Sermon Tone Analysis

Every year during this time we have those certain Advent Themes that are covered.

We’re doing a series right now on four Advent themes of HOPE, PEACE, JOY, and LOVE.

This week our focus will be on JOY.

What is the difference between Happiness and JOY?

I asked that question to several people this week and they really could not separate the two.

I will agree that happiness is linked to JOY, but that it is something different.

Let me see if I can express what I mean.

Last weekend a friend of mine’s mother had a severe stroke.

It was not expected, he returned from leading worship to find his mom at home unresponsive.

On Thursday night, in his words, “she passed from this life into the next.”

We’ve texted back and forth several times this week and though I hear the sadness in his words, there is also a deep and assuring JOY.

When trying to define the difference between joy and happiness, it was J.D. Salinger, author of Catcher in the Rye, that once wrote: “The fact is always obvious much too late, but the most singular difference between happiness and joy is that happiness is a solid and joy a liquid.”

In an article from Psychology Today, “The transitory things of life are happiness-based.”

and then later, “Joy comes when you make peace with who you are, where you are, why you are...”

Brown, Sandra L., Joy vs. Happiness, Psychology Today, Dec. 18, 2012

In a familiar text this time of year, we read from Luke chapter 2

“Fear not!” Really?

Let’s back up a bit.

v. 8

These simple minded Shepherds are out in their fields, watching the sheep at night, and something extraordinary happens.

So what’s their response?

(SCREAM!)

We tend to skip over that part.

We make this whole thing about as calm and relaxed as a yawning festival.

“They were filled with great fear!”

Think about it, you’re out in the darkness, perhaps there is star or moonlight, perhaps it’s cloudy.

Regardless, suddenly the night lights up with an angel and the glory of the Lord shining all around!

And how does the text continue?

Fear not!

Why?

“Behold, I bring you good news of great joy!”

“Yeah, right.

For who, them rich folk?

The smart people?

The teachers?”

“For all people.”

“Wait, for me too?”

“For all people.”

Let’s skip forward a bit…about 2 years and the journey of the wisemen.

They’d been following this star for as long as two years, and then we read in v.10

And we know the story, they offer their gifts there of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.

Why do we celebrate Christmas?

Think about it.

Why do we celebrate Christmas.

There would be no Christmas celebration were it not for the cross.

We would not be celebrating the birth of Jesus were it not for the death of Jesus.

It is because of Jesus’ death that we celebrate Jesus’ birth.

And His death was not just any death.

No.

We can all complain about the way that Christmas has come to be celebrated with Christmas trees, Santa Claus, all the rushing around trying to buy one another gifts, writing all those cards, and all the things that people say take us away from the meaning of the holiday.

And in a real way many Christians have also missed the meaning of the Holiday.

We celebrate the holiday because LOVE came down from heaven.

We celebrate because Christmas IS John 3:16 lived out.

We’ll be talking more about the topic of LOVE next week.

For now,

God so loved the world...

That he GAVE his only Son,

that whoever believe in him should not perish

but have eternal life.

I think that gives us something to celebrate.

1 Peter 1:3-9 reads:

Can I get an AMEN!

Woo!

I say, “Go Peter, GO! Preach it!”

Did you hear that!

I’m going to read it again!

All of us should have that underlined in our Bibles.

That is God’s promise!

That is God’s love!

That is God’s grace!

That is God’s mercy!

And its by God’s Work, not our own.

God has CAUSED us to be born again! - God did it, we can’t boast about it, God did it!

And what were we born again to?

“a living HOPE”

How?

Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

And look at these next lines.

Imperishable!

Undefiled,

Unfading

Kept in heaven for YOU!

This is what my friend who lost his mother this past week understands.

This is what my friend knows.

His mother’s journey on this earth is complete, but her journey continues!

She has gone on to see the full salvation of her soul!

This truly is a reason to rejoice with exceedingly great joy!

This is why we celebrate Jesus’ birth, because he was born to die for our sins.

Without Good Friday, without the Resurrection there would be no Christmas!

Don’t let your Christmas become just about family.

Don’t let it become just about the giving and receiving of gifts.

Don’t let it simply become Jesus’ birthday.

Christmas is a time for great JOY because despite everything we’ve done not to deserve God’s love, he loves us.

Despite everything we’ve done not to deserve God’s mercy, he is merciful.

Despite everything we’ve done not to deserve God’s grace, he’s given it to us freely.

Years ago, I heard this acronym, and I like it.

JOY =

Jesus

Others

You