SLIDE 1
Welcome to Bethany on this second Sunday of Advent as we continue to prepare for the coming of Christ. We have many activities to look forward to. Tonight the youth are inviting you to go Christmas Caroling.
8:30 - Maybe something like this might happen if you go along. SHOW FELLOWSHIP VIDEO CLIP
SLIDE 2
This Advent we are looking at Charles Dickens’s classic tale, A Christmas Carol, to learn from Scrooge about Christmas.
If you remember, Ebenezer Scrooge was an unhappy, miserly old man whose reaction to Christmas was “Bah! Humbug.” To him, Christmas was a scandal, because it was only “a time for finding yourself a year older and not an hour richer.”
In our look at Scrooge today, he begins a spiritual awakening.
1) The Ghost of Christmas Past reminds him of the joy he once knew at Christmas.
2) Scrooge is about to discover how his “Humbug” can be changed to “Hallelujah!”
SLIDE 3 A
But before we begin this journey, let me ask you a question. What is your attitude about joy?
This may sound like a silly question--I think all of us would rather be happy than sad. We would rather be up than down.
I’ll go a step further and say most of us prefer to be around those who are joyful. I have to admit I sometimes choose to be with people based on their joy quotient. Sometimes I even avoid people who are always down.
There are people that I know people who are just like Scrooge.
Their attitude is, I’ll get around to joy once I get all my work done. The trouble is that there’s always more work to be done, so they only have brief glimpses of joy in their lives. Their lives are more humbug than hallelujah.
b. But happiness and joy are not the same. What is your attitude about joy?
We know how to spell it but when you first look at the word without a closer look it’s easy to write off joy as something that’s just not possible for our lives.
SLIDE 3 B
We look at a verse like 1 Thessalonians 5:16 “Always be joyful.” We look at a verse like that and if you’ve had a particularly tough week, be honest, when you hear a verse like that doesn’t it bug you? Always be joyful? I had a tough week! I don’t want to always be joyful. I’m not sure I can always be joyful.
We sing “Joy to the World” at Christmas. To the world! That means everyone. That means everywhere. Is that really possible, joy in this world? There are a couple of things that keep us from feeling like that’s a possibility. Things that you and I face on a daily basis.
SLIDE 3 C
1. The bad that shouldn’t happen.
We all have to admit that a lot of the bad things that happen in our lives, we bring them on ourselves. But there are bad things that happen to us and in this world that just shouldn’t happen. We didn’t bring it on ourselves, no one deserved it, that person was innocent. Because of that we wonder, Can joy really happen in this world?
Alongside of that you put the second thing. Not only the bad that shouldn’t happen but...
SLIDE 3 D
2. The good that doesn’t happen.
The good things that we want to happen that don’t happen in our lives. The dream that we’ve had that doesn’t seem to be able to come true. The heart that we hope to change in someone else that never seems to change. The prayer that we pray that doesn’t seem to get answered, at least not the way we wanted it to get answered.
You look at these real life truths that we have to face everyday and you realize if joy is gong to work you can’t wait for perfect circumstances because we do not live in a world of perfect circumstances.
If joy is going to work it has to work in an imperfect, often ugly world. That’s what the message of Christmas is all about. God came to this often-ugly world and, in Jesus Christ, He told us joy can happen even here.
SLIDE 4
In A Christmas Carol Scrooge used to have joy, but he forgot how to choose it again. The Ghost of Christmas Past had to come shine light on Scrooge’s life by helping him remember things that he chose to forget.
You may have heard someone say before, joy is a choice it doesn’t just happen in our lives. It’s something that must be chosen in our lives. The question I’ve got is How? How do you choose it? It’s obviously not just automatic. Even those of you who have been believers for quite some time who come to church a lot realize that you don’t automatically become joyful because you read the Bible more or pray more or even come to church more.
How does it happen? Do you work harder at it? If it works that way the most joyful people in the world would be workaholics and that doesn’t work. Can you lie yourself into it and just pretend that everything is ok? There are some people who think they’re joyful but they’re just blissfully unaware. If they really knew what was coming their way... If joy is going to work it has to work in a real world with real problems. Do I have to wait until I win the lottery to have one in a million chance at joy?
The Ghost reminds Scrooge that having joy in his life is a choice by showing him the Christmas Party that his former boss, Mr. Fezziwig, threw for his family and employees. The Spirit of Christmas Past showed him a memory of joy and the hope of future promise. Scrooge was taken back to Old Fezziwig’s ball on Christmas Eve
(SHOW VIDEO CLIP.)
READ SUMMARY FOR 11:00 -- DICKENS SHOWS SCROOGE OBSERVING THIS MEMORY OF HIS YOUNGER SELF DANCING AND HAVING THE TIME OF HIS LIFE:
DURING THE WHOLE OF THIS TIME, SCROOGE HAD ACTED LIKE A MAN OUT OF HIS WITS. HIS HEART AND SOUL WERE IN THE SCENE AND WITH HIS FORMER SELF. HE CORROBORATED EVERYTHING, REMEMBERED EVERYTHING, ENJOYED EVERYTHING, AND UNDERWENT THE STRANGEST AGITATION. IT WAS NOT UNTIL NOW, WHEN THE BRIGHT FACES OF HIS FORMER SELF AND DICK WERE TURNED FROM THEM, THAT HE REMEMBERED THE GHOST AND BECAME CONSCIOUS THAT IT WAS LOOKING FULL UPON HIM, WHILE THE LIGHT UPON ITS HEAD BURNT VERY CLEAR.
“A SMALL MATTER,” SAID THE GHOST, “TO MAKE THESE SILLY FOLKS SO FULL OF GRATITUDE.”
“SMALL!” ECHOED SCROOGE.
THE SPIRIT SIGNED TO HIM TO LISTEN TO THE TWO APPRENTICES, WHO WERE POURING OUT THEIR HEARTS IN PRAISE OF FEZZIWIG; AND WHEN HE HAD DONE SO, IT SAID, “WHY! IS IT NOT? HE HAS SPENT BUT A FEW POUNDS OF YOUR MORTAL MONEY: THREE OR FOUR, PERHAPS. IS THAT SO MUCH THAT HE DESERVES THIS PRAISE?”
“IT ISN’T THAT,” SAID SCROOGE, HEATED BY THE REMARK, AND SPEAKING UNCONSCIOUSLY LIKE HIS FORMER, NOT HIS LATTER, SELF. “IT ISN’T THAT, SPIRIT. HE HAS THE POWER TO RENDER US HAPPY OR UNHAPPY; TO MAKE OUR SERVICE LIGHT OR BURDENSOME; A PLEASURE OR A TOIL. SAY THAT HIS POWER LIES IN WORDS AND LOOKS; IN THINGS SO SLIGHT AND INSIGNIFICANT THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO ADD AND COUNT ’EM UP. WHAT THEN? THE HAPPINESS HE GIVES IS QUITE AS GREAT AS IF IT COST A FORTUNE.” (END OF SUMMARY.)
SLIDE 5
How do you choose joy? If your life were a map, and the big “You are here” X points to maybe ordinary life, routine, maybe boring life, maybe for you it’s a painful difficult life. That’s where you are right now. It may be the result of past experiences, memories of unhappy times.
And there’s a X over there that says “Joy”. The question is how do I get from here to there? How does that happen in our lives? We’ve got to focus on what only God can do, the joy that He can bring.
SLIDE 6
We’re going to let some guys show us how to get from here to there today, some guys who were part of the first Christmas – the shepherds. They were out in their fields near Bethlehem and God brought them a message of joy. They made some choices, some simple choices of the same kind of choices that you and I can make today that bring joy into our lives. Do you want to have joy? Three choices that result in joy:
SLIDE 7
I. CHOOSE TO HEAR THE GOOD NEWS.
Have you ever been really down and the phone rings and you pick it up and it’s some good news? All of a sudden, even for a moment, your spirits are lifted. You’ve just seen the power that good news has to bring joy into our lives.
It’s the kind of thing that happened to these shepherds the first Christmas. Luke 2:10 says, “But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.’”
Not just for the shepherds but for all, this message of good news. They’re just out there watching their flock, a pretty boring job. All of a sudden in that routine ordinary life God brought them a message of joy just like He wants to do for some of us today. You think you just sort of showed up today. But God wants to bring you a message of joy. In the middle of that life God came and said, “I want to bring you some good news.” What’s the good news? That Jesus came. The good news is that Jesus Christ wants to make a difference in our lives.
The good news is that Jesus Christ came to this earth to tell us that God loves us. The good news is that God offers forgiveness for the wrong things we’ve done and a new sense of direction in our lives. The good news is that God cares for the struggles you’re gong through and can also make a difference in the direction of your life.
SLIDE 8
Romans 1:16 tells us how good this good news really is when it says, “I am not ashamed of this good news about Christ. It is God’s powerful method of bringing all who believe it to heaven. Now everyone is invited to come to God in this same way.” Circle “invited”.
God has called you. He left a message on your answering machine. Now He’s waiting for you to call back. The message is He’s already sent the fax. He’s waiting for you to fax back. He’s already put an email in your in-box. He’s waiting for you to hit the reply button. He’s already beeped your beeper. Wouldn’t that be strange if your beeper goes off and you look at it and it says “God”? That would be a different experience! What would you do if that happened?
It has happened! That’s what Christmas is all about. And the way you respond is you talk to Him in prayer, “I want this good news to be a part of my life.” He’s calling to tell you, “I want to forgive you and help you with the struggles in your life. He’s calling to tell you, “I care about what you’re going through right now.” That’s what He’s calling to say. Good news brings joy into our lives.
SLIDE 9
James 1:2-3 “Dear brothers and sisters whenever trouble comes your way let it be an opportunity for joy for when your faith is tested your endurance has a chance to grow.” Joy isn’t in the troubles. Joy is not having perfect circumstances. Otherwise none of us could have joy. Joy is not “Smile and the world will smile with you.” Joy is not “Every cloud has a silver lining.” Some clouds don’t. Some clouds are big, black, dark thunderclouds followed by other big, black, dark thunderclouds.
Joy is not having perfect circumstances. Joy is applying God’s truth and God’s power to our imperfect circumstances in this imperfect world.
SLIDE 10
You might say, “I’ve lost everything. Is there any joy in that?” There is if you know Him. Hebrews 10 “You even had joy when all that you owned was taken from you because you knew that you had something better and more lasting.”
Because of what God has done in Jesus Christ, because of the hope that He gives us for eternity you can have nothing to look forward to in this world and still looks forward to joy. Because this world is not all there is. God is building for us an eternity of joy. That is good news. For some of you it’s the only good news that you can hang on to right now. It’s enough. It’s enough even in difficult times.
The good news that God loves you, the good news that God wants to be a part of your life, forgive you and give you an eternity with Him. When you listen to that good news, whatever else is happening in life, the result is joy.
These shepherds teach us that. They also teach us a second thing about where joy comes from.
SLIDE 11
It starts when you listen to the good news...
II. IT CONTINUES WHEN YOU CHOOSE TO DO WHAT GOD SAYS.
These shepherds heard God tell them to go and find a baby, wrapped in a blanket, laying in a manger, a feeding trough for a cow. They did it. And when they did. It they found joy.
SLIDE 12
Luke 2:15 says, “When the angel had left them and went into heaven the shepherds said to one another ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has told us about.’”
Why did they go? Because they believed what God had said. And because they believed what God had said, they went to Bethlehem. They could have spent the rest of their lives wondering. They could have said, “I don’t know if that’s true,” and stayed in the fields outside of Bethlehem and never gone and always wondered, “What would have happened that night if we had gone to see what the angels told us about.” But they trusted what God had said.
Figuratively, there are a lot of us that it’s easy to get stuck in those fields outside of Bethlehem. You hear God say to you “Trust Me with your life, trust Me with this decision, trust Me with this relationship.” Joy happens in our lives when you and I decide to do what God has said to do.
SLIDE 13
Psalm 19:8 “The commandments of the Lord are right bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear giving insight to life.” God’s commandments bring joy.
If I say, “Ten Commandments”, is the next word you automatically think of “joy”? Probably not. When we hear “Ten Commandments” we might think “restricted”. We might think “good.” But we think “hard and difficult”. The first thing we think of us definitely not “joy”.
But God gave us these commandments, these directions to give us joy. He’s our maker. He’s our creator. He knows how we’re wired. He knows how we work. Because of that He says, “Here’s the directions for life.” Not to ruin your life or mess up our life or make your life a bummer. Here’s the directions of life to give your life joy.
Joy is doing what God says to do. The Bible tells us in Psalm 97:11 “Light shines on the godly and joy on those who do right.”
SLIDE 14
How many of you are Randy Travis fans? You know the country singer who made the song popular: “I’m Going to love you Forever and Ever. Amen.” (PLAY FEW LINES OF SONG) I saw him several years ago in a concert at the JMU Convocation Center—he’s too big now to come and perform in Harrisonburg. I read an interview recently during which he discussed the new steps of faith he’s taking in his life. And how a difference has begun to happen in his life as he moves from doing the wrong things in his life to beginning to learn to do the right things in his life.
I’ve heard people speak of being hit and they knew they needed to give their life to Christ and get baptized. A lot of them became missionaries or a minister or what have you. With me it was far more a gradual change. I’m slow. Slow to change, for sure. Over the course of about ten years, somewhere in my mid twenties and for no real reason other than I wanted to, someone didn’t tell me, “Start reading the Bible... Start listening to pastors on television...” I just started doing that and understanding what I could. And started making some changes inside. You look at yourself after so many years of not only drug abuse and alcohol but abuse you put on other people, a lot on your family. I’m looking at myself and not seeing much. I needed to make some changes so I did. Later on my wife and I both started going to church. Then about 7 years ago I finally got baptized and I’ve been continually working on myself since, both of us working on ourselves, she and I both working on me, maybe.
Randy wrote a song about his baptism and he was asked about that in the interview.
Randy: I like to tell this because it’s so funny. The pastor in Nashville I walked up to him after
a service. I was very blunt and I think I caught him a little off guard. I said, “I need to get baptized.” I remember him going, “... Ok… Let me come over to talk to you.” He did, … That night my wife and I both were baptized. There is a wonderful thing that happens. Obviously you’re forgiven of your sins. But there’s also a peace of mind, a contentment. And those things are hard to put into words. But I know for sure, without a doubt at all if I stay mentally where I need to be through praying every day, through reading, through hearing [a preacher at church], wherever it might be what I go through on a daily basis is far easier to handle. My biggest downfall was more of a temper than anything else. That’s still there and it still gets the best of me sometimes. But if I do what I’m talking about – stay there and listen and read and pray then it’s a lot easier to walk away from that person who has really made you mad at whatever point.
I’m far from being perfect. We’re all works in progress and I guess that’s a good way to describe it. We always will be. I don’t sit and think that I’m going to go out and do this wrong then ask forgiveness and I’m ok. It doesn’t work that way. But I know and everybody else knows that we’re going to continue to make mistakes. But if you truly try to change. We all know we’re going to make mistakes. We’re human. There’s only been one perfect being on this earth and that was Jesus. I don’t think anyone else has come along who has not made mistakes. There is forgiveness. I know that. And I’m very fortunate there for sure because I’ve sure made a lot of them. It’s a great feeling to know that that has been forgiven.
PLAY SONG BY RANDY TRAVIS AND KENNY CHESNEY with words projected on screen--"Baptism"
I’m not a perfect human being by any means. I struggle with what I’m doing pretty much on a daily basis but I know without a doubt that I have been forgiven. I have been baptized. I have the opportunity to go to heaven when I leave here. If I stay in the word, if I stay in prayer, if I continually trying to better myself, if I profess Jesus’ name to those that I meet such as I’m doing now then I’m going to be ok.
When you do what God says to do it brings a joy, a different kind of joy than you’ve ever experienced before. One of the things God tells us to do is to ask. At Christmas when we’re asking everybody else for things and trying to figure out things we’re going to ask for for Christmas God tells us to ask. And He tells us when we ask it brings us joy.
SLIDE 15
John 16:24 “Until now you’ve not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive and your joy will be complete.” Circle the word “ask”. What are you asking God for this Christmas?
I’ve found that the joy doesn’t come when I ask. The joy comes when I receive. When you pray a prayer, the real joy comes when you see that prayer being answered. So one of the things you need to do when you ask is remember what you asked for.
Oftentimes we’ve talked to God at different times during the day and forget what we ask for. If you’ll write down what you ask – I encourage you this Christmas – “This Christmas this is what I would ask from God...” write it down. Then when He answers you’ll see that He answers and it will bring you joy. He may answer in a way that surprises you. He may have a U-turn in the answer. He may answer exactly like you expected. More than likely He’s going to answer in a greater way than you expected. That’s what God is like. When you ask and you receive it brings you joy.
SLIDE 16
Joy comes when you hear the good news. Joy comes when you do what God says to do. Then there’s a third thing these shepherds remind us of.
III. JOY COMES WHEN YOU CHOSE TO TELL SOMEONE ELSE.
When you tell someone else the good news about what God’s doing in your life it brings joy. A principle of joy is, it cannot be bottled. If you try to put a cap on joy it sours every time. It has to be shared.
SLIDE 17
These shepherds immediately shared the good news about what God is doing. Luke 2:17 “When they’d seen Him (the baby Jesus) they spread the word concerning what had been told hem about this child.” They went out and immediately told everybody else. Tell someone else. It’s what you and I need to do.
Psalm 107:22 “With joy they should tell what He has done.”
SLIDE 18
Maybe you got this on the Internet the last couple of weeks. There’s a new warning out about the Christmas virus. “The operating systems of a great many have already been exposed to this virus and it’s possible that people everywhere could be affected by this. Some signs that you may have been affected by the Christmas virus: a tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than based on past fears; a loss of interest of judging other people; a loss of the ability to worry (that’s a very serious sign if that’s happening to you); a new appreciation of the good news of Christmas, that God came to show His love for you at Christmas; a slow realization that God’s direction is always for your best; an overwhelming need to tell someone else the good news. Please send this warning out to all your friends. This virus can and has affected many systems. Some systems have been completely cleaned out because of it.
There is a multiplying power, just like you see viruses on computers multiply out and do damage and destruction. There is a multiply power of telling the good news.
SLIDE 19
People want to come to church at Christmas. They want to come at Christmas and Easter more than any time in the year. People are actually waiting for someone to ask them to come. They’d like to go but nobody’s asked them. So I challenge you to invite someone to one of our services—Sunday morning or Christmas Eve. People want to be asked. They want to be in church at Christmas. All of us intuitive know that Christmas is about Christ. It’s a celebration of Christ.
Don’t come alone Christmas Eve. Invite somebody. Have somebody join you. You may be new to Bethany. This may be your first week here. You can invite somebody. You don’t have to wait. You can already start inviting somebody else. If God is giving you the good news today, tell somebody else right away like these shepherds did.
SLIDE 20
Luke 15 tells us why there’s such a burst of joy when we tell the good news to other people. “I tell you there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who changes his heart and life than over ninety-nine good people who don’t need to change.”
SLIDE 21
You can have a fresh start in life. God can give you new strength for your struggle and a new hope for your future. That’s what joy is all about. Joy is a choice.
SLIDE 22
Old Fezziwig also knew more about the heart of God than we may suppose. He drew Scrooge into the love of his family and blessed him with joy. He made Scrooge’s life worth living!
SLIDE 23
Two final verses before we close. Psalm 126:5 “Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.” I know that the holiday season can be a tough time. And I know that for some of you this was a painful sermon to listen to today because this is the worst Christmas time you’ve ever had.
You’re thinking, “Joy? I don’t even want to think about that. Does this mean I have to pretend everything is ok? Does this mean I have to pretend that I don’t have a hurt, that I don’t have a loss?” Christmas turns up the volume on everything. If things are going good it makes that season even better. But if things are going bad, if you’ve had a loss, it makes that seem even worse.
How do you have joy in a tough Christmas? “Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.” Don’t be afraid to tell God your hurts. Don’t forget that it’s a process. Don’t think that you have to pretend that everything is ok. Let God work that process through your life during this season of the year.
Christmas is a time that most of us enjoy. Statistics say that for 75% of us it’s our favorite time of the year. Yet it’s just a season. How do I have the kind of joy that lasts for more than a few weeks, that lasts for more than a season of life?
Philippians 4 “Be full of joy in the Lord always. I will say it again. Be full of joy.” Circle “in the Lord”. That’s where it comes from. Joy isn’t based on our circumstances. It’s based on Christ. It’s in the Lord that I can find a joy that really lasts. He’s already called you. He’s connected with you, that’s what Christmas is saying.
SLIDE 24
Now you need to respond. Some of you for the first time. Today, say to Him “I do need to trust You, Jesus Christ. I realize it’s not about a religion, it’s about a relationship with You. That’s what Christianity is. I need to trust You with the wrong things I’ve done for Your forgiveness. I need to trust You for direction.” You may have been thinking about this for a long time but it may be hitting you right here for the first time in this moment. Reawakening the joy in Christmas begins with receiving God’s gift of good news. You start that just by talking to Him in prayer. By trusting Him. By telling Him. Let’s take that opportunity right now.
SLIDE 25
Prayer:
We sense you are inviting us to dance a dance of joy, our Lord. You know that for some of us, the season is no longer special. We’re tired, hurt, and bound by the past. But Christmas is unique because you came in the flesh, and that event is cause for rejoicing. You want to reawaken the joy of Christ’s incarnation in our hearts. So, we accept your invitation to the dance of Christmas joy.
Now Say to Him in your heart, words like these. It’s not the words that are important. It’s your heart. Say something like, “Jesus Christ, I need You. I do want You to be a part of my life. I do want You to forgive the wrong things that I’ve done. Thank You that not only were You born into this world but You gave Your life for me on a cross so that I could be forgiven. I need You to begin to direct and guide my life. There’s a lot of things I need to learn. Would You show me how. I want to experience Your joy as a part of my life. Dear God, move from a humbug attitude to a hallelujah of rejoicing this Christmas. As best as I know how Jesus Christ, I’m giving my life to You. I’m trusting my life to You. Thank You for giving Yours
