Sounding Joy, Part 1: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Brian Behrends, Creative Pastor

Psalm 150
Praise the Lord.
Praise God in his sanctuary;
      praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power;
      praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
      praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with timbrel and dancing,
      praise him with the strings and pipe,
praise him with the clash of cymbals,
      praise him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.

God uses song…

• To bring down walls (Joshua 6:20)
• To break chains (Acts 16:26)
• To take down armies (2 Chronicles 20:21–24)
• To silence the enemy (Psalm 8:2)
• To join us with heaven’s song (Revelation 4:8)

Isaiah 7:14
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

3 Repeating Movements
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      2.     
      2.      
      3.

Philippians 4:4 
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

The Truth of Christmas:
We Jesus to come.

O Come, Emmanuel (Isaiah 7:14)

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

O Come, Branch of Jesse’s Stem (Isaiah 11:1)

“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.”

O Come, Bright and Morning Star (Numbers 24:17 Good News Translation)

“I look into the future, And I see the nation of Israel. A king, like a bright star, will arise in that nation.”

O Come, Desire of Nations (Haggai 2:7 New King James Version)

“I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts.”

Small Group Questions

1. On a scale of 1-10, how much do you enjoy Christmas music and why?
2. Why do you think God talks about and uses music so much in scripture?
3. Do you find it easy or difficult to connect with God through song? Why?
4. Most of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” is a simple invitation for God to come. How can we practically invite God into our lives this Christmas season? How can we invite others?
5. How can we cultivate a habit of praise, even when life feels chaotic or difficult?
6. What’s one way you’d love to see God at work in your life this season, and how can we help you take the next step in that?
7. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?