Countdown to Christmas JOY

Countdown To Christmas Joy’s Favor

Matt 2:10-11

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. {Rejoicing and eruption of Joy} 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. NKJV

  • The phrase Exceedingly great joy…
    • Means a Violent Explosion of Spontaneous Joy!!!
    • This word exceedingly means – very, very, very, very much exceedingly bounding over and beyond!!!!!

C.S. Lewis said, “Joy is the serious Business of Heaven.”

  • Interesting to me how C.S. Lewis framed that, because when we think of being serious, rarely does Joy, laughter and giddiness come to mind…
  • Maybe when Jesus said, “Unless you become like a little child, you’ll never enter into the Kingdom of God…” Not go to Heaven, but His Kingdom…
  • They erupted into Joy…and not even seen the object they were looking for…they were simply made aware of signs he was there…

Can you read the signs all around you that he is there…and rejoice with an Explosion of Joy…even though you haven’t seen the Promise yet!

Luke 1:11-14, 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled {Shout Troubled} when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. ESV

  1. Zachariah
    1. The Lord has heard your prayer….
    2. Many commentators writers tell us that this text is actually saying – “the prayers you have stopped praying and the prayers you gave up on”…the Lord has heard those prayers!

I came to tell somebody…You need to Countdown to some Joy in Your Christmas because Prayers you quit on and assumed God was never going to Answer…God has heard Your Prayer!

Luke 1:26-28, 26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” NKJV

  1. Favor
    1. Now when God says you are favored or read the word of God, and it declares you are favored…let me just we better get eternities perspective of what Favor looks like…
    2. Mary is Favored of the Lord…
      1. Wow, I’m thinking If I heard those words…that give me some real joy…how about you….
    3. I have often said, “Favor ain’t fair” and it isn’t…but now let’s get Heaven’s perspective…
  • Mary Favored
    1. 13–15-year-old girl gets this word from God she is favored…
    2. 13–15-year-old girl is pregnant…. but favored
    3. 13–15-year-old young lady is now facing divorce from her betrothed husband to be…but favored
    4. This girl is now a candidate to be stone to be stoned to death in her culture…but at least she is favored…
    5. Her fiancé` goes ahead and marries her…but now she must question is it out of obligation or love…hey but she’s favored
    6. The only person she can speak to about it all is her aunt…but her aunt Liz is dealing with her own scandal, because she is old and now pregnant…but she is favored.
    7. Mary is hidden away by her husband, but she is favored
    8. Now at 9 months pregnant she is forced to travel by donkey and by walking 90 miles…did I mention she is favored
    9. When she gets to the Joseph’s family home…there is no room for them, so she is in a barn…favored
    10. Her son is born in a barn…but she is favored
    11. As soon as her son is born, and death warrant is put out on his head by the government…but she is favored…
    12. Soon after having her son…she is forced to get back on that donkey and walk approximately 100 – 120 miles into the interior of Egypt…all because she was Favored….

You are Right “Favor ain’t fair”…How many would like to have some favor!

  1. The Blessing of Favor
    1. I’ve got a young lady 13-15 years old…and the creator of the universe who hasn’t spoken to mankind in over 400 years, sends an Angel named Gabriel who stands in the presence of God to this little girl and tells her…You are favored…
    2. Then this young lady has encountered the Holy Spirit overshadowing her like no other person has ever experienced…except Adam and Eve when they were still in dirt form…because she was favored
    3. This girl heard the word of the Lord and Now she is Carrying the Word of the Lord…because she is favored
    4. Her fiancé` is visited by this same angel and he marries this young lady and protects her from shame and embarrassment…because she is favored.
    5. This young lady encounters her aunt and John the Baptist leaps in Liz’s womb…because of Favor
    6. She is empowered with supernatural strength to make a journey of 90 miles that most 9 month pregnant ladies could not endure…favor
    7. When she gets to the house…it is packed with so many people there would be no privacy to deliver her baby…so favor prepares a barn, a private place to give birth to promise.
    8. When her baby is born Angels explode on the scene filling the sky and telling making decrees and declarations…because a young lady lived in favor…the Son of God has come into the world
    9. The Angels told the Shepherds you have to go see and go announce…Favor
    10. 8 days after her son is born, she takes him to the temple and the Prophet Simeon…declares who the child is and the prophetic intercessor Anna declared we have prayed and prophesied for 84 years and we have beheld the Favor of God fully as the son of God
    11. Though she gave birth in a barn…they soon moved into a house…because of favor
    12. Then a group of wise men found them in the home…and worshipped…by bringing gifts…Favor
    13. Her husband is WARNED in a dream…flee to Egypt…Favor will protect you…
    14. The Magi, wisemen’s gifts paid for not just the trip, but for all the living expenses while living in Egypt…favor
  2. Closing
    1. My Advent Calendar…
      1. Snow-Globe – You don’t see the beauty until the snow globe is Troubled.
      2. You are unable to Notice the Amount of Favor on Your Life…till you are troubled…
  • Zachariah, I know you are troubled, but your Prayers have been Answered….
  1. Somebody should be filled with Joy!!!!

 

Email my notes