The Christmas Gift's - Joy
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Two weeks ago we spoke on Peace.
One of the truths of Peace that we discussed is that peace truly comes to life when we take possession of our savior!
This reality is found throughout scripture but in a different way.
Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the Lord God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of the Lord.
Let’s view taking possession of our savior in similar lines of falling in love with him.
By falling in love with Jesus we have a desire to spend time inHis word.
We seek to devote ourselves to prayer.
We seek to be close to someone we love church.
On this Christmas Eve we have to decide how significant we love him.
Folks, he loved us more than any other of the creation on this earth which is why today we celebrate that he came to the earth In the flesh of man to die for our sins.
As we see in Chronicles even the OT Christian’s had an expectation to devote themselves to God.
This brings us to today, todays scripture is one we are all very familiar with.
It is one that brings the first two Christmas gifts we discussed, hope and peace, to life.
It is the gift of joy
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, 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, Good will toward men.
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Beth-lehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
Friends, only you can answer what I m about to ask so do so silently in your hearts.
But, have you been guilty today of coming to this place today out of obligation?
In other words, your body may be here, but your spirit is thinking of the Christmas meal you are attending this evening.
Your thinking of the gifts your going to unwrap.
Or the time you will spend with family.
Many Christians wonder why they never seem to find true Joy.
The simple truth is they cannot find true joy because they are not focused on the only one who can give it to them…
I. Jesus Christ the Source of Joy
I. Jesus Christ the Source of Joy
Notice something in the scripture today.
You can do so by envisioning a nativity scene.
Perhaps the very one in front of me For example.
Where is the focus?
Everyone from, the wise men, the angels, the shepherds, and yes even the Holy child’s own parents
They were there is awe.
In excitment of what God had done and what He was going to do.
The scripture is clear here in a verse we all know very well for this time of the year when the angels said
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
The joy of the Baby Jesus, the Holy Messiah could be felt.
Why? Because all were focused on Him.
The failure in man comes when we fail to make Him the center point of our lives.
Folks what better time then now for us to look at an all to familiar story most of us are familiar with.
The Charlie Brown Christmas story.
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.
We separate Jesus from joy, but we can’t really have one without the other.
We, like Charlie Brown focus on the ways of the world instead of on Jesus Christ.
Perhaps for some of us that is us living in sin.
Perhaps the sins of greed, lust, anger, are at the top of our list.
While instead our sin may be that we neglect to have a prayer life or to spend time in His Holy word.
Whatever the reality is today, when we spend time seperated form Jesus we inevitably spend time seperated from the Joy He brings.
Now for some, you may feel your doing fine without that joy.
You are content to continue to live the way you are because life doesn’t seem like it is going so bad.
Could it be, that you have never experienced a Holy joy from a Holy God?
Could it be, that you have been so focused on you, that you feel as though things are goin good but you have missed the purpose of your life?
Well, you can only answer these questions if first we define something.
II. What is a Holy Joy?
II. What is a Holy Joy?
First, a Holy Joy is one that can only be brought on by a Holy God.
In fact Roman’s teaches us in Romans 15:13...
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
This clear truth in scripture is that only our Holy God may bring Holy Joy.
Leaving us wondering today, still how Does he do it?
Have you ever considered why the baby Jesus was so important to so many?
Why it is that he had drawn so much attention?
It wasn’t just about the fact he had came.
It was all about what he was going to do.
As he came to be the ultimate sacrifice for our sins.
As He came to go to the cross of Calvary to die for us.
You see there was a prophetic truth that had came true.
Jesus was the prophesied messiah.
For those who believed the prophecy and followed God Jesus’s appearance even as a baby was nothing but pure joy.
So the answer to the question why, the Holy Joy stemmed from the truth of scripture.
Jesus is here, the son of God, to save us all.
Could it be, that perhaps you have never felt a Holy Joy, because you have never seemed to dwell with a Holy God?
Friends, we are flawed humans who may fall prey to the trap of keeping a Holy God at bay.
But as the year winds down, Christmas is here.
I pray there is some urgency in your heart today because you have to make a vital decision.
Are you going to give a Holy God the simple gift of you?
Imagine what today could be if you did?
Friends, it could be…
III. A Day of Joy!
III. A Day of Joy!
Friends, everyday is a day of joy but scripture teaches us
Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
Can you imagine the sight.
The voices of heaven loves each and everyone of us so much that there is rejoicing in heaven when one of God’s creation makes a decision is on to worship him with their life.
What a day of joy if there is one here today who doesn’t know Jesus.
What a day of joy today if any here is living in the world but choose to decide to live for God today.
There is likely some here today who live in the world, despite the fact that Christ has called us out of the world.
For those scripture teaches
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
Friends, you may be here today and you may think you are saved.
Perhaps you you were pressured into a situation where someone pushed you to pray a prayer, but it wasn’t really your decision.
Perhaps you followed an emotion but you the Holy Spirit in this moment is convicting you because you have been living in the world. You realize perhaps in this moment that you have never truly lived for Jesus.
Friends, today is the day of salvation and today is the day to follow the Holy Spirit as it moves in your life.
If your here today and you perhaps are saved, perhaps with words you say “I want my family and friends to know Jesus”
You say, I want them to experience that same joy that I have.
Brothers and sisters, would you come on this Christmas Eve and pray for how you could do a better job to make Jesus your everything and how you can display the hope in you to your friends and family.
Friends, I believe that joy in Jesus Christ is the byproduct of submission and we need to submit to Him if we are to experience joy.
whatever the need today, would you submit to him today