1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:13,240 Welcome to ECB's weekly sermon podcast. 2 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:19,600 ECB is an international church in Bangkok, Thailand with dozens of nationalities worshipping 3 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:20,840 together. 4 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:26,920 We invite you to connect with us from wherever you are, through our website, ECB.Asia 5 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:29,200 or our mobile app. 6 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:33,960 And now we pray that you are blessed by this week's sermon. 7 00:00:33,960 --> 00:00:35,760 Good morning, everyone. 8 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:39,720 We're continuing this sermon series Christmas on Rep. 9 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:42,520 We're doing this four or five week series. 10 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:47,600 This is where we're unrepping the impact that Jesus has on our lives. 11 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:54,720 Over the past two weeks, you heard Pastor Phil and myself already unrepping both hope and peace. 12 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:58,600 And today we will unrepped together joy. 13 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:01,600 That's what Jesus came to bring. 14 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:03,840 We all crave joy. 15 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:10,640 And the reason why we crave joy is because joy makes our lives nicer and easier. 16 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:12,880 But away we often don't refer to it as joy. 17 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:15,360 We prefer the term happiness. 18 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:16,360 That's okay. 19 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:20,240 Let's not get stuck on definitions here. 20 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:25,120 Over a few years ago, Forbes Magazine did a survey under their readers and they asked 21 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:26,920 them to answer this question. 22 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:34,320 If there would be one thing, you could have more of in your life what would that be. 23 00:01:34,320 --> 00:01:38,600 And of course that list of top ten answers included things like, wow, I would like to have 24 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:42,200 more self-esteem and confidence and money and all of that. 25 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:49,160 But the number one answer given by the readers of Forbes Magazine was happiness. 26 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:50,800 The readers wanted more happiness. 27 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:51,800 That may not be a surprise. 28 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:54,040 It was not really a surprise to me. 29 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:59,760 But I was struck by a comment that I read that they published at the end of their survey. 30 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:02,960 This was their concluding comment. 31 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:08,800 Happiness has become so hard to achieve and even harder to maintain. 32 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:15,400 Happiness is constantly out of our control and a perpetual moving target that never stands 33 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:18,840 still long enough for us to grasp. 34 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:19,840 That's annoying. 35 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:27,600 I mean, we want to be happy, but apparently it's out of our control and it's this moving 36 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:31,000 target that we're never able to grasp. 37 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:35,000 If it's not this, how will we ever get happy? 38 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:39,960 Well, the good news is there's more research done on the topic of happiness. 39 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:44,960 The University of Bristol actually did a study called the Science of Happiness. 40 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:45,960 Can you believe it? 41 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:49,560 There is a science of happiness. 42 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:54,680 And in their conclusions, they wrote that they found seven happiness hex that if you 43 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:58,640 would apply those to your life, you would become a happy person. 44 00:02:58,640 --> 00:03:00,640 Are you ready to hear those hex? 45 00:03:00,640 --> 00:03:01,640 Yeah? 46 00:03:01,640 --> 00:03:05,400 Well, here are the seven happiness hex. 47 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:12,200 Perform acts of kindness, increase social connections, save our experiences, deliberately 48 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:20,200 draw your attention to positive events, practice feeling grateful, be physically active, 49 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:23,320 explore mindfulness and other meditation techniques. 50 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:26,280 There you have it, seven hex to happiness. 51 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:30,560 And what the University of Bristol did is they incorporated these hex in one of their 52 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:32,000 courses. 53 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:38,640 And they found that 228 students that had actually gone through that course experienced the 54 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:44,160 10 to 15% increase in their well-being after the course. 55 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:50,800 And 50% of those students continue to have a positive outlook on life when they continue 56 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:55,280 practicing these hex of happiness. 57 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:57,920 I believe the outcomes, by the way. 58 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:01,600 This is solid, sound, scientific research. 59 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:07,760 I firmly believe that if you and I would be consistently doing this, we would be happier 60 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:08,760 with people. 61 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:12,320 I just think it's a lot of work. 62 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:18,400 It requires a lot of our own determination and all of that only for 10 to 15% increase 63 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:20,560 in happiness. 64 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:26,120 It seems that in order to be happy, you need to be a work of hollick and most work 65 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:32,880 of hollicks that I know are not the happiest people on earth. 66 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:35,760 What if there would be a different kind of happiness? 67 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:43,640 A greater kind of happiness with less work involved and with a more lasting impact. 68 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:45,480 Wouldn't that be good news? 69 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:52,440 Well, this is exactly the reason why Jesus came and he was wrapping up his three plus 70 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:56,080 years of training time with his disciples. 71 00:04:56,080 --> 00:04:58,080 This is what he told them. 72 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:03,280 Guys, I have told you all these things so that you will be filled with joy. 73 00:05:03,280 --> 00:05:07,760 Yes, your joy will overflow. 74 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:16,320 Apparently, Jesus teachings in his way of life have our joy in mind not just any more 75 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:22,400 joy overflowing joy. 76 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:26,160 Earlier this week, a couple of days ago, I was getting ready for the day and I was 77 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:31,960 brushing my teeth in our bathroom and something caught my attention. 78 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:33,840 It was my wife's toiletry bag. 79 00:05:33,840 --> 00:05:34,840 She doesn't know. 80 00:05:34,840 --> 00:05:35,840 I didn't tell you. 81 00:05:35,840 --> 00:05:42,840 I would show you actually your, it was my, you recognize it? 82 00:05:42,840 --> 00:05:44,720 It was my wife's toiletry bag. 83 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:51,560 She keeps her little mirror and hair clip and lipstick and makeup in here and there. 84 00:05:51,560 --> 00:05:56,000 But what caught my attention with the words on the back, choose your moments of joy. 85 00:05:56,000 --> 00:06:00,880 I think what it means is that when you grab something out of that bag and you apply it 86 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:06,400 to yourself, you, you, you, you pretty yourself up and you become a happier person. 87 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:12,160 But as I don't use these kind of things, my attention was drawn to hate. 88 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:16,160 This may be a good idea for a sermon as I was thinking about it. 89 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:20,240 And if you think that is where the Holy Spirit can use anything to inspire a sermon, 90 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:25,680 including your wife's toiletry bag, just so you know. 91 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:27,280 Choose your moments of joy. 92 00:06:27,280 --> 00:06:29,480 Is that, is that really how it works? 93 00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:33,280 Is joy a choice as the bag suggests? 94 00:06:33,280 --> 00:06:39,160 Is joy a moment by moment thing as we can read on the makeup bag? 95 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:42,200 And what is joy in the first place? 96 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:44,480 Well, let's, let's unwrap this thing. 97 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:45,480 Shall we? 98 00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:51,480 Let's unwrap joy so that we have an understanding of what it really is. 99 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:55,080 Joy is a central theme in the story of Jesus' birth. 100 00:06:55,080 --> 00:07:05,080 It's mentioned eight times in the whole Christmas narrative that we find in Matthew and Luke primarily. 101 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:06,680 It's a theme that we see everywhere. 102 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:08,160 We sing about it. 103 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:11,320 We hear about it and scripture speaks about it. 104 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:16,920 And we find one of these occasions of joy in Luke chapter 2, where an angel appeared to a group 105 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:22,880 of shepherds who were looking after their sheep, not to far from the place where Jesus was born. 106 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:25,040 This is how the story goes. 107 00:07:25,040 --> 00:07:31,720 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 108 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:36,680 And suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radians of the Lord's 109 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:38,960 glorious surrounded them. 110 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:41,040 They were terrified. 111 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:43,720 But the angel reassured them. 112 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:44,720 Don't be afraid, he said. 113 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:51,280 I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 114 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:58,040 The Savior, yes, the Messiah, the Lord, has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David. 115 00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:00,920 And you will recognize him by this sign. 116 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:09,320 You will find a baby, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth lying in a manger, good news that 117 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:12,240 will bring great joy to all people. 118 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:15,800 That's the central message of the angel to the shepherds. 119 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:22,320 In this short message, we find three characteristics of joy that we just need to know. 120 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:24,080 Here's the first one. 121 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:26,680 Joy is given to you. 122 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:30,400 It is not achieved by you. 123 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:35,440 The angel didn't say, hey, guys, I found the hex to get joy. 124 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:40,600 If you just apply this and that for three times per day, every day for the rest of your 125 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:43,440 life, you will receive joy. 126 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:45,320 Is that what the angel said? 127 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:47,400 It's not what the angel said. 128 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:54,960 The angel said that the joy, the great news of great joy, was found in the Messiah. 129 00:08:54,960 --> 00:08:58,200 The baby that was born a couple of kilometers away. 130 00:08:58,200 --> 00:09:04,560 The son that was to be given as the prophet Isaiah had already prophesied, had come and 131 00:09:04,560 --> 00:09:05,840 he was the one. 132 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:08,840 He was the reason for great joy. 133 00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:12,200 Joy is not found in an ABC to happiness. 134 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:19,800 Joy is found in a baby that was given to us by God and his name is Jesus. 135 00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:22,720 Because our joy is in Jesus. 136 00:09:22,720 --> 00:09:26,360 We don't have to work for it and it will never expire. 137 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:27,360 You know why? 138 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:32,920 Because Jesus is the everlasting God who always was, who always is and who always will 139 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:35,800 be. 140 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:43,200 Therefore joy is not found in what you have. 141 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:46,840 Joy comes from what you know cannot be taken from you. 142 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:50,920 This means that joy does not depend on your circumstances. 143 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:57,320 They made a takeaway that job from you but you can still find joy. 144 00:09:57,320 --> 00:10:03,600 That relationship you were in may have been broken up but you can still find joy. 145 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:11,080 Your health may be failing you but in the midst of that you are still able to find joy. 146 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:14,400 It's not found in what you have. 147 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:19,360 It's found in that someone, Jesus, who cannot be taken from you. 148 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:22,600 Here's the second thing that we learn about joy. 149 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:26,160 It is available to everyone. 150 00:10:26,160 --> 00:10:32,760 The great joy that the angel speaks of is not an offer for members only for an exclusive 151 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:33,760 group. 152 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:35,360 You don't need to be of a certain kind. 153 00:10:35,360 --> 00:10:39,800 It's not just for a few people, it is for all people. 154 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:45,920 And the fact that the angel brought the message first to the shepherds speaks volumes about 155 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:46,920 that. 156 00:10:46,920 --> 00:10:49,520 These were men who were lived in the margin. 157 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:51,240 They were spit out by society. 158 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:54,440 They were not even allowed to go into this synagogues. 159 00:10:54,440 --> 00:10:56,760 These were outcasts. 160 00:10:56,760 --> 00:11:00,440 Society considered them no-goes. 161 00:11:00,440 --> 00:11:05,660 They were to these people, shepherds, people in the margin, that the news about Jesus 162 00:11:05,660 --> 00:11:07,680 was first shared with. 163 00:11:07,680 --> 00:11:13,720 And they were to first, literally, run to Jesus and counter him where he was and they 164 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:18,920 couldn't help but sharing the news, spreading the news to anyone they met after because 165 00:11:18,920 --> 00:11:23,560 they had seen, they had found their Messiah. 166 00:11:23,560 --> 00:11:27,920 So what do you consider yourself a success or a failure? 167 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:33,040 Do you consider yourself intercore or outcast? 168 00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:37,520 What do you consider yourself recognized or unseen? 169 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:48,160 Joy, real joy is available to you because it's available to everyone. 170 00:11:48,160 --> 00:11:52,840 One more characteristic of joy that we find in this brief message that the angel brought 171 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:56,640 joy is the result of salvation. 172 00:11:56,640 --> 00:12:00,640 The reason for joy is not just the baby. 173 00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:01,640 Don't get me wrong. 174 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:03,520 Babies are cute, babies are great. 175 00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:12,080 But if it's just about the baby, babies turn into toddlers, then into younger children, teenagers, 176 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:13,080 and then adults. 177 00:12:13,080 --> 00:12:17,760 I mean, how much joy is there to be found that it's not about the baby. 178 00:12:17,760 --> 00:12:19,880 It's about what that baby came to do. 179 00:12:19,880 --> 00:12:23,480 And the angel said, the Savior is born. 180 00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:25,280 The Savior has come. 181 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:31,440 This baby, his name is Jesus, came to save us. 182 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:32,840 Why is that reason for joy? 183 00:12:32,840 --> 00:12:36,080 What can I just be honest with you? 184 00:12:36,080 --> 00:12:43,520 Our situation without Jesus, without his Savior, is that we are dead people. 185 00:12:43,520 --> 00:12:48,600 We're dead people, spiritually dead now and dead dead at one of the time comes when we 186 00:12:48,600 --> 00:12:50,600 pass away. 187 00:12:50,600 --> 00:12:54,400 This is how Paul says it in Ephesians 2. 188 00:12:54,400 --> 00:12:59,760 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 189 00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:06,440 Without a Savior, this would be a situation that people and just so you know, that people 190 00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:09,840 are not joyful people. 191 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:11,520 But Paul continues. 192 00:13:11,520 --> 00:13:16,360 He expresses this good news that brings great joy for all people. 193 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:17,360 You want to hear it? 194 00:13:17,360 --> 00:13:18,360 Here we go. 195 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:24,240 God is so rich in mercy and he loved us so much that even though we were dead because 196 00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:29,360 of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. 197 00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:35,560 It is only by God's grace that you have and I have been saved. 198 00:13:35,560 --> 00:13:40,640 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and he ceded us with him in the heavenly 199 00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:45,720 realms because we are united with Christ. 200 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:50,920 We don't have enough time to unpack the immenseness of the verses that I just read. 201 00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:54,200 But would you please take away one thing? 202 00:13:54,200 --> 00:14:01,440 Salvation in Jesus means nothing short of being raised from death to life. 203 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:02,440 Okay? 204 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:03,440 One more time. 205 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:11,080 Being saved by Jesus means nothing short of being raised from death into a new life. 206 00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:13,640 I say that's the reason for celebration. 207 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:20,200 Without a Savior, you are warned out and run down by your sin. 208 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:25,920 With Jesus, you have light and life in your life. 209 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:30,680 He resurrects you from a certain death into a certain life. 210 00:14:30,680 --> 00:14:34,280 This is reason for feasting the rest of your life. 211 00:14:34,280 --> 00:14:40,680 The rest of our years on earth and the rest of eternity rejoicing in our salvation. 212 00:14:40,680 --> 00:14:45,080 Joy is the result of salvation. 213 00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:50,040 The thing is if you just admire the Christmas baby and I know many people 214 00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:51,040 do that. 215 00:14:51,040 --> 00:14:53,840 It's the season for admiring the baby. 216 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:55,800 You will miss out on the joy. 217 00:14:55,800 --> 00:14:59,840 I'm pretty sure if you're just admired the baby you're here to celebrate Christmas with 218 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:01,200 us wonderful. 219 00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:03,840 You will find happiness. 220 00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:05,960 I guarantee. 221 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:11,720 The thing is that happiness will soon dissolve after the festive season is over and 222 00:15:11,720 --> 00:15:17,520 you enter a new year and all of what you have to do overlamish. 223 00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:26,080 Good news will only turn into great joy when it becomes personal. 224 00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:32,320 If you would tell me after the service, hey, Pastor Renee, I wonder lottery, that would be 225 00:15:32,320 --> 00:15:34,800 good news for me. 226 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:38,040 But when I get a letter tomorrow morning in my mailbox, it says that I have one 227 00:15:38,040 --> 00:15:46,320 of the letterly, it will become great joy because it has become personal. 228 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:48,160 The same with Jesus. 229 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:53,160 The good news of Jesus will only turn into great joy when you make things personal with 230 00:15:53,160 --> 00:16:00,560 him how by wanting to be saved from your sin by him, following him, recognizing that you 231 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:05,360 need him as the Savior of your life. 232 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:10,560 Oh, that's the joy of Christmas in a nutshell of once. 233 00:16:10,560 --> 00:16:12,560 It's given, not achieved. 234 00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:16,600 It's available to everyone and it's the result of salvation in Jesus. 235 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:18,160 That's good news, right? 236 00:16:18,160 --> 00:16:19,880 Is that good news? 237 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:22,280 Does it bring great joy? 238 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:24,000 It does. 239 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:30,680 But somehow we seem to be struggling with experiencing that joy. 240 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:33,680 At least experiencing it consistently. 241 00:16:33,680 --> 00:16:38,920 Maybe you're wondering he's talking about joy, but I have no idea. 242 00:16:38,920 --> 00:16:44,480 There seems to be things in our lives that overshadow joy and that can even rub us from 243 00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:46,960 our joy. 244 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:51,160 What I want to do is I want to have a look with you for the remainder of our time at four 245 00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:57,400 common joy rubbers and then relate them to four characters in the Christmas story that 246 00:16:57,400 --> 00:17:02,480 had to deal with these joy rubbers, but they found an entidode so that they would not 247 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:04,960 lose their joy. 248 00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:09,360 Here's the first common joy rubber that we face. 249 00:17:09,360 --> 00:17:11,600 It's called fear of the unknown. 250 00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:14,720 We tend to worry about a lot of things, right? 251 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:18,560 We worry about our health, our children, our finances, our future. 252 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:23,800 We worry about our exams, we worry about relationships. 253 00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:31,280 Research shows that over the past four years, global anxiety levels have risen by 25% 254 00:17:31,280 --> 00:17:38,040 and although the Europe and North America still rate among the highest, also in Africa, 255 00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:45,600 South America and Asia, the levels of anxiety are rising at a concerning level. 256 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:52,480 Anxiety seems to be everywhere and when anxiety presents itself at your front door, always 257 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:58,240 joy leaves through the back door. 258 00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:03,120 Mary, the mother of Jesus, can relate. 259 00:18:03,120 --> 00:18:12,560 Mary was faced with circumstances that really could easily have cost her to fear the unknown. 260 00:18:12,560 --> 00:18:16,400 He was what happened to Mary as we read in Luke 1. 261 00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:22,400 The sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, the 262 00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:25,920 village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. 263 00:18:25,920 --> 00:18:31,840 She was engaged to be Mary to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 264 00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:38,800 Gabriel appeared to her and said, greetings, favored woman, the Lord is with you. 265 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:44,000 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 266 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:48,920 Don't be afraid Mary, the angel told her, for you have found favor with God, you will 267 00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:55,240 conceive and give birth to his son and you will name him Jesus. 268 00:18:55,240 --> 00:18:58,920 He will be very great and will be called the son of the most high. 269 00:18:58,920 --> 00:19:05,400 The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David and he will reign over Israel forever. 270 00:19:05,400 --> 00:19:09,160 His kingdom will never end. 271 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:11,160 Mary asked the angel, but how can this happen? 272 00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:12,880 I'm still a virgin. 273 00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:19,200 The angel replied, the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the most high will 274 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:21,360 overshadow you. 275 00:19:21,360 --> 00:19:29,200 So the baby to be born will be holy and he will be called the son of God. 276 00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:33,920 Mary had many reasons to be anxious about the future. 277 00:19:33,920 --> 00:19:39,520 She was likely only 14 or 15 years old when she got this news from the angels. 278 00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:41,080 She was already engaged. 279 00:19:41,080 --> 00:19:44,880 People got married younger in those days because they didn't get that old. 280 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:46,360 14 or 15 years old. 281 00:19:46,360 --> 00:19:52,160 She got the news that she would become pregnant of the Savior of the world. 282 00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:54,080 No stress Mary. 283 00:19:54,080 --> 00:19:59,000 Oh, and by the way this would not be a natural conception, naturally conceived. 284 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:03,440 It would be the Holy Spirit actually who would make her pregnant of the son of God 285 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:04,440 who she would carry. 286 00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:08,920 And yeah, she would become the mum of the Savior of the world, the one who would carry 287 00:20:08,920 --> 00:20:13,640 away the sins of all people. 288 00:20:13,640 --> 00:20:16,040 And later on, we didn't read it now. 289 00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:20,760 Several of days before she actually was due to give birth to her baby. 290 00:20:20,760 --> 00:20:24,200 She had to sit on a donkey for two days. 291 00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:28,040 Make a journey all the way to Bethlehem only to find out that was not a clean bed 292 00:20:28,040 --> 00:20:30,360 and a comfortable room waiting for her. 293 00:20:30,360 --> 00:20:34,240 So she had to stay over in a place where animals were normally fed. 294 00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:38,600 And that's where she had to give birth to her baby. 295 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:44,480 I mean, Mary had a lot of reasons to fear the unknown. 296 00:20:44,480 --> 00:20:53,280 That's why in Luke 1, the verse we just read, we find her confused, disturbed, and afraid. 297 00:20:53,280 --> 00:20:58,200 Wouldn't you be if you were in Mary's situation? 298 00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:00,640 But there is a term. 299 00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:04,400 Something is happening in the story. 300 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:10,360 This is what Mary says in response to what the angel had just told her, I am the Lord's 301 00:21:10,360 --> 00:21:18,440 servant, may everything you have said about me come true. 302 00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:23,080 That's a pretty mature response for a 14-year-old. 303 00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:29,320 Lord, whatever you want to do with my life, what you just do in, I'm your servant. 304 00:21:29,320 --> 00:21:33,960 What is the last time that you told God that? 305 00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:40,280 Mary had decided to trust God and to go along with His plan. 306 00:21:40,280 --> 00:21:41,280 Did you have all the answers? 307 00:21:41,280 --> 00:21:42,480 No, no. 308 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:44,000 She probably had a lot of doubts. 309 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:48,200 All those things that I just laid out before you, did these already happen? 310 00:21:48,200 --> 00:21:52,240 No, all of these still had to happen. 311 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:59,200 And yet, Mary was ready to trust God and go along with His plan and where she found herself 312 00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:05,240 a couple of verses ago, confused, disturbed, afraid. 313 00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:08,120 This is where she found herself now. 314 00:22:08,120 --> 00:22:11,640 Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. 315 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:17,280 How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. 316 00:22:17,280 --> 00:22:20,960 What has happened to this 14-year-old go? 317 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:31,040 He trusted God and agreed with His plan for her life. 318 00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:33,680 I don't know what you are anxious about. 319 00:22:33,680 --> 00:22:40,800 When you think of the future, what are you fearful for? 320 00:22:40,800 --> 00:22:44,320 I don't know that, but I do know the end I don't. 321 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:48,040 Trust God and embrace His plan for you. 322 00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:54,520 Mary is a witness to that and I know there are many witnesses in this room to that as well. 323 00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:57,040 If you're a witness, you can say amen if you want. 324 00:22:57,040 --> 00:22:58,280 I'm a witness as well. 325 00:22:58,280 --> 00:23:03,640 You can trust God and you can trust His plan for you. 326 00:23:03,640 --> 00:23:10,480 The reason why we often cannot make sense of the things that God is doing and maybe 327 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:13,120 Mary thought that as well, God, this does not make sense. 328 00:23:13,120 --> 00:23:18,240 The reason why we think that is God thinks differently than you and I do. 329 00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:21,400 His thoughts are higher than you are in my thoughts. 330 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:25,000 His ways are higher than our ways. 331 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:28,560 That's why it often doesn't make sense, but you need to know one thing. 332 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:32,840 God knows perfectly well what He is doing, always. 333 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:37,920 And He always works for your good and for His glory. 334 00:23:37,920 --> 00:23:46,000 And when those two things come together, you're good and His glory over a flowing joy will 335 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:48,000 be the result. 336 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:50,600 You can trust God and His plan for you. 337 00:23:50,600 --> 00:23:58,080 It's the end-tide-ode for fear of the future of the unknown. 338 00:23:58,080 --> 00:24:03,680 Here's the second common joy rubber and it is called bitterness. 339 00:24:03,680 --> 00:24:10,960 One of the consequences of doing life in a broken world as we do is that people hurt each 340 00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:12,760 other. 341 00:24:12,760 --> 00:24:19,360 We all have been wounded and we all have wounded people. 342 00:24:19,360 --> 00:24:23,080 People may have heard you with their words. 343 00:24:23,080 --> 00:24:27,280 People may have heard you by rejecting you. 344 00:24:27,280 --> 00:24:33,920 You may have been heard because someone has abused you sexually, physically, emotionally. 345 00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:37,840 You may have been mistreated. 346 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:44,200 Whatever your heard is that has caused pain, deep pain in you. 347 00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:51,120 And regardless of the type of heard, your response to that heard is a key factor in how 348 00:24:51,120 --> 00:24:54,920 you will come out of the pain that you are facing. 349 00:24:54,920 --> 00:25:01,440 And a lot of people choose bitterness or resentments as their response to pain. 350 00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:07,960 And when that is your response to the heard that someone has caused in you, then you will 351 00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:09,440 not find joy. 352 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:13,160 But instead you will even find more pain. 353 00:25:13,160 --> 00:25:19,640 If there was someone in the Christmas story who could relate and who was at risk of becoming 354 00:25:19,640 --> 00:25:22,960 a bitter man, it was Joseph. 355 00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:26,880 This is what we read about Joseph in Matthew 1. 356 00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:29,320 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. 357 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:33,160 His mother Mary was engaged to be married to Joseph. 358 00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:37,600 But before the marriage took place while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant 359 00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:41,880 through the power of the Holy Spirit. 360 00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:48,840 Joseph to whom she was engaged, he was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly. 361 00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:54,640 So he decided to break the engagement quietly. 362 00:25:54,640 --> 00:25:57,000 Here's what you need to know. 363 00:25:57,000 --> 00:26:00,040 God had told Mary everything about what we have. 364 00:26:00,040 --> 00:26:01,480 We just read it. 365 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:03,640 The angel came, Mary you would become pregnant. 366 00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:04,640 It's the Holy Spirit. 367 00:26:04,640 --> 00:26:06,120 You didn't sleep with the man. 368 00:26:06,120 --> 00:26:07,720 You will be the savior of the world. 369 00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:10,520 All of that, God made known to Mary. 370 00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:13,480 He only had said nothing to Joseph. 371 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:14,600 We don't know why this is. 372 00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:17,920 Maybe this was a test of character for Joseph. 373 00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:24,640 But for all Joseph knew when he saw his fiance, pregnant, was that his wife cheated on 374 00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:32,800 him, betrayed him, slept with another man and God's pregnant. 375 00:26:32,800 --> 00:26:37,440 Reasons for Joseph to turn into a bit of man. 376 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:42,120 How do you deal with the news that your fiance has pregnant and it wasn't you? 377 00:26:42,120 --> 00:26:48,720 And upset as he probably was, Joseph could have decided to throw Mary under the bus. 378 00:26:48,720 --> 00:26:52,200 To publicly defend himself, say, guys, it wasn't me. 379 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:53,800 She slept with another man. 380 00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:55,600 Don't blame it on me. 381 00:26:55,600 --> 00:26:57,360 He could have become angry. 382 00:26:57,360 --> 00:27:00,280 He could have become bitter. 383 00:27:00,280 --> 00:27:02,120 But it's not what Joseph did. 384 00:27:02,120 --> 00:27:08,480 As the story tells of Joseph was a righteous man and did not want to shame Mary. 385 00:27:08,480 --> 00:27:12,280 Remember, Mary did nothing wrong. 386 00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:13,280 She did nothing wrong. 387 00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:15,040 Didn't sleep with another man. 388 00:27:15,040 --> 00:27:16,520 But Joseph didn't know that. 389 00:27:16,520 --> 00:27:18,240 He was not part of that story yet. 390 00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:23,360 So for him in his situation, he thought she had betrayed him. 391 00:27:23,360 --> 00:27:27,800 But he didn't want her to be shamed in public. 392 00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:32,720 What he did, he decided to break up the engagement. 393 00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:34,600 That's a big deal in those days. 394 00:27:34,600 --> 00:27:42,280 An engagement was a formal agreement and breaking up an engagement literally meant divorce. 395 00:27:42,280 --> 00:27:48,000 But instead of blaming his wife, Joseph extended grace. 396 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:51,320 He was the one deciding to break up the engagement. 397 00:27:51,320 --> 00:27:55,360 This would have meant that people would come to him and say, Joseph would have you done. 398 00:27:55,360 --> 00:27:56,360 What have you done? 399 00:27:56,360 --> 00:28:00,200 Why did you divorce your fiance and Joseph would say, guys? 400 00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:01,600 It's on me. 401 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:04,600 I have made that decision. 402 00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:10,040 Joseph extended grace. 403 00:28:10,040 --> 00:28:17,920 And after that, only after that did an angel appear to Joseph in a dream telling him exactly 404 00:28:17,920 --> 00:28:24,320 what he had told Mary that he would become the step that of the savior of the world. 405 00:28:24,320 --> 00:28:25,760 Exciting news. 406 00:28:25,760 --> 00:28:26,760 Great news. 407 00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:34,280 He came after Joseph had extended grace to his fiance. 408 00:28:34,280 --> 00:28:41,880 If you have been heard by people and you have, I know, you may have made it a commitment 409 00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:47,000 to yourself not to forgive your offender. 410 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:49,280 And this is the reason why you are bitter. 411 00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:53,520 This is the reason why you lack joy. 412 00:28:53,520 --> 00:28:58,520 And that is where you are. 413 00:28:58,520 --> 00:29:02,600 You give the person who has heard you permission again and again to hurt you without them 414 00:29:02,600 --> 00:29:07,720 even knowing that all the while you're thinking, I will not forgive the one who has 415 00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:12,480 wronged me because I'm paying him or her back. 416 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:14,880 You're not paying him or her back. 417 00:29:14,880 --> 00:29:19,800 You're actually keeping up a lot of pain in yourself. 418 00:29:19,800 --> 00:29:24,800 Your joy is leaking. 419 00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:26,800 Don't let bitterness overtake your life. 420 00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:27,800 Love once. 421 00:29:27,800 --> 00:29:35,000 Augustine once said resentment is like drinking a cup of poison waiting for the other person 422 00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:36,000 to die. 423 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:39,320 You know what that other person will not die. 424 00:29:39,320 --> 00:29:42,760 You are the one dying on the inside. 425 00:29:42,760 --> 00:29:45,960 Don't let bitterness overtake your life. 426 00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:48,000 Extend grace to those who have heard you. 427 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:55,120 I notice can be hard and for some of you it is even unthinkable that remember forgiveness 428 00:29:55,120 --> 00:29:58,520 is not for the sake of your offender in the first place. 429 00:29:58,520 --> 00:30:02,800 It's for your sake. 430 00:30:02,800 --> 00:30:09,040 For giving your offender as impossible as it may seem will make sure that you will be freed 431 00:30:09,040 --> 00:30:10,640 from bitterness. 432 00:30:10,640 --> 00:30:20,640 The abundant joy of Jesus can flow, can overflow in you, extend grace to those who have 433 00:30:20,640 --> 00:30:22,960 heard you. 434 00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:27,880 Here's the third robber of joy I want to share with you today. 435 00:30:27,880 --> 00:30:29,760 Losing hope in the waiting. 436 00:30:29,760 --> 00:30:35,280 I think I speak for most of us when I say that we don't like waiting, right? 437 00:30:35,280 --> 00:30:37,280 Right? 438 00:30:37,280 --> 00:30:42,240 When that waiting involves bigger things, more important things in life, you may have been 439 00:30:42,240 --> 00:30:45,960 waiting for the love of your life to arrive. 440 00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:48,240 You may have been waiting for that career move. 441 00:30:48,240 --> 00:30:51,520 You may have been waiting for God to give you a baby. 442 00:30:51,520 --> 00:30:57,880 You may have been waiting for a country to resettle to because you have been here as a refugee 443 00:30:57,880 --> 00:30:59,760 for many, many years. 444 00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:03,560 Maybe you're just waiting for life to do you a good deck of cards. 445 00:31:03,560 --> 00:31:12,120 And you've probably noticed that it's so easy to lose hope in the waiting, right? 446 00:31:12,120 --> 00:31:16,280 There's a character in the Christmas story that can relate. 447 00:31:16,280 --> 00:31:22,160 His name was Simian, and this is what we read about him in Luke 2. 448 00:31:22,160 --> 00:31:25,560 At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simian. 449 00:31:25,560 --> 00:31:31,200 He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue 450 00:31:31,200 --> 00:31:32,520 Israel. 451 00:31:32,520 --> 00:31:38,680 The Holy Spirit was upon him and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had 452 00:31:38,680 --> 00:31:41,440 seen the Lord's Messiah. 453 00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:43,880 Simian was most likely an older gentleman. 454 00:31:43,880 --> 00:31:45,880 He was a Jew. 455 00:31:45,880 --> 00:31:51,320 And as the Jews were expecting the Messiah, it was told over and over in the Old Testament 456 00:31:51,320 --> 00:31:52,440 to them. 457 00:31:52,440 --> 00:31:56,040 He was waiting for that Messiah to come. 458 00:31:56,040 --> 00:32:01,080 And although many of his fellow Jews, many of his fellow countrymen had given up on the 459 00:32:01,080 --> 00:32:04,880 hope for this Messiah not so with Simian. 460 00:32:04,880 --> 00:32:06,320 His logic was very simple. 461 00:32:06,320 --> 00:32:13,040 God had told me that I will see the Messiah before I die, so I will see the Messiah before 462 00:32:13,040 --> 00:32:15,040 I die. 463 00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:20,560 Simian knew that when God says he will do something, he will always do something, consider 464 00:32:20,560 --> 00:32:23,720 it's done. 465 00:32:23,720 --> 00:32:27,200 And the waiting was not in vain. 466 00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:29,880 It was eight days after the birth of Jesus. 467 00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:33,680 And his parents brought him to the temple in Jerusalem to be circumcised, which was 468 00:32:33,680 --> 00:32:36,920 a ritual when this happened. 469 00:32:36,920 --> 00:32:41,440 That day the Spirit let him, Simian, to the temple. 470 00:32:41,440 --> 00:32:47,600 So when Mary and Joseph came up to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, 471 00:32:47,600 --> 00:32:50,280 Simian was there. 472 00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:55,200 He took the child in his arms and he praised God saying, sovereign Lord, now let your 473 00:32:55,200 --> 00:33:01,560 servant, servant, die in peace as you have promised, I have seen your salvation which 474 00:33:01,560 --> 00:33:06,360 you have prepared for all people. 475 00:33:06,360 --> 00:33:14,120 Simian had not lost his hope in the waiting and it paid off. 476 00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:20,400 It paid off the Holy Spirit let him to the temple on that day and he saw his Messiah. 477 00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:27,560 When holding him in his arms, he praised God saying, Lord, I am ready to die now. 478 00:33:27,560 --> 00:33:28,800 My life is fulfilled. 479 00:33:28,800 --> 00:33:29,960 You have kept your promise. 480 00:33:29,960 --> 00:33:32,880 I have seen the Messiah with my own eyes. 481 00:33:32,880 --> 00:33:34,120 Let me go. 482 00:33:34,120 --> 00:33:35,800 I am ready, Lord. 483 00:33:35,800 --> 00:33:38,960 Take me. 484 00:33:38,960 --> 00:33:43,800 Friends, I don't know what it is that you are waiting for and how long you have been waiting 485 00:33:43,800 --> 00:33:44,800 for it. 486 00:33:44,800 --> 00:33:48,040 It may have been so long that you have lost your hope. 487 00:33:48,040 --> 00:33:54,320 But if Simian would be here today, he would tell you that you can rely on God's faithfulness 488 00:33:54,320 --> 00:33:56,400 and his promises. 489 00:33:56,400 --> 00:34:05,560 He would tell you that when God says that he will do stuff, he will always do that stuff 490 00:34:05,560 --> 00:34:07,720 that he promised always. 491 00:34:07,720 --> 00:34:11,560 This is a solid foundation for not losing your hope in the waiting. 492 00:34:11,560 --> 00:34:12,560 You know what the Bible says? 493 00:34:12,560 --> 00:34:20,800 The Bible says that all of God's promises have been fulfilled in Jesus with a resounding? 494 00:34:20,800 --> 00:34:22,920 Yes. 495 00:34:22,920 --> 00:34:26,440 All of God's promises have been fulfilled in Jesus with a resounding. 496 00:34:26,440 --> 00:34:28,120 Yes, you know what this means? 497 00:34:28,120 --> 00:34:36,200 It means that when you have Jesus, you qualify for all of God's promises to be fulfilled 498 00:34:36,200 --> 00:34:37,200 in you. 499 00:34:37,200 --> 00:34:38,960 Did you hear that? 500 00:34:38,960 --> 00:34:45,320 When you have Jesus, you qualify for having all of God's promises, having fulfilled 501 00:34:45,320 --> 00:34:46,320 in your life. 502 00:34:46,320 --> 00:34:48,920 You won't have to question, is God even for me? 503 00:34:48,920 --> 00:34:52,560 Well, he looked after me, well, he loved me, well, he cared for me, well, he protected 504 00:34:52,560 --> 00:34:56,960 me, well, he'd be working for my good, well, he'd be leading me into my career. 505 00:34:56,960 --> 00:34:58,840 The answer is a resounding. 506 00:34:58,840 --> 00:35:08,920 Yes, because you have Jesus and in him, all of God's promises have been fulfilled. 507 00:35:08,920 --> 00:35:12,280 He looked different than what you had in mind yourself. 508 00:35:12,280 --> 00:35:14,080 God tends to do that. 509 00:35:14,080 --> 00:35:19,760 But when it looks different than you are planning for yourself, for some reason, it's always 510 00:35:19,760 --> 00:35:21,160 better. 511 00:35:21,160 --> 00:35:23,800 It's always better. 512 00:35:23,800 --> 00:35:29,560 When God overtakes and leads and fulfills His promises. 513 00:35:29,560 --> 00:35:33,640 One more, Joy-Rubber, Lek of Direction. 514 00:35:33,640 --> 00:35:38,320 Have you had these times when you were on your way to a place where you had not been 515 00:35:38,320 --> 00:35:39,320 before? 516 00:35:39,320 --> 00:35:44,000 Which you think you'll get there because you have the address and you have Google Maps on 517 00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:46,440 and people told you where it is. 518 00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:49,920 But on the way, Google gets it wrong. 519 00:35:49,920 --> 00:35:51,800 The address is not right. 520 00:35:51,800 --> 00:35:56,800 There's some roadworks ahead and you don't want to listen to your wife's instructions. 521 00:35:56,800 --> 00:35:59,000 Have you had those moments? 522 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:00,880 It's frustrating, right? 523 00:36:00,880 --> 00:36:06,320 Frustrating that you don't end up at that place where you desire to be. 524 00:36:06,320 --> 00:36:10,960 Well, when that Lek of Direction involves the bigger things in life, the purpose. 525 00:36:10,960 --> 00:36:12,840 What am I here for? 526 00:36:12,840 --> 00:36:16,560 Meaning, it's going to be frustrating. 527 00:36:16,560 --> 00:36:20,640 It's going to be confusing and there goes your joy. 528 00:36:20,640 --> 00:36:24,360 And the Christmas story we introduced to a couple of men from the East. 529 00:36:24,360 --> 00:36:27,080 They cannot just bust the myth that there were three. 530 00:36:27,080 --> 00:36:29,840 We don't know how many wise men there were. 531 00:36:29,840 --> 00:36:31,320 Three is a made up number. 532 00:36:31,320 --> 00:36:33,560 Actually, the picture shows three. 533 00:36:33,560 --> 00:36:36,000 That's the picture I found, okay? 534 00:36:36,000 --> 00:36:38,080 But we don't know how many of the words. 535 00:36:38,080 --> 00:36:39,440 They were from the East. 536 00:36:39,440 --> 00:36:45,680 Likely, they were from Babylon, which today is known as Iraq. 537 00:36:45,680 --> 00:36:47,880 And they had seen a star someday. 538 00:36:47,880 --> 00:36:50,000 And this star was different. 539 00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:51,000 It was brighter. 540 00:36:51,000 --> 00:36:52,400 It was bigger. 541 00:36:52,400 --> 00:36:57,360 And experts in reading the movement of the stars as they likely were. 542 00:36:57,360 --> 00:36:59,600 They knew something is up here. 543 00:36:59,600 --> 00:37:01,560 That star indicates that something is up. 544 00:37:01,560 --> 00:37:09,360 So they read through some ancient readings and they knew a new king is born. 545 00:37:09,360 --> 00:37:16,680 And it launched them into a journey like the of months to look for that king. 546 00:37:16,680 --> 00:37:17,680 This is how it works. 547 00:37:17,680 --> 00:37:19,840 Matthew 2 tells us how that went. 548 00:37:19,840 --> 00:37:25,400 Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea during the reign of King Herod. 549 00:37:25,400 --> 00:37:30,760 About that time, some wise men from Eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem asking, where is the 550 00:37:30,760 --> 00:37:32,640 newborn king of the Jews? 551 00:37:32,640 --> 00:37:37,600 We saw his star as it rose and we have come to worship him. 552 00:37:37,600 --> 00:37:39,600 Of course they went to Jerusalem. 553 00:37:39,600 --> 00:37:42,200 I mean, that's where kings lived. 554 00:37:42,200 --> 00:37:44,640 That's where King Herod reign at that point of time. 555 00:37:44,640 --> 00:37:50,880 So if there was a newborn king, Jerusalem was definitely the place to go. 556 00:37:50,880 --> 00:37:55,080 But it turned out not to be the place where Jesus was. 557 00:37:55,080 --> 00:37:56,600 I'm not sure what they were thinking. 558 00:37:56,600 --> 00:38:02,680 Maybe they misread the star, but they ended up at a place where Jesus was not. 559 00:38:02,680 --> 00:38:08,600 So they had to ask the way and they began to ask around, where is this new king, newborn 560 00:38:08,600 --> 00:38:11,480 king of the Jews? 561 00:38:11,480 --> 00:38:16,280 People gave them answers and after a detour because they had to be interviewed by King Herod 562 00:38:16,280 --> 00:38:21,840 who got a little bit anxious about this new king, they got the answers they were looking 563 00:38:21,840 --> 00:38:25,720 for and with renewed focus. 564 00:38:25,720 --> 00:38:32,280 It could go continue their way to Jesus after this interview with Herod, the wise men 565 00:38:32,280 --> 00:38:38,640 went their way and the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. 566 00:38:38,640 --> 00:38:43,120 It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 567 00:38:43,120 --> 00:38:47,000 When they saw the star, they were filled with what? 568 00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:48,000 The joy. 569 00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:54,040 They entered the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary and they bowed down 570 00:38:54,040 --> 00:38:57,480 and worship him. 571 00:38:57,480 --> 00:39:05,320 What it took for these men to leave their comfortable homes in Bethlehem was an intriguing 572 00:39:05,320 --> 00:39:10,320 star that indicated something is up. 573 00:39:10,320 --> 00:39:16,520 That got them out of their seats and got them on a long, long journey. 574 00:39:16,520 --> 00:39:22,680 But what ultimately led them to find Jesus, the destination they were looking for, was 575 00:39:22,680 --> 00:39:30,240 them asking the way, asking for direction as they were looking for Jesus. 576 00:39:30,240 --> 00:39:37,560 If you are looking for answers about your life, about your purpose, about your direction, 577 00:39:37,560 --> 00:39:42,680 even without you knowing maybe Jesus is the one you're looking for. 578 00:39:42,680 --> 00:39:48,360 Jesus says about himself later, I'm the way, I'm the truth and I'm the life. 579 00:39:48,360 --> 00:39:54,920 So when you have Jesus, you have answers, you have clarity, you have direction for your 580 00:39:54,920 --> 00:39:57,400 life. 581 00:39:57,400 --> 00:40:02,720 For these wise men it was the star that was intriguing and that got them going engaging 582 00:40:02,720 --> 00:40:06,200 this journey on their way to the newborn king. 583 00:40:06,200 --> 00:40:11,240 Maybe your intriguing way of being introduced to Jesus was a conversation that you had 584 00:40:11,240 --> 00:40:12,880 with a friend. 585 00:40:12,880 --> 00:40:19,000 Maybe God gave you a dream, he does that, a compelling dream of Jesus, you wonder what 586 00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:20,000 is this? 587 00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:22,400 I need to go after it. 588 00:40:22,400 --> 00:40:27,480 Or maybe it was a memory from the past when you still used to go to church with your 589 00:40:27,480 --> 00:40:29,200 parents or your family. 590 00:40:29,200 --> 00:40:35,600 Whatever intrigued you to engage the journey, continue the journey will you. 591 00:40:35,600 --> 00:40:39,360 It is a good, good journey. 592 00:40:39,360 --> 00:40:42,640 But would you please be smart like these wise men? 593 00:40:42,640 --> 00:40:49,520 Whenever you get stuck, whenever you don't know, whenever you walk or run against the wall, 594 00:40:49,520 --> 00:40:55,880 would you just ask, would you just pose your questions, would you just engage the conversation 595 00:40:55,880 --> 00:41:01,120 with fellow travelers, fellow sergerners or people who have already found Jesus any 596 00:41:01,120 --> 00:41:07,680 question can be asked, engage the journey but also don't forget to ask the way, don't 597 00:41:07,680 --> 00:41:14,240 be foolish, don't be stubborn, ask for direction and you need to know that Jesus is 598 00:41:14,240 --> 00:41:18,200 waiting to be found by you, did you know that? 599 00:41:18,200 --> 00:41:26,920 He is waiting to be found by you, so, whomever will be seeking Jesus will find Jesus. 600 00:41:26,920 --> 00:41:28,960 That's a promise. 601 00:41:28,960 --> 00:41:30,960 That's a guarantee. 602 00:41:30,960 --> 00:41:38,080 So, as we have seen, a lot of joy in this Christmas story, right? 603 00:41:38,080 --> 00:41:45,960 Truly good news about great joy for all people. 604 00:41:45,960 --> 00:41:50,560 And now we know the Antidos as well, from four characters in the Christmas story, how to 605 00:41:50,560 --> 00:41:56,440 counter those annoying joy robbers that we all face in our lives. 606 00:41:56,440 --> 00:42:02,800 So, I will be wrapping up, I want to go back to my wife's toiletry bag and I want to 607 00:42:02,800 --> 00:42:06,120 assess the message that is written on it. 608 00:42:06,120 --> 00:42:12,000 We will quickly, okay, let's start in a reverse way, is joy to be found? 609 00:42:12,000 --> 00:42:20,680 I hope you know, oh yeah, abundantly so, available to everyone in Jesus. 610 00:42:20,680 --> 00:42:27,680 Is joy a choice? 611 00:42:27,680 --> 00:42:29,680 Oh yeah, joy is a choice. 612 00:42:29,680 --> 00:42:32,760 Joy is available for anyone who decides to accept Jesus as their Savior, Savior for their sin, 613 00:42:32,760 --> 00:42:37,240 and to follow Him, to let Him lead you in your life. 614 00:42:37,240 --> 00:42:40,240 The bag got at right and those two fronts. 615 00:42:40,240 --> 00:42:45,320 The bag got at totally wrong on this moment thing. 616 00:42:45,320 --> 00:42:52,720 In Jesus, we get to choose a lifetime of joy. 617 00:42:52,720 --> 00:43:00,200 Are you tired of pursuing the kind of happiness that comes and goes, that is fleeting? 618 00:43:00,200 --> 00:43:05,560 Are you done with putting all the effort and the work in to become a happy person? 619 00:43:05,560 --> 00:43:12,880 And then you need to put more work in to maintain that happiness and to remain a happy person? 620 00:43:12,880 --> 00:43:18,360 Because that's you choose a lifetime of joy. 621 00:43:18,360 --> 00:43:22,480 How choose Jesus? 622 00:43:22,480 --> 00:43:27,040 If you're new to the story of Jesus, you came here because a friend took you a colleague 623 00:43:27,040 --> 00:43:34,160 or a relative and you wonder, this is a good story, but I have no idea about Jesus. 624 00:43:34,160 --> 00:43:36,160 Well he knows you inside out. 625 00:43:36,160 --> 00:43:39,240 You know, your story, he is writing it, he is continuing. 626 00:43:39,240 --> 00:43:46,120 He invites you, he wants to be your Savior, the Savior for your sin, and he wants to be the 627 00:43:46,120 --> 00:43:53,720 Lord to lead you to accompany you, to bless you, to change you. 628 00:43:53,720 --> 00:44:00,520 And if you find today God speaking to you, today is an opportunity for you to say Jesus, 629 00:44:00,520 --> 00:44:07,000 I'm going to answer with yes, I'm going to choose you, I desire a lifetime with you, 630 00:44:07,000 --> 00:44:09,160 and therefore a lifetime of joy. 631 00:44:09,160 --> 00:44:13,480 At the end of the service that will be people here, I will be here as well, come. 632 00:44:13,480 --> 00:44:18,160 If God has been speaking to you, if you've been a follower of Jesus, a believer for a 633 00:44:18,160 --> 00:44:24,920 longer time, and joy is lacking. 634 00:44:24,920 --> 00:44:30,840 Maybe you've never experienced the joy of Jesus. 635 00:44:30,840 --> 00:44:33,200 Something is up. 636 00:44:33,200 --> 00:44:38,920 Maybe one of those joy robbers that is stealing your joy, apply the antidotes. 637 00:44:38,920 --> 00:44:42,920 Well you, and if you don't know exactly how ask for help. 638 00:44:42,920 --> 00:44:48,160 You know, your life group, your brother or sister in Christ, come to one of the pastors we love 639 00:44:48,160 --> 00:44:49,560 to help you with that. 640 00:44:49,560 --> 00:44:52,360 But please don't do this. 641 00:44:52,360 --> 00:44:55,720 Don't go looking frantically for happiness in your life. 642 00:44:55,720 --> 00:44:58,400 Yes, also believers, we do that. 643 00:44:58,400 --> 00:44:59,960 Don't go for the next Netflix show. 644 00:44:59,960 --> 00:45:03,240 Don't go for the next relationship. 645 00:45:03,240 --> 00:45:04,240 Don't go for the next addiction. 646 00:45:04,240 --> 00:45:08,000 What you just simply ask God for more joy. 647 00:45:08,000 --> 00:45:09,000 Why do I say this? 648 00:45:09,000 --> 00:45:15,040 You have the Holy Spirit in you, and one of his roles and functions is to produce joy. 649 00:45:15,040 --> 00:45:19,960 So whenever you let joy ask for more joy. 650 00:45:19,960 --> 00:45:24,760 King David, when he was in a dark season of his life, after he had committed, well, immorality, 651 00:45:24,760 --> 00:45:25,760 sexual immorality. 652 00:45:25,760 --> 00:45:26,760 You know what he asked God? 653 00:45:26,760 --> 00:45:31,560 He cried out, said, Lord, restore the joy of your salvation. 654 00:45:31,560 --> 00:45:34,320 If this is you, cry out to God. 655 00:45:34,320 --> 00:45:37,280 He once should overflow you with joy. 656 00:45:37,280 --> 00:45:42,880 Lord, restore the joy of your salvation. 657 00:45:42,880 --> 00:45:48,200 Would you close your eyes with me and let's bow our heads and be quiet for a couple of 658 00:45:48,200 --> 00:45:51,200 moments. 659 00:45:51,200 --> 00:45:54,840 Jesus? 660 00:45:54,840 --> 00:46:04,320 There are people here in this room who are hurting today and have chosen to hold on to bitterness 661 00:46:04,320 --> 00:46:09,360 and resentment. 662 00:46:09,360 --> 00:46:16,240 You want them free from that pain. 663 00:46:16,240 --> 00:46:24,520 So Holy Spirit, empower your deeply loved child. 664 00:46:24,520 --> 00:46:39,400 So let go to forgive so that freedom will be restored and joy will overflow. 665 00:46:39,400 --> 00:46:49,480 Jesus, there are people in this room who have heard about you are intrigued about you, 666 00:46:49,480 --> 00:46:57,080 but is not personal yet between you and them all, Jesus. 667 00:46:57,080 --> 00:47:05,000 Would you encounter my friends and this room and the other rooms open their eyes through 668 00:47:05,000 --> 00:47:14,880 you are Lord so that they may come to a place of abundant joy by seeing yes to your 669 00:47:14,880 --> 00:47:19,720 salvation. 670 00:47:19,720 --> 00:47:26,880 And Lord, there are people in this room and here today who you so deeply love, but they 671 00:47:26,880 --> 00:47:29,440 lack your joy. 672 00:47:29,440 --> 00:47:32,320 Something is in the way. 673 00:47:32,320 --> 00:47:40,760 Holy Spirit, which you ministered to, my brother, my sister. 674 00:47:40,760 --> 00:47:46,880 Would you pour out your joy and more joy and more joy? 675 00:47:46,880 --> 00:47:50,840 And if there is work to be done by my brother or my sister or Holy Spirit, make them 676 00:47:50,840 --> 00:47:55,040 aware of that and empower them to do it. 677 00:47:55,040 --> 00:48:00,040 You came to give us overflowing joy, Jesus. 678 00:48:00,040 --> 00:48:06,640 Thank you and counter your people in your name we pray. 679 00:48:06,640 --> 00:48:13,640 Amen. 680 00:48:13,640 --> 00:48:18,080 Thank you for tuning in to the ECB-Sermon podcast. 681 00:48:18,080 --> 00:48:24,400 Whether near or far, if you are looking for community or in need of prayer, we welcome 682 00:48:24,400 --> 00:48:31,080 you to engage by sending us an email to office at ECB.asia. 683 00:48:31,080 --> 00:48:37,680 If God is calling you to support our ministries, you will find giving options on our website. 684 00:48:37,680 --> 00:48:40,240 And remember to join us next week. 685 00:48:40,240 --> 00:49:04,120 God bless you.