Today's scripture reading is Luke chapter 2 verses 8 through 14 and In the same region there were shepherds out in the field keep them watch over their flock by night and Then angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord Shown around them and they were filled with great fear and 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 was born to stay in the city of David a savior who was Christ the Lord and This will be a sign for you You will find a baby wrapped in swallowing clothes and lying in a manger And suddenly there is with an angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased May the Lord add a blessing to the reading and the hearing of his word It is that time of season. It is story time and we know That Christmas has the best music does of any season of the year it has the best music, but not only does Christmas has the best music, but also Christmas has the best stories Christmas time tells the best stories and Christmas tells the best stories because Christmas has the best movies All every year the best movies come out at Christmas time and varieties. I told over and over and over again And we all have our favorites and they're told over and over again a Christmas Carol How the Christmas Crossed to snowman. It's the wonderful life And of course the best of all Charlie Brown Christmas You know that you know that and we know these we know these we're familiar with these Stories we're familiar with these shows we're familiar with these movies. They're told over and over again We know them well, right? Right, we know them well. We know them I think we know them Well, how well do we know We shouldn't know them Well, let's see how well we know I got a little quiz for us Okay I got a few questions for us. So let's see how well we know question one from whom did the grit steel try to steal Christmas? There you go. That's right The who's in whoville. There you go. There you go Christina. The who's in whoville? Question two what did frosty the snowman say when he was brought to life? That's right Happy birthday Every time Question three How many reindeer to send to have on his slave before Rudolph? Eight that's right Yeah, they I won't actually the name them, but I'm sure very few of us could all right next question Which of Charlie Brown's friends reminded him what Christmas is all about Linus that's right Linus Linus Now it's interesting interesting beloved interesting We know these shows we we know these stories Whatever whatever your favorite story is around a Christmas time we know them and Interesting thing about it whether it's Scrooge or George Bayley or Chris Kringle or Frosty or Charlie Brown We know these stories about these stories Is that as various and different at these stories are they all have a common thing
as various and Different as these stories are they all share a common theme and it is a theme that is rooted in the very first Christmas It is a theme repeated in every Christmas since it is what Linus told Charlie Brown That Christmas is all about
He reminded Charlie Brown Christmas Is a time of Rejoicing I think we have to clip right what Christmas is all about in this just beautiful Charlie Brown I can tell you what Christmas is all about
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field keeping watch over their flock by night and low the angel of the Lord came upon them The glory of the Lord told round about them And they were so afraid and the angel said unto them fear not For behold I bring you tidings of great joy which will be to all people for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior just Christ the Lord And this shall be a sign unto you He shall find the Abraham and Swaddle and close lying in the nature And suddenly there was with the angel and multitude of the heavenly host praising God and Same glory to God in the highest and on earth peace What will toward men right Linus? That's right Linus. That's what Christmas is all about. That's what it was about then That's what has always been about Christmas is a time of rejoicing the who's down in Whoville the good folks of Bedford Falls Singing with George Bailey and his family Charlie Brown and his friends gathered around the Christmas tree singing heart the herald angel sing all sharing a common theme Why do they all at the end of all these? shows singing Caroline rejoicing they all take their cue From the very first Christmas They are all repeating the sound joy of Christmas repeating the sounding joy And what joy is that the joy of when the angel Announce the coming of Jesus into the world. That's what Linus was saying There was a joy That was announced When the coming of Jesus into the world was proclaimed and Luke chapter 2 and verse 10 The Bible says and the angel said to them for behold I Bring you good news of great joy that will be for that will be for all the people The messes to the shepherds was a message of joy, but not just joy beloved Notice what it says Mega joy Mega joy great joy Not a message of fear Not a message of dread not a message of condemnation But the gospel the good news bringing delight bringing happiness Bringing good fortune Bringing confidence Bringing reassurance a message of joy A message of joy What is joy? What is joy beloved? It is the delight of the soul as it experiences its confidence in God That everything is good And that everything is going to be good and right Okay Joy is the pleasure and satisfaction of the heart that comes from being blessed or the confidence That blessing is on the way That feeling you get When you know that blessing is on the way you know it's coming You know Like a child that joy that a child feels On Christmas morning Did you see the the present under the Christmas tree? Because you know blessing is on the way That's joy the confidence you feel when you know Blessing is on the way
It is a gladness that comes when worry is removed and pieces guaranteed That's joy When when worry is removed And pieces guaranteed That's joy It is the promise of the Kingdom of God So what the Bible says Romans Chapter 14 Verse 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness peace and And joy in the Holy Spirit That's what the Kingdom of God is It is gladness That comes when worry is removed and pieces guaranteed Is what you experience in the presence of God Right Psalm 1611 Is what we long for It's what we long for To be in the eternal presence of God For we know that in the presence of God there is nothing but joy Right In Psalm 1611 you make known to me the path of life in your presence. There is what? Furnace of joy At your right hand our presence forever more. This is our desire To be forever in the presence of God so that we would Experience the fullness of joy. What is that? The removal of all worry the guarantee of peace forever more
Why because Psalmist says in Psalm 43 and 4 God Himself is our joy Therefore I will go to the altar of God To God my exceeding joy God is my joy So what is joy? Love it we can define it as I've said it is The pleasure and satisfaction of the heart That comes from being blessed or the confidence that blessing is on the way It is the gladness that comes from when worry is removed and pieces guaranteed we can define it that way
but More than defined joy Beloved I Think joy is Best described or demonstrate because for the Christian Joy is not just a word Okay this morning Joy is not just a word For the Christian Joy is winning Okay Joy is not just a word Joy is demonstrated in winning
That's what we see in Christmas That is not just a word Joy is the sign of winning For the message of the angel Was a message of great joy Because it was a message of victory
So it's not just a word It's winning It was a message of great news because it was a message of victory Listen listen to what Isaiah says and Isaiah 52 and verse 7 How beautiful on the mountain are the feet of those who bring good news Who proclaim Peace Who bring good tidings Who proclaim salvation Who say to Zion Your God reigns The angel came Proclaiming victory When the angel came Pronouncing the coming of Messiah to the shepherd The angel came proclaiming the good news God is winning at the good news The good news is God is winning Joy is the winning side Joy is the winning side How do you know Which side is winning How do you know which side is winning Look at which side is rejoicing The loose locker room isn't rejoicing That's how you know who's winning Go to the game How do you know who's winning Which side is winning Look at their faces How do you know who won the game Go to the locker room As you can tell who won the game You don't have to look at the scoreboard You can look at their faces You can
Win Chris at the end of the year Is a good reminder God is winning God is winning And winning Is what Christmas is always all about Is what Christmas is all about God is winning God is winning This is what this is this is the pronouncement That the shepherd that that the angels is making God is winning The good news is that God is victorious And so he comes to the angel comes to the shepherd And says God has won And so you're winning the shepherds are winning Aryan Joseph Winnie the wifeman Winnie Elizabeth and Zacharyk Winnie Anna and Simeon women the little jumbo boy Winnie Chris Kringle and the children of Sombertown Winnie The hoos and who will Winnie Charlie Brown line is and Lucy Winnie But even more important in that beloved Guess what you and me Winnie
For the Bible sets For the Bible sets
Chapter 8 for 37 No In all these things We are more than conquerors through him who loved us We are not just conquerors We are more than conquerors More than conquerors
The new living translation puts it this way Okay We have an overwhelming victory That's what it says We have an overwhelming victory In other words, it's not even close Okay, we're not squeaking out of victory here We're not squeaking out of victory over our enemies We're not squeaking out of victory over sin And Satan We're not squeaking out of victory We have overwhelming victory here
In Christ, our victory is complete The church is winning The kingdom of God is winning Winnie Winnie Winnie Winnie A couple of Sundays ago Womba came by my office He stuck his head in my office And he said, are you winning?
I said, winning what? And he said, winning Winnie Winnie Winnie
And I said Yeah, bro That's right Winning Winning Winning
Okay, that's what we do, beloved That's what we do I know I know I know I know sometimes it may not seem that way It may seem like we're losing And I don't always feel that way And I'm sure you don't always feel that way I know you may feel like you're behind And I know You may feel like you're losing And I know sometimes it seemed like you're You're losing and But I want to encourage you this morning that Don't worry and I want you to listen to what the angels said to the shepherd this morning In Luke chapter 2 verse 10 and 11 do not be afraid For I bring you good news That will be That will cause great joy to all people For today in the town of David a savior has been born to you That is Messiah The Lord In other words, we're winning Is here what I said Don't do not be afraid For I bring to you good news That will cause great joy for all people We're winning Winning Winning Winnie Or better yet Or better yet Listen to what Paul says this morning In Saint Laurentians chapter 4 verse 8 and 9 He says we are hard pressed on every side but not crushed Perplex but not in despair Persecuted but not abandoned Struck down but not destroyed In other words, winning Winning Winning
Winning Is the winning like a room Here what I said Sack of a room, beloved Why you look like that Sack of a room
Like sometimes you lose it But remember it's only half time We coming in to make a justice
Coming in the morning
It's winning
Sound and joy
Joy till the earth to save your rings
There's sounds and floor While fields and floods Rock hills and plains Repeat that sound and joy Repeat that sound and joy Repeat that sound and joy What is that sound What is that sound you need to repeat
We win it We win it Jesus got out of that grave We win it Hear what I said As long as the Lord We win it
Long as he is still alive, beloved We win it Winning Winning Winning Winning Winning Winning Winning Winning Winning Amen That's right That's right