The Hymn of Advent

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.