Brightest and Best

Advent Hope

MILLER FAMILY LIGHTS THE CANDLE!

The Advent season is a beautiful reminder to prepare our hearts as we prepare our homes — to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus! At the start of this week, we light the first of the four candles in the Advent wreath: the candle of Hope.

Is your heart filled with hope? Do you have a confident expectation of your tomorrow? What happens when the road ahead is filled with loss and stress weighs your shoulders down? When confident expectation for tomorrow dwindles, what can you do? How can you walk in hope when you feel hopeless inside?

In one word, the answer to confident expectation is “JESUS" — the Jesus of Christmas.

Hope in Jesus comes from more than just a belief that he was once a baby in a manger. This hope in him has been called “an anchor for the soul.” It is something deep within that secures you through the storms of life.

Putting your hope in Jesus will give you these four things.

HOPE TO OVERCOME

Things that leave one feeling powerless and hopeless come in many forms. With Christ’s strength you can overcome great obstacles, and faith in Jesus gives hope and help to overcome: “and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4).

HOPE FOR ETERNITY

When we put our faith and hope in Jesus, it not only gives us help, strength, and power for where we walk today, but it also gives us hope for life after death. It is a confident expectation of the ultimate “tomorrow.”

The God of Hope sent his Son to be our Savior. He is only one prayer away. If you want the confident expectation of his strength and wisdom in your today and his help and hope for your tomorrow, you need only ask so thay you may oveflow with hope.

“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).

Here is a suggested prayer to receive abundant hope:

Dear God, I have gone my own way and have put my hope in so many things that have disappointed me. Thank you that you sent Jesus, that first Christmas long ago, to be my Savior. I believe he came for me. Forgive me and lead me today. Show me how to live in the confident expectation of how you can impact my life, my character, and my circumstances. I place my hope in you right now and ask you to make yourself known to me in my life right where I walk. I thank you. I pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen.

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Call to Worship

Say: Let us now begin to worship the Father the Son, the Holy Spirit, Our Call to worship Comes to us from

Psalm 134 NKJV

A Song of Ascents. 1 Behold, bless the Lord, All you servants of the Lord, Who by night stand in the house of the Lord! 2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, And bless the Lord. 3 The Lord who made heaven and earth Bless you from Zion!

Sing Brightest and Best

Dale

Hail blessed morn, see the great Mediator Down from the regions of glory descend Shepherds go worship the babe in a manger Lo, for a guard the bright angels attend

Dave

Say, shall we yield Him, in costly devotion Fragrance of Edom and off'rings divine? Gems of the mountain and pearls of the ocean Myrrh from the forest, or gold from the mine?

Both

Brightest and best of sons of the morning Dawn on our darkness and lend us Thine aid Star in the East, the horizon adorning Guide where our infant Redeemer was laid

Dale

Vainly we offer each ample oblation Vainly with gifts would His favor secure

Dave

Richer by far is the heart's adoration Dearer to God are the prayers of the poor

Both

Brightest and best of sons of the morning Dawn on our darkness and lend us Thine aid Star in the East, the horizon adorning Guide where our infant Redeemer was laid

Both

Cold on His cradle the dewdrops were shining Low lies His bed with the beasts of the stall Angels adore Him, in slumbers reclining Wise men and shepherds before Him do fall Wise men and shepherds before Him do fall

Brightest and best of sons of the morning Dawn on our darkness and lend us Thine aid Star in the East, the horizon adorning Guide where our infant Redeemer was laid

Brightest and best of sons of the morning Dawn on our darkness and lend us Thine aid Star in the East, the horizon adorning Guide where our infant Redeemer was laid Guide where our infant Redeemer was laid

This Series Introduction

Why the Hymns of Christmas

Obedience to God Eph. 5:19

Ephesians 5:19 ESV

19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,

God is worthy of Worship

Revelation 4:11 ESV

11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

Learning doctrine

Matthew 11:29 ESV

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

It’s a pastor’s Joy and obligation

Titus 2:1 ESV

1 But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.

Background information

This hymn was written by Reginald Heber in November 1811. Dale and I sang the Getty’s and Ricky Scaggs cover version this morning. Heber was born to a wealthy family in England near Shrewsbury and would go on to pastor the church on his fathers estate. While pastoring their he had dreams of doing missions in India and God would grant him that desire and he went on to be the bishop of Calcutta. He would minister their until his death in 1826.

HE wrote a total of 57 hymns including the modern favorite “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God almighty.”

So when you hear this song, this is coming from a man who had an overwhelming sense of love for the unbelieving heathen, love for the poor, and the great love for out thrice holy God.

When I looked into this song. It is recommended to be sang on Christmas eve and the following scriptures are to be read with it. So I’m going to look at the lyrics behind the hymn today.

The Great Mediator

Jesus is the great Mediator

Hail blessed morn, see the great Mediator Down from the regions of glory descend

The miracle we forget at Christmas is that God became a man. This was not what the Gods of old did, they would trick, they would abuse, but they would never condesend to know us. They would not care to know us, unless they needed something.

Jesus comes to know us.

So when you hear this line This is coming from Scripture.

1 Timothy 2:5 ESV

5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

and

We needed God to come amongst us. We couldn’t reach into heaven so heaven had to reach down to us.

Jesus emptied himself of what he had for our behalf.

Prior to God coming in person, we were in the dark before morning. God has brought us all into glorious light

What does it mean that he is a Mediator?

Our Prayers are effective and work

The 1 Timothy 2:5

1 Timothy 2:5 ESV

5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

The context for Paul here is that he is instructing Timothy to pray for everyone. It is his duty to do so.

Pray for the king, pray for the lost, pray at all times.

The guarantee of our prayers is that Jesus is between God and Man and is able to receive our prayers to God on our behalf.

Our forgiveness of Sin

1 John 2:1 ESV

1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

You and I walked in darkness of sin. We even now walk in our sins, thought the differences that we while still sinning are forgiven. We have an advocate on our behalf.

Have you ever walked into a negotiation alone? I was looking at buying a car and they put they hi-pressure tactic on me. Two guys, sign the paper, do it. I had to walk away.

I had no one on my team.

Jesus goes before us. God the father would be just and letting us pay the price for our sin, yet Jesus goes before us.

High priest for us

Hebrews 7:25 ESV

25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

I’m not a priest, but a pastor, we have only one priest, Jesus.

Look at this priest.

“Able to save” -

a priest is one that you go to, while no man can save, this God-man can.

Men grew weak, play favorites, look the other way, this one does not.

Draw near to God -

This priest as opposed to men is ablt to draw near to God. A man in God’s prsences crumbles like Isaiah did. Like Peter did on the mount of transfiguration, But Jesus doesn’t. He is the way we draw to For us.

Always lives -

We die, we tire, he always lives men are here today, gone tomorrow, he on the other hand lasts forever. I have seen over this year many Christian men die or fail in the ministry.

Jesus does neither

Save from the uttermost. I believe Paul was writing this letter and so when he declares this in his sermon here. He’s saying that

Down from Regions of Glory

Philippians 2:7 ESV

7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

God was willing to become a servant, to be born of a peasant girl, to be born in the worst set of rumors.

This is what is called the incarnation. Paul explains elsewhere

Galatians 4:4 ESV

4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,

He had to be like us to pay the price for us.

This is what makes God’s mission for us so humbling, he didn’t need to come to save man, and yet he purposed before time began to save mankind.

Application:

You and I are like called to share the message of Christmas

(Expand as ABLE)

God had from the very beginning been planning to come on his behalf

SONS OF THE MORNING

Isaiah 9:1-7

Listen to this text

Isaiah 9:1–7 ESV

1 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. 3 You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. 4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Verse two is the state of all men, but then this happens:

Luke 2:8–12 ESV

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

The darkest part of the night always precedes the morning.

A question my children ask when they wake up in the middle of the night is “how long until morning.”

I usually answer only “a little more, but for now you need to sleep.”

You dear Christian are a son of the morning. What does that mean?

Light was shone on them V2

This light was put on them, this is like the shepherds in the field, the angels came, they did not call onto them.

We in darkness had the light come upon us. in history the first coming was inevitable. It was unstoppable, just like the morning the next day.

We are like the child that doubts it will come.

My dear friend, Christ’s coming had nothing to do with your actions it was his.

He in his love came to us.

Application for today

Just as the first coming was investable, so is the second. Christmas should remind us that the second coming is only a matter of time. I do believe that like we sing and celebrate the first advent, we will do the same for the second.

So for today keep hope.

Hebrews 11:1 ESV

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

You have assurance that God will not abandon us, that God will come again. It is plain that the second half or our text we read is only in the process of being fully true, but it will.

Isaiah 9:6–7 ESV

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

(expand as Needed)

You have seen a great light

(give the gospel)

Benediction

"Sweet Lord Jesus! you whose goings forth were of old, even from everlasting, you have not left your goings forth yet. Oh! that you would go forth this day, to cheer the faint, to help the weary, to bind up our wounds, to comfort our distresses! Go forth, we beseech you, to conquer sinners, to subdue hard hearts, to break the iron gates of sinners' lusts, and cut the iron bars of their sins in pieces! Oh, Jesus, go forth."

And So church

“Trust him, trust him, trust him; and he will go forth to abide in your h