Carols

Joy to the World , 12 December 2021

Joy to the World
Series—Carols
Luke 2:8-11; Psalm 96:9-13; Psalm 98

Series Big Idea: Carols are the soundtrack of the season as we celebrate Advent.

Big Idea: Baby Jesus brought joy to the world, and his life continues to transform lives today.

Joy to the world! It’s one of my favorite Christmas carols. It’s hard to sing it with a frown on your face! It has a certain energy, a simple melody, and positive, uplifting lyrics. Are you joyful…and triumphant?

Today is week three of Advent and our Advent series,
Carols. In the first two weeks, we looked at two somewhat obscure songs. In contrast, today’s carol, Joy to the World, is the most-published Christmas hymn in North America! It was written in 1719 by an English hymnwriter and minister named Isaac Watts and the music comes from an 1848 arrangement by American Lowell Mason (side note: the first four notes are identical to those in “Lift up your heads” from Handel’s Messiah). While we’re giving credits, Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash, and Matt Gilder wrote the modern chorus we sang earlier.

The theme of the carol is obviously…joy. What exactly is joy…and how does the world experience it? We’re about to find out!

In today’s scripture reading from the second chapter of Luke, an angel delivered a message to terrified shepherds who were watching their flocks at night.

“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. (Luke 2:10b-11)


The announcement stated the good news would cause “great” joy…for all the people. Let’s unpack this.

First, “good news.” The original Greek word is euaggelizo (yoo-ang-ghel-id’-zo) which means to announce good news (“evangelize”) especially the gospel. It’s to declare/bring/show glad or good tidings, to preach the
gospel, which means “good news.”

Today in church circles, there’s a lot of discussion about the gospel, what it is and what it isn’t. In three words, I believe the gospel is, “Jesus is LORD.” That’s good news. It’s great news if you understand who Jesus is, and what a thrill it is to call him not just Savior, but LORD, Master, King, the Boss! There are some today who say the gospel is about praying a prayer so you can go to heaven when you die, but nobody in the early church would’ve thought that at all. It doesn’t begin with me, but with Jesus.

The gospel is good news, which could vary from person to person, right? Think back to that football game a few weeks ago! But in this case, the gospel is good news for all people.

“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. (Luke 2:10b-11)

The angel said, “…great joy for all the people.” That’s tremendously important.

The Jewish people were known as God’s chosen people, so much so that they copped an attitude toward Gentiles, those who were not Jewish. I think it’s incredible how God used the Jewish Messiah to cause great joy for all the people, all nations. Jesus was not an American! I don’t think he was white, he didn’t speak English, and he certainly wasn’t born into wealth, freedom, or power.

Speaking of which, I don’t want to miss the
shepherds in this story. They were, after all, the ones to whom the angel spoke. They were lowly caretakers of lambs and considered untrustworthy and ceremonially unclean because of their work. Yet their lambs would be used for temple sacrifices in Jerusalem. Dr. Tony Evans notes,

The shepherds were responsible for making sure that newborn lambs had no defects since the sacrificial animals had to be without spot or wrinkle. So the shepherds would tightly wrap the lambs in cloth to keep them from becoming blemished and injuring themselves. This explains why Luke makes the point that Jesus was wrapped tightly in cloth, since at his birth he was the sinless Lamb of God whose substitutionary sacrifice would take away the sin of the entire world (see John 1:29; 2 Cor 5:21; 1 Pet 1:19-20; 1 John 2:2).

Virtually everything about the arrival of King Jesus was the opposite of any other royal birth. God has a special place in His heart for the outcasts, the stranger, the widow, the poor, the orphan. I hope this is an encouragement to many of you…even those of you who consider yourselves average, normal, unremarkable. God sees you. If you’re in the sanctuary this morning, I see you! You matter. You belong here.
Your life has meaning and a purpose. You were created in the image of the Almighty with dignity, value, and worth. Next Sunday evening, the kids will sing,

Good News for to the poor!
Good News for the broken hearts!
Good News for the captives.
Good News for those who cry!

That’s all of us, family! We’re all captives to sin. We’ve all experienced pain, suffering, and broken hearts. We’ve all been poor, if not financially, then emotionally, spiritually, relationally. This is one of the things I love about our faith…it’s for everyone! Young, old, rich, poor, immigrant, refugee, black, brown, peach, American, Asian, African, European, male, female, …everyone!

Some have called Christian an exclusive religion. Jesus did say,

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

But the gift, Jesus, is inclusive. He came for everyone, yet many have refused to accept the gift. No gift is truly yours until you take it. If I sent you a brand new Apple Watch and you left it in your mailbox, it’s really not yours. Jesus is the gospel, the good news. Jesus is LORD is good news…for all people! We don’t have to wallow in our fear, shame, addictions, habits, insecurities, anxiety, or depression. Jesus came to give us life, freedom, hope, peace, love, and joy!

That’s the word of the day, so what does it really mean? We often compare and contrast it with happiness. After all, Thomas Jefferson said we have the right to the pursuit of happiness…right?! As a culture, we obsess about happiness, doing whatever makes us happy and avoiding anything that would involve pain, suffering, inconvenience, or sacrifice. Sheryl Crow even had a hit song years ago singing, “If it makes you happy.” In a culture where truth is what I feel and I have to feel good and happy, people are making some crazy choices. Add the trauma of the multiple crises in our land and it’s understandable why everyone seems to be on edge, stressed, anxious, and fearful.

Don’t get me wrong, I love to be happy, but it was never God’s design that our ultimate pursuit be happiness. That would make it an idol. Our ultimate pursuit should be the LORD and His glory.

The original Greek word for joy in our text, chara (khar-ah), means joy (of course), calm delight, cheerfulness, gladness, and in some cases “greatly joyful.” Joy is a part of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians chapter 5. It’s used throughout the book of Philippians by Paul who—despite being in prison—is filled with joy.

It is possible to have inner joy in the midst of external suffering…and we need to express sadness, anger, and other negative emotions. Even in the midst of trials, we can experience hope and strength through the joy of the LORD (Nehemiah 8:10). I think the most amazing verse about joy speaks of Jesus’ purpose in becoming Emmanuel, God with us. The writer of the book of Hebrews says,

For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2b)

I don’t think Jesus was happy hanging on a cross, but even during the crucifixion, he had hope. He chose joy. He knew there was more to his story. He was obedient and faithful to the Father and had you and me in mind when he endured the cross.

Joy to the world! the Lord is come;

The birth of Jesus never made CNN, FOX News, or Facebook, but eventually word would spread that the Messiah, the LORD had come, had arrived.
Let Earth receive her King;

Jesus is not merely the King or Rome or England or Scotland, but the King of the Earth! He is the King of kings and the LORD of lords. He rules and reigns, and though he is allowing satan this season to be the prince of this world, the King is coming back soon!
Let every heart prepare him room,

We talked about this last Sunday, making room in our hearts—and calendar, budgets, minds, and lives—for Jesus. I failed to mention last week how this is a struggle for me, too. I wrestle with busyness, to-do lists, distractions, and temptations which keep me from fully abiding and remaining with Jesus. Whenever I slip into fear instead of faith, I’m not making room. Whenever I think I selfishly deserve something rather than seeking to steward my many blessings, I’m not making room. Whenever I do things my way rather than seeking first His Kingdom, I’m not making room. I’m a living example of someone trying to follow Jesus, but I’m not a perfect example.

Is there room in your heart and life for Jesus?

Unfortunately, two thousand years later, billions of people still haven’t heard about the birth of Jesus, the death of Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus, or anything about Jesus! They are living in darkness, hopeless and lost. We’re on a mission to make disciples, to restore God’s masterpieces, to proclaim the gospel, the good news, that Jesus is LORD.

And what’s the natural response of those who
have encountered the joy of Jesus?
And heaven and nature sing, And heaven and nature sing, And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.
I love these verses from Psalm 96:

9 Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.”
The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.
11 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
12 Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
13 Let all creation rejoice before the LORD, for he comes,
he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples in his faithfulness. (Psalm 96:9-13)

He rules the world with truth and grace. King Jesus is LORD of all creatures, heaven and earth, land and sea. No wonder we are commanded to sing in Psalm 98:
Psa. 98:1    Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
2 The LORD has made his salvation known
and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
3 He has remembered his love
and his faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
4 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music;
5 make music to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and the sound of singing,
6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—
shout for joy before the LORD, the King.
7 Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.
8 Let the rivers clap their hands,
let the mountains sing together for joy;
9 let them sing before the LORD,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples with equity. (Psalm 98:1-9)

That’s good news. That’s joy-inducing truth. That’s something worth telling on the mountain and everywhere!

“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. (Luke 2:10b-11)

The last verse of Joy to the World declares,

He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove The glories of His righteousness, And wonders of His love, And wonders of His love, And wonders, wonders, of His love.

King Jesus rules.
King Jesus reigns.
King Jesus loves.
King Jesus lives.

Let’s receive our King this Christmas…and spread joy to the world!

You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.

You can watch this video and others at the First Alliance Church Video Library
here.

Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne, 5 December 2021

Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne
Series—Carols
Luke 2:1-7

Series Big Idea: Carols are the soundtrack of the season as we celebrate Advent.

Big Idea: Is there room in your life for the One who made room in his life for you?

I can remember it like it was yesterday. My wife and daughters flew from Detroit to Seattle on a red-eye which was delayed. It must’ve been around 3 AM when I drove our rental car to the hotel I had reserved—with a credit card—eager to catch some much-needed sleep before our two-hour drive to visit friends. I walked to the front desk to check-in when the person at the front desk said the two words no weary traveler wants to hear:

NO ROOM

I was shocked! After all, I had reserved a room! I had made payment—or at least a deposit—on a room. I was tired and cranky and I needed a room, not only for myself but my ladies. When I appealed, I was told

NO ROOM

What do you mean, no room? Surely you’ve got some place we can rest! I was told a room might be available around 10 AM if I wanted to check in for the next day and night. I didn’t need a room in seven hours! I needed one now!

Have you ever felt stuck between a rock and a hard place? I literally had no idea what to do at 3 in the morning on the other side of the country with a wife and two little girls, knowing our friends weren’t expecting us until 9 AM…six hours later. Did I mention I was tired and cranky?!

NO ROOM

Have you ever had a similar experience? Maybe it was trying to find a seat on the bus, a concert ticket, registering for a college class, or simply a parking spot.

NO ROOM

How did it make you feel?

Today we’re continuing our Advent series,
Carols. We actually begin it last year at Christmastime and this year we have four new songs we’re examining. Actually, they’re not new, but rather quite old! Last week Mykel preached a great sermon based upon the theme of The People that in Darkness Sat. Today we’re exploring the scriptures behind the carol Thou Did’st Leave Thy Throne. The Shakespearean-sounding title alerts us that it’s hardly a new song, yet its lyrics are timeless.

Thou didst leave thy throne and thy kingly crown

So begins this carol. It’s obviously speaking of Jesus, the King of kings. What would cause a king to leave his throne? Why would a king set aside his crown? Even though we’re quite unfamiliar with royalty—aside from the occasional gossip from England—the idea of a king stepping down seems remarkable. After all, many lust for power and will do just about anything to obtain it…or keep it. Yet our own nation’s history contains a brilliant account of one choosing to give up power.

George Washington faithfully served the United States until his resignation on December 23, 1783. When asked what Washington would do, King George III was told Washington would return to his farm, leading the king to famously declare, “If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world.”

It takes a great person to willingly surrender power, and one even greater than Washington stepped down from a far greater position. As we sang last week,

Light of the world
You stepped down into darkness

We could say, “Creator of the universe, You left heaven’s splendor to spend thirty-three years on this beautiful yet broken planet.”

Thou didst leave thy throne and thy kingly crown

Why? Did have nothing better to do? Was he bored with the entertainment options in heaven? Did Jesus get into an argument with the Father and the Holy Spirit and need a break?! Hardly!

Thou didst leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown, When Thou camest to earth for me

YOU are the reason Jesus left his throne! He came to earth for YOU! He made a special, rather-lengthy trip for YOU! What amazing love!

How far have you ever traveled for another person? We drove about twelve hours each way to visit family over Thanksgiving. That was a lot of time, gas, and effort to see my grandma, aunt, uncle, and my sister’s family, but it’s nothing like the journey Jesus made from heaven to earth. I know the story is familiar to most of you, but imagine making such a journey and hearing those two awful words

NO ROOM
But in Bethlehem's home was there found no room For Thy holy nativity.
Nativity simply refers to the birth of Jesus described in the gospels or “good news” of Matthew and Luke. Speaking of Mary, the New King James Version says,

And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:7, NKJV)

NO ROOM

It’s worth noting they were not trying to get a room at the Holiday Inn! There are many myths and misunderstandings that have developed over the years about the birth of Jesus, not the least of which is this reference to an inn. The New Living Translation says, “There was no lodging available for them” and the NIV says, “There was no guest room available for them.”

Back in the day, people would live upstairs with animals on the ground floor. Although a manger is present, no animals are mentioned by Dr. Luke. The significance of the
manger may not be much aside from it being a signpost given by the angel (a few verses later) to help the shepherds identify the Messiah.

To understand what’s happening, we need to go back to the beginning of this chapter.

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. (Luke 2:1-3)

Every fourteen years, Rome took a census for tax and military purposes. Each Jewish male had to return to his father’s city. Imagine doing that today! It helps explain why the house was full, forcing the couple and their newborn downstairs.


So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. (Luke 2:4-7)

NO ROOM

Joseph and Mary had traveled about ninety miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem…without a DVD player, a heater, or even a car! Imagine walking from here to the Cleveland airport. How imagine you arrive and you’re told

NO ROOM

Did I mention Mary was nine months pregnant? And that being an unwed mother was not exactly politically or socially correct?

I know God had His reasons, but the birth of Jesus has got to be one of the most unusual, counter-intuitive plans of the Almighty. Kings are born in palaces…or at least hospitals. What am I saying?! Kings don’t leave their thrones! Nobody chooses to be born on our planet, right?

Emily Elizabeth Steele Elliott (1836-1897) was born in Brighton, England. She was the daughter of an Anglican clergyman and the niece of Charlotte Elliott (1789-1871), the author of the famous hymn, “Just as I am.” 

Emily published a collection of 48 hymns called
Under the Pillow for those sick in hospitals, infirmaries, or at home. She wrote, “Thou didst leave thy throne” separately, however, to help children understand the meaning of the nativity—the birth of Christ—and Advent, this season of expectant waiting. After explaining the rejection of Jesus’ parents, she contrasts it with her own treatment of the Messiah.

O come to my heart, Lord Jesus, There is room in my heart for Thee. Is there room in your heart for Jesus? You all know the right answer, especially on Sunday morning, but be honest. Is there room in your heart for Jesus? Is there room in your life for Jesus? Is there room in your calendar for Jesus?

It seems as though most in our culture are quite used to saying

NO ROOM

At an hour in which the majority of people in our land were once gathered to worship the LORD, many are comfortable…in bed, on social media, watching tv, putting up Christmas decorations, or buying stuff. Several so-called experts have said a “regular church attendee” shows up once a month. Once a month! They can’t even make room for God for an hour a week. Can one hour a month be considered devotion?

Of course, I’m not saying church attendance is the gauge for making room in your heart for Jesus. Far from it! If anything, it’s simply the public expression of one’s faith on a regular basis. I’m obviously preaching to the choir since you’re listening to me, but

Is there room in your heart for Jesus?
Is there room tomorrow? Is there room throughout this week? Is there room throughout Advent…and beyond?

That’s asking a lot, right? Hardly! Jesus was asked later in the book of Luke what must be done to inherit eternal life.

He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Luke 10:27)  
That’s a lot! Jesus doesn’t want an hour on Sunday. He wants all of you! All your heart…soul, strength, and mind. He wants you to love others—even your enemies—as yourself. He wants nothing less than everything. All of you. Why? Because that’s what he gave you…all of himself. King Jesus left his throne for you. That’s not a half-hearted move. It’s not a passive, if it’s convenient maneuver. He gave everything for you…and he asks the same in return.

Earlier we sang,

Heaven's arches rang
When the angels sang
Proclaiming Thy royal degree
But in lowly birth
Didst Thou come to earth
And in great humility

He came in the most humble way possible…and stayed there. Paul wrote,

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)

One time Jesus told a potential follower,

Jesus replied, Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (Luke 9:58)

In other words, following Jesus offers no guarantees of a comfortable life…or even a roof over your head. This is surely what inspired verse three of our carol.

The foxes found rest
And the birds their nest
In the shade of the forest tree
But Thy couch was the sod
O Thou Son of God
In the deserts of Galilee

Our selfish, narcissistic culture seems to base everything around one question: how does it make me feel? If it makes me feel good, it must be true. If it requires any discomfort, any sacrifice, any inconvenience, any pain, it must be rejected.

I’m so glad Jesus didn’t take that approach. We would all be hopeless in a world of money, pleasure, and power-grabbing individuals with little regard for others.

Last week, Mykel asked why we celebrate Christmas. After all, the death and the resurrection are the highlight reel of Jesus’ life. Yet it all began with a baby in a manger, no crib for his bed.

Today we not only look at his birth, we consider in verse four his mission.

Thou camest O Lord
With the living word
That should set Thy people free
But with mocking scorn
And with crown of thorn
They bore Thee to Calvary

COMMUNION

The story of Jesus is not over. Far from it! Do you know how long eternity lasts?! Today in this season of Advent we remember those who waited expectedly for the Messiah about two thousand years ago. We also wait expectedly for his promised return.

When the heavens shall ring
And the angels sing
At Thy coming to victory
Let Thy voice call me home
Saying yet there is room
There is room at My side for thee

Is there room in your heart—in your life—for Jesus? He made room in his life for you.

Recommended resource: Make Room by Jonathan McReynolds

You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.

You can watch this video and others at the First Alliance Church Video Library
here.

Away in a Manger, 20 December 2020

Away in a Manger
Series—Carols
Luke 2:16-20

Series Big Idea:
Carols are the soundtrack of the season as we celebrate Advent.

Big Idea: Baby Jesus in the manager is now LORD of lords, calling us to surrender.

Around 700 BC, the prophet Isaiah wrote these words:

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. (Isaiah 9:6)

Our Advent candle this week is
peace (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus is called the Prince of Peace. It’s a little ironic that we lit the peace candle between our two angel songs that terrified the shepherds in their fields!

The Messiah has many names. In that one verse, Isaiah mentions several. What is your favorite name for God? Our Advent series is called
Carols and our song of the day, Away in a Manger, features one of the most important yet often ignored word…LORD.

There are countless images that depict the birth of the Messiah. In addition to paintings, we have three-dimensional models we call…
nativity scenes or…creches.

For as long as I can remember, our home has always had a nativity scene. It’s tradition for us to set up Mary, Joseph, the animals…and hide baby Jesus until Christmas morning. It’s part of the Advent celebration, the waiting for the coming, the arrival.

We’ve noted before how
many nativity scenes are historically inaccurate. After all, the wise men or Magi from the east arrived later, perhaps two years later! Matthew chapter two records that event. If you have a creche at home, you might want to move the wise men…to your backyard!

Side note: there are many myths about the Christmas story that are completely unbiblical…but that’s probably for another time!

Two weeks ago looked at the beginning of the second chapter of Luke’s gospel account of the life of Jesus the Messiah and the shepherds’ encounter with the angels. Verse sixteen continues…

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. (Luke 2:16)

Obviously the manger is featured in Away in a Manger.

Away in a manger no crib for a bed
The King of kings had no thousand-dollar stroller. He was not born in a hospital—modern or ancient. There was no mention of his birth in the Jerusalem Daily News. He was not placed in a $700 crib…but rather a manger…a food trough. How royal!

Nativity scenes often show the manger as a wooden vessel with straw, but first-century mangers may have looked like
this (cement). I took this picture in Israel. Would you put your baby—or grandbaby—in that? I suppose if you had no other choice, you would.
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head
Obviously Jesus was little…and apparently His head was sweet! How can you argue with that?
The stars in the sky looked down where He lay The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay
That’s a beautiful image, isn’t it? Stars shining down upon a baby sleeping on a pile of hay.
Away in a Manger was published in the late nineteenth century. For years people thought it was the work of Martin Luther, it is now believed to be an American song with music written by William J. Kirkpatrick (1895) and James Ramsey Murray (1887).
In 1945, Richard Hill suggested Away in a Manger might have originated in "a little play for children to act or a story about Luther celebrating Christmas with his children," likely connected with the 400th anniversary of the reformer's birth in 1883. This might explain why it was called Luther’s Cradle Song.
The cattle are lowing the Baby awakes
Quick quiz: lowing means
  1. a. The position of the cattle’s head
  2. b. Another term for grazing
  3. c. A sound cattle make
The correct answer is C. But the Bible says nothing about cattle! I’m not sure it says anything about animals other than animals ate from mangers…and shepherds tended sheep. Maybe cows were present. Maybe not. According to the song, the cattle make a noise, wake up the baby…
But little Lord Jesus no crying He makes
This is the line I question. It’s a quaint notion, but most babies cry when they are suddenly woken. But I wasn’t there! If the point is Jesus never cried, it’s blatantly false. He was fully human and babies cry!
There is a heresy called Docetism which states Jesus was God but not human. I can’t explain it, but
Jesus is fully human and fully God. Last week we noted John 1:14…
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
Jesus being human is vital for several reasons. First, his death and resurrection would certainly be questioned if he wasn’t human. Second, his perfect example of what it means to be human would be lost. Furthermore, his humanity allows him to understand what it’s like to be sick, tired, tempted, angry, and joyful.
Speaking of Jesus, the book of Hebrews declares,
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. (Hebrews 4:15)
This is wonderful news. Not only is God with us, Emmanuel, but He understands all of the dynamics of life on earth. He’s been here! He’s faced all of the challenges we face.
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
What a beautiful promise! We can have a relationship with God. We can pour out our hearts in prayer. We can be real with God.
We are to respect God, but we don’t need to be overly formal. Religion often keeps God at a distance, requiring special places, words, or rituals in order to get His attention.
He’s right here. He’s with us. He’s not out to get you. He’s not sleeping. He knows life is hard. He grieves when we grieve. He shares our joys and sorrows. He loves you. He proved it by dying for you! How are we to respond?

I love Thee Lord Jesus look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle 'til morning is nigh

We love Him because He first loved us.

It didn’t take the shepherds long to love Jesus. They were the first evangelists, proclaimers of good news.

When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. (Luke 2:17-18)

There are so many dimensions to the Christmas story. We’ve mentioned the manger. There was Joseph. Jesus. The angels. The shepherds. Those who heard about the birth from the shepherds. And, of course, Jesus’ mother.

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. (Luke 2:19)

We looked at Mary’s tragic and triumphant life two years ago during Advent. She experienced the joy of bringing the Messiah into the world, but she endured shame as an unwed mom, gave birth in an inadequate place, would watch the horror of her son’s death, and after he rose from the dead, departing earth weeks later. This was a moment she would treasure, though, as she held God with skin on in her arms.

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. (Luke 2:20)

We have followed this pattern ever since. We gather to glorify and praise God. We worship with our heart, soul, mind, and strength. He deserves it. He is worthy!
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
Jesus is called “lord” more than 700 times in the New Testament (though I didn’t actually count!)! The Greek word for Lord is kurios, meaning supreme in authority, controller, Master, God. It is not a casual or passive term, but one demanding devotion.

Jesus is not only Savior, but also Lord.

We have a problem with Lord. As I’ve often said, there are vampire Christians who only want Jesus for his blood. They want to use Jesus as Savior, grateful for the cross and the get-out-of-hell-free card they imagine obtaining, but they aren’t followers of Jesus. They may give him an hour on Sunday, but the rest of the week is theirs to live however they feel…whatever makes them happy. After all, we’re Americans and we have the right to do whatever we want so long as we don’t hurt anyone, right?

Not if you have Lord.

You follow a Lord.
You obey a Lord.
You submit to a Lord.

If every Christian truly made Jesus Lord, the Church would look so different. The world would look so different!

You may recall the angel declared Jesus is Lord to the shepherds.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. (Luke 2:10-11)

It’s not enough to call Jesus your Lord. Jesus said,

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? (Luke 6:46)

My favorite scripture in the Bible says,

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

All your heart. All your ways. Do you trust the LORD? Can you prove it? God can be trusted. He’s not a control freak demanding your obedience, but a loving Father who knows what’s best for us, even when we sometimes don’t understand at the moment what He’s doing. Most of us trust God in some areas. He is lord in certain “rooms” of our house, so to speak. But usually we don’t trust God in the areas in which we do not know Him, the rooms in which we’ve never let Him in. We think we’ll trust God after He proves to be trustworthy, but we really need to reverse it. He is trustworthy. He does know best. He is at work in the universe and He wants a relationship with you. But first you must let go. You must surrender. That can be scary, especially for those of you who have had trauma and trust issues with humans. But I promise you, Jesus can be trusted. The consequences of making Jesus Lord are not only immediate, but also eternal.


“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one 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 in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:21-23)

Those are sobering words, and they were spoken by Lord Jesus. Calling Jesus Lord does not make Jesus Lord.

So What?

Jesus may be your friend.
Jesus may be your Savior.
Is Jesus your Lord?

We don’t make Jesus Lord. He is. We choose to surrender to His control…or not.

Where have you not fully surrendered to the Lord Jesus?
What’s holding you back?
What next steps do you need to take to more fully surrender to Christ?

When you surrender your life, you discover your life (Matthew 10:39).

Conclusion

Away in a Manger is a classic Christmas carol. It draws our attention to a little baby asleep on the hay, but that baby didn’t stay in the manger. He grew, taught, healed, modeled for us what it means to be human, forgave sins, died a brutal death, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and he’s coming back. Advent is about celebrating his first visit to our planet…and awaiting his second coming soon. He will rule and reign forever and ever. He is the King of kings. He is the LORD of lords.

As we sing this song today—and as you hear it throughout the season—I encourage you to focus on Lord Jesus…and make him your Lord.

You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast
here.

You can watch this video and others at the First Alliance Church Video Library
here.

O Come, All Ye Faithful, 13 December 2020

O Come, All Ye Faithful
Series—Carols

Series Big Idea: Carols are the soundtrack of the season as we celebrate Advent.

Big Idea: Joy is the result of focusing our attention upon Jesus the Messiah who is worthy of our adoration.

Last week we began our Advent series, Carols. This season has its own soundtrack, a diverse collection of songs ranging from the silly (Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer) to the sacred (last Sunday’s theme, O Holy Night). Today we’re going to look at a seventeenth century song originally written in Latin, Adeste Fideles. We know it as O Come, All Ye Faithful.

What do you think about when hear the word “faithful?” Couples promise on their wedding day to be faithful to one another until death. We sing “Great is Thy Faithfulness” as we worship our trustworthy LORD.

Dictionary.com lists these definitions for the adjective
faithful:

  • - Strict or thorough in the performance of duty
  • - True to one’s word, promises, vows, etc.
  • - Steady in allegiance or affection; loyal; constant
  • - Reliable, trusted, or believed
  • - Adhering or true to fact, a standard, or an original; accurate

Then it lists the definitions of the noun
faithful:

  • - The believers, especially members of a Christian church or adherents of Islam
  • - The body of loyal members of any party or group

True. Steady. Loyal. Reliable. Trusted. Believed. Accurate. Do these words describe you? Do they describe us? If so, come. O Come, All Ye Faithful.

The root of the word faithful is…faith. There is a belief, a conviction behind the faithful. The faithful are full of faith. Are you?

One of my favorite stories in the Bible involves a boy possessed by a spirit. He would be thrown to the ground, foam a the mouth, gnash his teeth, and become rigid. It’s a disturbing situation. John Mark writes about his encounter with Jesus.

So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. (Mark 9:20)

Jesus asked the boy’s father,
“How long has he been like this?”

“From childhood,” he answered.
“It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” (Mark 9:21-22)


“ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” (Mark 9:23)

Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)


This is one of my personal prayers—
I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief.

Put another way, LORD, help me trust You more. Give me faith. Strengthen my faithfulness and loyalty to you.

The challenge to faithfulness is distraction. This is true for a married person whose eyes wander. It is true for the religious person who explores another faith. It can be true for Christians who become more devoted to the things of this world rather than the things of God.

One of the most famous Christmas carols begins
O come all ye faithful
Are you among the faithful? Are you a fully-devoted follower of Jesus Christ? Based upon my aforementioned prayer, I want to be, though I sometimes fail. The next line describes the manner in which God’s faithful people are to come.
Joyful and triumphant
Our Advent candle this week is joy. We are taught by the Declaration of Independence to pursue happiness. I want to be happy, but it’s hard to sustain. It comes and goes. It’s usually based upon circumstances, many of which we cannot control.
I am very happy today because my Michigan Wolverines did not lose to that team down south yesterday!
Unfortunately, a loss in the future is inevitable and I will be unhappy!
But joy is different. Happiness is external, where joy is more internal. The Greek word,
chara, means gladness, calm delight. We can pursue joy. We can choose it. C.S. Lewis said,
“No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. To those who knock it is opened.”
He called joy “the serious business of heaven,” noting, “Joy is never in our power and pleasure often is,” wondering, “whether all pleasures are not substitutes for joy.” In our text last week, we read,

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. (Luke 2:10)
Nehemiah famously said in the book (8:10) that bears his name, “The joy of the LORD is your strength.”
Joy is found in the LORD, not shopping malls or Hallmark Christmas movies! C.S Lewis wrote,
“If you want to get warm you must stand near the fire: if you want to be wet you must get into the water. If you want joy, power, peace, eternal life, you must get close to, or even into, the thing that has them. They are not a sort of prize which God could, if He chose, just hand out to anyone.”
The faithful are joyful and triumphant. Although it didn’t look like it as Jesus was crucified, he was actually winning, destroying sin and death forever. He is the victor, the champion, the greatest…and being with him, being for him, being faithful to him allows us to be joyful and triumphant.

Joy is part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). If you want joy, you must get close to the LORD. The message of today’s carol is just that…get close to the LORD, come and behold God in a manger.

O come ye O come ye to Bethlehem Come and behold Him Born the King of angels
Obviously, we are not instructed to fly to Israel and visit Bethlehem, though you can. It’s a real city. The message is for God’s faithful to come and worship.
O come let us adore Him O come let us adore Him O come let us adore Him Christ the Lord
What do you adore? What do you worship or honor or admire? What do you think about, spend time on, give your money to, focus your energies upon? “You are what you love (James K. A. Smith).”
The original Latin version of O Come, All Ye Faithful may have been written by St. Bonaventure, John Francis Wade, John Reading, King John IV of Portugal, or anonymous Cistercian monks somewhere between the 13
th and 18th century. We are more certain that the English translation was done by the English Catholic priest Frederick Oakeley in 1841, with three additional verses added by William Thomas Brooke. First published in Murray’s Hymnal in 1852, Oakeley originally called the song, “Ye Faithful, approach ye.” The musical tune has been attributed to several musicians.
My favorite part of the song has always been the dynamics of the chorus. After joyfully singing the verses, there is a hush when the chorus begins,
O come let us adore Him, then getting louder each time until the crescendo of the song’s subject, Christ the LORD. Our response to knowing God is worship and adoration.
The second verse reflects the second chapter of Luke we examined last Sunday.
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
What a site that must’ve been for the shepherds who witnessed it.
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, (Luke 2:13)   

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:14)   

There’s a difference between Advent songs and Christmas songs. We are in the middle of Advent, the season of waiting for the coming, a time of anticipation. We are expecting the return of Jesus soon, though we also reflect back upon those who were waiting for his first coming. Perhaps the most famous Advent song is “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” The title says it all. Come, LORD! We are waiting, we are anticipating. We are waiting until December 25…waiting to open presents, waiting for Christmas dinner, waiting for the day we celebrate Jesus’ birthday. O Come, All Ye Faithful is best sung on that day, especially the third verse.
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
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)   

Eugene Peterson captured this so brilliantly in
The Message when he translated,

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)   

Emmanuel, God with us. Flesh and blood. One of us. God with skin on. Amazing!

So What?
Once again, our response to knowing God is worship and adoration. When we ponder who He is and all that He has done, how can we not praise Him? How can we not come and adore Him?
I know some of you love to sing…and others would just as soon skip to the sermon! Worship is so much more than singing songs. It is one way we adore the LORD, and the angels set a great example on the night of Jesus’ birth.

Last week we talked about posture, particularly the humble act of kneeling. I’ve been in places where the awe of God has caused people to clap, raise their hands, kneel, lie on the floor, dance, weep, and shout. I’m not talking about putting on a show, drawing attention to one’s self, being a charismaniac, or feeling peer pressure to perform for others. I’m simply talking about our response to God.

There’s a powerful scene in Luke’s gospel where Jesus is having dinner at the home of a religious Pharisee.

A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. (Luke 7:37-38)

This disturbed the host who was quick to label her a “sinner,” as if he wasn’t! Jesus used it as a teaching moment.

Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon,
“Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” (Luke 7:44-47)

Then Jesus said to her,
“Your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 7:48)

The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” (Luke 7:49)

Jesus said to the woman,
“Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (Luke 7:50)

She was faithful. She was full of faith. She came to adore Jesus.

She also had many sins. She received great forgiveness. She expressed great love.

That describes some of you. You know what it’s like to be at the bottom of the barrel, and you’ve experienced the thrill of forgiveness, the outlandish—some call it reckless—love of God. You can’t help but sing, shout, wail, dance in response to all God has done for you.

Some of you are more…reserved! It may be culture. It may be tradition. It may be your personality. That’s fine. But perhaps it’s because you’ve simply lost the awe, wonder, mystery, and majesty of Almighty God. You’ve forgotten the price paid for your salvation. You’ve reduced your faith to some beliefs in your head rather than a transformation of your heart. I want to encourage you to take time this Advent to read, reflect, and become captivated by the joy of the Messiah, the wonder of the season, the love that came down at Christmas. We are told to remember because we so easily forget, we get comfortable, things become familiar and we lose our passion.

We’ve all sinned—a lot—and our reflection upon the manger, the cross, and the empty tomb should lead us to fall to our knees, to be joyful and triumphant, to come and adore Him! He is worthy!

O Come, All Ye Faithful

One more thing…

Worship and adoration is more than singing songs on Sunday morning. It’s how we live our lives, what we do with our time, talents, and treasures. We worship through our generosity, kindness, love…heart, soul, mind, and strength. Family, go worship the King!

You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.

You can watch this video and others at the First Alliance Church Video Library
here.

O Holy Night, 6 December 2020

O Holy Night
Series—Carols
Luke 2:6-14

Series Big Idea: Carols are the soundtrack of the season as we celebrate Advent.

Big Idea: Jesus brings a thrill of hope to a weary world, prompting us to fall to our knees in worship.

I love music! There are few things I enjoy more than playing, composing, and singing music. Whether it’s nurture, nature, or both, music has been a vital part of my life for as long as I can remember. My grandpa could play virtually every instrument in the orchestra. My dad could, too. I’m a third-generation musician, and our son, Trevor, carries the baton today.

Music is powerful. It can energize us during a workout, bring tears to our eyes, or relax us before we drift off to sleep. A song can excite a crowd at a concert or transport us back to nostalgic moments of childhood. Perhaps the coolest thing I’ve ever heard is that some Jewish rabbis believed when God created the universe, He sung it into existence! Imagine our world the result of a song!

Although it will be unusual this year, I love Christmas. I like buying gifts for family and friends (especially when I find a deal!). I enjoy the parties…especially white elephant exchanges! Christmas cookies are amazing…especially gingerbread! But perhaps my favorite thing about Christmas besides people is the music. No other holiday has a soundtrack so robust, whether it’s “I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas” or “Silent Night.”

What is your favorite Christmas carol? Comment online.

Most of you are familiar with the Christmas story, but this year we’re going to look at it from the perspective of composers who put the scriptures to song. We begin this morning with what might be my all-time favorite Christmas carol: “O Holy Night.”

In 1843, the church organ in the French city of Roquemaure was completely renovated. To celebrate the newly finished organ, the parish priest had the local poet, wine merchant, and mayor, Placide Cappeau write a poem. Cappeau was an interesting fellow. A fireworks accident blew up his right hand at age eight, and he was known to “enjoy the bottle,” so to speak. This French poet was moved by Luke chapter two…

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,
7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. (Luke 2:6-7)

This is a familiar text to anyone who’s ever attending a church at Christmastime. What would it be like to be an eyewitness of this moment? This is what Cappeau considered as he wrote his poem.

We’re in the season of
Advent, a season based upon the Latin word “adventus” or “coming.” It’s a time of preparation for the coming of the LORD Jesus Christ. We look back at those who were anticipating his first entry into our world. Timing is everything, they say, and Dr. Luke includes this detail that “the time came for the baby to be born.” Imagine waiting hundreds of years for something. The Messiah had been prophesied throughout the pages of the Jewish Bible, and Luke records this historic moment.

What are you anticipating? Maybe it’s a COVID-19 vaccine or recovery from the virus. Perhaps you are waiting for a prodigal son or daughter to come home. Children can’t wait to open those presents under the tree. God’s timing is perfect. I often say He’s never late but rarely early! While we look back at the first coming of Jesus, we look forward to his return. He is coming—soon—but rather than a baby, he will coming as a king…the King of kings, the LORD of lords. I don’t know anyone who likes to wait, but I know Jesus will be worth the wait!

Luke continues…

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. (Luke 2:8)

This was unremarkable. The land was likely filled with shepherds and flocks. But then something incredible happens!

An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. (Luke 2:9)

Angels are real. They are found throughout the Bible.

Have you ever encountered an angel? I’ve heard stories of angels appearing as ordinary humans, only to suddenly disappear. This is not one of those occasions! This angel appears along with the glory of the LORD. It was terrifying! For the shepherds, this was not a silent night, but a scary night!

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:10-12)

This would’ve been enough to get my attention…but there’s more!

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, (Luke 2:13)

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:14)

Imagine the sights! Imagine the sounds! This is what Cappeau was pondering when he wrote his poem.

O Holy night! The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior's birth

What a night.
What a light.
What a sight.
What delight!

Long lay the world in sin and error pining

This is an odd phrase to the modern reader. To “pine” means to long for something. The world was filled with sin and error. Hope was scarce. The world was pining or longing for something…for someone.

'Til He appears and the soul felt its worth

The Messiah changed everything! No person has ever had such a transformational impact on our planet. I can’t even imagine life without Jesus. The next phrase might be the most fantastic lyric in this or any other carol.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices

Could there be a more relevant declaration in this moment, in 2020? Our world is weary. It is broken. It is suffering in so many ways. I love Cappeau’s line “a thrill of hope.” Pastor Keith spoke of hope last week, also the theme of the first Advent candle.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

Followers of Jesus can experience a thrill of hope…and rejoice! Pastor Keith said hope is “holding onto promises earnestly.”

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices

What thrills you? Some people like watching thriller movies. I love the thrill rides at Cedar Point! But there’s nothing more thrilling than hope, especially in the midst of despair.

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn

In the distance…up ahead…yonder…breaks a new and glorious morn. It’s coming! It’s around the corner. Get ready!

The prophet Jeremiah wrote in 586 BC

I well remember them,
and my soul is
downcast within me.
Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have
hope:
Because of the LORD’S great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are
new every morning;
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 3:20-26)

Fall on your knees; O hear the Angel voices!

The shepherds were terrified when they heard and saw the angel. I’m quite sure their knees hit the ground. We’re not a culture that’s used to bowing, to kneeling, to stooping down. Posture matters.

If you’re physically able, fall on your knees right now, wherever you are. How does it feel? Do you feel a loss of power? Do you feel in control? Is it a humbling position?

My frequent prayer—especially this year—has been for our nation and its leaders to fall on our knees, to cry out to God, to be awestruck by His power and wisdom and humbly recognize our own frailty and inadequacy. I don’t care who the mayor, governor, or president is, I pray for them to fall on their knees. And I want that for you, too…and myself. Kneeling is not comfortable, but it’s effective! It will shift your perspective in a hurry.

Ever since the pandemic began, I’ve been praying that this might be the moment God uses to get our attention, to spark a spiritual awakening, to prompt a revival, to free us from the bondage of our idolatry of money, sex, and power and instill in us awe and wonder of the LORD God Almighty.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but politics has not been the answer. Education has not been the answer. Entertainment has not been the answer. Science has not been the answer. The economy has not been the answer.

Only Jesus is the answer. Only the Messiah can bring real hope. Our desperation and God’s awesome presence should cause us to fall on our knees.

O night divine, O night when Christ was born
O night, O Holy night, O night divine!

Cappeau captured the scene so vividly from Luke 2. What a night. What a holy, divine night!

There’s actually quite a bit more to the story of “O Holy Night.” Composer Adolphe Adam was approached to compose music for the poem. Adam was a Jew! He was asked to write music for a poem about the Messiah and it was composed within a day!

On Christmas Eve, 1847, the song was sung and was so well-received that it spread throughout the community. When the church leaders learned about who wrote it, they tried to shut it down! Religion can destroy just about anything! Fortunately, it couldn’t stop this song. It eventually made its way from France to England and a man named John Sullivan Dwight brought it to the USA. Dwight was a Harvard graduate and a minister, but he had panic attacks whenever he preached. He resigned as a pastor and created a journal of music. He took the French poem and translated it into English in the mid-1850s. Do you know what was happening in our nation in the mid-1850’s? There was a little debate going on about the issue of slavery. Let’s return to the song.

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His Gospel is Peace

Jesus taught us to not only love God, but to love others…even our enemies. Most of us see law as a heavy or negative word, but what would happen if love was the law? The gospel or “good news” is peace.

Hope. Love. Peace. Could we use a little bit of that today? Family, this might be the moment our world has been anticipating. We serve the God of hope. Our trademark is supposed to be love. We follow the Prince of Peace. We have what the world needs more than a vaccine! We have life…the way, the truth, the life! We have Jesus! We need to share Jesus, proclaim Jesus, follow Jesus!

As if the song couldn’t get more relevant, the next line says,

Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother

Do remember Dwight, the man who translated the French into English? He was a strong abolitionist. He recognized the sin of slavery.

And in His name, all oppression shall cease

The Black Lives Matter organization will not solve racism. Laws won’t change wicked hearts. Sin has invaded all of our lives…but there is power in the name of Jesus. There is salvation in the name of Jesus. There is healing in the name of Jesus. Demons tremble at the sound of the name of Jesus. In His name, all oppression will end. Prejudice. Racism. Injustice. Slavery. Bondage. Sin. Death.

So What?

How shall we respond?

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us Praise His Holy name
Christ is the Lord; O praise His name forever!
His power and glory evermore proclaim
His power and glory evermore proclaim

In 1870, there was war in Europe, On Christmas Eve, a French soldier leaped out of his trench and started singing this (in French). This led a German soldier to start singing a German carol. In the midst of the conflict, they had three days of peace. O Holy Night brought peace in the midst of the war. Maybe it’s exactly what our world needs today.

There’s one more story. In 1906, a man named Marconi invented…the radio. The technology was so primitive it only transmitted morse code signals! Reginald Fessenden was trying to increase the range of the radio. On Christmas Eve 1906, people were listening for morse code but, instead, heard the Luke 2 passage read and then Fessenden playing this song on the violin…the first song ever transmitted on radio!

This song was requested by a forgotten priest
Written by an irreligious poet
Put to music by a Jewish composer
Translated into English by a minister unable to speak
It interrupted a war
And became the first song ever heard on radio!

Some of those men knew the story of Jesus, but they didn’t know Jesus. Do you? Family, this season is a reminder of the thrill of hope that our weary world desperately needs. It should cause us to fall to our knees in worship, in adoration, in praise. Christ is the LORD. O praise his name forever! He is here. He is Emmanuel, God with us. Hallelujah! Let us worship Him…every day!

You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.

You can watch this video and others at the First Alliance Church Video Library
here.

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.

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.

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.

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.

  • - 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
Is your marriage a mess? Your body broken? Your finances frustrating? Your relationships wrecked?

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.
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