“Sing to the Lord a New Song” – What Do You Hear? (Advent Part II)

Sermon Title: “Sing to the Lord a New Song”

Good News Statement: God composed us for a New Song

Preached: Sunday, December 10, 2023 at Dogwood Prairie UMC & Seed Chapel UMC

Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.

 

Scripture (NRSVUE): Isaiah 42:1-4, 9-10 Today’s Advent Scripture reading comes from the Prophet Isaiah, who informs of a new song. This new song features the Servant, the coming Messiah, who is gentle and kind, offers grace and truth, is strong and peaceful, and is a servant to all people. Today we are reading from Isaiah Chapter Forty-Two, Verses One thru Four and Nine thru Ten. May the hearing and understanding of the Word of God bring you hope and peace.

The Servant, a Light to the Nations

42 Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
² He will not cry out or lift up his voice
or make it heard in the street;
³ a bruised reed he will not break,
and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
⁴ He will not grow faint or be crushed
until he has established justice in the earth,
and the coastlands wait for his teaching….
⁹ See, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth,
I tell you of them.

A Hymn of Praise

¹⁰ Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise from the end of the earth!
Let the sea roar and all that fills it,
the coastlands and their inhabitants.

This is the Word of God for the People of God; And all God’s people said, “Thanks be to God.”

 

Introduction:

Advent is a season of anticipation: a season of preparing our heart, mind, body, and soul as we await for the arrival of Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word made flesh, who will be found lying in a manger in Bethlehem. But before we make it to Bethlehem, to witness what the angels tell the Shepherds as they were guarding their sheep at night, “This is a sign for you,” we must build up our anticipation by experiencing the season through our senses. We must experience the Advent Season through what we see, what we hear, what we taste, and what we feel. Have you ever wondered what the Christmas season would be like if you couldn’t see it, hear it, taste it, or feel it?

Together during the Advent Season, we are going to experience Christmas through our senses with the hope that through our senses we will receive a deeper meaning of what Advent, and Christmas, are all about. With the help of Matt Rawle, the lead Pastor at Asbury United Methodist Church in Louisiana, and the author of Experiencing Christmas: Christ in the Sights and Sounds of Advent, we will adventure, together, through the Season of Advent anticipating and expecting the arrival of Jesus Christ . Instead of just reading about the birth narrative of Jesus, we are going to live it out and be participants in the narrative of Jesus because we found the true meaning of Christmas this year.

Last week, we began our Advent journey by thinking about the question that God asked His chosen prophets Amos, Jeremiah, and Zechariah: God asked them “What Do You See?” At first these prophets answered the Lord with items upon which they saw: a plumbline, a basket of summer fruit, fig trees, almond trees, a boiling pot no longer tipping north, and flying scrolls. These prophets merely saw what they wanted to see, but it wasn’t until later that they saw what God needed them to see. God needed them to see what He saw: people whose faith was no longer in line with His, people who were turning away from Him, people who were disobeying Him, people who were becoming rotten because of their wicked and disbelieving ways, and people who favored destruction rather than justice.

Essentially, God wanted them to see what Jeremiah witnessed from a distance, a great city being destroyed but in the rubble was a moment of hope. Jeremiah 33:14-16 states, “The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’” The Righteous Lord is our hope: in times of destruction, there is hope; in times of devastation, there is hope; in times of desperation there is hope; and in times of doubt, grief, pain, sorrow, and temptation, there is hope because our Lord is Righteous and he is there. This Lord of Righteousness will bring forth safety and justice from the branch of David. God wanted Amos, Jeremiah, and Zechariah to see the same hope that He saw. And now, we are asked the same question. “What do we see?”

Were you able to see what God needed you to see this past week? Or were you too focused on only seeing what you wanted to see? The meaning of Christ can be found in so many things this time of year, but are you taking the time to search for that meaning? Are you striving to see Christ in Christmas?

Today, we move to experience Christmas through another sense. Today, I ask you, “What do you hear?” What sort of sounds make you think of Christmas? Is there a distinct sound that you long to hear when Christmas comes to town? Maybe it’s not Christmas until you hear sleigh-bells? Maybe you need to hear Mariah Carey’s version of All I Want for Christmas Is You played on the radio in your car. Maybe you need to hear those famous words from A Charlie Brown Christmas when Linus takes center stage and says, “Lights please…And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night…” Maybe you are like me and realize it is not Christmas until you see Rudolf with his shiny red nose, sing along with Kris Kringle, “Put one foot in front of the other…”, say “Happy Birthday” with Frosty,  or take a ride on the Polar Express. If you are like my sister, maybe you need to hear We Wish You A Merry Christmas played by those famous green and red Hershey’s Kisses from their debut in a 1989 commercial. Or maybe you are like my brother who, every time gets a Christmas tree, quotes Clark W. Griswold, “Looks Great! Little Full, lotta sap.”

The Christmas Season is filled with sounds  that grasp our attention; but what do those sounds—songs, movies, quotes, commercials—teach us about the meaning of Christmas? To quote Matt Rawle from his book Experiencing Christmas: Christ in the Sights and Sounds of Advent, “It seems impossible to imagine Christmas without music, [without sounds].” So, what do you hear during the Christmas season that reminds you that Christ is in Christmas? What about Christmas helps you sing a new song?

Body:

When I read Matt Rawle’s words, “It seems impossible to imagine Christmas without music, [without sounds],” I thought to myself, “I need to put this to the test.” So, if you are willing to play along, I invite you to finish the lyrics to these famous Christmas songs…

“Rudolph the red nose reindeer, had a…(very shiny nose.)”

“Here comes Santa Claus, Here comes Santa Claus right… (down Santa Claus lane)”

“Away in a manger, no…(crib for a bed.)”

“Silent night, holy night, all is calm…(all is bright.)”

“All I want for Christmas is my…(two front teeth.)”

“I want a…(hippopotamus) for Christmas, only a…(hippopotamus) will do.”

“I’m dreaming of a…(White Christmas)…just like the ones…(I used to know.)”

And there are many, many, more songs that I could test you with, but it seems that Matt Rawle is correct: not only is Christmas identified by what we see but it is identified by the songs and sounds we hear.

For over a decade, my undergrad, Augustana College, has been presenting a Christmas Concert for the public titled “Christmas at Augustana.” “Christmas at Augustana” features 300 plus musicians and singers, several choirs, the orchestra, bell ringers, and brass ensemble. It is usually recorded by the local news station and is broadcast on Christmas Day. Out of my four years attending Augustana College, I performed in that concert three years: 2015, 2016, and 2017. It was a busy time, long rehearsals, late nights, and a lot of small details to keep track of me, but it was truly a blessing to hear everything come together.

Usually, before every performance, I would arrive before everyone else dressed in my tuxedo wearing my noise cancelling headphones listening to versions of the songs that I would be performing in just a few hours in front of hundreds of people. Listening to those songs, while being oblivious to what was going on around me, helped me prepare for a concert that people long to see and hear. This concert typically takes place the first weekend of December, so for me it offered the sounds of Christmas that I longed to hear from year to year: this concert was the start of the Christmas season for me; and the start of the Christmas season began with the sounds of Christmas. This concert, as the Prophet Isaiah describes, was my new song because I heard the true meaning of Christmas through the instruments and voices of the performers. When Christmas comes to town, what do you long to hear?

Movement One: Scripture Text

Our text from today, not only highlights the foretelling of a servant, whom God has upheld, chosen, delights in, grants His spirit to, and who gives the duty to bring forth justice to the nations, but it highlights the wonderful opportunity to sing a new song—a melodic song that sings praises to the Messiah, the anticipated and expected Jesus Christ. The words of Isaiah, much like the song of Mary in Luke 1:46-56, gives joy and praise to the arrival of Jesus Christ. However, Isaiah needs us to hear this new song, because it is the song of Christmas.

Isaiah 42:1 begins, “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.” Did you hear how this new song begins? It begins with “here is my servant..,” the prophecy of the coming Messiah. We know that Jesus was a true servant, He said: “nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done”. Jesus took on the flesh of man, but He was in fact, Emmanuel (meaning “God with us”). Being with us, we can sing a song that delights our spirits, that assures justice for God’s children, that reminds us that we have been chosen, and through Jesus Christ we can sing a new song because Jesus is here with us and for us. Our new Advent song begins with the reminder that Jesus will come to this earth to serve and fulfill the will of God and to see us in our sins—like King Herod—and to hear our praises when our dreams come true—like Elizabeth and Zechariah. Christmas is a time to hear the words of God’s chosen Servant.

Isaiah 42:2 tells us, “He will not cry out or lift up his voice or make it heard in the street…” Jesus ministered in a quiet, gentle way. He did not force His message on anyone. He made salvation available to all who would become His followers, but it was of their own free will that they decided to follow Him. Much like the Shepherds in the fields and the Wise Men from the east, they were informed to go see the birth of Jesus Christ, but they were not forced to go see Jesus Christ. The angel did not threaten the Shepherds and the Wise Men did not receive a terrifying dream. Rather they received an invitation, a gentle message to witness a gentle Messiah. Our new song of Advent is a song of “peace on earth and mercy mild”; it is a song of good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people; and it is a message of invitation to invite others to sing this new song with you. Our new song is quiet and gentle, but joyous and praiseworthy as we invite the world to experience the joy of the world.

Isaiah 42:3 ends the previous verse, “a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.” Simply put, the Servant, Jesus, will bring comfort and encouragement to the weak and oppressed ( Isaiah 40:11; 50:4; 61:1). Most of His followers did not understand why he did not fight and take the rule away from the Romans. After all, it is Jesus who tells one of his disciples who cut off the ear of a slave to the high priest, to “put your sword back into its place…” (Matthew 26:52). Jesus did not come as reigning Ruler as a tyrant king abusing power when He came as the babe in the manger. Instead, he came as Savior, as a source of unconditional love, as a means to embrace hope and peace, and as a source of protection and transformation. Jesus came as God made flesh to see our ugliness—battered and bruised self and our grief, sorrow, and doubt—so that we could see what grace, salvation, and forgiveness look like in person. .Jesus dealt tenderly with all the people when He ministered to them. Jesus’ willingness to bring forth justice and avoid using bruised reed and burning wick, is our reminder that our new song of Advent is to sing, “He rules the world with truth and grace” and not with hatred and devastation. Our new song Advent is a song of justice and truth and grace: it’s a song of peace and hope.

Isaiah 42:4 closes this section, “He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth, and the coastlands wait for his teaching.” There is no weakness in the Lord Jesus Christ. Even though he will enter this world as a an “infant mild, infant holy and infant lowly”, as being tender and kind, he is not weak, but is strong. Jesus will not faint or grow weary. Jesus will not forsake you. Jesus will not be crushed by the sins that you have committed. Jesus will remain strong because he knows that we will need someone strong to lean on when life gets tough, when temptation rules our ways, when hatred fills our heart, when destruction fills our shoes, when disapproval and judgment guide our ways, and when we allow the Herod inside of us—the evilness—to spring forth. What would life be like if Jesus appeared weak when we were needing him to be strong? Our new song of Advent, what we long to hear, echoes the words of the Apostle Paul to the people of Corinth, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). Our Advent song is a song of endurance and perseverance  and trusting in a Jesus that remains strong for us.

Movement Two: Our New Song

Before ending this chapter, Isaiah notes, “See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them. Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the end of the earth! Let the sea roar and all that fills it, the coastlands and their inhabitants” (Isaiah 42:9-10). The former things have passed away, and new things are on the horizon. However, experiencing something new and going through change and singing a new song isn’t easy. Sometimes a new song brings with it pain and memories of the past, boasts about temptations and struggles, highlights sins and mistakes, and reveals  the darkness of the heart. But when we look at what we have learned already, what we have heard from Isaiah—the coming Messiah is strong, administers grace and truth, is kind and tender, and is composed of peace and hope—then we learn to really sing a new song. We learn to trust in the newness and transformation of Christ.

This new song opens the ears of the deaf and the eyes of the blind to the redemption of Jesus Christ. This new song talks about the last being first and the first being last. This new song sounds like change and transformation. This new song looks at the tomb of Lazarus and says that he is only sleeping. This new song is the song of Jesus Christ; and it is the song that we all long to hear. We all long to hear the song of Jesus Christ! “Joyful, all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies.” This new song is not only our new song, but it is the new song of the church—a church that is ready for new beginnings, changes and transformations, that invites others to join the choir and to learn the song, and a church that prays together, worships together, that checks-in on one another, and that hears what God needs them to hear. But how are you, how are we, as church, going to make sure that we are hearing the voice of God and not our own? How are we going to let people know that a new song is coming and the days of old are making room for transformations?[i]

Movement Three: Conclusion – What do you hear?        

“It seems impossible to imagine Christmas without music, [without sounds].” It seems impossible because with Jesus in our heart, there is always a song playing, there is always something to be heard. But are we listening. Do we hear what God needs us to hear? Do we hear our new Advent song which reminds us that Jesus, the coming Messiah, is here to serve, to be a gentle presence in our life, to offer grace and trust, and to be our source of strength when we are weak and heavy laden? Do we hear the silver bells in the hustle and bustle of life? What song is the church hearing this Advent season?

There are many sounds to Christmas! There are many opportunities to live into the new song of the Advent season! And there are plenty of Christmas carols that remind us the true reason of the season! But are we listening to the sounds of the season—to the voice of God through the cries of the new born King of Kings and Lord of Lords? If God were to approach you right now and ask you, “What do you hear?” What would you say? Are you simply hearing what you want to hear or what God needs you to hear?

As I prepared for the Christmas Concert, wearing my noise cancelling head phones, I was able to really focus on how all the instruments came together to perform something beautiful and life changing: I heard the rumble of the bass drum, the rudiments of the snare drum, the melodic tone of the saxophone, the royal sound of the trombones, the majestic calling of the trumpets, the soothing sound of the flutes, and the heavenly sound of the harp. Everything came together to form something new. I wonder what our life would be like, as Christians, if you put on the headphones of God and really paid attention to what He was inviting us to listen to.

“What do I hear?” During the Christmas season, we hear Christmas songs on the radio, attend Christmas concerts, are intrigued by the sounds of Christmas Commercials, recite–aloud–famous lines from Christmas movies, and we hear so much more. Needless to say, how do these sounds prepare us for the new song that is to be sung when Jesus is born? In the hustle and bustle of the season are you able to hear those famous “silver bells”? What do you hear that reminds you that Christ is in Christmas? There are many sounds during the Christmas season, but what sounds are you listening to: your own or the sounds of God’s new song in your heart? From the words of God, “Do you hear what I hear?”

Let it be so…

 

Communion Transition:

In a filthy upper room in Jerusalem, Jesus gathered with his disciples to offer them a sacred meal. This meal was a new song; and in this new song the disciples were invited to listen to the words of Jesus Christ. Not only did the disciples see the bread and wine, but they heard the crust breaking, the wine being poured into the cup, Jesus shift on the ground as you presented the meal, the concern and curiosity of those in the room, the heartbeat of Judas, and the tears of those not wanting Jesus to leave them. Holy Communion is not only our time to see the promise of Jesus but it is also our time to hear the promise of Jesus.

As you come forward to receive this Holy and Sacred meal, I invite you to ask for forgiveness and to listen to your heart as Jesus begins playing a new song in your life. May hear the sacrifice of Jesus setting you free.

 

Benediction:

What do you hear? Pay attention to the sounds of the season, and allow God to create a new song within you today. “O Come to us, abide with our, our Lord Emmanuel! May the Lord bless you and keep you; May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; and May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26). In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit go forth expecting the arrival of hope, peace, joy, and love this Advent Season. And all God’s people said, Amen. Amen. Amen.

 

 

[i] At the manger scene, you might notice that Hark, the Herald Angels Sing and Away in the Manger and Silent Night and Go, Tell it on the Mountain can’t be heard. There was no audible song played during the birth of Jesus—there was no Christmas carols being sung and Jesus “no crying he makes.” However, there was a song being played. It was a song of love, of new beginnings, and it was playing in the hearts of all those present much like it is present in your heart today. And the song goes like this, “O little town of Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie. Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, The silent stars go by. Yet in thy dark streets shineth, The everlasting light. The hopes and fears of all the years, Are met in thee tonight. O morning stars together. Proclaim thy holy birth, And praises sing to God the King, And peace to men on earth.” We have been given a new song and this song will come lying in a manger in the little town of Bethlehem as peace falls over the earth. But are we listening for that “glorious song of old”—the song of new beginnings?