Joy to the World

Happy Sunday and merry Christmas. One of the fun parts of retirement is that Jeanie and I can go visit lots of churches. It's fun for me to go. I love the freedom that comes with no responsibility whatsoever.

I just get to go worship. Last week we visited church for the very first time and we sat in a pew oh about midway and a lady a few years older than us sat right in front of us. She was headed to the choir so she left her coat and saved her pew for her husband and her son. She introduced herself and was so very kind and then she headed to the platform to join the choir.

Shortly thereafter, her husband and son came and sat in front of us. Her son is named Jonathan. He's a special needs man. I'd guess he's around 50 and he has a capacity of a young child, if that.

After the choir sang, she came down and sat with her son and her husband, and they were so very sweet. Jeanie and I sat there in awe of this couple. Their world was different from ours. However, they had the same joy, and I was impressed.

As Christmas approaches today, I want to talk about joy. As we begin, let me define joy. Joy is a celebration of the soul. Joy is a gift from God.

Joy is only for Christians and joy is independent of circumstance. In 1888, a man named Ernest the wrote a poem called Casey at the Bat. I have no idea why I know that poem. I I guess kids were taught this in school 50 years ago, maybe.

The poem is about a baseball player named Casey. He was a great hitter and he was up to bat in the bottom of the ninth inning and his team was down four to two. There were two men on base and there were two outs and Casey could win the game with a home run and yet it did not happen. This is the last verse of the poem.

But there is no joy in Mudville. Mighty Casey has struck out. This example from the sports world is interesting to me. There is no joy in Mudville.

Mighty Casey has struck out. The poet confuses joy with happiness here. Joy does not come when your team wins. Joy does not leave when your team loses.

If you have joy, it's a gift from God that can never be taken away. It's also a gift from God that we must choose every day. One of my favorite Christmas stories is from Luke chapter 2, the encounter the shepherds had with a group of angels. I begin reading at verse 8.

Now in that same region, there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone all around them. And they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid.

For see, I am bringing you good news of great joy, good news of great joy for all the people. To you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior who is the Messiah, the Lord." The angels promised not just joy, but great joy. The word is actually mega mega joy.

This is a byproduct of our faith. There's no other way in this universe to have joy without faith in Jesus Christ. When we place our lives in the hands of Jesus, joy is a byproduct. You likely know these words from Galatians 5:22.

The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Once the spirit of God is in our lives, we will have these characteristics. Joy is second on the list right after love. In the book of first Peter, we find these words in verses 6 to8 chapter 1.

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead. Even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine.

It is being tested as fire test and purifies gold. Though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. You love him even though you have never seen him.

And though you do not see him now, you trust him and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressable joy. Those words were written to Christian people who had to flee their homes and start life over. After Rome burned in 64 AD, Nero blamed Christians for the fire, and he himself was responsible for it. History tells us the book of first Peter was written to God's chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontius, Galatia, Capacia, Asia, and Bethia.

That's from verse one, chapter 1. Knowing who this was addressed to, let me read those verses again. Now, these are people who've lost everything and have moved away. And they are told, "Be truly glad.

There's wonderful joy ahead." Even though you must endure many trials for a little while, these trials will show that your faith is genuine. It's being tested as fire test and purifies gold. Though your faith is far more precious than mere gold.

So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. You love him even though you have never seen him. And though you do not see him now, you trust him and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressable joy. That's good stuff.

Joy comes when we forget our circumstances and we concentrate on our destination. I thank the couple that sat in front of us last Sunday for their joy. May the joy of Christmas always be in you. As I close today, I want to thank those of you have who have financially supported this ministry over 2025.

Many of you have remembered David Shivers Ministries in your year-end giving, and I truly appreciate it. If you'd like to give, there are instructions on my website, davidshivers.com. And please know that this is taxdeductible and you will receive a year-end receipt early in January of 2026. Also, if you would hit the like button and subscribe if that's on your platform that you're watching today with, if you would do that, that would help get this message out to more folks.

Merry Christmas. Pray with me. God, thank you for joy. joy that I see in people whose lives have been tough, but they're not focused on their lives.

They're focused on you. Thank you for the news of good news, of great joy for all people. And thank you, we're among those people. Bless us as only you can.

And let us be people of joy always. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen. God bless.

Have a great day.