“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests!”“Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men.”Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men in whom he is well pleased.
13 sermons cite this verse
… and you will draw me into the situation to bring about what was formerly impossible do you see this it's this partnership again glory to god in the highest and on earth it's the connection it's the partnership of what god wants to do here he does through yielded willing vessels that just simply believe, not in their own significance. I believe in all that, but I'm not impressed with that. I'm really impressed with his significance. I'm really impressed with the fact that he could choose you and me and actually decide to work in us and through us. That's stunning to me. I still, I still shaking my head this morning at how much God loves people. I mean, I just, I think I get it. And then something else happens. I go, oh man, I'm just getting started in this help me please his love for people is so great Erica talked with one of the women in the church here talked about her and then introduced her just a few weeks ago and it was one of the ladies in the church I forget the full story but I think she was addicted to drugs homeless and just a bunch of stuff had just really gone sour in her life and just really really struggling and she was here She's now got a job. …
… Same angel goes to Joseph. And then nine months later, in Bethlehem, when Emmanuel is born, a whole host of angelic beings sing glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men in whom God is well pleased. So suddenly, after 400 years, God is back in the broadcasting business on KNGL, K-Angel, broadcasting through the heavens. But they were talking about somebody who was born in Bethlehem who would become God's ultimate source of revelation. The Word made flesh. That is, of course, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is heaven's best. And so back to Hebrews 1, God who at various times and various ways spoke in times past to our fathers by the prophets has in these last days spoken to us by his Son, whom he has made heir of all things. Now, with Jesus being on the earth, God spoke in a human voice. and what an incredible broadcast that was. When they came to arrest him, the temple guards came back not arresting him and their superiors said, why didn't you arrest him? …
… praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest and on earth. Drop the mic. Peace among those with whom he has placed. Same word. He came to bring peace. Shalom. So how? How do we receive this? how do we count it among those who experience this peace and the answer the Bible gives is beautiful so people read this among those with whom he is pleased and start thinking okay that means we have to work hard to clean ourselves up fix ourselves like Gabby was saying in that story she was telling earlier like what good works do I need to perform in order to please God what boxes do I need to check off but that is not what God says God says that peace with him is possible one way, follow this it's possible simply by trusting in who Jesus is and what he came to do for you let me show you this, Romans 5, 1 therefore, since we have been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, do you see this? …
… the just humbleness of it. And then the angel of the Lord goes out to find somebody. You know, the messenger says, somebody's gotta come see this. The Messiah, the Lord has been born and he goes out and he finds the night shift shepherds. Remember the shepherds were the lowest rung in society among Jewish people in the first century, and the knights of shepherds were the lowest of the low. And the messenger says, behold, I bring you good news of great joy for all people, not just some, but for all people. For unto you this day in the city of David is born a savior who is Christ the Lord. Savior was a term that was used both of God and of kings and warriors. It meant deliverer, rescuer. And the emperor took on that title himself. He was the savior of the world, he thought, when the Romans said. And then there's the title Christ. Christ is the Greek version of the Hebrew Messiah, which means anointed one, one in a sort of shorthand usually for king. …
… It's amazing. Behold, I bring you good news of great joy for all the people. All the people. For unto you this day in the city of David is born a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign to you, he says. you'll find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. In a manger? Our Savior, the Christ, the Lord? By the way, those three titles are really important. Savior is a term that's used of God and also of other earthly kings and warriors. It means deliverer, rescuer. The Emperor Augustus, who ordered the census, he took on the title of Savior of the world. And Christ is a word, it's not Jesus' last name. It means in Hebrew, Messiah is the, Mashiach is the Hebrew, means anointed one. It typically was shorthand for king. So he is the savior, he is the king. And then he's the Lord. And the Lord is the highest authority in a given realm. …
… Suddenly, a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest. And on earth, peace to men on whom his favor rests. this most significant person on earth, the angel said, is a savior. That word, obviously, is the word that leads to salvation. That's the same root word. But it also has another meaning, and the meaning is deliverer. I'm coming to set people free, to set the captive free, to set those in all kind of bondage free, to set everybody with chains holding them back free. That's what the angel said about Jesus, that he was the savior of the world. We talked a few Easter's ago. Were you here when we talked about this famous painting? It had been uncovered a few years ago. It actually was under another painting which had been painted on top of it. And as it was restored and recovered, it became clearer and clearer that this painting was done by Leonardo da Vinci, the lost da Vinci painting. …
… 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. So it was when the angels had gone away from them into heaven that the shepherds said to one another, let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us. Can you believe we got to hear about this? and they came, underline this next adjective, with haste. How'd they come? They came with haste. This is exciting. This is worth running for. And they found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger. Now, when they had seen him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this child. and all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. I know I'm gonna get a text message from my editor later. She's gonna be, I listened to this sermon. …
… seeking for what was announced at the birth of Christ. Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill towards men. It's the reason for this. It's the reason. Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace. what happens there is supposed to affect what happens here when I engage with what's happening there I become the most effective to bring that reality here peace one last comment and then we'll share in the bread and the body together in Ephesians chapter 2 Paul's talking about the separation of Jew and Gentile. I think it illustrates actually the greatest division in all of human history is the Jew and the Gentiles, those who are qualified for God, those who are not, the haves and the have-nots. You can fill out your list. It's these two. And it says in scripture that Jesus bore in his flesh, when he was crucified, when he died, he bore in his flesh the wall that divided them. Just think with me. …
… And then that great multitude of angels said, glory to God. in the highest heaven. The birth of Christ was about the glory of God. Christmas is about the glory of God. You're like, but wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. Unto you a child is born. Unto you a Savior is given. No, no, no. Christmas is about us. No, no, it is, yes. And on earth, peace to those on whom his favor rests. You get a massive benefit. But the glory in this whole moment is that there is a God who would come to earth in human form. Glory to God in the highest. Christ is the glory of God. For God who said, let light shine out of darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us, this is 2 Corinthians 4, the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ. the epicenter of where we see the glory of God, the weight and the worth of God on display, most clearly is in the face of Jesus Christ on earth. You see here as well in Hebrews, the sun is the radiance of God's glory, the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. He, the sun, Jesus, is the radiance of God's kabod of his weight and his worth. After he had provided purification for sins, He, Jesus, sat down at the right hand of the majesty in heaven. …
… praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest. On earth, peace. Peace, not worry. peace and goodwill toward men. Isn't that beautiful? That never gets old. One day closer to a miracle. The Bible said in Proverbs 27 in verse 1, boast not yourself of tomorrow for you do not know what a day may bring forth. sometimes the greatest accomplishment for a child of God is just weathering the day getting through the day making it through 24 hours of one of the worst days of your life it's not the years that are the great accomplishments it's not the days that everything is beautiful and miracles are happening it's not even the decades or the lifetime It's the days that we complete. I made it through that day. I won that awful day when that report came, that news came, that situation came. I made it. I won the day. Days that present a great reason to quit and give up. Days that whisper hopelessness and despair. …
… When He arrived, according to Luke 2, the angels were there to announce and declare and worship Him, glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace toward men with whom God is pleased, as we heard in that first Latin anthem. So the angels were offering their praise and worship at the first coming of Christ. There were also some saints who were praising God at the first coming. You would recognize them from the accounts of the birth of Christ. There was Anna. There was Simeon. There was Mary. And their testimonies as to the wonder of the arrival of Christ is the testimony of saints. So you have saints and angels hailing the arrival of the Son of God the first time He comes. The next time He comes is exactly where we are in Revelation 4. In anticipation of that, the angels again are worshiping, and they're not worshiping alone because in verse 10 of the fourth chapter it says, the twenty-four elders also fall down before Him who sits on the throne and will worship Him who lives forever and ever. …
… Suddenly a great company of the heavenly hosts appeared with the angel praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth, peace to those on whom his favor rests. When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about. So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child. And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherd said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. During this series of A Few Good Men, I've not used any subtitles for the sermons, but today I want to, as the Spirit will give guidance, as we examine and walk with these shepherds, today I want to talk to you about the dangers of darkness. …
… of what happens in that reality is supposed to be experienced here. It's supposed to have an effect here. How we think, how we live, what we live from, what we experience. Glory to God in the highest and on earth. Peace. Good will to men. I want us to read this passage out of Isaiah 9, and we're going to read just two verses here. We actually have quite a few verses, so just get your gospel track shoes on. I just, I don't know, I think today we'll just call it rambling. Rambling through Christmas, something like that. All right. Verse 6, Isaiah 9, verse 6, For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace, there will be no end. Upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice. …