The Gift of Joy and Peace

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Good morning everyone take it we're on yep we're on excellent how good was last Sunday night tremendous time I too ought to say appreciate all the hard work that everyone put in and the guys outside doing the cooking and the the trailer and the people on them the train running around the paddock was a great time in inside the great fellowship and then to crowd all the people in here as many as we could possibly fit was just a great and who enjoyed the puppets yes did anyone here catch any camel poo? I thought that was a rather interesting way to do things but I really appreciated it and yeah my first one it's really good to be a part of and it's good fun folks we have different things happening in the life of the church we have baptisms we have other things that are happening we do communion but also we have opportunity every now and then to support one another in community which is our part of our in reach our community together and a couple of weeks ago a couple decided to get married I was very fortunate be part of that and so I ask Nathan and Brooke would you like to come up here ladies and gentlemen mr. mrs. Barron's we've been trying to do this for several weeks now because I said to them when you get to church on your first Sunday please come and see me they sneak in at the announcements being a newlywed couple obviously other things to do like the dishes before church and making the bed congratulations we want to pray for you guys so you guys know who they are now because if you're new to the church this is Nathan and this is Brooke so you don't get a mixed up and we're just gonna pray for you is that okay you don't say anything this speech was awesome by the way no no notes winged at all please don't wing marriage okay okay right now let's pray Lord we just give you thanks for Nathan and Brooke we thank you they want to honor you in the covenant of marriage father that you know your word teaches us that marriage is for the good of the society and father we thank you for the example they are we thank you to Lord that as they bind together with you at the core Lord that they will walk Lord in your favor in your grace and Lord we pray for continued blessing for them help them in the decisions they make Lord his husband and wife now father we thank you for their involvement in the life of the church all their contributions been awesome we pray father just you might just be the Lord of that situation well as they navigate that together well we do thank you to that both of them individually personally a relationship with you want to honor you and all they say and do and what does the church what we also want to say thank you the opportunity it is to be able to be part of their lives and to walk with them in this journey we'll be asked these things and blessing in your name amen thank you is this stage rage wait rated feels a bit wobbly folks we've been engaging in the Jesus is the gift and we're part of the series now we're going in through it to the nativity and what's happening at on Christmas Eve I'm just going towards that and last week we Dave bought a message to us and was really great just to launch it all and to get us all thinking about what it means to be receiving the gift of Jesus and today we're going to talk about joy the gift of joy and the gift of peace the question I have is do you experience joy and peace in your life because at some times we have this thing in our mental understanding the joy and peace are connected to how we are as a human and if we're not feeling well we don't have joy and peace I want to encourage you the Bible teaches us a different perspective and encouraging perspective which glides over all that let's pray Heavenly Father we thank you Lord for this time we can come together Lord to worship you in your word but we thank you that your word is always constant it teaches us and gives us revelation Lord every time we open it Father also challenges us and rebukes us when we're not quite doing there are things you would have us to do Lord that are in our best interest but Father we thank you that through that all the lessons we learn Lord is your grace Father we thank you that we can Lord now spend some time leading into the festive season into Christmas fathers thinking about your son Jesus and the gift he was to us Father pray Lord just open our hearts and minds to fresh revelation we'll thank you for your spirit to teach this and helps us to understand and Lord as always I pray these things are your words not mine your name Amen okay well I've got a question for you and the first question is what would it be like if Jesus was never born what would the world be like if I thought about that I was pondering on this during the week we talk about Christmas and just a given that Jesus is here as part of God's plan but would it be like if he was never born if Jesus wasn't born would we be living under Old Testament law still would be laboring away trying to earn our favor with God would be be still trying or will we just give up with the world just give up and say no more that's it this God thing we've been worshiping in chasing him for too long now for thousands and thousand years and nothing's happened with the 10 commandments merely become 10 suggestions would there be lawlessness with our society really feel things are really bad and would there be a sense of hopelessness with the world in Jewish and that we sitting in church today will think no that's not right because we know that Jesus was born he's risen again we know that he lived his life as a man so that we can identify with that but now we take the next step and so what are some of the things the prescriptors what are some of the key things about relationship with him and that is why we understand that God sent his gift to us in Corinthians it says thanks to be God for his indescribable gift you know took thought about it's describing the gift to people what it's like to say well you know the world is a bit of a mess but we've got this gift in Jesus Christ I'd love to share that gift with you because it means so much to me a lot of times you know it's really great having folk come here on Sunday night and hundreds and hundreds of them and the opportunity just to share that truth with them but we also have opportunity to share that truth in our work life in our school life and our daily life as well and so when we understand what this means joy and peace then we can understand that this is the grace that he's given us and that's what the gift is and Romans 515 says but the gift is not the trespasses if the men if one if the men many died for the trespasser one man being Adam how much more did God's grace and gift that came by the grace of one man Jesus Christ overflowed to the many now let's have a read of God's word thank you Michael for reading the passage that we're preaching on today I'm just going to read from verse 8 through to the end of 14 and there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby keeping watch over their flocks at night and the angels of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were terrified that an angel said to them do not be afraid I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all people today in the town of David a savior has been born to you he is the Messiah the Lord this will be assigned to you that you will find him wrapped in cloths and laying in a manger suddenly a great company of heavenly hosts appeared with the angel praising God and saying glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth pleased to those from whom his favor rests I shall go to 15 when the angels left them and had gone into heaven the shepherd said let's to one another let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has told us about there are four quotes from Scripture that I want to share with you today just a ponder upon out of this passage first of all if we understand what shepherds are then we have a bit of understanding of how Jesus and God operates now if you thought about it before I was a shepherd for a while I find sheep very frustrating always will do I've regaled people of my sheep stories over the years but the shepherds in society in first century were hard-wired realists anthropologists biblical anthropologists have gone through and studied times of the first century and this is what they've come up with that they heard because they're hard-wired they were realists they were very pragmatic and what they actually did was that they were because of their lifestyle they're actually unclean they didn't have a chance to go to the temple to make themselves right before God he took them just as they were when they came into Jesus presence they should have gone to the temple first because you weren't supposed to be around a baby if you're unclean that was what first century people understood but they were convinced of God's power and entry into the world and they summoned the highest praise from their lips you know the shepherds were the first to witness the birth of Jesus apart from mum and dad were the first that's pretty special what it says I suppose in our hearts is that how did Jesus come into my life did he meet me as I was unclean person is it part of that understanding that I can identify with the shepherds because I know what it's like to live a life doubting that there's anything except the world that I'm in but when the angels spoke they said these words I bring you good news that will cause great joy over all the earth glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace to those who his favorite rests the key words they're good news Jesus is born again how many amen you really feel it you know that you sense that perhaps you're not with that today perhaps you trying to still work it out the other path other words in there is joy for all well if it's joy for all what does that mean how does that fit with us glory to God in the highest heaven and earth peace to those who miss favor rest when I was a young man growing up I always thought it was just God loved everybody we didn't have to do anything he accepts us the way we are which is true but we have to acknowledge who he is in our life we can't just bring him off the shelf when we need him and so when the angels said these words these stoic these hard and harder these unclean guys who'd never even heard of this before because they probably didn't go to synagogues or someone clean they weren't allowed into worship it's a bit like going into here you probably have to go through some sort of rigmarole to come in there not at all anyone can come into church but when we do when they and we understand how God spoke to them it brings hope for the fallen world because they're unclean they understood that this joy this thing we need to check this out and so they're obedient they actually responded to God and said okay this is pretty cool let's go and actually check this out and see how far we get when I was you know with the guys out in Gatton in the football club and we had an annual football club service one of the things that astounded me a lot with those guys is because you know you go to church all the time you think well you know what's a big deal but I was inviting guys to come to our special service they said but won't the roof fall in on us they said really and then how can we even go there we're not right with God you don't have to be right just come along and find out what it's about and that the church in Gatton had a low roof had a low ceiling because there was an old indoor cricket center converted the ceiling was about probably three meters so you feel like you're walking down into something almost like the presence of God was pushing down upon you I've made that up no it wasn't really I call it the bomb shelter but when they walked in they saw something different folks when we approach life and we understand that we have God who's looking after those who seek him it gives us a difference perspective one of the hard parts I suppose is is how do we articulate that to our brothers and sisters how do we articulate that to our neighbors because we are in this situation now we're being informed by God's word transformed by the spirit we're in community and we're outreach all four of those and Christmas time gives us an understanding of our opportunity to get a head around some key words of Scripture but the shepherd said let's go and so they went and did their thing okay so there's some key words we're going to pull out of this as we go through because we're talking about the gift of joy and peace so have you guys ever heard of the guys ever heard of the good news sorry of the joy the joy scale it's a very deeply thought up social understanding it's actually actually I made it up because the biblical understanding of joy is this joy is the deep happiness born of a personal relationship with God so when the angels said I bring great joy I bring good news of joy I'm bringing you the opportunity to have that personal relationship with God it's a deep happiness born in that relationship next week when I talk about relationship past it one's going to do that so I won't talk too much more than that but also means for all people who believe the good news and believe in Christ as Lord and Savior now sometimes in church we have this situation don't we where we're talking to people we assume they all believe we assume that the people sitting next to us know that yeah they're here to worship God but sometimes people can come to church for a long time and enjoy the company enjoy the fellowship but they don't take that step they don't take that step to engage in God to receive that joy that happiness born of that relationship it's a free gift to Jesus makes all the difference in Romans 5 15 it says these words but the gift is not the trespass for all who died of many the trespasser one man but how much more did God's grace and gift that came by grace for one man Jesus Christ overflowed to many read that verse twice because sometimes you need to hear the Bible twice I didn't put on the screen but that's what it is look it up if you have some time you can download this this message later so then we have the joy scale and the joy scale is something I made up and so I just want you to bear with me it's a duggism so we have this situation where we have a one axis is our life to a time in life and the other axis is our quality time with God okay and we'd love to be in this curve wouldn't we we'd love to be that the longer life goes on the more a quality of time of life with God give a few a dip every now and then we start off slowly but it goes up to a good point we're not made perfect in Christ to a set challenge by one person one day you see we're not made perfect until with Jesus in heaven but he calls us to strive for that to aim for that to engage in that put your hand up you think that trajectory is about what you're on about as you think I am pretty well you're cruising through I'm up there I'm trying to get there a lot of humble people here I'm thinking okay fair enough perhaps you might identify with this one and this one is what most people go through folks God understands where you are with him he understands if you're not even on that on that chart but he also knows that great joy can come the more time you spend with him and encourage you to do that even if you're a seasoned veteran been in church a hundred years so the joy and peace in the Lord is what the angels talked about and the gift of joy is the reality of the kingdom in Romans 14 17 it says for the the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Spirit that's pretty special because it's the matter of the kingdom of heaven it's part of who we are in the kingdom of heaven it's a challenge for anyone if you were here today and you're starting to suss out Jesus and this Christmas thing because you think all this is a season to come welcome but I ask you to keep considering the what means to have a personal relationship of joy in your life and the peace that we have is a spiritual well-being based on forgiveness foremost between God and man accomplished through the gospel so the piece we have is not the piece we know of not war the piece is actually being right with God the piece is actually being in his presence and the piece means that because we have that spiritual well-being that means their spirit is the right space the prophets declare the prophet declared in Isaiah 9 6 for under us the child is born to us the son is given and the government will be on his shoulders he will be called wonderful counselor mighty God everlasting father and prince of peace so how do we find peace how to experience peace because peace we're talking about scriptural PC the spiritual being well being that we have come up with an an acronym I think of the words an acronym it could be wrong but I found this and I thought this is pretty good this is how we find peace with God so we put aside put everything aside Christ enters seeking his authority sorry Christ enters will stop there I'm reading past my notes put everything aside and Christ enters if you've experienced that that's awesome if you get to experience that peace I encourage you to think about those words and ask someone to help you to do that it's here today there's people who are searching always and perhaps you might have a neighbor who's asked you these questions you might want to say this is a handy note I can have because that's what it's about to us about being equipped isn't it to share the gospel with with others and James 4 7 simply says that when we put everything aside Christ enters we're seeking his authority submit yourselves to God then resist the devil and he will flee from you submit yourselves to God resist the devil and he will flee from you when we find peace in Jesus we find that place where he wants us to be in Philippians 4 7 says in the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus so we have the gifts of joy and peace the question I have the challenge I have is do you experience that on a daily basis in if you're walking with Jesus and you're so you're a Christian do you experience the gift of joy and peace do experience that that really connection with him or you just sort of trying to get through the day there's always a challenge isn't there in life God works that way if you put everything aside for him then he will meet you right where you are in Romans it says that Jesus at the very the right time Jesus died for us on the cross you know at the right time he sent his son for us before he went on his journey and his mission to die for our sin Jesus was sent at the right time we celebrate that at Christmas we the dates can vary through history with people say Jesus born here Jesus born there but doesn't stop the presence of God in our hearts it doesn't stop God's of declaration that he was at his timing is perfect you see folks I think from my understanding I believe that the shepherds encountered the Jesus effect when they realized the gift the joy and peace the angels were talking about experience that in the presence of the baby in the manger and went out singing about it went out telling everyone about it was praise on the lips that's the Jesus effect sometimes we do it check on Sundays don't we we have the Jesus effect before we go any further just want to share with you something just to get us a bit of context I suppose and go back when I asked the question before imagine what the world would be like without Jesus if he hadn't been born we didn't have Christmas probably said ourselves a lot of money and probably wouldn't put on quite so much on wait on Christmas day in 1971 as a response to his mind being in all over the place and trying to make sense of the Vietnam war John Lennon penned a song which became very famous the song is imagine it's used in soundtracks it's used in all sorts of places but it has the lyrics in it the court might change in many years ago and I thought wow people just sing this don't think the very first paragraph of this song probably called a verse in music deal thank you this is what he said you want to know what I'm gonna say imagine there is no heaven it's easy if you try no hell below us above us only sky imagine all the people living for today and then it goes further down imagine all the people living in peace living a life in peace you may say I'm only a dreamer but I'm not the only one folks we have we are interacting with the world who is trying to get the head around whether or not this is true whether or not there is a heaven and the hell God's made it quite clear his word there is he's noticed there's both there and we do understand that so who feels no Jesus what will we be facing who knows just a few notes about this and I got from an authority on this song it says it suggested a focus of living for today only rather than after life concerns removing religious conflict and a vision for global peace a song that was almost an anthem of its age a song that spoke to the hearts of many is reflected today in our society praise God that Jesus is indescribable give praise God that he was born thank you for him God's message was for all beginning with them it was continuing with you so God's message is continuing with you with you agree with that or do you think I know it's okay I don't need to tell people about Jesus one of the hard things I suppose for us and I find this with a lot of people and you know I encounter it myself and Tom it's just opening your mouth at the right time but this is a great time of year to bring this up peace with God is only through Jesus joy is only through the intentional interaction with Christ in your life and I encourage you to engage in that and lastly just before a close Philippians 4 9 says whenever you whatever you've learned or received or heard from me or seen in me put it into practice and the God of peace will be with you father we just thank you Lord that when Paul wrote that to the Philippian Church his heart was to be an example his heart was to be dynamic for you Lord to to let them know that he loved them and father that he wanted them to be the message of what they are but we thank you for the message of joy and the gift of joy and the gift of peace but we thank you for the message of the cross but we know sometimes it's hard to differentiate between Christmas and Easter because of the implications but Lord just in this time of the year help us to show others what the joy means for us personally father help us to show others what peace means personally but Lord we might encourage others and father for those who are here today who are struggling with the truth that you have a desire to walk in their lives Lord speak to them with your gentle spirit Lord prompt them to talk to others in the church after church today Lord to a pastor father I pray Lord or to someone who loves Jesus but we thank you for the invitation it's always there we're near here or lost Lord those who are seeking you Lord those who want to encounter joy and peace in their life because they the gift you give us will we give you this praise in your name amen