Sermon Tone Analysis

Joy is mentioned 8 times in the Christmas Story

It’s Christmas time and we want to look at the choices that create joy in your life but do it from the Christmas story tonight.

Everyone has Christmas on their minds right now, especially the stores which seem to be doing well… at least by my observation.

People talk a lot about Joy during the time leading into Christmas and Christianity is a joyful faith…

We are also a singing faith because our faith is overflowing with joy so we sing songs about joy.

Life Songs plays Christmas songs all month.

There are more songs about the birth of Jesus than any other holiday… probably more than all the others combined.

In the Bible, Joy is used more than 8 times in the Christmas story.

It’s why we say Merry Christmas instead of Scary Christmas.

It’s a celebration of a joyous event… the Birth of the Savior of the world.

Think with me.

What brings joy to you?

What is joy anyway?

We know it’s an emotion, but we also know it’s more.

Here is the difference…

Look at

Happiness

Happiness - based on what happens

Your external circumstances… temporary.

It depends on what happens to you and around you.

Joy

Joy - based on your choices

Your inner character… It’s long lasting.

You can have joy when you are in the middle of grief and chaos.

Happiness depends on where you are at the moment.

Check this out from the book, Choose Joy...

Joy the settled assurance that God is in control of every detail in my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything will be all right, and the determined choice to praise God in all things.”

It might not be ok right now, but you know that God is in control and that He will work it out.

Joy is a determined choice to praise God in all things.

That’s a lot different than just feeling good.

Joy is a choice… it’s a commitment.

God wants you to live a joy filled life.

the world would sure be a better place if more people walked around with joy-filled lives.

People would not be so cranky and ugly.

No one would be committing all these crimes that are going on.

The world would be a nicer place.

But the truth is that we don’t have joy all the time.

You don’t have Joy all the time.

I don’t have joy all the time… none of us do.

Why? because it leaks out of us.

It will drain out of our lives.

Why does this happen?

You need to understand that there are “joy thieves” that will steal the joy right out of your life.

These joy thieves fight against you having joy in your life.

We live in a very negative world and sometimes… many times you will have to fight to be positive.

Does that make sense?

Not everyone around you is joyful of positive and you have to intentionally choose to be positive… to choose joy.

I want us to look at some of these Joy Thieves and the choices we can make to restore our joy.

We will look at the choices that Mary, Joseph and the wisemen made in the Christmas story.

3 Choices that will Restore your Joy

1st Joy Thief: Anxiety

When you get stressed out, you are NOT full of joy.

Anxiety will steal your joy.

When you are anxious, you are full of fear, worry, and you are stressed out.

When anxiety comes in… joy goes out.

Now, when we read the Christmas story, we don’t usually focus on or even realize the stress that Mary was under.

That first Christmas was very stressful.

First of all, Mary was not very old… 13 or 14 at the most.

People got married then at 12 or so.

Mary is not a 30 year old mature woman.

She is not a young woman in her 20’s.

Mary is a young teenager.

Then she is engaged to a man she probably barely knew and then she is pregnant before being married… and it’s from God.

How do you explain that to your mother?

Hi mom, I’m pregnant, but I didn’t do anything… Would you believe your daughter?

Mary’s mom probably did not either.

The virgin birth thing created a lot of stress.

She lives in a small town and she will be a single mom.

There will be a lot of gossip and she could even be stoned to death.

No one will believe that God is the father of this baby.

Then a couple of days before she is due, the government says that her and Joseph have to go to Bethlehem for a census so their taxes can go up, so at about 8.5 months, she has to ride on a donkey for 2-3 days to Bethlehem for the census.

Any of you ladies here like to ride on a donkey?

Then when they get to Bethlehem there are no hotel rooms.

They have to stay in the barn with no hospital or nurse or midwives to deliver her baby… just Joseph.

She has never had a baby and now she has to deliver alone.

Then to top it all off, angels keep showing up and telling her that she is giving birth to the SOG.

Talk about pressure.

This is all extremely stressful.

think about it… every time an angel shows up, the first thing it says is, Don’t be afraid.

Why? Anxiety steals your joy.

Write this down.

Mary made a choice and here is the first choice she made.

1.

When Mary was afraid she chose to trust God and accept His plan

She chose… and so can you.

Basically, the angel was telling Mary that she had been chosen by God to carry the SOG.

Listen to me… God has chosen you for a purpose as well.

But you will miss out if you don’t make the same decision Mary did… to trust God.

Unfortunately mist people don’t make the Mary choice and miss out on their purpose.

Now, the next statement by the Angel will also cause her stress.

Not the ordinary Birth announcement is it?

No and it’s no normal child either.

The baby she is carrying is going to be a king because he is the SOG.

So Mary asked the angel and obvious question…

Now, given what I just read, if you were Mary you would be anxious too.

Let me pause for a minute?

What are you anxious about this Christmas?

What are you worried about?

family… job… Covid… finances… health… if you will ever get married?

I do’t know what you are worrying about but I know the antidote without even knowing what you are worrying about.

It’s the same as what Mary used.