"Standing with the Flock"

Micah 5:2-5a

Sunday, December 24, 2006

Introduction: Last week I typed the word “Peace” onto the internet search engine, and here is some of what I came up with: 1. United for Peace- United for Peace is an online resource and national campaign that brings together a broad range of organizations throughout the United States to help stop war. 2. Peace Corp- Peace Corps volunteers travel overseas and make real differences in the lives of real people.

3. World Peace is possible- There is a website called Stevensportal.com with the statement- For everyone concerned about humanity and the world we live in. On this website it has categories such as: “Health and Wellness,” “Food and Agriculture,” “Environment,” “The Arts,” “Social Development,” “Cultural Exchange,” and “Education and Learning.” These are just 3 of many, many websites that deal with the issue of peace.

We see that the topic of peace can have many avenues; the absence of war, the desire to get along, and even the need for inner peace. This morning I want to focus on the latter, and talk about how through Christ we can have inner peace, which will helps to bring peace in all other areas of our lives.

I. Situations of Peace-

a. Unrest- There are many things in life that keep us from being at

peace: stress, conflict, fear. Most people deal with all of these on a fairly regular basis.

1. Let’s start with stress. Stress is the "wear and tear" our bodies experience as we adjust to our continually changing environment; it has physical and emotional effects on us and can create positive or negative feelings. As a positive influence, stress can help compel us to action; it can result in a new awareness and an exciting new perspective. But stress is usually a negative force. As a negative influence, it can result in feelings of distrust, rejection, anger, and depression, which in turn can lead to health problems. Stress is caused by several factors; being over busy, feeling like you’re always behind, not completing everything you need to, as well as any kind of arousal of your emotions. We need to understand that stress is caused by external forces. We do not cause stress from within, stress is caused from outside of us.

2. Second, we have conflict. Conflict is a state of opposition, disagreement or incompatibility between two or more people or groups of people. Conflict too can have positive or negative affects in our lives. The positive is that it can move us to the point of dealing with a situation and resolving an issue. However, we usually think of conflict in negative terms. That is because it is 2 parties being in opposition with each other, and it is usually not fun to be in opposition with another. So the unrest comes from either avoidance, not dealing with the issue, which keeps the conflict as an ongoing problem. Or it comes from engaging the one to whom we are in opposition, and seeking to work out the situation. I know for me that when I have to deal with a conflict, I run the conversation through my head before I ever actually talk to the other person. And the conversation I have is usually much different (in a negative way) than the actual conversation goes.

3. Third, there is fear. The dictionary says that fear is: “an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger.” So again we see here that fear, like stress and conflict is emotional, and is caused by an outside source. The danger is not manifested inside of us, but by external forces. Fear is also seen as the opposite of faith. So, when our faith is weak, or struggling, we are more apt to experience fear.

Stress, conflict, and fear, are just 3 of the issues of life that can keep us from experiencing peace. As we allow these situations of life to move us away from the faith that God desires for us to have, we will struggle to find peace in our lives.

b. Feeling peaceful- And yet, there are definitely times in life when we

experience being at peace, or situations that cause us to feel peaceful. For this, I would like your help….What are some experiences in life that cause you to be at peace?/ (Examples: bubble bath; sitting with my kids and watching a movie; reading a good book; sitting at the beach and watching a sunrise or sunset…)

If you think about it, these kinds of experiences cause us to feel at peace because they stir up in us positive emotions. We feel relaxed when we are taking a bubble bath; we feel loved when we are with our kids and enjoying their presence; we feel close to God when we see the sunset; we are in another world, away from our troubles and worries when we are reading, when we are lost, in a good book.

EXAMPLE- Peace That Transcends All Earthly Turmoil

Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied him, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally the great day of revelation arrived. The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped and cheered. Until there were only two pictures still covered. As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd.

A mirror-smooth lake reflecting lacy, green birches under the soft blush

of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed.

Surely, the people thought, this was the winner.

The man with the vision uncovered the last painting himself, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace? Let me describe it to you…

A tumultuous waterfall cascaded down a rocky precipice; and you could almost feel its cold, penetrating spray. Stormy-gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter chill, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking to experience its full power./ AND YET, A little bird had built a nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed from the stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs. She manifested peace that transcends all earthly turmoil. (Berit Kjos, A Wardrobe from the King, pp. 45-46.)

II. How to Have Inner Peace- (Micah 5:4-5; Ps. 18:2; 1 Peter 5:7; Rom. 8:31)

This illustration reminds us that we can have peace in the midst of stormy surroundings; in the midst of stress, conflict, fear, and whatever other outside forces may be raging against us. Let’s see how this is possible.

a. Rock and refuge- At night sometimes when I put Tyler and Tiffany to

bed, they might talk about some of the fears they have. One of the fears they have is that someone might break into our house and rob us. I try to assure them that our house is tightly locked and is safe; plus Tami and I are in the next room. But this doesn’t always calm their fears. And yet, while I am there in their room with them, they feel safe and secure and have no fear. As Psalm 18:2 tells us: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.”

Remember that we said before, faith is the opposite of fear. When our faith is strong and we know God’s presence is with us, and we know that God is One in whom we can take refuge, then we will experience peace. In our Micah passage, we are told that the Messiah will come and stand and shepherd the flock and the people will live securely. In this security, there is peace./ Just like my kids feel secure when my presence is there in the room, so we are secure and live in peace when we believe that God is with us and watching over us like a shepherd watches over his flock!

b. God is for me- In the book and movie series of The Lord of the Rings,

you have a character named Gandalf. Gandalf is a wizard who has great power, and uses it for the good. At the end of Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, there is a great battle between the main characters of good, and the Orcs (who are bad). This battle has gone on all through the night, and still they face thousands of ugly, mean, strong orcs. Their resources are dwindling, and they are tired. But just when it seems like things will end….up on the hill, in a bright shining white robe, Gandalf appears with reinforcements. However, it is not just the fact that there are reinforcements, but that Gandalf himself is leading the reinforcements. You know that good will prevail over bad because of Gandalf and the power he brings.

This is true for us and God. Many times in life it might seem like we are losing the battle. We are facing conflict after conflict, and we are tired and weak. But then we remember Romans 8:31, which says: “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?”/ It doesn’t matter if we face conflicts in life, we can have peace because we have the power of Christ with us!

c. God cares- But most of all I think that we can experience peace,

because God Himself, the creator of all things, including you and me, cares for us.

In 1 Peter 5:7 we are told, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”/ God comes to us and tells us that we do not need to have anxiety, but we can give it away. God tells us to give it to Him. Why? Because He cares for us and knows that the stress that comes from feelings of anxiety are not healthy for us.

There is a wonderful, familiar poem called “Two Boxes.” It goes like this:

I have in my hands two boxes which God gave me to hold

He said, "Put all your sorrows in the black, And all your joys in the gold."

I heeded His words, and in the two boxes. Both my joys and sorrows I stored.

But though the gold became heavier each day, The black was as light as before.

With curiosity, I opened the black I wanted to find out why. And I saw, in the base of the box, a hole by which my sorrows had fallen out. I showed the hole to God, and mused aloud, "I wonder where my sorrows could be."

He smiled a gentle smile at me. "My child, they're all here with me."

I asked, "God, why give me the boxes, Why the gold, and the black with the hole?"

"My child, the gold is for you to count your blessings, The black is for you to let go."

III. The peace of God- (Philippians 4:6-7)

God wants us to let go. And one of the best ways to let go, is to rest in God. So I

want to take a couple of minutes, and lead you through an exercise of Godly meditation. So I am going to play some music, and as the music is playing I’m going to talk for a moment to lead you into relaxing and giving yourself to God, and then let it be quiet for a couple of minutes so that God can fill you with His peace. (Play medley from Kim Hoffman’s “Dreams of the Forgotten Christ Child.” [O Come Let Us Adore Him, Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, His Name Is Wonderful] )

In Philippians 4:6-7 we read: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Conclusion: Tonight we celebrate together in our Christmas Eve service. I hope that you can find the time to come, because it is a beautiful way of preparing our hearts and minds for the celebration of Christmas tomorrow. And tomorrow, before you get into the holiday celebration, and the opening of gifts, you might take a moment and remember that Christmas is about the hope, joy, love, and PEACE that are found in Christ, who took on flesh and lived among us. Amen.

"What Then Shall We Do?"
Luke 3:7-14
Sunday, December 17, 2006

Introduction: (Peanuts Comic Strip: Marcie and Peppermint Patty call Charlie Brown)

Peppermint Patty says: "Marcie and I are about to leave for camp, Chuck...we're gonna be swimming instructors." She hands the phone to Marcie, who says: "We just called to say goodbye, Charles. We're going to miss you...WE LOVE YOU..." Peppermint Patty shouts out: "MARCIE!!" In the last frame, Charlie Brown's sister Sally asks: "Who was that?" With a sigh and a smile Charlie Brown answers: "I think it was a right number."

LOVE. What a wonderful feeling it is. In fact, we were created to love and be loved. That is why the 2 great commands are: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and mind, and soul, and strength…And love your neighbor as yourself.”

The Bible is full of passages about love. Let me read you just a few…..

Proverbs 3:3 says: “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.”

Isaiah 5:1- “I will sing for the one I love; a song about His vineyard…”

And then how about a couple of very familiar ones; John 3:16 and 1 Corinthians 13:4-8……. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a- “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”

So if we were created to love and be loved, why do we struggle so much in this area?

I. Give and Take- (Luke 3:8)

a. Take- When sin entered the world, it caused us to become selfish. And

in our selfishness, we seek to take more than we give. Life is full of examples of taking… EXAMPLE 1- In the movie “The Distinguished Gentleman,” Eddie Murphy plays a Florida con man. When he discovers that a long time Congressman, who shares his name, passes away, he uses this name recognition to get himself elected to Congress. Once in Congress, he discovers that money flows from lobbyists. The temptation is to take all of this money that is being offered to him.

This movie (and many of the news stories) gives us a glimpse of how the politicians who are supposed to represent the people, really are just looking out for themselves by taking what they think they deserve!

EXAMPLE 2- (Hurricane Katrina)- Hurricane Katrina was a terrible event that rocked the worlds of thousands of people, especially in New Orleans and Mississippi. There has been much attempt to give to people in need. But there are many who have chosen to use this tragedy to take for themselves. Here are just a few stories…

(Headline: Two booked on Katrina fraud charges)- A 55-year-old Metairie man and a 43-year-old Chalmette man were arrested Friday on insurance fraud charges related to Hurricane Katrina./ (Headline: 1300 Katrina fraud probes under way)- More than a year after Hurricane Katrina, there are about 1,300 ongoing investigations of alleged FEMA fraud in the southern district alone./ (Headline: FEMA still squandering millions in Katrina aid)- The government is squandering tens of millions of dollars in Hurricane Katrina

disaster aid, in some cases doling out housing payments to people living rent-free, investigators said Wednesday. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has recouped less than 1 percent of the $1 billion that investigators contend it squandered on fraudulent assistance, according to the Government Accountability Office. Its report shows the disaster relief agency's struggles, one year after the deadly storm, to rush aid to those in need while also preventing abuse.

b. Give- How amazing is it to hear about this abuse? Here we have an

area where people are in need, and others are trying to give, but many are abusing these gifts by taking it illegally. And these stories are not alone. There are so many stories throughout the world where people are taking from those who are in need.

We give food to other countries, but it never makes it to those who need it; instead the military confiscates it and sells it for profit./ Our health care system is in disarray. One reason is because of the fraudulent claims that are made by people trying to gain money that is not owed to them….I could go on and on about story after story where people are taking instead of giving. Where is the love in this?

But we are called to give of ourselves. We can search our hearts

and minds and know that it is not right to take in these ways. We hear these stories, and we are bothered by them; angered by them. But even more, we have the word of God which reminds us of this call. As Luke 3:8 tell us- “Bear fruits that are worthy of repentance…” Here we have a social gospel where John the Baptist is demanding that people share with one another. It is a gospel that tells us that God will never be happy with the person who is content with having too much while others have too little.

II. What then shall we do?- (Acts 20:35; Luke 3:10-14)

a. Object lesson in giving- Before I get into the Bible lesson of the

morning, and what it says to us about giving, I want to demonstrate a point with a little object lesson. Christmas is a season about giving. We give gifts to each other. Hopefully you gave a gift to the church today through the “Love Offering.” And this giving of gifts is a way to share love. So I want to share a little love this morning… (Take stocking and give out gifts)./ How fun it is to share a gift with someone. As Jesus says to us in Acts 20:35- “… ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

b. What then?- It is interesting to see that as John the Baptist challenges

the people, instead of getting angry at John, they were humbled. You see their response in verse 10: “And the crowds asked him, ‘What then should we do.’” The people wanted to know what they could do to be more in line with God’s will. The people wanted to know how they could change. The people wanted to know how to love others better./ So John responds in verse 11: “… ‘Whoever has 2 coats must share with anyone who has none, and whoever has food must do likewise.’”

Every now and then I will go into my children’s bedrooms, see all the toys and stuff they have, and begin to work with them on getting rid of some of their excess. And when we do this, we put it into 2 piles: the pile that will be thrown away, and the pile that will be given to someone else that can use it. We do the same with their clothes from time to time./ I believe that this is a good practice, because it helps us to realize the excess that we have, and helps us to remember the needs that others have.

This causes more intrigue as the tax collectors chime in with the same question: “What then shall we do?” Now you need to understand that the tax collectors were not honest people; they would often cheat people out of their money by taxing people more than what was necessary so that they would make a greater profit. This caused great resentment and hatred from the people. And so the tax collector’s would respond to this hatred by taxing them even more. So John turns to the tax collector’s and says to them: “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.”

In other words, John was telling them that they were taking what was not theirs, and that they should only take what was allowed for them to take, and not overtax the people. John didn’t tell them to stop being tax collectors, but rather to be honest and forthright. They could give a great service to the people by collecting only the amount prescribed.

So then the soldiers decide to jump in and ask “What then shall we do?”/

It is believed that these soldiers were Jewish, and not Roman, and that they were aligned with the tax collectors to help them retrieve the taxes. These soldiers held a privileged position in society. If the soldiers used excessive force, the citizens could do nothing about it.

John’s response to them is… “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.” We see that the soldiers took from the people in 2 ways: threats or false accusations. Either way, the soldiers had the authority, and the people couldn’t stop this extorting. So John tells them to not practice this sinful behavior. Above that, they are to be satisfied with what they are paid, because this ‘not being satisfied’ is what was causing them to take from the people.

c. What then for us?- This then leads us to ask the question: What then

for us? How are we to respond? So let’s take a moment to learn from the crowd, the tax collectors, and the soldiers.

1. The crowd- No matter what we have or don’t have, the truth

is, we all have excess. Maybe you have 2 coats, or an abundance of soup, or 3 television sets. Love leads us to realize that we do not need to have excess, and by sharing it with others, by giving it to others, we can help them to experience the love of God; experience the blessing of giving to others. So what you and I need to do over the next couple of weeks, is look in our closets, and on our shelves, and in our cupboards, and find those things we don’t need. Then set them aside and ask God to lead you to the place where you can give it away. Maybe you will hear a news story, or read something in the paper, or be talking to a friend and hear of a need. Or maybe you take it to “His Nesting Place’s” thrift store or find a way to give it to someone who lost things in the Garden Paradise Apartment fire.

2. The tax collector’s- As we think about the tax collectors, we

might think about the taxes we have to pay. It won’t be long until March and April come, and we have to pay our taxes. The questions we have to ask ourselves is: Are we declaring all that we make? Are we justifying ourselves against the IRS when we don’t pay all of our taxes? Is there any way that we are not being truthful?/ And for some of you, you may do a service for someone and need to collect the money. Are you charging them an honest price?/ Or those of you who own property and rent it out; is your rent at a reasonable rate? These are all questions we have to ask as we think about “bearing the fruit that is worthy of repentance.”

3. The soldiers- And last we come to the soldiers. The soldiers’

issue was that of power. The soldiers took things from others by abusing their power. When we are in a position of power, positions like supervisor, parent, teacher, leader, grandparent….we have the ability to use this position to give or to take. Authority and power are easily abused. Let us make sure that we are using our position to give and not to take; give a kind word, or give some encouragement, or give some advice, or even give a gift. If we let God help us to be satisfied with where He has placed us in life and position, then we will be more apt to be giving and not take.

Conclusion: This third Sunday of Advent is the Sunday of love. Love is seen in the action of giving, not in the actions of taking or being selfish. We are able to love when we know we are loved./ Do you know how much God loves you? Do you really understand God’s love? I think the honest answer for us would have to be no. There is no real way to understand the depth of God’s love. This was why the apostle Paul said in Ephesians 3:17-18, “…. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.”

What is Christmas all about? It is about understanding the love of God, and finding ways to reach beyond ourselves and love those around us. Not just those we like; not just those we feel comfortable with; but sharing love whenever and wherever we have the chance./ May the love of God touch you today, and change your world, so that you can change the world around you; so that you can "bear the fruit that is worthy of repentance." Let us do this today and every day. Amen.

"He Has Come"
Luke 1:68-69
Second Sunday of Advent
Sunday, December 10, 2006

Introduction: The other day I received some “funnies” via my e-mail. I would like to read them to you: The first one is of a person who lives in a semi-rural area and he called the local township administrative office to request the removal of the “Deer Crossing” sign on the road. The reason, he said: "too many deer were being hit by cars" and he didn't want them to cross there anymore.

Someone else was at the airport in Birmingham, Al., checking in at the gate when an airport employee asked, "Has anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge? To which he replied, "If it was without my knowledge, how would I know?” He smiled knowingly and nodded, "That's why we ask."
Someone tells of an employee at her work who plugged her power strip back into itself…. and for the life of her couldn't understand why her system would not turn on.

Another story is of a couple that arrived at an automobile dealership to pick up their car. They were told the keys had been locked in it. They went to the service department and found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock the driver’s side door. As they watched from the passenger side, one of them instinctively tried the door handle and discovered that it was unlocked. "Hey," he announced to the technician, "its open!" To which he replied, "I know - I already got that side."

Laughter is important. In fact it is said that laughing regularly and often helps to keep us healthier and happier.

My family and I love to watch “Dancing with the Stars.” This last season one of the stars was Harry Hamlin. Harry had problem dancing for a couple of reasons: first, he was a little too stiff; second, he had too serious of a face and didn’t look at all like he was enjoying himself. His professional dance partner was concerned about this, and so she took him to a laugh coach. He spent the day learning how to laugh!! Because of that experience, he was able to laugh much more easily.

As we come to the second Sunday of Advent, we think about JOY. And when we think about joy, we probably think about fun, and happiness, and laughter.

I. Joy Experienced-

There is much in life that can make us feel joyful.

a. Music- The first is music. While we all have our own musical

tastes, music in and of itself does much to stir up our emotions. I want to play some various kids of music, and as I do, I want to see if it creates a feeling of joy in you…

1. “I Can Only Imagine” (Mercy Me); 2. Vivaldi’s Four Seasons: Spring;

3. Kim Hoffman, pianist: “O Come, Let Us Adore Him; 4. Ray Boltz: “Awesome God”;

5. Michael W. Smith: “Agnus Dei”; 6. The London Symphony Orchestra: “Joy to the World.”

b. Family- A second area that brings joy to our lives is our family; SHOW PICTURES of my family.

c. Pets- A third area that brings joy to people’s lives is their pets; SHOW PICTURES….of a dog, cat, fish, horse.

d. Excitement- Another area of joy is experiences that bring

excitement to our lives; SHOW PICTURES of…dodger game; Disneyland; Motor Home; Airplane.

II. Joy Known- (Luke 1:68-69; Philippians 4:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

a. Joy is more than happiness- But Joy is more than our feelings,

more than our emotions. Joy is even more than happiness. Joy is something that can be experienced at all times and in many ways. That is why the apostle Paul can say to us in Philippians 4:4- “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice.”

We are all seeking joy in our lives. If you were to ask anyone, chances are that one of their goals in life is to feel a sense of joy. They want to be happy. And yet, having said this, it is important for me to point out that there is a difference between happiness and joy. Most people think these words are synonyms, that they mean the same thing, but this is not true. Happiness is based on experiences, while we are told by Paul that joy can be experienced always. That is why Paul says in another book he wrote, 1 Thessalonians, in chapter 5, verses 16-18- “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks for this is God’s will for you.”

When we are “joyful,” we can love life, and take everything in life in stride. How is this possible? Because our joy comes from knowing that we are not in charge, but God is, and that God can work good out of the bad.

When we are letting God fill us with joy, then we will tend to be less stressed,

and we will laugh more. In the book “Amusing Grace,” page 4, there are some helpful facts about laughter that comes from joy:

· Thirteen muscles are used for our smiling mechanism, while 50 muscles are required for frowning;

· Laughter lowers the levels of cortisol in the body. Cortisol suppresses the immune system. Lowering this level helps the immune system to work and prevent disease.

· Did you know that you can get the same benefits for your heart and lungs from laughing 100 times a day than you can from rowing for 10minutes a day?

· Laughing for 15 seconds adds 2 days to your life span.

We are all too stressed because we don’t not let the joy of the Lord fill us!!

b. Joy at all times- The Greek word for joy is “chara.” It refers to

exultation or delight. The interesting thing is that it is used in the Bible in talking about good experiences AND in trials. How can this be that we can feel joy even in our trials? Well, let me give you just three.

1. The “JOY” that is found in knowing that Christ is

preached. Our focus is often wrong. Our focus is usually on ourselves. We are very selfish by nature. But if we could learn how to focus less on ourselves, and more on others, then we would experience more joy in our lives. This is true especially in the area of people and heaven. I hope that we care more about just ourselves finding the way to heaven. As I’ve talked about often, Jesus makes it clear that He came to earth to die for our sins, and that through faith in Him we have access to heaven. This message is the message of “joy” for Christmas, and it is a message that we need to share. There is nothing that will stir up joy more in you than seeing someone accept Jesus as their Savior and Lord.

2. Through Christ, we will be delivered from our

hardships. This is indeed a word that should bring joy to our hearts, because life is full of hardships. But joy is experienced as we let God walk us through our hardships, and bring us to the other side stronger, more capable, and wiser. So joy comes from understanding that God doesn’t keep us “hardship free,” but helps us through the struggles of life.

3. Joy is finding favor with God (Luke 1:68-69). This comes from our main Bible reading for the morning. Luke 1:68 reads- “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has looked favorably on His people and redeemed them.” How has the Lord looked favorably on His people? By visiting them, and by redeeming them.

We need to understand what has really happened here; God has visited us! God has taken on flesh and lived among us! God has come to this earth to give us a glimpse of who He is! God has come to this earth to let us experience unconditional love. God has shown us favor by doing this, because it is not as if we have deserved this glimpse, or visit, or love. And so, in understanding this favor, we should experience great joy in knowing that we are that special to God.

But even more, the joy should come from knowing that we have been redeemed. This is great news, because we don’t deserve this either, and we could never redeem ourselves. The price is too high for us to pay, and so God came in Jesus Christ so that He could pay this redemption price for us.

Conclusion: Let me ask you this: Are you experiencing joy in your life? I hope your answer is yes. But whether it is “yes” OR “no,” it should be yes when you leave today. Joy comes from knowing that God is with you and working for you at all times. Joy comes from knowing that God’s will can be seen happening in our lives when we trust God. Joy comes from knowing that God looks favorably upon us. As Psalm 37:4 tells us- “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” How great it is to know that we can find delight in God, and through delighting ourselves in Him, the JOY will pour out to us. I hope you will do this often throughout this Christmas season and beyond. Amen.