Sunday Sermon Summary – Dec 17 2023
Jesus came to fill our hearts with Joy Isaiah 61: 3
Our Lord came into this world to save us from sin and to fill our hearts with joy. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ wills us with joy when we truly follow Him.
Jesus gives Jesus gives us:
1. Beauty for Ashes: Confidence
The Holy scripture that Prophecies about the Messiah says that he will give us beauty for ashes. The followers of Jesus Christ will be given beauty. Every disciple of Jesus Christ is given beauty. So, we live in confidence. We realize that we belong to the highest God. All our infirmities are changed to strength. People will gravitate towards us because God will give us such beauty. He will remove from us anything that displeases Him, and we will reflect the beauty of God as Moses, when he came down from the mount after being in God’s presence. His face was so radiant that he had to cover his face while speaking with the people.
2. Oil of joy for mourning: Comfort
Jesus will anoint His people with the oil of joy. He will pour his joy upon us that our tough situations will not quench the joy that God gives us. God will replace our mourning with joy. He will embrace His people and keep them close to Him. All our mourning will turn into joy. The angels who announced the birth of Christ to the shepherds told them that the birth of Christ was good news of great joy to the world. Our Lord emptied himself of all comfort when he was laid in the manger wrapped in swaddling clothes that we may receive comfort in times of mourning.
3. Garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness: Courage
Our work situation or home situation may become a heavy burden to us. Very often we find ourselves pressed down with tough situations that weaken us. Jesus came into the world to give us a garment of praise. He will remove the spirit of heaviness and cover us with the garment of praise. The followers of Jesus Christ will have great courage because God removes the spirit of heaviness. We overcome stress by putting on the garment of praise. We do not complain when we go through stressful situations, we turn our situations to our favour by praising God.
May our Lord help us to be filled with joy. May God help us to replace worthlessness with Beauty, mourning with the oil of joy and the spirit of heaviness with the garment of praise. Amen