Celebrating Unscripted Joy: Embracing Life's Surprises with Faith and Community Fellowship

I love that.

That's a great little lead into Stabs of Joy Sunday.

I feel like Tommy there at the end.

Sometimes I don't know what to say either.

So we just see what's going to happen.

And today's kind of one of those days.

We're just going to see what happens because after we dismiss the kids I'm going to talk for a couple of minutes and then you're going to talk and you're going to lead the way in the message today, sharing some Stabs of Joy, and we'll talk about what that means in just a moment.

But one of my Stabs of Joy every Sunday is getting to see our kids head to Kidz Men.

So let's give it up for our kids this morning as they go down the hall.

I'm grateful to Tori you heard from her a moment ago to Miss Shauna over there and to Taranda, all of our Kidz Men team, who does a phenomenal job leading the way in Kidz Men.

I got two boys who are in Kidz Men every Sunday and who love being part of Kidz Men, and that's to me it makes all the difference in the world when your kids are excited to come to church.

I love that and Stab of Joy for me.

This past year my oldest, noah gave his life to Christ in January.

We were able to baptize him back in January, and in large part due to the influence that Kidz Men and the leaders there have had on his life.

So that's a great way to kick off Stabs of Joy.

I think we're going to be in Luke, chapter two today just for a moment.

We are in a series that we've called the Four Guarantees of Christmas, and today's guarantee is this you can find joy, you really can find joy.

Joy sometimes seems elusive, does it not?

It's like some people have it, some people don't.

What makes the difference?

We're not always sure, but today you really can find joy.

I believe that with all my heart, and I want to encourage you with that.

Today, in Luke chapter two, what we're going to see is that there were a group of shepherds who were hanging out in a field and all of a sudden, joy broke into their life.

But it was unexpected and it looked like an interruption and it actually began with them being really afraid, and we're going to talk about that in just a moment, but before we do, to kind of help us set the scene for today, do you ever really like pay attention to the words of Christmas carols.

There are a lot of really, really solid ones.

There's some weird ones too.

Let's be honest.

There's some strange ones.

Last Christmas, anybody, last Christmas, I gave you my heart.

The very next day you gave it away, like this poor girl.

Right, it's terrible.

But then, like what she says, next, this year, I'm going to give it to someone special the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over and hoping to get different results.

It's like you know you're a great song.

You know what I mean.

It's like you know you're setting yourself up for a very unmarried new year.

You know it's going to be unhappy again and you're going to be sad.

My favorite, my boy's favorite Christmas carol right now is Little Drummer Boy.

They love it, they love it, but it's one of those songs that's like, really like.

Think about Little Drummer Boy for a minute.

Mary, new mom, first time mom, has just given birth.

There's a baby who's probably asleep or about to go to sleep, and this guy gets the idea.

I know what Mary, new mom and sleeping baby need Me and my drum and the ox and the lamb to help us keep time.

So let me show up with my whole farm and a drum and she'll be thrilled.

It's like no, no, you keep your drum far away.

You can beat that thing just in another county, right?

Like, keep that thing north of the Sea of Galilee.

Like, leave us alone down here in Bethlehem, we're fine, right, take your drum elsewhere, right, and it's one of those things like you actually like sit down and think about the words.

You look at them and say, well, that doesn't make any sense.

That's a little bit unexpected.

And I wonder what the attitude of the shepherds was like in Luke, chapter two.

I wonder if there's any like sense in their mind.

Like this this doesn't make any sense.

This doesn't make any sense.

Think about for a second you're a first century shepherd, right?

Listen, there's not a line of people lining up to be a first century shepherd.

That wasn't the glamorous job of the day.

Nobody wanted to do it.

So you're already not happy about your life.

You're in a field, awake in the middle of the night, and you're watching for danger, right, like that's like the most exciting thing that might happen is also the worst thing that could happen.

You could have to do something that night.

You know, like the perfect night for a shepherd in the first century.

You just got to sit there and you got to watch your sheep and nothing bothered them.

Nothing interrupted the night.

Nothing unexpected happened.

That was a good night for a first century shepherd.

With that in mind, let's read Luke chapter two.

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.

Just a side note, I have a hard time reading Luke chapter two and anything but the King James version.

My grandfather growing up would ask me to read the Luke chapter two, the Christmas story, but he would only let me read it from his King James Bible because he called the NIV the non-inspired version.

That's neither here nor there.

But anyway, that's just a side note.

I have a hard time with Luke two in the ESV.

But all the world should be registered or taxed in the King James.

This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria and all went up to be registered, each to his own town.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child, and while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.

She gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them.

In the end, in the same region, there were shepherds out in the field keeping watch over their flock by night, and an angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shown around them, and they were filled with great fear.

The angel said to them fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people, for unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ, the Lord.

Joy has a way of interrupting our lives in unexpected ways.

The shepherds are in their field, they're hoping for a quiet and peaceful night and all of a sudden, an angel shows up and the glory of the Lord surrounds them.

Can you imagine what that was like?

It went from the darkness of night to now.

The glory of God is shining around the shepherds and their sheep, and their response is what my response and your response would have been they're afraid, they're terrified Like I can just imagine.

The sheep you know are losing their mind.

The shepherds are like.

We didn't prep for this in shepherd school wolves, bears, that kind of stuff.

They taught us about that Bright light from heaven.

We didn't get to that in the curriculum All of a sudden, and then the voice of the angel speaks fear not, fear not.

Sometimes, when the interruptions and the unexpected happen, it produces within us a great deal of fear, does it not?

The stuff we never see coming, the circumstances we would not necessarily choose.

Often our response to the unknown is fear, and that's where the shepherds find themselves in this moment.

But and sometimes, if we're honest, there's reason for fear.

Right, the circumstances aren't good or the news is not good, but in this moment, and I think sometimes in our lives, the unexpected, the interruptions, are actually an invitation from God.

Fear not.

The angels said.

For behold, I want you to see something, behold, I bring you good news.

Everybody say good news.

Don't we need some good news?

I told somebody before the first service this morning I got multiple phone calls this week and they were all bad news.

And have you ever had a week like that, where it's like every time you pick up the phone it's like there's more bad news coming your way?

I love that in a world full of bad news, there's good news.

Fear not.

I want you to see something.

There is good news and this good news has the ability to produce great joy.

Everybody said great joy, good news, great joy that will be for all the people, all the people.

Who is this good news of great joy?

For it's for all the people.

Now it was announced to a group of shepherds in a field outside of Bethlehem, but this message is for all the people.

And what's the message?

Verse 11 says unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior who is Christ, the Lord.

Here's.

Stabs of joy Sunday in five phrases fear not.

Good news, great joy, all the people.

The world has a savior.

That's the heartbeat of joy right there.

You don't have to be afraid, period.

I don't know what you're going through.

I don't know what the future holds.

I don't know what you're worried about and anxious about and afraid of today.

Fear not, in a world full of bad news, there's really good news and this news has the ability to produce within us great joy.

And this news is news not just for some people, not just for good people, not just for saved people, not just for people that you like and that you think like you.

This good news is for all the people that the world has a savior who has the power to bring people from death to life, from darkness to light, who's got the power to put your life and your eternity on a different course.

Fear not.

Good news, great joy all the people.

The world has a savior.

Cs Lewis wrote a book called Surprise by Joy and he tells a story in that book about being given a toy made out of like garden items.

You know it's like picture.

You know it's just that little handmade toy made out of stuff that you might find in your backyard.

And he receives this toy and as a kid he said it sparked something in him.

It was like a stab of joy.

It was a moment where he saw something beautiful that created within him this longing to experience God.

It was a really a transcendent moment where he was reminded that we as people are connected to Almighty God.

And he went on to say in this book that's the nature of joy.

I mean, it's a garden tool.

This isn't.

He wasn't handed the keys to a car, right, this wasn't the greatest gift at the top of the Christmas list, it was just some stuff from the backyard.

But in that moment joy broke through and it produced within him this longing to be known by God and to know God and to connect with God in a powerful way.

And he went on to say that's the nature of joy it produces within us a longing for something beyond what we can see, and it's not a longing that leaves us hurting, it's a longing that reminds us of the hope we have in Christ.

And aren't there moments in life where you're just minding your own business, you're just going about your day.

Maybe you're just driving down 26, praying that the traffic holds because you got to be somewhere at a certain amount of time and you already left late Cause you're like I can make it in half an hour.

No, you can't.

And you just hope and you get there in time.

And all of a sudden you see a sunrise and it's joy that breaks through.

And all of a sudden you're aware of the presence of God in the mundane moment of life.

That's joy, a transcendent moment where, in a way, it's like as if heaven touches earth.

That is a stab of joy.

And so today I'm going to turn it over to you guys and we're going to see how this thing goes.

What I want from you is somebody to have the courage to break the ice and stand up.

We got some microphones here in the room.

We're going to come to you and you're going to have 30 to 45 seconds to share with us, to encourage us with a moment in time this past year where, in the mundane day to day routine of life, god broke in and heaven touched earth in a way that deeply impacted your heart, to get things rolling.

I'll start.

I've got a list and I'm going to come back to some of my lists later on but I want to start with my wife sitting on the front row right there.

This past year, tara started a new job, so she's acclimating to that.

She also went from being a youth pastor's wife to the campus pastor's wife and that was a little different.

But it has been such an honor and privilege watching her do everything that she does.

She served so much behind the scenes in ways that nobody ever sees, but to watch her minister to people and love people and lead the way in so many ways has just been incredible.

So, tara wanted to honor you this morning and just say thank you for who you are and for all you do.

Also in the room this morning is my mom, who turned 60 last week.

Happy birthday, she's like great thanks for telling everybody and that's good news.

But the better news is that mom this year beat cancer and is cancer free, so we're celebrating that.

So that's a couple of stabs of joy.

Noah, my oldest I mentioned that already.

He was baptized earlier this year.

I'll go one more, since nobody stood up yet.

But a stab of joy every single weekend is being led and worshiped by this worship team up here at the front.

Don't they lead so well every single weekend they so not only do they lead on Sundays, but they're rehearsing every Monday night.

They're here early on Sundays to load their gear in.

They're here late loading their gear out.

They work really, really hard.

But what I love about each and every one of them is they are better off stage than they are on stage.

What you see up here is real, because their hearts are connected to God in a powerful way.

So, worship team, thank y'all for the way that y'all lead us every single week.

We appreciate y'all so much, miss Lisa.

Thank you.

On December 1st, Zach and Marley Hart moved into their new house in Somerville.

Y'all know there are new youth ministers, Zach and Marley, and Somerville Baptist showed up.

They had people just showed up to help them move in.

I called a couple of people because we needed yard work and housework done and it all got done people put in baseboards.

I didn't even know that was going to happen and they just showed up and that's what that is a stab at joy what this church does for other people.

I can check that one off my list.

Zach and Marley will want on my list as well.

We're glad you guys are here, glad you all are here.

Let's go to Andrew and then Melissa will come to you next.

Go ahead, andrew.

All right, I wanted to say you know we moved in here a couple years ago and were able to plug into the church and it's been an amazing time.

But I had a time where I was gone for an extended period and you know my wife had a pretty rough time while I was gone, between surgeries and a lot of other issues happened at the house.

But this church family stood up.

They were there for their entire time, helping out in every single way they could.

It was just, it was amazing to see the support they give and to hear, even coming back, the many Sundays she came in here realistically crying and people would just hold her and pray with her there.

It's just amazing to have that kind of support here and to feel like truly a family in this environment.

So that's my stab at joy for it.

I love that.

I love that.

And Andrew said he was gone for an extended time.

Andrew was deployed.

So, andrew, we thank you for your service.

Man, greatly appreciate you.

Okay, my joy came in a very, very low time in our life.

We lost our 15 year old son in June to a seizure, but our joy is that at his service he was able to bring multiple teenagers to God, multiple families into the church.

We also were able to realize how much of not just a church family, but some of all as a community, has wrapped us in their arms and continued to pray for us, because without God and without prayers we would not be getting through this.

So that's our joy.

Thomas, melissa, we love you guys and I'm so proud of you all, so grateful for the way you're letting God work through your lives.

Absolutely, miss Angela.

Yes, I'm thankful for you, james.

My son struggled during the last part of his high school year and we leaned in on or James leaned in on us.

We leaned on him to help us through some of those moments that we were struggling with and he is now at basic.

No, he's done through basic.

He's in North Carolina finishing up his training before he goes to Hawaii, so he is now a Marine.

We also had a new baby that came in April and I don't some of you were here when I shared was it last year, I believe a situation that was very tragic for our family, and my daughter, who was struggled through that, has shared with me that she is three weeks sober, so that's a great hallelujah because that was an answered prayer from mama, and my husband is doing well after a heart attack, so we've about being in the word and being able to pour back into my kids every single day.

And for Tammy Bowers, asking me two times where's your church home, angela?

And I heard her and I'm here, thank you.

I love that.

I love that, thank you.

I want to say that my stab is joy, a couple of them.

One is the youth.

I have seen growth in the youth this year and you just you're praising God when you see those youth grow in Christ.

A second one is our Bible study group how we've come together and we just really love each other and we're learning Scripture and learning how to be Christ to each other.

So that's my joy.

I love that.

My stavagioi is our ministers and their wives and them pointing us in hard times and difficult times to Christ and who he is, and thank you all, all of you very much.

But also one night at youth we were girls were together and another stavagioi was these kids who show up on Sunday mornings at 6.30 and somehow and I'm not sure how we got onto that you were in there.

They were talking about how joyful it is to get up at 6.30, come here and serve, and that was.

It was nice to see that, because you know what teenager really wants to wake up at 6.30 and come.

So that was a big stavagioi.

So good job, kids.

I love that.

Sandy, I before Rita before, if I can jump in real fast.

I asked Taylor Letko one Sunday.

I was like, do you make your kids come early with you?

And he was like no, they're waiting on me to come on Sunday mornings.

But this morning I saw Cassie, who's been mad at me for calling her out.

She was outside with an umbrella, walking people from their cars to the portico.

So that's a phenomenal example of exactly what Miss Sandy is talking about right there.

Good stuff, good stuff.

Go ahead, miss Rita All right, stavagioi.

Wow, I've missed it for so long, until I came here, and it's when I came and we were missing God in our lives.

But when we came here, the joy overflowed, and it still does.

Our Bible study group I tell them every week I feel the Holy Spirit there and I do, doesn't matter where we are or what.

We laugh a lot and we have a good time, but we also learn God's word and we get joyful, actually joyful, just like I do here.

And we almost didn't come this morning and I heard God tell me say well, you don't go, the devil's getting his way.

And so here we are and we're so glad, thank you, thank you all for loving us and embracing us.

Okay, Well, as my husband alluded earlier, we had I'll say it's probably in the roughest year I've ever had he was deployed for six and a half months.

The air conditioning went out six times Not exaggerating, but my daughter was in the ICU.

I had to have surgery.

All in that six month period.

The car got hit and I was just at my deepest point.

In our home group, james and Tara and Tori and Ethan and Meredith and everybody just I would come and cry.

I'd be like it's okay, I'm like, no, not really.

But they were there for me, they loved on me.

Tori yelled at me when she got to the hospital and couldn't find me because I didn't tell her we were in ICU.

And she's like you didn't tell me.

I'm like, I'm sorry.

Oops, I didn't really know where we were.

I was running on 48 hours, no sleep, to be honest.

But the home group just loved on me.

They brought me food, they brought me espresso, because they know me and I don't function without it.

But God showed me that through the heart he builds the joy.

And people at work were like how are you still smiling?

I'm like because joy comes from the Lord, not from the sacrifice, not from the circumstances, not from what's around me, not from the hours I'm working, but from his word.

And I just think it's hard but important to remember that when you're in the valley and you're walking and you're like Lord I don't want to be a total, have seen the meme so many times Lord, don't put me on the soldier list for 2024, because I'll take the blessings package and I'm like but there's blessings in the heartache, so it's good.

I love how much of this today is centering around the idea of community.

Kylie, real fast before you share yours, can I get that photo up on the screen real fast?

So I got this.

This photo of these two fine bearded gentlemen on Monday night about 830 PM gave me nightmares on night there.

But so on the left is Ethan Scott, who you met earlier during the Advent candle lighting.

On the right is Brandon Perkins.

And these guys were in Jacksonville, florida, for work, both of them working for two different companies, two different, two different career fields.

But they both ended up in Jacksonville this past week, not in the same life group here at church, but somehow found out they're both in Jacksonville and they went and had dinner together on Monday night.

And so Ethan sends me this selfie of the two of them and the text message was this is the kind of community that's possible in the church.

And then he went on to say you don't get this anywhere else and I love that.

I love that.

I love that you know in the life group or you know people showing up in hard times or dinner in Jacksonville.

You know, when you're six hours away from home, there's community that's built in the local church and I love that.

I love getting to see God weave our stories together.

So, kylie, my staff of joy is just the church family that we have and just being excited to come to church to see everyone, but also to serve God most importantly, just seeing what God can do in the last year of our life was pretty cool and it's just only him can do it and it's just really cool to see that and look on it and have the family with us.

So, yeah, Absolutely so good, love that, love that We've got time for a couple more.

A couple more, jeff, over here.

There we go, hey everyone.

My name is Jeff and I've actually got two that I would like to share had a customer of mine who has had cancer ever since I met him 14 years ago and he 14 years ago.

When I first met this guy, I remember him saying he didn't believe that there was a heaven and a hell, that he, in some of his addictions and stuff in the past, he had already lived through hell and he didn't see how there could be a heaven and hell.

And I just always remembered him saying that.

So for the last year and a half he was too sick to come to the barber shop.

I'd been going to his house to take care of him and he called me, told me he was put on hospice.

He had less than two weeks, and so I'm going out there and now in my mind it's like what do I say to this guy?

You know because I remember what he said.

So I called James.

On the way out there I'm crying like a 12 year old girl and James just tells me settle down, just remember that wherever it is you're going, god's already there.

He's just waiting on you to show up so he can tell you what to tell this guy.

And then Tara sends me a text or sends it to Jackie, jack forwards it to me that the boys telling me they love me.

So anyway, this guy sitting there and how okay he was with the fact he was dying.

Whenever I was running the clippers over top of his head he said I don't know if you can hear him or not, but those hairs are screaming Bye, jeff, I appreciate everything you've done for me all these years and you know, and that's how okay with the fact he was dying.

And then the hospice chaplain shows up and he's talking about you know kind of what happens next.

And Mark just looked at him and I don't know when that happened in the last 14 years, I had no idea that it happened for him.

But here I was talking to James on the way out about what do I say to this guy, because he told me he doesn't believe in having to hell.

James said just be patient, he's already there waiting on you to show up.

And Mark looks at this hospice chaplain and he said you know, I've heard that the house of the Lord has many rooms.

He said you don't have to worry about me.

And where I'm going next.

He said this is over, I can't wait to get where I'm going next.

The house of the Lord has many rooms, and as soon as I get there I'm going to start talking to him about which room we're going to put a barber chair in, because I'm going to need a beard trim by the time he gets there, you know.

And how in the world do you beat that?

So?

And I just can't tell you how much that you meant to me and you.

I had two of them, but I can't do the other one right now.

Good stuff, jeff.

Thanks, man, let's see, we'll go here first and then Mr David.

Yes, sir.

Yes, sir.

Go ahead.

Brian, some of you I've shared the story with earlier in the year.

Well, about for the last year and a half, the trucking business has been really struggling and put me in a place where I was didn't know what to do.

So life group that we were a part of with the Wilsons, we'd asked them to pray about that.

The life group that we're a part of, that some of you are a part of here, have been praying about that and just thing after thing after thing just wasn't working out.

Situation was getting worse and I didn't know what to do.

Back in September, a man was fleeing the police and coming up over the Wando Bridge and struck my truck and then he died.

He took his own life with the police, confrontation and everything and he just the whole thing.

I just didn't know what to do.

But in that moment I just realized God, you're in control.

Well, it destroyed my business and but I was so grateful that I went home that day and I was so grateful that he hit me in a 80,000 pound truck instead of a family and could have knocked him over the bridge.

So I was so grateful for that.

But out of that, probably within three weeks, I was offered a job for the same trucking company and their safety and compliance management, and it's worked out better than I could have ever hoped, and I just wanted to express my gratitude and give thanks to God for his blessings and his faithfulness, and all of you that have prayed with me and my family for that.

I love that.

I love that.

Thank you everybody.

I just want to thank you folks here and the people in the preaching.

The friend I've bought first time is missed today.

He couldn't make it for the physical reasons but every time we go home he says great message, great people, as great he came and thank you for the spirit we have here at this church and as part of all of you folks here, thank you.

I think for me, one of the stabs of joy that happens just about every Sunday is when somebody one of you introduces me to somebody that you've brought to church.

I love that.

I love getting to meet your friends, your coworkers, your neighbors, and I love seeing God at work in your life to the point where you're willing to bring someone here.

That's a powerful, powerful thing, and for me and for my family it's one of the highest honors and privileges of our life to get to do this with you guys every single week.

So thank you for who you are.

Thank you for what you do.

I think one of the challenges with this idea of joy we hear so many powerful stories of how God is at work and if we're not careful we can end up in a spot where we go.

Well, that's great for them.

I'm so glad God's at work in their life, but it doesn't seem like God's at work in my life.

I know in those days.

That's how Luke chapter 2 begins.

Luke 2 · chapter mention

I know God was at work in those days like, clearly virgin birth city of David, bethlehem, just like it was prophesied he's laid in a manger.

There's so many things where God is in the details in Luke chapter 2, where God's at work in somebody else's life.

Luke 2 · chapter mention

But could God really be at work in my life?

And just as we close today, I want to say that, just like God was at work in those days, god's at work in these days.

The same message fear not, fear not.

There is good news that brings great joy and it's available to all the people the world has a savior.

That's good news in these days, just like it was in those days.

That's good news for your life, just like it is for everybody else's life.

And so maybe you walked in here this morning and joy was the last thing on your mind.

I just wanna say that God is at work in these days in your life.

He's in the details.

He's doing more than you could ever imagine.

He is weaving things together and one day it will make sense.

One day you'll understand, one day there'll be a story that comes out of your life and it will point to the goodness of God.

Keep trusting Jesus today.

Maybe you walked in the room this morning and you're like I don't know, I'm just here.

You picked a great day to come to church.

It's raining outside, there's nothing else to do.

Let's come to church today.

Maybe you don't know God yet.

There's good news of great joy available to you.

Jesus came to be the savior of the world.

He came to be the savior of your world.

He came to the manger throne to go to the cross for my sin, for your sin, to bring you into relationship with God.

You can walk out of here today knowing good news and having great joy.

So maybe that's where you are this morning.

You're in the place where you're like I need good news.

I need to go from death to life in the name of Jesus.

I need to go from darkness to light.

In the name of Jesus, I just wanna invite everybody to bow your heads just for a moment this morning.

And if that's you, you've never placed your faith in Jesus to be your Lord and your savior.

He's always been another savior for another person, another place, another time, but today you're like no, I need to know Jesus, I need good news, I need great joy, I need to know the savior of the world.

I wanna invite you to pray this prayer of faith this morning.

Dear God, I trust Jesus as my Lord and savior.

I turn from my sin.

I believe that Jesus died and rose and I believe that he has the power to forgive.

Save me today in Jesus' name, amen.

And the good news of the gospel is that, if that's your prayer this morning, that if God's at work in your heart, if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Not you might be, you could be, there's a chance.

No, you will be saved.

So we're gonna stand and we're gonna sing, we're gonna respond and worship to the glory of God this morning.

If today, you made a decision to follow Jesus for the first time.

I wanna invite you to do something a little bit bold, a little bit crazy.

Step out from where you are.

I'll be off to the side.

Come tell me.

I'd love to celebrate that with you.

If you wanna join the church or you need to pray, we've got people in green shirts all around the room at the back.

We'd love to talk with you, pray with you today, but let's worship Jesus together this morning.