The psalmist tells us to sing a new song, not just here, but in Psalm 33 .3, Psalm 40, verse 3, 96 .1, 98 .1, Psalm 144 .9, Psalm 149 .1. He tells us over and over again, sing a new song. Now, that word in the Hebrew, new, everybody say new, it means fresh. It means fresh. [00:42:54] (26 seconds)






And I contend you can even sing an old song with a fresh new. In fact, I think you would agree with me, if you have walked with God for any amount of time, you can go through some trials in life, and an old song takes on a whole new meaning. [00:43:20] (20 seconds)






Jesus is the friend of sinners. He came to seek and save. The lost. And so, I want you to get this. Jesus came to live a perfect life that I could not live. To die on the cross and pay for my sin. He took upon himself. He who knew no sin became sin for me. And then the Bible says he imputed. [00:54:43] (22 seconds)






And that's why he came. And that's what he is doing. Salvation. Salvation is a gift. You can't earn it. You can't save yourself. It's something he had to provide for us. And it says here he remembered his love and faithfulness to Israel. What did he say to Abraham and to the people of Israel? I'm going to bless you. And through you, all the nations of the world will be blessed. [00:55:14] (22 seconds)






Christmas means salvation has come. When we take the bread and we take the cup, it's a picture of salvation. It's his body, his blood that he willingly laid down for us that our sins could be forgiven. It's all about salvation. [00:58:48] (22 seconds)






The fourth and last thing I want you to see is this. The second coming of the king. Now, look at this. What the psalmist said in the last verse. Last verse, verse 9. For he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world righteously and the peoples fairly. [00:59:17] (19 seconds)






He's not just king of the Jews. He's king of kings. He's Lord of lords. He's going to rule. He's going to rule the world with truth and grace. And he's going to make the nations prove the glories of his righteousness and the wonders of his love. I'm just telling you, the same Jesus who was revealed, who was made known to us, is coming again. [01:00:41] (20 seconds)






And the world has no problem with a baby. But the world doesn't want a king. Everybody loves babies, right? But nobody wants somebody to take charge of their life. I'm just telling you, Jesus is the baby born in Bethlehem, but he's no ordinary child. [01:01:01] (19 seconds)






Look at what the songwriter said here. No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground. Where do these thorns come from? Where does sin and sorrow come from? It comes from the curse. He comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found. How far is the curse found? It's worldwide. [01:02:37] (24 seconds)






Now, as you go to take communion today, I want to remind you that his first coming was for salvation. That's what the bread. And the blood represents. But his second coming will be about judgment. He's going to make every wrong right. Everything that you've ever dealt with, it's going to be finally once and for all. [01:04:01] (29 seconds)






Do you have room for Jesus in your schedule, in your calendar? Do you have room for Jesus in your relationships? Do you have room for Jesus in your finances? Do you have room for Jesus in your life? In everything that you do, I want you to know real joy is only found when you surrender everything to Jesus Christ as Lord. Would you bow with me for prayer? [01:07:02] (26 seconds)

Well, good morning, Liberty, and Merry Christmas to all of our church family and to those who are our guests. Who's glad to be in church today?

I'd also like to give a shout out to those who are online, missionary families, military families, and men and women in the Virginia Department of Corrections. Wherever you are joining us from, Merry Christmas to you. And we're excited about studying the Word of God together.

And today's a special day in that we have planned communion, Christmas communion. So at our campuses, you can get the prepackaged elements already ready. And that will keep you safe and healthy and nobody sick. All right? And nobody else touched it but you, right? Once you open the package.

And then at home or wherever you are watching online, you can get some juice, some bread, some crackers. We'll be ready. I want you to know that it's here. Everybody say, "It's here."

Tomorrow we start Christmas Eve services, 6:30 tomorrow night. And then on Tuesday, 2 o'clock and 4 o'clock. Now note the times, 2 o'clock and 4 o'clock. That's different times than we have. It's a little earlier than we've done in the past, all right? So just make note of those times. And please be inviting people to come.

Today is going to be a critical day. Today and tomorrow, everywhere you go, hand out these cards. I don't want to see any left at our campuses. I want them in the hands of people because people will come at Christmas and Easter when they will come no other time. So be inviting your friends to come.

One other thing I would say is today is the Sunday before Christmas. Therefore, make sure you pick up the devotional for the new year. And if you don't have a copy or want to give a friend a copy, "Goodbye Fear: Overcoming Anxiety, 365 Days a Year." I tell you, people tell me they read it every day. And we believe it was written to encourage both you and the people you love to draw closer to Jesus.

Well, we're in this series called "Carols." And I've tried my best to cover some of the favorites, you know. And today I want to invite you to take your Bible and turn to Psalm 98, Psalm 98.

I've tried to cover, and let me just go ahead and tell you. Can I let you in on a secret? All right, Christmas Eve is going to be a holy night. It's going to be awesome. You don't want to miss it at all of our campuses.

So a special time going over all the carols. And, you know, we're going to cover one today that's a favorite. And I apologize that I didn't get to yours because I only had four Sundays. Right? So I couldn't get them all. I mean, I know you're disappointed I didn't get to "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer." I didn't. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

All right. But today is "Joy to the World." "Joy to the World." And I want you to see that it comes from Psalm 98. The song was written in 1719 by Isaac Watts. After that time, British churches sang only the Psalms of David. But as a young man, Isaac was dissatisfied, frustrated with the limitations of singing only the Psalms.

So he is the father of hymns. Isaac Watts introduced to the church something new called hymns. They were not well received. Now, he didn't neglect the Psalms. In fact, he wrote a whole hymnal based on the Psalms interpreted through Jesus and the New Testament. But he had an arch enemy named Thomas Bradbury, who was very critical of the hymns. And he called them whims.

Yeah, you can't make this stuff up. You see, worship wars have been around a long time. And, in fact, Cain killed Abel over style of worship. Think about it. All right. It goes all the way back to Genesis.

Let me read you something. Did you all know that Billy Graham was a great singer? When he was alive, he used to have a column in the newspaper. If you don't know what a newspaper is, go online, and you can look that up and figure it out. All right?

And so they would write questions in to Dr. Graham, and he would answer them. And so somebody wrote saying, "I don't like the new music in the church," to which he responded.

He said, "God has given us the gift of music to praise him. The Psalmist declared, 'With singing lips, my mouth will praise you.' Instead of complaining about the new songs, I urge you to ask God to help you. Be grateful for all music that points us to God, new or old. You may not like it, but others do. And God can use it to encourage them and draw them closer to Christ. Remember, the old hymns that you liked were once new. And somebody probably didn't like them either."

He said, "Sometimes I'm afraid a hymn can become a familiar. So familiar. Somehow. I think that's the answer. Or, in ways, it's the other way around. But I think that when you pop up to teach, that it's something that gets evident. It's powerful. It gets production more than it does daily, that it's really..."

We should not just sing the words without really thinking about them. So we're doing that through carols. We're really thinking about what these Christmas carols have to say.

Now, this guy named Bradbury, he did not like the new hymns, okay? But you've never heard of him. "Joy to the World," we've been singing for over 300 years. All right? So don't get upset when people criticize. In fact, let me just give you this, all right? Don't listen to criticism from somebody you wouldn't seek advice from. And everybody say it. Amen.

"Joy to the World." Look at it here. "Joy to the World, the Lord is come. Let earth receive her king. Let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing."

Let's pray. Father, I pray right now we would prepare our hearts to worship you. And I pray that in a fresh new way we would see this song and that you would speak to us, to every person, whatever is going on in their lives, that you'll speak through this song and even more through Holy Scripture.

And, Lord, I pray that we would be changed and love you more and more like Jesus. In Jesus' name. And everybody said, "Amen."

Well, the first thing I want you to write down as we look at Psalm 98 is the song of the king. And the whole, I mean, "Joy to the World, the Lord is come. Let earth receive her king."

And so the whole psalm is about this, the king, and the first thing we read about is the song of the king. "Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has performed wonders. Let the whole earth shout for the Lord. Be jubilant, shout for joy, and sing. With trumpets, with the blast of the ram's horn, shout triumphantly in the presence of the Lord our king."

Then he starts talking about let heaven and nature sing. So he starts talking about here the earth. It says, "The sea and all that fills it. The world and all those who live in it resound. Let the rivers clap their hands. Let the mountains shout together for joy."

So this song, "Joy to the World," was Isaac Watts' interpretation of Psalm 98 in light of Jesus, in light of the New Testament. All right? And so basically he said we've got a reason to shout. We've got a reason to sing because the Savior has come. And I think he nailed it.

"Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns. Let men their songs employ." Sing a new song. All right? You tracking with me?

"While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains," it talks about all of creation repeating this sounding joy. And so we read here just really Scripture put into song for a new day, for his day. And we've still been singing it, as I said, for 300 years.

You know, new songs are important. I love the new songs that our team's writing because they're based on Scripture. They exalt Jesus. The psalmist tells us to sing a new song, not just here, but in Psalm 33:3, Psalm 40, verse 3, Psalm 96:1, 98:1, Psalm 144:9, Psalm 149:1. He tells us over and over again, "Sing a new song."

Now, that word in the Hebrew, new, everybody say "new," it means fresh. It means fresh. And I contend you can even sing an old song with a fresh new. In fact, I think you would agree with me, if you have walked with God for any amount of time, you can go through some trials in life, and an old song takes on a whole new meaning.

I think back about a song that we sing from time to time. Here's a little chorus. "God is so good. God is so good. God is so good. He's so good to me."

And you know, that song took on new meaning when Tammy and I were in a hospital holding our little baby, a little boy who was dead. And like Job, who said, "The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." As my wife and I cried, she broke into singing, singing "God is so good."

And I'm just telling you, I've never sung that song the same way again. It always takes me back to that place and that time. And it's like that. When we sing even an old song, it can take on a fresh new meaning.

If you grew up in church, you remember the hymn, "We're Marching to Zion." "We're marching to Zion." Well, it has a verse that says, "Let those refuse to sing who never knew our God." God wants us to sing.

If you've been reading in your one-year Bible, God sings over us. And so, he wants his people to sing, and we have a reason to sing. Why? Look back. He says right here, because he's performed wonders.

I want you to just stop right now and just think about the wonderful things God's done in your life this week, this month, this year. God is so good. Can I have an amen?

And so, the one word that ought to describe Christians and ought to describe Christmas is joy. Everybody say "joy."

A student once asked Spurgeon, the great preacher in England, "What should you look like when you preach on heaven?" He said, "Your face. Your eyes should light up, and your eyes should sparkle."

Another student said, "Well, then, what do we look like when we preach on hell?" He said, "Just look normal."

Now, it's funny, isn't it? It's funny. But we love these songs about heaven. "When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be."

And so, in the parable that talks about a lost sheep, lost coin, and lost son, it tells us about the rejoicing in heaven. Luke 15:7, "I tell you in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who don't need repentance."

Jesus said, "I came for the sick; the well, they don't need a physician." And so, I want you to know that the reason we rejoice when people give their life to Christ is there's rejoicing in heaven.

And there is no greater joy than seeing someone that you know, a family member, a friend, a neighbor, a coworker, put their faith in Christ. No joy like seeing them following baptism. No joy like seeing their lives radicalized, practically changed by the power of the gospel.

So, here it is. Who's going to be in heaven because of you? I'm telling you, tomorrow you have an opportunity. And on Tuesday, you have an opportunity to get people here. And if you get them here, I promise you, I'm going to do everything I can to give them Jesus.

And we're going to make it hard for anybody to leave lost from Christmas Eve services. And everybody said. So, I want you to do your part. I want you to get people to come and get people here.

I also want you to know that they can expect not only that on Christmas Eve, they can expect it 52 Sundays out of the year. Two weeks, really out of 52 weeks, I ask you to intentionally invite, invite, invite. Two weeks out of 52. Why? It's Christmas and Easter. They're more likely to come at Christmas and Easter.

And so, I encourage you to do your part. And we're going to do everything we can. And listen. Listen, if God changes their life and they come every Sunday, let me tell you what they can expect on Christmas Eve and all 52 Sundays out of the year.

We're going to start with praise. That's why we have a clap down at the beginning. "Clap your hands, all you people. Shout unto God with a voice of triumph."

We start out with praise. Let me show it to you in the Bible. Psalm 34:3. "Oh, magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name." Everybody say it. Amen. Together.

You say, "That's Old Testament." Well, look at the New Testament, Ephesians 5:19. It says the same thing. "We speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with our heart to the Lord."

Praise is horizontal. I'm encouraging you. You're encouraging me. We're going to praise God together. But we take you on a journey. We start out, "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise."

But then we move to a place, before we open God's word together, that it's just you and God. And the Bible says that's worship. Psalm 95:6. "Come, let us bow down in worship. Let us kneel before the Lord, our maker."

Ultimately, we're encouraging, exhorting one another to praise him. Why? Because we want all of our focus to be on him.

And so we think about, number one, the song of the king. I told you. Praise is horizontal. Worship is vertical. You and God.

Now, people ask other questions like, "Why don't we sing new songs?" Well, I just told you. The book of Psalms tells you to. Also, the book of Revelation tells you to. It's like a parent being asked, "Well, why do you have to get new clothes for your kids? Why do you have to have new shoes?" Because they're growing.

And if you have a growing relationship with God, you're singing old songs with new meaning, and you're singing a new song to the Lord.

People say, "Well, why don't we repeat the same phrases over and over again?" Well, here it is. In Psalm 119, the word of God is repeated 175 times. In Psalm 136, "His love endures forever. His love endures forever." That phrase is repeated 26 times.

Let me tell you, we've got 12 grandchildren. Ooh, Christmas is loud and fun at our house. Amen.

But with every one of them, from 13 down to now a year old, when they were little, I'd take them, every one of them, and I could throw them in the air, and they'd smile. I would come on, and the joy, I could bounce them on my knee, and the moment I stopped, you know what they said?

"Again, again, again."

They wanted to do it again, do it again. And we come to God in worship with the heart of a child. We just want to be with our Heavenly Father again. Come on, somebody, put your hands together and praise God.

And love, notice this. I'm going to move on from point one. Love gives the other person what they like.

Can you imagine it being Miss Tammy's birthday, and I say, "Honey, I'm going to do something special for you on your birthday. I'm going to take you hunting. We're going to get up at 4 a.m., 20 degrees. We're going outside. We're going to put deer scent on. We're going to climb up a tree, sit out there. It's going to be so cold, you can't feel the end of your toes, and you'll get to be with me."

No, let me tell you. When it's somebody's birthday, you give them what they like.

I got a big one coming up on the 30th of December. You know, my birthday and Jesus' is both in the same month. I'm just throwing that out.

Well, it was funnier to me than it was to you. I mean, anyway, December 30th is going to be my birthday, and it's a big one. It's one that's got a zero at the end of it, all right?

So my staff the other day, I can't even remember them ever giving me a birthday party. Man, they gave me a birthday party. Everything was red and black. Everything. It was Georgia football.

They had a video playing like they play at the stadium. They had banners everywhere. It was the best birthday ever. It's awesome. It's awesome, all right?

Why? Because, listen, when it's somebody's birthday, you give them what they like. It's Jesus' birthday, y'all. We're celebrating him. We give him what he likes, and he's very specific in the word what he likes. He likes singing.

Listen. He likes instruments. He likes shouting. He likes joy, all right?

Number two, not only the song of the king, but the strength of the king. Look at verse one. "His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him."

And so I want you to think about strength here. The Lord delivered his people from Egypt. Wasn't any problem whatsoever. He delivered his people from Babylon. Wasn't any problem for God. Nothing's too difficult for him.

And that's why Jesus came. To deliver us from our sin. To set the captives free. What has he set you free from? What stronghold? What addiction? What sickness? What enemy? What has Jesus delivered you from?

You've got a reason to sing. You've got a reason to be filled with joy. Tammy and I, we were over at Harborview. Shout out to Harborview. We were there for all three services last Sunday.

And you know what? Two people, different times, between services came up to us. A man and one servant. A woman and the other. And said, "I've been battling cancer all year. And just this past week, they've told me I'm cancer free."

Come on, somebody give Jesus all the praise.

What has Jesus delivered you from? Military might? You know, man measures might by military might. We do that in the U.S. They do it in Russia. They do it in China the same way. They do it the same way back in the Persians and the Greeks and the Romans.

The psalmist said, "No, the might is in the hand of God. It's the holy arm of God that brought down Egypt, that brought down Babylon."

And you see, God is in control in all the affairs of this world. You can lean on the everlasting arms of God.

Listen, behind his hand is his holy arm. And behind his holy arm is the omnipotence, the power of almighty God. And so, he's in charge of the whole world. He's got the whole world in his hands.

Listen, this is worth coming to church for right here. And while he's got the whole world in his hands, he is concerned about every detail in your everyday life.

That's the God that we serve. You're weak this Christmas, let me tell you, find strength in him. The song of the king, the strength of the king.

Number three, the salvation of the king. Let's pick back up in verse two. Are you awake? Say amen.

"The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. He's remembered his love and his faithfulness to Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God."

And so, we see here that Christmas is about salvation. Salvation has come. God incarnate, holy God taking on human flesh. Jesus is the friend of sinners. He came to seek and save the lost.

And so, I want you to get this. Jesus came to live a perfect life that I could not live. To die on the cross and pay for my sin. He took upon himself. He who knew no sin became sin for me.

And then the Bible says he imputed. He transferred from his account to my account. Here it is. His righteousness. Somebody say amen.

And that's why he came. And that's what he is doing. Salvation. Salvation is a gift. You can't earn it. You can't save yourself. It's something he had to provide for us.

And it says here he remembered his love and faithfulness to Israel. What did he say to Abraham and to the people of Israel? "I'm going to bless you. And through you, all the nations of the world will be blessed."

And so, God remembers his promises. We may forget. You may forget where you bought that present. You can't find it now. It's Christmas, right?

Yeah. You may get to a place one day you can't even remember your own name. But God will remember. Because our names are written in heaven. Amen.

Listen. Spurgeon and the treasury of David said that this psalm is the only psalm that has the title simply "psalm." Just psalm. But it's announcing the king's arrival.

So he said it must be the psalm of all. All psalms. It's announcing that Jesus has come.

Now, I've got to point out to you that there's a striking parallel between this psalm, Psalm 98, and Mary's song in Luke 1. It's a story that Gabriel came. He tells this young unmarried virgin in Nazareth. She's going to be the mother of the Messiah. That her very son is going to be the son of God.

He explains to her and answers her questions. How this is going to happen. And then she did what you would have done. Or I. She went and told somebody else. And she didn't tell Joseph. He wasn't ready for that.

She let God tell him about that. She went and told Elizabeth. And Elizabeth was pregnant with John the Baptist. And the Bible says, we're talking about joy. Everybody say joy.

Listen. When she told the news to Elizabeth, John the Baptist leaped for joy, the Bible says, in his mother's womb. And Mary. Verse 46 in a psalm. We call it the Magnificat. And it's in Luke 1:46. "My soul magnifies the Lord. My spirit rejoices in God my Savior."

Now the psalmist said what? "Sing to him a new song. Because he's done wonderful things." Look at the comparisons. "He's done great things for me. His mercy is from generation to generation for those who fear him."

It's for Israel. It's for the ends of the earth. Remember? "He has done a mighty deed with his arm." It's just like Mary had been reading Psalm 98.

"He has helped his servant Israel remembering his mercy." Now, let me ask you. What does true joy look like? What should joy look like in your life?

There is no greater joy than knowing you've been used of God to make a difference in somebody else's life. That you've been used. You've been used of God to make a difference, to have an impact on the next generation.

When we think about the end of the year and the big give offering and Lottie Moon Christmas offering, that's it. Joy, J-O-Y, is Jesus first, others, and then you. Jesus, others, and you.

And as we take Christmas communion in a moment, I want you to remember the words of David. Do you know what he said? He said, "Restore unto me the joy of your salvation."

Christmas means salvation has come. When we take the bread and we take the cup, it's a picture of salvation. It's his body, his blood that he willingly laid down for us that our sins could be forgiven. It's all about salvation.

The fourth and last thing I want you to see is this. The second coming of the king. Now, look at this. What the psalmist said in the last verse. Last verse, verse 9.

"For he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world righteously and the peoples fairly." That's what the songwriter said. "He rules the world with truth and grace."

He's going to judge righteously and fairly. And he's going to make the nations prove. Prove.

Have you ever looked at somebody and said, "Well, prove it. Just prove it." You know, sometimes, you know, these teams go around saying, "We're number one, we're number one, we're number one." Well, you've got to prove it. You've got to win. Right?

And I know this has never happened to you. And it never happens to me and Tammy. But hypothetically, let's just say y'all have a disagreement. And you're trying to see which one's right.

I tell her she missed her calling. She should have been a lawyer. Because she'll say, "Prove it. Show me you're right. Prove it." I call her Perry Mason sometimes. Just Perry Mason. Prove it. Prove it.

Let me tell you, watch this. One day Jesus is going to prove it to the whole world. He's not just king of the Jews. He's king of kings. He's Lord of lords. He's going to rule.

He's going to rule the world with truth and grace. And he's going to make the nations prove the glories of his righteousness and the wonders of his love.

I'm just telling you, the same Jesus who was revealed, who was made known to us, is coming again. And the world has no problem with a baby.

But the world doesn't want a king. Everybody loves babies, right? But nobody wants somebody to take charge of their life.

I'm just telling you, Jesus is the baby born in Bethlehem, but he's no ordinary child. He turned water to wine. He walked on the water. He spoke to the wind and waves, and they obeyed him.

Think about this. He got on a colt that was unbroken, never been ridden. Rode it through a crowd, chanting, waving palm branches. He's in control of his creation.

He caused a whole school of fish to swim into Peter's net. Caused one fish to come up with a coin in its mouth to pay his taxes. Took the fish and the bread and multiplied it and fed the multitudes.

I want you to know he cast out demons. He healed the sick. He gave sight to the blind. He made the lame to walk, the deaf to hear. I want you to know he is no ordinary child.

And he raised the dead. And notice when he died on the cross. For your sin. And my sin. And the sin of the world. The sun refused to shine.

In the middle of the day. The whole earth shook. Why? Because he's creator. He's Lord of all. And the Bible says in Romans chapter 8 that even creation groans for the Lord's return.

Look at what the songwriter said here. "No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground." Where do these thorns come from? Where does sin and sorrow come from? It comes from the curse.

"He comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found." How far is the curse found? It's worldwide. There's nothing that it hasn't affected.

Jesus was the only one who was perfect. That's why he had to be virgin born. Because sin is passed down through the seed of the man. He's virgin born.

And he's not. And listen, I love this. While we're dealing with sorrow and suffering, I mean, Isaac Newton. He knew what sin and sorrow was.

He dealt with such disease and his own illness that he had to stop pastoring. He knew rejection. His bride rejected him and his wedding proposal. The man knew sorrow. He knew rejection. He knew suffering.

But look at this. The Bible says Jesus on the cross was made a curse for us. So the curse could be removed. That the second Adam would remove everything that the first Adam brought on us.

Now, as you go to take communion today, I want to remind you that his first coming was for salvation. That's what the bread and the blood represents.

But his second coming will be about judgment. He's going to make every wrong right. Everything that you've ever dealt with, it's going to be finally once and for all.

Every wrong will be made right. In fact, let me put it to you like this. The first Christmas promises the rest of Christmas. Here it is.

The first time he came, he's Emmanuel. God. God with us. But when he comes again, it's us with God.

The first time he came as Savior. The second coming, he comes as king. The first coming was to bring us forgiveness. The second coming will be to give us freedom, freedom out of this world of sin.

The first coming is all about faith. We walk by faith. We wait on him to return by faith. Oh, no, but listen, the second coming is gonna be face to face. We'll see him as he is.

The first coming was to give us hope. The second coming, heaven, heaven. Every wrong made right.

And so the psalm ends here with creation anticipating the Lord's coming judgment, which will be fair and will be righteous.

And I want you to remember that as you take communion today. That his first coming is salvation. And the second coming is gonna be in judgment and on the cross, hallelujah, he took the judgment that I deserve.

Will not be judged when he returns. No, heaven and hell is not in question because of the cross.

And the Bible says when you come to the Lord's table, remember that, 1 Corinthians 11:26, "For as often as you eat the bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death, here it is, till he comes."

The New Testament begins with the night Jesus was born and the New Testament ends with the book of Revelation.

And it's right here, it begins with Luke 2:10, "But the angel said, don't be afraid. Look, I proclaim to you good news, good news of great, everybody say, joy."

And so it starts out with his birth, but it ends, Revelation 11:15, "The seventh angel sounded his trumpet." And Psalm 98, it talks about the trumpet.

And in the book of Revelation, trumpets, every time a trumpet is blown, another judgment comes on the earth. "The seventh angel sounded his trumpet and there were loud voices in heaven which said, the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah and he will reign, how long? Forever and ever."

You see, Psalm 98 brings it all together. His first coming, his second coming. Revelation 12:10 says, "Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, now have come the salvation and power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Messiah."

That's why Isaac Watts wrote this. "Joy to the world, the Lord is come."

I've got a really simple question for you. Do you have room for Jesus in your life? Do you have room for Jesus in your schedule, in your calendar? Do you have room for Jesus in your relationships? Do you have room for Jesus in your finances?

Do you have room for Jesus in your life? In everything that you do, I want you to know real joy is only found when you surrender everything to Jesus Christ as Lord.

Would you bow with me for prayer? And would you pray something like this if you are coming to God for the first time? Or maybe you've gotten away from God and you're coming back. Just pray something like this.

Just say, "Jesus, I surrender everything to you. My heart, my life, everything. Save me. Forgive me. Set me to live the rest of my life following you, pleasing you. I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. That you died for my sin and rose from the dead. And I ask you to be the Lord, the King of my life."

In Jesus' name. And everybody said, "Amen."

Can we rejoice for those who prayed that prayer? And I'm going to ask you to find that connection card in our campuses.

And you can fill that out and put it in the basket as you leave today. Or better yet, take it to the Next Step Center.

I would also say that for those who are church family, you consider Liberty your church home. You can take it to the Next Step Center. Text GIVE to 40371. Or you can give in the baskets today or online as you think about a year-end giving.

Remember, the wise men brought three gifts. And I want you to remember the general fund, the big gift, and our international missions offering.

Well, as I said to you today, we're going to end with Christmas communion. So I want to invite you and all of our campuses to get the prepackaged Lord's Supper elements. And get it ready.

And if you don't have it and you need to go to the door and get it in a moment, we're going to stand and sing and you can do that. At home, I would invite you to just get some bread or crackers and some juice and prepare to take the Lord's Supper together.

We're going to do that right now. And if at home you're not ready, that's okay. You can do it any time during this song. Remember, this is between you and the Lord.

Number one, it's only for believers. For those who have confessed Jesus as Lord. The Bible says examine yourself to make sure that there's nothing between you and Jesus.

J-O-Y. I think that O can represent there's nothing, nothing that separates me from Jesus. That you have peace with God.

And after he gave thanks, he gave it to his disciples and said, "This is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the forgiveness."

Stand at our campuses and we're going to pray together and have a time of singing, time of reflection, time when you can come to the altar and pray. You respond as God leads you.

Father, thank you. Thank you that you sent Jesus to do for us what we could not do for ourselves.

I thank you today for the blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses us from all unrighteousness. That there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Thank you that all of our sins were paid for on the cross, past, present, and even future. And Lord, we want to take our bodies and offer them as a living sacrifice to you today. Fill us with the Holy Spirit.

I pray, Lord, that with every breath that we are given as a gift from God, we'll use it to praise you. And Lord, we ask that you would receive our worship now through singing, praying, through giving, through inviting.

God, I pray for every person that's going to be invited to come to a Christmas Eve service. Would you prepare their heart to receive? Receive that invitation.

And even more, I pray that they will come and hear your invitation. That they'll put their faith and trust in Christ. That the many prayers we've prayed for 21 days of prayer would be answered, that we would see a harvest here at the end of this year.

And Lord, I pray that the joy that we've experienced, the joy you've given to us, that we will take to the world.

Subject: Celebrating the Joy of Salvation This Christmas

Dear Liberty Live Church,

What a joy it was to celebrate the profound message of "Joy to the World" with you all last Sunday. As we gathered, we reflected on the timeless carol inspired by Psalm 98, which calls us to sing a new song to the Lord and rejoice in the salvation brought by Jesus Christ. This message of joy and hope reminds us of the power of music to draw us closer to God and the gift of salvation that we cannot earn but receive through Christ's sacrifice. As we prepare for Christmas, we also anticipate His return, when every promise will be fulfilled.

In this season of celebration, let us be intentional in sharing the joy of the gospel with those around us. There is no greater joy than seeing lives transformed by the message of Christ. May we find true joy in surrendering our lives to Jesus, ensuring that He is at the center of all we do. As we invite others to experience this joy, let us remember that our efforts can have an eternal impact.

Blessings,
Liberty Live Church Team