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PRELUDE – “Oh Holy Night” by Sarah Macintosh
WELCOME & CALL TO WORSHIP – Psalm 145:3 (NIV)
Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
Song –
“Angels from the Realms of Glory” by Henry Thomas Smart and James Montgomery
Advent means ‘arrival’ or ‘coming’ and is a season of anticipation preparing our hearts for and looking forward to Christmas – the celebration of Christ’s birth and first coming.
Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent and so we light the last three weeks’ candles of expectation and today’s candle symbolizing the joyful announcement of Jesus’ birth.
Isaiah 52:7-10
How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings good news,
who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,
who publishes salvation,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
The voice of your watchmen – they lift up their voice;
together they sing for joy;
for eye to eye they see
the return of the Lord to Zion.
Break forth together into singing,
you waste places of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted his people;
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
The Lord has bared his holy arm
before the eyes of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth shall see
the salvation of our God.
Luke 2:8-20
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field,
keeping watch over their flock by night.
And an angel of the Lord appeared to them,
and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
and they were filled with great fear.
And the angel said to them,“Fear not,
for behold, I bring you good news of great joy
that will be for all the people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David
a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
And this will be a sign for you:
you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths
and lying in a manger.”
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 among those with whom he is pleased!”
When the angels went away from them into heaven,
the shepherds said to one another,
“Let us go over to Bethlehem
and see this thing that has happened,
which the Lord has made known to us.”
And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph,
and the baby lying in a manger.
And when they saw it, they made known the saying
that had been told them concerning this child.
And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.
But Mary treasured up all these things,
pondering them in her heart.
And the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen,
as it had been told them.
O God, who makes us glad with the yearly remembrance of the birth of your only Son Jesus Christ: Grant that as we joyfully receive him as our Redeemer, so we may with sure confidence behold him when he shall come to be our Judge; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.
Light the four candles.
Song –
“Angels We Have Heard On High” by Edward Shippen Barnes and James Chadwick
CONFESSION OF SIN – Matthew 1:21
She will bear a son,
and you shall call his name Jesus,
for he will save his people from their sins.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON – 1 Timothy 1:15
The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance,
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners!
Song –
“Hark the Herald Angels Sing” by Charles Wesley and Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH – Nicene Creed
I believe in one God the Father Almighty;
Maker of heaven and earth,
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of the Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father;
by whom all things were made;
who, for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven,
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary,
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered and was buried
and the third day he rose again,
according to the Scriptures;
and ascended into heaven,
and sits at the right hand of the Father;
and he shall come again, with glory,
to judge both the living and the dead;
whose kingdom shall have no end.
And in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and Giver of Life;
who proceeds from the Father and the Son;
who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified;
who spoke by the Prophets.
And one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.
I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins;
And I look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
PRAYER
CHILDREN’S BLESSING & DISMISSAL
Song –
“O Little Town of Bethlehem” by Lewis Henry Redner and Phillips Brooks
SCRIPTURE READING – 2 Peter 2:10b-16
SERMON – “Re-Training Our Hearts”
LORD’S TABLE
Song –
“In Christ Alone” by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend
“It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” by Edmund Hamilton Sears and Richard Storrs Willis
OFFERING
Song –
“Go Tell It On the Mountain” by John W. Work, Jr.
BENEDICTION
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POSTLUDE – “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Sara Groves
This Sunday after the service there will be Thai food and a presentation from our missionaries to Thailand with more details about their work!
PRELUDE – “Silent Night” by Franz Xaver Gruber, John Freeman Young, and Joseph Mohr
WELCOME & CALL TO WORSHIP – Psalm 118:27-29
The LORD is God,
and he has made his light to shine upon us.
Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,
up to the horns of the altar!
You are my God,
and I will give thanks to you;
you are my God;
I will extol you.
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!
Song –
“Here I Am to Worship” by Tim Hughes
Advent means ‘arrival’ or ‘coming’ and is a season of anticipation preparing our hearts for and looking forward to Christmas – the celebration of Christ’s birth and first coming.
Today is the third Sunday of Advent and we light three candles. Today’s candle represents the joyful preparation for his coming.
Isaiah 9:6-7
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
John 1:19-34
And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” 24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. 29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
O Key of David, Jesus Christ, the gates of heaven open at your command, come and show us the way to salvation.
Light the three candles.
Song –
“O Come O Come Emmanuel” by John Mason Neale and Thomas Helmore
CONFESSION OF SIN – 1 John 1:5-6
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you,
that God is light,
and in him is no darkness at all.
If we say we have fellowship with him
while we walk in darkness,
we lie and do not practice the truth.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON – 1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light,
as he is in the light,
we have fellowship with one another,
and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
Song –
“Jesus, My Only Hope” by Mark Altrogge
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH – Nicene Creed
I believe in one God the Father Almighty;
Maker of heaven and earth,
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of the Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father;
by whom all things were made;
who, for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven,
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary,
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered and was buried
and the third day he rose again,
according to the Scriptures;
and ascended into heaven,
and sits at the right hand of the Father;
and he shall come again, with glory,
to judge both the living and the dead;
whose kingdom shall have no end.
And in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and Giver of Life;
who proceeds from the Father and the Son;
who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified;
who spoke by the Prophets.
And one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.
I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins;
And I look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
PRAYER
CHILDREN’S BLESSING & DISMISSAL – New City Catechism Q10
What does God require in the fourth and fifth commandments?
Fourth, that on the Sabbath day we spend time in worship of God.
Fifth, that love and honor our father and our mother.
Song –
“Speak, O Lord” by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend
SCRIPTURE READING – 2 Peter 2:4-10a
SERMON – “Authority”
LORD’S TABLE
Song –
“I Will Glory in My Redeemer” by Steve and Vikki Cook
OFFERING
Song –
“Good Christian Men Rejoice” by John Mason Neale
BENEDICTION
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POSTLUDE – “Halelujah” by G. F. Handel
PRELUDE – “We Three Kings” by John Henry Hopkins Jr.
WELCOME & CALL TO WORSHIP – Psalm 47:1-2
Clap your hands, all peoples!
Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared,
a great king over all the earth.
Song –
“Sing to the King” by Billy Foote
Reader 1: Advent means ‘arrival’ or ‘coming’ and is a season of anticipation preparing our hearts for and looking forward to Christmas – the celebration of Christ’s birth and first coming. And also a reminder that we are waiting for his second coming.
Reader 2: Today is the second Sunday of Advent and so we light two candles. The one for today represents the expectation of a coming King.
Reader 3: Micah 5:2
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.
Reader 4: Matthew 2:1-2, 9-11
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
Reader 1: O King of all nations, Jesus Christ, only joy of every heart, come and save your people.
Song –
“Come Thou Long Expected Jesus” by Charles Wesley
CONFESSION OF SIN
ASSURANCE OF PARDON – John 5:24
Truly, truly, I say to you,
whoever hears my word
and believes him who sent me
has eternal life.
He does not come into judgment,
but has passed from death to life.
Song –
“Hark the Herald Angels Sing” by Charles Wesley and Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH – Nicene Creed
I believe in one God the Father Almighty;
Maker of heaven and earth,
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of the Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father;
by whom all things were made;
who, for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven,
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary,
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered and was buried
and the third day he rose again,
according to the Scriptures;
and ascended into heaven,
and sits at the right hand of the Father;
and he shall come again, with glory,
to judge both the living and the dead;
whose kingdom shall have no end.
And in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and Giver of Life;
who proceeds from the Father and the Son;
who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified;
who spoke by the Prophets.
And one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.
I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins;
And I look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
PRAYER
CHILDREN’S BLESSING & DISMISSAL – New City Catechism Q9
What does God require in the first, second, and third commandments?
First, that we know God as the only true God.
Second, that we avoid all idolatry.
Third, that we treat God’s name with fear and reverence.
Song –
“What Child Is This?” by William Chatterton Dix
SCRIPTURE READING – 2 Peter 2:1-3
SERMON – “Heresy”
LORD’S TABLE
Song –
“Before the Throne of God Above” by Charitie Lees Bancroft and Vikki Cook
OFFERING
Song –
“Be Thou My Vision” by Eleanor Henrietta Hull, Mary Elizabeth Byrne
BENEDICTION
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POSTLUDE – “Fal$e Teacher$” by Shai Linne
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