Welcome
Call to Worship
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
And His greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty acts.
I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty,
And on Your wondrous works.
Psalm 145:3–5 (NKJV)
Hymn # 230 Thou Who Wast Rich beyond All Splendor
1 Thou who wast rich beyond all splendor, All for love's sake becamest poor; Thrones for a manger didst surrender, Sapphire-paved courts for stable floor. Thou who wast rich beyond all splendor, All for love's sake becomes poor.
2 Thou who art God beyond all praising, All for love's sake becamest man; Stooping so low, but sinners raising Heavenward by thine eternal plan. Thou who art God beyond all praising, All for love's sake becamest man.
3 Thou who art love beyond all telling, Savior and King, we worship thee. Emmanuel, within us dwelling, Make us what thou wouldst have us be. Thou who art love beyond all telling, Savior and King, we worship thee.
Call To Confession
Our Lord Jesus says, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ And also, ‘Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.’
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us... If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” Let us, therefore, confess ours sins to the Lord, saying together:
1 John 1:8 (NKJV)
Confession of Sins
Almighty and Gracious Father, we confess to you that we have sinned by not loving you with our whole heart and by not loving our neighbor as ourselves. Our faith is weak and we easily give in to doubt. Forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness in thought, word and deed. For we ask this in the name of your Son, who is our sure Redeemer and our Savior. Amen.
Word of Assurance
Brothers and Sisters in Jesus, our Gracious Heavenly Father has forgiven us our sins according to His word that "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins."
Colossians 1:13–14
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above, ye heav'nly host;
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Scripture Lesson: Luke 2:8-35
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.
11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
15 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.”
16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.
17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.
18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.
20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
21 And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.
22 Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord
23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”),
24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law,
28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:
29 “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word;
30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation
31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”
33 And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him.
34 Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against
35 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
Sermon
Hymn # Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery
1 Come behold the wondrous myst’ry in the dawning of the king;
He the theme of heaven's praises Robed in frail humanity.
In our longing, in our darkness now the Light of Life has come;
Look to Christ who condescended Took on flesh to ransom us.
2 Come behold the wondrous myst’ry He the perfect son of man;
In His living, in His suffering Never trace nor stain of sin.
See the true and better Adam come to save the hellbound man;
Christ the great and sure fulfillment Of the law; in Him we stand.
3 Come behold the wondrous myst’ry, Christ the Lord upon the tree;
In the stead of ruined sinners Hangs the Lamb in victory.
See the price of our redemption, see the Father's plan unfold;
Bringing many sons to glory, Grace unmeasured, love untold.
4 Come behold the wondrous myst’ry Slain by death the God of life;
but no grave could e'er restrain him, Praise the Lord, He is alive!
What a foretaste of Deliv’rance, How unwavering our hope;
Christ in power resurrected, As we will be when he comes.
Prayer of the Church with the Lord’s Prayer
Let us pray together as Jesus taught us:
“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
Hymn # From the Squalor of a Borrowed Stable
1 From the squalor of a borrowed stable, By the Spirit and a virgin’s faith; To the anguish and the shame of scandal Came the Saviour of the human race. But the skies were filled with the praise of heaven, Shepherds listen as the angels tell Of the Gift of God come down to man At the dawning of Immanuel.
2 King of heaven now the Friend of sinners, Humble servant in the Father’s hands, Filled with power and the Holy Spirit, Filled with mercy for the broken man. Yes, He walked my road and He felt my pain, Joys and sorrows that I know so well; Yet His righteous steps give me hope again – I will follow my Immanuel.
3 Through the kisses of a friend’s betrayal, He was lifted on a cruel cross; He was punished for a world’s transgressions, He was suffering to save the lost. He fights for breath, He fights for me, Loosing sinners from the claims of hell; And with a shout our souls are free – Death defeated by Immanuel.
4 Now He’s standing in the place of honour, Crowned with glory on the highest throne, Interceding for His own beloved Till His Father calls to bring them home! Then the skies will part as the trumpet sounds Hope of heaven or the fear of hell; But the Bride will run to her Lover’s arms, Giving glory to Immanuel!
Benediction
