Sunday, December 18, 2022 PM

Hearing a lot of music being sung in the honor of our Lord Jesus Christ, and being able to rejoice together and worship together and fellowship together. I'm really looking forward to hearing the songs being sung and the scriptures read, and I hope this will bless each and every one of you as we prepare our hearts for Christmas coming up very soon.

Prayer for the Christmas Candlelight Service

Let me go ahead and pray for us, and then I'm going to turn it over to the choir, okay? Heavenly Father, we thank you for this night. We thank you for the opportunity to come together and celebrate. I pray that as we sing praises to you and turn our attention to you and glorify you and feast in your honor and fellowship together, that you would be so pleased with what happens here, and I pray a special blessing on each person here tonight, Lord, that you would ready our hearts to celebrate the gift of your son to us, and we pray these things in his name.

Amen.

Satan's power when we were gone astray, O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy of the Savior. This holiest must all others not deface. And for the reading of God's word. Chapter 5,.

Verses 2 through 5. But you, Bethlehem, Ephratha, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times.

Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who was in labor bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord and the majesty of the name of the Lord his God, and they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth, and he will be our peace.

When the Assyrians invade our land and march through our fortresses, we will raise against them seven shepherds, even eight commanders.

If you'll turn in your hymnals to 141, we'll sing, O little town of Bethlehem, verses 1, 3, and 4.

The Birth of the Savior in Bethlehem

Standing for the reading of God's word. Chapter 2, verses 1 through 14. In those days, a decree.

Went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.

And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

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. You may be seated. If you'll turn in your hymnal to 123, we'll be singing O Come, O Come,.

Emmanuel, verses 1, 3, and 4. If you're following along in the hymnals, 148, O Holy Night, and we'll be doing verses 1 and 2. The stars are brightly shining. Angels we have heard on high, verses 1, 2, and 3.

Christ's Supremacy, His Humiliation, and His Reign

Reading from God's Word. Reading from select portions of Isaiah, Hebrews, 1 Corinthians, and the book of the Revelation. For he has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels.

But one testified in a certain place, saying, What is man that you are mindful of him, or the son of man that you take care of him? You have made him a little lower than the angels. You have crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of your hands.

You have put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection to him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him, for he must reign till he has put all enemies under his feet.

The last enemy that will be destroyed is death, for he has put all things under his feet. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulder. His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

And there were loud voices in heaven saying, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ,.

And he shall reign forever and ever. Please join in singing joy to the world. At this point, if you have your candles, there were some in the back, if you'd move to the perimeter of the sanctuary and turn on those candles, and we'll sing some.

More lighting up the sanctuary. If you all would join me in singing, some of you may have sang.

This one before, All Glory Be to Christ. As we go into the new year, you'll find the tune familiar.

If we could get the lights up up here and the words. Praise the Lord in prayer. Father,.

Thanksgiving for the Gift of the Son

We come before you tonight and we have given glory to your son and glory to you, glory by your Holy Spirit for the gift of your son. We give you honor. We give you praise. We give you thanks. We give you thanks for your son, Jesus Christ.

And now I pray that you would continue to take these truths that we have sung and that we have heard read to us, and that you would take these truths and have them marinate in our lives throughout this season, that we would declare the goodness and excellence of your son, Jesus, in this season.

We pray these things for his sake. Amen. You are invited to fellowship together.