Waiting for joy - Bible in a Year Pastor Kile Baker - December 17th, 2023 What is your favorite Christmas song? All I want for Christmas is you Last Christmas It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas Rocking around the Christmas tree It’s the most wonderful time of the year Jingle Bell Rock White Christmas Have yourself a merry little Christmas A Holly Jolly Christmas Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow! All music communicates a message. Do most Christmas songs communicate the coming joy of Christ? "To see the dull indifference, the negligent and thoughtless air that sits upon the faces of a whole assembly, while the psalm is upon their lips, might even tempt a charitable observer to suspect the fervency of their inward religion." Zephaniah 3:14-17 Sing for joy, Daughter Zion; shout loudly, Israel! Be glad and celebrate with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has removed your punishment; he has turned back your enemy. The King of Israel, the Lord, is among you; you need no longer fear harm. On that day it will be said to Jerusalem: “Do not fear; Zion, do not let your hands grow weak. The Lord your God is among you, a warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will be quiet in his love. He will delight in you with singing.” Psalm 98:4-9 Let the whole earth shout to the Lord; be jubilant, shout for joy, and sing. Sing to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and melodious song. With trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn shout triumphantly in the presence of the Lord, our King. Let the sea and all that fills it, the world and those who live in it, resound. Let the rivers clap their hands; let the mountains shout together for joy before the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world righteously and the peoples fairly. There is a connection between joy and judgment: We can’t have lasting joy, until there is lasting judgment. God sings with joy over His creation. Creation sings with joy to its Creator. Angels sing with joy about the Creator entering creation. People are supposed to sing with joy that the Creator will save all creation. Joy to the world, the Lord is come; Let earth receive her King! Let every heart prepare him room And heaven and nature sing! And heaven and nature sing! And heaven . . . and heaven . . . and nature sing. Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains, Repeat the sounding joy! Repeat the sounding joy! Repeat . . . repeat . . . the sounding joy! No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make his blessings flow Far as the curse is found! Far as the curse is found! Far as . . . far as . . . the curse is found! He rules the world with truth and grace And makes the nations prove The glories of his righteousness And wonders of his love! And wonders of his love! And wonders . . . wonders . . . of his love! How should we experience and express joy during Christmas? We should thank God that He judges us through Christ. We should choose Christmas songs that sing about Christ. Oh come all ye faithful / Oh little town of Bethlehem God rest ye merry gentlemen / It came upon a midnight clear The first noel / Away in a manger / Oh Holy Night Silent Night / Hark! The herald angels sing Joy to the World We should bring joy to others because God has brought Joy to us.