Sermon Tone Analysis

What do I want them to know? the Joy of Christmas

Why?

We all long for joy

What do I want them to do? Rejoice in the joy of Christmas

Why? Joy brings life

ME/WE

How’s your JOY been this year?

If you think about your JOY METER...How’s it been during this Christmas season, especially as you hear the songs being play called Joy to the World, and it’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Some of us are going to say my JOY is off the CHARTS, my JOY meter is OVERFLOWING…I have had the most JOY in my life.

Others are going to say my JOY is not off the charts....It has been hard to find JOY this year.....

I have not been able to the things I normally do that bring me JOY....My JOY has felt restricted and limited.

Others are thinking JOY, you all are NUTS, they would say I can tell you and we will find out how they have joy when we read the scriptures (do you know what 2020 is it is a curse word or could be called GLOOM, this the year from that place HELL )where is there to find JOY this YEAR....WE SHOULD LABEL THIS YEAR GLOOM.

We have had a pandemic

A year of homeschooling kids

Financial crisis

I haven’t been able to see family or friends

We have a contentious election

And racial tension

How can you have JOY with all that has went on this year.

SET UP

If you find yourself at the spot where you are over flowing with joy we are going to pour more fuel on your JOY meter,

If you are here today and it’s been hard to find joy we are going to discover where we can find joy

If you are today and your life has been DOOM and GLOOM…we are going to discover the God of the BIBLE is the ONE who moves us from GLOOM to GLORY and JOY

TENSION

We are going to do this by diving a time period 700 year before the birth of Jesus and take a look at the Nation of Israel.

What is going on with the nation of Israel 700 years before Jesus?…How was their JOY meter?

Was it off the charts?

Was the nation in a wonderful spot?

NO, they are at time when most people would call it the GLOOMIEST SPOT FOR THE NATOIN OF ISRAEL

Why?

Because in 721 B.C. the Northern Tribes of Israel were invaded, attacked, destroyed, dismantled and the people were captured, and by Assyria…

In 721 B.C. the nation of Israel at the hands of Assyria the Northern tribes of the Nation of Israel were destroyed

There FREEDOM was GONE, their FINANCES gone, hope of a good FUTURE GONE, FAMILIES torn apart

Can you imagine that?

How much JOY would you have?

Very little...

AND WHY ARE THEY HERE…Is God just mean, no God is

God is the God of justice....He is slow to get angry BUT IF YOU CONTINUE TO ON THE PATH OF SIN and not BLESSING IT WILL NOT GO WELL WITH YOU.....sin has consequences, painful consequences…this is a good thing…why?

....if sin has no consequences would we stop?

NO

I love what pastor Chip Ingram said this weak, “I am thankful for the pain of the consequences that helps me turn around.”

Why is the nation in the GLOOM SPOT they are in?

SIN…not not just sin of lying, cheating, and stealing…but the sin of walking away from God....walking away from God leads to GLOOM.

Let’s read what they did

God says since you have walked away from me, it’s darkness, it’s gloom.

it’s hopeless, it’s joyless

As we said in earlier they are captured and defeated by Assyria

We can read in 2 kings 15:29 what happens

They are captured....all hope is lost

Some of you are thinking BUT WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ME? Interesting story....some of you might be checking out because it feels like in history class.

What does this have to do with me???

I didn’t walk away from God or I wasn’t against God or God’s ways…really …maybe not this year… your story is you walked with God your whole life???

Is this what Scripture

BUT WHAT DOES SCRIPTURE SAY

but at one point all of us were like the nation of Israel....we all were lost in our trespasses and sin or did we forget that part.....

WE WERE JUST LIKE ISRAEL 700 YEARS AGO AT SOME POINT IN OUR LIFE

This sin brought two consequences in our life

- the GLOOMIEST of ALL GLOOMS....What were the two GLOOMIEST all GLOOMS?

Two things

Seperation between us and God

Death

THIS IS NOT GOOD NEWS....this is the GLOOMIEST of NEWS…this is worse than 2020…death and separation between us and God..

What hope is there for us, or joy is there for us?

What will make the GLOOMIEST SEASON CHANGE???

What can I do to change this season?…There is nothing that you can do....THAT’S NOT GOOD NEWS PASTOR PETE....YES IT IS....IT IS NOT WHAT YOU DO THAT WILL GET YOU OUT OF IT, BUT WHAT HE DID THAT WILL GET YOU OUT OF IT...

What hope you have this is the, that is directly tied to Joy is the CHRISTMAS STORY

The hope and joy the nation of Israel and we have is Christmas story....the Christmas story that was prophesied 700 years before the birth of Jesus

How does this give us HOPE and JOY?

Listen to what Is 9:1 says....The verse right after it says there are is going to GLOOM and darkness for those who walk away from God.

Who or what or where is the Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali....these were the first tribes of the 12 tribes of Israel to be captured and taken over by Assyria....why??? Judges 1:30, 33 says because they did not walk in the ways of the

But what does the scripture say to Zebulun and Napthali, to this to TRIBES WHO WALKE AWAY FROM GOD....there will be no more GLOOM for you Zebulun and Naphtali....

HOW?

I thought if you walked away from God it was over?

If that’s the case we’ve all walked away and we are all doomed....

Isaiah says in some later time your God is going to turn your GLOOM to GLORY and JOY…Don’t worry Zebulun and Naphtali and to the whole world....God is going to turn the worlds GLOOMIEST SITUATIONS TO GLORY AND JOY

Where in?

In the Galilee of nations, the place where Nazeth, Caperum, the a place the first walked away from God, a place that turns out to be a mixture of Jewish people and Nations, because of all the nations capturing and settling there.

Why?…is God going to bring GLORY TO THE GALILLEE OF THE NATIONS AND NOT ISRAEL....this is where the Messiah is supposed to come…the heart of Israel....God is telling us something all the way

What does John 3:16 say?

For God so loved Israel...

How is God going to do it?

Through a God man named Jesus…look what Jesus says in Matt 4:12-17

Jesus says I am the one who is going to move your DOOM and GLOOM to GLORY AND JOY

How?

Isaiah 9, the prophetic words given 700 years before Jesus, shows us three ways

First, Isaiah says Jesus brings light into the darkness…to those who are in GLOOM and DOOM and DARKNESS…LIGHT IS GOING TO SHINE

God’s presence has come to those who were far off, just like Is 9:2 said

Can you believe this?

The people who have rebelled, the people who have walked away from God, including you and me, a great light has shone....why? because of God’s love and grace

Specifically, what does light do to us and to them?

Light removes darkness, where this light there can be no darkness, a room either has light or darkness, and brings goodness and life..

Jesus comes to remove DARKNESS and bring Goodness and life

Let’s read what John 8:12 says

Jesus says if you follow me, give your life to me you will have the light of the life....

Life is found in Jesus, and in now where else

John 10:10

Do you know what light brings to those walking in darkness?

To those who cannot get out of darkness?

TO THOSE IN DOOM AND GLOOM?

TO THOSE WHO CANNOT SEE?