Advent - Joy

“My Candle of Joy”

Luke 2:8-20

Introduction

• Last week of Advent
• what is Advent
• Gets us to think about this season

Four Candles of Advent are...

• 1st wk – Hope – difference between Mary & Zechariah
• Zechariah said – prove it
• Mary said – Let it be to me
• Saw Hope in Chris’s testimony
• 2nd wk – Peace – Tanner talked about having peace when things don’t make sense
• Larry shared peace with his friends
• 3rd wk – Love – God loving us and we loving others
• Heather shared – didn’t want to be a Christian – God loved her and what has happened since (staying in town)
• Today – My Candle of Joy – culmination of first 3 weeks
• Because of the HS – Hope is different
• Because of the HS – Peace
• Because of the HS – Love

What is this Joy all about?

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

Shepherds is the key word here

• Rabbis classified them as thieves, outcasts of society
• Living in the fields – couldn’t go to temple
• Do we classify people – no never... NOT
• Farmer – story of coveralls YA-TEC
• Cattle buyer
• This isn’t about classifying – but where does God show up
• Put that in our context
• Bar during the week
• Today – anywhere but here (church)

9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

Shepherds were terrified?

• Does this line up with last week video? (No)
• Their tough, eyes sharp, agile, athletic
• Gr – fob-eh-o – what does this remind you of
• Monk – phobias – fear you cannot function
• Shepherds are frozen

10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

Five points in this verse

1. Angel – Gr angel is often trans. Messenger
2. Do not be... phobia – frozen, unfunctional
3. Good news – Gr euangelizō – sounds like...
1. Evangelize
2. Same Gr word Paul uses in Ro 15

                              i.   Fully proclaimed the gospel

1. Great Joy – Gr word chara
1. Same word when Zaccheaus comes down from the tree (some dancing)
2. All the people
1. Messenger shares with... outcasts
2. Good news for all – pas Jn 3:16 (whoever)

How does this apply to us?

• Matt & Jaci going to share their reason for joy

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

Is this applicable to our lives

• Vs 17 – they spread the word
• They spread – Gr gnosko – to know thoroughly (way of life)
• Word – rhema; not logos
• Rhema is spoken word
• Testimonies for each week
• Everyone talked about God pursuing them
• More we talk about it the more real this becomes and the more a way of life it is for us
• The more we seek Holy Spirit

Sharing my candle of joy is Triumphant Joy