(Based on a series by Paul Snoddy, Tri-Village Christian Church,Pataskala, OH)
SERIES: “GIFTS UNDER THE TREE”
TEXT: LUKE 2:8-20
TITLE: “JOY – THE ENDURING GIFT”
INTRODUCTION: A. Virginia Brandt Berg:
I was standing in the doorway of a department store a few Christmases ago, enjoying
a lovely nativity scene in a store window, when a mother and her little girl came
hurrying by. Catching a glimpse of the beautiful scene, the child grabbed her mother’s
hand and exclaimed, “Mama! Mama! Please let me stop for a minute and look at
Jesus!” But her mother replied wearily that they weren’t even half through with their
shopping list and didn’t have time to stop--and walked on, dragging her disappointed
daughter behind her.
1. I have a feeling that a lot of us face the pressures and stress that come with the
Christmas season
2. The strange thing is that most of us have created our own stress
--We feel obligated to meet huge deadlines and enormous goals that we believe
best fulfill the purpose of Christmas
3. I think we’re a lot like the unfortunate women who in a last minute rush bought a
box of 50 identical cards without bothering to read the verse inscribed on each one.
She quickly signed and addressed all but one of the cards. Several days after they
had been mailed, she came across the one leftover card and to her dismay
discovered that inside it read… “This card is just to say, a special gift is on the
way.”
B. Maybe you have some bad memories from Christmas
-- Perhaps you remember back to a Christmas that wasn’t so joyful or happy and
conjures up memories that are painful.
1. Maybe you lost a loved one at Christmas time
2. Your parents had problems and they had a huge fight on Christmas
3. You have memories of being alone and depressed during the holiday season
C. Christmas is supposed to be about joy
1. Neh. 8:10b – “Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
2. Joy is not based on our circumstances.
a. It comes from our relationship with God.
b. Rom. 15:13 – “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust
in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
c. Gal. 5 lists “joy” as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit
3. Dr. David G. Myers, The Pursuit of Happiness, before he wrote book, he
discovered there had been 80,000 studies on depression and only 400 on happiness
and joy.
--Many times we focus on the negative and miss the joy available from God.
D. How do we discover the joy God intended for us?
--How do we find it at Christmas?
1. I believe our passage this morning gives us some great insight into finding joy
2. Luke 2:8-20 – “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping
watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the
glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 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. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ
the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and
lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with
the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth
peace to men on whom his favor rests.’ 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.’ So they hurried off and
found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they
had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this
child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But
Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds
returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen,
which were just as they had been told.”
I. CHOOSE TO HEAR THE MESSAGE
A. We have to choose to hear the message
1. Most people know the Christmas story but they haven’t really heard its message
2. Mt. 11:15 – “He who has ears, let him hear.
--A lot of people hear with their ears but don’t really hear the message.
B. What was the message?
1. It was “good news of great joy”
2. The good news was that a “Savior has been born”
--why the need for a Savior?
a. Because every person is separated from God by sin
b. That separation leaves a hole that we try to fill
--If we don’t fill it with God, we try to fill it with things that will only bring more frustration and
depression
c. If you’ll accept the message that a Savior is born, He brings a spiritual joy that you cannot find any
place else.
d. There’s a Christmas card that says:
If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent an educator. If our greatest need had
been technology, God would have sent a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would
have sent an economist. If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent an entertainer.
But our greatest need was forgiveness, so he sent us a Savior.
C. Fear can interrupt your joy
1. The angel told the shepherds – “Do not be afraid”
2. In almost every appearance of an angel to share part of the Christmas message, he says, “Do not be
afraid
a. Zechariah
b. Mary
c. Shepherds
3. A 65-year-old woman went to see her doctor. Her regular physician whom she’d went to for years
wasn’t available so she had to see one of the younger doctors in the same practice.
It wasn’t long after talking to this young doctor that she went running down the hall screaming at
the top of her lungs. She bumped into her regular doctor and he took her by the arms and asked her
what was wrong.
When she told him, he marched up the hall and spoke to the younger doctor. He asked, “How could
you ever tell Mrs. Johnson that she’s pregnant? She’s 65 years old and she has grandchildren. What
were you thinking?” The younger doctor chuckled for a moment and then said, “Sure cured her of her
hiccups.”
4. The shepherds had a choice to make:
--They could run and hide and not hear the message or they could trust the angel and hear the good
news of great joy
5. J. Vernon McGee: “When the supernatural touches the natural it always creates fear.”
a. The Bible clearly teaches that fear is the beginning of wisdom
b. Why is that?
--Because relationship with God requires change
c. But after the relationship develops, the Bible assures us in that perfect love casts out all fear
II. CHOOSE TO OBEY THE MESSAGE
A. Not only do we have to choose to hear the message, we have to choose to obey the message
1. The Bible ties joy with obedience to the Lord
2. The shepherds were obedient
--vss. 15-16- “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.’ So
they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.”
B. Imagine what it would have been like if the shepherds had never gone to Bethlehem; never discovered
what the angel told them about.
1. Maybe years later, the shepherds would be sitting around the fire, saying “Remember when the angels
appeared to us and telling us about the baby born Bethlehem. I wish we would have left the sheep and
went to see if it was true.”
2. The same is true when we know that God wants us to do something and we choose not to obey.
--We live our life with regrets and we wonder: “I wonder what would have happened if I’d just done
what God wanted me to do. But instead I chose my way.”
3. Maybe you’re living with regrets
a. It’s never too late to obey the Lord
b. Ps. 19:8 (NLT) – “The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The
commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight to life."
C. In the midst of all of our circumstances God can bring joy
--Ps. 97:11 – “The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice.”
1. A little girl and her mom viewing a manger scene. The girl just transfixed on Jesus. The girl asked,
“Mom, did Jesus grow up and live happily ever after?”
2. Jesus was born to suffer
--He’s described in Is. 53 as a “a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.”
3. Yet Jesus found joy in His circumstances
--Heb. 12:2-3 – “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set
before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of
God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary
and lose heart.”
III. CHOOSE TO SHARE THE MESSAGE
A. There’s no long-lasting joy without sharing the message
1. Ps. 107:22 – “With joy they should tell what He has done."
2. The greatest joy of the season is sharing the message of Jesus with others
3. If you’re the first person with good news, you want to be the first one to share the news.
a. You call someone on the phone: “Guess what happened!!!”
b. You go see them: “Do I have good news to share with you!!!”
c. You contact them in some way to share the good news
B. The shepherds shared their message with others.
--“ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,
and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.”
1. The word used in the original langauge translated as “told” is the word we get “evangelize” from
2. The shepherds shared the “good news” of the “gospel” of Jesus Christ
C. The message for this season is that Christmas is not about Santa Claus or family gatherings
--It’s about Jesus Christ
1. When we consider the absence of joy in our lives, it’s probably there because we have failed to
declare the true meaning of Christmas
2. We have spent too much time at Christmas celebrating a sentiment instead of celebrating a Savior
3. A church in California on a major freeway that always put on their sign Jesus is the reason for the
season. One lady that had recently moved to that area had to pass that sign every day on her to and
from work. It really upset her so she wrote a letter to the preacher and tell him she didn’t appreciate
the sign. At the end of the letter she wrote, “I don’t think the church should try to drag religion into
every holiday.”
CONCLUSION: A. A Letter from the Lord:
As you well know, we are getting closer to my birthday. Every year there is a
celebration in my honor and I think that this year the celebration will be repeated. During
this time there are many people shopping for gifts, there are many radios announcements,
TV commercials, and in every part of the world everyone is talking that my birthday is
getting closer and closer.
It is really very nice to know, that at least once a year, some people think of me. As
you know, the celebration of my birthday began many years ago. At first people seemed
to understand and be thankful for all that I did for them, but in these times, no one seems
to know the reason for the celebration.
Family and friends get together and have lots of fun, but they don’t know the meaning
of the celebration. I remember that last year there was a great feast in my honor. The
dinner table was full of delicious foods, pastries, fruits, assorted nuts and chocolates. The
decorations were exquisite and there were many beautifully wrapped gifts.
But, do you want to know something? I wasn’t invited. I was the guest of honor and
they didn’t remember to send me an invitation. The party was for me, but when that great
day came, I was left outside they closed the door in my face and I wanted to be with them
and share their table.
In truth, that didn’t surprise me because in the last few years several closed their doors
to me. Since I wasn’t invited, I decided to enter the party without making any noise. I went
in and stood in a corner.
They were all drinking; there were some who were drunk and telling jokes and
laughing at everything. They were having a grand time. To top it all, this big fat man all
dressed in red wearing a long white beard entered the room yelling “Ho-Ho-Ho”! He
seemed drunk. He sat on the sofa and all the children ran to him, saying: “Santa Claus,
Santa Claus” as if the party were in his honor!
At midnight all the people began to hug each other; I extended my arms waiting for
someone to hug me and do you know what? No one hugged me. Suddenly they all began
to share gifts. They opened them one by one with great expectation. When all had been
opened, I looked to see if, maybe, there was one for me. What would you feel if on your
birthday everybody shared gifts and you did not get one? I then understood that I was
unwanted at that party and quietly left. Every year it gets worse. People only remember
the gifts, the parties, to eat and drink, and nobody remembers me.
I would like this Christmas that you allow me to enter into your life. I would like that
you recognize the fact that almost two thousand years ago I came to this world to give my
life for you, on the cross, to save you. Today, I only want that you believe this with all
your heart. I want to share something with you. As many didn’t invite me to their party, I
will have my own celebration, a grandiose party that no one has ever imagined, a
spectacular party. I’m still making the final arrangements.
Today I am sending out many invitations and there is an invitation for you. I want to
know if you wish to attend and I will make a reservation for you and write your name
with golden letters in my great guest book. Only those on the guest list will be invited to
the party. Those who don’t answer the invite will be left outside. Be prepared because
when all is ready you will be part of my great party.
See you soon. I Love you!
Jesus
B. Will you accept the invitation?
