Behold Joy!

Luke 1:13-14 But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.

Luke 1:28And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"

Luke 2:10  Luke 2:10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.“

but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.”

INTRO: The United States founding documents includes these words written by Thomas Jefferson “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Notice, Jefferson doesn’t equate happiness as an unalianable right but the pursuit of it. Happiness (JoY) is a choice that every one must make for themselves.

It is true in the 21st century just as it was in the 1st century.

Times have changed, yet remain the same.

Culture tells us how to be happy:

Processes - Happiness has to be a formula, right? Five Steps to Marital Bliss, Ten Steps to the body you always wanted,

Possessions - advertising brings you access to the perfect product that will make you happy. If you own it you’ll be happy but now you own and need to clean your garage out.

Places - bar, beach, mountains, cruise, etc

People - get around happy people, get around funny people (sadly a lot of comedians commit suicide) the right guy, girl, a different right guy, girl, right connection with right people, to get you to the right places

CULTURE HAS NO REAL ANSWER FOR THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS! I’m not ignorant. You can experience a temporary happiness through each of what I’ve just mentioned but Culture can’t get you to a lasting, ABIDING JOY! ONLY JESUS CAN!

Since culture falls short, many turn to religion!

Bishop Tony Miller said, “There is no real danger of America becoming an atheistic nation. The truth is we’ve become a polytheistic people. We worship many gods all at the same time.”

There’s a lot of talk in today’s society about spirituality. We are told we can each live by our truth! But the problem is - your truth may not be truth at all. Just as there can only be one TRUE NORTH - there can only be one TRUE TRUTH!

Truth is more than a principle that makes you happy - truth is a person. JESUS!

If in your pursuit of happiness - you miss JESUS you will miss JOY! Indeed you will miss all that is good.

We read three messages delivered by the arc angel, Gabriel - in each message he said something about JOY!!

To Zecharias, YOU WILL HAVE JOY and be glad, and many will rejoice with you!

To Mary - REJOICE - the spotlight of Heaven’s favor is shining on you!

To the Shepherds in the field - Here’s good news that will result in great JOY to all people

JOY TO THE WORLD - THE LORD IS COME! Let every heart prepare Him room!

At the first Christmas - the Angel announced a new dimension of JOY!

We should be living it - especially as we celebrate Christmas!

Illus. In a Charlie Brown Christmas Charlie Brown was having trouble getting into the Christmas spirit so Linus said, “Charlie Brown, you’re the only person I know who can take a wonderful season like Christmas and turn it into a problem.”

Unfortunately, some Christians seem to have the same problem as Charlie Brown when we should be lifting up our Lord and Saviour.

MAKE ROOM for JOY:

Illus. Prince Albert in a can …

By BELIEVING!

Romans 15:13“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

GABRIEL also said, DON’T BE AFRAID….

You’ll never walk in JOY and FEAR!

Fearful people are never joyful people.

Joyful people are not fearful people!

By RECEIVING!

WHAT YOU BELIEVE DETERMINES WHAT YOU RECEIVE

John 15:11 ESV  These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

JUST AS HE GIVES US HIS PEACE, HE GIVES US HIS JOY!

We have JOY in HIS PERSON

HE CAME TO THE EARTH - NOT ONLY TO DIE FOR US BUT TO LIVE FOR US AS OUR EXAMPLE!

HIS JOY ENABLED HIM TO ENDURE - IT WILL ENABLE YOU TO ENDURE ALSO!

Hebrews 12:2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Illus. Our new home!

HIS PRINCIPLES

John 13:17 AMPC If you know these things, blessed and happy andto be envied are you if you practice them [if you act accordingly and really do them].

BY GIVING!

PRIORITY TO HIM!

Psalm 16:11 “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy: At your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

TO OTHERS!

Acts 20:35 “…And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

ILLUS. A mother gave her little girl a quarter and a dollar before church, “Put whichever one you want in the collection plate and keep the other for yourself,” she told the girl. When they were coming out of church, the mother asked her daughter which amount she had given. “Well,” said the little girl, “I was going to give the dollar, but just before the collection the man in the pulpit said that we should all be cheerful givers. I knew I’d be a lot more cheerful if I gave the quarter, so I did.”

JOY IS A PERSON! HIS NAME IS JESUS!

This Christmas BEHOLD JOY!

See JESUS.

Humble yourself.

UNWRAP THE JOY OF JESUS this CHRISTMAS SEASON!

Receive Him as LORD of everything in your life.

Worship Him.

Follow His example and you will live in the strength of HIS JOY!

REPEAT THE SOUNDING JOY!!