2: Joy to the World

Bill Connors

Christmas 2019: Hope is Born • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

Luke 2:8–12

Joy

Christmas

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Housekeeping Stuff & Announcements:

Merry Christmas! Welcome guests to the family gathering, introduce yourself. Thank the band. Invite guests to parlor after service.

We are in the process of collecting our annual Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions during December and January. Our goal as a church is $26,000. The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering accounts for over half of the financial support for our missionaries serving overseas. Prayerfully pray how God would have you give to this offering this year. We will see more about the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering at the end of the service.

I wanted to let everyone know of several special services that are coming up in the next three weeks:

In conjunction with our focus on International Missions, we are in the process of collecting our annual Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions during December and January. Our goal as a church is $26,000. The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering accounts for over half of the financial support for our missionaries serving overseas. Prayerfully pray how God would have you give to this offering this year. We will see more about the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering at the end of the service.

First, we will have a special called business meeting next Sunday night, December 15, for the purpose of voting to repair the roof on the north end of the building, and to authorize the use of funds from our Building Reserve account to pay for it. We will need to have at least 50 members here to vote, so please plan to be here for that next Sunday night at 5:30.

Then, on Sunday morning, December 22, we will have our annual Christmas musical program during our Family Worship service at 10:30. It’s going to be a great time of worship, and I hope you’ll plan to be here for that as well.

On Christmas Eve, December 24, at 6 pm, we will have one of my favorite services of the year, our Christmas Eve Candlelight service. It will be a short time for our church family and others to come together to worship Jesus together.

And finally, we will close the year out by celebrating the Lord’s Supper together during our Family Worship service on Sunday morning, December 29. I’m looking forward to that time of worship together as well.

Opening

Last week, we opened up our “Hope is Born” series for Christmas this year. Today, it’s so fun to have our decorations up and the sanctuary here looking so beautiful. The message last week was called “Love Came Down,” and we read the beginning of the Christmas story as told by Luke in chapter 2 of his Gospel. Our focus was on the birth of Christ in verse 7, and we went from there into 1 John chapter 4, where we find that when love Himself came down in the person of Jesus Christ, God’s love was revealed, defined, and now we are to live a life committed to displaying that love to others if we are God’s children.

I appreciate the band playing the song “Joy to the World — Unspeakable Joy” today, because it goes right with what we’re going to talk about. Let’s open up our Bibles and stand as we read the next part of the Christmas story from Luke today:

Luke 2:8–12 CSB

8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”

PRAY

This morning, our focal verse in this passage is verse 10:

Luke 2:10 CSB

10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:

The angel declares that he is proclaiming “good news.”

The Gospel is (literally) good news.

What the angel declares to the shepherds in the fields is the beginning of God bringing to pass the good news that He has been proclaiming was coming since the beginning of the Scriptures. He’s bringing to fruition the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This message, this Gospel, had been interwoven in the history of the world in general, and then into the particular story of God’s chosen people, the nation of Israel. But what made this Gospel “good news?” Is there “bad news” that needed reversed? Why did God need to bring this Gospel that the angels would proclaim?

To answer that, we need to track the thread of good news this morning. We will spend most of our time here, just to warn you.

It starts at the beginning, in and 2, with Almighty God speaking into existence everything that would ever be. He chooses to create stars and starfish, plants and planets, horses and hippos, and everything in between. Finally, He chooses to create a special pair—a pair bearing His own imprint, His own image, designed to be in a special relationship with God—man and woman, Adam and Eve. These two He places in a Garden of unsurpassed health and beauty. God is a benevolent King, and He provides all that they need, including giving man authority over the earth as superintendent. And all is good.

But in , Adam and Eve fail. Believing the serpent’s lies about God, they violate the one law that they had been given, they rebel and seek to take God’s place as King. They sin. As a result, the special relationship with God is fractured, His image within them is tarnished, and God sends them out of His Garden, out of His presence, and they and the rest of creation are now broken because of their sin. But even in the midst of the King pronouncing this punishment upon them, He provides a glimmer of hope. He tells them that one day, there will come from the woman a child who will crush the serpent’s head.

Genesis 3:15 CSB

15 I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.

genesis 3

But it turns out that man’s brokenness problem isn’t a behavior problem. It’s a heart problem. And for generations, mankind pursues their own ends, ignoring God and seeking their own glory and pleasure, in fact, for almost all of mankind, “every inclination of the human mind was nothing but evil all the time (). God, as the righteous King and Judge, passes judgment on mankind and all except one man and his family is wiped out as God brings His punishment through a global flood. Yet again, when God’s wrath was fully poured out against mankind, He makes a covenant of hope with that one man, Noah:

Genesis 9:11 CSB

11 I establish my covenant with you that never again will every creature be wiped out by floodwaters; there will never again be a flood to destroy the earth.”

Genesis

Mankind’s heart problem continues through Noah’s offspring, and they are spread throughout the earth. God decides to set apart another man, Abraham, for a special purpose: that his descendants would point to the greatness of God, and that through His seed, all of mankind, all the peoples on earth, would be blessed:

Genesis 12:2–3 CSB

2 I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

genesis 12:2-3

Abraham had a miraculous son born to him at age 100. This son, Issac, would have a son, Jacob, who would late be renamed Israel, and from Israel would come the twelve tribes of the Hebrew people. And one of those tribes, the tribe of Judah, would receive this great promise of the future coming of the King:

Genesis 49:10 CSB

10 The scepter will not depart from Judah or the staff from between his feet until he whose right it is comes and the obedience of the peoples belongs to him.

genesis 49:

But God’s people find themselves in bondage in Egypt, and God rescues them out of bondage by His might, and providing them with a sacrifice in their place—a blood of a spotless lamb marked their salvation from bondage.

Exodus 12:7 CSB

7 They must take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses where they eat them.

exodus 12:7, 12-13

Exodus 12:12–13 CSB

12 “I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night and strike every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, both people and animals. I am the Lord; I will execute judgments against all the gods of Egypt. 13 The blood on the houses where you are staying will be a distinguishing mark for you; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will be among you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

God’s visible glory would lead His people out of Egypt, and then God would make a covenant with them through His servant Moses, giving them laws to mark them off from the other nations, so that they would show the world God’s wisdom and understanding (). However, His people would fail to keep this covenant with the King over and over again, worshiping false gods and bowing down to idols, even after He settles them in the land He had promised to Abraham. And His people reject Him, calling for a king like all the other nations have ().

God ultimately provides them an earthly king who has a heavenly perspective, and God’s people dwell in safety and prosperity for a time. But the broken condition of the human heart was still at work, and God’s people again refuse to follow Him. Israel is split into two nations, each led almost exclusively by men who refuse to honor God, and God must bring judgment on His people again, sending them away from their homeland and the Temple where He had promised to be present. But again, even as He sends them into captivity, He leaves them with a Gospel promise:

Isaiah 9:2–7 CSB

2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness. 3 You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy. The people have rejoiced before you as they rejoice at harvest time and as they rejoice when dividing spoils. 4 For you have shattered their oppressive yoke and the rod on their shoulders, the staff of their oppressor, just as you did on the day of Midian. 5 For every trampling boot of battle and the bloodied garments of war will be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever. The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this.

isa 9:2-

Eventually, God’s people return to their homeland, but they still don’t experience the wonder of this incredible promise, the birth of this child that would bring light and joy, freedom and victory, justice and prosperity. They receive other promises of this coming Servant of the Lord, but eventually, God’s voice through His prophets grows silent for over 400 years.

Not just the nation, but the entire world is enslaved to the brokenness of our hearts, our sinful nature inherited from our first father, Adam. We each have our own sin to answer for, our own ways in which we have rebelled against our loving King. We are each lost, separated from the One who designed us to be in relationship with Him, with no ability to earn it back, because the only way back is through completely sinless perfection. The news is all bad, save that glimmer of hope woven throughout history...

The message of the Gospel is woven throughout Scripture.

Biblical theology perspective.

And at just the right moment, God sends His angelic messenger to a Hebrew girl with an incredible promise:

Luke 1:31–33 CSB

31 Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.”

luke 1:31-32

And now, the shepherds see their own angel (maybe the same one), who makes this proclamation:

Luke 2:10–12 CSB

10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”

luke 2:10

This is the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ—the Son of God, the Savior, the Messiah, the Lord, the Seed of Abraham, the fulfillment of the prophecy of , the King Himself in flesh, is born! This is the best of news! This is worth rejoicing over!

This is the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Seed of Abraham, the fulfillment of the prophecy of , the King Himself who would make a way for His people, and in fact, all people, to be delivered from our worst enemy—the brokenness of the human heart—by becoming that sacrificial Lamb for us by shedding His blood, crushing the head of the serpent and the lies that brought death, by dying in our place so that we could be saved.

The Gospel is good news of great joy.

When I look around the world today, I see an unfortunate shortage of joy. Even among those who know Christ, we struggle with being joyful. But Christian brothers and sisters—we have good news of great joy—because we have the Gospel!

Jesus, Son of the Most High, came to make a way for His people, and in fact, all people, to be delivered from our worst enemy—the brokenness of the human heart. He did this by becoming that sacrificial Lamb for us and shedding His blood, crushing the head of the serpent and the lies that brought death, dying in our place so that we could be brought back into that right relationship with our loving God.

who would make a way for His people, and in fact, all people, to be delivered from our worst enemy—the brokenness of the human heart—by becoming that sacrificial Lamb for us by shedding His blood, crushing the head of the serpent and the lies that brought death, by dying in our place so that we could be saved.

And He defeated death, rising from the dead, never to die again, so that if we are in right relationship with God through faith in Him, then we we will live forever with Him, and we look forward to that time when He will return and set all things right in the world… the way they were originally designed to be.

And this morning,

So, if we have trusted in what Christ has done for our salvation and our eternal hope, then we can have joy, regardless of the circumstances that we find ourselves in. Look at how Peter wrote about this joy in :

1 Peter 1:3–9 CSB

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. 5 You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials 7 so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; though not seeing him now, you believe in him, and you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

1 Peter 1:

The problem of “joy” is that we define joy by different standards, and strive to find what we call joy in different things. But the Bible makes a distinction between something being merely pleasurable and that which brings actual joy. The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary defines “joy” as a “state of delight and well being that results from knowing and serving God.” The Lexham Bible Dictionary explains “joy” as “closely related to gladness and happiness, although joy is more a state of being than an emotion; a result of choice.”

The problem of “joy.” We define joy and find what we call joy in different things.

The Bible makes a distinction between something being merely pleasurable and that which brings actual joy. The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary defines “joy” as a “state of delight and well being that results from knowing and serving God.” The Lexham Bible Dictionary defines “joy” as “Closely related to gladness and happiness, although joy is more a state of being than an emotion; a result of choice.”

Share?

Joy isn’t momentary happiness, which can fade in a moment. Joy both flows out of and is a choice we make because of our relationship with God. It’s not based on our situation. It’s based on our relationship. Scripture is clear that our delight in God isn’t based on what’s happening in our lives.

I need to take a moment though, and acknowledge that some of us are going through some really difficult times right now at Christmas. Times like the holidays can act as an amplifier for pain, a magnifying glass for problems, and a powerful remembrance of the past. That makes sense, because it’s during the holidays that we make some of our most precious memories. If you’re hurting this holiday season, let me just acknowledge that fact and say to you that I’m sorry. I’m sorry you’re in pain because of whatever you’ve experienced this last year. I’m sorry that this Christmas season, maybe for the first time, is nothing like you want it to be. I hurt with you and for you, as does the rest of this church family.

If you belong to Christ, there is still, and always will be, a reason for joy. Joy isn’t a happy mask that you put on. Joy can come in the midst of our darkest times and deepest pain. Even Jesus saw joy in His darkest moment:

Hebrews 12:2 CSB

2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

hebrews

He went to cross “for the joy that lay before Him.” He had joy because of the relationship that He had with the Father, and that relationship was the fact that defined every moment in His life, even His going to the cross. Consider that in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus had joy, even as He cried out to God. And it’s similar for us, we can delight in our relationship with God even as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, because God is with us and comforts us ().

That’s why Peter could say in verses 6-7:

1 Peter 1:6 CSB

6 You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials

1 Peter 1:6–7 CSB

6 You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials 7 so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

He could say this this way because even the difficult things, the things that are trials for us, God is using to make us more like Christ, to show His greatness through what He’s done. God is with us in the midst of those trials to comfort us, but He’s not going to waste our hurt and our struggle. James said something similar:

James 1:2–4 CSB

2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

This is why Paul can command us to rejoice:

Philippians 4:4 CSB

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

God has joy.

If we are in Christ, then we of all people should have this great joy! And that joy—that state of delight in the right relationship that we have with God through Christ—should overflow into our willingness to share this good news of great joy with others.

God has joy.

Jesus spoke of His joy.

Joy is a fruit of the Spirit.

Joy in trials and suffering.

The Gospel is good news of great joy for all people.

The good news of the Gospel is a message of great joy for all people. The Christmas message is a universal message. Jesus came for everyone, and everyone who believes in Jesus will be saved.

Romans 1:16–17 CSB

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.

Yes, it is for you. You who haven’t ever trusted Christ. It’s good news of great joy for you. You who claim to believe, but have fallen into the snare of sin. It’s good news of great joy for you. You who are struggling to find health or happiness or hope. It’s good news of great joy for you.

Do we make the message of the Gospel a joy for people to hear? I’m not saying that we change the message at all. I’m asking is our presentation more about what God hates than about who God loves and how He loves them?

Maybe right now in your life, you feel like everything is going well. It’s good news of great joy for you as well.

And if this message of great joy is manifested in us, then we are to carry on the message, because it is for all people. Here’s how Paul said it to the church at Colosse:

Colossians 1:28–29 CSB

28 We proclaim him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 I labor for this, striving with his strength that works powerfully in me.

col 1:

Christian, we are called to proclaim this good news of great joy, because it’s for all people. It’s for the person on the other side of the planet who’s never heard the name of Jesus. It’s for the politician in Washington whose politics don’t line up with yours. It’s for the homeless man who’s freezing outside on the street. It’s for the woman down the hall at the office whose life choices you maybe don’t agree with. It’s for the neighbor across the road from you who you’ve never met. It’s for the family member living in your house right now who’s never surrendered their life to Jesus.

It’s for the person on the other side of the planet who’s never heard the name of Jesus. It’s for the person in Washington whose politics don’t line up with yours. It’s for the person

The message of the Gospel is good news of great joy for all people. God loves us and created us to be in a relationship with Him. But our sins broke that relationship, and we can’t be good enough on our own to make up for our sins. Jesus came as a baby in a stable and was placed in a manger, and lived perfectly for us, and died tragically for us, and rose triumphantly for us, so that we could have that relationship with God restored. If we trust in Jesus for our salvation, we will be saved, both now and forever.

Closing

This is true joy to the world, and I would say that it’s the gift that this world needs this Christmas. And brothers and sisters, God has given us the mission of proclaiming this good news of great joy that is for all the people.

Who’s your one? Do you have someone in your sphere of influence, just one, who you can intentionally share the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with this Christmas? Make a commitment between yourself and the Lord that you will look for opportunities to share the hope of the Gospel with them this Christmas. Look for opportunities to tell others about the joy that you have this Christmas because of your relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ.

If you’re here this morning, and you’ve been visiting, and you’re looking for the day that God would have you join this church as a member, is that day today? When the band comes up and plays, come and share that decision with one of us.

But who I want to speak most clearly to this morning is you if you are here today and you have never trusted in Christ as your Lord and Savior. This morning, I’ve done all that I can do to make the message of the Gospel as clear as I can. Maybe you still have questions. Come and let us know that. You can share that with Joe and Kerry in the back as well. Or if this morning, you’ve heard the Gospel and you have believed it, then please come and share that. We want to celebrate that with you, and pray for you!

If you have some other need that we can pray with you about this morning, come and pray with us.

INVITE THE BAND DOWN.

PRAY

Remind about the Parlor. Lottie Moon video… three minutes, but worth it.

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