The Gift of God's Joy

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8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord xappeared to them, and ythe glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all zthe people. 11 For aunto you is born this day in bthe city of David ca Savior, who is dChrist ethe Lord. 12 And fthis will be a sign for you: you will find a baby gwrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel ha multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14  i“Glory to God jin the highest,

jand on earth kpeace lamong those with whom he is pleased!”4

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby mlying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But nMary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, oglorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

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Joy- a positive human condition that can be either feeling or action. BEB

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Joy is an inner state that is experienced and settled by knowing Christ. Our happiness can depend on circumstance, but our joy will depend on our relationship with our Lord.
In the first half of the 18th Century in England, many of the hymns that we still fondly remember and sing today were written. Some of them were popular from their inception and kept with the traditions of their day. Others sought to make adjustments respective to a changing and adjusting people and were met with great criticism. Interestingly enough, of those that continue to survive and be sung today, the most prolific hymn-writer was one of these ’radicals.’ Isaac Watts, the author of such hymns as ’O God, Our Help in Ages Past,’ ’I Sing The Mighty Power of God,’ ’When I Survey The Wondrous Cross,’ ’At The Cross,’ ’We’re Marching to Zion,’ and many others, was met with great controversy by his own contemporaries. In fact some of the church leaders of his day insisted that no ’sound Christian’ should ever sing a hymn written by Isaac Watts!
One of his earliest and most controversial songs, however, grew to become one of today’s most popular and endeared Christmas carols - "Joy To The World," written in 1719. What, you may ask, could be so controversial about "Joy To The World"? In Watt’s day many of the most prominent Christians (especially the Calvinists, of which Watts himself was), taught that ALL songs sung in church MUST be very close, literal word-for-word translations of the Psalms. When Watts wrote "Joy To The World," he based the lyrics on Psalm 98. However, rather than write it as a very close, literal word-for-word translation, he re-wrote it as an expressive paraphrase.
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Im glad he wrote it because it’s a Scripturally accurate song thatn many hear this time of year.
When Jesus was born, He brought joy to this world and He still does for those who trust Him.
I. To experience Jesus is to experience Joy.
The wise men rejoiced exceedingly when they came into the presence of the King in the manger.
they searched, they found, and they rejoiced!
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We often experience joy when we get to visit someone we love that we have missed. We will be joyful when we see them. The great thing about Jesus is by the presence of the Holy Spirit He and His joy are ever present.
300 Quotations and Prayers for Christmas God Has Sent down to Us His Son

Join, all you joyful nations,

The acclaiming host of heaven!

This happy morn

A Child is born,

To us a Son is given:

The messenger and token

Of God’s eternal favor,

God has sent down

To us His Son,

A universal Savior!

CHARLES WESLEY (1707–1788)

Joy is not the cause of us believing in Jesus, but it is the result of us believing in Jesus!
Well, when someone truly encounters Jesus, they realize they have encountered the Lord of Glory and they cannot help but have joy.
If we experience Jesus, we should desire Him above all. We should desire to listen to Him, live for Him, love like Him, and lead others to Him.
“There is more joy in Jesus in 24 hours than there is in the world in 365 days. I have tried them both.”—R. A. Torrey
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II. It’s a Joy to be experienced and a joy to be expressed.
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When Peter says it’s Joy inexpressible, he doesn’t mean we shouldn’t express it. He means we cannot adequately express enough to be able to fully express how wonderful the Joy of Jesus and His salvation is.
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Joy to the World! Good news of great joy that will be to all people
The Joy of Jesus needs to be expressed and proclaimed to all people.
Joy experienced and obtained is a noun and possession, but joy expressed and shared becomes an action. Rejoicing is the verb form sometimes used in Scripture to express the joy we possess!
Expression of Joy in Jesus is also worship. Rejoicing in the Lord!
Sometimes that is in happy times, some times that is in troubled times, but rejoicing and expressing the eternal joy we have in Jesus should occur in all times. I Thess. 5:18
Joy in tribulation also. Express joy in tribulation also.

Blessed are you when epeople hate you and when they fexclude you and revile you and gspurn your name as evil, hon account of the Son of Man! 23 iRejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for jso their fathers did to the prophets

The true Joy of Jesus will be experienced in trial, tribulation, and triumph. It will be with you in tears of sorrow and times of celebration.
III. It is joy that is eternal.
It doesn’t come to pass it comes to stay.
Everything of Jesus is eternal. Therefore, everything we have in Him is eternal including our joy. Do not let anything or anyone in this temporary state keep you from experiencing the joy or your eternal salvation.
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