Sermon Tone Analysis

Good morning MBC!

It’s great to be together.

I’m so glad you’re here and would like to add my greeting to any first time guests.

Welcome.

If you’re looking for a church home I pray your time here will be a part of God drawing you to himself and perhaps leading you to a church family.

I know the Lord is going to do a good work in all of us during our time together.

Before we open God’s Word together I want to highlight two important “family matters”

Good morning MBC!

It’s great to be together.

I’m so glad you’re here and would like to add my greeting to any first time guests.

Welcome.

If you’re looking for a church home I pray your time here will be a part of God drawing you to himself and perhaps leading you to a church family.

I know the Lord is going to do a good work in all of us during our time together.

Before we open God’s Word together I want to highlight two important “family matters”

· Virgina Garrett resignation

· Christmas Candlelight service - TONIGHT

Let’s pray.

INTRODUCTION

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A long time ago, back in the day when I still had hair, I was a blondish haired boy growing up in the mecca we know as Morrill, Nebraska, and I loved Saturday mornings.

Saturday mornings were special – you didn’t have to get up and go to school, and every Saturday morning I would get up and watch cartoons until it was time for Casey Casum’s Top 40 Countdown.

I listened to Casey Casum’s Top 40 Countdown every Saturday morning (anyone else?) – We had a long console radio with a record player that I could dial into to the top 40 countdown which subsequently made doing weekend chores so much better – I couldn’t wait to hear what the number one song was every week.

The Christmas season is filled with lots of great music – traditional carols and new modern favorites – and in honor of Casey Casum I looked up the Itunes charts to see what the top five Christmas songs are as of Friday December 21st (Two days ago).

Any guesses?

· 5. Rockin Around the Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee (released in 1958)

· 4.

Last Christmas – Wham (released in 1984)

· 3. Underneath the Tree – Kelly Clarkson (released in 2013)

· 2. Mary, Did You Know – Pentatonix (Released in 2014 – she did know by the way!)

· 1.

All I want for Christmas is You – Mariah Carey (Released in 1994)

Are you pleasantly surprised?

Disappointed?

The only song I don’t know is Kelly Clarkson’s – I’ll have to give it a listen.

Music is powerful – it causes you to tap your foot or even dance – a song can make you cry and stir your soul.

Christmas music is a special part of the Christmas season.

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Every Christmas song has a specific message.

Sometimes the most important message can be missed in life.

It reminds me of the story of the Wright Brothers first on an airplane.

· Wright Brothers – editor missed the most important message!

Even in the midst of all of our decorations, traditions, and carols we can miss the most important message of all—look around, the tree is lit, the music is festive, the season is bright—and in the midst of all we do during this season will we miss God’s good news and the reason for the season?

We need to be reminded of the Christmas message.

And that’s what our ADVENT series this month has been about – being reminded of God’s message of salvation through Jesus by looking at the “The Songs of Christmas” found in Luke’s gospel.

Preview

We’ve considered Mary’s Song (The Magnificat), Zechariah’s Song (The Benedictus), and Simeon’s Song (Nunc Dimmitus).

Today we consider “The Angel’s Song” (Gloria in Excelsis).

Take your Bibles and turn to Luke Chapter 2. Today we conclude our December “ADVENT” series with “The Angel’s Song” in - it’s short but sweet – but it will reveal heaven’s response to Jesus’ birth, remind us of the message of Christmas, and invite us to respond as well.

THE ANGEL’S SONG

In Luke Chapter 2 we find the story of Christmas.

It’s a familiar story for most of us.

The story begins with Joseph and Mary’s journey from their home town in Nazareth to a town called Bethlehem—an approximately 68 mile trek—and this wasn’t an easy journey for a pregnant teenager.

We’ve learned in our ADVENT series that Mary had been chosen by God to give birth to the promised Messiah, the greater Davidic King and Suffering Servant of God, who would deliver His people.

While they were in Bethlehem, Mary goes into labor.

This is no accident for the prophet Micah had said that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem—“But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me, one who is to rule in Israel.”

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It was busy time in the Bethlehem with people coming from other regions to register for the census so there were no rooms at the inn.

Therefore when it came time for Mary to give birth they had to take shelter in a “guest room” of someone’s home or in a shelter near an “inn.”

The “shelters” had a lower level with an open space where people and animals were housed together.

When Jesus was born in this humble shelter he was placed in a manger which was nothing more than a feed trough filled with hay.

After Jesus birth an angel appeared to shepherds tending their flocks outside of Bethlehem—the angel gave the heavenly birth announcement—" Do not be afraid.

I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

(2:10-12)—the heavenly messenger heralded that the promised Savior had finally arrived and this was good goods for all people.

In that moment God’s covenant promises spoken through the prophets were fulfilled as God’s anointed Messiah entered the world.

In that humble setting, God became flesh, in order to save sinful humanity from the power of sin and death.

And what happened next brings us to our final “song” in our ADVENT series.

· Read

What an amazing encounter!

Imagine for a moment if you were one of those shepherds that night – blinded by the glorious light from heaven – to be one of the first ones told about this amazing event and to see a multitude of angels praising God with your very eyes.

This part of the Christmas story reminds us of the existence of angelic beings, there are things that exist in God’s creation that we don’t always see, and there are celestial beings and cosmic powers that exist in the heavenly realm (places).

Jesus’ birth was not ignored by the angels.

Let’s take a closer look at “The Angel’s Song” and the implications for our lives today.

A) The Angel’s Appearance (2:13a)

We begin with “The Angel’s Appearance” (2:13a) – “The Angel’s Appearance.”

After the first angel appeared to announce the birth of a “Savior, Christ, the Lord” – as if one angel appearing to the shepherd’s wasn’t cause for great fear – “suddenly” a whole bunch of angels appeared to the shepherds that night.

Immediately after the birth announcement “a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel (2:13a)—heaven could not sit back idle or be silent after Jesus’ birth on earth.

We can’t miss the size of this angelic assembly.

The phrase “a great company (magnitude) of heavenly host” can be translated as “many, many angels” or “rows and rows of angels” but even better as “a vast army of angels.”

The word “host” (stratia) refers to a large rank of angels, a massive heavenly army.

The army of angels (band of heavenly soldiers) are likened to God’s royal entourage.

The army of angels were “praising God”—literally speaking of God’s excellence—this massive host of angels were declaring “God is wonderful!”

The text doesn’t say with certainty that the angels were “singing” (like we sing songs of praise) but they definitely lifted their voices in praise!

The army of angels were not there to fight but to praise God for the arrival of Jesus, the Savior.

Therefore over the years the angel’s have been depicted as a heavenly choir!

We clearly see heaven’s response to Jesus’ birth.

Praise is the right response to Jesus’ arrival, praise in heaven and praise on earth, and praise from heavenly beings and from human beings.

B) The Angel’s Adoration (2:13b-14)

The “Angel’s Arrival” is followed by “The Angel’s Adoration.”

The Angel’s arrived to “praise” God and Luke also reveals (records) two specific declarations of praise (what they said) spoken by the massive army of angels.

1) Glory to God (2:14a)

First, the army of angels proclaimed “Glory to God.” “Glory to God.”

The multitude of angels said “Glory to God in the highest” (2:14a)—this phrase appears in one of the most familiar and popular Christmas carols, does anyone know the song?

Yes! - “Angel’s We have Heard on High.”

· Angels We Have Heard on High – Should we sing it?

The chorus of the carol is in Latin--the chorus we sing “Gloria, in exelsis deo” which means Glory to God in the highest.’

The writer of the carol ripped that chorus right out of the pages of Luke’s gospel but just put it in Latin.

In my mind this declaration of glory to God was really loud.

The sheer number of angels present and proclaiming “Glory to God” had to be loud.

The army of angels were literally declaring God’s majesty and giving Him praise—this massive choir of angels were honoring God as the One who resides on high (heaven).

The phrase “in the highest” refers to “the highest place” or in the heavenly realm as opposed to “in the “highest measure” (greatest amount).

The angel’s gave “honor” to God who resides in heaven.