Sermon Tone Analysis

O Come, All Ye Faithful

The hymn “O Come, All ye Faithful” is a latin hymn ascribed to John Francis Wade who lived from 1710-1786

John Francis was an English hymn writer.

It is uncertain if he wrote the hymn or not but the earliest copies all have his signature

All ye faithful

All those of Faith, all those who are spiritual children of Abraham.

Just as the physical seed of Abraham had certain promises that were given to them in the Abrahamic Covenant, CoC and the Mosiac Covenant

The spiritual seed of Abraham, those of faith, have promises given to them in the New Covenant, in the Everlasting Covenant.

The physical seed of Abraham were promised triumph over physical enemies and were promised the land of Canaan and this was based upon their faithfulness.

The spiritual seed of Abraham was promised blessings that would flow to them from the physical seed of Abraham which found it’s fulfillment in Christ.

What are these blessings?

Isa.

25.

Isa.

Zeph. 3.

Brothers and sisters, because of the coming of the Great King, all of the faithful have victory in Christ

victory over death

victory over sin

victory over the flesh

Ephesians 2.

victory over the enemy

Col.

victory over the world

I thought of the great Hall of Faith in .

Brothers and sisters what does the text say about these brothers and sisters that were part of the faithful?

Hebrews 11.

Brothers and sisters, the faithful have victory because of the coming of this King.

Let us adore Him, our Great King who has won a great victory!

Second verse

The coming of Jesus Christ will bring great glory to God.

John 17.

Third verse

We see two things

He will be glorified and we saw that in the previous verses

Also, He is the Word of the Father now in flesh appearing

John 1

Come adore Him, the One who is Eternal God, the Second Person of the Glorious Trinity, who took a human nature unto Himself.

Oh the glorious mystery of the Incarnation.

O Little Town of Bethlehem

The text was written by Phillips Brooks (1835–1893), an Episcopal priest, then rector of Church of the Holy Trinity, Philadelphia and later of Trinity Church, Boston.

He was inspired by visiting the village of Bethlehem in 1865.

Three years later, he wrote the poem for his church, and his organist Lewis Redner (1831-1908) added the music.

Music[edit]

Redner's tune, simply titled "St.

Louis", is the tune used most often for this carol in the United States.[1]

Redner recounted the story of his composition:[1]

As Christmas of 1868 approached, Mr. Brooks told me that he had written a simple little carol for the Christmas Sunday-school service, and he asked me to write the tune to it.

The simple music was written in great haste and under great pressure.

We were to practice it on the following Sunday.

Mr. Brooks came to me on Friday, and said, ‘Redner, have you ground out that music yet to "O Little Town of Bethlehem"?

I replied, 'No,' but that he should have it by Sunday.

On the Saturday night previous my brain was all confused about the tune.

I thought more about my Sunday-school lesson than I did about the music.

But I was roused from sleep late in the night hearing an angel-strain whispering in my ear, and seizing a piece of music paper I jotted down the treble of the tune as we now have it, and on Sunday morning before going to church I filled in the harmony.

Neither Mr. Brooks nor I ever thought the carol or the music to it would live beyond that Christmas of 1868.

A couple of things that I will point out in the hymn that have always stuck out to me in the singing.

Yet in they dark streets shineth, The everlasting light;

The hopes and fears of all the years, Are met in thee tonight

A couple of passages that I think of

Zechariah’s prophecy

Luke 1.

John 1.9-10

Jesus is the light of the world that shines into our darkness.

And one of my favorite lines in a Christmas hymn

The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

All of the hopes of the foretold prophecies are realized in the birth of our Lord

The interesting thing, he says hopes and fears

Fears?

What is he talking about here?

Not sure exactly but maybe talking about the fear of judgment

The Bible is clear that though Jesus is the light shining into the dark world, He was not recieved, instead they rejected Him, they hated Him, and they killed Him.

We see in the second verse that His birth is referred to as a holy birth.

We will look at the last line,

Cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today

He came to do away with our sin.

Cast out our sin and enter into our lives, Be born in us today

O come to us abide with us, Our Lord Immanuel

He is God with us

He is God with us

Abide with us!

This is the promise of joy.

His presence, Him with us is eternal life, that is the hope of eternal joy!!!

O let us praise God for the Incarnation