Joy | Jason Martin

You're listening to a message to go from axt church. We hope this message

will light up your day. Joy to the world, Joy to the world.

So we all know this song right, Joy to the world, Joy

to the world. What's the next line after Joy to the world, The

Lord is come. The Lord is come, and joy we have joy because

the Lord has come. All right, I think the kids are taking notes

right today, So kids, don't worry. I will tell you what is

my sermon title. I will tell you what are your points that you have

to take down. Then you can claim your points. Okay, so don't

worry too much about it. Okay. Next slide, do you have joy?

Turn to your neighbor and say do I have joy? Wow? Jared

has joy? Do you have joy? Ask yourself right now do you have

joy? Do you have joy? Or do you have happiness? Because happiness

is just Hey, I managed to find my favorite parking space, or I

got a good cup of coffee, or someone was nice to me, So

I'm just happy. But do you have joy? Because the Bible says right

that joy when Jesus came down to earth, there was joy. So we

have to understand what is joy. So before we go into that, right,

I want to show you what the world things of joy. Okay,

so fix your eyes on the screen. I got a shot video by all

the Watch t K Max, big brands, small prices. All right,

So is that your joy? Receiving presents on a Christmas morning? No,

mister Bean. Sorry, I tried to find a mister Bean video today,

but I couldn't find a mister Bean. So I found an Australian and instead.

All right, so most of us we think that joy comes from getting

things. Okay, you get a new Tesla, you're like, wow,

I got a new Testla. Joy that brings me a lot of joy.

Or you got a new iPhone. I remember when I first got the first

iPhone. It was the iPhone. It's just that there was no number.

It was just called the iPhone. When I got the iPhone, right brought

I got a friend from US to bring it back to Malaysia. It was

like awesome because right the competition was Nokia and you only could place snake on

it. And at that time the iPhone could do so many things, you

know, and at that time I was like, wow, this is awesome.

But then was that joy? Because after that it came down with the

iPhone tree, iPhone four, I phone five. So it is not lasting,

you know, it is limited happiness for that sense. But what is

joy? Okay? So I have a definition here. Next. Oh,

before I go into a definition, right, I will read here from Luke

chapter two. Now there were in some country shepherds living out in the fields,

keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an Angel of

the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the glory of the Lord

shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to

them, do not be afraid, for behold I bring you good tidings of

great joy. These good tidings. Good tidings is good news, and this

good news will give you good, great joy. How many of us want

great joy? You want great joy right, which will be to all people

next light? And what is the good news? What is the glad tidings?

For there is born to you this day in the city of David,

a savior who is the Christ, the Lord. And this will be signed

to you. You will find a babe wrapped in swadling clothes, lying in

a manger. And suddenly there was an with the angel, a multitude of

heavenly hosts praising God and saying and this is the cahud answer. Glory to

God in the highest and on earth, peace, goodwill towards men. So

Church, this is the good news. It's simple as that. If we

say that, as Christians we are supposed to share the good news, what

is the good news? The good news is that Jesus came down to earth

for us, and that is supposed to bring us great joy. Okay,

So if joy is not presence, if joy is not receiving presents, if

joy is not getting the late, the scar or phone, what is joy?

What is joy? Can I go to the next light? So I

came out with this, not I came up loud. I did a bit

of research and put some things together. Joy, the biblical definition of joy

is choosing to respond to external circumstances with inner contentment and satisfaction because we know

that God will use these experiences to accomplish his work in and through our lives.

So, Church, this morning, do you have joy? Because joy

is regardless of the circumstances or the situations. Why did I ask Pasta Joel

and Delia to sing that song? Because regardless of the circumstances and the situations.

They had joy. They had joy through the circumstances. The circumstances did

not dictate joy. Sometimes circumstances dictate happiness, but it does not dictate joy,

because your joy came from Jesus. Amen. So this Christmas do we

have joy? Awesome? Only one person has joy? This Christmas? Do

you have joy? That's more? I like it. I think the exclaim

West is doing a bit better now. Okay, So, but to be

fair, right, there are things that will cause us to lose our joy.

Right, and today I just want to give us three different points that

could be kill joys, and how do we beware? So that sermon title

for today is beware the kill joys. Beware the kill joys bringing back the

joy to Christmas. So, kids, this is the title of the message,

Beware the kill joys. Okay, So you look at the picture.

What is a kill joy? I think some of the kids asking what's the

kill joy? Maybe some of the adults asking what's the kill joy? Okay?

Joy is when the kid got an ice cream? He was so happy

with the ice cream. What was the kill joy? When he dropped the

ice cream? Correct? And sometimes right, when the joy of the Lord

is with us, there are kill joys because the enemy is out to get

us. And if we identify and if we tackle it, then we will

we will God the joy of the Lord within us. Okay. So there

are three characters, and it is I put it in three points. The

acronym is arm. Flex your arm arm. So the acronym is arm,

right, A, R, and M. So let's go there. The

first point. First point anxiety anxiety. Okay, So you look at this

picture. Does it infuse anxiety on you? No? Okay, it's actually

taken from one of a movie where this I mean these two girls. I

think they were stuck on a high power and they can't get down. So

they were hanging by the edge of the letter. And then what happened.

You must watch the movie to them talking about joy. Okay, yeah,

but you can find out what happens in that movie. All right, So

anxiety, you have anxiety. So let me tell you right that there were

three characters in the Bible story, and each of them I will associate them

with the points the AAR, and M. So for a let's look at

Mary. So Mary is the mother of Jesus, right, so luke too.

Now, in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God

to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin, to a man

whose name was Joseph of the House of David. The virgin's name was Mary,

and having come in, the Angel said to her, rejoice, highly

favored one. The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.

So the Angel told Mary, rejoice and rejoice. The root word is what

joy? Right next, but when she saw him, she was troubled at

this saying and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the Angel said

to her, do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor

with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth

a son and show and shall call his name Jesus. Okay, so right

now, put yourselves in the shoes of Mary. Women can relate a bit

more, guys a bit tougher, But put your shoes in the Put yourself

in the shoes of Mary. Okay, Mary, they were saying, right.

She was probably a teenager, maybe fourteen, maybe fifteen. Okay,

she was betrothed, about to get married, not married yet. That's all

about to get married, and suddenly an angel comes to you and say that,

hey, you're going to be a mother of the son of God.

How would you feel? How would you feel? You'd be confused, would

you be scared? You be frightened? See, very good to have kids

in the service. So Mary was definitely frightened. She was troubled. She

was anxious. And how many of us write when we are going through life

and things don't go our way? Do you think things when Mary's way?

Mary had a plan, she was betrothed, she was about to get married

to Joseph. They was about to get married and then about to start a

family. But suddenly all the plans turned upside down and all the plans instead

did not favor her. It was not in a favor because suddenly she'll be

like, hey, how come you have a pregnancy out of wedlock? What

would people think? What would Joseph think? What would my parents say?

And you remember, right, in Jewish culture at that time, out of

wet lock? Right if you uh, yeah, if you're having sex out

of wedlock, it was stonable by death. So do you think Mary was

anxious? Do you think Mary was anxious? She was anxious, She was

afraid. She was scared. But how did Mary respond? How did Mary

respond? Next? Life and the Angel answered and said to her, the

Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow

you. Therefore, also the Holy One who is born, the Holy One

who is to be born, will be called the Son of God. Then

Mary said, behold, the maid servant of the Lord. Let it be

to me according to your word. Wow, can you imagine that that you

have your whole plan, You have your finances planned out, you have your

health planned out, you have everything according your markdown everything, and suddenly,

right at the spur of a moment, everything changes, everything is not in

your favor. How do you respond? Will you allow anxiety to steal your

joy? Because Mary didn't. What did Mary do? Mary just allowed God

to have his way in her life. So instead of anxiety, she just

allowed God to have his way. So, Church, if you want to

restore your joy, God your joy, always trust God that he knows what

he's doing and he has you in the palm of his hand. Right,

So that's the first point anxiety. Next and Mary said, my soul magnifies

the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God, my Savior from a

troubled Mary. She is now fully rejoicing. Nothing of her circumstances changed,

only her perspective. So Church, let's have the right perspective. Right,

So that's the first point. Next light this is the second point, resentment.

Resentment. So resentment is a big word. What is resentment? Resentment?

You do not you hold a grudge against somebody or somebody has wronged you.

Right, you are in the right someone has wronged you. But because

someone has wronged you, you hold it against that person. And when I

was looking for the right picture to represent resentment, right, this is the

picture that came out. Because resentment has no value whatsoever. Think about it.

Resentment has no value whatsoever. I think I appreached this before. Unforgiveness

is like drinking poison and hoping the other person dies. Do you think that

will happen? You won't. So resentment has no value whatsoever. So let's

see the second character right in this story that went through this. So this

is from Matthew one. Now, the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows.

After his mother was Mary was betrothed to Joseph. Before they came together,

she found out with she was found out with child of the Holy Spirit.

Then Joseph, her husband, being just a man and not wanting to

make a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. Okay,

so now guys, maybe your can relate to this a bit more. Girls,

maybe a bit tougher. Right, just now, Mary, right,

maybe the girls can relate a bit more. But for guys, what happens

if your fiance comes up to you and says that I'm pregnant and says that

I'm pregnant with the Son of God, how would you respond? What in

the world. That's that's why they're saying, what in the world? What

on heavens? What's happening? Right? And that was exactly right what Joseph

felt, because you say here verse nineteen. Then Joseph, her husband,

being just a man, he responded like every man would have responded. But

actually he had responded with more grace. Because some people they can make a

public spectacle. They want to disgrace the fiance, They want to get revenge.

Hey, you're supposed to keep yourself for me for the wedding, and

then now you're pregnant. Some people they get resentment, they get angry,

and when they do that, right, what happens? Can you have resentment

and joy at the same time. You can't, because right resentment is actually

opposite. It's bitterness. Bitterness it is the opposite of joy. And when

you have that right, it will definitely affect our joy. So is resentment

a kill joy? Definitely? Next night, how did Joseph respond? But

while he taught about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared

to him in a dream, saying, Joseph's son of David, do not

be afraid to take your Mary. To take to you Mary, your wife,

for that which is conceived is her is off the Holy Spirit. And

she will bring forth aside. And you shall call his name Jesus, for

he will save his people from thee Since so Joseph actually from the previous verse,

he passed the character test. He did not want to inflict damage upon

Mary. He just wanted her to like to be to quietly do it,

not make a public spectacle of her. So he had no resentment for David.

And when God real saw that Joseph had passed the resentment test, then

he he revealed. God revealed his plans to Joseph, and Joseph had the

privilege of being the heaven the earthly father to Jesus the Church? Are we

allowing resentment to stop us from living out the joy that God wants us to

experience? Can you imagine what kind of joy it would be to be the

father of Jesus on earth? I can't even imagine, right, But that

was what Joseph experienced, all right. So that's the second point. First

point was what's the first kill joy? Anxiety? Second king kill joy?

Resentment? So a r what's the m xt maze maze? I was trying

Mary Harda to fight something that so it mays and what is amazed? Confusion?

Right, when you get into amaze, you'll get confused. You go

around and round and around. So what do you think is the third character

of the Christmas story? They wanted to talk about? Anyone? Three wise

men? Correct? It is the three wise Men? Okay? So next

light. Now, after Jesus was born in Beatthlehem of Judea in the days

of Herod, the king Behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,

saying, where is he who has been born King of the Jews?

For we have seen his star in the east and have come to worship him.

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled and all Jerusalem with

him. So the three wise men, they just saw the star and they

followed the star. It was like a maze. They had no idea why

they are following the star. They just thought, is okay, there's a

prophecy, and I have no idea. Where is this star leading me?

They have led me right now to Jerusalem. And that's why they say,

where is he who has been born King of the Jews? Okay? And

for us, right, how have we experienced where we do not know what's

next? A popular question right that a lot of people have is what do

I do with my life? What is the purpose of my life? And

if we get stuck on that right saying what is the purpose of my life?

And we get stuck in the maze of confusion, what do you think

happens to that joy? The joy continues to deplete and deplete because we get

stuck. We get stuck. But how did the wise man respond? Okay?

Next, when they heard the king, they departed and behold the star

which they had seen in the east, went before them till it came and

stood over where the young child was when they saw the star, they rejoiced

with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they

saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshiped him.

And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to him,

gold, Frankinson's and mr. So you look at this right? What sometimes

right? We are asking God, God, show me all your plans.

I need to know exactly what is going to happen. And the Bible,

right, we think the the Bible is a map, but the Bible is

more a compass. It will point us in the direction. What we have

to do is continuously walk in the direction that God has for us. But

instead we want it as a map. But can you imagine if you had

a map of your life. If I had a map in my life of

my life, I think I would detour because I don't want to go through

the hatships. I don't want to go through a hatship. If I know

down the road I'm going to go through these hardships, I'm gonna detour.

And what happens to that I get confused, I lose my purpose, I

lose my joy. So Church, our Bible is the compass and let's follow

the direction that God has in store for us. So, even as I

draw towards a close right, I just want to summarize the last night.

So from kill joy to everlasting joy, anxiety we change. We swap our

anxiety and avail ourselves to God. We cast out our resentment, and we

restore relationships with both God and men. And finally, instead of being confused

in a maze, we move forward. All God says is take one step

forward in faith. That's all we need to do. Move forward in faith,

and the joy of the Lord will be our strength. Man. So

this Christmas Church, I encourage us restore, ask God to restore the joy

into our lives. You may have come with so many burdens and cares.

I just wanted to share right as as a family, like Jazz and myself,

we are going through so many, so many challenges. It is crazy.

That's how I say, if I have a map, I think I

would I would have done things differently and detO it. I'm telling you honestly

that that I what generally holds for us. We have no idea. To

be honest, I have no idea what generally holds for us mhm, I

have no idea. What am I supposed to do is uh are our finance

is going to be enough? All our kids going to be Okay. It

may sound vague, but trust me when the testimony, I will be up

here to share what God has done. But what I am sure because when

I talk to a few people right, they say, how come you can

still go on? I just told him that the joy of the Lord is

my strength. When I am weak, he is strong. When I am

weak, he is strong. So let not let's God our joy. Let's

God our joy, because that's the only thing we can God. We can't

control the circumstances. We can't control the situations, but we know that God

who controls. So this Christmas, let's say, God, I need your

joy, I need your strength. And the verse next Psalms fifty one,

Create in me a clean heart, oh Lord, and renew a right spirit

within me. Cast me not away from your presence, or Lord, and

take not your holy spirit from me, restore unto me the joy of my

salvation, and renew a right spirit within me. Man. And even as

I moved to the last slide, next one, next slide, So you

want to know Jesus. You know Jesus, you know Joy. We hope

you've been blessed by this message. For more information on our church, please

visit as church dot org. We are also active on Facebook and Instagram.

We're believing that this week is going to be a good week. I hit

for you. God bless