Good News of Great Joy: Jesus Saves and Restores

Your peace, the same way, isn't having quiet or no chaos or no persecution or trials. And we would probably argue that if you're in a biblical peace of some sort, fully submitting to the Lord's will, then His will most likely has you in anything but quiet, in anything but chaotic, in anything but crazy. There is peace in knowing that God is the King of kings and the Lord of lords and the Prince of Peace. And not having to have your situation or your circumstances handled the way you want. [00:26:32] (39 seconds)  #PeaceInSubmission

Secondly, the reminder here I put on the front end is this. You haven't been called to wear a crown, but you have been called to carry a cross. So as we look at our hope, as we look at our peace, as we look ultimately to our joy this morning, you haven't been called to any beautiful prosperity other than carrying a cross of Jesus. So with that as the focus or foundation, we don't live for happiness. We live for holiness. We pursue holiness towards an eternal joy. [00:27:17] (44 seconds)  #CarryTheCross

I want to tell you this. This is you every season. Because every season you chase something of the world that is Christmas. And every year, by an hour or 30 minutes after whatever gift is given to your kid, they have already lost all interest. So what was supposed to bring long-lasting joy brought temporary happiness. Or they didn't like it the way you wanted them to like it. And so I'm telling you over and over, this season plays out like this, that we cannot get an eternal joy wrapped up in a worldly thought of hallmark happiness. [00:34:25] (47 seconds)  #EternalJoyNotGifts

Because every season you chase something of the world that is Christmas. And every year, by an hour or 30 minutes after whatever gift is given to your kid, they have already lost all interest. So what was supposed to bring long-lasting joy brought temporary happiness. Or they didn't like it the way you wanted them to like it. And so I'm telling you over and over, this season plays out like this, that we cannot get an eternal joy wrapped up in a worldly thought of hallmark happiness. [00:34:27] (46 seconds)  #BeyondHallmarkJoy

I believe we battle with not really believing peace, joy, or hope can come. Because you ain't seen it yet. I really, like, like, I think there was this, Hey, don't be afraid of the music. Don't be afraid of the lights. But I also think, don't be afraid of the message. Because they were out there. This is a people who've longed for peace. People who have longed for joy. People who have longed for this Messiah. And they've heard over and over and over different fake or false ones that have come. But nothing has ever been substantial enough to be it. [00:41:03] (45 seconds)  #TrustTheMessage

Listen, you've bought into the lie of whatever Christmas has fed you in the world where you're like, this year's going to be different. I'm going to instill the advent into my kids and they're going to be so excited about the Savior and Messiah. And we still, after we boil it all down, have been chasing after something at the store. And we're so worried. And listen, we probably, all of us, are in a boat where we don't need to be spending all that money. We have this deep down fear that we cannot even get a hold of whatever peace, whatever joy, whatever hope, whatever love possibly could be. [00:41:49] (37 seconds)  #StopChasingPerfectChristmas

The Christmas story is an indictment before it is a delight. Before you enjoy the birth of Jesus in the gospel and understand its fullness, you must know that the reason that baby had to die was because of you and me, because we have a sin problem. It's so easy for us to glance over that, to push the cross aside and just look at the manger. It's joy, yes, but the real joy and the real hope and the real peace and the real love is in the fact that we have to understand and know that we have a sin problem, and in order for Christmas to be fully realized Jesus had to be slain. [00:50:34] (74 seconds)  #ChristmasIndictment

Happiness doesn't long for anything but to be happy. But biblical joy longs deeply for Jesus. So at the end of this year if happiness is what you tried to chase and you got it, it's short lived and it's probably gone. But if you are chasing deep Biblical joy then you're chasing after Jesus with every breath, with every breath that you have. And even though you may be tired, even though you may get a little weary, even though you may not know the exact coordinates of the next location that you need to be, you are faithfully going towards Jesus because your joy is in Him and not anything else. [01:09:12] (50 seconds)  #JoyLongsForJesus