Glory to God in the Highest (12/28/2003)

Turn with me this morning to Luke chapter 2 and verse 1 Title of this is glory to God in the highest on earth.

Peace in men good pleasure Glory to God in the highest on earth.

Peace in men. Good pleasure that's really three messages and We'll talk about the first one this morning glory to God in the highest.

Let's pray together father we thank you so much for this season where we think about the

Story of the birth of your son his manifestation in this world His first advent makes us think that we're living in the days of his second advent

And as we see the people who were prepared and waiting The first time may we learn from them and be prepared and waiting when you come again

And we ask you to bless this message with your power and your teaching in Jesus name, amen follow along with me in Luke chapter 2 and Verse 1 and it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed and this taxing was first made when

Cyrenius was governor of Syria and All went to be taxed everyone into his own city and Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth unto

Judea unto the city of David which is called Bethlehem Because he was of the house and lineage of David He went to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife being great with child and So it was that while they were there the days were accomplished that she should be delivered and she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and Laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the end

A thousand years earlier in 1st Samuel chapter 17 verse 15

It was said that but David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem This was the city of David.

This is where he fed his father's sheep some thousand years earlier 700 years before Jesus Christ was born in this manger

Micah chapter 5 in verse 2 records this but thou Bethlehem Ephratah Though thou be little among the thousands of Judah Yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel Whose goings forth have been from old from everlasting

So I ask you was Caesar Augustus in control the day that he put out the decree to tax the people

Was he really calling the shots? All of the leaders of the world are in God's hand

They are chess pieces on a chessboard They are but servants of his to bring world history to exactly the clothes that it's supposed to have

Verse 8 says and there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field keeping watch

Over their flock by night Now do you think that these

People Who were watching the sheep? Felt that they had reached the height of achievement that Caesar Augustus had reached in his life

They were out there tending the sheep an everyday event

Just serving in the capacity they were sent to serve Exhibiting the gifts

God had given them. They had not been given the gifts of being able to rule a nation But Were they not also in the control of God?

Were they not also? prepared for this event Exactly to happen as it was about to happen just so much as Caesar Augustus was prepared to play his role

So they were in the field keeping watch over their flock by night in verse 9 and lo the angel of the

Lord came upon them and The glory of the Lord shone round about them and they were sore afraid in the

Greek language. This is magus phobeo They had megaphobia

They were sore afraid When the glory of the

Lord shone round about them and the angel said unto them fear not

For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy The word good tidings are the phrase good tidings is the same that's translated the word gospel.

I Bring you the gospel of great joy Which shall be to all people

You might note that this is the word Laos and it means all kinds of people. It means both

Jew and Gentile for unto you is born this day in the City of David a

Savior which is Christ the Lord as We pick up on the specific words in this passage.

We see the word born Indicating that our Savior is a real physical man

We see the phrase this day indicating that he would come into time and space

We see the phrase City of David indicating that this is according to prophecy

Some 700 years earlier in Micah 5 2 we see the phrase a

Savior which means he is a Deliverer it comes from the little Greek word so -so which means to deliver.

He is the deliverer who will come We see the word Christ Christos Which means the anointed one and the

Christ of the Lord the phrase of the Lord is Kurios, which means the supreme one in authority

So he is the Christ of the supreme and Almighty God Verse 12 says and this shall be a sign unto you.

You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes laying in a manger 740 years before this

We see in Isaiah chapter 7 verse 14 the prophecy of this very sign

It says therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign behold a virgin

Shall conceive and bear a son and shall they shall call his name

Emmanuel We pick back up in verse 13 and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising

God and Saying glory to God in the highest and on earth.

Peace goodwill toward men The last phrase would be better translator or more literal literally translated in men good pleasure

So a whole host of angels were praising God and making this statement glory to God in the highest and on earth peace and in men good pleasure

So I want us to study those three ideas Why were they being proclaimed in this magnificent way

Why were these three thoughts the three thoughts that were proclaimed by?

the heavenly host at the time of the first advent of our

Lord Jesus Christ Why did they choose? these sayings glory to God in the highest and on earth peace and in men good pleasure

And it came to pass as the angels were gone away from them into heaven the shepherds said one to another let us now go even unto

Bethlehem and See this thing which has come to pass which the Lord hath made known unto us

Before we move any further. We want to look at this phrase which the Lord hath made known unto us

We need to understand that the Lord has made known to us means that this is a true revelation from heaven to earth

This is a revelation of God to man and that is the only way that we know any information about God These shepherds recognized this they said we will now go and see the thing which the

Lord has made known to us They could not go see it if God didn't make it known to them. They would have overlooked that babe in the manger

They would have never thought a thing of him If God had not revealed to them the importance of this event

So this is a direct revelation from heaven to the planet earth to these specific men

So let's examine the first phrase glory to God in the highest Why did the angelic host proclaim glory to God in the highest at this particular point in time?

at the time when Caesar Augustus proclaimed the tax the

Roman Empire Was at the highest most powerful state it would ever have

It was the most powerful it had ever been and it was at the pinnacle of its power

It would never be this powerful again This was truly a pinpoint in history and At this time these angels come and they do not appear to the powers that be

They did not appear to Caesar Augustus They appeared to some lowly shepherds who were in the field serving

God in their own capacity Apparently these men were prepared, but they were ready to receive a revelation

From God they were not the only ones we'll see two other individuals a little bit later on who were also ready and waiting

We have to remember in the context of this that the vast majority of the Jewish people missed this entirely

The huge multitudes of the Jewish nation never knew about that babe in the manger They did not expect him to come that way

They were not looking for him to come even though the Bible said that he would come into Jerusalem on a donkey in the

Old Testament it says that they weren't watching for that and So the vast majority of all of them missed this entire event and yet these

Jewish shepherds who were out here this night Watching the sheep Apparently were prepared for some reason and They heard this proclaim

Glory to God in the highest. Why was this one of the three things that these angels proclaimed?

Well, there are four reasons. The first one is Because the king of glory is about to be unveiled the king of glory

Who is from? everlasting is About to be brought into time and manifested in this world

Psalm 24 1 if you would turn there And follow along with me

Psalm 24 1 a psalm of David the earth is the

Lord's and the fullness thereof the world and they that dwell therein

For he hath founded it upon the seas and established it upon the floods

Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord or who shall stand in his holy place?

He that hath clean hands he that hath a clean heart Who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity nor sworn deceitfully?

He shall receive the blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation there is none other that can be named among men who can fit that category a

Man who has clean hands a man who has a pure heart Who has never lifted his soul to vanity is never wanted to be greater than God He has never wanted to be greater than what

God made him to be Nor has he ever sworn deceitfully or said one false word?

There is only one man like that and his name is Jesus Christ He shall receive the blessing from the

Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation Verse 6 is very important.

It says this is The generation of them that seek him and seek thy face.

Oh, oh Jacob say la Do you realize this is speaking of a person his name is called the

Lord of glory in This passage the king of glory and it says that this particular person who has the clean hands the pure heart and the meat soul

This person is the generation of all them that will ever

Seek him or seek his face The word generation in the Greek language is the same word that we get our word genes from we've studied it before We've seen it before and this is saying that Jesus Christ the king of glory

This one who's the only one who is fit to come in to the holy hill where God dwells

This one is the one that generates our brings forth

All of them who seek God and seek God's face. He is the generation of all of God's people

Spiritually The Bible goes on and says lift up your heads

Oh ye gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors and the king of glory shall come in This king of glory had to be manifest in the flesh before he could ever enter heaven in this fashion

He had been in heaven in eternity past For the Bible says clearly he is the one who is from Everlasting But he will not be able to enter into the gates of glory in this physical sense until he is manifest in the flesh

Born as a babe in the manger and this babe in the manger is the one who is the generation the generator

Of all those who would ever seek God's face and there will be none other who will seek

God's face Only one who is generated forth from this one

Shall ever be able to seek God's face nor desire to seek his face

He is the generation of them that seek him that seek thy face. Oh Jacob say law

Lift up your heads Oh ye gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors and the king of glory shall come in who is this king of glory?

The Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in battle lift up your heads

Oh ye gates even lift them up ye everlasting doors and the king of glory shall

Come in who is this king of glory? the Lord of hosts

He is the king of glory say law So the first reason that the angels said glory to God in the highest is because they are announcing the advent of the king of glory into this world

Romans 1136 says for of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory forever

Amen in this message. You're gonna see the word. I'm in many times at the end of statements

I'm in I'm in I'm in you see it all through every verse that came into this message this morning just about John 1 14 says and the word was made flesh and dwelt among us and We beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the

Father full of grace and truth So the first reason that they proclaim this is because the king of glory is about to be revealed the second reason is found in Psalm 79 and verse 8 if you turn there and other passages

The Second reason they proclaim glory to God in the highest is because God's mercy is about to be enabled

God's mercy is about to be enabled. His deliverance is about to be sent forth and His name is about to be lifted on high

Even higher than it had ever been lifted before Because the revealer of God The Word of God is about to come into the earth

So the second reason that they said glory to God on the highest is because God's mercy is about to be enabled

His deliverer is about to be sent and his name shall be lifted up Psalm 90 79 in verse 8

Oh, remember not against us former iniquities Let thy tender mercy speedily prevent us for we are brought very low

Help us. Oh God of our salvation for the glory of thy name help us for the glory of thy name and deliver us and purge away our sins for thy names sake

God's name is lifted up Excuse me God is glorified

When we are delivered when those who are generated from the

Son of God are Saved and delivered from this evil world. God's name is glorified

Now there are five Amens, I'm about to read to you and they're not all in the same passage

So you'll have to turn quickly to see these but there are five Amens I call these the five amens of eternal security each one of these glorifies

God in the highest Because as God delivers his elect he is glorified

The first amen is found in Galatians 1 3 the second one in 1st

Timothy 1 16 the third one 2nd Timothy 4 18 the fourth one 1st

Peter 5 and the fifth one in Jude 24 So the first one is in Galatians 1 3

Grace be to you and peace from God the Father and from our

Lord Jesus Christ Who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us?

From this present evil world according to the will of God the Father to whom be glory forever and ever

Amen, why did the angelic host sing or say we don't know they sang

I think maybe some of them were singing brother Otis. I don't want I can't prove it But I know one thing they were shouting they were proclaiming with a noise that was fearful and That's what makes it think it's singing because that's how

I sing It's a joke wake up a fearful noise comes forth

I want you to notice a word formula To whom be glory forever and ever amen at the end of Galatians chapter 1 verse 5 to whom be glory forever and ever amen

They sang that God would be glorified in the highest Because God is about to send his deliverer and when he sends his deliverer and the deliverer

Saves the elect God its name gains great glory

So we see this in Galatians chapter 1 verses 3 through 5. We see it in 1st

Timothy chapter 1 verse 16 How be it for this cause I obtained mercy

That in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long -suffering

The Apostle Paul says he talks about obtaining mercy and he's going to talk about deliverance two aspects of The coming of Jesus Christ.

He was the deliverer and he was the one who enabled God's mercy

Enabled God to forgive and to show forth mercy because he made

God's justice be satisfied by his death on the cross So the

Apostle Paul says that Jesus Christ might show forth all long -suffering For a pattern to them which should hear and after believe on him to everlasting life.

That's us now unto the King eternal immortal invisible

The only wise God be honor and glory forever and ever.

Amen. See the see the word formula Glory forever and ever.

Amen the Apostle Paul Gives some beautiful words to the king.

He calls him the king eternal immortal invisible This rings off your tongue as you say it could make a song out of it

In fact, we had a scripture song of this verse Once the king eternal immortal invisible the only wise

God be honor and glory forever and ever In The third man is found in 2nd

Timothy 418 They all have to do with deliverance eternal deliverance and this deliverance of God's people brings him great glory for all eternity because it

Magnifies the one aspect of God that he seems most interested in magnifying and that is his grace.

I He chooses to magnify but that is the one he chooses to magnify the greatest he glorifies that attribute and the

Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and Will not might but will

Preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom Look at the word phrase to whom be glory forever and ever.

Amen Now I'll be honest with you. I did not look these verses up in my computer with that phrase

At all. I look these verses up because they had to do with deliverance and then I looked at him

I said my goodness, they all end with the same word phrase To him be glory and glory forever and ever.

Amen. They all in this way Look at first Peter 510

But the God of all grace who hath called us unto his eternal glory By Christ Jesus after that you have suffered a while Make you perfect establish strengthen and settle you

To him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Do you see every time he speaks of Eternal security in the sense of saying that he will keep you from every evil work that he will preserve you that he will

Make you perfect that he will establish you that he will strengthen and settle you Every time it says this it says to him be glory and dominion forever and ever.

Amen God is glorified by the salvation of his Saints God is glorified by the deliverance of those who were once sinners who once were just as blind to him as the lost world is and when they are brought to life and delivered and filled with the

Holy Spirit and walk For him and with him and in him in this world and the world views it and the world sees the power of God God is glorified in the highest

Jude 24 Gives you the fifth one Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling

Now, let me ask you. Do you think he's willing? We know he's able now because the verse tells us he's able is he willing?

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy to the only wise

God our Savior be Listened to the word phrase word formula glory and Majesty dominion and power both now and forever

Amen The five amens God's mercy is enabled

Because his deliverer has been sent forth and now his name is lifted up high the third reason

That the heavenly host proclaimed that God should be glorified in the highest Is because the heavens rejoiced

Because the whole earth was about to be filled with God's glory Isaiah chapter 6 verse 1

If you would turn there with me Isaiah chapter 6 verse 1 and then we'll go to Isaiah chapter 40 verse 1

You might find both of those Isaiah chapter 6 verse 1 in the year that King Uzziah died.

I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up and His train filled the temple

Above it stood the seraphims. I want you to notice the posture of the seraphims

Each one had six wings With two he covered his face

Now these seraphims are in the presence of God they're in the very presence of holiness itself and their job their ministry they were created for the sole purpose of protecting the holiness of God and keeping it totally separate from sin and Yet they stand in God's presence with their faces covered these holy creatures

Cannot uncover their faces in the presence of God's stark resplendent glory and So two of their wings are used to cover their face and two are covering their feet because the feet typify that part of them which would walk on this earth if they visited this earth and So since some of them do that from time to time,

I suppose they then cover their feet Signifying that they must have their feet covered in the presence of God and with the other two they did fly and One cried unto the other and said holy holy holy is the

Lord of hosts The whole earth is full of his glory

This is what they were proclaiming The whole earth was about to be filled with the glory of God because Jesus Christ who is the

Brightness of his glory and the express image of his person was about to be brought forth

Isaiah chapter 40 verse 3 the voice of him that crieth in the wilderness

Prepare ye the way of the Lord make straight in the desert a highway for our

God This was said of John the Baptist Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill shall be made low and the crooked shall be made straight in the rough places plain and the glory of the

Lord shall then be revealed and All flesh shall see it together

For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it behold the Lord God will come with strong hand

This is Jesus Christ and his arm shall rule for him.

Jesus is the arm of God Behold his reward is with him and his work is before him.

He shall feed his flock like a shepherd he shall gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom and shall

Gently lead those that are with young and the whole host of heaven

Glorified God as they Contemplated this thought as they contemplated that they were about to see that's what that which had been rumored in the heavenlies

For all eternity, but they had not been able to see for angels do not have foresight.

They are not omni they are not omniscient and Yet they had heard rumors of this and now they've been told this event is about to take place

Go celebrate with the shepherds and so they did

And they shouted glory to God in the highest Glory to God in the highest and the glory of the

Lord is about to be revealed and all flesh Shall see it together for the mouth of the

Lord hath proclaimed it Hebrews 1 3 says who being the brightness of his glory.

This is Jesus The express image of his person and Upholding all things by the word of his power

When he had by himself purged our sins. He is our deliverer

He sat down on the right hand of majesty on high the king of glory shall enter in through these gates having delivered

God's children So we see they shouted this proclamation

Glory to God in the highest number one because the king of glory was about to be revealed

Number two because his mercy was about to be freed up His deliverer was about to be sent and his name would be lifted on high because of his grace being magnified

And number three the whole earth Was about to be filled with his glory and the fourth reason that they proclaimed this is

Because the sons of glory Shall be revealed as witnesses of God's glory all of the sons of glory

Which includes us? shall be revealed as witnesses of his glory and Sovereignty by free to turn to Isaiah 43 in verse 6.

Why are you doing that? I'm gonna read a couple of short New Testament verses 2nd

Corinthians 4 6 says for God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ and Ephesians 1 5 having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself

According to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace

Wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved in whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace

Isaiah 43 6 talks about this fact That Jesus was sent to deliver the elect and Then the elect would be raised up.

They would be generated. They would be brought forth from Christ as witnesses of God's glory

Isaiah 43 6 I will say to the north give up and to the south keep not back

Bring my sons from far It says if God is speaking to the whole earth and saying

I want my elect to come from the north. I Want my elect to come forth from the south?

I want the earth to give it up just give up my elect and let them come to me. Keep not back

Bring my sons from far and my daughters from the ends of the earth Everyone that is called by my name for I have created him for my glory

Glory to God in the highest The one is about to come into this earth who is going to set free the captives who is going to set free all of the sons of God The earth itself is going to have to give them up the worldliness

The earthy part of the earth is going to have to give them up to that spiritual realm where they can exist forever and ever and have eternal life

Mortality must give up give way to Immortality because the deliverer from death the

Lord Jesus Christ is about to come to this earth No wonder they were proclaiming glory to God in the highest

We've heard this story from eternity past and now we see it coming to pass in time

Glory to God in the highest keep not back bring my sons from far my daughters from the ends of the earth

Even everyone that is called by my name for I've created them for my glory. I have formed them

Yea have made them Bring forth the blind people

So that now they can have eyes Bring forth the death because now they can hear my word and understand it

Let all the nations be gathered together Let the people be assembled who among them can declare this and show us former things

Let them bring forth their witnesses Are there any from the lost world any from the children of Satan who can bring forth a witness and show us?

the things from old Can They justify themselves or let them hear and say it is truth.

You are my witnesses The elect his children brought forth from all the corners of the world are the witnesses for God The others are witnessing for Satan God has brought forth his own witnesses

This event is about to take place these angels know it for the first time in their existence

They can sense it. They can feel it. They've been given inspiration from God in the sense that this event is about to take place that this one is about to be born into the world

Who will set free all of God's children who will be witnesses to the entire created universe of the goodness of God as?

opposed to the witness of Satan seed who try to talk about how God is nothing and So the

Bible says you are my witnesses saith the Lord and my servant whom I have chosen

That ye may know and believe me you had to be chosen so that you could know and believe him

Elsewise, you would never have known nor believed in him but he says I have chosen you that you may know and believe me and understand that I am

Have you heard that phrase before in Exodus chapter 3 verse 14? Moses says what name shall

I tell him who has sent me? They won't believe that God sent me What name should I tell him you are he said tell him

I am God sent thee he says I have chosen you so that you may know and believe and understand that I am

Before me there was no God formed. I have sent you forth as witnesses

I am sending the deliverer who can set you free so that you may be free to proclaim this to the whole universe for all eternity

That my grace may be lifted up that my grace may be glorified and that the world may know that I am because you say that I am you my witnesses say that I am and If there was no

God Formed before me neither shall there be any after me.

This is what we will witness of. I There is no deliverer

No, Savior. I Have declared I Have saved

I have showed That'd be a good sermon wouldn't I?

Have declared I prophesied this will happen. I Then brought it to pass. I brought

Jesus in the world and I have now saved and Then I have shown it to the whole world

This is God's revelation He's not held it back even from the non -elect.

They see it as well they don't choose to believe it, but they cannot deny the historical fact and I declared

I have saved I have showed When there was no strange God among the among you

Therefore you are my witnesses Say it the Lord You are my witnesses that I am

God Yay before the day was I am and There is none that can deliver out of my hand

I will work and Who? Shall let it who shall stop it

So we see that these angels were Glorifying God saying may he be glorified in the highest

Because they knew that the king of glory was about to be revealed on this planet they knew that that meant

God's mercy would be freed up and his deliverer would come and His name would be lifted on high in a way.

It had never been lifted up before on this earth And they also knew that the whole world would be filled with the glory of God when

Jesus was born in that manger But they also knew this they knew that that deliverer would deliver us and Free up our mouths and our bodies and our lives

To be witnesses to the whole world That God is the

I am and That God is the one Who was before any day and that God is the one who shall bring?

Things to pass and no one will stop it. He is the sovereign God of the universe

The angels were excited because they saw God's people about to be delivered and loosed to proclaim the great gospel message

Let's stand and have a prayer together Father we pray that you would inspire us through these words to be that light to this world as we go about our lives

And we go into places you send us. We rub elbows with the very people We're supposed to be next to those are probably the ones we should be witnessing to Lord Because that's how you work so free up our tongues and Free up our lives and our love

That we might be true witnesses to the people that we come into contact with in this life that we may be witnesses of you

That you might be glorified That you might be lifted up that it might be proclaimed that there is no other

God that Buddha and Muhammad and All of the other religions of the world are false images

There is no God, but you you are the great I am You are the one who has sent us forth

After having generated us from Jesus Christ Lord empower us to be the witness we ought to be in these last times as We study through the remainder of this passage in the next couple of Sundays father.

Would you help us to admire? the way That's it Simeon and Anna were ready

When the Savior came the first time may we be ready when he comes for us the second time

We ask you to bless our meal together our fellowship time and our afternoon service we ask it in Jesus name.