O Holy Night

One of our favorite things about the Christmas season is that everywhere we go we hear songs proclaiming that Christ has come to earth. Let’s take a deeper look at the lyrics we know so well and focus on what should be the true meaning of the season.
A holiday classic that is many people’s favorite song is O Holy Night. There are deep truths within these beautiful lyrics.

Carols 1 – O Holy Night from Redemption Church on Vimeo.

Carols 1 – O Holy Night

Sermon notes by Pastor Chris Fluitt

Redemption Church Plano Tx

Vid bumper- Carols

Greetings! Good tidings of comfort & joy! Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano Tx. My name is Chris Fluitt and I am so blessed to pastor this mighty Church that loves God & loves people.
This is a complicated time of year. The Christmas season is complicated.
There are things about this season I don’t care for.

Materialism & greed.
Confusing symbols that don’t point us to Christ.. Santa, Frosty, Christmas trees.
The Busiest time of the year, marked with stress.
Depression is on the rise during this season. An increase of suicides happens every year in December.

BUT what I love about this season is the simple fact I can walk into a grocery store and hear lyrics proclaiming the birth of the savior.

Carols

We are going to be spending the next weeks, letting our favorite Christmas carols proclaim the hope of this season to us.
I would like to know what your favorite Christmas Carol is.

What is your favorite Christmas Carol?

I want you to pull out your phone and text us on our anonymous text line. Tell us your fave Christmas Carol at 214 856 0550. It is completely anonymous so I no one will know the embarrassing fact that you love “grandma got ran over by a reindeer”… Jacob.
Text us at 214 856 0550. And as always if you have questions about life, faith, or redemption church be sure to text us at this number.
Today I want to draw your attention to the song O Holy Night.

O Holy Night

I imagine many of you are texting in named this song as your favorite.
O Holy Night can bring tears to the eyes, send chills up and down the spine, and bring Christian believers to their knees or to their feet with applause, yet the song was written by someone who didn’t believe the message of Christianity. O holy night was written by an atheist.
Placide Cappeau (1808-1877) was born in France. At eight years old his hand was surgically amputated following a tragic gunshot accident. In spite of Placide’s handicap he went on to win awards as an artist and a journalist. In addition, he studied law and followed in his father’s footsteps to become a merchant of wines and spirits. A local parish priest requested he write a poem about the birth of Christ. In 1847 while traveling by stagecoach to Paris, Placide penned the words to O Holy Night. He called it Minuit Chretien.
Years later Adolphe Charles Adam composed the music for this poem. It has been a favorite song, for many, ever since.
A disabled wine merchant used some amazing descriptive lyrics. I want to underline these to you.

Weary World

I think “weary world” describes our current situation.
If I asked you “how are you doing?” you would probably say.. “I am good, fine, ok..” but if you were really honest you would admit you bypassed the words “I’m tired.”
You are tired of living paycheck to paycheck like the majority of Americans. You are tired of the bad news that comes from Washington. You are tired in your physical, emotional, & spiritual. You are tired of worrying. You are tired of the continual drum of materialism & greed. You are tired of keeping up with the comparisons of others. You are tired of abuse, hunger, & tragedy.
Next time you are at the mall, take a look around and see if you are in a weary world.

Long lay the world in sin & error pining

This lyric from the 1800’s is so accurate today.
Most of the action of this world can be categorized as sin or error.
All the news of sexual misconduct from men.. It’s been all over the news and we have been shocked by some of the names. We shouldn’t be… long lay the world IN SIN.
9 days ago a group of Muslim extremists attacked a Muslim mosque and killed over 300 fellow Muslims. Long lay the world IN SIN.
Mass killings in the US. Long lay the world IN SIN.
This world operates in sin, but it also operates in error.
Going into debt to buy presents you wrap with paper, in hopes that you will have some sort of happiness when they are opened on the 25^th of December. That is error. All materialism & greed is error.
Thinking you can find fulfillment in yourself is error. If I could lose 10 pounds then I would be happy. If I could attain some level of success then I would be happy. Wrong.
Thinking the answer to all these problems is political. That is so much error it makes me want to scream.
In sin & error pining… The world pining means to suffer with longing for something lost. A painful regret for something lost.
This weary world is looking for something we lost a long time ago in the Garden of Eden.
Long lay law the world in sin & error pining… what are the next lyrics?

Til’ He appeared and the soul felt its worth

When Christ came to us, He gave us another option. Sin, error, or REDEMPTION.
And Christ’s arrival isn’t just an external happening. Oh look over there and see that king, isn’t it nice that he came to visit us. Oh look at that wise moral teacher; it is so good the things he says.
No, Christ’s arrival does something internal. When He appears your soul comes to life. When He appears you realize that you have worth. When Jesus appears you realize you have a purpose and a calling.
I was 8 years old when Christ appeared to me. I was praying at the front of a church… and suddenly I realized that my soul had worth. I was worth loving because Christ came and suffered the cross for me.
Do you know your soul has worth today?

The worst things seem to happen at night.

At night

Most domestic violence occurs at night
Most suicides happen at night.
Most thefts & murders happen in the dark of night.
Most people succumb to their drug addiction or alcohol addiction at night.
We dread night time phone calls, because good news doesn’t usually come at night.

Scripture doesn’t actually tell us that Jesus was born in the night or day. It is often assumed he was born at night because it says the Shepherds watched their flocks at night (Luke 2:8). We can argue about whether Jesus was born in the A.M. or P.M. another time, but right now I want to tell you that Jesus was born when the world was completely dark with sin and error.
In a spiritual way Jesus came at night.

Jesus came at night

Jesus came when there was no hope for redemption.
Jesus came when it seemed God had turned his back on us. (400 years of silence)
Jesus came to a nation who was abused by tyrannical government.

Jesus came when it seemed there was no way things would ever change. Jesus came and was THE WAY!
Jesus came to a mother who was being lied about because she was pregnant. Jesus came and He was THE TRUTH.
Jesus came to a world where everyone was swallowed up by death and buried in a grave. Jesus came and He is THE LIFE… and He conquered death, hell, and the grave.
When things are at their worse – Jesus shows up! He shows up in the darkness.
musician
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices

For yonder breaks a new & glorious morn

The worst things seem to happen at night. Usually when you are in the difficulty of night, you say to yourself “If I can just get through the night… If I can just make it til’ morning.”
Jesus Christ has come and he has ended the night. There is a thrill of hope because of Jesus.

We are about to spend some time talking to God, before we do I need you to think about some things.

Are you living in the hope of Jesus today? Are you in sin & error pining?
Perhaps you know the story of Christ’s birth, but do you know Christ. O Holy Night was written by someone who said the right things, but didn’t know Jesus personally. If you don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus I want you to come into the first 2 feet of this stage and let us pray with you.
Are you living in the night, or are you living in the new and glorious morn?

redemption-Church.com
Redemption Church is a nondenominational Church in Plano Texas. Our mission is to declare the good news and see others become followers of Jesus Christ. Our vision is to be a 1st Century Church connecting to a 21st Century world. To bring the community, the power, passion & dedication of that 1st century church to the fast paced, technologically advanced, and complex world of the 21st century.
We currently meet on Sunday afternoons at 3pm at the Corner of Parker Rd & Alma in Plano Tx. We would love to greet you in person.
Our lead pastor is Chris Fluitt.