[The following is a manuscript of my sermon delivered on Sunday morning, the 17th of December, 2017, the third Sunday of Advent. Look for the video on our Vimeo channel: http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]
We’ve been looking at what Advent means to mankind, and especially to Christians. Typically we look at Advent as a build-up to Christmas, even though we’ve seen how it can also remind us that He is coming again someday.
Both of those events should fill us – Christians – with great joy! We are celebrating the birth of our Savior and the sacrifice He made for us, and we are awaiting His return when this wicked world will be set aright and peace will hold fast forever. A peace known only once before, on a night long ago.
Listen and follow along as I read from the Gospel Account of the Apostle Luke, chapter 2, verses 8 through 20, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
Both of those events should fill us – Christians – with great joy! We are celebrating the birth of our Savior and the sacrifice He made for us, and we are awaiting His return when this wicked world will be set aright and peace will hold fast forever. A peace known only once before, on a night long ago.
Listen and follow along as I read from the Gospel Account of the Apostle Luke, chapter 2, verses 8 through 20, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
--Luke 2:8-20 (NKJV)
Let us pray… Father God, You sent a very special messenger to some very lowly people - shepherds. That alone shows that You sent Your Son Jesus to earth for all of us, the lowly and the mighty alike. Help us to understand the full and true meaning of Christ Jesus coming to this world, both then and some appointed day yet to come. Speak to us now, Father, that we might better hear Your voice and discern Your will for our lives. In the blessed name of Your Son Jesus we pray. Amen.
At a conference hosted by a Presbyterian church in Omaha, Nebraska one time, the attendees were given helium filled balloons and told to release them at some point in the worship service when they felt like expressing the joy in their hearts. Now these were good Presbyterians, who didn't often, if ever, really feel free to shout out an occasional "Amen!" or "Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!", but all through the service balloons rose to the ceiling, one by one. Yet when it was all over, a third of the balloons were still held unreleased.
I wonder how many balloons would be released this morning if we tried this. How much joy do we feel in our hearts? Better yet, how much joy are we releasing so that other people can see it? How much of our joy do we share? Family, we need to let go of our balloons.
The shepherds certainly shared their joy. First they were afraid – but who wouldn’t be if all of a sudden a bright light glowed everywhere and a messenger of God appeared out of nowhere?!? But they did as the angel directed them and saw the baby Jesus. In the middle of the night, they left their sheep untended to go see a baby.
What did the shepherds do next? They spread the word. “They made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.” They glorified and praised God for all the things that they had seen and heard that night. Then what happened? Everyone who heard what the shepherds proclaimed marveled at the news.
That, Family, is feeling and sharing the joy of salvation by God through Jesus Christ our Lord, and what can result when we do! In Psalm 5, verse 11, King David urges us…
Rejoice in the Lord and be joyful in Him! Shout for joy, let everyone see! For being openly joyful brings its own rewards. In Psalm 32 verses 10 and 11, David tells us…
Be glad and rejoice, for God’s mercy surrounds us! And again, shout for joy! Don’t hide it, let it out - let go of the balloon of joy!
The great prophet Isaiah, in chapter 55 verse 12 of his book of prophesy writes of how our joy is echoed…
The whole earth will respond to our joy.
We know that Isaiah spoke for God and clearly foretold the coming of Jesus. Through God, Isaiah knew Jesus, and knew what would befall Him. The prophet knew that Jesus would experience little joy in this life. Isaiah told us of the life Jesus would know, when he wrote this in chapter 5, verses 1 through 5…
Jesus was indeed a Man of sorrows, well acquainted with grief. I can only imagine that what grieved Him the most was that the people He came to save despised Him, disrespected Him, rejected Him. And He was wounded for our transgressions! He was bruised for our iniquities! He took our sins upon Himself and suffered chastisement for them!
But by His stripes, we are healed. By His sacrifice, we are redeemed. This is good news of great joy to us, we who call ourselves Christians, we who follow Christ as Lord!
As a third-century man was nearing death, he wrote these last words in a letter to a friend: "It's a bad world, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people are the Christians - and I am one of them."
Have we learned that great secret, Family? Have we overcome the world? Have we found that joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure this sinful world might offer?
The prophet Habakkuk did. Listen to his words from chapter 3 of his book of prophesy, verses 17 and 18…
No matter what goes on around us, no matter what happens to us, we should still be able to rejoice in the Lord. The sheer joy of knowing we are saved by the grace of God, paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ, should overwhelm us and overflow from us for all to see!
This is what the angel meant! This is what he was referring to when he said, “I bring you good tidings of great joy”! Do we understand?!? Do we really feel that joy welling up inside us whenever we think of or hear the name Jesus? Can anyone else see that joy? Do we ever express it in ways they can see and comprehend? If not, maybe we need to pray to our Father God as King David did in Psalm 51 verse 12…
Let go of that balloon of joy. Be joyful, rejoice, make a joyful noise. Rediscover that joy which is a thousand times better than any sinful pleasure. For I bring good tidings of great joy. Unto us a child is born, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ our Lord.
In the blessed name of Christ Jesus. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, You sent Your Son Jesus to the world to offer mankind salvation. But You also sent Your messenger to let us know our Savior had been born and was among us. And You sent Your angel to the lowliest of men, even as Your Son was born in the lowliest of places. By this You showed us that Your grace extends to us all, no matter our position in life. Jesus came to save all of us who would believe in Him and follow His voice. Thank You, Father, for Your wonderful grace, Your beautiful gift. Help us, please Father, to feel the true joy of our salvation and to share that joy with others, so that they too might be saved.
Please hear us now, Father, as we silently speak to You straight from our hearts, thanking You for Your many blessings, repenting of our disobedience, seeking Your forgiveness…
Lord Jesus, You came to mankind once, long ago, as a small and helpless baby. And yet Your birth, in the most humble of places, was heralded by a heavenly chorus singing “Glory to God in the highest!” A shout of joy began that night, for unto us a Savior was born. Help us, Lord, to keep that shout going. Help us to share the joyful news of salvation with others so that they too might be saved, and might fill their own hearts with joy. Help us rejoice and be joyful.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, the one true Son of God, in whom we place all our hope, all our trust, all our faith. Amen.
At a conference hosted by a Presbyterian church in Omaha, Nebraska one time, the attendees were given helium filled balloons and told to release them at some point in the worship service when they felt like expressing the joy in their hearts. Now these were good Presbyterians, who didn't often, if ever, really feel free to shout out an occasional "Amen!" or "Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!", but all through the service balloons rose to the ceiling, one by one. Yet when it was all over, a third of the balloons were still held unreleased.
I wonder how many balloons would be released this morning if we tried this. How much joy do we feel in our hearts? Better yet, how much joy are we releasing so that other people can see it? How much of our joy do we share? Family, we need to let go of our balloons.
The shepherds certainly shared their joy. First they were afraid – but who wouldn’t be if all of a sudden a bright light glowed everywhere and a messenger of God appeared out of nowhere?!? But they did as the angel directed them and saw the baby Jesus. In the middle of the night, they left their sheep untended to go see a baby.
What did the shepherds do next? They spread the word. “They made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.” They glorified and praised God for all the things that they had seen and heard that night. Then what happened? Everyone who heard what the shepherds proclaimed marveled at the news.
That, Family, is feeling and sharing the joy of salvation by God through Jesus Christ our Lord, and what can result when we do! In Psalm 5, verse 11, King David urges us…
11 Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
--Psalm 5:11 (NKJV)
10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked;
But he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him.
11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
--Psalm 32:10-11 (NKJV)
The great prophet Isaiah, in chapter 55 verse 12 of his book of prophesy writes of how our joy is echoed…
12 “For you shall go out with joy,And be led out with peace;The mountains and the hillsShall break forth into singing before you,And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”--Isaiah 55:12 (NKJV)
We know that Isaiah spoke for God and clearly foretold the coming of Jesus. Through God, Isaiah knew Jesus, and knew what would befall Him. The prophet knew that Jesus would experience little joy in this life. Isaiah told us of the life Jesus would know, when he wrote this in chapter 5, verses 1 through 5…
1 Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
3 He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
4 Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
--Isaiah 53:1-5 (NKJV)
But by His stripes, we are healed. By His sacrifice, we are redeemed. This is good news of great joy to us, we who call ourselves Christians, we who follow Christ as Lord!
As a third-century man was nearing death, he wrote these last words in a letter to a friend: "It's a bad world, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people are the Christians - and I am one of them."
Have we learned that great secret, Family? Have we overcome the world? Have we found that joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure this sinful world might offer?
The prophet Habakkuk did. Listen to his words from chapter 3 of his book of prophesy, verses 17 and 18…
17 Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls —
18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
--Habakkuk 3:17-18 (NKJV)
This is what the angel meant! This is what he was referring to when he said, “I bring you good tidings of great joy”! Do we understand?!? Do we really feel that joy welling up inside us whenever we think of or hear the name Jesus? Can anyone else see that joy? Do we ever express it in ways they can see and comprehend? If not, maybe we need to pray to our Father God as King David did in Psalm 51 verse 12…
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
--Psalm 51:12 (NKJV)
In the blessed name of Christ Jesus. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, You sent Your Son Jesus to the world to offer mankind salvation. But You also sent Your messenger to let us know our Savior had been born and was among us. And You sent Your angel to the lowliest of men, even as Your Son was born in the lowliest of places. By this You showed us that Your grace extends to us all, no matter our position in life. Jesus came to save all of us who would believe in Him and follow His voice. Thank You, Father, for Your wonderful grace, Your beautiful gift. Help us, please Father, to feel the true joy of our salvation and to share that joy with others, so that they too might be saved.
Please hear us now, Father, as we silently speak to You straight from our hearts, thanking You for Your many blessings, repenting of our disobedience, seeking Your forgiveness…
Lord Jesus, You came to mankind once, long ago, as a small and helpless baby. And yet Your birth, in the most humble of places, was heralded by a heavenly chorus singing “Glory to God in the highest!” A shout of joy began that night, for unto us a Savior was born. Help us, Lord, to keep that shout going. Help us to share the joyful news of salvation with others so that they too might be saved, and might fill their own hearts with joy. Help us rejoice and be joyful.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, the one true Son of God, in whom we place all our hope, all our trust, all our faith. Amen.
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