Good News of Great Joy Luke 2:8-14 8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men! This is the season when we remember that Jesus was born and that God came to bring us good news of great joy. So what is good news of great joy for you today? Good News is God is not angry with you. The angels of God were praising and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men! God was letting us know that He is at peace with all people. And that He has come to demonstrate His goodness and kindness towards us.
You see, the O.T showed us a God that seemed to be angry with man all the time. But it was never like that. From the garden of Eden, God was showing us His heart toward His children. Wanting them to have the best and live in a place free from sin. But as a result of sin that entered in, sin caused a separation between God and man. But God was always working, cutting covenant with men, so that He could have an opening to bless man. When Jesus was born, it was good news of great joy because now God once again had the opportunity through Jesus, to come in permanently and restore man s relationship with Him. Romans 5:1 NKJV Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, You see, before you can have the peace OF God, you need to first have peace WITH God. So many want to have peace in their lives without the Prince of Peace. So God is not angry with you. He is not in heaven with a big stick waiting to hit you, to punish you when you do wrong, or when you make a mistake. Isaiah 54:9 NKJV For this is like the waters of Noah to Me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you. When bad happens to people, many people say, God is getting you for that?, God is busy speaking to you?, God is angry with you. What a lie. God swore that He will never be angry with you. 2 Cor 5:19 Amp It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to
favor with Himself, not counting up and holding against [men] their trespasses [but cancelling them], and committing to us the message of reconciliation (of the restoration to favor). God has restored you to favour with Himself. You have favour with God. God is not counting up all your trespasses, sins and mistakes. He has cancelled them and He has thrown them into the sea of forgetfulness. Micah 7:18-19 NKJV Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquity And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy. 19 He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea. So today, if you feel far from God, then it s time for you to draw near to Him and He will again have compassion on you. Receive and rejoice in the good news that God is not angry with you. HE LOVES YOU. Good News of Great Joy is that God has chosen you. Jesus was born in a manger in Bethlehem. Now a manger is a feed trough. A manger is a feeder that is made of wood and is used to hold food for animals.
That is where Jesus was born. He wasn t born in a royal palace. Jesus was also born in Bethlehem. A place that was not so popular and so spectacular. It wasn t a place that people made a big fuss of. Micah 5:2 NKJV But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting. Jesus was born in a manger, in a small town in order to identify with those who feel so low, and so small, and so despised because of sin. But God also shows that He can clean you up and raise you up and use you to be a ruler in His Kingdom. The Bible says there was no room in the inn for Joseph and Mary and for their baby Jesus. And perhaps you feel like that today, that nobody has room in their hearts for you. But know this! Jesus sees you. He knows you and He will place you in a family that will love and minister to you. With Jesus today, You can be alone and yet not be lonely. Good news is He is Emmanuel (He is with you today) Good news is You are forgiven Good news is He loves you Jesus came to identify with the lowest of the low. He came so that those who feel unworthy, insignificant, rejected, outcast, low-born can now have a future that is bright and secure in Him.
The scripture said, Glory to God in the Highest. The Most High was born in the most low so that we who were born in the most low could be raised up with the Most High. God reveals the good news of Jesus birth to Shepherds. People who were not considered to be of high and noble birth. Shepherds were humble. They watched their flock by night, that means they had a mindset of thinking of others. If you feel little and small then be encouraged that God has chosen you. That is why we must not overlook and despise our children. In the natural right now, they might be like the furthest person from God and we think that child will never ever follow God. But God doesn't see as man sees. Man looks on the outside but God looks on the heart, the inside. When people saw David, they saw a shepherd boy but when God saw David, He saw a king. Don t ever write people off and especially your children. God still has a plan for their lives. I found that God loves to choose nobodies and turn them into somebodies. David was overlooked, ignored, not considered, rejected by family and friends yet God still chose him. If you are being overlooked, ignored, not considered then you are the exact person that God will use to do great things for Him. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 Amp For [simply] consider your own call, brethren; not many [of you were considered to be] wise according to human estimates and standards, not many influential and powerful, not many of high and noble birth. 27 [No] for God selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is foolish to put the wise to shame, and what the world calls weak to put the strong to shame. 28 And God also selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is lowborn and insignificant and branded and treated with contempt, even the things that are nothing, that He might depose and bring to nothing the things that are,
29 So that no mortal man should [have pretense for glorying and] boast in the presence of God. God chose you. Accept His acceptance of you. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Stop saying, Oh God, why me, I am so incapable, I am so old, I am so poor and useless, why choose me. Listen, God knows your future better than you know your past. Stop making excuses as to why God can t use you. You have been born into THE ROYAL FAMILY OF GOD. Don t look at where and how you were born into this earth into your natural family. Look at what you have inherited by being born again into the Spiritual Family of God. 1 Peter 2:9 NKJV But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people You have been chosen and You are royalty. Royalty has the best, royalty lives in the best, royalty drives the best and royalty eats the best. You are special, God s own special people. You can be special now for the rest of your born-again life. Have a Merry Christmas. Go out and have a joyful and peaceful Christmas and a glorious New Year, knowing that God is not angry with you. He loves you and He has chosen you. Now that is Great News of Great Joy that Jesus came to bring you. And like those Shepherds did, don t keep this good news for yourself, go and make it known to others.. Pastor Lester Holland Sunday Message 25 th December 2017