Part 2 of the Songs of Advent Series | Luke 1:67-80

Luke 1:46-55

Christmas is a natural time to explore the events surrounding the birth of Christ, a time Christians traditionally have called “advent,” which means literally, arrival. I almost like the word “advent” better (except that Christmas has the name “Christ” in it) because it highlights what this season is all about: God has arrived! And that arrival brings so much joy to the world. And what do people do when their hearts are so full of a feeling that normal words aren’t enough to express it? They put it to music—they sing! It is fitting that we sing at advent, because within the first few pages of Luke’s gospel, which records the events surrounding the birth of Christ, we find three famous songs—Mary’s song, Zechariah’s song, and Simeon’s song. We will deal first with the most famous: Mary’s song. It is known as the Magnificat because that is the first word in the old Latin translation, meaning “magnifies.” “My soul magnifies the Lord,” Mary sings, “and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (1:46). Many remarkable things (2,000 years has not diminished the value of this song) but one important to note: difference between imaginary characters at Christmas time and historical characters of the 1st century. Luke writes with the seriousness of a historian, naming the people in power at the time. What is this song, and what does it teach us? Fundamentally, it is a song of praise, and it teaches us [1] what praise is, [2] how praise happens, and [3] who can praise.

Last sermon in our series, God is For Us. Romans 8:31-39

Behold Our God Series | Exodus 33:12-34:9

Behold Your God Series | Lamentations 3:22-26

Behold Your God Series | Daniel 4:35

Everything that happens is an unfolding of God's purposes....To gaze on the sovereignty of God is to gaze on the face of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the face of the sovereignty of God. In fact the central work of Jesus Christ that is his death on the cross is also the focal point of God's sovereignty. Because there you see the free will of man that is the very worst thing that could that human beings could ever inflict upon another human being, and that is for sinful men to try to kill the son of God. That is the the darkest night, that is the lowest point in human history, but it is also in that very action, it is in that very moment that God's love and sovereignty are displayed because despite this God overrules he is the over Reigner, he is the over ruler of human actions to bring about the best day in human history and that is when Jesus the son of God gives his life so that we could be saved."

Behold Our God Series | Psalm 139

It is unbearable to be invisible to others, especially people whose attention we long to have. But being visible comes with its burdens too. In fact, the idea of someone knowing this much about us would be unbearable—were it not for the fact that God also loves us. The gospel reveals how God, who knows us completely, could also love us completely: he loves us in Christ. When a person trusts in Christ, he or she enjoys such a close relationship with Christ, that now God views him or her as having the same love and acceptance as his own Son. Paul puts it this way in Ephesians: “In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:4-7).

Behold Your God Series | Isaiah 45:18-25

Jesus of Nazareth, the only perfectly righteous human being who ever walked the earth, bore “the iniquity of us all.” Through Jesus’ death on the cross, God both proved himself to be righteous—sin deserves death!—but also declared righteous those who find refuge in Jesus. The Apostle Paul describes this amazing act as follows: “It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:26).

Behold Your God Series | 1 John 4:11 & 1 Corinthians 13

Last week Pastor Jonathan went through the love of God in 1 John 4. This week he follows up with how we are to love one another because of God's love for us.

Behold Your God Series: God is Love Part 1 | 1 John 4:8-11