There's only one way to get joy if you don't have it and that's by rejoicing. Dr. Tony Evans says joy grows when we choose it, even when the circumstances are saying otherwise. And so you choose to rejoice so that the circumstances aren't having their way with your joy. This is the alternative broadcast, featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr.
Tony Evans. It's easy to let the gifts, events, and expectations of the season drown out the very reason Christmas exists.
Well, now that the stockings are empty and the presents unwrapped, Dr. Evans wants to remind us that Christ was born into a world just as chaotic and troubled as ours. One filled with political tension, social division, and deep uncertainty. It's a look at how to recover the joy we've lost by rediscovering the Savior we've overlooked. Let's join him as he talks about the good news of Christmas.
When I first started, Traveling and speaking many, many years ago. I would always go to the airport. Gift shop. And buy a gift for the kids, something. you know, batten ball or jacks or a puzzle or.
Some gift. to bring back from wherever I was going to speak. And The kids, my four kids, would be excited. About me coming home and Daddy's home, daddy's home, daddy's home. And they would be all excited, I was home.
And then I reach in my bag, my suitcase, or whatever, and I would. give them whatever I had picked up. from the gift shop. The problem occurred, however. when they began asking me when I was going again.
Absolutely. They wanted to know when I was leaving because they knew that that probably meant. I was going to bring them back a gift. In other words, a shift occurred. At first it was about me and they happened to get a gift.
Then it was about the gift. And I was just. Uh extra. A great inversion has occurred with Christmas. It's supposed to have been about Jesus.
And gifts would be the accessory. Jesus is basically an afterthought. His name will be mentioned, but the greater concern is about the gift. Who am I giving gifts to? Who am I getting gifts from?
It's about shopping. It's about Getting off of work. It's about. Food intake. It's about Parties.
Gaining weight. It's about. The fun and the festivities of the holiday. But the reality is that Christ has been lost in Christmas. It is a celebration of the birthday Where The person of honor no longer even has to be in the room.
While we have his party. And so, I just want to make sure that those of us who name his name and Worship his name. Understand what this is all about.
So that we don't Lose the giver because of how much we want all the gifts. In the holiday season. I'm calling our few moments together today simply. The good news of Christmas. Luke chapter two gives that phrase to us.
Beginning with verse 8. And in the same region, there were some shepherds. Staying out in the fields and keeping their watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them. And the glory of the Lord shone around them.
And they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid. For behold, I bring you good news of great joy. which will be for all the people. He says, I want to give you.
Good news. That'll bring you Great joy and it's for everybody. Amen. Amen. Says this for all the people.
He says, I want to give you. Good news. And because I've got good news. I don't want you to be afraid. I don't want you to be.
Shook up. By your circumstances. Cause I've got good news. Most people have a false idea. about the environment in which the first Christmas occurred.
Most of us grew up and are used to lights and sounds and songs and. festivals and parades and All of the frivolity of the holiday. We are We are looking forward to All that makes Christmas exciting. But the first Christmas Well, it's not like that. There was racial oppression in the first Christmas.
Because the Jews were being held hostage by a Roman military governing machine. They desperately wanted to be relieved from the oppression of Rome. During this time, there was great poverty. Even Mary and Joseph could only offer Pigeons as a sacrifice, which was the offering of the poor. There was high Roman taxation.
In the first Christmas. As the census was taken, so that people had to go back to their place of origin, in this case, Bethlehem. In order to satisfy The Roman census so that they could make sure that the taxes. could be gathered At high levels So the first Christmas Was not a good situation. It wasn't a positive environment, particularly if you were a Jew.
Even the religious order was. Confused. Even the The pulpits were confused. The preachers were confused because when the wise men went, To see the baby Jesus and ask. Where do we find him?
They told them you can find The baby In the Bethlehem. But the people who pointed to Jesus never made the trip themselves.
So, you had religious confusion, social confusion. You had what would accrue today to be Infanticide. Lies were cheap, dignity was eroded. Significance did not matter if you belonged to the wrong group. And you are living underneath an oppressive government regime.
That was the first Christmas, I'd like to suggest that is this Christmas. That we find ourselves this Christmas. In a very bad state. We find confusion from the White House to the Outhouse. to your house and my house.
We find debates about how high taxes will go as the sides conflict with one another. We find 60 million babies have been aborted. as the war about abortion rages. We find Abandonment we find. Conflict.
This Christmas is like that Christmas. They went to get a census.
So that they could Follow every single person. who was under Roman The government may be Your location is already known by your smartphone. They didn't have a locator app, but they had a locator goal. This Christmas is that Christmas. Crime has gone crazy.
Smash and grab. Maybe I would look at that. The angel says. I've got good news and you're scared. I've got good news and things are bad.
I've got good news and things are whack. I've got good news. Of great joy. They tell the shepherds. I want you to celebrate in spite of your fear.
I want you to celebrate in spite of your insecurity. I want you to celebrate. this Christmas in spite of how bad everything is looking.
So, as bad as things may look, depending upon what the issues are that are concerning you. Politically, socially, racially, culturally. I still have got good news. I still want you to get your praise on. I still Want you to be full of joy.
Now you say, I don't have joy. You know, you got viruses, you've got. Instability, you've got Challenges, and I don't have joy.
So let me just stick right in here. There's only one way to get joy if you don't have it, and that's by rejoicing. The solution is in the word. The way you get joy is by rejoicing.
So if you're complaining, fussing, cussing. Drum ballins. You won't find joy because you have to get joy by rejoicing. And so you choose to rejoice, you get an environment that is prompting you to rejoice.
So that the circumstances aren't having their way with your joy. Oh, a lack thereafter. He says, I've got good news. In a dark day, I've got good news even though you're scared. I've got good news, even though you don't know which way things are going to work in the economy, or in the government, or in the crime, or in that.
I've got good news. doctor Evans will return in a moment to show why, no matter the fear or uncertainty, There's always reason to celebrate Christ's birth. Don't go away.
Okay. Pain, uncertainty, and division seem to be everywhere you turn these days. until you look to Jesus. And now more than ever, the world needs to hear the hopeful story of the kingdom of God transforming hearts. That's why today we're asking for your year-end gift to help meet our year-end challenge amount to keep that hope going out through the urban alternative.
Your generous support will ensure you and more listeners all over the world can continue to be encouraged by God's word through the urban alternative broadcasts. Please visit TonyEvans.org to give today. That's Tonyevans.org. If you've ever wished Christmas felt more meaningful and less mechanical, Dr. Evans wants to help you reclaim the season's true center.
his new devotional and prayer guide, Messages from the Manger, invite you to pull away from the noise and rediscover the awe of Christ's birth through daily readings, scripture reflections, and guided prayers. It's a beautiful way to pause, reconnect with God, and experience the joy and hope he offers. And for those who make a year-end donation to the ministry right now, We are also including the full nine-message sermon collection when the king came to town. Featuring a compilation of Dr. Evans' Christmas sermons from over the years, rich biblical teaching.
That extracts relevant truths for life from the familiar story of our Lord's birth. You can request both of these resources today. They're our gift to you, and thanks for your donation to help continue this important outreach to a world in need of the good news of the Savior. Make your donation and request when you visit TonyEvans.org. or call us at one eight hundred eight hundred thirty two twenty two.
A team member is standing by ready to help with your request any time of the day or night. Again, that's 1-800-800-3222. Right now, let's get back to more of today's message about the true light of Christmas. Here's Dr. Evans.
So we ought to be celebrating the day no matter what's wrong. We ought to be celebrating the day no matter how bad things look. And he says, the reason. that you ought to do that. The reason That you are to celebrate.
Is for today in the city of David, there has been born a savior who is Christ the Lord. There'll be a sign for you where you'll find them, baby, wrapped. In cloths, lying in a manger. You know that manger, that was the first king size bed. Because you had the king lying in it.
The manger. I want you to rejoice. And be full of joy. I don't want you to be scared. I want you to rejoice.
And be full of joy. Because Jesus has arrived. in history. That's why I want you to be enjoyed. And the reason I want you to rejoice is born in the city of David is a savior.
I want you to be excited no matter how bad things are, how dark things look. Because in the manger Is Christ The Lord. The word Christ means Messiah. The whole Old Testament operated on the layaway plan. Y'all remember the layaway plan?
Where you purchase something, but you didn't get it right away until you continue paying on it until you paid the last payment, and then you could finally get it. This is final payment. Mm. Because with the coming of Christ, all that the Old Testament looked forward to has arrived in history. Amen.
And the reason you ought to celebrate. Is because there is a Savior.
Now, the Greek word for savior means to be rescued. To be saved means to be rescued. The word saved in the New Testament is used in three ways. Not one. The word saved is used.
About being delivered or rescued from the penalty of sin. When a person comes to Jesus Christ, And accept Jesus Christ as their personal sin bearer, they are saved with regard to sin's penalty.
So the penalty of sin. That has been attributed to the human race. Was satisfied by the person of Jesus Christ coming into the world.
So, when a person accepts Christ, they say they are saved. That means that they are converted or regenerated. From the penalty of sin, so that. No longer is eternal separation from God an issue. Because all sins, past, present, and future.
Were covered by the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
So the first reason. that you ought to have a party. Even if it's within your own heart. Is that you have a secured eternal destiny? That heaven is your home.
That you have the security. Of a savior. From the Penalty of sin. The second word that the word saved is used in the New Testament. is being rescued or delivered.
From the power of sin. We call that sanctification. The penalty of sin is justification. It's where God declares you righteous. It's where.
The credit report, God takes Jesus' perfect credit report and puts it on your imperfect credit account.
So that now you have a perfect credit score. But in the second use, which is the dominant use of the word saved in the Bible, the word saved is not mostly used of going to heaven in the New Testament, it is mostly used of deliverance on earth. Paul, when he was writing in Romans chapter. Five, beginning with verse eight. God demonstrated his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
And then he says, and we are saved by his blood, referring to the penalty of sin. But then he comes. And he says, but much more. Yeah. On top of all that.
In addition to that. We shall be rescued or saved by his life.
So he's not talking now about a The penalty, he's talking about the power. That the reason you ought to celebrate is you're on your way to heaven. But you got somebody to help you to get you through earth. Every problem that you and I have. Every negative experience.
that you and I run into is because of sin. If there were no sin, there'd be no problems. It's either our sin.
Somebody else's sin that affects us. or an environment that's been contaminated by sin. But everything wrong is because of the presence and power of sin. Amen, amen. The second way of salvation.
is to neutralize and nullify Sins ownership of your life. It does not eradicate sin. But what it does is diminishes its authority over you.
So much more we shall be saved, it says. In Romans 5:10, by his life, having already been justified by his death.
So the reason you ought to have a party is because you're on your way to heaven. saved from the penalty. But then you ought to have a party because you've got a person who knows how to give you victory in history. And I know this season.
So many of us are going through so much loss and sickness and difficulty and economics and jobs, and you go on and on. But I just want you to know. Have a party this Christmas. Good news of great joy. You got somebody walking with you in the midst of whatever sin has brought into your existence.
The third way that the word saved is used in the Bible. It is to be rescued from the very presence of sin. We call that glorification.
So there's justification being saved from the penalty, there's sanctification being saved from the power, then there's glorification being saved from the presence. What will make heaven heaven? is that there will not be allowed Any impact or presence of sin. It's banned. And because it's banned, everything that could go wrong can't go wrong.
Because things only go wrong. Because of sin. And so He says, I got good news. And you ought to rejoice and have a party. In spite of the things that might make you afraid.
Because you got a Savior. And this good news is for all the folk. It's for men, it's for women, it's for children. It is good news. for everyone, which means you are not an exception.
Mm-hmm. Your situation is not unique. Your dilemma is not so deep. That it is unovercommable. Because you got to save yourself.
No matter what's wrong. I want you to party this Christmas. I want you to be joyful this Christmas. I want you to be excited this Christmas. Why don't you get your praise on this Christmas?
Because I got good news. no matter how bad things look. Dr. Tony Evans, encouraging us to celebrate the meaning of Christmas with joy, praise, and a heart full of hope. because the good news of Christ shines even in the darkest circumstances.
Now, before we wrap up today, remember to request your copy of Messages from the Manger. Dr. Evans' brand new devotional and prayer guide, created to help you reclaim Christmas as a season of worship. Along with the book, you'll also receive our current Christmas message collection called When the King Came to Town. It's a compilation of nine audio messages from Tony, filled with biblical insight and encouragement for your holiday season.
These resources are our way of thanking you for your generous support of the alternative. To get the details and make your donation, stop by TonyEvans.org today. or call one of our friendly team members at 1-800-800-3222. That's online at tonyevans.org. or by phone at 1-800-800-3222.
You know, some gifts lose their shine the moment their wrapping hits the floor. But the gift God delivered that first Christmas. It truly becomes more awesome the closer you look.
Next time, Dr. Evans unpacks what it really means that a Savior was born. and how we can turn Christmas joy into an ongoing blessing. I hope you'll join us.
