He Shall Be Called…. Part 2 – Great, Fearless Joy

*Merry Christmas – Open Bibles to Luke 2:1-21

 

*Read Luke 2:1-21

 

*At Christmas time, we often sing the song “Joy to the World”.  The famous Christmas Carol quotes many amazing attributes and promises of God including, “Joy to the world, the Lord is come!  Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!  He comes to make his blessings flow!  And He rules the world with truth and grace!”

 

*Did you know that this song wasn’t even written as a Christmas Carol?  In 1719 a famous hymn writer named Isaac Watts penned a poem based on Psalm 98 to celebrate the work of Jesus and his role as King of the entire world.

 

*As I was preparing this message over the last couple weeks, the word JOY continued to rattle around in my brain and heart.  And not only joy, but the FEARLESS, GREAT JOY that vs 10 spoke of.  Specifically, I was asking myself a question:  Is my JOY rooted in my CIRCUMSTANCES or in my SAVIOR?  Is my JOY rooted in the GIFTS OF LIFE or in the GIVER OF LIFE?  Is my joy rooted in my FEELINGS or the PROMISES from my Lord?

 

 

  • In Luke 2:10-11, an angel of the Lord makes an astounding statement to the shepherds:
  • (v10)  “And the angel said to them, ‘FEAR NOT, for behold, I bring you good news of GREAT JOY that will be for all the people.”

 

        1. He says, “I have news for you that will lead to GREAT, FEARLESS JOY!

 

  • The News:
  • (v11)  “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
  • My premise:

 

          1. The text says that because of this news (For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord), we CAN/SHOULD have GREAT, FEARLESS JOY!
          2. In other words, GREAT, FEARLESS JOY CAN/SHOULD be our personal experience because Jesus our Savior, Christ and Lord was born that day.

 

  • Application: Parables in Luke 15

 

        1. We can experience GREAT, FEARLESS JOY for 3 reasons:
          1. We have a GREAT, FEARLESS, JOYFUL SAVIOR carrying us.
          2. We have a GREAT, FEARLESS, JOYFUL SAVIOR seeking us.
          3. We have a GREAT, FEARLESS, JOYFUL SAVIOR receiving us.

 

 

  • We have a great, fearless, joyful Savior CARRYING us.
  • (Luke 15:1-7)  “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him.  And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’  So he told them this parable:  ‘What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?  And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.  And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’  Just so I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

 

        1. The Pharisees caught wind that Jesus was spending time eating with tax collectors and sinners, so they thought they could use this against him.
        2. But Jesus uses this opportunity to teach them in parables.
          1. “An earthly story with a heavenly meaning”
        3. Jesus asks them a question:  “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?
          1. Ex:  Our family at the play place last night…
        4. The shepherd’s actions:  “And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.  And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.”

 

  • “He lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.”

 

        2. The moral:  “Just so I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

 

  • The application:  When you have wandered and separated yourself from Christ, you have a great, fearless, Savior who will pick you up, place you on his shoulders and carry you home with great joy.

 

 

 

  • We have a great, fearless, joyful Savior SEEKING us.
  • (Luke 15:8-10)  “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it?  And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’  Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

 

        1. Jesus asks another question to drive the same point:  “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it?

 

  • The extent to which we seek is dependent on the value of the lost item.

 

            1. Ex:  I don’t look too hard for a penny compared to a $100.
        2. The woman’s actions:  After she sweeps the entire house seeking diligently she finds the coin.  “And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’
        3. The Moral:  “Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

 

  • When one sinner repents, there is joy BEFORE the angels of God…

 

            1. In the throne room, the only thing BEFORE the angels is Jesus Christ, seated on the throne, at the right hand of the Father.
            2. HE HAS JOY!!!
        2. The Application:  When you are lost, hiding in the deepest darkest corners of your depravity, you have a great, fearless joyfull Savior entering into the darkness and snatching you out.

 

  • We have a great, fearless, joyful Savior RECEIVING us.

 

      1. (Luke 15:11-24)  “And he said, ‘There was a man who had two sons.  And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them.  Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living.  And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need.  So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into the fields to feed pigs.  And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.  
        1. Son comes to the father and asks for his inheritance early.  He wants to be out from under his Father’s care, rules and guidance.
        2. Father gives the son what he wants and the son leaves and squanders EVERYTHING.
        3. Right after he squanders everything, a SEVERE famine takes place in the land and the son becomes in need.  Everything dried up!
        4. The son goes and gets a job with a local pig farmer and realizes that even the pigs have more than he does.
      2. But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!  I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son.  Treat me as one of your hired servants.’ 
        1. The son realizes that even his father’s servants are better off than he is!
        2. He decides he will go home, repent of what he has done and just hope that he can come home as a servant.
      3.  “And he arose and came to his father.  But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.  And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’  But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.  And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate.  For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’  And they began to celebrate.”  

 

  • The father’s eyes are on the road home.
  • “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion,”

 

            1. If you aren’t home, God is joyfully anticipating your arrival.

 

  • The father’s grace precedes the son’s moral conformity.
  • “And ran and embraced him and kissed him.”

 

            1. If you aren’t clean, God is joyfully receiving your arrival.

 

  • The father’s identity is immediately transferred to the son.
  • “And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son,’  But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring QUICKLY the BEST ROBE, and put it on him, and put a RING on his hand, and SHOES on his feet.”

 

            1. If you aren’t righteous, God is joyfully covering your filth and transferring to you his power.
        2. He doesn’t stand at the mailbox with folded arms scowling in disgust; he runs and tackles his son with JOY!
        3. He doesn’t sneak him into the house and have him wash off his filth; he covers his son with his righteousness and transfers to him his power.
        4. He doesn’t condemn the son and make him earn his way back into the family; he throws a party to celebrate his son coming home.

 

  • We have a great, fearless joyfull Savior receiving us.

 

 

 

  • Closing:
  • This morning, you might see yourself in one of these 3 parables:

 

      1. Maybe you relate to the lost sheep who wandered from the 99 and in your weakness and depravity you need a loving, powerful savior to pick you up and carry you back to the fold.
      2. Or maybe you see yourself as the coin, lost in darkness and despair, backed into a corner entangled in cobwebs of sin.
      3. Maybe you ran like the prodigal son and squandered the life that God has so graciously given to you and it’s time to come home.
      4. Or maybe, you sit here this Christmas in the seat of the Pharisee.  Maybe you have separated yourself from the world and thought of yourself higher than you ought.  Maybe you have created a self-righteousness that puts others in subjection to your judgment.
    2. Regardless of where you are this morning, you have a great, fearless savior.  A savior who was born of a virgin in the manger, who was wrapped in swaddling cloth, who was worshipped by wisemen and angels, who was raised as a young boy for the life of the messiah, who was tempted in every way just as we are, who was betrayed, beaten and bruised for our transgressions, who was nailed to the cross to pay the righteous penalty for our sin, who absorbed the entire wrath of God for those who believe in his name, who died and rose again and defeated death once for all, who ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of the father, who intercedes on our behalf as the greatest high priest, who will one day return and rule and reign physically on earth, who will create a new heaven and new earth apart from sin and death and destruction.  This savior is Jesus. Jesus, who desires to JOYFULLY pick you up, seek you out and welcome you home.  Maybe, this Christmas, EVERYTHING changes.  Maybe, this Christman, Jesus will rule and reign in your heart and home.

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