Untitled Sermon (6)

Charles Wesley

The year was 1739

The year was 1739

Charles Wesley was a new Christian convert.

To show his exuberance of joy,

especially in this Christmas Season,

he wrote…

“Hark, how all the welkin rings,

“Glory to the King of Kings;

In welkin Wesley spoke of the regions of the air, or the vault of Heaven.

That which illuminates all the earth and turns every eye Heavenly towards the sky,

is that very creation which proclaims, “glory to the King of Kings”.

It was the year 1753 when a preaching friend of Wesley

George Whitfield changed that first line to,

named George Whitfield changed "welkin” to “angels sing”,

thus giving us passed down through generations:

“Hark the Herald Angels Sing”,

Bringing our voices and attention

to both to the Heavenly lights and the glorious gospel spoken that first Christmas night.

As such, Hark The Herald Angels Sing, is a song of proclamation,

It is a song of the light turning on in the soul.

It’s a song of glorious truths of salvation which must be told.

“Hark The Herald Angels Sing”, is a song which begins with Hark or rather, listen.

It draws attention to a war within during this busy season.

A war for what on this day

Will get our ear, our utmost and deserve our undivided attention.

How will we spend this day the Lord has made

This the day of salvation.

What will be your story?

In the testimony of our lives?

And as another Christmas passes by,

To whom and to what, do you give glory.

Will you join in the angels song?

Or lost in fables and comercial idols will you hurry to move along?

Christmas Glory

It’s Christmas time.

And of it’s grandeur,

“glory” is a word used to describe.

The fun, the love, the splendor...

But, What is it I wonder?

What is the glory of Christmas,

What causes the celebration

For what purpose do the lights shine so bright,

For whom do we hang the decorations?

Our eyes take sight of the glowing Christmas lights.

Red, Green, Silver, and gold,

Flashing signs made beautiful - a sight to behold.

Yet in the rush and clutter, hearts are found cold,

Blinded eyes make deaf ears,

And lost is the proclamation long ago told,

Thus, now our response becomes perverted and the shining of true glory distorted.

But glory is not to be given to any other,

Not to a fable or a memory.

Glory is

It is to make clear, and to God draw all men near.

It is not to be given to earthly treasures

or the man made fables being told.

(you wont find here/in this church) Not to a man on a sleigh,

or one made out of snow,

It’s not a celebration of a deer with a red lit nose.

The manger is true, the proclamation sincere,

The love is real, the promise sincere

God’s own Son came down, meek and mild,

God and sinners through Jesus, reconciled.

So, Let us not mix truth with fiction on this day or any other.

Let us give glory to what is worthy and not to another

Let glory shine for that which is right and true

Listen to the proclamation of angels,

The faithful Word of God spoken to you.

Let us listen and learn, be wise and discern,

To whom does it belong, and to whom ought it be given to?

Let us give glory to God, to whom all glory is due.

Glory is splendor in all it’s brightness

the ray of light displaying what is right,

warming the heart, to the One who is worth, let glory be brought.

Glory is a righteous response to that which is magnificent, worthy and true.

So, let this be our aim, that to the One who alone is worthy,

be brought all worship, and given glory.

Glory is not to be given to any other,

Not to earthly treasures or the many fables that have been told.

(you wont find here/in this church) Not to a man on a sleigh,

or one made out of snow,

It’s not a celebration of a deer with a red lit nose.

Let us not mix truth with fiction on this or any other.

Let us give glory to what is worthy and not to another

Let glory shine for that which is right and true

Listen to the proclamation of angels,

The faithful Word of God spoken to you.

Christmas indeed is glorious,

But to see the glory our ears must first behold the story.

The decorations don’t cause the celebration.

It is the declaration that moves the heart.

That God above has come in love,

and brought salvation to every nation through the ministry of reconciliation.

It’s Christmas time.

Our eyes take sight of the glowing Christmas lights.

Red, Green, Silver, and gold,

Flashing signs made beautiful are a sight to behold.

Yet in the rush and clutter, hearts are found cold,

Blinded eyes make deaf ears,

And lost is the proclamation long ago told,

Thus, now our response becomes perverted and the shining of true glory distorted.

Behold, declares the Lord,

A cry for your attention, Salvation is come to every nation.

A righteous branch, A King to reign in wisdom.

Justice and righteousness to be known throughout the Land,

Given to us by God’s own hand.

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

And with that proclamation, begins the Heavenly celebration

Glory and splendor forevermore.

Fear be gone, Peace has come,

Let your hope rest in Christ the Lord.

Rejoicing is to be great!

Shouts of joy ought to resinate.

Our King has come to us!

The King of righteousness

Where is He? It is He we long to see.

We travel as the wisemen from afar,

Following the light of a star

That we might worship He who awakens our heart

Earthly Kings and riches shall not cause us to hesitate,

We have heard the news and must not be late.

The God of mercy has dealt with us tenderly,

He shall guide our feet in the way of peace,

And create of us a people in whom He is well pleased.

More than that, we rejoice in reconciliation.

That God would save, through Jesus Christ our Lord, some from every tribe, tongue and nation

And make us able to dwell in His presence forevermore.

Praise be to the God of Salvation!

Christ reconciled us to Himself,

Our trespasses not counted against us,

He made us ministers of reconciliation,

Trespasses no longer held against another,

For every sister and brother,

-this is the heart of Christmas.

We who were separated from God, and hostile in mind,

Have been brought to peace with God through the blood of Christ, shed upon the cross.

We who stood hopeless and lost,

Have been given hope, we have been found,

For in the miracle of a manger lay He who will lead us to rest at the feet of the King of righteousness.

And yet, “hear”, declares the Lord of host.

For once more, in only a little while the heavens and earth, the sea and dry land,

every kingdom and nation will be shaken and come in.

The Lord will fill this house with glory.

The light of His glory shall be the light by which we walk,

All nations that rise shall give every knee in a bow,

In all His glory the King of Kings is coming even now.

Be still, listen to see the glorious light.

Let us walk by faith an no longer by sight,

The light of God’s proclamation given that first Christmas night

The light of God’s proclamation given that first Christmas night

Faith comes by hearing as God’s holy Word is spoken forth,

The soul given illumination, new birth from shame to glory, from darkness to light.

The soul given illumination, rejoice, new birth!

From shame to glory, from darkness to light.

Let Heaven’s song echo without and within,

“Hark the Herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King!”

Sound becomes light, Dawn of the King puts an end to night

The seed that conquers, thy victory won,

Love reinstated, a new life in us begun.

No longer slaves to sin, let us this new life begin

Holy Spirit now within,

Christ the Lord our cause and celebration,

Hear us now as we sing:

“Christ the Lord, come desire of nations, fix in us Thy humble home.”

“Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness”

Of this great gospel let every tongue confess.

To Christ and Christ alone be all glory, majesty, dominion, and authority,

Now and forever!

before all time and now and forevermore. Amen.

Our Lord Jesus.

Who is worthy to recieve glory?

Only He who is the true Christmas Story.