ADVENT WEEK 4 - JOY - SHEPHERD'S CANDLE

JOY

We have spent the last 3 weeks discussing “Advent” and its Latin root adventus, which means “coming.”

I pray that we have all taken time these last 3 weeks of Advent to take time to prepare ourselves, our heart and soul for celebrating the coming of the Savior – celebrating both when He came but also coming again – it’s a time to pause and to refocus our thinking

Have you taken the time these past weeks to recalculate your priorities and make Him not a priority but our main priority

Remember that there is importance in the symbolism of the Advent Wreath –

Evergreens – symbolizes everlasting life even in the midst of winter and death.

Circle Wreath – like a wedding band – the never ending of God’s love for us – symbol for infinity – eternal

Pinecones – new life that Jesus brings to thru His resurrection

Week 1 - we discussed Hope and prophecy –

What a Prophet was – being chosen by God, Speaking Divine Revelation and not own message – how we should have Hope for Today and Hope for Tomorrow and the Hope of Christmas and how the different titles of Christ in Isaiah 9:6 give us the hope we should live on – without Hope it is almost if not impossible to live

Week 2 we discussed Peace – the message of the Angel.

The Lord, God of peace to give us Peace

We should seek His Peace and Pursue it

So we need to be still, be silent and allow Him to Speak – allow God talk time in our prayer time and our reading time

Last week – week 3 – we discussed Love –

God’s Agape Love and how God’s Love has a plan and a plan for your life. His Love Is Abiding and never ending and that we cannot just accept His love and move on but His Love is Extended – it should overflow from us in every aspect of our lives and His Love through Christmas.

This week is Advent Week 4 – Joy – Shepherds Candle – and I would like to ask Kyle and Danielle Bloom to come open us in prayer and light the Joy – Shepherd Candle.

Psalm 51:12 says, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.”

Lord, the good news of Jesus’ arrival brings such joy to our world! Reach those who are lost and searching with Your message of hope that we have through the Messiah. Lord, would You restore the joy of our salvation? Help us to be willing to follow You with all we have. As we read the Scriptures that remind us who You are and the ways You love us, ignite in us a sense of joy that overflows out of our hearts! Let this Holy Joy be contagious and spill over onto the lives of those around us. May Your peace that surpasses all understanding be upon us...especially as we're wrapping up a year that has seen wars and division and as we continue to see uncertainty. Encourage our hearts with the knowledge that with You we can live in Your perfect peace, no matter our circumstances. We thank You for the joy and peace You give! God, allow Your message of peace to bring comfort to our anxious world. As we all go about this holiday season, let Your message of great joy pierce through all the noise and into people's hearts. Amen.

Joy – dictionary.com states its meaning as emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good

DesiringGod.com says that Christian JOY is a good feeling in the soul produced by the Holy Spirit and is a gift from God

Others say that true joy is how we respond to and delight in what God delights in – requiring our hearts to be aligned and tuned into God’s heart, Joy causes us to value what God values and sees beauty in what God considers beautiful.

Joy was the message to the Shepherds and to us – let’s dig deeper this morning into the message to Joy to the shepherds -

1. What was the message to the Shepherds?

Luke 2:8-14 – And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

News of great JOY!

Gift from God – JOY and Jesus

2. Who were the Shepherds

In Zach Williams’ Song – the Call of Christmas – he puts that first Christmas into perspective

Wonder of all wonders Outside of Bethlehem Angels come to shepherds Ordinary working men Not the high and mighty Oh the powerful and great But those who feel unwanted That the world has pushed away

Hear the call of Christmas All you lost and left behind The lowly and those longing With an emptiness inside The forgotten and forsaken I bring you good news Hear the call of Christmas The Savior waits for you

Shepherds were lowest on the totem pole so to say – the only lower humans were those with leprosy

God maintains His playbook –

Jacob

Gideon

David

Amos

Most of the prophets and disciples

Who He taught and drew close to Him

It's also a foreshadowing of one of Jesus’ titles and duties –

John 10:11 – I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

v 14-16 – I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

Strong history of shepherds in Israel’s History –

Job – over 14000 animals

David – shepherd boy who would become king

Jesus – the Good Shepherd

Job duties – besides feeding and protection –

Doctor to the animals – Jesus is also the Great Physician – how may miracles where of healing?

Philippians 4:4-5 – Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;

John 15:9–11 – As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

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

Isaiah 9:2-5 – The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.

3. What was the Shepherds response? – Joy –

The message was Joy – the response was Joy

a. Hurried

Luke 2:16-19 – And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.

Hurried is not necessarily a bad thing – it depends are what you are hurried for?

How hurried are you for God? For Jesus? Do you rush to Church and Bible study?

Are you as excited for church as you are for vacation? To visit the kids and grandkids?

b. In awe

They were in awe of what was told to them, what they saw and they had to tell others

Are you in awe during church? Are you focused on His Word and His Message?

Do you tell others what God told you during Worship?

c. Left Praising

Luke 2:20 – And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

How do you leave church? Praising God for His message or thinking about lunch? That afternoon – or worse tomorrow already?

What do you allow to occupy your mind after you encounter God on Sunday morning?

Is your response on Sunday mornings Joy? Is your response after Bible Studies – Joy? When God calls you by name – to challenge and encourage you – is your response JOY?

As we close this morning – what is your response to Joy? What is your response to give over your weekly tithe to help those who are persecuted for their faith or living in extreme poverty while praising God –

Let Us Pray and take our Christmas Missional Offering – Samaritans Purse’ Offering