DECEMBER 3, 2006

What is Christmas to you?

Five words from verse 10: Good news of great joy!

1. First is good news -- means “to announce, declare, glad tidings , good news, to preach the gospel.” The words gospel and evangelism come from this word.

2 . Next is the word joy which means gladness , cheer and delight.

3. Then there's the word great, meaning “ exceedingly great, large, loud, and mighty.”

4. This joy-filled news is for all people means “any, every, all manner of and w hoever . ”

John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 11:25-26 - Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.

Mark 16:15-16: Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation . Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned .

While God knows, but He does not determine or decree that a person must go to hell. While He has predestined the way of salvation to eternal life, your choice of faith means by grace He chose you, when you persevere in faith to the end of your life.

The Christmas carol “Joy to the World,” written by Isaac Watts, was inspired by Psalm 98.

I. The first stanza teaches: THERE IS JOY WHEN THE KING IS RECEIVED .

Isaac Watts took his lyrics from Psalm 98:4 - Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music. And verse 6 - shout for joy before the Lord, the King .

“Let heaven and nature sing” Verse 7 - Let the sea resound, and everything in it. Verses 8 - Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy…

II. The second stanza teaches: THERE IS JOY WHEN THE SAVIOR REIGNS .
--"Joy to the earth! The Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ ;
while fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains, repeat the sounding Joy."
Verse 2 - The Lord has made his salvation known.

Verse 3 - all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Verse 6 - shout for joy before the Lord, the King.

Verse 8 - Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy.

III. The third stanza teaches: THERE IS JOY WHEN HE COMES TO MAKE HIS BLESSINGS FLOW FAR AS THE CURSE IS FOUND.
--"No more let sins and sorrow grow. Nor thorns infest the ground ;
He comes to make His blessings flow, Far as the curse is found."

The curses of sin, sorrow, disease and death is still found on earth today, as it was in the NT times of the Apostle Paul, who wrote, We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time… . ( but) creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay, and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God (Ro 8:22, 21).

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit (Galatians 3:13-14).

Psalm 98: Verse 1 - Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation (His First Coming to earth).

Verse 3 - all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. (His Return )

IV. The last stanza teaches: THERE IS JOY WHEN THE TRUTH RULES WITH GRACE
--"He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love."

Verse 2 - The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.

Verse 3 - He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel ; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Verse 9 - for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.

V. The angel said to the shepherds, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Why were these glad tidings of such exceeding mega-joy for all people? ______________

_______________________________________________________________________________

To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy — to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (Jude 24).

home † about us † resources † contact us † ministries

©South Hills Assembly