Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

We have now celebrated Thanksgiving and we can now officially celebrate Christmas.

If you’re like me, you don’t like to decorate or even think about Christmas until Thanksgiving is officially over.

Although, Katherine and I are debating on even putting a tree up this year with having a 16 month old who is literally into everything.

I know it’s only three days after Thanksgiving, but I honestly feel like we’ve been celebrating Christmas for a while now.

I mean, Black Friday shopping is no longer on Friday anymore, it’s Thanksgiving night.

Maybe you are one of those very odd people that have all your Christmas gifts purchased and wrapped under the tree.

Maybe your one of those people that wait until Christmas Eve to do all your Christmas shopping.

One thing is for sure, Christmas time is finally here!

Christmas time comes with all sorts of wonderful and exciting things right?

Christmass decorations

Christmas lights

Gifts

Time with Family

Traditions

More Christmas parties, Christmas food, and more potlucks.

I want you to look at your neighbor and tell them your favorite part of Christmas.

I know we are in Church, but it’s ok if you say something other than Jesus because I hope we are all thankful for that first and foremost.

This morning, I want to talk about Joy for the Holliday’s.

This is important because as we transition to the Christmas season, my prayer is for us to focus our hearts and our minds on what we really need to focus on.

Next week, we are going to begin a Christmas series but this morning, I want us to take a look at how we can remain Joyful around the Holidays.

We are going to study a Psalms this morning, I want to ask you to go ahead and flip to Psalm 16.

If you’ve never studied in Psalms, just turn to the middle of your Bible and you should find it pretty easily.

Some commentators write that Psalms is the heart of the OT.

Psalms is a beautifully written book of poems.

The title has the meaning “to make music” “to sing praise” In fact, many of the worship songs we sing, many of the hymns we sing come from this beautifully written poetic letter.

I try to read at least one psalm a day during my quiet time.

Psalms lead us to praise and worship and Psalms is also one of my favorite books to pray through.

There are several classifications found in Psalms: Hymns, Laments, Thanksgiving songs, Psalms of confidence, Prophetic Psalms, Wisdom Psalms, and Remembrance Psalms, and Royal Psalms that proclaim that God is King.

We come to Psalms 16 and is unique in that it begins with a lament and then turns to a Psalm of confidence.

Turn to Psalms 16:1-11

You Will Not Abandon My Soul

16 A Miktam of David.

1  Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.

2  I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;

I have no good apart from you.”

3  As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,

in whom is all my delight.

4  The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;

their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out

or take their names on my lips.

5  The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;

you hold my lot.

6  The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

7  I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;

in the night also my heart instructs me.

8  I have set the Lord always before me;

because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

9  Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;

my flesh also dwells secure.

10  For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,

or let your holy one see corruption.

11  You make known to me the path of life;

in your presence there is fullness of joy;

at your right hand are pleasures forevermore

This morning, we are going to break this Psalm down into three parts and look at three truths that the Psalmist writes about .

My prayer is that as we look through this Psalm, we will find confidence and source of Joy that will carry us not only through the Christmas season but for all of our life.

I encourage you to write these down in your notes this morning as we study this beautifully written Psalm.

1. Joy is rooted in the Lord (V.

1-3)

David is writing this Psalm under the inspiration of God and begins with “Preserve me O God”

David is calling out to God and asking him to guard him and watch over him.

This is important because as we begin studying this Psalm, we see David begins asking God to give him security and safety.

He then makes the statement “for in you I take refuge.”

That word “Refuge” has the meaning a place of rest, comfort, and safety.

I think these words are so applicable for us as we prepare our hearts for this Christmas season.

True joy and refuge are found in God alone.

As tempting as it is to find rest, comfort, and safety in things other than God, our true Refuge is in God the Father and nothing else.

You see God is the author of our life.

He is on His throne .

God is infinite, eternal, unchangeable.

This morning we have the privilege to have a personal relationship with Him through His son Jesus.

We can learn so much from this Psalm from the first three verses alone, because David is crying out to God and proclaiming the truth that no good comes apart from the God.

In order for us to find true Joy around this time of year we must remember how big God is and how small we are.

When we compare ourselves in light of who God is, we should be humbled and stand in awe that the God we read about in the Scriptures allows us to find refuge and security in Him through the story of Jesus.

There is not enough time to study all the attributes of who God is but let’s take a look at four of them:

God is Perfect: Deuteronomy 32:4

הַהַGod is Infinite, He was created by nothing and has always existed forever: Psalms

147:5, Colossians 1:17

God is Omnipresent: He is in all places at all times, Psalm 139:7-10

We must first recognize the importance of who God is and the importance of placing our trust in Him and finding our refuge in Him not just during the holidays but at all times.

He is a good God and He is a perfect God.

Trusting in Him means we are trusting in the only one who is all powerful and all knowing.

You want to experience true joy this Christmas, may your joy be rooted in knowing God.

Open this book and study Him.

You will discover that the God who inspired this book is bigger, stronger, and more powerful than you ever could have imagined.

David begins this Psalm with words that should be constantly on our minds and our tongues “I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”

Stay focused on the glorious truths of who God is this Christmas season.

I don’t know about you, but we can so easily get distracted by all the busyness, stress, and chaos of the Christmas season, but we must remain focused on God and remain amazed at who God is and what He is doing in our lives.’

Take time to know God through His word this Christmas season.

There are plenty of great Christmas Bible reading plans out there.

If you need a suggestion, find me after the worship gathering and I can give you some good ones to start with.

The first way to have true Joy this holiday season is to find joy in the Lord.

2. Joy can quickly turn to sorrow (V.

4-6)

In contrast to David recognizing that God is his refuge and all good things come from Him, notice in V. 4 what it says about those that run after things other than God.

“The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply”

This is a very straightforward, easy to understand truth this morning.

When we run to anything besides God for refuge and strength, we will only find sorrow and emptiness.

The thing that breaks my heart this Christmas is that so many people will try to find joy in things other than the Lord and they will end up having a miserable Christmas.

Throughout the Old Testament we read several instances where the Israelites (God’s Chosen Ones) decide to worship idols of surrounding nations.