December 2012
O Come, O Come Emmanuel, Carols, 23 December 2012
O Come O Come Emmanuel
Big Idea: God is with us. Are you with God?
Welcome to the fourth Sunday of Advent. Advent is about expectant waiting and preparation. For generations, the Israelites awaited the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. We are awaiting His return. We are in between His first and second visits to our planet. We look back and forward.
During these four weeks during our preparation for Jesus’ birthday celebration, we’ve been looking at four classic Christmas Carols, their lyrics, and their biblical message. It is my hope and prayer that as you hear these songs, you’ll not only hum the melody, you’ll think about the timeless message.
We began with the line in O Holy Night that says, “A thrill of hope/the weary world rejoices/for yonder breaks/a new and glorious morn.”
Then two weeks ago we looked at O Come, All Ye Faithful and discovered that we can be joyful and triumphant despite the hardships of life.
Last week we said that although Away In A Manger mentions the “little LORD Jesus,” He is no longer an 8 lb. 6 oz. little baby Jesus but the King of kings and LORD of lords who warrants our attention, allegiance, devotion, and complete surrender.
Today we are looking at the key word in the carol O Come, O Come Emmanuel.
History
The lyrics were written between the 8th and 12th century. They would sing or chant these phrases that began with the letter “o.”
The key word is Emmanuel, God with us.
God was, God is, God will be with us.
Emmanuel: God with us. What does that mean to you?
Have you ever prayed for God to be with you?
We’ve all had moments of loneliness and desperation. I wonder how many S.O.S. prayers God hears each day!
It has been said that the essence of religion is man’s search for God.
One of my favorite stories is from David Platt, author of the book Radical that has been Scio’s theme this year. While in Indonesia, he engaged in a conversation with a Buddhist leader and a Muslim leader. He said,
“It sounds as though you both picture God (or whatever you call god) at the top of a mountain. It seems as if you believe that we are all at the bottom of the mountain, and I may take one route up the mountain, you may take another, and in the end we will all end up in the same place.” They smiled as I spoke. Happily they replied, “Exactly! You understand!” Then I leaned in and said, “Now let me ask you a question. What would you think if I told you that the God at the top of the mountain actually came down to where we are? What would you think if I told you that God doesn’t wait for people to find their way to him, but instead he comes to us?” They thought for a moment and then responded, “That would be great.” I replied, “Let me introduce you to Jesus.” This is the gospel.
The Gospel, or good news, is just that. God is with us, Emmanuel.
One of the things that I love about the gospel message is its history. We are involved in a story that began thousands of years ago and has transformed lives around the world for generations.
The prophet Isaiah around 700 BC wrote...
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
How many virgins have been with child?
More than 700 years before the birth of Christ, it was announced that Emmanuel would enter our world.
In Matthew chapter 1, an angel came to Joseph—who was engaged to a woman who was pregnant—and said
“Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” — which means, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:20b-23)
People had waited centuries for this announcement.
This was the most earth-shattering news possible.
Before Jesus, people couldn’t handle the presence of God. They would die if they encountered Him.
The mere idea of God being with us—much less becoming One of us—was radical! It still is today.
We’ve been studying the Gospel of John. Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase in The Message tells it all in the first chapter.
The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish. (John 1:14, The Message)
You may not feel Him, but He is with us.
He was, is, and will be with us.
That’s Emmanuel. That’s Christmas. That’s the Gospel.
I don’t know about you, but if I were God in heaven, I’d stay there! I’d delegate to angels, write words in the sky, or do something safe and comfortable to connect with humanity.
Fortunately I’m not God! The real image of Christmas is not a baby, but a King who came, died, conquered sin and death, and who lives! God is still with us today!
Sometimes it’s easier to see God in the past than in the present. We can read that God was with Joseph, Moses, David, and others.
Jesus made a promise to His followers. During His final moments with them, He said
And surely I am with you always, even to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:20b)
That wasn’t just a metaphorical statement. When Jesus ascended from the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem into heaven, He said it was actually good that He left because His departure would pave the way for the Holy Spirit.
But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. (John 16:7)
In Acts 2, the Counselor, the Holy Spirit arrives and lives inside followers of Jesus.
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
Do you need more proof?
You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. (Romans 8:9-11)
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16)
Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you — guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. (2 Timothy 1:14)
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. (1 John 4:12, 15)
If you are a follower of Jesus, you get the Holy Spirit, too!
God is with us. God is within us!
This does not mean that we are God, but rather that God lives in those who welcome Him.
One of my favorite promises in the Bible comes from the book of Romans. Paul wrote
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39)
What can separate us from God’s love? Nothing. No thing.
Not a criminal record.
Not a divorce.
Not anything done to you.
Not your mistakes.
Not your sins.
All you have to do is receive the gift of Jesus Christ who became one of us to demonstrate His love for us.
As we said last week, the greatest gift you can give Jesus for His birthday is you, your heart.
Most of you would say you believe in God. You believe Jesus came as a baby. Great, but belief is not enough. The Bible says that demons believe that!
The question is have you fully surrendered your life to the LORD Jesus Christ? He came for you, but like any gift, it’s not yours until you receive it, embrace it, own it.
Emmanuel, God is with us.
Advent is about waiting. People waited for Jesus’ first visit to our planet. We await His return, but in the meantime, Emmanuel is not merely an historical figure. It’s not that God WAS with us. Through the Holy Spirit, He is with us right here, right now, right in this place, this Christmas.
God is with us.
Are you with God?
God is here.
Like love, you can’t see Him or touch Him, but you can experience Him, not only on His birthday, but every day of the year. For followers of Jesus Christ, every day is CHRISTmas, Christ’s day.
I urge you to truly make this Christmas about Christ. He is with us and wants nothing more than for you to be with Him.
Credits: Series theme and various ideas from Craig Groeschel, LifeChurch.tv
You can listen to the podcast here.
You can view a music video of O Come, O Come Emmanuel from LifeChurch.tv here.
Big Idea: God is with us. Are you with God?
Welcome to the fourth Sunday of Advent. Advent is about expectant waiting and preparation. For generations, the Israelites awaited the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. We are awaiting His return. We are in between His first and second visits to our planet. We look back and forward.
During these four weeks during our preparation for Jesus’ birthday celebration, we’ve been looking at four classic Christmas Carols, their lyrics, and their biblical message. It is my hope and prayer that as you hear these songs, you’ll not only hum the melody, you’ll think about the timeless message.
We began with the line in O Holy Night that says, “A thrill of hope/the weary world rejoices/for yonder breaks/a new and glorious morn.”
Then two weeks ago we looked at O Come, All Ye Faithful and discovered that we can be joyful and triumphant despite the hardships of life.
Last week we said that although Away In A Manger mentions the “little LORD Jesus,” He is no longer an 8 lb. 6 oz. little baby Jesus but the King of kings and LORD of lords who warrants our attention, allegiance, devotion, and complete surrender.
Today we are looking at the key word in the carol O Come, O Come Emmanuel.
History
The lyrics were written between the 8th and 12th century. They would sing or chant these phrases that began with the letter “o.”
The key word is Emmanuel, God with us.
God was, God is, God will be with us.
Emmanuel: God with us. What does that mean to you?
Have you ever prayed for God to be with you?
We’ve all had moments of loneliness and desperation. I wonder how many S.O.S. prayers God hears each day!
It has been said that the essence of religion is man’s search for God.
One of my favorite stories is from David Platt, author of the book Radical that has been Scio’s theme this year. While in Indonesia, he engaged in a conversation with a Buddhist leader and a Muslim leader. He said,
“It sounds as though you both picture God (or whatever you call god) at the top of a mountain. It seems as if you believe that we are all at the bottom of the mountain, and I may take one route up the mountain, you may take another, and in the end we will all end up in the same place.” They smiled as I spoke. Happily they replied, “Exactly! You understand!” Then I leaned in and said, “Now let me ask you a question. What would you think if I told you that the God at the top of the mountain actually came down to where we are? What would you think if I told you that God doesn’t wait for people to find their way to him, but instead he comes to us?” They thought for a moment and then responded, “That would be great.” I replied, “Let me introduce you to Jesus.” This is the gospel.
The Gospel, or good news, is just that. God is with us, Emmanuel.
One of the things that I love about the gospel message is its history. We are involved in a story that began thousands of years ago and has transformed lives around the world for generations.
The prophet Isaiah around 700 BC wrote...
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
How many virgins have been with child?
More than 700 years before the birth of Christ, it was announced that Emmanuel would enter our world.
In Matthew chapter 1, an angel came to Joseph—who was engaged to a woman who was pregnant—and said
“Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” — which means, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:20b-23)
People had waited centuries for this announcement.
This was the most earth-shattering news possible.
Before Jesus, people couldn’t handle the presence of God. They would die if they encountered Him.
The mere idea of God being with us—much less becoming One of us—was radical! It still is today.
We’ve been studying the Gospel of John. Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase in The Message tells it all in the first chapter.
The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish. (John 1:14, The Message)
You may not feel Him, but He is with us.
He was, is, and will be with us.
That’s Emmanuel. That’s Christmas. That’s the Gospel.
I don’t know about you, but if I were God in heaven, I’d stay there! I’d delegate to angels, write words in the sky, or do something safe and comfortable to connect with humanity.
Fortunately I’m not God! The real image of Christmas is not a baby, but a King who came, died, conquered sin and death, and who lives! God is still with us today!
Sometimes it’s easier to see God in the past than in the present. We can read that God was with Joseph, Moses, David, and others.
Jesus made a promise to His followers. During His final moments with them, He said
And surely I am with you always, even to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:20b)
That wasn’t just a metaphorical statement. When Jesus ascended from the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem into heaven, He said it was actually good that He left because His departure would pave the way for the Holy Spirit.
But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. (John 16:7)
In Acts 2, the Counselor, the Holy Spirit arrives and lives inside followers of Jesus.
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
Do you need more proof?
You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. (Romans 8:9-11)
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16)
Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you — guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. (2 Timothy 1:14)
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. (1 John 4:12, 15)
If you are a follower of Jesus, you get the Holy Spirit, too!
God is with us. God is within us!
This does not mean that we are God, but rather that God lives in those who welcome Him.
One of my favorite promises in the Bible comes from the book of Romans. Paul wrote
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39)
What can separate us from God’s love? Nothing. No thing.
Not a criminal record.
Not a divorce.
Not anything done to you.
Not your mistakes.
Not your sins.
All you have to do is receive the gift of Jesus Christ who became one of us to demonstrate His love for us.
As we said last week, the greatest gift you can give Jesus for His birthday is you, your heart.
Most of you would say you believe in God. You believe Jesus came as a baby. Great, but belief is not enough. The Bible says that demons believe that!
The question is have you fully surrendered your life to the LORD Jesus Christ? He came for you, but like any gift, it’s not yours until you receive it, embrace it, own it.
Emmanuel, God is with us.
Advent is about waiting. People waited for Jesus’ first visit to our planet. We await His return, but in the meantime, Emmanuel is not merely an historical figure. It’s not that God WAS with us. Through the Holy Spirit, He is with us right here, right now, right in this place, this Christmas.
God is with us.
Are you with God?
God is here.
Like love, you can’t see Him or touch Him, but you can experience Him, not only on His birthday, but every day of the year. For followers of Jesus Christ, every day is CHRISTmas, Christ’s day.
I urge you to truly make this Christmas about Christ. He is with us and wants nothing more than for you to be with Him.
Credits: Series theme and various ideas from Craig Groeschel, LifeChurch.tv
You can listen to the podcast here.
You can view a music video of O Come, O Come Emmanuel from LifeChurch.tv here.
Away In A Manger, Carols, 16 December 2012
Away In A Manger
Big Idea: Jesus is more than a little baby. He is LORD.
Welcome to the third Sunday of Advent. Advent is about expectant waiting and preparation. For generations, the Israelites awaited the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. We are awaiting His return. We are in between His first and second visits to our planet. We look back and forward.
During these four weeks of preparation for Jesus’ birthday celebration, we’re looking at four classic Christmas Carols, their lyrics, and their biblical message. It is my hope and prayer that as you hear these songs, you’ll not only hum the melody, you’ll think about the timeless message. This week’s carol is Away In A Manger.
History:
It was first published in 1885 in Philadelphia. The texts was credited for many years to Martin Luther, but that seems to be only a fable. It is one of the most popular carols in Britain.
Lyrics
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head. The stars in the bright sky looked down where He lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.
The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes, But little Lord Jesus no crying He makes.
I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.
Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay Close by me forever, and love me, I pray. Bless all the dear children in thy tender care, And fit us for heaven, to live with Thee there.
Intro
Before we get started, I want to dispel two myths.
First, the manger probably did not look most of our wood and straw mangers found in nativity sets. It most likely was a hard, stone trough.
Second, it says “But little Lord Jesus no crying He makes.” He cried! Babies cry! Jesus cried! We know He even cried as an adult, but that’s another story.
Two weeks ago we talked about “O Holy Night” and how because of Jesus the weary world rejoices.
Last week we looked at “O Come All Ye Faithful” and said that although we are not always faithful, joyful, and triumphant, Jesus is and He allows us to experience faith, joy and victory.
This message will be more challenging. It challenged me! The phrase is simply this…“The little Lord Jesus.” There’s more to Jesus than just a 8 lb. 6 oz sweet little baby Jesus Jesus is LORD. 740 times in the NT He is referred to as LORD.
In Luke 2, the most detailed description of Jesus’ birthday, the shepherds were minding their own business in the fields and then an angel terrifies them!
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:8-12)
We don’t use that word “lord” much outside of church.
What does it mean for Christ to be LORD?
The Greek word, kyrios, means master or lord, as in a master of property or slaves. It means supreme in authority, controller.
How does that sound? Jesus as master and you as slave?
Controller is a challenging word because we all want to be in control.
Jesus is LORD. How do we make Him LORD in our life? We don’t. God made Him LORD long ago. We surrender to what already is. We surrender to the One who is in control.
I believe there are three types of people in this world.
The first are what I call the unsurrendered. These are the people that have no illusions about Jesus as LORD. To them He’s a swear word, a myth, or a good teacher. They don’t pretend to follow Jesus. They live their lives for themselves or some other lord. While this group is apparently growing rapidly in the west, it creates exciting opportunities for us to share how and why Jesus has become LORD to so many, especially those in 2nd and 3rd world nations where the Gospel is spreading like wildfire.
The second type of person is the partially-surrendered life. This is where the majority of USAmerican Christians live. Casual or cultural Christians. Christian atheists believe in God but act as if He does not exist. Jesus said to the partially-surrendered that surrounded Him
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? (Luke 6:46)
Jesus is not an accessory that you add to your life. A LORD seizes control of everything!
Jesus is not a part-time LORD and He doesn’t want part-time followers.
We come under His Lordship.
If there’s one question I want you to think about, it’s this...
What have I not surrendered to the LORD?
What area am I still trying to control?
Kids? Future? A relationship? Money?
For me, money has been one of my greatest struggles—not so much giving, but worrying about having enough. It’s a trust thing for me, which is silly because God has been faithful to our family so many times that Great Is Thy Faithfulness has been our family hymn.
The more I follow Jesus, the more I have learned to trust Him.
In a similar way, I daily need to surrender my family to the LORD. It’s easy for them to become idols in my life, obsessed with their health and well-being rather than trusting that God loves them even more than I love them.
God can be trusted with our money, our children, our future, ...everything.
That’s what lords do...they are in control of everything! That leads to the the fully-surrendered life. This is a person who is a slave to Jesus, an indentured servant.
Slavery is obvious not a popular subject in our culture. Race-based slavery is one of the great embarrassments of our nation’s history. Tragically, there are more slaves today than at any time in human history, many of them children.
Not all slavery is evil, however.
Not all masters are cruel and self-serving.
In the book of Exodus, God made a provision for a freed servant to stay with his master.
“If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything. If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him. If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.
“But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’ then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life. (Exodus 21:2-6)
An indentured servant is one who chooses to serve their master.
This is the image of a person fully-surrendered to Jesus. They have made Him Lord. They give up their rights and entrust their time, talent, treasures, comfort, convenience, hopes, dreams,...everything to their Master. Their lives are not their own but rather belong to the LORD.
Paul’s letter to the people of Rome begins...
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God — (Romans 1:1)
The third word of his letter is servant, doulos in Greek. It means “servant, slave.”
“In the NT a person owned as a possession for various lengths of times (Hebrew slaves no more than seven years, Gentile slaves without time limit), of lower social status than free persons or masters; slaves could earn or purchase their freedom.”
Later in the letter Paul writes...
For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. (Romans 14:7-8)
Are you living? If we live, it is to honor…the LORD.
On my wedding day I was given a ring. I keep my wedding ring on. I belong to my wife.
I gave her a ring on our wedding day. How much did the ring cost her? Nothing. But when she received the gift, it cost her everything. She belongs to me. She’s mine. I belong to her. I’m hers. We belong to each other.
When Jesus died for you, He offered a free gift to you. Salvation costs Jesus everything and you nothing, but when you say yes, you surrender the rights of your life. Your life is no longer your own.
He is the supremely ruling, reigning King of the universe!!!
We don’t surrender in the areas of life where we don’t know Him. He is all-powerful, holy, good, trustworthy, …
If I truly believe God is my Provider and I am a steward, giving is how I surrender.
We need some reverent fear of God. He’s not your co-pilot! Get in the trunk!
Do you really know Him?
Jesus warned His followers...
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:21-23)
These are sobering words.
What will He say to you?
We surrender to the lordship of Christ.
Jesus is no longer a little baby. He is the King of kings and the LORD of lords. Is He your King? Is He your Lord...of everything in your life?
Credits: Series theme and various ideas from Craig Groeschel, LifeChurch.tv
You can listen to the podcast here.
You can view a music video of Away In A Manger from LifeChurch.tv here.
Big Idea: Jesus is more than a little baby. He is LORD.
Welcome to the third Sunday of Advent. Advent is about expectant waiting and preparation. For generations, the Israelites awaited the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. We are awaiting His return. We are in between His first and second visits to our planet. We look back and forward.
During these four weeks of preparation for Jesus’ birthday celebration, we’re looking at four classic Christmas Carols, their lyrics, and their biblical message. It is my hope and prayer that as you hear these songs, you’ll not only hum the melody, you’ll think about the timeless message. This week’s carol is Away In A Manger.
History:
It was first published in 1885 in Philadelphia. The texts was credited for many years to Martin Luther, but that seems to be only a fable. It is one of the most popular carols in Britain.
Lyrics
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head. The stars in the bright sky looked down where He lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.
The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes, But little Lord Jesus no crying He makes.
I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.
Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay Close by me forever, and love me, I pray. Bless all the dear children in thy tender care, And fit us for heaven, to live with Thee there.
Intro
Before we get started, I want to dispel two myths.
First, the manger probably did not look most of our wood and straw mangers found in nativity sets. It most likely was a hard, stone trough.
Second, it says “But little Lord Jesus no crying He makes.” He cried! Babies cry! Jesus cried! We know He even cried as an adult, but that’s another story.
Two weeks ago we talked about “O Holy Night” and how because of Jesus the weary world rejoices.
Last week we looked at “O Come All Ye Faithful” and said that although we are not always faithful, joyful, and triumphant, Jesus is and He allows us to experience faith, joy and victory.
This message will be more challenging. It challenged me! The phrase is simply this…“The little Lord Jesus.” There’s more to Jesus than just a 8 lb. 6 oz sweet little baby Jesus Jesus is LORD. 740 times in the NT He is referred to as LORD.
In Luke 2, the most detailed description of Jesus’ birthday, the shepherds were minding their own business in the fields and then an angel terrifies them!
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:8-12)
We don’t use that word “lord” much outside of church.
What does it mean for Christ to be LORD?
The Greek word, kyrios, means master or lord, as in a master of property or slaves. It means supreme in authority, controller.
How does that sound? Jesus as master and you as slave?
Controller is a challenging word because we all want to be in control.
Jesus is LORD. How do we make Him LORD in our life? We don’t. God made Him LORD long ago. We surrender to what already is. We surrender to the One who is in control.
I believe there are three types of people in this world.
The first are what I call the unsurrendered. These are the people that have no illusions about Jesus as LORD. To them He’s a swear word, a myth, or a good teacher. They don’t pretend to follow Jesus. They live their lives for themselves or some other lord. While this group is apparently growing rapidly in the west, it creates exciting opportunities for us to share how and why Jesus has become LORD to so many, especially those in 2nd and 3rd world nations where the Gospel is spreading like wildfire.
The second type of person is the partially-surrendered life. This is where the majority of USAmerican Christians live. Casual or cultural Christians. Christian atheists believe in God but act as if He does not exist. Jesus said to the partially-surrendered that surrounded Him
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? (Luke 6:46)
Jesus is not an accessory that you add to your life. A LORD seizes control of everything!
Jesus is not a part-time LORD and He doesn’t want part-time followers.
We come under His Lordship.
If there’s one question I want you to think about, it’s this...
What have I not surrendered to the LORD?
What area am I still trying to control?
Kids? Future? A relationship? Money?
For me, money has been one of my greatest struggles—not so much giving, but worrying about having enough. It’s a trust thing for me, which is silly because God has been faithful to our family so many times that Great Is Thy Faithfulness has been our family hymn.
The more I follow Jesus, the more I have learned to trust Him.
In a similar way, I daily need to surrender my family to the LORD. It’s easy for them to become idols in my life, obsessed with their health and well-being rather than trusting that God loves them even more than I love them.
God can be trusted with our money, our children, our future, ...everything.
That’s what lords do...they are in control of everything! That leads to the the fully-surrendered life. This is a person who is a slave to Jesus, an indentured servant.
Slavery is obvious not a popular subject in our culture. Race-based slavery is one of the great embarrassments of our nation’s history. Tragically, there are more slaves today than at any time in human history, many of them children.
Not all slavery is evil, however.
Not all masters are cruel and self-serving.
In the book of Exodus, God made a provision for a freed servant to stay with his master.
“If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything. If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him. If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.
“But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’ then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life. (Exodus 21:2-6)
An indentured servant is one who chooses to serve their master.
This is the image of a person fully-surrendered to Jesus. They have made Him Lord. They give up their rights and entrust their time, talent, treasures, comfort, convenience, hopes, dreams,...everything to their Master. Their lives are not their own but rather belong to the LORD.
Paul’s letter to the people of Rome begins...
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God — (Romans 1:1)
The third word of his letter is servant, doulos in Greek. It means “servant, slave.”
“In the NT a person owned as a possession for various lengths of times (Hebrew slaves no more than seven years, Gentile slaves without time limit), of lower social status than free persons or masters; slaves could earn or purchase their freedom.”
Later in the letter Paul writes...
For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. (Romans 14:7-8)
Are you living? If we live, it is to honor…the LORD.
On my wedding day I was given a ring. I keep my wedding ring on. I belong to my wife.
I gave her a ring on our wedding day. How much did the ring cost her? Nothing. But when she received the gift, it cost her everything. She belongs to me. She’s mine. I belong to her. I’m hers. We belong to each other.
When Jesus died for you, He offered a free gift to you. Salvation costs Jesus everything and you nothing, but when you say yes, you surrender the rights of your life. Your life is no longer your own.
He is the supremely ruling, reigning King of the universe!!!
We don’t surrender in the areas of life where we don’t know Him. He is all-powerful, holy, good, trustworthy, …
If I truly believe God is my Provider and I am a steward, giving is how I surrender.
We need some reverent fear of God. He’s not your co-pilot! Get in the trunk!
Do you really know Him?
Jesus warned His followers...
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:21-23)
These are sobering words.
What will He say to you?
We surrender to the lordship of Christ.
Jesus is no longer a little baby. He is the King of kings and the LORD of lords. Is He your King? Is He your Lord...of everything in your life?
Credits: Series theme and various ideas from Craig Groeschel, LifeChurch.tv
You can listen to the podcast here.
You can view a music video of Away In A Manger from LifeChurch.tv here.
O Come, All Ye Faithful, 1 Peter 1:1-9, 9 December 2012
O Come All Ye Faithful
1 Peter 1:1-9
Big Idea: Jesus can make us faithful, joyful and triumphant.
Intro:
Welcome to the second Sunday of Advent. Advent is about expectant waiting and preparation. For generations, the Israelites awaited the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. We are awaiting His return. We are in between His first and second visits to our planet. We look back and forward.
During these four weeks during our preparation for Jesus’ birthday celebration, we’re looking at four classic Christmas Carols, their lyrics, and their biblical message. It is my hope and prayer that as you hear these songs, you’ll not only hum the melody, you’ll think about the timeless message.
This morning’s carol is O Come All Ye Faithful.
History
"Adeste Fideles," the original Latin name for the song, was likely written in the 13th century, most likely by John Francis Wade. The original four verses of the hymn were extended to a total of eight, and these have been translated into many languages. The English translation of "O Come, All Ye Faithful", by the English Catholic priest, Frederick Oakeley is widespread in most English speaking countries.
Lyrics
O come all ye faithful Joyful and triumphant O come ye O come ye to Bethlehem Come and behold Him Born the King of angels
O come let us adore Him O come let us adore Him O come let us adore Him Christ the Lord
Sing choirs of angels Sing in exultation O sing all ye bright Hosts of heav'n above Glory to God All glory in the highest
Yea Lord we greet Thee Born this happy morning Jesus to Thee be all glory giv'n Word of the Father Now in flesh appearing
- C. Frederick Oakeley | John Francis Wade
O come, all ye faithful
Joyful and triumphant!
Have you been faithful to God’s calling? Have you been obedient to everything He has asked you to do? Has your faithfulness matched His?
Let’s move to the second line. Joyful and triumphant.
Are you joyful? Triumphant?
If you’re like me, you often feel more defeated than triumphant.
I can’t say I’m always joyful—certainly not always happy.
Uh oh!!!
Are you ready for the good news? Jesus rarely calls the joyful and triumphant.
He calls the weary and burdened!
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
Can you relate?
Wait, just in case you thought Jesus was talking about eggs, a yoke is a device that harnesses oxen together.
Why does He want the weary and burdened? They need rest. They need Him! Have you ever tried to share Jesus with someone who had everything together? There are exceptions, but it seems that the people most likely to follow Jesus are those that are broken and desperate. One of the reasons that serving those in need is so powerful is because those that have physical needs often have the most glaring spiritual needs…and openness.
He not only calls the weary and burdened, He calls sinners.
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”
On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:10-13)
That’s me!
Here’s even better news: He not only calls the weary and burdened sinners, He doesn’t leave us weary and burdened.
He doesn’t leave you that way!
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
He helps us to become a new creation. He is in the transformation business!
How does that happen, you might ask?
First, Jesus helps us to become more faithful.
After the faith hall of fame in Hebrews 11, Paul writes
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)
If you’re waiting for God to just zap you with faith and power and discipline you’ll be greatly disappointed. We must join Him in His work. Action is required on our part.
First, get rid of the junk. The sin. The time wasting. The selfish spending. The addictions.
On Thanksgiving Day—upon the invitation of my oldest daughter—I participated in my first race. Well, technically it was a Turkey Trot. Both words were appropriate for me! I didn’t just wake up on Thanksgiving and jog 5K. I had to train. First I had to make it to the end of my short driveway! Later I got up to a mile, then two, then three and I was nearly there.
I did not carry a backpack with me!
I did not carry a bag of groceries with me!
I didn’t even carry my iPad with me!
Runners want to be as light as possible and free from distractions.
I also learned that they need focus. They need a goal.
I ran with a program called Map My Run that would call out when I reached a mile…and two...and three. I set a target distance each time knowing that otherwise I’d just jog to the mailbox and then go eat gingerbread cookies!
On the final days of my training I determined in advance how far I was going to jog (you can hardly call my pace running!) and I refused to stop until I reached that goal. It’s about focus.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)
We have to focus on Jesus, not Oprah or ESPN or Facebook…but Jesus. Only Jesus can help you become a new creation. Only Jesus brings true joy. Notice this verse. He experienced joy while He was on the cross. Is that crazy?
Joy is not happiness. It is far deeper. Joy comes from a right relationship with God, and that’s what Jesus had on the cross. His joy was not in the pain and agony He experienced, but knowing that He was glorifying the Father and doing His will.
One of the great things about fixing our eyes upon Jesus is He understands. We’re going to talk about this more in two weeks, but He knows suffering. He knows grief. He knows pain. He knows weary and burdened. He conquered sin and death.
What does it mean to fix our eyes on Jesus? It starts with the Word of God.
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17)
As we saw a few months ago in John 1…
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. (John 1:1)
Maybe your faith is being tried by the loss of a loved one, a dream, a job, health. Look to Jesus. Get in the Word. There is power and hope and joy in the Word.
If it’s hard to read, grab the New Living Translation or the Message. If you don’t know what to read, join us as we read through the entire Bible together at sciojournal.wordpress.com. If you missed the first 49 weeks, not problem! Finish this year in God’s Word. Start up again in January. The Word is life. The Word is power.
As an example, a few weeks ago I was discouraged, living in Cleveland, spending my days in a hospital waiting room with my daughter. The Scio Journal passage for the day included this…
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. (2 Corinthians 1:3-5; 4:8-10)
Wow! My faith began to rise. I was reminded that God was with me, that He understood, and that there was a purpose in my trouble—to let Christ overflow in my life and comfort others.
We need to fill our minds with the Word of God. The word of the world too often fills our minds with lies.
As we are in His Word, our faith grows. Jesus helps us to become more faithful.
Jesus helps us to become more joyful.
Our joy comes from a right relation with God, not something we produce.
Joy is part of the fruit of the Spirit. Joy (depends on Jesus) and happiness (depends on happenings) are worlds apart.
In Luke 2—the most detailed account of Jesus’ birth—it says
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:8-11)
Good news of great joy. For all the people. That’s Jesus!
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5)
Peter and Paul had a thing about long sentences! Notice that he is speaking in the present tense.
They have been given new birth into a living hope.
“That’s great,” you may be thinking, “but that was then and this is now. You don’t understand my messed-up life.”
Peter is writing to people that are in the midst of suffering. Look at the next verse:
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. (1 Peter 1:6)
How can they rejoice in the midst of suffering? How can we? It’s really quite simple: what is your hope?
Pastor Tim Keller says this so beautifully: any hope that is a finite object will disappoint. If your hope is in your health, family, job, wealth, fame…it can and will eventually be gone. For most people hope is a circumstance that can change, but if our hope is a living hope, it is fixed; it is not based upon circumstances.
Let’s go back for a moment to the previous verses…
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5)
Without the living hope, you either have joy or sorrow.
These have come so that your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1 Peter 1:7)
When you put gold into the fire, it gets brighter and more refined. A living hope not based upon circumstances means the sorrow actually drives you into joy and into Christ. Sorrow kicks on the joy. Sorrow doesn’t kill the joy because it’s not circumstantial.
The joy enables the sorrow. When most people experience grief, they run into indifference or anger.
With a living hope, sorrow makes you wiser. You don’t run from it, it deepens you. The joy gets brighter with the sorrow like the stars get brighter as it gets darker.
Your heart with a living hope is always great and growing.
Earlier we looked at Jesus’ joy on the cross.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)
He sweated blood. He screamed on the cross. He had a living hope.
What is the living hope?
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5)
It is an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.
It is kept. It is secure. It is guaranteed. It cannot be removed.
It is the coming of the salvation…the last time, the end, but what is it?
These have come so that your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1 Peter 1:7)
Those who believe…praise, glory and honor…we will praise, glory and honor Jesus, right?
No! It says your faith may be proved genuine. The Greek grammar is not referring to praise, glory and honor to Jesus, but from Jesus.
We are going to get praise, glory and honor on the last day!
Jesus prayed at the end of His time on earth…
I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:23)
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Jesus took everything that we deserve. If you believe in Jesus, you get everything that He deserved.
This isn’t about what you have done, but what the death and resurrection of Jesus did. At the end, you will receive everything that Jesus deserved! Love, applause, approval, perfection, and purity.
It is kept! It is secure.
This is the new hope. What’s coming is the ultimate wealth, the approval of the King.
The foundation of your character is not your personality but your hope.
The Gospel is not if I try hard, maybe God will bless me someday. It is because Jesus died for me, I have a hope that is kept for me and someday I will be changed forever and even now it gives me hope so I can handle anything.
Religion: trying to be good, gambling that someday God will accept them; you’re saving yourself; I give God a righteous record and He owes me
The Gospel: live in the light of being accepted; you receive and rest in His salvation; God gives me a righteous record in Jesus Christ and I live for Him
To be born again is to live in the living hope that it is kept.
How?
Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:8-9)
Unspeakable joy!
Jesus was even able to have joy at the cross. What was Jesus’ living hope?
After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:11)
Us! Being with us forever!
You being His living hope is what makes Him your living hope.
Love Him!
Is this just for superstar Christians?
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: (1 Peter 1:1-2a)
Peter is writing to all of the Christians in the region. It’s for everyone. It’s for you!
Jesus helps us to become more triumphant.
We often feel defeated. Life is hard…but God is good. Our God is an awesome God. Our God will someday soon right all wrongs. The enemy may be winning some battles, but our LORD will win the war!
Isaiah understood Jesus was not just an 8 pound, 6 ounce sweet baby Jesus.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9:6-7)
That’s our God. That’s our King! He will rule and reign forever!
The baby in the manger is the Creator of the universe, the King of kings, …
There is power in the presence of God.
There is faith in the presence of God.
There is joy in the presence of God.
There is victory in the presence of God.
He is born the King of angels.
We have come to adore Him.
Come all ye faithful (He is faithful even when we are not)
Joyful and triumphant
He is Christ the LORD
Prayer
Jesus calls the weary and the burdened. Some of you need to come back to God.
Credits: Series theme and various ideas from Craig Groeschel, LifeChurch.tv
Some notes from Tim Keller, Born Into Hope sermon
You can listen to the podcast here.
You can view a music video of O Come All Ye Faithful from LifeChurch.tv here.
1 Peter 1:1-9
Big Idea: Jesus can make us faithful, joyful and triumphant.
Intro:
Welcome to the second Sunday of Advent. Advent is about expectant waiting and preparation. For generations, the Israelites awaited the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. We are awaiting His return. We are in between His first and second visits to our planet. We look back and forward.
During these four weeks during our preparation for Jesus’ birthday celebration, we’re looking at four classic Christmas Carols, their lyrics, and their biblical message. It is my hope and prayer that as you hear these songs, you’ll not only hum the melody, you’ll think about the timeless message.
This morning’s carol is O Come All Ye Faithful.
History
"Adeste Fideles," the original Latin name for the song, was likely written in the 13th century, most likely by John Francis Wade. The original four verses of the hymn were extended to a total of eight, and these have been translated into many languages. The English translation of "O Come, All Ye Faithful", by the English Catholic priest, Frederick Oakeley is widespread in most English speaking countries.
Lyrics
O come all ye faithful Joyful and triumphant O come ye O come ye to Bethlehem Come and behold Him Born the King of angels
O come let us adore Him O come let us adore Him O come let us adore Him Christ the Lord
Sing choirs of angels Sing in exultation O sing all ye bright Hosts of heav'n above Glory to God All glory in the highest
Yea Lord we greet Thee Born this happy morning Jesus to Thee be all glory giv'n Word of the Father Now in flesh appearing
- C. Frederick Oakeley | John Francis Wade
O come, all ye faithful
Joyful and triumphant!
Have you been faithful to God’s calling? Have you been obedient to everything He has asked you to do? Has your faithfulness matched His?
Let’s move to the second line. Joyful and triumphant.
Are you joyful? Triumphant?
If you’re like me, you often feel more defeated than triumphant.
I can’t say I’m always joyful—certainly not always happy.
Uh oh!!!
Are you ready for the good news? Jesus rarely calls the joyful and triumphant.
He calls the weary and burdened!
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
Can you relate?
Wait, just in case you thought Jesus was talking about eggs, a yoke is a device that harnesses oxen together.
Why does He want the weary and burdened? They need rest. They need Him! Have you ever tried to share Jesus with someone who had everything together? There are exceptions, but it seems that the people most likely to follow Jesus are those that are broken and desperate. One of the reasons that serving those in need is so powerful is because those that have physical needs often have the most glaring spiritual needs…and openness.
He not only calls the weary and burdened, He calls sinners.
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”
On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:10-13)
That’s me!
Here’s even better news: He not only calls the weary and burdened sinners, He doesn’t leave us weary and burdened.
He doesn’t leave you that way!
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
He helps us to become a new creation. He is in the transformation business!
How does that happen, you might ask?
First, Jesus helps us to become more faithful.
After the faith hall of fame in Hebrews 11, Paul writes
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)
If you’re waiting for God to just zap you with faith and power and discipline you’ll be greatly disappointed. We must join Him in His work. Action is required on our part.
First, get rid of the junk. The sin. The time wasting. The selfish spending. The addictions.
On Thanksgiving Day—upon the invitation of my oldest daughter—I participated in my first race. Well, technically it was a Turkey Trot. Both words were appropriate for me! I didn’t just wake up on Thanksgiving and jog 5K. I had to train. First I had to make it to the end of my short driveway! Later I got up to a mile, then two, then three and I was nearly there.
I did not carry a backpack with me!
I did not carry a bag of groceries with me!
I didn’t even carry my iPad with me!
Runners want to be as light as possible and free from distractions.
I also learned that they need focus. They need a goal.
I ran with a program called Map My Run that would call out when I reached a mile…and two...and three. I set a target distance each time knowing that otherwise I’d just jog to the mailbox and then go eat gingerbread cookies!
On the final days of my training I determined in advance how far I was going to jog (you can hardly call my pace running!) and I refused to stop until I reached that goal. It’s about focus.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)
We have to focus on Jesus, not Oprah or ESPN or Facebook…but Jesus. Only Jesus can help you become a new creation. Only Jesus brings true joy. Notice this verse. He experienced joy while He was on the cross. Is that crazy?
Joy is not happiness. It is far deeper. Joy comes from a right relationship with God, and that’s what Jesus had on the cross. His joy was not in the pain and agony He experienced, but knowing that He was glorifying the Father and doing His will.
One of the great things about fixing our eyes upon Jesus is He understands. We’re going to talk about this more in two weeks, but He knows suffering. He knows grief. He knows pain. He knows weary and burdened. He conquered sin and death.
What does it mean to fix our eyes on Jesus? It starts with the Word of God.
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17)
As we saw a few months ago in John 1…
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. (John 1:1)
Maybe your faith is being tried by the loss of a loved one, a dream, a job, health. Look to Jesus. Get in the Word. There is power and hope and joy in the Word.
If it’s hard to read, grab the New Living Translation or the Message. If you don’t know what to read, join us as we read through the entire Bible together at sciojournal.wordpress.com. If you missed the first 49 weeks, not problem! Finish this year in God’s Word. Start up again in January. The Word is life. The Word is power.
As an example, a few weeks ago I was discouraged, living in Cleveland, spending my days in a hospital waiting room with my daughter. The Scio Journal passage for the day included this…
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. (2 Corinthians 1:3-5; 4:8-10)
Wow! My faith began to rise. I was reminded that God was with me, that He understood, and that there was a purpose in my trouble—to let Christ overflow in my life and comfort others.
We need to fill our minds with the Word of God. The word of the world too often fills our minds with lies.
As we are in His Word, our faith grows. Jesus helps us to become more faithful.
Jesus helps us to become more joyful.
Our joy comes from a right relation with God, not something we produce.
Joy is part of the fruit of the Spirit. Joy (depends on Jesus) and happiness (depends on happenings) are worlds apart.
In Luke 2—the most detailed account of Jesus’ birth—it says
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:8-11)
Good news of great joy. For all the people. That’s Jesus!
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5)
Peter and Paul had a thing about long sentences! Notice that he is speaking in the present tense.
They have been given new birth into a living hope.
“That’s great,” you may be thinking, “but that was then and this is now. You don’t understand my messed-up life.”
Peter is writing to people that are in the midst of suffering. Look at the next verse:
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. (1 Peter 1:6)
How can they rejoice in the midst of suffering? How can we? It’s really quite simple: what is your hope?
Pastor Tim Keller says this so beautifully: any hope that is a finite object will disappoint. If your hope is in your health, family, job, wealth, fame…it can and will eventually be gone. For most people hope is a circumstance that can change, but if our hope is a living hope, it is fixed; it is not based upon circumstances.
Let’s go back for a moment to the previous verses…
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5)
Without the living hope, you either have joy or sorrow.
These have come so that your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1 Peter 1:7)
When you put gold into the fire, it gets brighter and more refined. A living hope not based upon circumstances means the sorrow actually drives you into joy and into Christ. Sorrow kicks on the joy. Sorrow doesn’t kill the joy because it’s not circumstantial.
The joy enables the sorrow. When most people experience grief, they run into indifference or anger.
With a living hope, sorrow makes you wiser. You don’t run from it, it deepens you. The joy gets brighter with the sorrow like the stars get brighter as it gets darker.
Your heart with a living hope is always great and growing.
Earlier we looked at Jesus’ joy on the cross.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)
He sweated blood. He screamed on the cross. He had a living hope.
What is the living hope?
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5)
It is an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.
It is kept. It is secure. It is guaranteed. It cannot be removed.
It is the coming of the salvation…the last time, the end, but what is it?
These have come so that your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1 Peter 1:7)
Those who believe…praise, glory and honor…we will praise, glory and honor Jesus, right?
No! It says your faith may be proved genuine. The Greek grammar is not referring to praise, glory and honor to Jesus, but from Jesus.
We are going to get praise, glory and honor on the last day!
Jesus prayed at the end of His time on earth…
I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:23)
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Jesus took everything that we deserve. If you believe in Jesus, you get everything that He deserved.
This isn’t about what you have done, but what the death and resurrection of Jesus did. At the end, you will receive everything that Jesus deserved! Love, applause, approval, perfection, and purity.
It is kept! It is secure.
This is the new hope. What’s coming is the ultimate wealth, the approval of the King.
The foundation of your character is not your personality but your hope.
The Gospel is not if I try hard, maybe God will bless me someday. It is because Jesus died for me, I have a hope that is kept for me and someday I will be changed forever and even now it gives me hope so I can handle anything.
Religion: trying to be good, gambling that someday God will accept them; you’re saving yourself; I give God a righteous record and He owes me
The Gospel: live in the light of being accepted; you receive and rest in His salvation; God gives me a righteous record in Jesus Christ and I live for Him
To be born again is to live in the living hope that it is kept.
How?
Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:8-9)
Unspeakable joy!
Jesus was even able to have joy at the cross. What was Jesus’ living hope?
After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:11)
Us! Being with us forever!
You being His living hope is what makes Him your living hope.
Love Him!
Is this just for superstar Christians?
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: (1 Peter 1:1-2a)
Peter is writing to all of the Christians in the region. It’s for everyone. It’s for you!
Jesus helps us to become more triumphant.
We often feel defeated. Life is hard…but God is good. Our God is an awesome God. Our God will someday soon right all wrongs. The enemy may be winning some battles, but our LORD will win the war!
Isaiah understood Jesus was not just an 8 pound, 6 ounce sweet baby Jesus.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9:6-7)
That’s our God. That’s our King! He will rule and reign forever!
The baby in the manger is the Creator of the universe, the King of kings, …
There is power in the presence of God.
There is faith in the presence of God.
There is joy in the presence of God.
There is victory in the presence of God.
He is born the King of angels.
We have come to adore Him.
Come all ye faithful (He is faithful even when we are not)
Joyful and triumphant
He is Christ the LORD
Prayer
Jesus calls the weary and the burdened. Some of you need to come back to God.
Credits: Series theme and various ideas from Craig Groeschel, LifeChurch.tv
Some notes from Tim Keller, Born Into Hope sermon
You can listen to the podcast here.
You can view a music video of O Come All Ye Faithful from LifeChurch.tv here.
O Holy Night, Carols, 2 December 2012
O Holy Night (Cantique de Noël)
Lamentations 3:18-26
Big Idea: Knowing Jesus provides a thrill of hope in our weary world if we are willing to wait.
Welcome to the first Sunday of Advent. Advent is about expectant waiting and preparation. For generations, the Israelites awaited the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. We are awaiting His return. We are in between His first and second visits to our planet. We look back and forward.
In some traditions, December 25 is the beginning of the festivities, while for most in our culture it is the climax. This is the month of preparing for Christmas Day—shopping, wrapping, parties, baking, …and music!
Just for the record, I believe Christmas music should begin when we see Santa in the Thanksgiving Day parade. That is the signal to me that the season has officially started.
Anyone that knows me even casually knows that I love music. I’m a third-generation musician and I love everything about music. I suppose that’s why Christmas music is so meaningful to me. It is the soundtrack of the season, but more than that, its lyrics convey the true meaning of Christmas.
I’m not talking about “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer” or “I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas.” I’m thinking more about the Christmas carols.
I have a confession to make. I love music, have over 20,000 songs in my iTunes library, and listen to music daily, but I rarely pay attention to the lyrics.
Sometimes, that’s a good thing, for song lyrics are often misunderstood, something known as mondegreen. Consider these examples:
Deck the Halls
Deck the halls with Buddy Holly
Deck the halls with boughs of holly
The First Noel
The first Noel, the angels did say, was to frighten poor shepherds..
The first Noel, the angels did say, was to certain poor shepherds..
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Get dressed ye married gentlemen, let nothing through this May
God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay
We Three Kings
We three kings of Oregon are, bearing gifts, we travel so far.
We three kings of Orient are, bearing gifts we traverse afar
Silent Night
Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright, round young virgin…
Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright, ‘round yon virgin…
Joy To The World
Joy to the world! The Lord has gum.
Joy to the world! The Lord is come.
During the next four weeks during our preparation for Jesus’ birthday celebration, we’re going to look at four classic Christmas Carols, their lyrics, and their biblical message. It is my hope and prayer that as you hear these songs, you’ll not only hum the melody, you’ll think about the timeless message.
O Holy Night
This week’s carol is O Holy Night. It is one of my all-time favorite songs. I have more than 30 different recordings of it.
History
Here’s a bit of background to the song. In 1847, a parish priest asked a French wine seller, Placide Cappeau, to write a poem for Christmas. His Jewish friend, Adolphe Charles Adams, added the music. What is fascinating is that neither Cappeau nor Adams were Christians, but God used them to tell the Christmas story like no other.
On Christmas Eve in 1906, a Canadian inventor, Reginald Fessenden, did the first-ever AM radio broadcast which included a reading of Luke 2 and him playing this song on the violin.
Lyrics
O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining, It is the night of the dear Savior's birth. Long lay the world in sin and error pining. Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth. A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices! O night divine, the night when Christ was born; O night, O Holy Night , O night divine! O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
Led by the light of faith serenely beaming, With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand. O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wise men from out of the Orient land. The King of kings lay thus lowly manger; In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger, Behold your King! Before him lowly bend! Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Truly He taught us to love one another, His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother. And in his name all oppression shall cease. Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we, With all our hearts we praise His holy name. Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we, His power and glory ever more proclaim! His power and glory ever more proclaim!
Title
The word “holy” means set apart, sacred. Although God is holy, the song title refers to how sacred and distinct the first Christmas was.
Focus
We could spend all day dissecting the lyrics, but I want to focus on one sentence.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
We live in a weary world. Anxiety, fear, disease, uncertainty, and depression are everywhere. Such was the scene 2000 years ago.
The Roman Empire ruled and oppressed the people, especially the Jews that were longing for the promised Messiah to come and deliver them.
If that weren’t enough, imagine Mary and Joseph traveling between 80 and 120 miles to register for the census—on foot, or possibly with the aid of a donkey. Some of us complain when we’re in the car for 2 hours. Imagine their journey!
Is your world weary? For many, this season is one of celebration, but for others it can be downright depressing. They say that the holiday amplify your emotions, be they positive or negative.
Notice the words that surround “the weary world.”
“A thrill of hope” and “rejoices.”
There is a thrill of hope in the midst of the chaos of the holy night.
What a paradox!
The Bible records another scene of a weary world. The date is 586 BC. The Holy Temple has been destroyed. The city of Jerusalem was a wreck. The people were distraught. Jeremiah was lamenting. In fact, he wrote an entire book filled with his mourning, wailing, and weeping called…Lamentations.
So I say, “My splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the LORD.” I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. (Lamentations 3:18-20)
Can you picture his weary world?
Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: (Lamentations 3:21)
This sounds promising. Notice that it is not on the front of his mind, but he will call it to mind. He remembers there is hope. What is it?
Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. (Lamentations 3:22)
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:23)
Notice how he shifts from talking about God to praying to God. Great is Your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. (Lamentations 3:24-26)
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
This season we are preparing for the arrival of Jesus, celebrating His first arrival and awaiting His return.
When your world is weary, Jesus can bring a thrill of hope that causes you to rejoice.
Jesus brings us what we need.
This is not always what we want, but He provides for our needs. He is our portion as it says in verse 24. Scholars have debated what this word “portion” means exactly, but many believe is refers to the Israelites in the desert when God provided their portion of manna for that day. They needed God every day. Hoarding would result in rotten manna. Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” God already has everything you need for tomorrow. He is already there. You can be here, today.
Our family hymn is Great Is They Faithfulness, taken from this passage of Lamentations. One of my favorite lines is “strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.” That’s what He offers. He is our portion and will provide what we need today. We have hope for tomorrow, too, but we must wait for it.
Jesus brings us the hope to keep going.
It is the thrill of hope in a weary world. Notice the next line of the song says “for yonder breaks/a new and glorious morn.” A new morning is coming. God is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him (25).
It has been said that we can live 40 days without food, 8 days without water, 4 minutes without oxygen, a few seconds without hope. People put their hope in risky places—bad relationships, a shaky stock market, politicians, sports teams, …
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23)
Don’t ever let go…hold on to the hope, not the fear and anxiety we talked about last week (Phil. 4:6).
Finally, Jesus brings the help we are seeking.
Verse 26…sometimes you have to wait. The Jews waited for generations for the Messiah. We have been waiting 2000 years for His return.
One encounter with Jesus makes all the difference.
Because Jesus is here you can have hope in the middle of the night.
And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. (Romans 13:11-12)
The night is nearly over and the day is almost here.
I was working on this message sitting in a hospital waiting room, wondering when the night would be over.
I still don’t know, but I have hope!
The sun/Son always rises again.
As Tony Campolo likes to say at Eastertime, It’s Friday…but Sunday’s coming!
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Credits: Series theme and various ideas from Craig Groeschel, LifeChurch.tv
You can listen to the podcast here.
You can view a music video of O Holy Night from LifeChurch.tv here.
Lamentations 3:18-26
Big Idea: Knowing Jesus provides a thrill of hope in our weary world if we are willing to wait.
Welcome to the first Sunday of Advent. Advent is about expectant waiting and preparation. For generations, the Israelites awaited the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. We are awaiting His return. We are in between His first and second visits to our planet. We look back and forward.
In some traditions, December 25 is the beginning of the festivities, while for most in our culture it is the climax. This is the month of preparing for Christmas Day—shopping, wrapping, parties, baking, …and music!
Just for the record, I believe Christmas music should begin when we see Santa in the Thanksgiving Day parade. That is the signal to me that the season has officially started.
Anyone that knows me even casually knows that I love music. I’m a third-generation musician and I love everything about music. I suppose that’s why Christmas music is so meaningful to me. It is the soundtrack of the season, but more than that, its lyrics convey the true meaning of Christmas.
I’m not talking about “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer” or “I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas.” I’m thinking more about the Christmas carols.
I have a confession to make. I love music, have over 20,000 songs in my iTunes library, and listen to music daily, but I rarely pay attention to the lyrics.
Sometimes, that’s a good thing, for song lyrics are often misunderstood, something known as mondegreen. Consider these examples:
Deck the Halls
Deck the halls with Buddy Holly
Deck the halls with boughs of holly
The First Noel
The first Noel, the angels did say, was to frighten poor shepherds..
The first Noel, the angels did say, was to certain poor shepherds..
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Get dressed ye married gentlemen, let nothing through this May
God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay
We Three Kings
We three kings of Oregon are, bearing gifts, we travel so far.
We three kings of Orient are, bearing gifts we traverse afar
Silent Night
Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright, round young virgin…
Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright, ‘round yon virgin…
Joy To The World
Joy to the world! The Lord has gum.
Joy to the world! The Lord is come.
During the next four weeks during our preparation for Jesus’ birthday celebration, we’re going to look at four classic Christmas Carols, their lyrics, and their biblical message. It is my hope and prayer that as you hear these songs, you’ll not only hum the melody, you’ll think about the timeless message.
O Holy Night
This week’s carol is O Holy Night. It is one of my all-time favorite songs. I have more than 30 different recordings of it.
History
Here’s a bit of background to the song. In 1847, a parish priest asked a French wine seller, Placide Cappeau, to write a poem for Christmas. His Jewish friend, Adolphe Charles Adams, added the music. What is fascinating is that neither Cappeau nor Adams were Christians, but God used them to tell the Christmas story like no other.
On Christmas Eve in 1906, a Canadian inventor, Reginald Fessenden, did the first-ever AM radio broadcast which included a reading of Luke 2 and him playing this song on the violin.
Lyrics
O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining, It is the night of the dear Savior's birth. Long lay the world in sin and error pining. Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth. A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices! O night divine, the night when Christ was born; O night, O Holy Night , O night divine! O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
Led by the light of faith serenely beaming, With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand. O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wise men from out of the Orient land. The King of kings lay thus lowly manger; In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger, Behold your King! Before him lowly bend! Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Truly He taught us to love one another, His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother. And in his name all oppression shall cease. Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we, With all our hearts we praise His holy name. Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we, His power and glory ever more proclaim! His power and glory ever more proclaim!
Title
The word “holy” means set apart, sacred. Although God is holy, the song title refers to how sacred and distinct the first Christmas was.
Focus
We could spend all day dissecting the lyrics, but I want to focus on one sentence.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
We live in a weary world. Anxiety, fear, disease, uncertainty, and depression are everywhere. Such was the scene 2000 years ago.
The Roman Empire ruled and oppressed the people, especially the Jews that were longing for the promised Messiah to come and deliver them.
If that weren’t enough, imagine Mary and Joseph traveling between 80 and 120 miles to register for the census—on foot, or possibly with the aid of a donkey. Some of us complain when we’re in the car for 2 hours. Imagine their journey!
Is your world weary? For many, this season is one of celebration, but for others it can be downright depressing. They say that the holiday amplify your emotions, be they positive or negative.
Notice the words that surround “the weary world.”
“A thrill of hope” and “rejoices.”
There is a thrill of hope in the midst of the chaos of the holy night.
What a paradox!
The Bible records another scene of a weary world. The date is 586 BC. The Holy Temple has been destroyed. The city of Jerusalem was a wreck. The people were distraught. Jeremiah was lamenting. In fact, he wrote an entire book filled with his mourning, wailing, and weeping called…Lamentations.
So I say, “My splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the LORD.” I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. (Lamentations 3:18-20)
Can you picture his weary world?
Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: (Lamentations 3:21)
This sounds promising. Notice that it is not on the front of his mind, but he will call it to mind. He remembers there is hope. What is it?
Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. (Lamentations 3:22)
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:23)
Notice how he shifts from talking about God to praying to God. Great is Your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. (Lamentations 3:24-26)
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
This season we are preparing for the arrival of Jesus, celebrating His first arrival and awaiting His return.
When your world is weary, Jesus can bring a thrill of hope that causes you to rejoice.
Jesus brings us what we need.
This is not always what we want, but He provides for our needs. He is our portion as it says in verse 24. Scholars have debated what this word “portion” means exactly, but many believe is refers to the Israelites in the desert when God provided their portion of manna for that day. They needed God every day. Hoarding would result in rotten manna. Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” God already has everything you need for tomorrow. He is already there. You can be here, today.
Our family hymn is Great Is They Faithfulness, taken from this passage of Lamentations. One of my favorite lines is “strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.” That’s what He offers. He is our portion and will provide what we need today. We have hope for tomorrow, too, but we must wait for it.
Jesus brings us the hope to keep going.
It is the thrill of hope in a weary world. Notice the next line of the song says “for yonder breaks/a new and glorious morn.” A new morning is coming. God is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him (25).
It has been said that we can live 40 days without food, 8 days without water, 4 minutes without oxygen, a few seconds without hope. People put their hope in risky places—bad relationships, a shaky stock market, politicians, sports teams, …
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23)
Don’t ever let go…hold on to the hope, not the fear and anxiety we talked about last week (Phil. 4:6).
Finally, Jesus brings the help we are seeking.
Verse 26…sometimes you have to wait. The Jews waited for generations for the Messiah. We have been waiting 2000 years for His return.
One encounter with Jesus makes all the difference.
- - Lazarus, dead for four days, he stinketh (KJV)
- - A woman was bleeding for 12 years
- - 38 years the man could not walk, he met Jesus at the pool of Bethsaida
Because Jesus is here you can have hope in the middle of the night.
And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. (Romans 13:11-12)
The night is nearly over and the day is almost here.
I was working on this message sitting in a hospital waiting room, wondering when the night would be over.
I still don’t know, but I have hope!
The sun/Son always rises again.
As Tony Campolo likes to say at Eastertime, It’s Friday…but Sunday’s coming!
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Credits: Series theme and various ideas from Craig Groeschel, LifeChurch.tv
You can listen to the podcast here.
You can view a music video of O Holy Night from LifeChurch.tv here.