First Baptist Church Wiggins, FBC, 39577
Receive Joy! Receive Joy because of the good news.
Luke 2:9-11 ESV
I. “Fear Not”
The shepherds were frightened by the angels:
1. Because they were angels and angels are scary creatures.
2. Because things like this had not happened in a long time. Remember, God had not spoken in 400 years. It is kind of like when you first turn the light on in the morning.
3. The presence of the glory of the Lord always makes people think of their sinfulness and the impending doom.
Sometimes some of the things we face might be a visitation of God’s favor upon us.
Job loss
o Can be a means to a better position… could be a means to teach you contentment with less.
House Fire
o Can be a means for God to bless you through your neighbors.
Accident
o Can make you live a more thankful life.
Health issues
o Can draw you closer to the Lord.
Conflicts
o Can lead to better more meaningful relationships.
Getting busted in sin
o Can lead to confession, repentance, and restoration
Consider the fact that that all the things we complain about and or are fearful of is a visitation of the glory of God… the favor of God in our lives.
Fight fear with faithfulness!
Think about how this might have gone if the Shepherds had been so fearful that they didn’t hear what came next… how the favor of God had come to them that night.
II. … “For behold, I bring you good news of great joy…”
Here the Angel is telling the Shepherds that He has come to bring two things… Good news and great joy.
What is the good news?
He is a Savior who is Christ.
- He is a rescuer like Noah, except He does not have to rescue Himself
- He is like Father Abraham… except he is the Almighty Father.
- He is the prophet like Moses except He does not need a priest, or a judge, or a king, because He is the supreme prophet, He is the Great High Priest and He is the King of Kings.
- He is the Son of Man, Son of David… and the Son of God.
He is the Lord.
- He is God, the Great I Am wrapped in human flesh.
- He is the Image of the invisible God.
- He is the Radiance of His Glory.
- He is the Exact imprint of His nature.
All things were created by Him and through Him and for Him.
He was born to the Shepherds that day… and He was born to us.
He existed before time began, but on that day, He stepped out of the realm of eternity and into our present reality.
The immovable mover who upholds the entire universe by the power of His word took up residence and lived among men.
You Will Not Hear Better News!
Good news is not all that the angels bore…
They also brought with them JOY.
- In the same way that light came into being on the first day of creation… on that night pure Light penetrated the darkness.
- That light also shined into the hearts of men.
Things began to happen… By His word:
- Lame men walked.
- Water was changed into wine.
- Women and children were healed.
- Demons came screaming out of the possessed.
- Lepers were healed.
- Sinners were forgiven.
- DEAD MEN WERE RAISE FROM THE DEAD.
JOY penetrated despair even transforming the cross… the emblem of suffering and shame… into the greatest symbol of God’s love for all mankind throughout all generations.
Tell me… why do we despair?
Why do we moan and complain about every little thing… every little minor inconvenience?
Why do we make everything so difficult by our worry and fear and anxiety?
Christ the Lord is born!!!
Joy is here!!!
Christians have a bad habit of being the most depressed people on the planet, when they reality should be the exact opposite.
- This is not the feeling me have when wesuffer loss and mourn.
- This is about our poor negative attitudes and how we are always looking for something to be worried about… to complain about… to get angry over.
If you have received the report of the angel and believed that a Savior who is Christ the Lord is born then you’ve:
- No reason to worry.
- No reason to complain.
- No reason to be negative.
- No reason to be angry.
The Good news has come… and with it JOY.
III. … “That will be for all people.”
The good news and great joy was not for a select few. It was for ALL people groups.
Jews…
Gentiles…
Freemen…
Slaves…
Men…
Women…
Children…
Kings…
Peasants…
Shepherds…
- This was the point in the announcement coming to the Shepherds, the humblest of men, first.
- This was the point in giving the wise men, the most intelligent men, a star to guide them.
- This was the point of Jesus being born in a manger, the lowliest of places.
- This was the point of him being born in the city of Bethlehem… the city of King David, the most notable of places.
The Good news and the Great Joy was for all people groups… everywhere… at all times.
This news of the Savior’s birth, was recorded in great detail by the inspired authors of the Scriptures.
- The story was preserved first in verbal form, then in written form. It was translated, It was fought for and now it is before us.
- The good news is still the good news.
The great joy is still great joy and it is still for all people groups.
- It is for rednecks and hillbillies… it is for billionaires and homeless people.
- It is for republicans and democrats.
- Gay people and straight people.
- Americans and foreigners and immigrants.
- It is good news and great joy for Muslims and Jews.
I am not saying that all of them receive and accept the good news as good news… or the great joy as great joy. But even when it is despised and rejected as foolishness, it is still good news… it is still great joy.
If no one ever believed that Jesus is Lord and Christ… that would not change the fact that Jesus is Lord and Christ.
- He is who He is and the good news is what it is.
That is what Bethlehem is all about… bringing the good news and great joy to all people.
- All kinds of people came through here last night and will tonight who do not believe a word of the gospel.
- We are to share the good news and joy of Christ’s birth.
Not every shepherd and person who visited Jesus in Bethlehem became a believer, but his birth was still good news and great joy.
Don’t leave this good news and great joy on the table.
If you refuse to believe and are taken to your eternal home tomorrow you will regret it for all eternity.
All thoes who have believed, leave fear… despair… and anxiety behind and bask in the good news and joy.
Let the Joy of the Lord be your strength.
As this candle burns may the joy of the Lord radiate out of our hearts and on our faces and may fear, worry, doubt, negativity and anger melt away under the heat of the joy in our hearts.