The Royal Baby Shower - Luke 1:39-45

Good morning to each of you and welcome to Faith Bible Church and we pray that our worship together today might be a blessing to each of you.

So we look forward to a blessing from the Lord. I want to remind you that we have a prayer time tonight at six o 'clock as normal.

It's always a sweet time of prayer. We also have a

Christmas Eve program the night before Christmas here at the church from five o 'clock to six o 'clock in general.

So if you have something going on with your family you can go home after that and in our house it's potato soup.

So all the family comes together for potato soup. Also we want to remind you being the holidays

Christmas and New Year's both fall on a Saturday, correct? We've been having

Bible study at 3 30 each Saturday. So Christmas Day and New Year's Day there will be no men's

Bible study. So keep that in mind. I was thinking about all the families going through grieving and sometimes there are people going through the holidays that find it hard to go to the holidays because they aren't near family.

And I think we need to think about that and pray for the people in our congregation who are doing that.

There's a verse that came to mind talking about God first of all. Casting all your cares upon him for he, what's the next word?

Cares. Do you realize that he cares for you? He cares for me.

I was reminded this week by my daughter -in -law of a song that I think I've learned as a kid in Bible school.

Cheer up you saints of God there's nothing to worry about, nothing to make you feel afraid, nothing to make you doubt.

Remember Jesus never fails so why not trust him and shout. You'll be sorry you worried at all tomorrow morning.

If you're going through a hard time you sing cheer up you saints of God. My dad used to sing it around the house all the time.

So it's a good one to remember in the holidays if you're feeling sad okay. So join me in a word of prayer as we open the service today.

Heavenly father we come before you today and we realize that even among our own church family we have a lot of people that are grieving concerning the loss of family.

A lot of planning going on and we would ask heavenly father you would be near and to each one of these individuals and that you would guide and direct them through this time.

Encourage their heart lord in you and we would thank you for that. We would pray for our pastor as he brings your word today.

We look forward to a blessing from you and we think of our service even on Christmas eve.

Lord as we think about the reason for this season is the fact that God sent his son and he had a plan for us and his plan was for salvation and for us to live for you.

We pray heavenly father that we might remember that even among all of the gift giving we may we remember that the greatest gift was

Christ paying the price for our sin and we will thank you for that lord and pray in Jesus name amen.

Let's stand and sing to our lord joy to the world angels from the realms of glory and silent night.

Okay for this morning's scripture reading if you'd like to take your bibles and turn to Isaiah chapter 9.

Isaiah chapter 9 this is one of well over 300 prophecies that spoke of the coming of the messiah and clearly

Christ is the bridge between the old and the new testament and to separate the old and the new testaments is truly heresy so they are one.

So Isaiah chapter 9 I'm going to read verses 1 through 7.

Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed as when at first he lightly esteemed the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali and afterward more heavily oppressed her by the way of the sea beyond the

Jordan in Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death upon them a light has shined.

You have multiplied the nation and increased its joy they rejoice before you according to the joy of harvest as men rejoice when they divide the spoil for you have broken the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder the rod of his suppressor as in the day of Midian for every warrior's sandal from the noisy battle and garments rolled in blood will be used for burning and fuel of fire 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 from that time forward even forever the zeal of the lord of hosts will perform this may god bless the hearing of his word amen well let's stand again and sing to our lord please turn with me to the gospel according to Luke chapter 1 verses 39 through 45 the gospel according to Luke chapter 1 verses 39 through 45 this will be a small two -part series where I will be preaching from 39 through 45 today and 46 through 55 on Christmas Eve so please do not miss the second part now

Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste to a city of Judah and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted