You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.
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Thank you guys. I love that song. I love the music of Christmas in general. Yes, I started listening long before Thanksgiving,
which I know for some of you is a violation of everything sacred.
But there is a lot of really, really good Christmas music, really great songs written through the centuries about Jesus' birth,
some of which many of us will get to enjoy together tonight. Looking forward to those songs.
But for the next few Sundays leading up to Christmas, I want to take some of those rich lyrics that we've sung and loved
and I want to contemplate them together. We'll call it Songs of a Savior.
This morning, learning about our Savior and His birth from the words of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.
Now that said, I'm not preaching song lyrics.
We preach God's word from this pulpit.
And there are no exceptions, including this one.
I'm just letting some of these great Christmas carols lead us to different passages that will feed our souls this Christmas.
This morning, we're going to focus on a prophecy from Jeremiah chapter 30.
We'll look at some other passages too.
But it's the theme of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel that led me to Jeremiah 30.
One more thing about songs.
One of the reasons we love songs and one of the ways that they help us so much is that they engage our emotions in a unique way, don't they?
Songs do that, whether it's the lyrics themselves, the tunes, the corporate singing of them.
All of it connects with our hearts.
And in our relationship with God, we Presbyterians sometimes struggle with that part.
We sometimes struggle to connect things that we know in our heads with our hearts and our emotions, don't we?
But it's really important.
So I hope that spending some time connecting biblical truth to beloved songs will help all of us to know our Savior and to worship our Savior more with all our hearts and minds and strength.
That's what I want for us this Christmas season.
Let's pray together and then we'll look at God's Word as it speaks into our lives.
Pray with me.
Father, we most of all need to know you.
You've been reminding us of that day after day, week after week as we come and open your Word.
And as the prophets have called us back to a relationship with you and knowing you.
And now that's why you've sent Jesus.
That we would know you up close and personal.
And so, Father, we long for that.
We know that's your heart for us.
And we ask this morning as we open your Word that you would today send your Spirit.
To open our eyes and open our hearts that we might know you and love you more.
Help us, we pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Imagine just a minute this morning that you're a young person.
When Malachi prophesied to God's people around 460 B.C.
You remember the striking words of the prophet.
Warnings that frightened you.
Promises that inspired you.
And then all of a sudden he was gone.
The hope of a deliverer to come stayed there in your heart.
You read other prophets.
You studied the Torah.
You learned of Yahweh's character.
And you waited.
The rest of your life.
And your children's lives.
And your grandchildren's lives.
And nothing.
No other prophets of Yahweh seemed to be speaking.
Occasionally a strong leader popped up and got everybody's hopes up.
But then he faded.
Entire lifetimes.
Generations.
Centuries.
Past.
In silence.
Imagine trying to hang on to faith.
Imagine trying to pass on faith to the next generation.
You cling to the words of God's promises.
And the stories of God's faithfulness.
And the glory of God's character.
But you're longing to hear from God.
To have God actually show up.
To experience that hope that you've only heard of.
Over 400 years.
That's a long time, isn't it?
A lot of waiting.
I almost put down as the text for this morning.
This blank page between Malachi and Matthew.
You have one of those in your Bibles?
It's one blank page usually.
And the end of the prophets.
Since we've just finished Malachi.
And our study of the minor prophets.
God.
I just.
Display my foolish pride.
For people to respond.
To his call to repent.
And to return to him.
I mean.
Certainly God is active here.
But.
People are longing for more.
For God himself.
To come.
As he's promised so many times.
And here God.
God's going to come.
And it doesn't seem to be.
Happening.
It's a long way.
To live.
The God.
Gives voice.
To the Christ.
Such a long way.
To live.
Kids.
Do you know what Emmanuel.
Anybody know what that word.
It's a big word.
I'm a desperate man.
The word Emmanuel means.
God is with us.
That's what it.
You've been more patient all this time.
You were me.
I've given up long ago.
He's the only one who can help us.
Come be with me.
Like a bunch of times.
Maybe when you're in the world.
It's a dark.
He's been in the world.
I've given up mommy.
Daddy.
Come help me.
It's a sad way to live.
Such a sad, sad way to live.
Without God showing up.
They face the only cross.
I'm a desperate man.
You're in the shadow.
I'm in desperate need.
I'm here saving him.
The O come.
Come help me.
It's that longing.
Oh, getting desperate for God to come.
Not sure how much longer they can hold on without him showing up.
Some of them certainly gave up.
Come on.
It's too much.
It's not worth it.
It's too long.
Maybe we don't have to try to.
but they
It's all I need and go on.
But the pain and the simple truth.
He speaks to the issue of what is it going on.
I'm a desperate man.
I'm in desperate need of your saving end.
Come and rest me.
I'm in desperate need of your saving end.
Come and rest me.
He delivers to God's exiled people.
For thus says the Lord, verse 12,
Your hurt is incurable and your wound is grievous.
There is none to uphold your cause.
No medicine for your wound.
No healing for you.
All your lovers have forgotten you.
They care nothing for you.
For I've dealt you the blow of an enemy.
The punishment of a merciless foe.
Because your guilt is great.
Because your sins are flagrant.
Why do you cry out over your hurt?
Your pain is incurable.
Because your guilt is great.
Because your sins are flagrant.
I have done these things to you.
Give up on yourselves.
On your self-sufficiency, he says.
Your situation really is as bad as you think.
Probably even worse.
Your wound is deep and beyond cure.
Your guilt is unmanageable.
Your sins are obvious and condemning.
And God's people hearing this weeping prophet,
as Jeremiah is known,
they join in with the weeping, right?
Psalm 137.
The exiles weep.
How can we sing the songs of God
in a foreign land?
We might say,
do you seriously want me to sing Christmas carols
in the face of my real life, pastor?
You being serious with me four weeks in a row?
It's hard for me even thinking
of what some of y'all are feeling
because you've shared some of that with me.
Why life is hard.
Why singing like that might be hard.
One of our members
sent me a text a few weeks ago saying,
could you preach sometime
about going through something tragic
with long-term effects?
I'm just not hearing what God says to me here.
Brother, we can relate.
And hopefully you'll hear with me
some of what God says to us
in those situations.
We can relate here, can't we?
Maybe especially during the Christmas season,
we feel it.
We live in a place that is not our home
and God sometimes seems absent
or silent.
I've talked with enough of us to know
we have felt and we do feel this.
Some of us are stuck in dead-end jobs
that don't give us dignity or worth.
No light at the end of the tunnel.
Some of us are struggling to fit in
with friends at school
and it hurts
and it seems to get worse,
not better.
Some of us are battling chronic pain
that we can hardly describe to anyone else.
It's limiting.
It's isolating.
Some of us are aching
with the loss of a loved one,
maybe more acutely this time of year.
Some of us are waging
what feels like a lifelong battle
with sinful desires,
addictions,
with anger.
And these things and many others
make us feel like the exiles that we are, right?
Not fitting in.
Not finding fulfillment here.
Not feeling hopeful.
And realizing that all of these
either directly or often indirectly
result from our sins,
our failures,
our idols.
And Jeremiah begins by saying,
yep,
that's the truth.
If you don't feel any of these
longings or groanings
in yourself,
think beyond yourself
to the hunger,
the genocide,
the trafficking of people
in our own country
and around the world.
I'm not seeing you, God.
This doesn't feel right to me.
How can I just keep going on
with all of this?
Those words of the song
Deliver Us
that we'll hear tonight,
we heard last Sunday,
are haunting, aren't they?
Our sins more numerous
than all the lambs we've slain.
Our shackles made with our own hands.
sins.
We've made our own bed.
But we look at it
and it's disgusting.
It's horrible.
Oh, Yahweh,
break this silence
if you can.
We cry out
and yet the struggle continues
as we are born captive to sin.
As we live in a world
broken and cursed by sin's effects.
As we find our flesh
warring against our spirits
so that we live so often
for ourselves,
the pain persists.
The longing for whom
keeps gnawing.
Yes?
You with me in this?
You're about ready for me
to leave it?
We live here, don't we?
Maybe not every day
you feel it the same way,
but do you feel that ache?
Do you recognize that longing,
that cry in your heart?
God is warning us through Jeremiah
not to take our predicament lightly.
Quit pretending.
I'm fine.
Good.
Yeah, you know, fine.
Yeah.
Yeah, fine.
How can you pray for us?
Ah, I mean,
my aunt's goldfish
lost a fin.
Yeah, but I mean,
that's about it.
We're good.
Really?
We're good?
Fine.
Good.
Yeah, we trust Jesus.
We know God.
I mean, we go to church,
don't we?
We're good.
Fine.
Yep.
Y'all, we are so self-sufficient.
We don't even realize it
sometimes.
We hate receiving help
from anyone.
And God is telling us
this morning
that when we deny
the reality
of our helpless situation,
we miss our true hope
because we are not it.
It's not me.
It's not you.
When we depend on ourselves,
when we insist we are okay,
when we commit to trying harder
to handle it,
we are barricading ourselves
against the one
who can truly help.
When we seek to fight sin
and Satan
without surrendering to God,
without depending
on His strength,
we really are hopeless.
I know you're ready
for me to get to the hope,
but before we do,
Jeremiah has one more warning.
One more thing
we should give up on
beside ourselves.
Look at verse 14.
All your lovers
have forgotten you.
They care nothing for you.
Give up on being
sufficient yourselves
and give up on your idols
that promise to be enough
to fulfill you.
For God's people,
it was sometimes
the nations around them
that looked strong enough
to provide security.
For God's people,
it was sometimes
idols of wood and stone,
other gods
who promised to provide
fertility or rain
or whatever they needed.
For God's people then,
it was sometimes
the people of the other nations
in whom they thought
they would find life
in that relationship.
And God says,
no.
None of those lovers
truly care for you,
can truly help you.
See, when you're in exile,
when you don't feel at home
where you are,
it's so appealing,
isn't it,
to look for that feeling
of home,
comfort,
rest,
belonging,
security,
in someone
or somewhere else
other than God.
after all the chaos
of travel
and football
and arguing
and decorating,
last night,
my family
finally had the moment.
You know,
we turned off
all the lights
and turned on the lights
on the Christmas tree.
We sat on the sofa together
for just that moment
and sang Christmas carols.
All that chaos
for that one moment,
that one magical moment
of peace.
Not a bad idea,
but a bad idol.
Right?
It's good
when it turns
our hearts to God.
Bad
when we find
our hope
in it.
See,
we don't want to admit
we're exiles
here,
do we?
So when we find
ourselves
groaning,
hurting,
longing
for something more,
it's tempting
to think
we will find
relief
in a better
relationship,
in a little more money,
in an escape
to Netflix,
in even
a more moral
or religious lifestyle.
Hope
in social status,
hope in children,
hope in success
or popularity.
prosperity.
It's so tempting
because it offers
a glimmer
of light
in the darkness.
It's so tempting
because so many
of our idols
have an element
of goodness
or truth in them
like that
sparkling Christmas tree
moment.
It's so tempting
because we feel
lost and we long
for a temporary home
even if it's
just for the night,
just for that one moment
to feel at peace
some moment,
however briefly,
where the ache
or the longing
is soothed.
And God says,
no,
those things
cannot actually
deliver
what they promise.
They can't heal
your incurable wound.
They can't deal
with your overwhelming guilt.
They can't provide
you permanent security.
And when we deny
that reality
and go running off
after our glittering
idols of our hearts,
we miss our only hope.
We do this
in so many ways, y'all.
We keep the groaning
and the longing
at arm's length
by living in a nice
enough neighborhood
with nice enough friends,
with nice enough kids
in a nice enough church
because we hate admitting
we're aliens
and strangers here
and for at least
parts of our days
we can feel
that we're at home.
We soothe ourselves
with half-truths.
We settle for quick fixes.
We stop at feeling hope
rather than truly
having hope.
And in so doing,
we miss
our only hope.
When there is only
one real solution,
settling for any other one
keeps you from finding
the real one,
doesn't it?
When you stop
and get satisfied there.
It's like masking
your need for emergency surgery
with enough pain medication
that you don't feel
you need the doctor anymore.
that's dangerous.
The words of this song
are crying out
the right thing.
Oh come,
oh come,
Emmanuel
and ransom
captive Israel
that mourns
in lonely exile here
until the Son of God
appear.
Unless, God,
you show up,
we will be mourning
in exile.
We will be battling sin
and often losing.
We will be grieving
over death.
We will be longing
for the home
that we were made for.
How many of these
real situations
we're facing,
including certainly
the fact that we are
living as exiles
in a world
where we are aliens
and strangers,
will not be cured
by anything short
of Jesus coming again
to take us home
to be with him
forever.
You know that, right?
The Israelites'
one hope
was a Savior
coming to rescue them.
And our one hope
is that same Savior
coming again
to rescue us.
Amen?
That's it.
There aren't other ones.
There are substitutes.
there are sooths
for a moment.
But he's our only hope.
Listen to Jeremiah
gloriously bring
that hope home
to God's people
walking in darkness
like us.
Then fear not,
O Jacob,
my servant,
declares the Lord.
Nor be dismayed,
O Israel,
for behold,
I will save you
from far away
and your offspring
from the land
of their captivity.
Jacob shall return
and have quiet
and ease
and none shall
make him afraid
for I am with you
to save you,
declares the Lord.
God with us
to save us.
That's the Christmas message,
right?
It's the Christmas message
the angel first speaks
to Joseph
in Matthew chapter 1.
She will bear a son
and you shall call
his name Jesus
for he will save
his people
from their sins.
And all this took place
to fulfill
what the Lord
had spoken
by the prophet.
Behold,
the virgin shall conceive
and bear a son
and they shall call
his name
Emmanuel,
which means
God with us,
right?
God with us
to save us.
Remember,
God shows up
as a baby
after 400 plus
years of waiting.
None of us
has yet waited
that long
in our lives.
There's no need
for us to deny it.
Often,
God seems absent
or silent.
He seems absent
or silent
in our lives
for any number
of reasons
and we feel that
but Jesus comes
to remind us
even in those moments
it's still not time
to give up
on God,
is it?
Yes,
give up on yourselves.
Yes,
give up on your idols
but no,
in those moments
God's not
actually absent
or silent.
Just wait.
What's about to happen?
He breaks in
with a sky-glowing
herald of angels.
Not simply
sending some
words of hope
to hang on to.
not merely
sending another prophet
to go tell you
how to be
but actually
entering in
himself
breaking in
as Emmanuel
and being
with us
to save us
to save his people
from their sins.
That's what happens
at the end
of all that waiting
because God loves
to bring his light
into the darkest nights
to bring his hope
into the most
hopeless places.
Listen to Jeremiah
one more time.
It's after
recapping
that incurable pain
we read about earlier
the great guilt
and sin
in verse 15
he says
therefore
therefore what?
I mean
you finish it, right?
incurable wounds
and great guilt
and sin
that's overwhelming
therefore what?
You're sent away
in exile forever?
Therefore
I will punish you
with certain death?
What does it say?
No.
Therefore
all who devour you
shall be devoured.
All your foes
every one of them
shall go
into captivity.
Those who plunder you
shall be plundered.
All who prey on you
I will make a prey.
The very opposite
of what we deserve, right?
What the world
is going on?
Verse 17
For I
will restore health
to you
and your wounds
I will heal
declares the Lord
because they have
called you
an outcast.
It is Zion
for whom no one cares.
Did you hear that?
God saves his people
not in spite
of their outcast status
but because
of their outcast status
because he loves
to heal
when the wounds
are incurable.
Because he loves
to rescue
when no one else
is able to
and there's no other hope.
John Calvin says
of this verse
when therefore
the people
should become
so sunk
in misery
as to make
all to think
their deliverance
hopeless
God promises
that he would
then
be
their redeemer.
Is that where
you are today?
Are you honestly
looking at life
and
you're groaning
you're longing
you're crying out
you've thought
how could I not
give up?
It seems to make sense
it's the only
reasonable path forward
God loves
then
to be your redeemer
he loves
now
if that's
where you are
and what
your heart
is feeling
this morning
to be the one
who comes
and enters in
and meets you
right there.
That's what he's like.
Listen
friends
we
like God's people
are exiles
who've been given
God's word
to study
to learn
his character
to trust
his promises
even
and especially
for the moments
of groaning
he gives it
to us again
this morning
for that
because God
is the only one
who can truly
help people
groaning
as deeply
and honestly
and painfully
as we are
he loves
to make us
like Paul
who remained
because of
God's being
with him
in the midst
of real
difficulties
sorrowful
yet always
rejoicing
having nothing
and yet
possessing
everything
2nd Corinthians
6
own the pain
give up
on any
other cure
and then
rejoice
Emmanuel
shall
come
God
with us
kids
one more
time
want you to
help us
what does
Emmanuel
mean
God
is
with us
don't forget
that
you will
never
be alone
because of
that
thus says
the Lord
behold I
will restore
the fortunes
of the tents
of Jacob
and have
compassion
on his
dwellings
the city
shall be
rebuilt
on its
mound
and the
palace
shall stand
where it
used to
be
out of
them
shall
come
songs
of
thanksgiving
the voices
of those
who celebrate
I will
multiply
them
and they
shall
not
be
few
I'll
make
them
honored
and they
shall
not
be
small
their
children
shall
be
as they
were
of old
their
congregation
shall
be
established
before
me
I'll
punish
all
who
oppress
them
and
listen
to this
listen
to who's
in
charge
their
prince
shall
be
one
of
themselves
their
ruler
shall
come
out
from
their
midst
we know
that one
don't
we
that great
prince
of God's
people
I will
make him
draw near
and he
shall
approach
me
for who
would
dare
of himself
to
approach
me
declares
the
Lord
and then
the best
part
of all
these
promises
of all
of God
showing up
in the
pain
you
shall
be
my
people
and
I
will
be
your
God
for
us
looking
back
on
Jesus
these
are
no
pie
in
the
sky
promises
maybe
God
will
show
up
God
has
actually
come
Jesus
has
come
once
he's
left
his
spirit
as a
deposit
in
us
and
he's
promised
to
come
again
for
us
so
this
song
and
this
passage
point
us
to
our
only
true
hope
Emmanuel
shall
come
God
with
us
to
be
with
us
and
be
our
God
forever
let's
not
settle
for
anything
less
let's
not
settle
for
anything
less
than
Emmanuel
as
our
savior
God
as
our
hope
heaven
as
our
home
let's
pray
oh
holy
spirit
help
our
hearts
that
so
easily
and
quickly
settle
for
substitutes
for
false
hope
that
won't
really
last
strengthen
our
faith
even
as
we
look
back
even
as
we
see
you
fulfill
your
promises
to
God's
people
after
centuries
of
waiting
that
we
will
find
you
to
be
faithful
again
to
us
and
to
know
that
we
can
trust
you
God
we're
hurting
some
of us
feel it
personally
some
of us
because
we're
in this
family
together
we have
brothers
and sisters
longing
and groaning
and crying
out
here in
this
church
family
around
the
world
and
we
together
say
God
don't
let us
have
any
hope
but
you
because
we
believe
you
have
come
and
you
will
come
again
why
we
cry
out
to
you
together
trust
you
to
meet
us
and
be
with
us
and
save
us
for
more
information
visit us
online
at
southwood.org