Rejoice — The Joy of Jesus This Christmas

Rejoice in the joy of Jesus.

That's what Christmas is all about. It's rejoicing in the joy of Jesus. Say joy.

Joy. All righty. Every December, who's noticed this?

Every December, the world chases happiness, doesn't it?

Lights, tinsel, songs, food, presents.

The world chases after happiness.

But did you know, or you do know, that happiness can be very fragile, can't it?

One day it's there, one moment it's there, next thing, bang, it's gone.

It's gone. So happiness is fragile.

Did you notice happiness sometimes fades when the decorations come down as well?

Who decorates their house?

Well, we do. We do a lot of decorating at our house.

Not probably as much now that George is not with us, but we still put up the decorations.

But happiness fades when the decorations come down and reality returns over Christmas time.

Happiness disappears when the lights go out.

When the holidays end and when January arrives, and what arrives with January? Bills and burdens.

Bills and burdens. What were you going to say, Ang? Or the heat?

Or in our case, a holiday, which is great.

But when January arrives, generally, more often than not, happiness disappears, but not joy.

But not joy. Joy, however, real, eternal, unshakable joy remains when happiness dries up.

And the reason for that is because joy is not a mood swing.

Joy is not a personality type.

Joy is not pretending that everything is fine, that everything is okay.

Joyable is the unshakable and unbreakable reality that God is with us.

That's what joy is all about. God is with us.

Joy is the fruit of Jesus.

It's the fruit of Jesus who was born in Bethlehem. He was crucified at Calvary

and risen in glory and reigning forever.

That's joy. That is joy.

When the angel appeared, as Josh spoke about last week, so very well, so well.

If you weren't here last week, jump on and grab the podcast,

have a listen to his message because it was fairly exceptional.

It made me want to get up here afterwards and go, you know what, I'll resign.

He's our new preacher. Come on in. No?

No? Yeah. I reckon we'll get him up here regularly, though. I reckon that's the go.

So when the angel appeared on the first christmas

night do you notice that heaven did not declare good news for good people who

finally earned it notice it didn't the angel didn't say that the angels didn't

come to announce a reward for the good people they declared good news of great joy.

Great joy for people drowning in sin, darkness, fear, and confusion.

Good news of great joy for sinners. Hallelujah.

Thank goodness we're sinners because we can receive joy. Joy.

Good news of great joy for strugglers.

For the broken, for people just like us, we can receive great joy. Hallelujah.

Today, I want us to discover a few things. I want us to be reminded of a few

things or perhaps discover some new things.

Joy, number one, joy has come for the broken.

Okay. Number two, Joy comes from abiding in Christ.

Joy comes during storms. Hallelujah.

Joy is in Christ's salvation. So they're the four things that I want us to discover.

I'm going to go over those a little bit more detail now. But today I want us

to discover what true joy is.

Hallelujah. Amen. Amen. Point one, joy has come to the broken.

Let's read about this declaration from the angels that Josh spoke about last week.

Luke 2 verses 8 to 11 says, That night there were shepherds staying in the fields

Luke 2:8–11

nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.

Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them.

They were terrified, but the angel reassured them.

Don't be afraid, he said. I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.

The Savior, yes, the Messiah, the Lord has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David.

So shepherds, let's talk about shepherds as Josh did last week.

Shepherds were the low of the lows, okay, back in those days.

Shepherds in the first century were actually social outcasts.

They were considered unclean, And do you know what? They weren't even welcome in the temple.

Come on. Come on. They weren't even welcome in the temple.

Humble shepherds, dirty, unclean, despised and ignored.

Yet you know what? They received heaven's first Christmas invitation.

They went straight to the shepherds. Heaven went straight to the shepherds and

gave them the first Christmas invitation.

Why? Why is that? It's because joy is for the unlikely, the unworthy, and the forgotten.

The angel declared that night or that morning, whatever it was, good news.

There's good news, the gospel, good news. He declared great joy,

not just calm happiness, but deep, explosive delight.

Joy rooted not in circumstances, but in God's good grace.

That's where joy comes from. Great joy for all people, including all of us right here today.

Great joy from heaven just for us.

Isaiah 9 verses 1 to 2 says, nevertheless.

Isaiah 9:1–2

That time of darkness and despair will not go on forever.

The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled,

but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles,

which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea,

will be filled with glory.

The people who walk in the darkness will see great light.

For those who live in the land of deep darkness, a light will shine.

Now that's a prophecy of the coming of Jesus, the birth of Jesus.

And that was a prophecy given 700 years before Jesus' birth.

Jesus is that light. Jesus is that joy that breaks into our darkness. That's Jesus.

Jesus is the light shining into our darkest places.

Joy begins not when life is perfect. Joy begins when grace meets our brokenness.

That's when joy comes.

That is joy. Joy is the overwhelming truth.

Joy is the realization that God knows everything about us and still loves us.

Wouldn't that bring joy? He knows everything about us.

Every dark little secret. He knows about it, but he still loves us.

Isn't that something to be joyful of?

A terrified sailor in a violent storm once wrote, I could not see the harbor.

I could not see the shore.

But I saw the lighthouse.

And I knew I was not lost. Church, Jesus is heaven's lighthouse.

That is Jesus. Joy shining through terror.

Even when the waves of life crash, joy declares you're not lost because the Savior has come.

That's joy. That is joy. The storm does not mean that God has left you.

Joy declares the Savior has come for you. That's joy.

That's joy. The Savior has come for you.

So point two, joy flows. How do we get joy?

Joy flows from abiding in Christ. And in John 15 verses 9 to 11,

John 15:9–11

it talks about that, abiding in Christ.

It says, I have loved you even as the Father has loved me.

Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love,

just as I obey my Father's commandment and remain in his love.

I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy.

Yes, your joy will overflow.

Jesus says to his disciples, remain in my love.

Jesus says to us, remain in my love.

Joy isn't found in success. It's not found in popularity or comfort.

Joy is found in Jesus himself. That's where joy comes from.

Jesus does not offer seasonal joy either.

He doesn't offer seasonal joy. He offers his own joy.

Joy from Jesus is always there. He doesn't give joy like a gift that can be lost.

He fills us with his own joy. His joy becomes our overflowing joy.

Joy is not rational.

Joy is not circumstantial. Joy is not about what's under the Christmas tree.

It's about who hung on the tree.

That's what joy is all about. Being joyous because of the fact that Jesus died

for you and I and then raised.

Raised from the dead just for you and I. Isn't that enough to have joy? Joy in our lives?

Psalm 16 verse 11 says, You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy

Psalms 16:11

of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

Remember, joy is not a place.

Joy is not a feeling. Joy is Jesus.

That's what joy is. If Jesus is your real joy, then nothing can take that away from you.

Should I say that again? If Jesus is your real joy, then nothing can take that away from you.

Nothing can take true joy from you. The world can break your heart,

but it cannot break your joy when your joy is Christ himself. Amen.

Everyone, whether you are here today or listening, you were not created to survive on your own.

You were not created to live disconnected from everyone else.

Abide in Jesus. Abide in the church.

Abide in one another. But most importantly, abide in Jesus and you will overflow

with joy. It's an equation.

Abide and you'll receive joy.

Point three, we spoke about storms a lot lately, haven't we?

Storm season, there was a decent storm last night. Bit of rain,

bit of rain. There's joy in the storm.

There's joy in the storm. Not joy after the storm.

Oh, thank goodness that's over. No, no, there's joy in the storm. Joy in the storm.

Philippians 4 verses 4 to 7 says, Always be full of joy in the Lord.

Philippians 4:4–7

I say it again, rejoice. Let everyone see that you are considerate in all that

you do Remember the Lord is coming soon Don't worry about anything Instead,

pray about everything Tell God what you need

And then thank him for all he has done Then you will experience God's peace

Which exceeds anything we can understand His peace will guard your hearts and

minds As you live in Christ Jesus Easy question easy question for you here,

who wrote the letter to the church in Philippi.

Paul. Everyone know that? You do now. You do now. Paul wrote the letter to the

church in the Philippians.

A little bit of a more difficult question now for you. So this is a question for you.

Where was Paul when he wrote the letter to the church in Philippi?

In prison. Very good. Very good.

Thick. Paul wrote from prison. Now, picture this with me, will you?

There were chains on his wrists, yet there was joy in his heart.

There was chains on his wrists, yet there was joy in his heart.

He wasn't waiting for release to have joy or to be released from prison to rejoice.

He rejoiced. He was full of joy because Christ had released him from sin. He had joy.

Not joy when life is good, but joy always.

Even when the doctor calls with that news, joy. Even when the job goes, joy.

When tears fall, joy. Joy in Jesus Christ who's released you.

How do we have that joy? We have that joy by placing everything in God's hands

through prayer, with thanksgiving, trusting that the Lord is near.

Exactly what Paul's letter to the Philippians said.

And if we do that, God actually responds with a gift. Who likes a gift?

Well, God responds with a gift, and it's peace that guards our hearts,

which brings joy to our lives.

Nehemiah 8 verse 10 says, "'Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.'".

Nehemiah 8:10

Hallelujah. Joy says, I trust God enough to obey him.

That's what joy says. That is joy, trusting God enough to obey him,

even when the outcome is unclear.

So there's joy in the storms for us.

Point four, the gospel, joy in a person, not in a season.

Christmas joy did not begin in a manger, surprisingly.

Did not begin in a manger. It actually began in heaven where the eternal son

said yes to becoming your savior.

That's joy. That's joy. Christmas joy is not a temporary emotion.

It's eternal salvation joy.

Why did Jesus come? Jesus was born to die for you and I, to die for our sins.

He lived among sinners so that we could live with God.

He experienced rejection so we might be accepted.

He suffered the shame of the cross. He carried our sin. He suffered the punishment that we deserve.

He died the death we deserved so we could live his life.

He was buried in a tomb, but death could not hold him.

He rose again on the third day, conquering sin, death, and hell.

Without Jesus, joy is temporary. With Jesus, joy is eternal. all.

Joy is alive because Jesus is alive. Jesus is alive.

Isn't that joyous? Isn't that joyous? Come on, Josh, come up for me.

So I've got a call to action for you this morning as Josh comes.

I've got a call to action.

I want you to go this morning and rejoice in the joy of Jesus.

Even with the stress of over these next couple of weeks, what to have for lunch,

what to buy for the relatives.

We're almost finished, aren't we, Ange, without buying?

No? Oh, well. Even still, we will have joy.

I've only got to buy one present for Angela. Angela gets all the rest.

Wives are wonderful. Wives.

Alex, Louisa, something to look forward to next Christmas.

So go and rejoice in the joy of Jesus. Do you want this joy?

Do you want real joy? Then repent and turn from sin. There's a good start.

Believe that Jesus is the Messiah and Lord.

Trust that his love is enough over these next couple of weeks and over the rest of your life.

Abide in him and remain daily in him.

Stop letting the world drain your joy. Stop letting fear silence your joy or silence your song.

Stop letting wounds define your worth.

The joy of the Lord is yours this morning. And what I want us to do,

I want us to go and rejoice in Jesus today, and that will bring joy.

Go and announce the good news of great joy that the Saviour has come.

That the Saviour has come. And if you do not yet know Jesus personally,

this joy can be yours right now. It can be yours right now.

If you do not know Jesus yet, he invites you now to experience his true joy.

Hallelujah. Pray with me from your heart. Repeat these words after me.

Lord Jesus, I confess I need you.

I turn from my sin. I trust in you. Thank you for dying for me.

Thank you for rising again. So I may have life.

Be my Saviour. Be my Lord. and be my joy forever.

Amen. If you prayed that this morning, heaven actually rejoices in great joy with you.

Romans 15 verse 13 says, I pray that God, the source of hope,

Romans 15:13

will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him.

Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit

Church. this morning, I want us to go and rejoice in the joy of Jesus.

Amen. Let's now, let's pray together. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Father.

Thank you, Father. Lord, we thank you for joy, true joy.

We thank you for the joy of Jesus. And Lord, we choose this day right now to

go into the world and rejoice in the joy of Jesus Christ and to share that joy with others.

Lord, when you see the down and out, the downtrodden, the outcasts of society,

just like those shepherds, Lord, I pray that we would share with them the joy

of their Saviour, of their Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Jesus is our joy. And Lord, this Christmas we choose, we choose to have joy in Jesus.

Joy in Jesus Christ, our Saviour, our Redeemer and our Healer.

Our provider, our saviour.

He set us free. We have joy in Jesus.

That's what we choose this morning. And as we finish this service now,

Lord God, we choose to go and rejoice in the joy of Jesus.

And everybody said, amen. Amen. Bless you guys. Go today and rejoice in joy.