O Come, O Come Emmanuel, Carols, 23 December 2012
O Come O Come Emmanuel
Big Idea: God is with us. Are you with God?
Welcome to the fourth Sunday of Advent. Advent is about expectant waiting and preparation. For generations, the Israelites awaited the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. We are awaiting His return. We are in between His first and second visits to our planet. We look back and forward.
During these four weeks during our preparation for Jesus’ birthday celebration, we’ve been looking at four classic Christmas Carols, their lyrics, and their biblical message. It is my hope and prayer that as you hear these songs, you’ll not only hum the melody, you’ll think about the timeless message.
We began with the line in O Holy Night that says, “A thrill of hope/the weary world rejoices/for yonder breaks/a new and glorious morn.”
Then two weeks ago we looked at O Come, All Ye Faithful and discovered that we can be joyful and triumphant despite the hardships of life.
Last week we said that although Away In A Manger mentions the “little LORD Jesus,” He is no longer an 8 lb. 6 oz. little baby Jesus but the King of kings and LORD of lords who warrants our attention, allegiance, devotion, and complete surrender.
Today we are looking at the key word in the carol O Come, O Come Emmanuel.
History
The lyrics were written between the 8th and 12th century. They would sing or chant these phrases that began with the letter “o.”
The key word is Emmanuel, God with us.
God was, God is, God will be with us.
Emmanuel: God with us. What does that mean to you?
Have you ever prayed for God to be with you?
We’ve all had moments of loneliness and desperation. I wonder how many S.O.S. prayers God hears each day!
It has been said that the essence of religion is man’s search for God.
One of my favorite stories is from David Platt, author of the book Radical that has been Scio’s theme this year. While in Indonesia, he engaged in a conversation with a Buddhist leader and a Muslim leader. He said,
“It sounds as though you both picture God (or whatever you call god) at the top of a mountain. It seems as if you believe that we are all at the bottom of the mountain, and I may take one route up the mountain, you may take another, and in the end we will all end up in the same place.” They smiled as I spoke. Happily they replied, “Exactly! You understand!” Then I leaned in and said, “Now let me ask you a question. What would you think if I told you that the God at the top of the mountain actually came down to where we are? What would you think if I told you that God doesn’t wait for people to find their way to him, but instead he comes to us?” They thought for a moment and then responded, “That would be great.” I replied, “Let me introduce you to Jesus.” This is the gospel.
The Gospel, or good news, is just that. God is with us, Emmanuel.
One of the things that I love about the gospel message is its history. We are involved in a story that began thousands of years ago and has transformed lives around the world for generations.
The prophet Isaiah around 700 BC wrote...
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
How many virgins have been with child?
More than 700 years before the birth of Christ, it was announced that Emmanuel would enter our world.
In Matthew chapter 1, an angel came to Joseph—who was engaged to a woman who was pregnant—and said
“Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” — which means, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:20b-23)
People had waited centuries for this announcement.
This was the most earth-shattering news possible.
Before Jesus, people couldn’t handle the presence of God. They would die if they encountered Him.
The mere idea of God being with us—much less becoming One of us—was radical! It still is today.
We’ve been studying the Gospel of John. Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase in The Message tells it all in the first chapter.
The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish. (John 1:14, The Message)
You may not feel Him, but He is with us.
He was, is, and will be with us.
That’s Emmanuel. That’s Christmas. That’s the Gospel.
I don’t know about you, but if I were God in heaven, I’d stay there! I’d delegate to angels, write words in the sky, or do something safe and comfortable to connect with humanity.
Fortunately I’m not God! The real image of Christmas is not a baby, but a King who came, died, conquered sin and death, and who lives! God is still with us today!
Sometimes it’s easier to see God in the past than in the present. We can read that God was with Joseph, Moses, David, and others.
Jesus made a promise to His followers. During His final moments with them, He said
And surely I am with you always, even to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:20b)
That wasn’t just a metaphorical statement. When Jesus ascended from the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem into heaven, He said it was actually good that He left because His departure would pave the way for the Holy Spirit.
But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. (John 16:7)
In Acts 2, the Counselor, the Holy Spirit arrives and lives inside followers of Jesus.
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
Do you need more proof?
You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. (Romans 8:9-11)
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16)
Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you — guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. (2 Timothy 1:14)
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. (1 John 4:12, 15)
If you are a follower of Jesus, you get the Holy Spirit, too!
God is with us. God is within us!
This does not mean that we are God, but rather that God lives in those who welcome Him.
One of my favorite promises in the Bible comes from the book of Romans. Paul wrote
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39)
What can separate us from God’s love? Nothing. No thing.
Not a criminal record.
Not a divorce.
Not anything done to you.
Not your mistakes.
Not your sins.
All you have to do is receive the gift of Jesus Christ who became one of us to demonstrate His love for us.
As we said last week, the greatest gift you can give Jesus for His birthday is you, your heart.
Most of you would say you believe in God. You believe Jesus came as a baby. Great, but belief is not enough. The Bible says that demons believe that!
The question is have you fully surrendered your life to the LORD Jesus Christ? He came for you, but like any gift, it’s not yours until you receive it, embrace it, own it.
Emmanuel, God is with us.
Advent is about waiting. People waited for Jesus’ first visit to our planet. We await His return, but in the meantime, Emmanuel is not merely an historical figure. It’s not that God WAS with us. Through the Holy Spirit, He is with us right here, right now, right in this place, this Christmas.
God is with us.
Are you with God?
God is here.
Like love, you can’t see Him or touch Him, but you can experience Him, not only on His birthday, but every day of the year. For followers of Jesus Christ, every day is CHRISTmas, Christ’s day.
I urge you to truly make this Christmas about Christ. He is with us and wants nothing more than for you to be with Him.
Credits: Series theme and various ideas from Craig Groeschel, LifeChurch.tv
You can listen to the podcast here.
You can view a music video of O Come, O Come Emmanuel from LifeChurch.tv here.
Big Idea: God is with us. Are you with God?
Welcome to the fourth Sunday of Advent. Advent is about expectant waiting and preparation. For generations, the Israelites awaited the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. We are awaiting His return. We are in between His first and second visits to our planet. We look back and forward.
During these four weeks during our preparation for Jesus’ birthday celebration, we’ve been looking at four classic Christmas Carols, their lyrics, and their biblical message. It is my hope and prayer that as you hear these songs, you’ll not only hum the melody, you’ll think about the timeless message.
We began with the line in O Holy Night that says, “A thrill of hope/the weary world rejoices/for yonder breaks/a new and glorious morn.”
Then two weeks ago we looked at O Come, All Ye Faithful and discovered that we can be joyful and triumphant despite the hardships of life.
Last week we said that although Away In A Manger mentions the “little LORD Jesus,” He is no longer an 8 lb. 6 oz. little baby Jesus but the King of kings and LORD of lords who warrants our attention, allegiance, devotion, and complete surrender.
Today we are looking at the key word in the carol O Come, O Come Emmanuel.
History
The lyrics were written between the 8th and 12th century. They would sing or chant these phrases that began with the letter “o.”
The key word is Emmanuel, God with us.
God was, God is, God will be with us.
Emmanuel: God with us. What does that mean to you?
Have you ever prayed for God to be with you?
We’ve all had moments of loneliness and desperation. I wonder how many S.O.S. prayers God hears each day!
It has been said that the essence of religion is man’s search for God.
One of my favorite stories is from David Platt, author of the book Radical that has been Scio’s theme this year. While in Indonesia, he engaged in a conversation with a Buddhist leader and a Muslim leader. He said,
“It sounds as though you both picture God (or whatever you call god) at the top of a mountain. It seems as if you believe that we are all at the bottom of the mountain, and I may take one route up the mountain, you may take another, and in the end we will all end up in the same place.” They smiled as I spoke. Happily they replied, “Exactly! You understand!” Then I leaned in and said, “Now let me ask you a question. What would you think if I told you that the God at the top of the mountain actually came down to where we are? What would you think if I told you that God doesn’t wait for people to find their way to him, but instead he comes to us?” They thought for a moment and then responded, “That would be great.” I replied, “Let me introduce you to Jesus.” This is the gospel.
The Gospel, or good news, is just that. God is with us, Emmanuel.
One of the things that I love about the gospel message is its history. We are involved in a story that began thousands of years ago and has transformed lives around the world for generations.
The prophet Isaiah around 700 BC wrote...
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
How many virgins have been with child?
More than 700 years before the birth of Christ, it was announced that Emmanuel would enter our world.
In Matthew chapter 1, an angel came to Joseph—who was engaged to a woman who was pregnant—and said
“Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” — which means, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:20b-23)
People had waited centuries for this announcement.
This was the most earth-shattering news possible.
Before Jesus, people couldn’t handle the presence of God. They would die if they encountered Him.
The mere idea of God being with us—much less becoming One of us—was radical! It still is today.
We’ve been studying the Gospel of John. Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase in The Message tells it all in the first chapter.
The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish. (John 1:14, The Message)
You may not feel Him, but He is with us.
He was, is, and will be with us.
That’s Emmanuel. That’s Christmas. That’s the Gospel.
I don’t know about you, but if I were God in heaven, I’d stay there! I’d delegate to angels, write words in the sky, or do something safe and comfortable to connect with humanity.
Fortunately I’m not God! The real image of Christmas is not a baby, but a King who came, died, conquered sin and death, and who lives! God is still with us today!
Sometimes it’s easier to see God in the past than in the present. We can read that God was with Joseph, Moses, David, and others.
Jesus made a promise to His followers. During His final moments with them, He said
And surely I am with you always, even to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:20b)
That wasn’t just a metaphorical statement. When Jesus ascended from the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem into heaven, He said it was actually good that He left because His departure would pave the way for the Holy Spirit.
But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. (John 16:7)
In Acts 2, the Counselor, the Holy Spirit arrives and lives inside followers of Jesus.
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
Do you need more proof?
You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. (Romans 8:9-11)
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16)
Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you — guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. (2 Timothy 1:14)
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. (1 John 4:12, 15)
If you are a follower of Jesus, you get the Holy Spirit, too!
God is with us. God is within us!
This does not mean that we are God, but rather that God lives in those who welcome Him.
One of my favorite promises in the Bible comes from the book of Romans. Paul wrote
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39)
What can separate us from God’s love? Nothing. No thing.
Not a criminal record.
Not a divorce.
Not anything done to you.
Not your mistakes.
Not your sins.
All you have to do is receive the gift of Jesus Christ who became one of us to demonstrate His love for us.
As we said last week, the greatest gift you can give Jesus for His birthday is you, your heart.
Most of you would say you believe in God. You believe Jesus came as a baby. Great, but belief is not enough. The Bible says that demons believe that!
The question is have you fully surrendered your life to the LORD Jesus Christ? He came for you, but like any gift, it’s not yours until you receive it, embrace it, own it.
Emmanuel, God is with us.
Advent is about waiting. People waited for Jesus’ first visit to our planet. We await His return, but in the meantime, Emmanuel is not merely an historical figure. It’s not that God WAS with us. Through the Holy Spirit, He is with us right here, right now, right in this place, this Christmas.
God is with us.
Are you with God?
God is here.
Like love, you can’t see Him or touch Him, but you can experience Him, not only on His birthday, but every day of the year. For followers of Jesus Christ, every day is CHRISTmas, Christ’s day.
I urge you to truly make this Christmas about Christ. He is with us and wants nothing more than for you to be with Him.
Credits: Series theme and various ideas from Craig Groeschel, LifeChurch.tv
You can listen to the podcast here.
You can view a music video of O Come, O Come Emmanuel from LifeChurch.tv here.