Joy to the World, Psalm 98 - Advent 2025

Scripture Reading: Psalm 98

1 Oh sing to the Lord a new song,
    for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
    have worked salvation for him.
2 The Lord has made known his salvation;
    he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
    to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
    the salvation of our God.

4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
    break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
    with the lyre and the sound of melody!
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn
    make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!

7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
    the world and those who dwell in it!
8 Let the rivers clap their hands;
    let the hills sing for joy together
9 before the Lord, for he comes
    to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
    and the peoples with equity.

Sermon Outline:

1. A call to worship.

2. The Lord the King.

3. As far as the curse is found.

Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Hebrews 1:6

Scripture Reading: Hebrwes 1:6

6 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,

“Let all God's angels worship him.”

Sermon Outline:

1. A World of Wonder

2. The Announcement

3. The Explanation

4. The Worship

Hark the Herald Angels Sing: Lyrics

Verse 1

Hark the herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn King

Peace on earth and mercy mild

God and sinners reconciled

Joyful all ye nations rise

Join the triumph of the skies

Nature rise and worship him

Who is born at Bethlehem

Hark The herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn King

Verse 2

Christ by highest heav'n adored

Christ the everlasting Lord

Late in time behold Him come

Offspring of a Virgin's womb

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see

Hail the incarnate Deity

Pleased as man with men to appear

Jesus our Emmanuel here

Hark The herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn King

Verse 3

Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace

Hail the Son of Righteousness

Light and life around He brings

Ris'n with healing in His wings

Mild He lays His glory by

Born that men no more may die

Born to raise the sons of earth

Born to give them second birth

Hark The herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn King

Verse 4

Come, Desire of Nations, come

Fix in Us thy humble Home

Rise, the Woman’s Conqu’ring Seed

Bruise in Us the Serpent’s Head

Now display thy saving Pow’r

Ruin’d Nature now restore

Now in Mystic Union join

Thine to Ours, and Ours to Thine

Hark The herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn King

Verse 5

Adam’s Likeness, LORD, efface

Stamp thy Image in its Place

Second Adam from above

Reinstate us in Thy Love

Let us Thee, tho’ lost, regain

Thee, the Life, the Inner Man

Oh! to All Thyself impart

Form’d in each Believing Heart

Hark The herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn King

© Words: Public Domain; Ryan Foglesong

CCLI Song # 7112981 -- CCLI License # 3168259 2

"Once in Royal David's City" Luke 2:1-20, Advent 2025

Scripture Reading: Luke 2:1-20

1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 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 among those with whom he is pleased!”

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Lyrics: “Once in Royal David’s City”

Verse 1

Once in royal David's city stood a lowly cattle shed, where a mother laid her baby in a manger for his bed: Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christ her little child.

Verse 2

He came down to earth from heaven who is God and Lord of all, and his shelter was a stable, and his cradle was a stall; with the poor and mean and lowly lived on earth our Savior holy.

Verse 3

And through all his wondrous childhood he would honor and obey, love and watch the lowly maiden, in whose gentle arms he lay: Christian children all must be mild, obedient, good as he.

Verse 4

For he is our childhood's pattern, day by day like us he grew, he was little, weak, and helpless, tears and smiles like us he knew; and he feeleth for our sadness, and he shareth in our gladness.

Verse 5

And our eyes at last shall see him, through his own redeeming love, for that child so dear and gentle is our Lord in heav'n above; and he leads his children on to the place where he is gone.

Verse 6

Not in that poor lowly stable, with the oxen standing by, we shall see him; but in heaven, set at God's right hand on high; where like stars his children crowned all in white shall wait around.

Sermon Outline:

1. The Plain

2. The Poor

3. The Pattern

4. The Promise

O Come O Come Emmanuel, Matthew 1:18-25, Advent 2025

Scripture Reading: Matthew 1:18-25

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
    and they shall call his name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Sermon Outline:

1. God with us

2. The history of the hymn.

3. The poetry of the lyrics

4. Lessons