I'm Pastor Darrell Bailey. Thank you for joining me tonight as we get into our Sunday night message. I want to talk to you a little while about the Christmas joy that remains. If you have your copy of the scripture, will you turn with us over to two places? Luke chapter two, verse 10, and John chapter 15, verse 11. Luke chapter two, verse 10, and John chapter 15, verse 11. The Word of God says in Luke chapter 2 verse 10, And the angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. And then on further in John chapter 15 verse 11, The Word of God says, These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. Will you pray with me? Heavenly Father, we come before you this Sunday night with our hearts full of gratitude, and we thank you for sending your Son, Jesus, into the world. the greatest gift that we've ever received. And we ask now that your word would come alive into our hearts tonight. Open our eyes to see the joy that is found only in Christ. And may your spirit move in this place, filling every heart with your peace, your hope, and your everlasting joy. Let our worship be pleasing in your sight. May the message of Christmas remind us that your joy remains with us fully and completely. The joy of the Lord is our strength. In Jesus' marvelous mighty name we pray. Amen. When we look tonight, we look at and realize that the source of Christmas joy Because each and every one of us, we see that John chapter 15 reminds us that the joy we are to have is Jesus's own joy. He says, my joy. He says what? He said, these things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full. So it reminds us that the joy we have is Jesus's own joy. It's not borrowed from circumstances. It's not borrowed from possessions or human approval. Christmas celebrates Jesus entering the world, bringing life and hope. And the angel said in Luke 2, verse 10, I bring you good tidings of great joy. This joy comes from knowing Christ personally. Joy is the birthright of every child of God. Every Christian ought to have conscious joy, aware of God's presence. Conspicuous joy, visible to the world. Continuous joy, not temporary. Contagious joy, spreading to others. You see, the world may admire our celebrations, but what draws people to Christ is the joy of the Lord that's in us. And Jesus is the Jesus of joy, anointed with the oil of gladness above all. In Hebrews chapter 1 verse 9, his joy was exuberant, even leaping for joy exuberant. And this joy is available to each and every one of us tonight at Bethel Crossroads. You see, the joy of Christmas comes directly from Jesus Christ, not from our gifts, not from our celebrations, and not from our circumstances. Imagine a little child on Christmas morning, and there's toys, and there's decorations everywhere. But the child's eyes light up not because of the toys, but because mom and dad are present. They're smiling, and they're celebrating each other together. That's the picture of true joy. It comes from the source, not the circumstances. Well, people are looking for happiness in all the wrong places, but joy is a person, not a thing. And that's exactly it. Jesus is the source of Christmas joy. It's personal, it's alive, and it's unstoppable. Now, I'm gonna tell you, when we look at the joy of the Lord, it is a supernatural gift. You can't manufacture it. You receive it from the vine, because when the angel told the shepherds in Luke 2, verse 10, I bring you good tidings of great joy, he wasn't talking about toys or tinsels, he was talking about Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, and that, my friends, is your source. And so, we look and we see the source of Christmas joy that he tells us about. He said, it's my joy. Secondly, we see the stability of Christian joy because Jesus said that my joy might remain in you. He said in John chapter 15, verse 11, this joy does not fade when trouble comes. Oh no, no, you know what? It's steadfast in sorrow. Isaiah 61, verse three says, God gives us the oil of joy for the morning. And I'm glad triumphant in tribulations. In 2 Corinthians 7, verse 4, we're told, I am exceedingly joyful in all tribulations. We're abundant in affliction. In 1 Thessalonians 1, verse 6, in much affliction with joy of the Holy Spirit. You see, Christmas joy is not dependent on gifts, parties, or family gatherings. It's rooted in Christ. It remains when all else fades. So Christmas joy remains through the trials, through the sorrows, and through the tribulation. Picture a lighthouse standing firm during a violent storm, and the wind howls, the waves crash, the darkness surrounds it, and yet the light remains unwavering, guiding sailors and ships safely to shore. that stability because our joy when it's rooted in Christ, it does not fade even when life rages around us. Well, when we look at the Christian life, it's like a spiritual roller coaster because people say, I lost my joy, but I tell them the joy of the Lord isn't dependent on your day. It's dependent on the one who never changes. And so We're reminded that joy is not conditional. Whether you're facing sickness, loss, disappointment, the joy of Christ remains steadfast. Like Paul in 2 Corinthians 7, verse 4, he says, I'm exceedingly joyful in all tribulations, and that is a supernatural joy. not a natural happiness. And so we see the source of the Christmas joy, the stability of the Christmas joy. But thirdly, the sufficiency of that Christmas joy. Because here in John chapter 15, verse 11, it tells us that this joy is to be full. These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full. And so fullness of joy is only found in Christ. Joy from money, joy from fame, joy from friends, our health is only temporary. But when you get that good old fashioned authentic joy from Jesus, it's complete, it's sufficient. Psalm 16 verse 11 says, in thy presence is fullness of joy, and at thy right hand are pleasures forevermore. First Peter chapter one verse eight speaks of those who rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. You see, Jesus is enough. and the Christmas story reminds us that he is the greatest gift that we could ever receive. Only Jesus gives fullness of joy, enough for all circumstances. And so a businessman, he receives a huge Christmas bonus this Christmas, a luxurious gift and a trip overseas. He smiles for a moment, but by January, the thrill is all gone. Compare that to a single mother who, despite financial struggles, has her child snuggled on her lap, praying together, her joy is full. Why? She has Christ in her heart. Don't settle for the temporary thrills. People are starving all over the world for joy, but Jesus is the bread of life, and he's the only one who can give satisfaction completely. He can only be the only one that can satisfy completely. Jesus is enough and He is all you need. And if you have Him, you have joy. If you chase after anything else, you'll always be empty. Christmas is a reminder that nothing in this world can replace our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And so He's the source of the Christmas joy. He's the stability of the Christmas joy. He's the sufficiency of the Christmas joy. But lastly, He's the secret of the Christmas joy because I'm glad that verse 11 tells us, he says, these things have I spoken unto you. And so I'm glad joy comes from abiding in Christ. And I'm glad that John chapter 15, verse one and verse five illustrates this with the vine and the branches just as a branch depends on the vine for life. So must you and I depend on Christ for our joy this Christmas. You see, I'm glad that when we look at the truths about the branch and the vine, there's absolute dependence. Without me, you can do nothing. There's complete restfulness, trusting the vine for all needs, the ultimate surrender. The branch exists to abide in the vine. F.B. Meyer illustrated this beautifully. He talked about a young man's joy came from surrendering every key of his life to the Lord. And when Jesus took full possession, The joy of the Lord flowed like a river in his life. Christmas reminds all of us that Jesus came to bring joy that remains, joy that is full, and joy that flows from complete surrender to him. Joy comes from abiding fully in Christ, surrendering your life, your keys, and your heart to Him. A gardener is watering a plant every day, pruning it, protecting it, giving it sunlight, but over time, the plant blooms, produces beautiful flowers and fruit. You see, the plant didn't struggle to bloom. It just abided in what was given to it. Well, likewise, when we surrender everything to Christ, and when we abide in Him, joy flows naturally. And so you cannot manufacture joy by trying harder. It's not about doing more. It's about being connected to the vine, Jesus Christ. The secret is full surrender. When you hand over every part of your life, let him sit his proper place on the throne of your life, your dreams, your plans, your heart, you'll find a joy that the world cannot give. And this Christmas, that surrender is the gift that keeps giving year after year. Remember this Christmas night. The source of joy is Jesus himself. The stability of joy is unchanging through sorrow and trials, and the sufficiency of joy is complete in Christ alone. And last but not least, the secret of joy is abiding fully in him. Without this joy, life is empty. With this joy, even the darkest night shines with hope. And so tonight, as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, may his joy remain in us, and may our joy be full, not only for Christmas, but all year long. Well, as I close out, think of a Christmas tree lit up in the dark, the trees full of decorations, but the real beauty comes from the lights plugged into the source. Because if the lights are unplugged, The ornaments shine no more, but when connected to the power, the entire whole tree glows. The source, the electricity, that's Jesus Christ, that he gives life to the tree. The stability, even if the room is cold or dark, the lights remain shining. The sufficiency is the single outlet. It's enough to light the entire tree. But the secret, the tree must stay plugged in. connected fully to the power source. If you're not plugged into Christ this Christmas, you're gonna try to light your life with candles that burn out. You need to abide in Him fully. Let your joy flow from the vine. And that is the secret of a victorious, abundant, and a lasting Christmas joy this Christmas season. I'm Pastor Darrell Bailey. Thank you for tuning us in. Father, we thank you for this blessed Christmas night. Thank you for sending Jesus into the world to bring us life and joy. And Lord, we bring We pray that your joy will not only fill our hearts tonight, but remain with us always, teaching us to abide in you fully, to trust in your provision and to surrender every part of our lives into your hands. May your joy flow through us and touch everyone we meet. Let this joy shine in our homes, in our church, in our lives as a testimony of your love, because we give you all our glory all of our honor, all of our praise, in the precious mighty name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.