A Light Has Dawned: Ruled by Joy


A Light Has Dawned: Ruled by Joy

Luke 1:26-45

December 15th, 2024

The lighting of a candle always brings about change. When a candle is lit…

  • Darkness is pushed back

  • the mood of a room changes

  • the smell of a room changes 

Luke 1:25 (NIV) ““The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.” 

The word of the Lord for us last week was “God isn’t withholding something from you, He is holding something for you. Salvation is a gift to receive and a disgrace Jesus removes!” 

God’s specialty is birthing life out of nothing!

Romans 4:17 (NIV) “The God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.”

  • Elizabeth’s pregnancy out of bareness encourages us that we can carry hope into any and all circumstances, especially into the ones in which we feel has timed out. 


Mary’s virgin pregnancy announcement ends with her question, “How can this be?

Luke 1:35-37 (NIV) 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.” 

  • Mary’s virgin pregnancy encourages us that if God said it, you can believe it. There isn’t any empty place He can’t fill or any dead place He can’t bring forth life! 


Today’s 3 Joy Anchors

  • Joy is present in every difficult circumstance. 

  • Joy is a life anchor and a fear displacer. 

  • Joy is transformative.


1. Joy is present in every difficult circumstance.

Luke 2:1-21 (NIV) In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.


Micah 5:2
(NIV)“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, (ef-ra-thah) though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” 

2 Joy Facts

  • No one nor any circumstance has the power to cancel the Joy of Jesus.

  • God’s best joy work is done in the middle of hardship and out in the open for the world to see! 


2. Joy is a life anchor and fear displacer. 

Luke 2:8-12 (NIV) And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”


The double ring of “Do not be afraid”

  • Ring 1 “Don’t be afraid” of my presence because I have good news! 

  • Ring 2 “Don’t be afraid” because Jesus is here, just like God promised, and His presence changes everything!  


The Joy of Jesus is that He is the one to take away your sorrow, heal your brokenness, turn your mourning into dancing, tears into laughter, captivity into freedom. No one has to live in fear any longer because Joy has come! Yes, He came today and yes, He comes to you!


Sadness isn’t the opposite of joy, fear and uncertainty are. Fear and uncertainty are no way to live life. Joy is God’s designed “life driver”. 


Advent is more than a celebration of Jesus’ birth, it is a celebration of the impact of His whole story!

Hebrews 6:19-20 (NIV) 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. 

3. Joy is transformative.

Luke 2:13-21 (NIV) 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 15 When the angels had left them and gone 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.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.


You are the same person after receiving Christ and yet you are not. You are still you. You still drive what you drive, live where you live, work where you work and have the same family you did before. And yet you are completely remade from the inside out. Joy transforms everything about you and how you live. 


The Joy of Jesus…

  • is knowing God has a bigger plan working and He has the power to work that plan.

  • is knowing you haven’t been lost in the shuffle – you are part of His plan.

  • is knowing that Jesus makes everything new and is making everything new. 

Slide

  • Joy is present in every difficult circumstance. 

  • Joy is a life anchor and a fear displacer. 

  • Joy is transformative.

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A Light Has Dawned: Love

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A Light Has Dawned: Hope