The lyrics of an old Christian Hymn are: “O come, all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant! O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem; Come and behold him Born the King of Angels: O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.”
Pastor Kyle noted that in the Christmas song “Angels we have heard on high” one stanza invites us: “Come to Bethlehem and see Him Whose birth the angels sing; Come, adore on bended knee, Christ the Lord, the newborn King. Gloria, in excelsis Deo! Gloria, in excelsis Deo!” - (Latin for "Glory to God in the highest"). Adoration (the act of paying honors to the divine being; the worship paid to God. Adoration consists in external homage, accompanied with the highest reverence to the Supreme Being) is the natural response of born-again Believers saved by the loving grace and love of their heavenly Father. To adore on bended knee demonstrates the posture of their hearts and lives as one of obedience in total obedience as living temples of God and His glory.
Pastor goes on to say that today, we are distracted and tempted to adore fame and fortune, dreamy places and trendy things, trinkets, music, celebrities and stories. Yet, anything that we place between God’s face and ours is an idol. Like no other time in history, access to Christian resources and worship music creates availability to God’s Word easier, which is a true blessing for knowing God and making Him known. But, having all the uplifting words and feel-good music mean nothing without a surrender life to God and receiving Jesus Christ. We need more of the power of Jesus flowing through our lives. And through lives metaphorically stand at the foot of the Cross confronted with the reality of our sin and salvation in Christ, who suffered the punishment that we deserved, dying the dead that we deserved then rose from the grave so that anyone who would repent and believe in Him as the Savior of the world sent by God the Father would not perish in Hell but would have ever-lasting life. Jesus ascended to heaven and sent the Holy Spirit to indwell the Believer’s heart working in us as our counseling Helper and the ability to live the life to the Lord always intended for us, living the power and adoration of God every day through a surrendered life.
In Matthew 22:37 Jesus said that the greatest commandment is, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ It is an easy commandment to obey because God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord. Jesus Christ, Emmanuel – God with us, is the message of Christmas and the reason for the season.
In Christ, Brian
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