Experiencing True Joy This Christmas Season

Devotional

Day 1: Prioritizing Jesus in Our Celebrations

In the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, it's easy to let the true reason for the celebration slip into the background. The story of Jesus' birth reminds us of the importance of making room for Him in our lives. Just as there was no room at the inn for Jesus, we must be intentional about not letting the busyness of the season crowd Him out. This means planning our activities around Him and ensuring that He remains the central focus of our celebrations. By doing so, we can experience a deeper sense of joy and fulfillment during this special time. [06:16]

"And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn." - Luke 2:7 (ESV)

Reflection: What specific steps can you take this week to ensure that Jesus remains the central focus of your Christmas celebrations?

Day 2: The Joy of Giving

The act of giving is a powerful expression of love and joy, as demonstrated by the wise men who brought valuable gifts to Jesus. This Christmas, we are encouraged to shift our focus from receiving to giving. Our gifts to God can include our time, talents, and treasures, which bring joy when used for His purposes. By prioritizing giving, we reflect the heart of God and experience the joy that comes from seeing Him use our gifts to bless others. This season, let us embrace the joy of giving and allow it to transform our hearts and lives. [12:19]

"Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." - 2 Corinthians 9:7 (ESV)

Reflection: How can you use your time, talents, and treasures to bless someone in need this week?

Day 3: Worship as a First Response

Worship is a powerful response to the presence of God, as demonstrated by the shepherds who prioritized worshiping Jesus upon hearing the angel's announcement. Even amidst life's challenges, worship should be our first response. It has the power to transform our perspective and bring us closer to God. This Christmas, let us dedicate time for worship and allow it to deepen our relationship with Him. By making worship a priority, we can experience the peace and joy that come from being in His presence. [15:37]

"Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!" - Psalm 95:6 (ESV)

Reflection: What is one way you can incorporate worship into your daily routine this week, even amidst life's challenges?

Day 4: Sharing the Good News

The shepherds shared the good news of Jesus' birth with those around them, making Christ real to others. We are called to do the same by sharing the message of Jesus with those in our lives. When Christ is real to us, it becomes natural to share His love and invite others to experience the joy of knowing Him. This Christmas, let us be intentional about making Christ real to others and spreading the message of His love and grace. [24:42]

"But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect." - 1 Peter 3:15 (ESV)

Reflection: Who is one person you can share the message of Jesus with this week, and how can you do so in a way that is gentle and respectful?

Day 5: Cultivating a Mindset of Faith

Practicing faith involves being amazed by God before seeing His works and trusting in His plans. By cultivating a mindset of faith, we can deepen our relationship with Him and grow in confidence in His promises. This Christmas, let us focus on practicing faith and being open to the ways God wants to work in our lives. By doing so, we can experience the joy and peace that come from trusting in His goodness and faithfulness. [22:26]

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." - Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to practice faith and trust in God's plans this week? How can you actively cultivate a mindset of faith in this area?

Sermon Summary

Welcome to Arrows Church and our Christmas series, "Joyful Noise." As believers, we are commanded to make a joyful noise to the Lord, as stated over 100 times in the Bible. Psalm 100 reminds us to serve the Lord with gladness and come into His presence with singing. However, during this season, many struggle with the expectation of having a "merry little Christmas," especially when faced with personal challenges and the winter blues. The key to truly experiencing joy this Christmas lies in four essential actions: making room for Jesus, prioritizing giving, dedicating time for worship, and making Christ real to others.

Firstly, making room for Jesus involves prioritizing Him in our lives, much like the Christmas story where there was no room for Jesus at the inn. We must ensure that Jesus is not squeezed out of our celebrations by the busyness of the season. Secondly, making giving a priority reflects the joy of giving over receiving, as demonstrated by the wise men who brought valuable gifts to Jesus. Our gifts to God should include our time, talents, and treasures, which bring joy when used for His purposes.

Thirdly, making time for worship is crucial. The shepherds, upon hearing the angel's announcement, prioritized worshiping Jesus. Worship should be our first response, even amidst life's challenges. Lastly, making Christ real to others involves sharing the good news of Jesus, just as the shepherds did. We are called to spread the message of Christ's birth and invite others to experience His love.

By focusing on these four actions, we can have a truly joyful and meaningful Christmas. Let us make room for Jesus, prioritize giving, dedicate time for worship, and share Christ with others, ensuring that the joy of Jesus fills our hearts and overflows to those around us.

Key Takeaways

1. Make Room for Jesus: Prioritize Jesus in your Christmas celebrations by planning your activities around Him, rather than adding Him as an afterthought. This ensures that He remains the central focus of the season. [06:16]
2. Prioritize Giving: Shift your focus from receiving to giving, as the wise men did with their valuable gifts to Jesus. Offer your time, talents, and treasures to God, and experience the joy that comes from seeing Him use your gifts for His purposes. [12:19]
3. Dedicate Time for Worship: Let worship be your first response this Christmas, even if life has been challenging. Like the shepherds, prioritize worshiping Jesus and allow it to transform your perspective and bring you closer to God. [15:37]
4. Make Christ Real to Others: Share the message of Jesus with those around you, just as the shepherds did. When Christ is real to you, it becomes natural to share His love and invite others to experience the joy of knowing Him. [24:42]
5. Practice Faith: Cultivate a mindset of faith by being amazed by God before seeing His works. Trust in His plans and be confident in His promises, allowing your faith to grow and deepen your relationship with Him. [22:26]
** [22:26]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:10] - The Challenge of a Merry Christmas
[04:45] - Is a Merry Christmas Possible?
[06:16] - Make Room for Jesus
[08:27] - The Irony of Missing Jesus
[10:19] - Make Giving a Priority
[12:19] - The Value of Worship
[14:25] - The Shepherds' Response
[15:37] - Worship as a First Response
[17:35] - Make Christ Real to Others
[19:20] - Practical Applications
[20:26] - Giving Valuable Gifts
[22:26] - Practicing Faith
[24:42] - Sharing Christ with Others
[27:07] - Inviting Others to Church
[29:04] - Closing Prayer

Sermon Clips

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness. Come into his presence with singing. Know that the Lord, he is God. It is he who made us, and we are his. We are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him. Bless his name, for the Lord is good. His steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. [00:00:45] (30 seconds)

And this is the point being made here, even from the very beginning, is Jesus did not fit. So today, if you're like, you know what, I just have no room for Jesus, then like everyone else in Bethlehem and everyone since, you're going to miss out on everything that Jesus has to offer and everything that Jesus can bring. And people have been missing Jesus since the very first Christmas night. [00:07:55] (26 seconds)

When Jesus was born, a wonderful miracle of nature took place. The heavens opened up, and an angel appeared to shepherds on the side of the hill, okay? Now, this is very important because the angel did not go to a boardroom of CEOs. The angel did not appear to the president. The angel did not rent an LED billboard on the interstate and say, Messiah is born. He went to day laborers. [00:14:08] (31 seconds)

So we see the shepherds in the field and the angel appears to them. And the first thing they think is, we got to go see this thing. We got to go check this out. But they didn't stop at checking it out. They came and when we see as soon as they get there, the first thing they do is the same thing that the wise men do. They worship Jesus. [00:16:04] (22 seconds)

The shepherds, when they first got the message from the angel, they said, we got to go see this baby. We got to go check this out. They didn't stop there. Read verse 17 and 18 again. It says, when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told to them concerning this child, and all who heard it, that means a lot of people, wondered at what the shepherds told them. They made known, they spread the word about Jesus. [00:18:05] (29 seconds)

We got to go see got them there. And when they got there and they saw the miracle, they said, we got to go tell people about this. That's why the Christmas song that we sing is titled, Go Tell It on the Mountain, not Come See It on the Mountain. Hey, it's great. Come see it. Well, Christmas would have ended right there. But they said, we got to go tell people about this. We got to go make this real for other people. [00:18:40] (28 seconds)

We share Christ with others when Christ is real to us. And so if you don't share Christ with others, maybe Christ isn't real for you. Maybe he's just someone that you celebrate this time of year. We share Christ with others when he becomes real to us. I've always heard people use the command to make a joyful noise in church as a punchline. As a joke. Maybe you've heard this too. Like, usually around someone who can't sing very well. [00:25:45] (34 seconds)

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