Angels, from the Realm of Glory

Transcription

1 Colossians 3:12-17 Angels, from the Realm of Glory December 4, 2016pm Ne w Hope R oad Joelton, TN READ: Colossians 3:12-17 Music is very important to a church. command Sing to the Lord - over 300 times in Scripture example Matthew 26:30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. When we sing 1. We are allowing the Word of Christ dwell in us richly. 2. We teach. (Psalm 23, John 1) 3. We admonish. (Encourage) 4. We are displaying thankfulness. Corey M. Minter Page 1 of 7

2 Why singing? Why is this form of artful expression lifted above all the other in Scripture? Why are we not commanded to paint or invent or shape? Highest level of communication. Greeting card industry made just over $7.5 billion last year and that is with a gradual decline of stationary. Conversation - Prose - Poetry - Song If we are not careful, familiarity can rob us of some big blessings in our worship. I doubt that very few of us could name some of the themes that we sang about this morning. I doubt we could even list the songs. Phrases that were thought on, written, painstakingly rewritten in order to convey the most truth and beauty are often times glossed over. To carol, in French, is to say or sing something jubilantly. These Christmas hymns are called carols because of the French tradition which conveys that all Christmas songs should be joyful. That brings in another aspect of Christmas carols: their international favor. Just flip through the hymn book sometime ( ) and notice all of the authors of the lyrics (on the left) and the names of the composer/tunes (on the right). You will find an eclectic collection of poets, pastors, theologians, composers and symphonists. Corey M. Minter Page 2 of 7

3 Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee was penned by a pastor/ ambassador/navy chaplain, Henry van Dyke. While speaking at Williams College in Massachusetts, he was struck by the beauty of Berkshire Mountains. Listening to Beethoven s Ode to Joy, he wrote all four stanzas in a single night and gifted it to the college s president at breakfast the next morning. O Little Town of Bethlehem was written by Phillips Brooks, a Bostonian pastor who was able to spend a Christmas Eve at the Church of the Nativity in Three years later, in hopes of conjuring up some of that experience for his congregation, he wrote the five verses of O Little Town of Bethlehem. Not having much musical ability, and believing his words more of lyrics than poetry, he tasked his church s organist with composing a tune for it. Lewis Redner (the organist) battled with the project for days without resolution until the night before the Christmas service where the song was expected to be sung. He woke in the middle of the night, jotted down the melody on lined paper and went back to sleep. That is why the tune of hymn 128 is named St. Louis. Just pick up a hymn book, and you will find French, Latin, Polish, German and even Appalachian (I Wonder as I Wander). Christians have been singing of Christ s birth in their own style and language all over the world since the 3rd century AD Oxy-rhyn-chus Hymn and probably before Corey M. Minter Page 3 of 7

4 that. They are sung as chants or a cappella or with instrumentation or one line melodies. Just think, as we are meeting tonight in Tennessee and have sung songs about the birth of Christ, millions of others have met all over the world and sung many of the same songs. As diverse and disagreeing as this world is, praise God His name is on their lips, some even right now. The carol we will look at tonight is not as ancient as some, but it is powerful. It is named Angels from the Realms of Glory, following the tradition of naming a hymn based upon its first line, but it is not about angels at all. Instead, it is a beckoning for all to worship the new born King. Angels from the realms of glory, wing your flight o'er all the earth; ye who sang creation's story now proclaim Messiah's birth: All throughout the Bible, we see the sixfold purpose of angels: 1. Messengers In the Christmas story alone, an angel came to Zacharias, Mary, Joseph, the wise men. 2. Guardians Jacob, Joshua, Elisha, Abraham and Daniel all received guardianship by angels. Whether or not you believe in Corey M. Minter Page 4 of 7

5 guardian angels, Jesus, Himself at the time of His betrayal relayed that He could call more than 12 legions of angels to defend Him. 3. Spectators - Celebration over those who repent Luke 15:10 - Interested in Christ s redeeming sinners 1 Peter1:12 things which angels desire to look into. 4. Guides - Lot and his daughters out of Sodom and Gomorrah 5. Ministers - Hebrews 1:14 ministers to those who shall inherit eternal life 6. Worshippers Luke 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men! 2. Shepherds, in the field abiding, watching o'er your flocks by night, God with us is now residing; yonder shines the infant light: 3. Sages, leave your contemplations, brighter visions beam afar; seek the great Desire of nations; ye have seen his natal star: 4.Saints, before the altar bending,watching long in hope and fear, Corey M. Minter Page 5 of 7

6 Suddenly the Lord descending, In His temple shall appear; 5. Sinners, wrung with true repentance, Doom'd for guilt to endless pains, Justice now revokes the sentence, Mercy calls you -- break your chains. 6 Though an infant now we view Him, He shall fill His Father's throne, Gather all nations to Him; Every knee shall then bow down: 7 Lord of Heaven, we adore Thee, God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit, One in glory, On the same eternal throne. 8 All creation, join in praising God, the Father, Spirit, Son, Evermore your voices raising To the eternal Three in One. Angels Shepherds Sages Saints All Creation Leave what you are doing and worship, which is a fairly lived out theme by the author and his family. Corey M. Minter Page 6 of 7

7 James Montgomery Ballymena, Scotland 1777 his parents (Moravians) left him (6) with extended family to be missionaries to Barbados School-Baker-Writer-Editor-Journalist-Newspaper owner Often imprisoned for his radical views on the Gospel and its changing work Christmas Eve 1816 wrote Angels, from the Realm of Glory for his paper 6 years later, his poem was put to music by Henry Smart, and it was sung in a Moravian Church in England Leave all Come and Worship, come and worship, worship Christ the newborn king Corey M. Minter Page 7 of 7