Joy to the World
Carols of the Christ • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 2 viewsNotes
Transcript
Introduction
Joy to the World was written in 1719 by Isaac Watts
“Joy to the world” was taken from the second part of the paraphrase (Psalm 98:4-9), entitled “The Messiah’s Coming and Kingdom.” Watts, commenting on his paraphrase of the psalm, notes: “In these two hymns I have formed out of the 98th Psalm I have fully exprest what I esteem to be the first and chief Sense of the Holy Scriptures . . ..”
Not intended to be a Christmas hymn
Has hints of music taken from Handel’s Messiah
God as Savior (1-3)
God as King (4-6)
God as Judge (7-9)
We can sing this song with joy because it points to:
Freedom
Power
Restoration
Worship tunes our hearts to the song of Jesus’ power, rule, and restoration.
Psalm 98 (ESV)
1 Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things!
New song - usually in the context of victory song over military victories.
“has done” - remembering God’s past victories. Specifically, God’s victory over Egypt in the Exodus.
Marvelous = God’s supernatural control over everything.
God saves his people.
God saves his people.
The word “salvation” appears three times in this verse.
Verse 1a - What
Verse 1b - How
Verse 2 - Where
Verse 3 - Why
Verse 1b - How
His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.
The Lord deserves praise because he has accomplished what is totally beyond human ability
It wasn’t his right hand and Jason’s good looks / witty sense of humor
Exodus - who helped God?
Jericho - walking around a city?
God may choose to use people, but he accomplishes it himself.
Why do we look for other arms?!
Verse 2 - Where
2 The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
God does not save in abstract, myth, or legend. He saves in real time.
Exodus 14:13 (ESV)
13 And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.
How many Christians pray for God to do something and are shocked when he does?
How many of your prayers for healing, freedom, change are abstract concepts or wishful thinking?
If you believe God stays outside our time and space you will live like he is outside your time and space
Verse 3 - Why
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Exodus 2:24 (ESV)
24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
Remembered = choice based on covenant
It is public - all the earth has seen - from what God has done we see his character and know what God WILL DO.
Because of his covenant and character, God acts. He has to!! He chooses to.
If you are in Christ, you have EVERY right to call on God.
What does Psalm 98 or the story of Exodus have to do with Christmas and Jesus’ birth and Joy to the World? Absolutely everything.
His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.
2 The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
1a - His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.
Lit. - His right hand and holy arm Jesused them.
Psalm 98:2 (ESV)
2 The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
Jesus is God’s salvation personified.
Simeon’s prayer
Luke 2:30–31 (ESV)
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation 31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
God’s salvation through Jesus is visible - this is the story of Christmas - This is why Jesus came to earth.
Jesus has the power to save.
Jesus has the power to save.
Jesus has the power to give you freedom.
Jesus has the power to give you freedom.
Circumstances change, but our God doesn’t.
It doesn’t matter what you’ve been through, are going through, are about to go through.
The same God who parted waters can open new doors.
The God with the power to break the chains of slavery has the power to break the bonds of addiction and give freedom.
(We need to stop thinking that we are bound to always give in to temptation or struggle with sin to the same degree throughout our lives)
God did not make the Israelites slavery a little better, he gave them FREEDOM!
Galatians 5:1 (ESV)
1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. (context the Law)
Jesus paid the price for your salvation.
Jesus paid the price for your salvation.
Think of a problem which you would like to have Jesus take care of. Which would you rather have: Jesus take care of the problem you have right now or give you salvation?
Why do we often want our temporary issues dealt with instead of God’s salvation?
Could it be that we have lost our awww of what salvation really is?
Romans 8:1 (ESV)
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Do you need a new song today? Maybe you need sing a renewed song based on what God has already done.
Hear me, just like God remembered his steadfast (or covenant) love for Israel, he will, because of Jesus, choose to remember YOU, and save.
The heart of our God, of Jesus, is to run to the rescue and save with power. (it is a lie of Satan that God stands afar watching our pain as we call to him)
Maybe it’s been a while since you’ve sung - you need to not simply read about what Jesus can do, or hear about it from others, you need to see his salvation with your own eyes.
Now, all the nations join the song.
4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! 5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody! 6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!
Jesus has the right to rule your heart.
Jesus has the right to rule your heart.
Jesus is THE King. . . of everything.
Jesus is THE King. . . of everything.
4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
All the earth is all the peoples of the earth
It flows from the previous verse where the “ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.”
The “King” is the LORD = Yahweh
What do you think the Egyptians thought about Yahweh after the plagues, after he brought down Pharoah, after he decimated the armies of Egypt?
They may not have liked it, but they couldn’t deny that Yahweh is the only true God!!
They had only two options:
Live in opposition to that reality
Live in harmony with the reality of Yahweh as King.
Jesus is the King of everything.
We like that fact when Jesus is saving us from foreign powers.
We sometimes resist that fact when it comes to personal submission.
When following Jesus means:
Breaking off the relationship you know is leading you away from him.
Submitting your anger and desire for revenge in order to forgive.
Submitting your finances through giving and tithe.
Admitting your sin “problem” is really an addiction.
You may never become rich, powerful, famous according to the world’s standards if you follow where he is leading into ministry or missions.
Jesus is THE King. . . is He YOUR King?
Jesus is THE King. . . is He YOUR King?
ILLUST - tuning a trumpet - listening for the resonance.
When you submit to Jesus, it brings JOY
Notice how many times joy is mentioned in these verses:
Joyful noise, Joyous song, joyful noise.
The word “Joy” is not actually used but the noise and song are set in celebration.
Following Jesus is not a burden. Christianity is not a downer.
I am tired of seeing Christians who are bored, bummed, or burned out.
Following Jesus will bring JOY because following him resonates with our soul.
When you choose Christ over your own desires, you are submitting to a good King leading you to a good life.
What was the last decision you made that indicated Jesus is king in your life?
If you can’t find one, you are either perfect or rebellious!
How has my life changed with Jesus as King?
How will my life change as I submit to him? (You already know)
Luke 19:37–40 (ESV)
37 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
The only ones not joyful are the religious ones who try to control their own lives (albeit religiously)
The ones who are joyful are those who recognize Jesus for who he is and for what they need him to be!
Jesus points out if his followers are silenced creation will get noisy!
Even creation knows whose King!
7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it! 8 Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together 9 before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.
This does not sound like a Romans 8:22 world:
Romans 8:22 (ESV)
22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.
As the Christmas carol says:
3 No more let sins and sorrows grow,
nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
far as the curse is found,
Jesus redeems and restores starting now.
Jesus redeems and restores starting now.
Jesus redeems NOW the broken things.
Jesus redeems NOW the broken things.
There is nothing you’ve broken or that’s broken you that Jesus cannot redeem.
He comes to make His blessings flow
far as the curse is found,
Jesus came to establish the kingdom of God. He has started the process of righting the world and will finish it when he returns.
The reality is that Jesus is even NOW redeeming the broken things.
Nothing is wasted with the Redeemer and nothing is lost with the Restorer
Jesus will one day restore ALL things.
Jesus will one day restore ALL things.
This past week I remembered my mom’s death. One day THAT sad thing will come untrue.
“Gandalf! I thought you were dead! But then I thought I was dead myself. Is everything sad going to come untrue? What's happened to the world?"
A great Shadow has departed," said Gandalf, and then he laughed and the sound was like music, or like water in a parched land; and as he listened the thought came to Sam that he had not heard laughter, the pure sound of merriment, for days upon days without count.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
Conclusion
The Christmas Scale:
Story is told of a young man whose mother was the pianist in her local church.
Mother tried to get young man to play piano. He was not interested.
One day told him that the greatest message ever could be expressed through playing a single scale.
How could that be?
Mother told son to play an eight-note scale.
do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do
The boy did not hear anything special in the scale.
Mother said he had played it incorrectly - It needed to be played the other way.
do-ti-la-so-fa-mi-re-do
The boy said he still did not hear anything special.
Mother said he had played it correctly but forgot the pauses.
Pause between 1, 2,4,6,7, and the last notes.
Boy became frustrated and went outside to play.
Years later, boy’s mother became ill and eventually died.
The boy, now a man, was thinking about his mom and remembered the scale his mother wanted him to play. He e en remembered the pauses 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, and last notes.
While cleaning out his mother’s house, he sat down at her piano to play.
“Joy to the world, the Lord is come.”
This was the song with the greatest message of all time.
Praise tunes our hearts to the song of Jesus’ power, rule, and restoration.