I figure a hand clap that doesn't sting just
a little is just about like patty cake. And we've
not come to patty cake. We've come to offer a
sacrifice. A praise. Amen. If you have your Bibles,
turn with me to Luke's Gospel, the second chapter.
Luke's Gospel, the second chapter. As you're
preparing to read, we're going to go ahead and
light our two candles today. We'll light the
purple prophet's candle and we'll light the rose
of the candle of peace. Today is the second Sunday
of Advent, which represents peace. Amen? It's
on earth peace, not peace on earth. The more
I read, it's got a little echo in it somewhere.
They'll get it in just a moment. The more I read
scripture and find little nuances that way, how
sometimes we reverse words, we put the same words
in a different order, and you say, well, that
doesn't matter. The more attention I pay to it,
It seems like the more it does matter. There's
a difference of peace on earth and on earth peace.
Amen. Y 'all go ahead and praise the Lord a minute.
We'll give them just a second to get a hold of
that. Bless the Lord. It's getting better. Hallelujah.
You do know all the nuances of little things
that don't go the way you want them to go during
services, right? You know there is an enemy who
does not want any worship declaration to go without
a hitch. And so he understands the people who
are involved. You know the enemy understands
you, right? So he knows how to get your goat.
And he knows how to get mine. See? And he knows
things that really bother me. And so he tries
to amplify those. Especially when I feel like
I've got a word from the Lord. And so for 30
years, I have to fight really hard against that.
Because I still maneuver in the flesh. Not as
much flesh. But I still maneuver in the flesh.
So he knows how to get to me. And that's going
away, so it's getting better already. Amen. And
we don't even fool with this thing. They turn
it on from week to week. We don't have to adjust
it. They know how loud I'm about to get. And
it's just old Diablo trying to mess with the
preacher this morning. It may not have anything
to do with you. He's just messing with me. So
we're going to read some scripture. And that
tends to put him at bay. And then we're going
to pray and put him further back in the corner.
And then I'm going to preach. Real preaching,
as some might say. Luke's Gospel, chapter 2.
Let's start at verse 8. And there were in the
same country shepherds abiding in the field,
keeping watch over their flocks by night. And
lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and
the glory of the Lord shone round about them,
and they were sore afraid. And the angel said
unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you
good tidings of great joy, which shall be to
all people. For unto you is born this day in
the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the
Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you. You
shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes,
lying in a manger. And suddenly, there was with,
hello, there was with the angel a multitude.
I told you the enemy knows. And he's pulled out
all stops this morning. He's really, he's really,
he's really trying. And for you, you folks that
are visiting, is it like this every week? No.
But I do have rare moments. And you just happen
to be here on one of them. The angel, a multitude
joined with him of the heavenly host, praising
God and saying, Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. Amen.
We just don't put on a lot of airs. There's more
fakery goes on in church on Sunday morning. We
try to hide everything. Not me. Y 'all that know
me know that I really don't care. So here's what
my sermon title today is. I don't even think
it's a sermon. I believe the Lord has stirred
my heart with a message these last two weeks.
There's a difference. They have their places.
But this message from the Lord today is about
the hymn, the hymn, not H -I -M, but the H -Y
-M -N of Advent. Last week we talked about the
mission of Advent. So today, let's look at the
hymn of Advent. I'll pray for you, and I really
need you to pray for me. Heavenly Father, I love
you today. Thank you so much for your goodness.
And Lord, we just do today, this very moment
together, we just bind the hand of the enemy
because I know what's about to go forth. I know
what you've put in my heart. And Lord, as the
word of God goes forward, I ask, Lord, that you
would help us to hear together. That we that
do have ears to hear and are longing to hear
what the Spirit is declaring and proclaiming
to the church, that we hear that today and nothing
else. Taking authority over every distraction,
every hindrance, and everything. I ask, God,
that you would have your way now. Even so, as
you've heard and received and been honored by
the praise and the worship that's been lifted
up to you. I ask, God, now. As your word has
been declared, we have broken the precious bread
of life. Now let it be nurtured by the water
of the Spirit. Hallelujah. Woo! Saturated in
the oil of glory. Well, hallelujah. Thank you,
Lord. In Jesus' name. You can be seated. As stated
last week, we haven't... We didn't just begin
on Good Friday the Christmas celebration or the
onslaught to it, but we actually have begun the
Advent season, the celebration of the coming
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen? And it's not
just simply or merely walking through a calendar.
When we go through, and I told you last week
about the struggle that I've had over the years
with... adapting to and being part of and really
not just being a part of or tolerant, but actually
celebrating the eventual weeks up until the birth
of Christ as we celebrate now and learn to celebrate
together the advent of the Christ. It is a season
that we celebrate, but this season comes with
certain sounds and certain rhythms. You ever
notice? When it's the right time for Christmas,
there's a time when you start playing Christmas
songs. There is for me. Now, I found myself this
past summer singing We Three Kings on just one
morning. We three kings of Oregon. I thought,
it's 95 degrees. Where did this come from? So
the Lord began working on me early, Brother Dwayne,
to get me situationally ready. to celebrate in
this Advent season. So my mind's been toward
this season for quite a few months now. And as
we begin to enter this season, it has a rhythm
to it. It has sounds that go to it. There's a
countdown, if you will, where the Holy One of
Eternity stooped. to be wrapped in swaddling
clothes, and he wrapped himself in flesh. And
it wasn't as silent as the song declares. It's
a declaration of a celebration of the advent,
the coming of the Son of God. And there is a
hymn that goes with it. There is songs that accompany.
There's a joy that comes. So we celebrate each
week. And I've got to tie up all the remaining
three weeks in this little sermonette to you,
this message this morning. of the remaining Advent,
so you pray for me really big this morning. It's
been stated that each Sunday of Advent carries
its own song. It has its own rhythm. It has its
own nuance. And when we begin to think about
each of those songs, how that heaven has written
a stanza in the story of redemption for each.
We sung of hope last week. This first candle
that was lit was the one concerning the prophet's
word. today as we attempt to journey through
the remaining Sundays of the Advent with a declaration
of praise like the shepherds would hear and that
they would have announced to them by the angelic
choir or like a watchman shouting from the wall,
prepare ye the way of the Lord. We are preparing
our way toward the celebrating of his birth.
Amen. That Christ did come and has come that
we may have the fullness of joy, the hope that
was And the first stanza that proclaims that
the prophetic message of hope has been revealed.
The mission of Advent foretold. Amen. As Isaiah
would declare it to us, he shall save his people.
Luke declares, for unto us, unto you a child
is born. Born this day in the city of David,
a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. We hear the
hymn of the hour. The old hymn declares, O come,
O come, Emmanuel. How do we declare so? was that
the Christ, the anointed one, the Savior of humanity
would come and be born. And we know of Bethlehem's
star. We know of the searching out. We know of
the proclamation of the prophet, how that Isaiah's
word was truly fulfilled on that night of Bethlehem
Eve. As the star stood still, amen, the angelic
host begins to proclaim hope on the earth. It
is now the second week as we enter into the stanza
of peace. It would be the message. of the angelic
host on earth, peace and goodwill toward men.
Peace and goodwill toward men. It's the will
of God that goodness be approached upon his creation,
that the goodness of God, God who alone is good,
be revealed and released upon the heart of his
people through the form of his Son, Jesus Christ.
That second stanza of peace, the song of Advent
is a song of peace which declares like the multitude
of a praising God. Who with glory lifted their
voices. God declares to himself. Glory to God
in the highest. And on earth that peace that
is released unto humanity. We'll hear the song
of a silent night. Where round yon virgin is
awaiting. And the birth of the son is come. Oh
when we think about the message of peace. Jesus
said it's my peace given to you. Not as the world
gives but I give it to you. It's my peace. That's
why I declare. you. It's on earth peace. Hallelujah.
It's not simply peace among the earth without
war, without violence, without conflict, but
no, in the midst of the conflict, in the midst
of war, in the midst of all the chaos and all
the circumstances of life, we hear the declaration
on earth is peace. Why? Because peace himself
personified in the son of the living God, Emmanuel,
God with us. Call him Jesus for he We shall save
his people. Hallelujah. In spite of it all, help
shows up. It's peace that has come upon the earth.
You move to the third stanza. I don't have time
to get hung up on too many of them. We have the
prophetic declaration of hope. Hope personified
in the Christ. We have the message, the message
that is given by that angelic host as they declare,
first of all, glory to God in the highest. You've
got to get it. Even the angels know. Amen. The
unfallen know. Those who remain intact to the
creator. who didn't follow the sway and the deception
of the evil one. They know. And as the angelic
messenger in heaven is giving the proclamation,
a host couldn't hold it back. A host of heaven
couldn't hold it back. A choir of angels, a multitude.
begin to declare it glory to God in the high.
Maybe some of those seraphim who circle the throne
of glory crying holy, holy, holy, holy is the
Lord. They know to God that we would fully finally
begin to understand the advent, the coming of
the Christ. It's the holy one. He's the holy
one of God who's come from heaven's throne to
make his abode in a manger. The third stanza
of joy. It's a hymn. Advent, when it's strung
together, is a hymn. First verse, let's sing
of hope. O come, O come, Emmanuel. Let's sing
of peace. Peace on earth and mercy mild. God
and sinner reconcile. Joyful, joyful. All you
nations, right? It's about a hymn, then there's
the hymn of joy. I love where joy is placed.
It's in the middle. Joy is placed. In the middle,
because sitting in this room today, there's a
lot of us that don't have a lot to be joy -filled
about. Oh, my Lord, I got to stick to this right
here. The sound of the coming King. There is
a joy which doesn't, oh, hear this. There is
a joy which doesn't require circumstances to
change. There is a joy that shows up like a John
the Baptist, a man who leaped in his mother's
womb. There is a Jesus. A leaping before a miracle
is ever even visible to the eye of humanity.
There's a leaping for joy upon the salutation
of Mary, her cousin Elizabeth, who was six months
beyond her in her pregnancy, when she hears the
salutation of the Virgin Mary who had been, oh
Lord, impregnated by the Holy Ghost. The Holy
Ghost brings joy. The Holy Ghost brings joy.
He leaped in his mother's womb in spite of seeing
the miracle and before it approached, he leaped
for joy. There is a joy that is not circumstance
contingent. And I'm telling you, if you're trying
to find it in any other way, you're lost and
miserable. If you're trying to find a joy in
any other object, other than the object of Christ
himself, you will be left destitute and empty.
Friends will forsake you. Money runs out. And
for most people, if they don't have any money,
they don't have a whole lot of friends because
even those people can't hardly stand to be around
them. It's a good thing I found joy to have the
few friends I got because I wouldn't have enough
money to buy one. Because even the ones I got
ridicule me so much sometimes. I have to scratch
my head and really make sure they're a friend.
Hello. I would call Chris his name, but he ain't
here to defend himself. But I think he's a friend.
I couldn't afford to buy him anyway, Sister Debbie.
He costs way more than I can purchase. Tell him
to look it up and listen to it if he wants to.
Leaping before the miracle is even visible to
the eye. This is the joy that the Holy Ghost
brings. The kind of joy that runs out to meet
the promise while the promise is still yet on
its way. That's the joy I'm talking about. Healed
yet to be healed. Saved yet to be saved. Redeemed
yet to be redeemed. That is the walk of faith
that we are living out. Yes, I'm saved, but I'm
going to be saved. Are you hearing me today?
Oh, yes, I'm healed, but I'm going to be healed.
I am redeemed, but redemption will find me. And
this old flesh will be put on a new cloak that
will not be understood with the eye of humanity
for this flesh. shall put on incorruption. The
incorruption is coming on and the corruptible
of this flesh will be carried away. Hallelujah!
There's a time coming and there is an ushering
of joy that will cause you to go out before a
promise ever makes its way and not be marred
in sadness and not be marred in despair. But
you walk forward in joy because of the advent,
the coming, and the promise of its coming has
come to verify to you and I if God God said Jesus
would come and he came. What more is a promise
that he gives to you? Go forward with the joy.
The hymn of joy. Joy to the world. The Lord has
come. Let earth receive her king. Heaven and
nature sing. Oh, the hymn of the advent. The
stanza of joy that God can cause. That promise
to stir in our heart and we make our way toward
the promise while it's still on the way. We meet
ourselves with the people of God and His chosen.
Isaiah 35, 1, the second part of the verse and
the first part of verse 2 declares, And the desert
shall rejoice and blossom as the rose. It shall
blossom abundantly and rejoice even with joy
and singing. You need to go read. There's only
a few verses in that 35th chapter. You need to
go read it. Because it is the promise of the
coming. He said he's going to make a highway
of holiness. And I'm here to tell you right now,
if he can cause a desert to begin to blossom
and rejoice and sing for joy, what can he do
in the parched places of our heart and our life?
Joy springs up. We draw, as Isaiah declared,
deep from the well of our salvation. I don't
draw from the happiness of circumstance. I let
down the hope. bucket of my life into the peace
that I find in the joy of my salvation and it
causes me to declare it if he can cause a desert
to bloom and dance and rejoice surely surely
he can cause our weary soul to blossom again
with joy unspeakable and fill us with glory surely
I stand before you heartbroken as you can only
imagine as I try to proclaim joy. Preach unto
the divine inspiration of the Holy Ghost while
my heart crumbles at the very same moment. Can
you practice what you're preaching? In the midst
of the sadness that you behold with your eye,
can you walk forward in joy waiting for the miraculous
to enter? Yes, I can. I rejoice with joy and
weep with tears knowing that I shall come rejoicing
and I'll bring my sheep with me. Give him praise
in his house. Thank you, Holy Ghost. Life isn't
easy. Joy in spite of circumstances. You can
weep and rejoice at the same time. And the power
of joy will overwhelm the tears of grief because
of the hope and the peace and the power of the
Holy Ghost. We are Pentecostal. Advent means
more than a liturgical event. I'm figuring this
thing out. It's more than a wreath, a candle,
a ribbon. It's more than it is. It is a reminder
of hope's power. Jesus prowess and joy's surge.
Some of you need a surge of joy. Look like you've
been sucking sour grapes. Had pre -frosted persimmon
pie. And I don't mean powdered sugar frosted.
I mean literal freezing temperature frost. You
can't eat them things until they're frosted on
a couple times and about half rotten. But some
of you look as though you have been doing your
best. You've got something to be joyful about.
It shall abundantly and it shall blossom abundantly
and rejoice even with joy and singing. I guess
the Lord knew I needed to hear about the three
kings and he stirred my heart in June and July.
Bearing gifts we traverse afar. Filled and found
and more. Following the under star. Oh, star
of wonder. Star of bright. Star of royal. Westward
leading. Guide us to the light. He knew I needed
to be reminded this morning that he stirred my
joy. Months ago. In spite of the circumstances
surrounding you, let joy arise. God can cause
that desert to bloom and dance and rejoice. Surely
he can cause our weary soul to blossom again
with joy unspeakable and to be filled with glory.
Brother Donnie, I read a quote from your dad.
It stirred my heart. Dr. Hughes stated one day
that creation remembers its original song. When
I begin to let that culminate in my mind, thinking
about the hymn of the advent, knowing that creation
remembers its original song, I begin to think,
oh God, here we are, millennia later, and have
we forgotten the origin of our song? Great is
the hand of God who has created us and all. As
the earth, according to the book of Acts, is
groaning and moaning, waiting again for its day
of redemption. Why? So that even the earth may
be redeemed and sing of the joy. Amen. If a desert
will blossom, think of the earth rejoicing upon
the final redemption when it's made new and made
afresh again. And Lord ought to know today we
should understand that if you've been regenerated
by the power of the advent's coming death of
the Advent one, and you've been regenerated by
the new life given up through the resurrection
of the Advent one, then the joy that we have
in spite of every circumstance can well up and
the song of joy can enter the heart of the redeemed
one more time. Advent's joy is exactly that.
It's exactly that song rising as a symphony.
The remembrance of Eden, Bethlehem's announcement.
And the anticipation of the echoing shout of
the archangel. Solidified by the thunderous blast
of the trump of God. That's what stirs my heart
to know that in this old sin sick. diseased world.
I am going to refuse and I encourage you to join
me in this refusal. I'm going to deny the power
and the effect of a sin fallen world to dominate
the joy that has been put in my life. I know
according to the word of God there is a sickness
unto death and that by the rapture if we are
changed. It's the only way we shall escape because
it's appointed unto man once to die. But I'm
not dreading death's sting. It don't sting anymore.
It's just the event of the life of one filled
in birth with joy. The advent one who come and
the advent one who is coming again. That's joy.
We don't wait for joy. We join with it. And you,
forgive me if it offends you, but I'm just going
to tell you it's your choice. If you want to
go through the remainder of your life sucking
on persimmon, go right on ahead. But keep your
puckered up, withdrawn face away from me. Hello,
keep your puckered up, withdrawn face away from
me. That's a little microphone they got me rigged
up with. I just want to make sure it transmitted.
I got too much in life. I got too much in life.
And don't you sit there and think for one minute,
well, I'll not tell him my trouble. You better
come tell me. Because if I find out that you're
going through trouble and you don't tell me,
we're going to have another kind of meeting.
Because the one who bears my burdens, I'm not
carrying them. And I won't carry yours long either.
I'll take and dump it in the same place I'm dumping
mine every day. Because of the joy that I have.
And together, we'll put on our dancing shoes
in our desert. Together. and I got two left feet
and a big toe on each corner and I can't dance
a lick unless the Holy Ghost hits me. But there's
a day of coming that my desert's going to blossom
like the rose and the rose that'll blossom there
is the one of Sharon who blooms continuously.
It will be around the lily that's in my valley
that causes me to arise. It's joy unspeakable.
Got one more candle. You got time? Oh, it's not
even your shutdown time yet. I got eight minutes.
You quit on me about 12. And it takes me about
12 .15, 12 .12 to realize you're checked out.
So we wind up about 12 .20. We don't wait for
joy, we join with it. We set our hearts, we lift
our voices in spite of the circumstances. For
the King is coming again. Amen. The King is coming
again. The fourth stanza of this song, this hymn,
the hymn of the Advent. Is the verse of love.
The advent of love. The coming of love. The personification
of love. The incarnation of love. Hope does a
lot for me. Peace calms me. Joy stables me. But
love, love empowers me. Love empowers me. This
statement really moved. If joy... Is the shout.
And the praise. In the hymn. Of Advent. Then
love. Is the grounding note. Which is the baseline.
Everything else rises. From the baseline. And
that baseline is love. There would be no wreath.
There would be no candle without love. For God
so loved that he gave. Fulfilled in our heart
and life. We understand love didn't send a manger
or a messenger this time. But love came himself.
Love didn't stand at a distance. Love took on
humanity. Love stepped into the drama we call
life. Became a baby that could be held and followed.
Like the king who is to come. John said the word
became flesh and dwelt among us. He pitched his
tent beside and among us. Pentecostal fires burn
hot. But love burns deeper. I've seen folks speak
in tongues and are the hatefulest people on the
face of this earth. True. But you can't dispute
love that way. You can't circumvent love the
way many people. Circumvent the gift of the Spirit.
You can't go around love. It shows right up.
What Paul said, though I speak with the tongues
of men and of angels, without love it's a sounding
brass and a tinkling cymbal. And he goes on and
gives a whole list of things that he could sacrifice.
And all being done without love is wasted. So
love is the base note, the baseline of the hymn
of Advent. Love is the flame that never dies.
A warmth that never fades nor cools. Love is
the light that darkness cannot comprehend. We
not only celebrate love, but we become love's
messengers. We become the hands of love, the
feet of love, the voice of his love, his tears.
We become the healing touch. We proclaim Jesus
to a world desperate and starving for the real
thing. Because they see through all the other.
And this world, don't be mistaken, this world
is very desperate and starving for the hands
of love, the voice of love, the touch, the approach.
And we are at the best season to see that that
happens. If the Spirit will remind me and stir
me, we may be motivated again in about July to
take the message of love afresh and new. The
chorus to this hymn. Then it happens. The night
sighs. The silence stretches and is broken. And
in fullness of time, he comes. Not with fanfare,
but with a cry. A cry that shook the powers of
darkness and hell. I can just see the devil now.
On whatever throne he is exalted for himself.
When the fullness of time came. And the Son of
God inhaled. with those little fleshly lungs,
oxygen for the first time, and lets out that
cry of infancy, I can almost in my mind imagine,
oh, slew foot, Lucifer, do this. I can see him
just begin to shudder in fear because he knows
the cry of the Redeemer. Subject to his very
whim and voice. The chorus. If hope has a resounding
stanza with peace, joy, and love. The chorus
declares victory between each stanza. Everybody
knows you sing the chorus after every verse.
I'm trying. Sometimes growing up, when we would
sing the meeting in the air after the fourth
or fifth verse, I forget, I know there's at least
four. You've done... Went through eight stanzas
with the verse and the chorus every time. And
then our sheetrock hanging song leader would
get hung up on the chorus. And we'd sing it another
four or five times. I just love to see the devil
shriek. He has come. He is hope. He has come.
Remember the shrill cry. The manger's infant.
Yes, I remember. Like fingernails on a chalkboard.
I hope he has to hear that through the span of
eternity. Wouldn't that just be torture? He was
doomed from the beginning. Not the manger. Well,
I ain't got time for that. Y 'all stand up and
I'll be sure and quit when I finish the chorus.
He comes. Not with a fanfare, but with a cry
that shook the powers of darkness. This is, understand
this is not sentiment. I'm not being sentimental.
This is not sentiment. Christ was not sent. For
sentiment. He was sent for an invasion. He came
for liberation. No, you've got to get past the
swaddling clothes. You've got to move beyond
the manger, people. You've got to move beyond
Calvary. Some folks still stuck at Calvary. You
got to get out of the upper room. You remember,
they came out of the upper room. You got to take
the power that's been given out from the upper
room. It's not just for in the room. Not for
sentiment. Liberation. You see, it declares it's
God with us. Proclaims God among us. Echoes God
within us. Knowing that a star shone. Angels
harmonized. Shepherds caught hold of a melody.
For which wise men came from afar. The hymn of
Advent. The night that eternity broke into time.
And the tension for time again to return into
eternity remains in balance. And from that breaking
in. The world has never been the same, nor will
it ever be again. So as I mentioned earlier,
as we walk through the remaining weeks of Advent,
we'll be doing the candles and the readings for
the next few weeks. And on Christmas Eve night
at our candlelight communion with the other four
burning, we will light the center Christ. But
as we walk through these final weeks of the Sundays
of Advent, don't just casually stroll. Let's
pin our shoulders back and let's march as the
army that we are. I'm not slouching my way through.
Christ's birth celebration. And next week, I'm
going to be doing, I'm going to go over some
of those Christmas myth busters. And if you'll
have it, I'm probably going to help us a little
bit. It's very interesting. Don't just stroll,
but let us walk like people with a purpose. For
the most part, people are sensitive to the love
of God this year because there is a rhythm with
this season. There is a rhythm about it. You
can't flood secular atmospheres with Christmas
carols and Christmas songs without hope, peace,
joy, and love permeating the air. So seize the
moments and take advantage. Because we know that
the whole time we walk like those who know that
the manger didn't just lead to Calvary, didn't
just lead to an empty tomb. We know that that
manger points us all the way to the second advent.
The Lord's coming. He's coming back. Amen? So
hope is building. Peace is stirring. Joy is rising.
Love's moving in light. The light of God's love
is invading. Father, I love you today. I thank
you for your help this morning. I thank you for
your help this morning, Lord. Concerning today
as we celebrate the light of peace continued
in the hope. We have peace because we have hope.
Because of hope and peace, the message is joy
is available. In this room today, Lord, I know
there are those who are having challenges as
we face our own challenge for joy. There are
others in this room facing their own crisis circumstances
and allowing the world and those crisis and the
chaos to diminish the joy. But I'm reminded today,
Lord, it's your love that's the reason I can
have joy. Through the hardships, circumstances,
chaos, just flat out going through hell. I pray,
Father, that the message and the hymn of Advent
fill hearts in this place today. That we be stirring
and drawing from our well. It's on me. It's on
me, Lord. I can choose to be bitter or I can
choose to be better. And I will be better because
of your joy, your hope, and your peace. and ultimately
your love. My heads are bowed in the house today.
I've been trying to think, how do I need to close
this service today? Because it's very important.
If you're here, no one's looking around but me.
If you're here and you need a little hope for
your situation, just slip your hand up and down
real quick. Yep. Yep. What about peace? You need
a little peace in your situation. Anybody? Joy,
could you use a good dose of joy? I hope and
through this declaration this morning that you
have felt.