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The angels showed up on Christmas night with the answers to two of history’s biggest questions. This classic carol answers both questions definitely, praising the new-born King who reconciles us with God.
The episodes are the weekly sermons from 922 Ministries (St. Peter and The CORE) of Appleton, Wisconsin.
Christmas Playlist
Wk 2 - The CORE
Pastor Mike Novotny
Good morning, and welcome to week number two, of this holiday series called Christmas playlist. If you're the kind of person who loves those peaceful Christian Christmas songs, The ones were the stars twinkle in the sky above a little manger with the peaceful baby and the cows are lowing but not too loud to wake him up. The ones that you just can push play and take a deep breath, just relax your mind after the end of a long stressful day and just since this, heavenly peace washing over your soul if you like songs like that. You're going to hate today.
Today, I want to take you deep into one of Christmas classic songs called Hark the Herald Angels, Sing and I just want to warn you up front. As a pastor, this song is the exact opposite of all that Away In a Manger has zero time. I should say has a lot of time for the stars and the baby Jesus and the cows and his beautiful mother Hark, The Herald Angels Sing has zero time for that. There's some Christmas songs that spend about half of the measures in the beats with clothes. Yeah, let's do it again. Whoa, Mark says no no! Those are precious measures. I only got so many beats until this song ends and I want to fill your Charged with something much more than repetition. Only when you have fun today that this is not the Sunday to relax. If you're watching at home and get your phone out, your kind of to screening it, this is the moment where you need to shut your phone off and put it away. If you're slouching in a chair and you to sit up straight, if your pain is somewhere else, I need you to grab it, click it, grab a Bolton. Get ready to take notes because what we are about to study is the opposite of a theological Twinkie. All right? It's not light and fluffy, it's not convenient, it's not easy, it's more like a, like a Barrel aged bourbon Stout, it's a rich, robust Cabernet, you don't chug it, you don't slam it, you sip it, and you shouldn't drink too much of it too fast. What we're about the study actually has so much Theology and so much meaning and so much depth. And I'm going to spend this entire message, not with some fancy introduction. But digging in verse by verse by verse all three verses of what I think is the most profound and perhaps spiritually helpful song that Christmas Has to offer. I want to warn you because your brain is going to need to work. But I also want to entice you because if your brain is willing to do the work, your heart might just reap the rewards. Because this song, which is written by Charles Wesley back in the early 1700s is about to offer you this. If there's just one percent of your heart that wonders where you're at with God, If maybe you started following Jesus too late or there's just too much in your past to get over and past. Hark wants a word with you. If you're in, those people who feels misunderstood and overwhelmed like your mom doesn't get it, your dad isn't getting your best friend, doesn't get it. What you're going through the stress and the pressure, the day-to-day things that you feel, that's you. The song wants to speak to you. And if you're one of those rare people who's actually thought not just about life, but about death, If you've come to face-to-face with your own mortality because of a sickness or age or you've just realized that maybe there's more behind you than in front of you. And if that makes you feel uneasy or uncertain instead of excited and exuberance, This is the perfect song for you. So I'm not going to promise you. The next few minutes are going to be easy or convenient. This is not the church service to relax. Instead I need you to power up your brain as much as you can slam that coffee real quick because I don't unpack for you. The words of this classic song Hark the Herald Angels Sing. I think if you pay attention you will not regret it. Stuck in 1739 Charles Wesley was reading this verse from the Bible and it inspired him to write this classic song in Luke Chapter 2, he found these words
Suddenly a great company of the Heavenly Host. Host means Army, a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, who was speaking to the shepherd's about Jesus birth and all of them together were praising God and saying Glory to In the highest heaven and on Earth peace to those on whom his favor rests It was the verses that inspired the song. And now if you're ready, here's what the song says. First one Hark, the Herald Angels Sing glory to the newborn king, peace on Earth and mercy, mild God and sinners reconciled joyful. All ye nations rise. Join the Triumph of the Skies with Angelic host. Proclaim Christ is born in Bethlehem. Hark. The very first word. You don't to means Park is an old school English word. That essentially means, hey, Pay attention. I actually if we were doing the grammar right, it should be quotation. Marks hark exclamation point and of quotation marks the Herald Angels sing' comma quotation marks again glory to the newborn king, when the angel showed up there was any, hey, Shepherds, pay attention. Don't miss this. What we're about to tell you, is really, really big news heart. Just means, hey, which technically means. If you go to school tomorrow, or you go to work, you could say to your buddy hark. Look at this Tick, Tock video, I made. Pay attention to this. And the Herald Angels are saying hark. The word Harold is not a man's name. Har 0ld, this is H, ER, ald, which is just a way of saying messenger. So God sent a whole Army of Messengers, not just one a whole Army of them from heaven and they said to humanity hark, hey, I know you're busy. But don't miss this. Glory to the newborn king. Peace on Earth and mercy mild. And here's the phrase, I want to direct your attention to God and sinners reconciled. You know I first studied the lyrics of Hark the Herald Angels Sing. I went back home after a long day of work and there's my family and sometimes my family. If you're the kid of a pastor you know what? This is when Pastor dad comes home and he's more Pastor than Dad says preach in a chair because he's been studying all day. So I'm like, unloading on my kids, I call this song, it says this, and there's this, there's this part and this phrase in this, I'll get to the end of it, barely taking a breath. And when I finally pause my 13 year old Maya, she interrupts me and says, well Dad, You're not going to have time to talk about all that. So, I guess you're going to have to pick your favorite part. So I'm going to take her advice and talk about my favorite part, and here's what it is. God and sinners. Reconciled if you ever stopped to think how absolutely relationally incompatible you and God are
Is it ever struck you that by your very nature. You are not God's type.
You might be the black sheep of your family or the best of the bunch. You might have been super religious your whole life or brand new to this. You might have tons of regrets or a few but because you and I are human and because humans are flawed and because on our even our best days, we stumble and we sin, We should be so far apart from the difference between you and me and God is greater than the difference between you and me and the Sun in the sky. Could you stand on the surface of the Sun? But there's something about the way, the sun is in the way that we are. That just doesn't fit together. If you put on SPF 5000, could you make it if you tried harder wear the right clothes? Don't that there's something about you and it that can't fit together. In the Bible, says, the same thing is true spiritually with us. And God.
He's not just like the best version of us. He's not like 50% nicer and 75% wiser. The gap between humans and the Holiness of God. Vici blazes with love and patience and goodness. He is good with a caps lock g00d, he is infinitely, wise, and pure, and holy and because he is so good. Even if you're the best of us here on Earth, you are light years away.
And that's why the angels are saying hark.
You're not going to believe this. God, and sinners. Reconciled.
This newborn King, Jesus was born to bring peace to people on Earth. So he went panic and think there was no chance. So we won't just hope for the best that God forgot about the bad things that we did. Jesus was born, he lived and then he died. So that this crazy phrase could be true me and you God is centers. Reconciled. Yeah, I recently heard that Oprah. Back in 2013 was giving this speech at Harvard. And in a speech, he was telling these really intelligent talented graduates, something about human beings. Open her very, very long, interviewing career had met all kinds of people multiple presidents pop stars, military Heroes and she revealed that after her interviews were done, almost everyone. No matter who they were asked, her the exact same question. Once the camera stopped filming once the microphones were cut, people would lean into our President Bush leaned in and asked her President Obama leaned in and asked her Beyonce, leaned in and ask her the exact same question. The question was,
Was that good?
Did I do, okay.
If actually said once, I'm Beyoncé is given a shot, you can imagine the Oprah crowd going crazy for Beyonce if she kills it because the backup dancers everyone's going wild you know like she's there she's there. Idle the cameras cut Beyonce hands, the mic to open. What did she say? Was that okay?
It over pointed out to these Harvard students, no matter how smart you are. Does it matter how talented you are? Doesn't matter how beautiful you are, how powerful you are. You could be the president, you could be the queen bee. You could be anyone that at the end of the day, there's this voice inside of the human heart, that Whispers Am I? Okay?
Did I do good enough?
And if we ask that about Oprah, Imagine God.
And that's why the angels are, are declared a whole Army of them came with news, that was so good, that Jesus was born, so that you and God could be good.
No, some of you you can't get past that one thing in your past.
The one thing. I said before, your dad died, That one moment of infidelity in your relationship, The words that just haunts you in the back of your brain, others have you came to church so late in your life, you just have a wrecked relational history. There's no rewind button to fix it. Four thousand different reasons. All of us with a whisper or a shout in our heart Wonder. Am I? Okay?
Here's the Angels answer. If you have Jesus, God leans in and says We're good.
If the problem with God and you was sin, light-years of sin and of Jesus came to take every last bit of it away, then there's nothing in the way of you and God being good. You're safe, you're saved, you can sing with the angels. This is why it says joyful. All ye nations rise. I don't care where you're from. You could be Asian, you could be American, you could be Mexican. You could be mom, wherever you are from, get up with joy. Sing with the angels Christ has been born, the savior of the world who makes God and sinners reconciled. And that's better than a bunch of cows is not
And this is verse 1.
Give me a thumbs up, if you're ready for us too. All right, you shouldn't put your thumbs up. Because verse 2 is the toughest of all verse 2 is actually so deep. I have a hunch about half of you will need a dictionary to understand it. So let me give you a clue to what it's all about. First two is simply trying to tell you who Jesus is and the simple answer to that question is Jesus Is God and human in one person. God human one person, that's Jesus in the lobby after church. I'm gonna tap somebody on the shoulder. I'm gonna give you a pop quiz, but you're going to be prepared for it because I'm gonna ask you, who was Jesus? And you're going to tell me God and human in one person humanity and Divinity. That's Jesus, a divine nature, and Human Nature. That's Jesus. Philippians chapter 2 in the New Testament. Describe that Jesus in this way. It says, Jesus being in very nature. God is God from his very nature was made in human likeness. So he was made human, the father never became human the Holy Spirit never became human but Jesus God the son became human God, human one person, That's what hark first, two wants to tell you hear the words.
Christ by highest heav'n, adored Christ. The Everlasting Lord late in time Behold Him come offspring of a virgin's. Womb veiled in flesh the godhead see hail the Incarnate deity pleased as man with man to dwell Jesus our Emmanuel. He catches Jesus Is God, he's not just a guy, he's God. I think this verse says that in six different ways, First, he's by the highest heav'n adored. Go to heaven, go to the highest ranks, the most experienced Angel, and that angel is adoring. Someone that's even higher than him was Jesus, which must mean that? Jesus is God. Number two, he's Everlasting. He'd last forever? No Beginning, No End. He's Eternal, unlike any created thing, or human being, which means he's God, he's the Lord, which means he's the ultimate Authority. He gets the last word which must be God, if you see Jesus, you see the godhead. It's a fancy phrase. That just means god, he's called the Incarnate deity. Didi is a word that just means God and his nickname is Emmanuel. So e.l. in Hebrew means god. So, if you have a name like Michael or Rachel or Nathaniel or Daniel, the Hebrew name, God is in your name. Immanuel is just Hebrew for God With Us. Who was the one who is with us, God Emmanuel's, one, two, three, four, five, six different ways. This versus trying to say to you, hey, if you think Jesus was just a nice guy, he's God. If you think he just started some religion, 2,000 years ago. Know, he's more than that. He's God if he was a wise teacher, who taught us to love our neighbor, turn the other cheek, be nice to our enemies. Those things are all true times a million because he is God. And, Is human.
Did you catch that too? It says late in time. Behold Him. Come So in time, God is outside of time and space but he entered into it and I could be wrong about this but I think late in time means that Jesus was born as a human later than Old Testament Believers thought. So it's kind of a quirk of the Hebrew Adam and Eve. When they had their first kid Kane, they thought he was going to be the promised Messiah because God made them that promise. No p.m. So I was a little bit later than that. And Abraham thought he was right around the corner. And David wrote songs about the coming savior, Isaiah had all these prophecies 700 years before it happened. So later in time, God kept his promise, but later than expected, behold your God is coming in human flesh. He's The Offspring of a virgin's, womb, born of a woman named Mary a human because he is human. I love this line, veiled, in flesh, the godhead see Wives, how many of you were available on your wedding? Because, you know, what? Avail does of it, you can like, see Avail, but you can see something else behind a veil. And so veiled, in flesh, means that, if you look at Jesus, you could see his flesh. He's a human being his hands. You could give him a hug. You can shake his hand touch his feet and yet behind his Humanity. You could see something more veiled in flesh, the godhead. See when Jesus would walk on water you would see his body and say he's not just like my buddies like he's so much more when he would multiply fishes and Loaves he would say my brother can't do that. So behind his Humanity you could see his divinity. Veiled in flesh the godhead see hail the Incarnate deity did. He means God incarnate there's a word to impress your friends, with next time you're up for a drink incarnate means In flesh. So carnivore is something that eats flesh. Incarnate is God in flesh, if he speaks Spanish gardening, its flesh or meat. Incarnate deity is a way of saying, God, in human flesh, who and finally pleased, as man with man to dwell. So he dwelled with us as human beings, but he was truly a man. God man, one person that she's asking me, double thumbs up if you got it, if you don't, I'm gonna start over and it's gonna take a long time. Now, some of you are not going to say this aloud but you're thinking boring that part was kind of boring. Thank you for the technical definition of who Jesus is. It seems theological and Technical. But I would say this, when you think about it is actually profound Emotional spiritual and beautiful. I thought of this theological truth Last Summer. My family and I took this epic road trip, we stopped in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. We went to this incredible Museum of the American Revolution. And there we saw with our very own eyes, the tent of George Washington.
You should really Google this for over 250 years, the tent of George Washington has been passed on bought and sold by, by pastors and slaves. And people, it's actually made of have it on display at this Museum, but before the curtain came up and we got to see the tents, we got kind of the museum hype about it. And to be completely honest, I kind of thought they were over selling it, more than just a little bit. Printed brochure as like an unforgettable experience. That will move you to tears. I thought I dare you. I should not have dared them. Before the curtain comes up, this video starts playing. I tells the story of George Washington and the Revolutionary War. He's just really respected gifted General. But instead of You know, living dwelling away from his soldiers, he sets up his tent. Right in the midst of them.
And even though he could have been at at Mount Vernon, even though he could have run away to the comfort of family and friends and he didn't, when the winters were bitterly cold right there in the midst of them was the General when the Summers were sweltering sweaty, hot, he didn't run for cooler. Climates, he's stayed right in the midst of them. Who does that?
It's like a CEO of a company. Having a cubicle in the midst of the interns instead of the corner office, this is like Mom and Dad sleeping on like the camping mass at deflate in the middle of the night. While the little kids are in the master bedroom who has the authority and the position but gives it up for the sake of others. And I'm hearing about George Washington, but my Christian brain is thinking of Jesus, like who had all the Comforts of heaven and gave it up to dwell among his people. Who had every right to escape from the pain of a human experience. But instead chose to enter in it, so he could lead us to a great spiritual Victory. Who would do that? George did it for a little bit? God in human flesh. Did it for 33 straight years. As I'm thinking about the profound humility and beauty of Jesus, of course, that's the time when the music swells, and the curtain comes up and the lights flash on, and I'll show you a picture of what I looked at the tents of General George Washington. Stunning is moving that the brochure did not oversell it.
And Hark the Herald Angels Sing isn't over selling Jesus either hail worship Him. Bend the knee and weep next to the manger of Jesus. Who being in very nature, God would be made in human likeness. The Bible says that because Jesus did that. He gets you.
I think it's Hebrews chapter 2 says that he himself suffered when he was tempted. He knows what it's like to feel human weakness. If you been hungry. Jesus was too thirsty. Yep. Tired. Yep. Ever had a long exhausting day just collapsed at the end of it. Jesus, did you ever had drama with your family? Jesus did ever been betrayed by a friend? Jesus did ever been hurt by the church? Jesus. Did ever been taken out of context. Your words Twisted, people thinking about things about you, there simply are not true. You ever felt Pain excruciating. Pain torturous pain, because God, didn't stay comfortable and heaven. But made his dwelling among us, because he was Emmanuel. God With Us, he gets it.
That was he sympathizes when you're hurting, he feels compassion when you're suffering. When you've been through it, you're not the first. Your pain is not understandable because Jesus Took on human flesh. He's God human with us.
The thought makes me want to say, amen. And sing. But I got one more verse to cover today.
Here's what it says. Hail, the heaven. Born Prince of Peace. Hail the son of righteousness, light and Life, to all. He brings risen with healing. In his wings mild, he lays his glory by born that, man. No more may die. Born to Raise the sons of earth born to give them second birth. It, it is not fair that I only get to talk about one thing in this verse. It's not y'all should cancel your lunch plans. Just whatever television station you're watching this on. Just keep the clock running there. So much gold here about Jesus and the PC offers and the light he offers and the life, he offers in the healing, you offers, but sadly, I don't have time for all that. I have to pick just one thing today and I'm going to pick the last line. But Jesus was born to give them to give you a second birth. If I ask you in the church Lobby, who was Jesus, who would say, God and man in one person, if I ask you, why was Jesus? God, and man in one person, this would be a great answer. He was born. To give me second birth.
It's a technical Bible term. You might have heard of the phrase being born again, same idea. The concept is that when someone is born, they're pushed into a whole new kind of life. You probably don't remember this. Your mother does the first time you were born. You were pushed by her into a whole new kind of existence brand new life outside the womb, everything was different. The Bible says that when you're born again, not your mother but the Holy Spirit pushes you spiritually into a whole new kind of life. Where everything is different. What you value is different, what you love the most is different, how you think how you behave, what you believe that? This is really Bible saying that's talking about being a Christian. Repenting of sin. Trusting in Jesus. The reason he came is that so you could have a whole new kind of life. And I'm going to steal a kind of famous phrase that I didn't. Invent that says this when you're born just once, You die twice. But if you're born twice, You only die once. Can you crack that riddle? Born just once you're just born physically but you have no spiritual connection to Jesus, you're not born again. You will die physically of age or cancer, or an accident or whatever. And then because there's no savior to save you, you will die eternally. You'll be separated from God. You're not good enough to stand in his presence, no matter how good you might feel.
But, If you come to Faith In Jesus and you're born again, if you have not just a physical birth but a spiritual rebirth, you only die once You still die physically. Cancer still comes to Christians the tragedy. Still happens to believing families but after that death is over there is no second death. There is just eternal life.
The reason the news of Jesus is such good news that the Angels want your attention is because if you look at the birth of Jesus, and then his life, and then his death, and then his resurrection, what you end up with through faith is a second birth.
I'm not sure if this is hitting me more just because I'm sophistical e over halfway dead.
I'm 42 years old and and if you're 60 or going to blow off his comment, but I feel my age every day, in a way that I did not five years ago, I see it on the wrinkles. That my daughter's love to count. When I put them down for bed, the gray hairs three weeks after a haircut. I feel like I need another haircut, I feel it in my back after I work out my lack of flexibility, my body is changing, my mind is forgetting things at the other day. Day. I was typing up a sermon and I had to increase the zoom on the screen to be able to read it. Like I feel it and I realize this at that time is coming and maybe it's already come where most of my life is behind me. He might be.
Here today and it seems like it doesn't apply to you but you will blink and you will not be 15. You might just be praying for your little kid to get through the night. You're going to wake up one day and the kids going to be driving you in the car right life flies by and so sooner or later and maybe you're at this point where you really start thinking about big questions about life and death and what happens next? The song is reminding us that if you have Jesus, you are one step closer to your pain being done forever.
Like if you have Jesus, you might have anxiety and maybe it's not getting better and it's not going away. But you are literally one day closer to the end of anxiety. If you're grieving the loss of someone you love compared to last Sunday. You are one week closer to being done with your grief, if your back hurts, if you deal with the trauma of War, if you struggle from something that happened to you, as a kid, when you were growing up, if you have Jesus, you are one day closer to the end of it. We make these little kids make these chains counting down to Christmas Day. I think we should just don't know how long to make it. We should make a chain for our pain. Every day one day closer. One day closer, it's like it's a put my hand on the doorknob of Eternity and
And it kind of lights and love and healing and life in the happiness. I've, I can't even fathom and this life is mine forever without Jesus. I didn't stand a chance at it. I would have died twice, but because of Jesus, you and I no matter what your story, your sin, your struggle, your past, your Brokenness, if you come to Jesus, if you believe in him, that can happen right now. For some of you for the first time ever, you would only die once. And receive in his name, the gift of eternal life.
It makes you think I'll let last year. I was at this church service visiting another city in the pasture. Invited all the little kids up for the children's message ever, seen something like that and all these kids come up and apparently this toddler who was sitting right behind me and my family, he did not want to go up. I was close enough to hear the parents have ever. Had a whisper argument with your kid in church. So Stephen is like, go, go go, laughs. I don't want you like, no, go up. Mmm, so little kids. Stubborn just sits there in the peas, not moving until until the very first line of the pastor's message where he says this quote kids, I'd like to give you some candy and I kid you thought this little guy he right? He's like Usain Bolt out of that little pill. He jumps up. He's scooches fast. Introducing so hard left. And he literally of hurls his entire body like a major Leaguer sliding into second because he wanted a gift that was so good and it was so free and it was so close. And I just want to say that's like Jesus, maybe some of you are reluctant about church and the Bible and know there's these rules you're supposed to give money and as this different ethic of sexuality and marriage and you sit there and you don't want to, you don't want to surrender. You don't want to be all in for Jesus and before it's too late. I just want to tell you this, whatever, whatever it costs, you to follow him. What he's offering you is infinite. It's eternal. This world can make you happy in bits and starts the likes and the love and the loot works for a little bit. But what Jesus is offering, you is forever. Today could be your day to come to Jesus to receive the light of the world to be born again. A whole new kind of life where you give up a little, but you gain so much more. Some smart angels. Park. Hey. You and God good. God and man Jesus in one person born so that you could be born again. What a song. And What A Savior. Let's pray.
Oh God. This news has almost feels too good to be true.
If there's some commercial some, you too bad that told us our pain would be over forever. We wouldn't believe it would skip it. You're telling us that maybe not today or tomorrow or next year, but you had promised us a life of happiness, and peace and hope and joy that seems hard to believe God. And so give us the faith to believe it. That for all of us who follow Jesus, we are one step closer to a happiness that words simply could not describe. How time frame? I'm praying big four people here today, who were just uncertain. They've been watching at home, they've been coming to church. They're not all in with Jesus. Open their eyes to see that what he is offering is infinitely better than everything this World Treasures. And I pray God that you would hold onto Us in the difficulties of this Earth. Jesus, you know what it's like. You know what? It's like to be here and to walk in our shoes, you did it for thirty three straight years. So sustained us and strengthen us. Give us everything that we need to get up in the morning with joy and to lie down at night with peace. He probably thinks god with confidence and with hope because we know who we are. Those who've been born again and we know who you are. Our heavenly father has given us new life. So we're probably saying this in Jesus name and God's people said, amen, we can meet you to please stand.
Going to wrap up our service today with the Lord's Prayer, a blessing. And I'm going to sing Hark the Herald Angels Sing Together. So, would you join me as we pray? This wonderful prayer that Jesus taught the Lord's prayer, Our Father in heaven, Hallowed Be Your Name, Your Kingdom Come your will be done on Earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but Deliver Us from Evil for the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen, my brother sisters, go in peace, live in harmony with one another and serve the Lord with gladness. The Lord bless you and keep you the Lord. Make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord look on you with his favor and me that give you peace. Amen. Please remain standing for our final song. It's called Hark the Herald Angels Sing I've ever heard of it. We're going to sing it and I want you to do something and it's the same something I'd like you to do for all the songs is not just be moved by the music and the great musicians, but to pay even closer attention to the message hark.