The Gift of Joy

Have you ever been disappointed at Christmas? 

Illustration:  Kent’s disappointing Christmas.

“Christmas means !”

The angel said to them, “I bring you good news of  …”  (Luke 2:10)

Mega literally means   .

Real joy  so many.

How can we be…and how can we stay ‘joyful’?

1.  Accept the Good News.

“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.” (Luke 2:10)

For many their first response to ‘God’ is  .

It’s not really ‘Good News’ until it becomes .

Have you accepted the message of Christmas and allowed the word of God to work in you? 

Illustration:  Corrie Ten Boom

2.  to Focus on What You Don’t Have.

The angel’s show-up on a hillside with the -life’s…the -not’s of the culture.

Illustration:  The Talmud

Maybe the fact that they didn’t have much made them the   to receive God’s message.

The angel’s brought a message of ‘joy and hope’ –and that was !

Illustration:  The Grinch

3.  What’s Most Important.

Once the angels returned to heaven, the shepherds “  and found Mary and Joseph.” (Luke 2:16)

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby,   over their flocks at night.”  (Luke 2:8) 

The most  thing to do…is what God is calling you to do…when he calls you to do it!

One of the great joy stealers of Christmas is .

Illustration:  Christmas Cards.

We say ‘yes’ to a hundred other things…and then don’t have the energy…the time…or the money… to say ‘yes’ to the most important things.

4.  Forget Why Christ Came.

“Today in the town of David a  has been born to you.” (Luke 2:11)

“God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”  (John 3:16)

 need a Savior. 

What matters is…You  to God…

5.  Jesus’ Birth.

The shepherds were “glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen”.  (Luke 2:20)

What about our own Christmas Celebrations? 

I don’t want to ‘trash’ your traditions…but do they need to be ‘’?

6.  Home.

“The shepherds  glorifying and praising God…” (Luke 2:20)

“Leave your country…your people…your father’s household…and go to the land I will show you.”  (Genesis 11:2)  T

Jesus told them to leave their nets and ‘follow Him’ to become fishers of men.  (Luke 5:11)

God needs us to ‘ ’ to where we can be used by Him to share our ‘joy’.

He doesn’t usually change our … He always changes us…

Illustration:  A pastor, a homeless man, and hot cider.