Good News of Great Joy

Good News of Great Joy

Steve W. Reeves

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

A. If I were to ask you, “Are you a joyful person,” how would you answer?
    1. Happiness is superficial. Joy is deep within your heart.
    2. Happiness is circumstantial. Joy is abiding.
    3. Happiness comes and goes. Joy remains.
B. Joy is an important part of living a Christian life.
    1. In John 15:11 Jesus told His disciples, ^“These things I have spoken to you so that 
        My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”
    2. In Philippians 4:4 Paul wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always, and
        again I say, rejoice.”
    3. In Galatians 5:21 Paul lists joy as a component of the fruit of the Spirit.
C. If your physical heart is deprived of oxygen rich blood it will be weakened and
    die. Joy is the oxygen of the soul. If it is cut off your spiritual life will suffer.    
    1. Your ability to share Christ with others will be hindered if they cannot see the joy of
        the Lord in your life.
    2. Your strength and stamina to bear life’s burdens will be weakened.       
D. Is it possible to have joy in a world like ours? Can a person have joy in the midst of
    escalating violence, scandal, conflict, suffering and death?     .   
    1. The answer is, “yes.”
    2. It was into such a world, filled with strife, slavery, sin and suffering, that Jesus was
        born prompting the angel to announce, “I bring you good news of great joy.” 
    3. Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth of Jesus helps us understand the joy Christ brought
        into the world.      
 
I. THE JOY OF FULFILLMENT 
    A. Have you ever waited for a promise to be fulfilled?  Can you imagine waiting 750
        years for a promise to be realized? Seven hundred fifty years before Jesus was
        born a prophet named Micah made a startling announcement. In Micah 5:2, “But
        as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From
        you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago,
        From the days of eternity.”
        1. Micah’s prediction about the little town of Bethlehem was dramatic because of
            the insignificance of this little village.
        2. Its name means, “house of bread.” It was more of a country crossroads than a
            town in Micah’s time. When Jesus was born Bethlehem was still a small
            village. It was certainly not the setting into which you would think God’s Son
            would be born.
        3. Luke records that in the days of Caesar Augustus (30 B.C. -14 A.D.) a man   
            named Joseph from the house of David traveled 80 miles from Nazareth with
            Mary, who was carrying the child promised by God (Luke 1:26-38).
    B. The birth of Jesus was the joyful fulfillment of God’s promise.  
        1. When Mary visited Elizabeth in Luke 1:39-45, Elizabeth’s baby, John, jumped for
            joy within her womb.    
        2. When Jesus was born an angel of the Lord announced to shepherds nearby, “I
            bring you good news of great joy.” He was joined by the angels singing, “Glory
            to God in the highest and on earth, peace among men with whom He is
            pleased.”
        3. When the infant Jesus was taken to Jerusalem where he was presented in the
            temple, there were two individuals, Simeon and Anna, who rejoiced at his
            appearing. Both of them recognized that this child was the fulfillment of the Old
            Testament promises concerning the coming of a deliverer.
    C. Among all of these people there was a tremendous sense of fulfillment.
        1. Do you know anyone who is seeking fulfillment in life?
        2. J. Oswald Sanders wrote, “The comedian is often more unhappy than his
            audience.” That was Sander’s way of saying how we often try to mask our
            unfulfilled lives with the illusion of joy. In August of 2014 the world was shocked
            to learn that Robin Williams had committed suicide. Williams had a brilliant
            career as a comedian and actor. Yet, behind the mask was an emptiness that
            could not be filled by the accolades and applause of the world.
        3. The joy of fulfillment in your life is directly related to the birth Luke so carefully
            described in his account of Jesus’ life. In the same way the birth of Jesus
            brought the joy of fulfillment to those of His day, He can bring it to us. 
 
II. THE JOY OF FREEDOM
    A. Have you considered the things in life from which you would like to be free?
        1. Freedom from guilt?
        2. Freedom from inferiority?
        3. Freedom from ridicule or prejudice?
    B. Consider the significance of the angelic announcement. To whom was it made?
         Why was it proclaimed to shepherds instead of royalty?
        1. Shepherds were generally viewed with disdain and ridicule. They were treated
            as outcasts from society.
        2. Shepherds were not allowed in the temple. They were not permitted to give
            testimony in a court of law. They smelled like sheep.
        4. It was to these individuals that they good news of great joy came. Can you
            imagine how liberating this must have been? As the shepherds went into
            Bethlehem to find the baby, they told everyone they saw about the things that
            had happened to them.
    B. Luke understood how important freedom from bondage was. He was the only
        Gospel writer to record the angelic proclamation to the shepherds. He was also the
        only writer to record Jesus’ visit to His hometown synagogue in Luke 4. It was
        there Jesus read from Isaiah, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He
        anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release
        to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are
        oppressed, ¹⁹ To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18-19).
    C. Without the birth of Jesus you and I could never know the real meaning of
        freedom.
        1. In John 8:34-36 Jesus said to the Pharisees, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone
            who commits sin is the slave of sin. ³⁵ The slave does not remain in the house
            forever; the son does remain forever. ³⁶ So if the Son makes you free, you will
           be free indeed.”
        2. Just as the shepherds had been social outcasts we have all been spiritual
            outcasts because of the stench of sin.
        3. Without the birth of the baby in Bethlehem there would have been no freedom
            from sin. If God had not broken through the barrier of eternity into time and
            space there would have been no hope for reconciliation with God.
 
III. THE JOY OF FAITHFULNESS
    A. The birth of Jesus is a powerful testimony of God’s faithfulness to us.
        1. The advent of Jesus tells us that God has not given up on us.
        2. It reminds us that we are valuable to Him.
    B. Luke uses the word for faithfulness more than any other gospel writer (5 times in
        Luke, 1 time in Acts). 
        1. Luke 16:10 - 12 – “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much;
            and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.
                Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will
            entrust the true riches to you?  And if you have not been faithful in the use of
            that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?”      
        2. Luke 12:42 – “And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible steward,
            whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at
            the proper time?”
        3. Luke 19:17 – “And he said to him, ‘Well done, good slave, because you have
            been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities.”
    C. Do you know the joy of faithfulness in your life?
        1. Of one man it was said, “He has just enough religion in his life to keep him from
            enjoying sin and just enough sin to keep him from enjoying his religion.”
        2. Do you know the joy of complete loyalty to Christ? Jesus said, “No one can
            serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will
            be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth”
            (Matthew 6:24).
        3. Do you know the joy that comes from being faithful in worship? David said, “I
            was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord” (Psalm  
            122:1). Many people do not utilize the opportunities to come together to worship
            God. They do not find joy in such occasions. What about you?
        4. Do you practice faithfulness in your stewardship with God or are you pleased to
            give Him the left-overs of life?
    D. The birth of Jesus reminds us that God has been faithful to us even when we have
         not been faithful to Him.
 
CONCLUSION:
A. The Coca-Cola Company is a master at advertising. Many years ago they had an ad
    campaign based on the slogan, “It’s the Real Thing.” The implication, of course, was
    that other colas were cheap substitutes. They had the “real thing.”
    1. Everything Satan has to offer you is a cheap substitute for the real joy that is found
        in Christ.
    2. He may offer you pleasure, prestige, power, plenty and pride but they are
        temporary and fleeting.
    3. The “Real Thing,” is the good news of great joy that accompanied the birth of
        Jesus.
B. Are you ready to receive that joy? Will you put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ,
    turn to Him, confess His name, renounce sin and be baptized into Christ today?
C. If you are a Christian, has Satan stolen your joy and replaced it with cheap imitations.
    You can reclaim what is rightfully yours. Please come to Him today.
 
 
 

 

 

 

Discovering Jesus: A Physician's Perspective

 

Discovering Jesus

Steve W. Reeves

 

INTRODUCTION:
A. Andy Williams was a popular singer for many years. Visitors to Branson, Missouri,
    have probably seen the “Andy Williams Moon River Theater.” Several years before
    he passed away Williams went to visit a friend in one of the local nursing homes. As
    he entered the lobby he saw an elderly woman sitting in a wheelchair. He stopped
    and chatted with her and found her to be very pleasant. Finally he asked, “Do you
    know who I am?” She looked closely and said, “No, but it you’ll go to the nurses’
    station they’ll tell you who you are!”
B. The great question of our day is not, “who are you,” but “who is Jesus?”
    1. Was Jesus real or was He a mythological character?
    2. Was He the Son of God or merely a wise teacher?
    3. This is a question that refuses to go away. It is the subject of documentaries and
        debates, movies and music, novels and news.  It is just as relevant in 2018 as it
        was in the first century.     
    4. The great commentator, William Barclay said, “Real religion is a personal
       discovery.” There is no one who can make this discovery for you. You must
       investigate it yourself.
D. Half way through the first century there was a physician who wrote about the identity
    of Jesus and the impact He had on the world. His name was Luke and the two books
    he wrote were the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. Who was this man and what
    was his method for discovering Jesus?
 
I. THE MAN
    A. He was the writer of the third book in our New Testament.
       1. The books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called the “synoptic” gospels. They
            are called “synoptic” because they present a common view of Jesus. 
        2. In all likelihood Mark was the first gospel to be written. Matthew and Luke both
            used Mark as a general outline of their books.
    B. Luke was one of the most educated writers in the New Testament.
        1. He was a physician. Colossians 4:14 describes him as, “the beloved physician.”
            Physicians have inquisitive minds. They want to know, “what’s going on.” Do you
            see how this type of mind assisted Luke in his quest to discover Jesus.
        2. The extent of Luke’s scholarship can be seen in the first four verses of his book.
            In the Greek language these verses comprised one long sentence. This
            sentence is comprised of some of the most classical and formal Greek language
            in the New Testament. Luke had the ability to write in a scholarly, manner.
        3. The idea that faith cannot co-exist with scholarship is erroneous.  
 
    C. Luke was a gentile.
        1. He was from Antioch. In Acts Antioch plays an important role in the history of the
            early church. This was Luke’s “hometown.”
        2. He was the only non-Jewish writer of the gospels and perhaps of the New
            Testament.
    C. He was a missionary.
        1. We know that he traveled with the apostle Paul on his second and third
            missionary journeys.
        2. The first fifteen chapters of Acts are written as an observer. Beginning in chapter  
            16 Luke began using the word, “we,” indicating that he was traveling with Paul.
            He was an eye-witness of many things about which he wrote.
 
II. THE METHOD
    A. Luke did not make up the story of Jesus as he went along. He investigated and
        wrote with a very deliberate method. Isn’t this what you would expect of a
        physician? You do not want a physician to diagnose your health with a random
        guess. You want them to investigate and use their knowledge and expertise.
    B. Luke wrote with a three-fold strategy.
        1. Preparation
            a. Those who are students may ask, “Why do I need to know about a subject
                that seems to have no bearing on my field?” The answer is, “preparation.”
            b. Luke’s preparation is described in the first two verses of his gospel.
                “Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things
                accomplished among us, ² just as they were handed down to us by those who
                from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.”
                1.) There were many people who were eyewitnesses to the life of Jesus. The
                    miracles of Jesus, the teachings of Jesus and the compassion of Jesus
                    were not fabricated. These were facts established by eyewitness accounts.
                2.) Courtroom testimony must be based on fact, not “hearsay.” The gospel of
                    Jesus is based on eyewitness accounts.
        2. Planning
            1.) Luke’s plan is expressed in verse 3. “It seemed fitting for me as well, having
                investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in
                consecutive order.”
            2.) Luke’s plan was to investigate.
                a.) The scope of his investigation was, “everything.” He interviewed
                    eyewitnesses. He collected data. He was interested in facts.
                b.) He investigated carefully. Luke records several accounts not found in any
                    of the other gospels including, the parables of the lost sheep, lost coin and
                    lost son in Luke 15, detailed story of the thief on the cross, the story of
                    Zacchaeus and others.
            3.) Many people make assumptions about Jesus without careful investigation.
                You have no right to make a decision about Jesus without carefully
                investigating His life and the impact He has had on history.
        3. Purpose
            a. Luke’s purpose was to take everything he could learn about Jesus and
                present it in consecutive order,
            b. Did he do this so it could be placed on a shelf in a library? Notice verse 4 as
                he wrote to one referred to as, “Theophilus.”  “So that you may know the
                exact truth about the things you have been taught.”  He is writing to present
                evidence for faith (Hebrews 11:1).
 
  III. THE MESSAGE
    A. There is remarkable consistency throughout the synoptic gospels. Luke, however,
        writes as one of us.
        1. He was not Jewish. 
        2. From his gentile perspective he wrote about Jesus’ concern for those who had
            been excluded from Jewish society. The poor, the lepers and women. He
            demonstrates how every person is important to God regardless of their gender,
            their ethnicity or their economic standing. 
    B. You and I need to listen to Luke.
       1. In a deeply troubled world Luke tells us about the only one who offers lasting
            hope.
        2. In a world of political division he tells us of the one who transcends human
            authority.
        3. In a world of power, prestige and possessions, Luke tells us the real meaning of
            life is to follow the one who was born in humility.
 
CONCLUSION:
A. James Allan Francis (1864–1928) wrote a brief essay entitled, “One Solitary Life.”

 

Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another obscure village, where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty, and then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never owned a home. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put his foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself. He had nothing to do with this world except the naked power of His divine manhood. While still a young man, the tide of public opinion turned against Him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth while He was dying—and that was his coat. When he was dead He was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. Nineteen wide centuries have come and gone and today He is the centerpiece of the human race and the leader of the column of progress. I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that ever were built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that One Solitary Life.

 

B. Luke’s message is how this solitary life impacts your life. We invite you to come to

  Christ today through faith. Put your trust in Him. Turn away from a life of sin. Be
   baptized into Christ. Come back to Him if you have strayed. We welcome you.
 

 

   

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