Bulletins - First Baptist Church of Huntersville West Virginia

Joy To The World
Before we start this weeks message let me cover the points from what we missed last week. Last weeks message was titled: Peace: The Calm Before the King and we focused on Luke 2:8-14 the announcement to the shepherds.
The announcement of peace was a declaration of victory
The announcement of peace was for everyone
Peace often comes in the midst of chaos
Our biggest obstacle to peace isn’t worldly… it is spiritual
Luke 1:46–55 CSB
46 And Mary said: My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 because he has looked with favor on the humble condition of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed, 49 because the Mighty One has done great things for me, and his name is holy. 50 His mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear him. 51 He has done a mighty deed with his arm; he has scattered the proud because of the thoughts of their hearts; 52 he has toppled the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly. 53 He has satisfied the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering his mercy 55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he spoke to our ancestors.
I want to clarify a few points in the birth narrative.
The first is the timeline - while we cannot be 100% certain because the authors didn’t specifically say they is some general understanding in the order of events…. 1. Marry and Joseph are betrothed which in Jewish custom made the legally “husband and wife”
2. Gabriel visits Mary and informs her of God’s plan to use her as the one who will give birth to the promise Messiah
3. Mary goes to Elizabeth - Gabriel told Mary, Luke 1:36–37 “36 And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”” - Mary’s visit to Elizabeth was a confirmation of God’s promise - as a family member Mary would be there to support Elizabeth in the final months of her pregnancy - Elizabeth also became a prophetic witness to Mary’s pregnancy, Luke 1:42–45 “42 Then she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and your child will be blessed! 43 How could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken to her!””
4. Mary returns home after 3 months - she is most likely showing physical signs of being pregnant and thus confirms what Joseph may have heard - the angel visits Joseph and then the 2 get married
Now back to our story… Mary has just entered Elizabeth’s house, John leaped in the womb when he heard Mary’s voice, Elizabeth made her proclamation… then we get Mary’s reaction called the Magnificat…
Let God define joy instead of your circumstances.
Mary’s circumstances are not ideal - she is most likely a teenager (around 16), engaged so she faces the legality of marriage without actually going through the process, she is facing a massive case of “people just don’t understand”, she is carrying a heavy weight of responsibility
Joy is not found in the absence of hardship - it is found in the presence of God
If we allow God to be bigger (because He is) that what we are facing we will find joy.
We cannot wait for life to improve to find joy… we need to cry out like Mary and magnify the Lord letting our spirit rejoice in our Savior.
Our joy should be anchored by what God has done, not what we hope He might do.
Look at how much of Mary’s praise it looking backward at what God has done - He looked favorably on His servant, He has done great and mighty things, He has shown mercy, He brings justice against the proud and mighty, and He has exalted the lowly.
The past is an indicator of the future though for humans it isn’t set in stone but with God… He is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Joy isn’t just blind optimism - it is built on memory, memory of all that God has done before, knowing that if He has done it before He can and will do it again.
Let’s be clear, I’m speaking in general terms - the action God takes may not come in the same form as before… think about this - God saved the world by putting Noah and his family on the ark, God saved the world by having Joseph sold into slavery to get him in position to counsel Pharoah, He also saved the world by coming into this world as an infant in order to die on a cross… He will save the world one last time by returning as the KING of KINGS.
Don’t let you joy fade by forgetting what God has done…
The joy of the Lord will reorder what you value and how you live.
Remember Mary’s song flips the world upside down: the proud are scattered, the humble lifted, the hungry filled and the rich sent away empty
Biblical joy doesn’t leave us unchanged - it rearranges our priorities… joy isn’t passive, it’s disruptive.
When Jesus has brought joy into your life it will affect: how you view power, how you treat others, what you cling to , and what you let go of
Let joy move you outward.
Mary sings her praise to the Lord, sharing it with Elizabeth…
Luke 2:10–11 “10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.”
The shepherd were given the news that is great joy and it was for all people…. look what they did - Luke 2:16–19 “16 They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. 17 After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them.”
They saw the promise, the met the joy the angels told them about and they went and told…
Joy moves us toward worship, toward testimony and toward obedience.
Think about when someone receives good life-changing news: a pregnancy, a clean medical report, a soldier coming home… they don’t sit silently, joy seeks an outlet.
We had a pastor, when I was a kid, who had a unique laugh… he laughed like he told a joke and no one else laughed so it trailed (demonstrate)
Joy that stays inward or silent eventually fades… when it is shared, joy is contagious and it multiplies.
Joy isn’t controlled by circumstances, anchored in wishes, content to leave life unchanged, or meant to stay private
Joy is rooted in what God has done, reshapes how we live and moves us outward toward others.
That’s why the angels didn’t whisper the news - the announced it in glorious fashion
Joy like this… changes everything.
- - Luke 1:46–55CSB

Let God define joy instead of your circumstances.

Our joy should be anchored by what God has done, not what we hope He might do.

The joy of the Lord will reorder what you value and how you live.

Let joy move you outward.

Luke 1:46–55CSB