jonesboro Rd. in south atlanta

Went to the race that day and we were coming home

We were in heavy traffic trying to find a place to eat

Someone pulled out, and it spooked her

Here comes the noise

Still til this day does that noise

I can’t believe this didn’t come up in marriage counseling

If Amanda even is spooked a little bit, my heart starts racing!

In all seriousness, do you have something that causes fear? When you hear or see it unexpectedly!

Maybe it’s hearing sirens

A dr. calling and saying they need to talk

I’m sure we have something in our lives that when we hear it, it causes fear or anxiety!

What in the world does this have to do with a Christmas message?

In Bible days... when there was an unexpected event... or an unexpected announcement... from a prophet of God or angelic messenger...

Most of the time, they were bringing bad news.

brace for impact- BECAUSE OF YOUR SIN!

A few Examples

- [Jeremiah 18:11] Jeremiah told Judah that God was going to destroy them if they didn't repent.

- [Malachi 3:8-10] Malachi told God's people that they had robbed God, therefore they would soon face the judgment of God.

- [Deuteronomy 28:64] Moses warned the Israelites of God's upcoming judgment and said God's about to scatter you because of your sin.

Even though there was some anticipation about a Messiah being born

It had been ingrained in their minds that and unexpected announcement could be scary!

It would be similar to “BREAKING NEWS!”

Usually not good news!

School Shooting

Volcano Erupts

Breaking news is rarely Good news

Going down on taxes

Gas Prices are decreasing by the day

It’s ingrained in our minds that breaking news is bad news!

BOOK: With that thought in the background, look at Verse 8 & 9

READ LUKE 2:8-9

They were scared!

It was just totally unexpected

Minding their own business and then book!

The Glory of the Lord shown all around them!

God’s light was completely covering them!

SImilar to Isaiah 6, when your in the presence of God, it reveals your sinfulness

They were anticipating bad news!

B. Praise the Lord they were mistaking!

Read verse 10-11

The angel was quick to calm them down

This is not bad news!

This is Good news of Great Joy

Luke1- I love the excitement in the angels voice

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

The good news of great, is the messiah!

The good news was that Jesus was coming to set his people free!

The good news is that God is sending Jesus, and when he comes, He brings Joy!

This is why the angle tells them there is no need to fear!

C. I want to remind you this am, the good news is still the same for us!

Whether its the sirens that cause us to be scared

A phone call from a dr

Whatever it may be that causes you to be terrified

Beacuse of Jesus, even in the darkest moments, we can still have Joy!

Look: This can seem/sound crazy when we don’t understand what Joy is?

It’s easy to say, but I’m a christian, and there are things that get me down

I don’t feel joy all of the time

This is not possible!

I am a Christian and there are times that I walk through a very dark season

What we have to realize is, joy can be discovered no matter what our external circumstances may be.

Joy isn't defined as feeling good all the time

Jesus never promises feeling good all of the time or being happy

He promises us that we can have the fullness of Joy.

Biblically Defined- Joy represents a sense or feeling of gladness,

it ‘s not contingent on our circumstances

But knowing that we are rooted in Jesus

More than emotion, its a state of being

Knowing and being glad that we are rooted in Jesus

This is the news the angle was bringing! ​

This is a gift from God

Unfortunately, the enemy wants to steal your joy, so he places thing in your life to try and still joy

Joy Stealers

Circumstances

One of the lies we believe from the enemy is joy is contingent on my lifestyle

As long as I have a good marriage,

or a good GPA, or a good income, I have joy.

But as when those things no longer exist... my joy ceases to exist.

This is a lie from the enemy

James 1:2-4- 2 Count it all JOY, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

If we believe that Joy is contingent on circumstances, we miss the true meaning of the Christmas story

The angel said, “Im bringing good news of Great joy”

The news is I’m sending you a child, and you shall call him emmanuel “God with us”

WHen God is with us, we have access to JOY!

People

Read a story of a dad telling a story about his daughter

He looked outside and his daughter jumped off the school bus

She stomped her way to the front door and slammed the door shut then ran up the stairs

Gets to her room and slams the door

All this time she was pouting she was muttering People, people people

The dad went to her room and knocked on the door and asked if I can come in

“NO”-Tried again-“No”

Why not?- “Because You’re a people!

The reality of it is is that we have all lost our joy because of people

What they are, what they say, what they do

We may sometimes be “those people”

We have to live with people

Work with people- and we can’t isolate ourselves and still live to Glorify Christ

We are the light of the world, salt of the earth,

We can’t let our light become dim because of what people say or do

Luke 6:22 tells us that people are actually going to be ugly to us

“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!”

This can’t steal our joy!

Comparison-  1 Peter 4:10-11- As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Each of us have a gift, use it!

Don’t compare yourself and try to be someone youre not!

Easy in min try

Learn instead

The true joy is we don’t have to be anyone else but ourselves

Things

We have a tendency to always want more and think we deserve more

Abraham lincoln was walking down the street with his two sons who were crying and fighting. A friend asked, “What’s the matter with your son’s.” Lincoln replied, “I have 3 walnuts and each of the boys wants 2.”

We can sometimes think Joy is only a reality when I get something I deserve

- ''I deserved... to be selected... to be married... to be wealthy... to be recognized... I deserved SOMETHING... and I didn't get it.''

And now you say, ''I can't have JOY because i didn’t get what I deserve.

Let me remind you- you and I don’t want we we really deserve.

Romas- We have fallen short of the Glory of God

The wages of sin is death

The angel didn’t come to tell the shepherds what they really deserved

Instead he came to tell them that God was sending someone so they wouldn’t have to endure what they really deserve

This should give us great joy!

TOOK: At the end of the day, we see that Joy isn't circumstantial.

Joy isn't the absence of pain or sadness.

Joy is a byproduct of knowing God.  - AND BECAUSE OF CHRISTMAS, WE CAN HAVE JOY!

This is a difficult time of the year for some.

Many people experience loneliness, depression and anxiety during the Christmas season...

and they hear me say ''Joy is available,'' and they're asking, '

'But how? I already know the Lord. How can I walk in joy?

Few things that help produce Joy in our lives!

Dive into God’s word!

Hide God’s word in your heart so you begin to recognize the enemies schemes

Remind yourself of His promises

Remember How God has worked in your life

Don’t let the present overshadow you joy

Serve more

Love more

Sing more

This Christmas, Choose Joy!

The angel came to bring good news of Great Joy! Let’s receive the gift of Joy!