Joy To The World! Series

a. Daniel and the three

b. Those who dabbled in sorcery and other things

2. Where did they come from ?

3. How many were there?

4. Were they at the manger when Christ was born?

5. What made them special?

--Gentiles who believed and worshipped

C. If you receive Christ as King of your life, He brings a spiritual joy that you cannot find any place else.

1. Just as your body craves food and exercise or it will become weak and frail.

2. So your inner spirit craves a relationship with God and if not nurtured will cause the soul to become

famished and restless.

--It’s been said that there is a God-shaped hole in each of our lives

3. There’s a Christmas card that says:

If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent an educator. If our greatest need had

been technology, God would have sent a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would

have sent an economist. If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent an entertainer.

But our greatest need was forgiveness, so he sent us a Savior."

II. The second stanza teaches: THERE IS JOY WHEN THE SAVIOR REIGNS

--"Joy to the earth! The Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ; while fields and floods, rocks, hills and

plains, repeat the sounding Joy."

A. There is a difference between receiving Christ and allowing Christ to rein.

1. Jesus encountered a number of people who wanted to receive Him but did not exactly want Him to

reign over them.

2. There are people today who want to receive all the good things Christ offers, but they really don’t

want to let him reign over their business ethics, New Year’s Entertainment, or the language they use

under pressure or their public image.

3. A fairly recent poll by the Barna Research Group in America found that only 37% of adults thought

the birth of Jesus is the most important aspect of Christmas. 44% of the respondents said family time

is the most important part of the Christmas celebration. 3% said presents or parties were the most

important part of Christmas. The same percentage said the best thing about Christmas was getting a

paid holiday.

B. People who receive Christ but do not let Him rule are usually not very joyful.

1. Their duplicity wears them out and causes them to lose self-respect.

2. Indecisiveness and hypocrisy sap the joy out of life.

--there comes a time when you realize your not fooling anybody

C. When Jesus reigns over all your life He brings joy.

--Someone: “Joy is the byproduct of obedience..”

III. The third stanza teaches: THERE IS JOY WHEN THE SINNER REPENTS

--"No more let sins and sorrow grow. Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found."

A. Sin promises happiness but ultimately delivers sorrow.

1. Satan told Adam and Eve that if they eat off the tree it will be good and it will make you wise.

--But in the end that luscious looking fruit brought a horrible curse and unending sorrow.

2. Sin still brings a bitter curse and painful sorrow today.

3. But there is a wonderful experience of joy when the sinner repents.