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Joy to the World
"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." These were the words spoken to the shepherds by the angel that Christmas night. An angel sent by God Himself with the very specific message of good news of great joy for everyone. But what exactly is this "great joy" and how does it transpire in our life and the world in which we live?
The scripture to the right from the Gospel of Luke provides a good place to begin to recall the story we celebrate that speaks of the joy that has been born into the world. He came as an infant, but He also came to rule, in our hearts, in our relationships and in our world. And at the heart of His Kingdom and His rule is Joy. Joy. Wherever we see joy being made manifest, genuine joy, it is a bit of God's Kingdom breaking through. Amazingly, we get to participate both in the receiving and in the sharing of it all.
Throughout our service today, we spend considerable time in a variety of ways reflecting on the message of those angels, and the message of the One they proclaimed. Music, dramatic expression, conversation, listening to the reflects of Pastor Jon on the word, all contribute together to help us celebration the first advent of our Lord. What an amazing privilege we have to celebrate and to share that message together!
If you would like to listen to the sermon again, or perhaps for the first time, you can access our sermon library by clicking here. You can access our live stream version of the entire service by clicking here.
Luke 2
(NIV)
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
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