JOY TO THE WORLD

INTRO

Good morning Church

Johns Gone  //  I love him  //  so grateful 

Im Jed Church  //  Creative assistant 

I'am excited an honored to be preaching for you this morning

Welcome To New Anthem

Address in-person and livestream

Comment New online

We are bookending the month of December talking about Joy

My message is called “Joy to the world"

Nov 1 vs Dec 1 christians 

Who here  //  God worked in my life

PREFACE

We are talking about where we should find our joy.

Though out the rest of our time think about where you find your joy.

Friends  //  Family  //  Sports  //  Hobbies  //  School art work performance 

START OF  SCRIPTURE

HaBAKkuk was an Old Testament prophet.

This book is of a conversation between him and God.

HaBAKkuk is frustrated and fead up with God

The first verse says “how long lord must I call for help and you do not listen.”

How many of us start our prayers

He tells God what “he’s going wrong” and what her can do to be better.

So him and God have a conversation

God relveals to Him that Gods plan is perfect

Which leads to the passage we are focusing on today.

PRAY

  But first Lets pray

Bless this time

Bless what I say

Etc.

Amen

READ Habakkuk 3:17-19

17  Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce 

of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and 

there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the 

God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the 

deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.

Read with excitement

Finish reading engaged

If there is any verse to describe 2020 it would that

TRANSITION

Restate question as a statement 

A lot of times we find our joy in not the bast places.

Expections not met, things that fall through

POINT 1.  "Joy is a choice."

Happiness VS Joy

Happiness is fleeting and depending on things going well.

Happiness doesn’t last and isn’t an anchor in the hard times but joy is.

We need to choose Joy

situations can’t steal our joy

People can’t steal our joy

Unmet expectations can’t steal our joy

If we rely on the the things of the world to aline and me us happy we will never have lasting happiness

Sooner or later things will change or something will come up

Look at Paul

READ Acts 16:25-26 — (Supporting verse)

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were 

listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the 

prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened.

Paul is in prison

He has been locked up for sharing the gospel and casting a demon from a girl

If that was me I would be so discouraged 

I mean come on

Living out everyday of my life sharing the gospel and God still let me be arrested

But what does Paul do?

He PRIASES God

He starts worshiping God for how amazing he is.

Paul CHOOSE to have joy

And what happened?

God creates an earth quake to set him free.

POINT 2.   "Joy must be found in Christ."

the world offers an illusion of joy

It’s not lasting

Its not nearly as fulfilling

Joy is a gift from God

READ Galatians 5:22-23 — (Supporting verse)

22 But he fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,peace, patience, kindness, goodness, 

     faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 

Fruit of spirit

God wants us to have joy

He wants to supply it and have us find it in Him

When we enter into a relationship with God 

He gifts us Joy and Strength etc.

So if we search for our Joy in Christ we will find it

It won’t fail us

Relationship and trust in christ is the only true source for our Joy.

RE-READ HAB 3:17

POINT 3.   "Sin is the greatest thief of Joy."

Our joy MUST come from God and sin separates us from Him.

Sin creates a divide between us and God.

When we are separated from God out tendency become to search for joy in other places.

This Just pulls us farther from God and we still don't find lasting Joy.

When we CHOOSE to find our joy in God he also gives us strength

RE-READ HAB 3:19

I know this has been a hard year. 

Everyone has been affected in some way 

Satan has used this ____ to steal our Joy

But Christ wants to fill all of us with

APLLICATION 

Jesus did his part, and now its on us to do ours

We do that by choosing to be joyful 

Choosing to to find our joy in Christ

And pushing out thesis in our lives 

CLOSING

So what are we finding our joy in today?

How easy is it to look for joy in the wrong places.

To turn to sin to comfort us and bring us happiness, instead of turning to a perfect loving God for Joy.

WHATS THE DECLARATION FOR TODAY/THIS WEEK

LANDING THE PLANE AND EXCITING THEM

Alter call

Maybe you are in this room

You want/need that joy in your life

This year has been hard

Maybe you dint know how you would make it through

Gods gift of Joy is just a step away

Command and own the prayer at end

Benediction closing  

POINTS - Joy is a choice

- Joy can only be found in Christ

- Sin is the greatest thief of Joy

PRIMARY TEXT (ESV)

- Habakkuk 3:17-19

SUPPORTING TEXTS (ESV)

- Acts 16:25-26 — (Supporting verse 1) - Galatians 5:22-23 — (Supporting verse 2)