JOY

Luke 2:8–14 NKJV

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 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. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

LUKE 8

ON OCTOBER 26TH 2007 ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON MY WIFE AND I WE WERE ACCOMPANIED BY MY MOTHER AND HER SISTER AUDREY AT MY HOUSE WE WERE STRAIGHTENING THINGS UP AND PREPARING THE HOUSE FOR THE ARRIVAL OF OUR FIRST CHILD. i WAS COOKING ALL OF US A MEAL AS WE WORKED STEADILY. WE WERE NOT IN ANY SINCE OF URGENCY BECAUSE THE BABY WAS-INT DUE FOR ANOTHER 6 WEEKS. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OF OUR PROGRESS I RECEIVED A LOOK FROM MY WIFE THAT ANY ALL FATHERS HAVE SEEN. IT WAS TIME TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL. I QUICKLY CUT OF THE EYE AND HIT THE ROAD RUSHING MY WIFE TO THE HOSPITAL. THAT NIGHT WE TRIED TO REST BUT WITH ALL THE ANTICIPATION THAT WAS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO STOP THE CONTRACTIONS DUE TO HOW EARLY THE BABY WAS. THE DOCTOR MADE THE CALL TO TAKE MY WIFE TO UAB VIA AMBULANCE. STILL EXCITED I HIT THE ROAD ONCE AGAIN MAKING A QUICK STOP BY THE HOUSE TO GRAB SOME NECESSITIES. NOT LONG AFTER WE ARRIVED AT UAB THEY MADE THE CALL TO DELIVER. SO ON MONDAY OCTOBER 27TH I BECAME A DAD FOR THE FIRST TIME AS RACHEL ELIZABETH REAMS WAS BORN. i WAS DEFIANTLY A RECIPIENT OF JOY THAT DAY. I WOULD LEAVE THE ROOM THAT MY WIFE WAS IN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT JUST TO CHECK ON HER IN THE NICU UNIT. I PROUDLY WORE MY ITS A GIRL PEN ON MY SHIRT AND I STILL HAVE THAT SAME PEN TO THIS DAY. ON THAT DAY I WAS FULL OF JOY. THE THING ABOUT THE JOY THAT I FELT ON THAT DAY ALTHOUGH IT WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN THE FEELING IS ONE THAT CANNOT BE REPLICATED . IT IS A JOY THAT IS TEMPORARY . IN TODAY’S WORLD THE JOY THAT WE FIND IS JUST THAT “TEMPORARY.” IT IS HEAR FOR A MOMENT BUT SOON ENOUGH SOMETHING ELSE TAKES ITS PLACE. THE FEELING OF JOY IS SOMETHING THAT WE OFTEN TRY TO REPLICATE. WE WILL TRY DIFFERENT VENTURES AND THINGS TO TRY TO ONCE AGAIN FEEL JOY. THE JOY MOMENTARILY FEELS A VOID THAT EXIST WITHIN US. THIS WAS THE FEELING THAT THE JEWS HAD JUST BEFORE THE CHANGING OF TIME. AROUND 2 OR 3 bc THE JEWS HAD BEEN WITHOUT ANY WORD FROM THE LORD THEY WERE TRYING TO DO WHATEVER THEY COULD TO FIND JOY SOME DID AS MANY DO TODAY THEY WENT TO WORK AND TRIED TO FIND THAT JOY IN THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD. OTHERS TRIED TO FIND JOY IN THE LAW OF MOSES/. BUT WHEN THEY DID NOT FIND ANY FULFILLMENT IN THE LAW THEY MADE MORE LAWS AND MORE LAWS TRYING TO FIND THAT JOY. BUT IT NEVER CAME. INSTEAD IT SET UP BARRIERS BETWEEN THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS AND THE COMMON PEOPLE. BUT SUDDENLY ONE NIGHT WHILE THE SHEPHERDS WERE IN THE MIDST OF THE QUIET AN ANGEL OF THE LORD STOOD BEFORE THEM AND DELIVERED THE NEWS THAT CONTAINED THE SOURCE OF GREAT JOY. THAT JOY CAME IN THE FORM OF JESUS CHRIST THEIR SAVIOR. TODAY I WANT US TO FIND WHERE REAL JOY COMES FROM

1- WHO IS JOY FOR?

A-THE NEWS OF THE JOY OF CHRIST WAS SENT TO THE LOWEST MEMBERS OF SOCIETY.

Luke 2:8 NKJV

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.

LUKE

B-JOY IS FOR EVERYBODY.

Luke 2:10 NKJV

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.

LUKE

JOY TO THE WORLD

2- HOW DO I RECEIVE JOY?

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Joy as Feeling

Joy as Feeling. Joy is a feeling called forth by well-being, success, or good fortune. A person automatically experiences it because of certain favorable circumstances. It cannot be commanded.

A-YOU RECEIVE JOY BY COMING TO CHRIST.

Romans 15:13 NKJV

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.

B-IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN YOU RECEIVE JOY BY ABIDING IN CHRIST.

John 15:9–11 NKJV

9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 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. 11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

JOHN 15:

Proverbs 17:22 NKJV

22 A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Joy as Action

Joy as Action. There is a joy that Scripture commands. That joy is action that can be engaged in regardless of how the person feels. Proverbs 5:18 tells the reader to rejoice in the wife of his youth, without reference to what she may be like. Christ instructed his disciples to rejoice when they were persecuted, reviled, and slandered (Mt 5:11, 12). The apostle Paul commanded continuous rejoicing (Phil 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16). James said Christians are to reckon it all joy when they fall into various testings because such testings produce endurance