God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Christmas Joy -- Rediscovering it
INTRODUCTION
The Paradox of Our Time in History
Michael McCartney Wrote in a Message entitled "the Joy of Christmas" The paradox of our time in history is that....
* We have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints.
* We buy more, but enjoy less.
* We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time.
* We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.
* We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.
* We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.
* We've learned how to make a living, but not a life.
* We've added years to life, not life to years.
* We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor.
* We conquered outer space, but not inner space.
* We've done larger things, but not better things.
* We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.
* We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice.
* We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less.
We've got more of nearly everything but JOY.
Anyone felt like this yet?
Joy
C.S. Lewis called it "The serious business of Heaven."
Joy marks the difference between existence and life. Its presence upgrades survival to being. Joy is our enjoyment of God and the good things that come from God..."
Proverbs 10:28: "The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing."
One of the most popular English carols is "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen." It's interesting to notice that the comma after "Merry" is often misplaced, causing it to read "God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen." Yet the original punctuation helps to indicate that the song is for all gentlemen--to one and all--whether merry or not, with the hope and blessing that God will cause them to be merry.
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen : Lyrics
God rest ye merry, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember, Christ, our Saviour
Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
In Bethlehem, in Israel,
This blessed Babe was born
And laid within a manger
Upon this blessed morn
The which His Mother Mary
Did nothing take in scorn
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
From God our Heavenly Father
A blessed Angel came;
And unto certain Shepherds
Brought tidings of the same:
How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by Name.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
"Fear not then," said the Angel,
"Let nothing you affright,
This day is born a Saviour
Of a pure Virgin bright,
To free all those who trust in Him
From Satan's power and might."
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
The shepherds at those tidings
Rejoiced much in mind,
And left their flocks a-feeding
In tempest, storm and wind:
And went to Bethlehem straightway
The Son of God to find.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
And when they came to Bethlehem
Where our dear Saviour lay,
They found Him in a manger,
Where oxen feed on hay;
His Mother Mary kneeling down,
Unto the Lord did pray.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace;
This holy tide of Christmas
All other doth deface.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
T.S. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen is about rediscovering Christmas Joy.
T.S. - In Charles Dickens Christmas tale Scrooge is transformed by the Joy he discovers celebrating the wonders of Christmas in his heart.
In Luke Chapter 2 we see a group of men who discover "Christmas" Joy. Turn there with me now.
Luke 2:8-20
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 "Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
NIV
Christmas Joy -- Rediscovering it
Joy Defined
Joy -- the response of the mind to any pleasurable event or state
JOY -- of the deepest springs of emotion, including the feeling of exultant gladness which often finds outward expression in such actions as leaping, shouting, and singing. Joy is repeatedly shown to be the natural outcome of fellowship with God.
Christmas Joy Begins with J -- Jesus
"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
You can have a happy holiday without Jesus, but you cannot experience those deepest springs of emotion, of exultant gladness that flow from fellowship with God apart from Jesus.
He is the Good News
He is the Promise of a New Day
He is the Answer awaited that changes everything.
John 1:1-14
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
NIV
Christmas Joy Centers on O -- Others
"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
Christmas has become a family celebrated holiday for most of the world who celebrates it.
We gather in our homes, have our traditions, exchange our gifts, eat our holiday meals. Perhaps that may contribute to our limited joy at Christmas.
Mark 12:30-31
30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31 The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
NIV
Christmas has always been a for all the people event. Jesus did not come that we would get to celebrate with family. The more you expand the O--others involved in you celebration the more I believe we place ourselves in a position to experience greater Christmas Joy.
Expand the O
Around your home are other homes. Expand the O of your celebration to include those homes.
Take cookies, hand deliver cards, make a gift. Expand the O. Behold he comes, good tidings of Great Joy for all people. Go celebrate with others. For some of them, you may be the one who reminds them that this season is about HIM.
Christmas Joy ends with Y -- You
JOY -- It is the appropriate response of the believer to the "good tidings of great joy" which constitute the gospel
Ultimately what we do at Christmas concerning rediscovering Joy depends upon us. John says Jesus standing outside the experiences of our lives waiting to be invited in.
Rev 3:20
20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
NIV
SUMMARY
Joy is found in the message of Christmas -- Jesus is God with us! It is the message of God's love being revealed through Jesus in a personal way. Jesus -- God in the flesh came from Heaven to Earth and with Him and His presence comes joy.
CHALLENGE
This joy has come and it is to be embraced by us personally.
* Is it time to renew?
* Is it time to begin?
