One of my favorite Christmas carols that we sing every year, and one of the most famous in the world is, is Joy to the World. But what you might not know about that song is that Joy to the World wasn't originally written as a Christmas Carol. You see, back in 1719, there was a pastor and poet whose name was Isaac Watts, who wrote a collection of poems based on interpretations and reflections of the Book of Psalms. And so, uh, Isaac Watts studying the Psalms and seeing the promises in the Old Testament described how they were actually fulfilled in the New. And so Joy to the World was originally written as a direct reflection from Psalm 98. That is, obviously, hundreds of years before the Christmas story. Let me read a few verses from Psalm 98. In verse 2, it says, the Lord has made known his salvation. He has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. Verse 4, it says, make a joyful noise to the Lord all the earth. Break forth into joyous song and sing praises. In verse 6, it says, make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord. And so here was a song written about a king. About the coming of the king and how all of the world and all of creation. Really was to adore him as such. Then over 100 years later, in 1848, there was a gentleman named Lowell Mason, who was inspired by the melodies of George Frideric Handel. Think of Handel's Messiah and others. And when you took the music from Mason and Handel, and matched it with the lyrics from Watts, it created in what naturally became a Christmas anthem, Joy to the world. Now, I'm not the band, nor pretend to be, but I'm gonna ask for your help here and just think about these lyrics, and I just want to sing the opening together. Here, you need your help here. And, and to sing joy to the world, but I want you to think about the fact that it's actually not a Christmas. I want you to hear it for the first time. Not from the point of view of Christmas, but from the point of view of the Psalms. So let's sing this together. Joy to the world, the Lord has come. Let earth receive her king. Every heart prepare him. And heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and heaven and nature sing. That was good, y'all. That was good. Way better than last hour. Brandon, sign him up. Sign him up. We need to launch a choir ASAP. And not me on it, but. So the question of. Christmas is not simply did Jesus come because he came. And there's a baby born in a manger. But the reality of not just a baby born in a manger, but that we have a king who's coming back. So the question isn't, did Jesus come? The question is, will we receive him? Or in the line of that carol. Will we make him room? I want you to think about the innkeeper for just a moment. who was so close to being able to claim His inn was the birthplace of Jesus. But they didn't receive him because it was so full. Can you imagine what he could claim? The king was born here. Right? The king was born here and they they could, you know, they could have all kinds of specials, like, if it's good enough for the savior, it's good enough for you. Like, think about how close they came, right? We love, we love in our culture to acknowledge where famous people eat and drink and, and go, right? If you, if you've been to a restaurant, maybe they have celebrities and signed pictures like Tom Hanks ate here, Michael Jordan sat there, or if you're a food critic person like Guy Ferrari ordered this off the venue menu, and then they highlight the menu, right? We, we love it when people go certain places because we want to also go to those places. I remember a few years ago, my wife and I took a trip away, I just to uh escape the kids for a few minutes, and uh we went and we found the place, uh, the home that was used in the movie Father of the Bride. You seen that movie? It's a beautiful home. It's a beautiful neighborhood. Um, we were walking around and, and it was just so cool to see. Here's a movie that was a classic here for us growing up. Now, if I feel old, you have to feel old. OK, so I'm gonna bring you in on it. Do you know how old Steve Martin was when he made that? I remember thinking, oh, he's so old. Uh, he was 45 turning 46 when he made that movie. OK, and so now being in my forties, I'm like, OK, I guess we're there. Uh, no longer young, and I, I just hurt myself doing that, um. But we love to see places where, quote unquote famous people or famous things happen and and hear the end almost was the birthplace of Jesus. Why, why weren't they? Because they were full. And as crazy as that sounds, I wonder how many of us. It's so close to experiencing Jesus. But yet our minds, our hearts, our homes are filled with so many things, so many stresses, so many doubts and worries and questions that we don't have room for Jesus. This evening's message is entitled Make Room for Joy. Because I want to challenge you and encourage you to make room for Jesus this Christmas. But here's what I know. I know that for many walking into this room today, it's hard to sing joy to the world, because what you're walking through or what you've come through this past year is anything but joyful. Some of you are walking through incredibly difficult situations and circumstances, or maybe you got a health diagnosis that you weren't expecting, or maybe you're grieving the loss of a loved one, or maybe you're grieving the consequences of your own bad choices, or maybe you're in the ripples effects of the bad choices of somebody else, or maybe the business turned or things are lost or the bills came due, and so you're walking in and you're gonna sing the words joy to the world, but you're struggling. I want you to know that joy is still possible for you. Because when you read scripture, you read characters who struggled. Characters who had questions and shortcomings and faults and doubts, and yet they still found joy. How? Well, I know this to be true this Christmas, that joy becomes possible. When Jesus becomes personal. Joy becomes possible when Jesus becomes personal, not some idea, not some tradition. But personal Lord and Savior in your life. Now I don't know when Jesus became personal for you. But for me, Jesus became personal in several stages and ages of my life. Jesus became personal for me when I was young, thanks to the faithfulness of God-fearing and honoring parents. Who taught me the Bible, just took me to church and something as simple as going to a kid's class and learning those Bible stories was enough for me to be interested in Jesus. Jesus became personal to me when I was a teenager and experience him on my own, not as part of my family, not even part of the church, but, but on a retreat or a camp or an experience like wow, that maybe God is real. Jesus became personal for me when in college and playing sports, I tore my ACL and my identity as an athlete had to change just like that. Or the chance encounter, I'm at a 4th of July barbecue, and I meet the new pastor in town. His name is Craig Craig Miller. It wasn't even his house, we're at the Potter's house. 4th of July barbecue, I'm holding the cheeseburger and and contemplating what I'm supposed to do with my life, feeling called by God to do something in ministry, and here they have an opening at a church right there. But I remember it wasn't easy either. I, I jumped in now as a college student in full in the ministry, and a first month on the job, uh, a local teen, not a part of our church, to his life. And now I had these teens and and people of the town coming to me looking for advice, which I didn't even know which way was up at the time. I remember a few months in, first ministry gig, I, well-meaning adults invited me over for dinner, which is great as a college student, I'll take any free food I can get. And as I sat down and I took my first bite, they pulled out a 4-page single spaced list of everything I had gone wrong up to that point. To which I replied, is that it? All right, doing pretty good. You know, in my years of ministry, I've seen God in some of the most unique places. I think about in a hut with, with mud floors in Ecuador, kids praising God. In, I think, about a school in, uh, just after a riot in El Salvador. I, I think of convicted murderers in a Mexican prison. Or orphans who know nothing of family, praising Jesus with the most joy I've ever seen. I think through tough times, when my wife and I, after the birth of our first experienced back to back miscarriages. Wondering if we're gonna have kids again. Not only did we end up having a child that we have a special place in our heart for, but also God placed then on our heart, what became a calling into foster care and adoption, and now my youngest daughter's 9. It was in a Christmas Eve service. That was my last on staff at a church. I'd already committed to stepping away to plant a new church. And I remember sitting in a Christmas Eve service. Going, OK, God, are you real? Because I just quit a job and I had a month of savings and a call from God and I'm sitting here joy to the world and no source of income for the following month. And we've seen all the ups and downs of these 1st 7 years of a church plant and a church start. And I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is real, Jesus is real, and that joy is possible because for me, Jesus is personal. But don't just take my word for it. Let's take a look at some of these characters in the Christmas story. In Matthew chapter 2. Verse 10 and 11, we, we hear the story of the wise men. And when the wise men saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and they worshiped him. Then opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. Over the last month as a church family, we've been studying the, the story of the wise men and, and we discussed an interesting fact. That when they saw the star is when they had joy. They didn't just have joy, they rejoice exceedingly with great joy. But it's wild to me is that's verse 10, but they don't meet Jesus until verse 11. And the reason that's important is because they didn't get the results that they were waiting on to have joy. That on their journey, on their way, while they were searching, while they were waiting, they still experience joy. You see, as Christians, sometimes we think we need the results, when in reality, we don't need results. What we need is a revelation from God. Joy is possible in the middle of challenges, because joy is not based on your circumstances. Joy is based on the God who presents Himself to you and then works through you and in your circumstances. So that time and situation and challenge again, in the middle of those unanswered questions, in the middle of the doubts, in the middle of the brokenness, you have somebody to cry out to who's in the valley with you and will lead you to the other side, and in the middle of all of that joy is possible. Because the wise men came from a far distance, and it was on their journey they experienced joy. But they weren't the only ones to experience joy. Let's take a look at some other characters in Luke chapter 2. Verse 10, it says the angel said to the shepherds, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you was born this day in the city of David, a savior, who is Christ the Lord. See, Joy found the wise man on the journey. In this case, Joy found the shepherds at work, alone at night, in the darkness. Right? Shepherds were the blue collar, uneducated jobs, like it was not pretty. And then if you're working the night shift, Right? It's like lowest level. And yet, that's where God makes the announcement, right? The wise men. Got the message through the star. Shepherd's got the message through an angel. Like, can you imagine getting that call as an angel? Like that's probably a big deal, right? Like that angel's probably like the Rudolph of the angels, you know what I'm saying? Like, hey, you get to announce the coming of Jesus, right? But do you ever wonder if the angel like questioned the location a little bit? Like this is your moment, like you exist forever, right? This is it. Like I'm here. This is my job, right? Like before you go out from angel heaven and and going down, right? Is it like getting ready? Like, are they looking in the mirror like the teens, like, it's my hair, right? OK, looking good, looking good, Mike, OK, OK, we're good. All right, angels going down and we come down and you're getting ready to make this announcement. You look down and it's the shepherds. Maybe you go back into the cloud a little bit like, oh God. Is this the right location? I know GPS and like DoorDash and Uber Eats doesn't come till 2000 years later, but like, is this the right spot? Cause wouldn't you think an angel is gonna announce to the highest level of people, to the most amount of people in the, the most renowned time, right? Like a festival, a temple time, a feast, a king, a, a priest, a Pharisee, a large group of, like, wouldn't you think that would be where the angel goes? But instead, the angel goes to the shepherds by themselves at work in complete darkness. Why is that important for you and me? Because just as joy is possible. In the journey, joy is possible in the darkness. That even when you're not searching for God, God can find you. And it's good news of great joy for all people. So it's not just for the shepherds, it's for you and me too. Because what do they do about it? Let's continue reading. Let's jump down to verse 16. And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in the manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart, and the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen as it had been told to them. How did the shepherds respond? Well, in verse 16, we see that they obeyed. They obeyed, they moved, right? They went. Then in verse 17, it says, they made known all that had been said to them. They shared. Here is the uneducated people who probably don't have the best language, let's be real, right? Don't have the best. You know, language and linguistics and and the education and grammar and all the things, but they become the mouthpiece of the story to others. So they obey, they move, and they share. But then it says all who heard it wondered. See, An encounter with Christ inspires a response. So when they shared, people wondered. When you live, when you share, do people wonder? Not like wonder, like, right? Like do they wonder why are you different? What is the message? Where is that joy coming from? How is that joy possible? And then we learn in there. That Mary treasured up all these things, which means the obedience of the shepherds, the message of the shepherds weren't just meant for them, it was also meant for her. See, when you obey, when you move, when you share, when you serve, it's not just for your benefit, it's for the benefit of others. You could be the messenger of the good news for people in this community and beyond. But what's wild to me then in verse 20 is when it goes to, and the shepherds returned. One day they're shepherds, then they encountered the savior Jesus, and then the next day they're shepherds. That seems crazy to me. You just go back And so I spent more time in prayer and reflection and realized That that's very realistic, isn't it? See, some of you have come tonight from very challenging situations. And while my prayer and hope that you encounter Jesus tonight, maybe for the first time or maybe in a fresh way, the reality is you're gonna go back to where you came from, aren't you? You're gonna go back to the same house, you're gonna go back to the same relationships, you're gonna go back to the same bills, you're gonna go back to the same stresses and worries and issues and doubts and struggles. And so what's encouraging about the shepherds. Is that while they went back to the same situation, they were forever changed. How do we know that? Because they went back glorifying and praising God. See, the situation didn't change, but they were forever changed. Their heart, their minds were changed. Why? Because joy became possible. When Jesus became personal. So we see the wise men had a response. We see the shepherds had a response. What about us? The Gospel of John chapter 1 puts it this way in verse 12. Says in all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. Who were born not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. And here's the Christmas story, verse 14, and the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as the only son from the Father, full of grace and truth. You see, tonight we celebrate a miracle. Because Christmas isn't just simply tradition or nostalgia, or or made up or little wooden figurines. Christmas is reality. It's history. It's his story of his power and person and presence coming to earth so that you and I can know him. You see, he took on the limitations by putting on flesh. So he put on the limitations of his humanity without sacrificing the powers of his divinity, full of grace and truth, and then lived a perfect life to model for us. What humility and love and sacrifice and agape and service and sacrificial love really looks like, and then claiming to be the one and only way to the heavenly Father, and so those that know Him, know the Father, so those that put our trust in Him can know Him and can have joy. And can love and serve as he has loved and served because he understands. He knows what it's like to go through hard times. He knows what it's like to be betrayed, he knows what it's like to be tempted. And in all those things, it says in Hebrews chapter 12. Right, it talks about running the race, putting aside the things that hinder us like sin. And fixing our eyes on Jesus. And here's what's crazy, is the next phrase that says, fix your eyes on Jesus, who Considered it joy. What he endured on the cross. The cross wasn't joyful. Right? doesn't mean your situation is joyful. It doesn't mean that what's happening to you is good. Right? Right before Easter, what do we call that Friday? Good Friday. Why is that good? It's not good because of the pain, it's good because of what it meant. And so for whatever you're walking through, know that when you believe in Jesus, you receive that identity as a son or daughter of God. And you receive that joy into your life that transforms not only your life, but every single life that you interact with. Love put on flesh so that we could experience his presence. Because joy becomes possible when Jesus becomes personal. The wise man responded, The shepherds responded. So let me ask you, how will you respond to Jesus this Christmas? I think sometimes we overcomplicate it. So let's go right to his word. What, what does he tell us in Romans chapter 10, verses 9 and 10? He says this If you declare with your mouth, Jesus is Lord. And you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. You will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess, and profess your faith and are saved. Are you willing to confess with your mouth and believe in your heart? That Jesus is Lord and he's savior. That is what brings you joy. That is the purpose and the reason for Christmas. Joy has come to this world. And Jesus came in the most humble way imaginable. Using the wise men, that people come from afar, using the shepherds, God meets you, yes, on the journey, but also in the night to come bring good news of great joy for all people, but that good news is a savior. Jesus has come, but know this, that Jesus is coming back. And for believers, that is what gives us joy. And that our darkness, our suffering, our battles are temporary. For those that come to know him. So here's what I'd like to do. I want to give you an opportunity Self-identify where you are on your faith journey tonight. So I invite you right now, everyone take that card back out. OK, the top part, that's, that's for the community, that's for charity, OK? Regardless of what you mark that we're making donations. The middle part, that's for us, we wanna come alongside, help and bless your family. OK, let us know. The bottom part here is for you. I want you to mark the letter that best represents you. OK. Everyone should be able to mark something. A is I'm already a Christian. I, I already not just in name, but like I live that like, I believe in Jesus as Lord and as savior of my life. Not perfectly, but I know him. That's you, mark that letter. And I, I love this one because this is really, you don't even have to have all the answers for this one, OK? This is like, I, I don't know fully what's going on, but that Jesus you talked about tonight, I wanna know him, and I wanna have a personal relationship with God. If you want to begin a relationship with Jesus today, if you wanna put your faith in Him. I want you To Mark B. See, I'd like to consider it more first. This is for the person that says, hey, I'm intrigued by that, but if I'm being honest, I'm not quite there. That's OK. We're we're just being real, OK? And in fact, I encourage you to come back January 4th. We're gonna have a new series trying to answer some of those questions, right? Mark that letter. And then Dee, look, I respect the honesty here, right? And Dee just says, I don't intend to make a decision at this time. That's OK. That you are marking identifying where you are on this journey. A, B, C, or D. Here's what I'd like to do. I'd like to take a moment and address those who marked B on the card. Because if you wanna begin a relationship with Jesus, I want you to know you can do that today. You can do that right now and I wanna show you how. It's not magic in these words. It's not magic in these prayers, but we're just gonna live out what we just read from Romans chapter 10. We're gonna confess with our mouth and believe in our heart. That Jesus is Lord. So I invite everybody here to close your eyes and bow your heads for just a moment. And if you marked B on that card, and you want to begin a relationship with Jesus today, I want you to pray along with me. Dear Heavenly Father, I know that I'm a sinner. I've been trying to find joy in other areas of life, but I wanna have a personal encounter with you. I believe that you are Lord and Savior, that you died on a cross for my sins. I was buried and you rose again on the 3rd day. Making joy and forgiveness and true life possible. I commit my life to you. I receive you into my life. And I commit to you today. I confess with my mouth and believe in my heart that you are Lord, you are God, and you are savior. And with eyes closed and head still bowed. I think there's value when you're attach a physical action. To a spiritual reality. So no one's looking around right now, but I want this for you to have this moment between you and God. And I also want to pray for you. So on the count of 3, if you pray to receive Jesus into your life tonight, I want you to raise your hand. One Know that God loves you. That he's here, this is your decision, that you are making this. 2 That God is present here in this room. And that you're receiving him as Lord and Savior, and you want to start that relationship with him tonight. 3, if you pray that prayer with me, would you raise your hand right now? No one looking around. Amen. Amen. Amen. If we raise that hand high so I can see and be praying for you. Amen. Amen. A man In the back. Amen. Amen. I want to pray one more time for us here, you can put your hands down. Let's pray together. Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for those who've put their faith and trust in you this Christmas. God, this is the biggest decision they could ever make. Understanding that true joy comes from knowing you as Lord and Savior. For the rest of us, may we be reminded not to fill our hearts and our minds and our lives too much to where we don't have any room for you. But in our relationship and knowing you, that we find our peace and our joy that can only come from you. We lift, we lift up our lives and our families and our commitments to you this Christmas. So we pray. Amen.