The Gift of Joy by Pastor Paul Jacks (Luke 2:10-11)

New Creation, I invited us to lift our eyes above the noise of the season and receive what the angels announced: good news that causes great joy for all people. Joy is not found in ads, packages, or perfect circumstances. It is found in a Person. In Luke 2, the angel’s words remind us that joy is rooted in the presence and salvation of Jesus—the Messiah, the Lord. He came lowly, died humbly, rose triumphantly, and sent the Spirit to dwell within us. That abiding presence is why joy is more than a mood; it’s a deeply anchored gladness grounded in who God is and what He has done.

We opened Psalm 16 to see that fullness of joy lives in God’s presence. Joy is not God standing over us with disapproval; joy is God with us—near, welcoming, stabilizing. I told the story of dating LaDedra long-distance: phone calls were good, but being present produced a deeper gladness. So it is with God—He is nearer than we feel, and His nearness warms our lives from the inside out.

From Nehemiah 8, we watched a freshly returned, exhausted people hear God’s word, weep in repentance, and then be told, “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Joy doesn’t deny tears; it steadies trembling legs so we can rebuild in the face of rubble and ridicule. James calls us to count it all joy in trials—not because pain is pleasant, but because God uses pressure to form perseverance, maturity, and a deeper dependence on Him.

I contrasted a space heater and a fireplace. Worldly joy is like the heater—you must stand right in front of it to feel anything, and it fades fast. Biblical joy is like a fireplace—a Spirit-lit flame that warms the whole room of your life, whatever the weather does outside. That’s the anchor image: joy doesn’t stop the storm, but it keeps you from drifting when the wind howls. I shared candidly about our church’s rising costs. We’re not selling fish dinners; we’re seeking God’s wisdom and depending on His faithfulness. He has provided before, and He will again. So we choose joy. We count it joy. We trust the God who fills us with all joy and peace as we trust in Him, so we may overflow with hope by the Holy Spirit’s power.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Joy is good news in Jesus The angel’s announcement locates joy in a Person, not a season. Joy is tethered to Jesus’ presence and saving work—the Messiah has come, and that changes everything. Because He came near, joy is available here. The news that births joy is for all people, including you. [15:16]
• 2. God’s presence fuels enduring joy Psalm 16 shows that fullness of joy lives where God is, not where life is easy. His nearness is not surveillance; it is sanctuary—stability that quiets fear and steadies desire. Remembering His presence shifts us from scrambling to resting. Joy grows where we keep Him before us. [24:09]
• 3. Joy strengthens repentance and rebuilding In Nehemiah 8, tears were not the end; strength was. The people wept under the Word, but God met their contrition with the command to celebrate, share, and be strengthened. Joy does not erase grief; it companions it, empowering holy resolve to start again in ruined places. [32:00]
• 4. Choose joy in trials; grow perseverance James calls us to count—not feel—joy, because trials refine trust. This is not denial of pain; it is refusal to be defined by it. As perseverance forms, reaction gives way to dependence, and we become whole people who can weather hard seasons without losing our center. [35:07]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:54] - Prayer needs and travel mercies
• [03:06] - Congregational prayer
• [06:36] - Announcements and year-end fellowship
• [07:52] - Offering and giving options
• [11:12] - Advent series: The Gift of Joy
• [12:07] - Chasing happiness vs true joy
• [14:13] - Luke 2 reading: angelic announcement
• [15:16] - Great joy for all people
• [20:57] - What biblical joy really is
• [22:42] - Fullness of joy in God’s presence
• [26:53] - Nehemiah 8: Tears to strength
• [35:07] - Count it all joy in trials
• [37:50] - Fireplace joy, not space-heater joy
• [47:39] - Benediction and closing prayer

1. Read Luke 2:8–11. What exactly does the angel call “good news,” and who is named as the one who brings it? [15:16]
2. The angel says the news will “cause great joy for all the people.” In that context, why would the shepherds (and ordinary people) especially need to hear that this joy is for everyone? [15:16]
3. Psalm 16 says, “With him at my right hand I will not be shaken” and that God “will fill me with joy in his presence.” What images or words in Psalm 16 show how presence and joy are connected? [24:09]
4. In Nehemiah 8 the people wept while listening to the law but were then told, “Do not grieve… for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” What concrete responses followed their weeping that show how joy and repentance worked together? [32:00]

1. The angel locates joy in a Person (the Messiah) rather than in circumstances. How does anchoring joy in Jesus change expectations about when and how joy appears in a believer’s life? [15:16]
2. Psalm 16 speaks of God’s presence as a stabilizing, joy-giving reality (not as judgmental surveillance). What does it mean for God’s presence to be sanctuary rather than a threat, and how does that reshape people’s fear of God? [24:09]
3. Nehemiah pairs honest grief under God’s Word with a command to rejoice and share. Why would celebration and practical generosity follow confession — what role does joy play in the work of rebuilding? [32:00]
4. James calls believers to “count it all joy” when facing trials because testing produces perseverance and maturity. How can encountering hardship actually form dependence on God rather than lead to bitterness? [35:07]

1. The announcement of Jesus is “good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” Name a recent time you reached for things, gifts, or circumstances to make you joyful instead of turning to Jesus. What would one concrete change look like this week if you intentionally turned to Christ for that joy? [15:16]
2. Psalm 16 links keeping one’s eyes on the Lord with inner gladness. Which daily rhythm (reading a short psalm each morning, a two-minute breath prayer at lunch, a weekly Sabbath pause, etc.) will you try this week to “keep your eyes always on the Lord”? Set a specific day and time. [24:09]
3. After hearing God’s word, the returned exiles wept, then celebrated and shared with those who had nothing. When conviction lands on your life, what is one concrete step of repentance plus one concrete step of restoration or service you will take in the next 14 days? [32:00]
4. Trials are opportunities for perseverance to form. Name a current difficulty you face. What single, practical habit will you adopt now to help you “count it as joy” in that trial (for example: daily gratitude notes, a short prayer at bedtime, a trusted friend to call once a week)? [35:07]
5. The fireplace image: biblical joy warms from the inside out (Spirit-produced), not from outside things. Which inside-out practice will you prioritize to cultivate Spirit-produced joy (Scripture memory, testimony time with a friend, regular confession and praise)? Choose one and say when you’ll start. [37:50]
6. The congregation faces real financial pressure. How can members practically support the church’s dependence on God this month (specific prayer times, a one‑time gift, volunteering to lower costs, inviting someone to join worship)? Pick one action and commit to when you will do it. [43:37]