Scripture referenced 3 passages
The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.
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Luke 2:14 central verse of the sermon, examined in Greek and across multiple Bible translations regarding 'peace on earth'
14 “Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men.”
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Keep this verse
2 Peter 3:9
cited to show God is patient toward all, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance
9 The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but is patient with us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Psalm 34:8
quoted as 'taste and see that the Lord is good' to encourage acting on God's prompting
8 Oh taste and see that Yahweh is good. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Recap
The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.
Pastor Mark preached on Christmas morning from the angels' announcement in Luke 2:14, following the thread of a message sent from heaven that has to be worked out on earth. He drew on Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" and the third verse of "O Holy Night" to press the question of what God's people actually do with the light they receive.
What was said
The sermon opened with a simple observation: every Christmas song sung that morning carried a message that originates in heaven and lands here on earth, waiting to be worked out. The shepherds heard it immediately from angels and went at once. The wise men received theirs through a star and traveled for roughly two years. The distance between receiving a message and doing something about it is where most of the Christian life happens.
Longfellow wrote "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" during the Civil War, and the poem names exactly that tension. The bells keep ringing "peace on earth, goodwill to men," and the cannons keep drowning them out. Longfellow reaches despair, then lands on the line Pastor Mark centered the morning on: "God is not dead nor doth He sleep. The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, goodwill to men."
That line points directly to Luke 2:14, and Pastor Mark walked through the Greek behind it. A single letter, a final sigma, determines whether the verse reads "peace on earth, goodwill toward men" or "peace on earth to those on whom His favor rests." He showed a range of translations that fall on one side or the other. His conclusion was that both renderings are true and that the question is not a contradiction, because God leans toward all people with favor, while his favor also rests in a particular way on those who receive it.
The third verse of "O Holy Night" was written in France in 1849, when slavery was legal there and in the United States. Its writer put into the carol what many churchgoers were arguing over from Scripture: "Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother, and in His name all oppression shall cease." Pastor Mark pointed out that the songwriter did not wait for the theological dispute to be settled. The gospel is peace, and the law is love, and those two things were already enough to say that this is wrong and we should stop.
Second Peter 3:9 was brought in to answer anyone who hears "peace on earth" and replies that two thousand years of history argue against it. God is not slow or slack, Pastor Mark said. He is patient, not willing that any should perish. That patience is not indifference; it is the same goodwill extended toward the two thieves crucified alongside Jesus, one of whom changed his mind in his final moments.
The sermon closed on what Pastor Mark called the more-light principle, something a former professor used to say. A plant that turns toward its light source receives more light. If a person responds to the small nudge or urge they sense from God, more comes. The invitation was not only for first-time belief but for anyone in the room who feels too insignificant to matter or, on the other side, too impressive to need correction. Both need an accurate view of themselves as obedient servants through whom God can actually work.
Doing a Bible study?
Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.
- Longfellow wrote 'I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day' during the Civil War, when the sound of cannons seemed to drown out the carol's message of peace on earth. When have circumstances in your own life made that message feel impossible or hollow?
- Pastor Nathan pointed out that the tiny difference between two Greek words in Luke 2:14 changes the translation from 'peace on earth, goodwill toward men' to 'peace on earth to those on whom his favor rests.' Both, he said, are true. How do you hold those two ideas together in the way you think about God's relationship with people around you?
and 3 more questions in the guide
Read the full transcript 6,225 words
Speaker 1Amen. There it is. Thank you. Welcome. Glad you all are here this morning.
Good to be here. One of the kids said when I got here this morning, she said, I think that today should be Christmas church, not last night, and tomorrow should be normal church. We're going to blend these. It's Christmas. We're going to stand and sing Christmas carols and sing them with joy and Thanksgiving.
Joy to the world. How about that?
Speaker 2Joy to the world the Lord is come let earth receive her king let every heart prepare prepare him room and heaven and nature sing and heaven and nature sing and heaven and heaven and nature sing. Joy to the world the savior reigns let men their songs in blood Wild fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains. Repeat the sounding joy. Repeat the sounding joy. Repeat.
Repeat the sounding joy. 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.
Speaker 1Amen. Thank you, Judy. We three kings.
Speaker 2We three kings of Orient heart bearing grifts we traverse afar, field and fountain beauty bright, westward leading still proceeding, guide us to thy perfect light. Born a king on Bethlehem's plain gold I bring to crown him again king forever ceasing never over us all to reign. Star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright, westward leading still proceeding guide us to by perfect light. Hold on
Speaker 1a second. Where's the frankincense? Sorry. This is the last verse by the way. There are usually there are three kings in the middle of We Three Kings.
Glorious now. Here we go.
Speaker 2Star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright, westward leading still proceeding, guide us to thy perfect light.
Speaker 1Amen. I had already worked out how I was gonna transition out of the long song where it just sings through all of those kings like it's a long journey for those guys. Right, and for us too. But no, skipped two of those kings. That's alright.
You all can have a seat. We've got a few announcements this morning. There is still stuff going on. Monday nights at First Bee is not going on this week, or is it? I was going to say, and Iwana is still not going on this week because it's Christmas break from school, so we're not doing anything tomorrow night.
The norm is on Monday nights, we have meal, music, a message, but not tomorrow night. Connect hour is not happening today because we're just having one service. We don't to connect. We're connecting right now. This is the connect hour today.
If you would like to, as a start to the New Year maybe, get involved in the Bible reading plan. So we're doing a chapter a day. We've gone through the whole New Testament like I think we lack one chapter, right? We're almost finished with the whole New Testament. And we're going and starting in the Old Testament beginning right after the New Testament ends.
So beginning of the New Year, we're starting up. If you want to be involved in that, you can take a picture of that little doodad with your phone or just aim it up there, and it'll take you to the right place to sign up for it. Or you can email Brad Yates or just let me know and I'll let him know. That works too. But it'll email you a chapter scripture in the morning with a little bit of commentary from one of us, one of the folks in this church.
For me, it's been one of the best things going lately. I really, really enjoy that first thing in the morning reading those. I think that's it. Anybody have any other announcements? Nick?
Fantastic. Men's Snowmobile Retreat is the weekend of January twentieth, twenty first, twenty second is the Sunday I know that because we moved the congregational meeting to the twenty ninth so that we didn't conflict with the Men's Snowmobile Retreat. And if anybody wants a copy of the prospective budget for the year, they're back there. Anything else? That's good.
There's also a men's word retreat at the end of February. Which is going to be awesome. So the word retreat, it's going to be over in Idaho. Matt Lutzman is heading that up and it's going to be fantastic. It's a guys' retreat also.
It's going to be really good. There's more information about that. If you want to know about it, me know and I'll get you informed. Yes, there are some of those. Anything else?
Yes, hit me. I love second Peter. Is it just for women? Thursday nights. Thursday nights.
Six starting when? Starting January 5, there will be the Sisters Saved by Grace Women's Fellowship that meets and has a meal and a message. It's so do able And going be do that.
Speaker 2Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o'er the plains, and the mountains in reply, echoing their joyous strains glow free up in excel see stay glory up in in excellency stay
Speaker 1excellency
Speaker 2Shepherds, this jubilee? Why your joyous strains prolong? Say what may the tidings be which inspire your heavenly song Glory up in excelsi stay glory up in ex Chelsea's day. Come to Bethlehem and see him whose birthday angels sing. Come adore unbended knee.
Christ the Lord, the new born king. Glory. Be up in exalcist day a hole see him in a manger late Jesus, lord of heaven and earth. Mary, Joseph, and your aid with us sing our savior's birth.
Speaker 1You all sound really good. Do you all know these songs? That beautiful name, do you know this one? We'll see. If you do know it, sing really loud.
Maybe you just sing and play the first verse all the way through. I don't usually show up late, and I did today. I tried to do Christmas and This at the same time, and I don't know this song. Do you not? Okay.
Why don't you play through it? We'll along and we'll catch up with you. Sincerely. Okay. Thank you.
On the second,
Speaker 2I know of a name, a beautiful name that unto a babe was given. The stars glittered bright throughout that glad night, and angels praised God in heaven. That beautiful name, my savior became my savior of Calvary. My sins nailed him there. My burdens to bear.
He suffered all this for me. That beautiful name, that beautiful name from sin has power to free us. That beautiful name, that wonderful name, that matchless name is Jesus. I love that blessed name, that wonderful name made higher than all in heaven was whispered I know in my heart long ago to Jesus my life I've given that beautiful name that beautiful name from sin has power to free that beautiful name that wonderful name that matchless name is
Speaker 1Amen. Y'all can have a seat. Thank you for helping me through that one. There's a reason I don't show up late. Worship through giving time is the operatory time.
And as we're here at the end of the year and we're considering all the stuff that God has done, I think that the budget process, I take it a different approach, honestly, than most people probably. But looking at what God has done is amazing. It's just it's amazing. God, would you just continue doing what it is that only you can do? Allow us, Lord, the privilege of humble service.
But Lord, just do your will, way, however you want it done. Direct the hearts and the minds of those in leadership, Lord. That's important. But Lord, direct the hearts and minds of those who are in the followership, the ones who are here faithfully. In Jesus' name, Lord, I pray that you would give us the direct kind of divine inspiration that we need, whatever way you choose to do it.
And in these songs we've sung today, I've seen in every one of these songs that there's a message that is received. It comes from you, from highest heaven as it were. But Lord, it's received here on earth and worked out right here. So Lord, as we're working out what it is that you would have us do, as we're working out what those steps that you have established for us in advance, I pray, Lord, that you would give us the the power to walk in them. In Jesus' name, we ask that you would do your will, Lord, and your way among us and through us here this morning and into this coming week.
We're thankful for the incarnation, for the holy child. In Jesus' name. Amen. And it's time for Children's Church downstairs. It is happening.
So think I'm going to sing a song too. So I've been reading over Christmas songs this time. So mentioned this, I mentioned it quite often actually, anybody that will ask. But I have been here ten years. And so in Christmas season, you'd usually do three or four messages.
So I've done like 40 Christmas sermons. And so as I'm considering, I'm thinking, my goodness, I used to wonder what pastors, why would he go to that song? Why would he do that? Why would he do that? Just tell us a story.
Just tell us story. We've told the story, thoroughly told the story. And I will get to that. Again, I've been impressed this year with how much of it is that God is transmitting a message. And to the wise men, it was through a star.
I mean, that's what that's weird. To the angels I mean to the shepherds, was direct angels, and it was immediate. It was get up and go now, and they did. Those wise men, it was probably two years. It right there on that first Noel.
It was probably a couple years later that the wise men arrived. But they did arrive, and it took a long and arduous journey to get there. And there are things that are we're working them out. We're working out this incarnate word. We're working it out.
And in Jesus, yes, God was born in a man at Christmas, and he lived a phenomenal life and just absolutely surrendered to the spirit, walking in humility, and doing that. But Carl, last night, when he said, Jesus said, I'm the light of the world, he also said, You are the light of the world. And if you're going to shine in the darkness I mean, the darkness may not comprehend it. It didn't get him either, right? But if you're going to do that, it has to be in absolute humility and it has to be in working out what it is that God has said, what it is that he has said to you.
And so you're here, right? You're here, you're going to get a message. I have been reading a few different songs. I'll start with one right here. Peace on Earth, Peace on Earth.
Yes, Peace on Earth. Or is it Peace on Earth? Really? Have you looked around? Have you watched the news in the last little while here?
Or is it just peace on earth dot dot dot? Because we're working it out. If we are going to be the continuing body of Christ on this big blue ball, then we got to work this thing out. And it should make a difference in how we live our lives. The incarnate word of God and Jesus did make a difference in the lives of men.
He is the light of all men, right? That's it. But if we're going to make a difference, we've got to take the message seriously, first of all, and we've got to work it out. We've got to do something about it. So Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, look at his dates there, 1807 to 1882.
I heard the bells on Christmas Day. Do all know this one? I know this one better than that beautiful name. So I'm not going to sing it, but I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, their old familiar carols play. And wild and sweet, the words repeat of peace on earth, goodwill, peace on earth.
Earth has been hard for me to say lately. Peace on earth, goodwill to men. Wild and sweet, the words repeat of peace on earth, goodwill to men. And thought how as the day had come, the belfries of all Christendom, so this is sometime since the birth of Christ, it's Christendom, this is later had rolled along in an unbroken song, it's still being sung of peace on earth, goodwill to men. Till ringing, singing on its way, the world revolve from night to day, a voice, a chime, a chant sublime of peace on earth, goodwill to men.
Then from each black accursed mouth, the cannon thundered in the South. The black mouths of the cannons. War. He's writing this about the civil war. Right?
Then from each black accursed mouth, the cannon thundered in the South, and with the sound, the carols drowned of peace on earth, goodwill to men. Does it seem like sometimes we're singing something that just doesn't seem to ever happen, right? That's what this whole Christmas bells is about. With the sound of the cannons, the carols were drowned out of peace on earth, goodwill to men. It was as if an earthquake rent the hearthstones of a continent and made forlorn the households born of peace on earth, goodwill to men.
Do you think there were believers on both sides of that war? Yeah. It made for a lorn. The households born of peace on earth, goodwill to men. Remember a story, won't tell it.
I hear it a few times each Christmas about World War I where they just kind of took Christmas off from the fighting. I can't say that without crying. And they start up singing, and when they start singing, the other side starts singing along from their trenches. And in despair, Longfellow says, in despair I bowed my head. There is no peace on earth, I said, for hate is strong and it mocks the song of peace on earth goodwill to men.
Then peeled the bells more loud and deep. God is not dead nor doth he sleep. The wrong shall fail. The right prevail with peace on earth, goodwill to men. This is the verse that I'm going to cover today.
It's in Greek. If you don't adjust your eyes, I see the eye doctor going on, I'm not sure I know what that says or maybe you do. I want you to see the difference between this and this. Okay. Better now, better now.
Better now? Better now? That's Luke two fourteen in Greek. And it depends on your tradition. It depends on your version of the Bible as to what Luke two fourteen will say.
And it's going to be in line with one of these, either Eudocheus, right there, or Eudocheia, right there. Eudocheus or Eudocheia. It's that word can be either nominative, like a subject, or it can be genitive receiving the action. It's a weird thing. It's technical.
But eudochaea or eudochaea. Actually, at the time of the New Testament manuscripts when they were writing, they weren't this is lowercase. They weren't writing in lowercase, they're writing in uppercase. And so the uppercase last sigma, that last little s right there, that's a sigma. That last sigma would have been just barely a little dot with a line to the side of it.
It's just like they called it a lunar sigma. It looked like the moon sitting up there. It was almost a punctuation mark. And so was it there originally or was it not there originally? We believe the Bible is inerrant in its manuscripts.
Right? It's inerrant in the way that God deliver it to us. This is one case that we really just don't know which one it was. We know it was one of them. And if you go with the Texas for sepsis, you've got one answer.
And if you go with the Sinaiticus, you get another answer. But this, both of them are true, and that's why it's a persistent question. Does that make sense? Okay. I felt like I'd be preaching to the choir this morning.
Anyway, coming in. So it's a finer point, but I think it works its way out in life. God does lean towards us with favor. There is peace on earth, goodwill towards men. That's what he's working for.
That's what God is longing for. That's what he wants. So this is NIV translation. I'll go through a few of them. And then I'm going sing a song, okay?
I'm going sing Oh Holy Night. We didn't sing it last night. We had a gal that was trying to get here, scheduled to be here, didn't know if she would be here, couldn't come this morning, but she was here last night. But it was kind of late at that point. So I'll sing it.
Maybe I'll do that right now. Let's do that right now. And Blake's going to just try. I wasn't here for a sound check. I don't really like to apologize as much as I'm doing this morning.
Oh, divine.
Speaker 2And And this this
Speaker 1is the working of that verse I'm talking about.
Speaker 2Truly, he taught us to love one another. His law is love, and his gospel is peace. Chains shall he break for the slave is our brother, and in his name all oppression shall cease. Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus rays we let all within us praise his holy name fall on your when Christ was born oh night
Speaker 1So the working it out, I'm going go through these first and then come back to that. Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth. Peace to those on whom his favor rests. That is not the same thing as glory to God in the highest and peace on earth goodwill towards men, is it? Well, that's the difference in that little sigma, that tiny little thing.
And if you get just one little thing wrong, it changes the message dramatically. In this case, both of them happen to be true. So it's persistent questions, right? I want for us to see the difference in the two and work those differences out within us. What are we going to do with the light that we get?
What are we going to do with the light that we receive? What are we going to do with the message that we receive? Glory to God in the highest heaven. This is NIV. NLT.
Glory to God in the highest heaven and peace on earth to whom to those with whom God is pleased. Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased. So Urukia means good pleasure. Eu in the front means good, like a eulogy is a good word about somebody. If you remember the eighties band, Eurythmics, apparently they're good at rhythm.
Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased. Udokia, his good pleasure. He finds good pleasure. Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace among men on whom his favor rests. That's the Berean Study Bible.
The glory to God in the highest on earth, peace among men with whom he is pleased. That's the NASB. Normally, that's the one I go with. I like the NASB. It sounds the most like I talk.
But it goes with that second tradition. HCS, glory to God in the highest heaven and peace on earth to people he favors. That's the Holman Christian Standard Bible. Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men in whom he is well pleased. American Standard, that's good.
ERV, English Revised. Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men in whom he is well pleased. Esteem to Elohim in the highest and on earth, peace among men with whom he is pleased. That's the Institute for scripture research of the scriptures. That's a kind of a Jewish background situation.
Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth, peace among those whom he favors, new revised standard. Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to people who enjoy his favor, international standard. Now with this rendering, you'll get these translations, Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. KJV, good classic, sixteen eleven. The King James Purple edition, did you know there was such a thing?
All the names of God are printed in purple for some reason. Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good pleasure in men. Oh, no. That's not right.
That one can't even be. Grammatically impossible, sorry. They just missed that one. That's the Darby. There's one more, the Douay Rheims.
The Douay Rheims is glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace to men of goodwill. That's not grammatically possible. It still may be true, but it's not a good translation. Just throw those in. So the parallelism here is glory, God, heaven and peace, men, earth.
It is possible to experience peace on this earth because of Christ. And that's what they were singing about. They were singing about when Florine lit the candle last night, he said, Joy is not dependent on your circumstances. You may have joy even though your circumstances are dire. You may have peace even though your circumstances are dire.
To find your peace in Christ is to humbly submit to God and to walk out the way that Jesus did in submission to the spirit. By the power of the spirit, you're able to walk out. Glory to God in the highest. Peace to men whom God loves on earth. Now, I can say that God loves you.
I can say that. And I can say that he loves you and he wants to come to know you. He wants you to come to know him. He knows you. The way he extends it is an open whosoever.
He extends the message with an open whosoever. And that's why I like the glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men because he's leaning towards us with favor. But the truth is not everybody will accept the favor and not everybody will accept the peace. And so both of these things are true. He is leaning towards you.
And you may think there is no way he's leaning towards me. You don't know what I've done. I do know that it can be really bad. He was hanging between two thieves on the cross, right? Both of them were reviling him as they're nailing him to the cross.
Both of the thieves were reviling him, but the way that he accepted his circumstances, knowing, in all the difficulty, knowing that it was for redemptive purpose. He was amazingly peaceful and such that one of the thieves, when they're hoisted up together there, one of them continues to revile and the other one has a change of heart and mind. And he says, Don't you see that we did what they say we did and we deserve this death we're dying? But this man is innocent and it's obvious. Remember me when you come into your kingdom.
That's powerful. It's very powerful. God has, up until the last breath, peace on earth extended towards men. And if you accept it, then that's where his favor rests. Two Peter three:nine.
This is why I could say with confidence that and I'll give you both versions of this too just because it's fun. NASB is the one I usually use. The Lord is not slow. He's right on time. He's not slow about his promise as some folks count slowness.
Now I have heard people say, it's been two thousand years. Don't you think that when he said, I'm coming back for you, and Paul thought he was coming back right away, and John thought he was coming back right away, and you think he's coming back right away? That's silly. And they mock that. Some men do count that as slowness.
But God said, I believe. God said it, I just need to believe it. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some men count slowness. But he is patient towards you. Even those who are mocking and reviling, he is patient towards them, not willing for any of them to perish.
That's not what he wants. Now if they reject it out of hand, that's what they will get. But he's not willing for that, but he also is not going to turn us into automatons that have to do robotically love him. We can reject him. I'm saying let's don't.
Let's don't. Not just for salvation, but let's don't when he inspires us to do something. The last verse of this O Holy Night was this song was written in 1849 in French. And so 1849 in France, slavery was legal. It was legal here too.
I mean, not here probably so much. South of here, yeah. Actually, north of here, too. But slavery was legal in The U. S.
And slavery was legal in France. And this guy, whoever he was, the writer, the Hinton writer, wrote this in French. And when he gets down to the third verse, so, yeah, oh holy night, the stars are brightly shining. That's wonderful. We always sing that one.
It's the night of the dear savior's birth. That's great. Long lay the world and sin and error are pining. That's right. That's true.
A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices or the weary world rejoices. Yonder breaks and new and glorious mourn. This is going to make a difference for all time. This is O Holy Night. This is fantastic.
Set apart from all others. And then the led by the light, led by the light of faith serenely beaming. They're going after it. People are drawn to the light, whether it be the shepherds or the wise men. But the last verse says, it gets down to us working it out.
Right? Truly, he taught us to love one another. Did he not? That's not hard to understand. It's hard to do.
Right? That's that's when he was trying to be tricked by the Pharisees. So which one is the greatest commandment? Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. And the second one is like unto it.
It is to love your neighbor as yourself. Surely, he taught us to love one another. Surely, he did. Yeah, he did. Truly, he taught us to love one another.
His law is love. God is love. He gave us that guardian. He gave us that tutor. He gave us that law as an example, and we failed to the man.
Every one of us did. And then he came and was our example and walked it out and fulfilled that law. And what he said the law was was loving God and loving people. Our motto here, by the way, is with all we are loving God and loving people through Christ. It's not possible any other way, through Christ.
Truly, he taught us to love one another as law is love and as gospel is peace. Chains shall he break for the slave is our brother. Amen. Written in 1849, translated into English in 1855. I I went through the translations yesterday.
It's it's pretty close approximation, but there's no doubt about that one. They're saying this is wrong, and we should stop. This is wrong, and we should stop. I know that you're quibbling over it, and some of you are taking the Bible to mean this, and some of you are taking it to mean this. But surely he's taught us to love one another.
Truly he's taught us to love one another. His law is love. His gospel is where peace is found, and humility is how to take this humbly. Change shall he break for the slave is our brother. And in his name, capital n, capital h, Jesus' name.
In Jesus' name, all oppression shall cease because that's the only way it's going to happen. Everything else is one upmanship like the old line in the movie, he brings a gun, you bring an brings a knife, you bring a gun. Right? You bring a gun, he brings a machine gun, and it just keeps on being an arms race from there. His gospel is peace.
Lay it down. If you get a message from God, do something with it. Right? Do something with it. He's not going to speak out of both sides of his mouth.
We may listen to him like he does, but he is unity. He is the priestly prayer in the garden. Lord, father, make them one just like we're one. So indistinguishable, it would be hard to tell. Now, in diversity, certainly, but he's calling people from every tribe, tongue, nation, and calling them into the kingdom of marvelous light where we act like the continuing body of Christ on earth.
Chains shall he break for his slave for the slave is our brother. And in Jesus' name, all oppression shall cease. Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we. Let all within us praise his holy name. And then, like happens when we come face to face with Christ, fall on your knees.
Fall on your knees. Hear those angel voices. This is a divine night, O night when Christ was born. O holy night, set apart night. Angel means messenger.
And when we hear about the heavenly angels, they're always saying, fear not. You might feel this little bitty tug inside that is a message from God, from his Holy Spirit that says, it's okay. You can believe. Come on. You may get that.
Act on it. If you get that little urge, you get that little nudge, act on it. It can be right there in the seat or you can talk to me or you can talk to somebody that you know is a believer that's been praying for you forever. Act on the message that you get. I had a professor that was fond of saying the more light principle.
Like if you've got a plant that has light source over here, it will lean towards that light. And it will therefore receive more light, right? And in your house, you're constantly spinning the plants so that they all get a little bit of light. But if we will respond to the light and the message that we've been given, God continues with giving more and more light. It is a fantastic thing to just wake up in the morning and say, Lord, what would you have me?
Think, feel, believe, and do today. That's a great thing. And it's possible through Christ. It's possible. So the Lord's not slow.
He's not slow. Actually, like the KJV right here. The Lord is not slack. He's just not slack. There's no slack.
He is exactly on time. He's not slack concerning his promise. He has made a promise. He has extended peace on earth goodwill towards men. He has extended that.
And he's not slack about it, as some people count slackness. God resists the proud, but he gives grace to the humble. God is long suffering to us word in our direction. He's long suffering. He's not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
And repentance is simply metanoia, is simply a change of mind. If you feel like, I'm so insignificant, I can never do anything for God's kingdom. I can never make any real difference. But he's urging you to do something. Do it and see.
Test him and see. Taste and see that the Lord is good. If it is a simple act that you think, I ought to do this, that's a message for me to do something about it. Do it. Just do it.
It's great. Lord, help us to do it. Lord, help us to change our mind and see some of us see ourselves as hopelessly insignificant, Lord, and that there's no way you could ever work a mighty work through us. And Lord, some of us think that we are very impressive. Lord, I pray that you would be giving us an accurate view of who we are.
As your obedient servants, Lord, we can make a difference. And I pray, Lord, that you'll show us that, that you will bring us down from our pedestal if need be, and that you would bring us up from the pit if need be. Lord, I pray that you would comfort the afflicted and that you'd afflict the comfortable so that we might together, Lord, together break some chains, set some people free. Lord, that we would see the people who are hurting around us and make a difference in their lives. In Jesus' name, I'm so thankful for that holy night, for Jesus' coming.
I thank you for the message. I thank you for the record that we have, for Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, for them being able to remember all that and to write it down by your inspired Holy Spirit. Lord, whatever it is that you would have each person in this room do today, I pray that you'd make it clear to them this week, including me, my wife, my daughter, my family, Lord, all of those that are watching at home, all of us that will watch this later, would you show us, Lord, what you'd have us to do so that we may be a part of bringing about peace on earth? And Lord, would you show us that your favor actually does rest on us. In Jesus' name, by his good work on the cross, by his good life lived out in perfect submission, we can be the continuing body of Christ.
In Jesus' name, Lord, I pray. Amen. Amen. I think where does it go from there, Blake? Let's keep going.
There it is. Job is to preach God's sovereignty to whosoever will receive it. Do you see that? There's the sovereignty of God. And a lot of times, tradition talks reform tradition would say, this sovereignty is the most important, and men's responsibility takes a backseat to that.
But other traditions, Armenian traditions would typically say, no, really, we are responsible. Absolutely. God has given us that. In his sovereignty, God has given us that, and we can reject him. We can reject him at any point even after knowing him.
Some people would say that. Mine is just to say, God is absolutely sovereign, but he is not gonna force you. He's gentlemanly, and He is calling us to come into the family. He's calling us in. And you can say yes.
Amen. What are we going to sing? Would you all stand with me and we'll sing whatever comes up there? Go tell on the mountain. Fantastic.
Perfect. How convenient. Well, here we are situated amongst all these mountains. God help us.
Speaker 2Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere. Go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born, While shepherds kept their watching or silent flocks by night, behold throughout the heavens, there's shown a holy light. Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere. Go tell it on the mountain rang out the angel chorus that hailed the savior's birth. Earth, go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere.
Go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born. Down in a manger, the humble Christ was born, and salvation that blessed Christmas Go tell it on the mountain over the hills and everywhere. Go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born. Amen. And as
Speaker 1a benediction today, I pray that the Lord would make his face to shine upon you. I pray that you would hear the message that he has sent it and that you would say, yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. I will do it. In Jesus' name, Lord, may your favor that rest upon this crowd extend toward the men of this community, the women of this community, the children of this community, and the ones downstairs, Lord, to the very uttermost part.
In Jesus' name, Lord, I pray your blessing would rest on them, and it wouldn't stay there long. It'd just keep on flowing. Amen.
Topics
ChristmasGoodwill To MenLight Of The WorldPeace On EarthResponding To GodSlavery And The Gospel
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