Grace Lutheran Church Sermons

A sermon is a manner of oral communication and therefore words and sentence structure/order would be added, altered, or deleted at the moment of delivery.

+ In Nomine Jesu +

The Rev. Evan Gaertner
Christmas Eve 5pm                                                                                               “Hope and Joy for Today”
December 24, 2006                                                                                                                                Psalm 98

What is your favorite Christmas hymn or Christmas carol? Why?

A common choice is “Joy to the World.” Why do you think this hymn is such a favorite?

“Joy to the World” (LW 53)

1 Joy to the world, the Lord is come!

Let earth receive its King,

Let ev’ry heart prepare Him room

And heav’n and nature sing

2 Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!

Let all their songs employ

While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains

Repeat the sounding joy

3 No more let sin and sorrow grow

Nor thorns infest the ground,

He comes to make His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found

4 He rules the world with truth and grace

And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness

And wonders of His love.

Now I want you consider that hymn in light of the psalm it is based upon. Listen to these words. How does the hymn reflect the truth in the psalm? Not just in words but also in the music of the hymn.

Read Psalm 98….

 1Oh sing to the LORD a new song,
   for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
   have worked salvation for him.
2The LORD has made known his salvation;
   he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
3He 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.

   

 4Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;
   break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
5Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,
   with the lyre and the sound of melody!
6With trumpets and the sound of the horn
   make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!

   

 7Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
   the world and those who dwell in it!
8Let the rivers clap their hands;
   let the hills sing for joy together
9before the LORD, for he comes
   to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
   and the peoples with equity.

Acts 1:8

This hymn is a big-time expression of Christmas to the world. What are we expressing? How is this fulfillment of Acts 1:8?

The Law – our need for a Savior because of sin…

The Gospel – God’s intervention on our behalf in the person and work of Jesus to forgive our sins?

Confession of faith, hope, and joy of believers and to unbelievers…

Soli Deo Gloria

-->> Back to Sermon Archive