Christmas Eve Service 12/24/2022

First Baptist Church Leominster

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to you. Welcome. I trust that you have a to come and I trust that you were each able to grab a candle on the way in also as at the end of the service we'll be

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Going to the perimeter of the sanctuary and we'll be lighting the candles and singing silent night

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And so let's ask our father to bless us now as we gather together in the name of his son

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As we come to worship him this evening We thank you our father for this christmas season

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We thank you for this christmas eve our god when we can gather together as your people And to sing praises to you and to worship you

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We pray our father that the blessed holy spirit would reveal jesus christ in a special way to us this evening

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As we sing our god as we hear your word Read and proclaimed we just pray that you would have your way in our in our minds and in our hearts

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Illuminate us our god with the truth. That's in jesus christ Stir our hearts our god as well as inform our minds as to the riches

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That you have given us promised to us in your son And so bless this occasion our god bless this hour we have together for we pray father in jesus name amen

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And we begin this evening with the lighting of the fifth advent candle Turner's been doing this for Well, this is my 26th year.

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Yeah, you were doing it when I could arrive. So, thank you Thank you Tonight's reading is from john chapter one

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In the beginning Was the word and the word was with god and the word was god

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He was with god in the beginning Through him all things were made without him.

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Nothing was made That has been made In him was life

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And that life was the light Of men the light shines in the darkness but I'm getting old.

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I can't read very well The darkness has not understood it

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There came a man who was with who was sent from god His name was john

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He came in as a witness to testify concerning that light

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So that through him all men might believe He himself was not the light.

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He came only as a Willness to the light the light

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I'm, sorry. It's really had to read. It's kind of dark The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world

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And then in chapter eight When jesus spoke again to the people he said

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No I am the light of the world whoever whosoever

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I can't i'm sorry Follows will walk Will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life

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Amen, thank you These lights are too dark Take these off.

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I can see that. Maybe I don't need them at all It's tough to get old Didn't get burnt

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Second to go. Yeah The fifth and final advent candle lit tonight on christmas eve

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Signifies jesus's birth as the advent of life amen

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Amen You have a red hymnal in front of you lord willing if you'll pick that up and let's turn to hymn number 208 a familiar christmas carol.

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Oh, come all ye faithful. Let's stand and sing, please Oh come all ye faithful joyful and triumphant Come ye oh come ye to Bethlehem Come and behold the king of angels

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Oh come let us adore him. Oh, come let us

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Adore him. Oh, come let us adore

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Him Christ the lord Oh Oh come let us adore him.

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Oh, come let us adore him Oh come let us adore

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Him The lord sing choirs of angels

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Sing exultation Sing all ye citizens of heaven above Glory to god

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In the highest. Oh come let us

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Oh come let us adore him. Oh, come let us

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Yay, lord, we greet thee for this happy morning

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Jesus Oh come

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Be seated, please and at this time the choir will sing an anthem.

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Oh come oh come emmanuel Is I am

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Rejoice Oh Oh The first passage we're going to read is from the old testament isaiah 9

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The setting of this historically was god's judgment on ancient israel

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In the 8th century bc god raised up the empire of assyria And enabled it to come down and conquer the northern kingdom of israel

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Because of israel's great sin against god And so they were utterly destroyed the people of course left defeated

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They were captured and carried away Into exile and so it was a very dismal dark time in history

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But god took the occasion through the prophet isaiah to Set forth the promise of the coming messiah

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Who would redeem them from their lost and their destroyed condition their sinful condition

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And so here we have an old testament prophecy of the coming of jesus christ And in this prophecy we read of the region of galilee

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Having been under the judgment of god. Nevertheless, they saw the great light of god The light that god brought to them and that light was jesus christ as we read in the new testament.

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So here's isaiah 9 verses 1 through 7 Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed

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As when at first he god lightly esteemed the land of zebulun the land of naphtali

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And afterward more heavily oppressed her By the way of the sea beyond the jordan in galilee of the gentiles

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The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light Those who have dwelt in the land of the shadow of death upon them a light has shined

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You have multiplied the nation and increased its joy They rejoice before you according to the joy of harvest

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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 oppressor

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The rot the as in the day of midian For every warrior sandal from the noisy battle and garments rolled in blood will be used for burning and fuel of fire

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For unto us a child is born Unto us a son is given

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And the government shall be upon his shoulder And his name will be called wonderful counselor mighty god everlasting father prince of peace

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And of his increase of his government and peace there will be no end And upon the throne of david and over his kingdom to order it and establish it with judgment and justice

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From that time forward even forever The zeal of the lord of hosts will perform this

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Let's pray Father we thank you that you are the ruler of all of history

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And we see this played out so clearly Throughout holy scripture And even though you brought your judgment upon your people for their great sin.

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You sent them a deliverer And this deliverer the lord. Jesus christ would save his people from their sins

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And we thank you our god that you exalted him And thrown him in heaven and even now he is lord of lords and king of kings

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We thank you father that jesus christ is king And we look to him as the light of life

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We thank you our god for your for the forgiveness of our sins through faith in him

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We thank you that he is lord and that he is king and that he will govern and direct our lives onto a glorious glorious eternal future

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Help us our god to live in faith And live in faithfulness as we await his return

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For we pray in jesus name amen Amen Well the choir at this time will sing a second anthem still still still

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Still still Still See the child asleep so still

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And mary gently rocks her baby

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Singing songs of love and mercy still still still

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See the child asleep so still

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The angels

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Before you Rejoicing Let's turn in our red hymnals to hymn number 200, please and let's stand again and we'll sing it came upon the midnight clear

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It came Upon the midnight clear that glorious song of old

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From angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold

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Peace on the earth goodwill to men

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From heaven's all gracious king The world in solemn stillness lay to hear the angels

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Still through the cloven skies they come with peaceful wigs unfurled

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And still their heavenly music Floats o 'er all the weary world

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Above its sad and lowly plains they bend on hovering wing

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And ever o 'er its babble sounds the blessed angel sing

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And he beneath life's crushing load whose forms are bending low

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Who toil along the climbing way with painful steps and slow

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Look now for glad and golden hours come swiftly on the wing

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Oh rest beside the weary road and hear the angels sing

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For lo the days are hastening on by prophet mars foretold

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When with the ever circling years comes round the age of gold

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When peace shall over all the earth its ancient splendors fling

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And the whole world give back the song which now the angels sing

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Please be seated And at this time the children's choir is going to come and sing for us

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Jesus Like us

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He dangerous

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Turned me a stranger Into a child of God Like smiles and sorrows

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God's holy word teaches us that Jesus was born of a virgin and in this way he was born without sin so he could be a savior of sinners.

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We read of the annunciation to Mary of Jesus's birth in Luke chapter 1 verse 26 and following.

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Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was

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Joseph the house of David and the Virgin's name was Mary and having come in the angel said to her rejoice highly favored one the

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Lord is with you blessed are you among women and when she saw him she was troubled at his saying and considered what manner of greeting this was and then the angel said to her do not be afraid

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Mary for you have found favor with God and behold you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son and shall call his name

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Jesus he will be great and would be called the son of the highest and the

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Lord God will give him the throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom there will be no end and then

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Mary said to the angel how can this be since I do not know a man and the angel answered said to her the

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Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the highest will overshadow you and therefore also that Holy One who is to be born will be called the

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Son of God now indeed Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age and this is now the sixth month for her who is called barren for with God nothing will be impossible and then

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Mary said behold the maidservant of the Lord let it be to me according to your word and the angel departed from her and then we read of Mary visiting

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Elizabeth 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

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Elizabeth and it happened when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary that the baby leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the

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Holy Spirit and then she spoke out with a loud voice and said blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb but why is this granted to me that the mother of my

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Lord should come to me for indeed as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears the baby leaped in my womb for joy blessed is she who believed for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the

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Lord and then Mary gave forth her great Magnificat her song and Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her house well and me and Annabelle you have a piece for us now please

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Oh the mercy our God has shown to those who sit in death's shadow the sun on high pierced the night born was the cornerstone unto us a son is given unto us a child is born he who is mighty has done a great thing taken on flesh conquered death's sting shattered the darkness and lifted our shame holy is his name

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Oh the freedom our Savior one yoke of sin has been broken once a slave now by grace no more condemnation unto us a son is given unto us a child is born he who's mighty has done a great thing taken on flesh conquered death's shattered the darkness and lifted our shame holy is his name holy is his name now my soul magnifies the

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Lord I rejoice in the God who saves I will trust his unfailing love

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I will sing his praises all my days now my soul magnifies the

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Lord I rejoice in the God who saves I will trust his unfailing love

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I will sing his praises all my days he who is mighty has done a great thing taken on flesh conquered death's sting shattered the darkness and lifted our shame holy is his name holy is his name amen thank you let's turn in our hymnals please to hymn number 213 what child is this green sleeves dates back to the 16th century

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English melody what child is this let's stand please child is this who laid to rest on Mary's lap is sleeping whom angels greet with seated please and Jennifer and Lizzie we're angel

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Carol springing

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Christ is Lord oxen knowing little knowing

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Christ the baby is Lord of all swift are winging joyous Christmas born for you amen

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Luke chapter 2 contains a story of the birth of Jesus and the setting in history and they came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered and this census was first took place while Quirinius was governing

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Syria so all went to be registered everyone to his own city Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea to the city of David which is called

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Bethlehem because he was of the house and lineage of David to be registered with Mary his betrothed wife who was with child and so it was that while they were there the days were completed for her to be delivered and she brought forth her firstborn son wrapped him in swaddling clothes laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields keeping watch over their flock by night and behold an angel of the

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Lord stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were greatly afraid and then the angel said to them do not be afraid for behold

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I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people for there is born to you this day in the city of David a

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Savior who is Christ the Lord and this will be a sign will be the sign to you you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising

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God and saying glory to God in the highest and on earth peace goodwill toward men and 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

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Lord has made known to us and they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger and 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 but Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart and then the shepherds returned glorifying and praising

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God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told them.

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Hymn 195 familiar Christmas carol joy to the world the Lord has come let's stand please joy to the world has come let earth receive her king let every heart prepare him room and heaven and nature sing and heaven and nature sing and heaven and heaven sing joy to the earth the

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Savior reigns let men their songs employ while fields and floods rocks hills and plains repeat the sounding joy repeat the sounding joy repeat repeat the sounding joy no more let sins and sorrows grow nor thorns infest the ground he comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found far as the curse is found far as far as the curse is found he rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness and wonders of his love and wonders of his love and one amen be seated please the

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Christmas story is of course familiar to most of us we anticipate the words we hear ahead of time when we read the gospel accounts of our

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Lord's birth in infancy they are familiar to us I doubt that anything we say or will any will be anything that you haven't heard before but there of course is value and repetition and rehearsal of truths so to become very intimately acquainted with them and so it's our design and desire to focus on the humble nature of our

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Lord's nativity he was born to a young impoverished couple in an obscure place in Judea there was really nothing notable in the appearance of the nativity scene we might ask the question why was it so why would the

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Lord Jesus come into the world in this manner in this fashion in recent weeks on Lord's Day morning we've been considering Luke's account in which the poverty of Joseph and Mary was set forth clearly they were alone unattended by a midwife apparently so it seems

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Mary herself wrapped this infant in swaddling clothes which was the common practice the attire of a pauper baby the baby was laid in a borrowed feed box and then several days later in the temple the parents offered a sacrifice that was commonly offered by the poor people of the land why would

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God send his son into the world of this fashion well there's a statement by the

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Apostle Paul that he wrote to the church at Corinth that expresses the reason here's 2nd

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Corinthians 8 verse 9 for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor that you through his poverty might become rich that speaks of his pre -existence though he was rich speaks of his incarnation when he came and assumed our human nature here on earth and then it speaks of his exalted status enabling us who believe on him to become rich and so it's succinctly stated here you've heard stories of one going from rags to riches but here's a story of one going from riches to rags and then back to riches again but he brought us we who believe on him as Lord and Savior he brought us back to enjoy and receive riches along with him and so from this very second

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Corinthians 8 9 we can have a simple outline although he was rich first secondly yet for your sakes he became poor and third that you through his poverty might be rich and so let's consider these quickly in the little bit of time we have although he was rich if we were strangers observing the manger scene we might conclude that the one lying in this manger was having his beginnings in abject poverty but our text says differently that declares that before Jesus was born in Bethlehem he had been rich this speaks of his pre -existence of being

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God Almighty the Son of God from eternity and so Jesus Christ although becoming human through the womb of Mary is the eternal

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Son of God and as God he was exceedingly rich infinitely so there was a time that this infant now bound in in claws was abounding in glory clothed in glory he did not have his beginning in the stable in Bethlehem but rather he was one who had no beginning he is the eternal one he likened he's likened on to ancient

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Melchizedek in the book of Hebrews the ancient king priest of Abraham's day for he was without father without mother without descent having neither beginning of days nor end of life the

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Son of God is eternal in essence Jesus Christ is no mortal but rather he is the immortal invisible the only wise

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God our Savior he was rich and if we could have seen him in ages past we would have seen him clothed in splendor in a manner that would have made

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Solomon blush Solomon would have looked impoverished in comparison and so our text declares that he was rich well in what way was our

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Savior rich in eternity past well certainly he was rich in possessions if we can speak in that way as Almighty God he owned all things for he created all things the creation was his possession he owned all the gold of all the veins threading through the earth's crust and all the pearls of the ocean including all those which are too deep for man to harvest for himself he was so rich that riches were as nothing we read about the rich richness of Solomon King Solomon in ancient

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Israel in his days he made silver so plentiful in Jerusalem that it had little value the scriptures record and also the king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones and elsewhere we read all

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King Solomon's drinking vessels were gold all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were pure gold not one was silver for this was accounted as nothing than the days of Solomon what is a penny to you when you see it on the street you probably don't bend down to pick it up any longer riches were nothing to the

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Lord because he owned everything he created everything he was rich in possessions and of course he was also rich in honor there was a time before Bethlehem that all honor was upon him we read in the

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Bible there are creatures in heaven which were brought into existence to do nothing but to to render praises unto him revelation 4a the creation itself the work of his hands declares his glory it's on 19 the heavens declare the glory of God the sky above proclaims his handiwork day -to -day pours out speech night to night reveals knowledge the angels continually sang in his presence honoring extolling his virtues he was infinitely rich in honor and it was rendered unto him but not only was he rich in honor in eternity past he was also rich in grace thankfully again our text says

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Paul had written brethren you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor and so although the riches of the

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Son of God were were very great it would seem that compared to his riches his grace was greater because because of his grace he he surrendered his riches he gave up his riches his possessions due to the riches of his grace we strive through life to attain riches possessions he strove to deny them

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I've known some with great possessions and they seem to be possessed themselves by their possessions

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I've known others with without great possessions but they too are possessed by possessions because they want them our

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Lord denied himself of infinite riches infinite honor because he was rich in grace then secondly we read yet for your sakes he became poor imagine the angels in heaven who were clueless as to what

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God was doing in history the moment of his incarnation the surprise and whisper which must have permeated the heavens when news spread the

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Son of God was going to abdicate his throne one could well imagine the angelic response to this news for what reason is he doing this what he intends to become a man is it true that he would lay aside his crown and his royal robes his glory to become a man dressed in peasants garments for what reason is he doing this they knew of his riches of possessions they knew his riches of honor but he was going to give them instructions a lesson in the riches of his grace for what reason would he do this for man's sake for their sake they who have ignored him they who have refused and rebelled against his laws they who have despised his name and then the angels must have sat back and awed wonder as the

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Lord though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped but made himself nothing taking the form of a man the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men and then of course he the

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Son of God assuming our human nature he took up his abode in the womb of a poor humble maiden although he was rich yet for your sake he became poor and of what does his poverty speak well now there was poverty of his condition a condition he had never known although he's eternal

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God he condescended to become man what a stoop that was humiliation one once wrote humanity is a poor thing compared to deity he laid aside the privileges of its divine attributes having emptied himself is what the scriptures declare to become one of us and to live among us but not only did he stoop to become a man he determined to become poor in becoming a man but he determined to become a poor man and so he came in poverty as well he might have been reared in marbled halls or a universal

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Empire but rather he became the child of a carpenter his birthplace a stable a poor accommodation for the

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King of Glory he became poor not only was he now in a condition of poverty but he was also now poor in reputation he had made himself of no reputation that's not simply by the way an absence of honor but there is the presence of scorn upon him throughout his life contempt was shown to him continuously they said we were not born to fornication making a false accusation of his mother and the manner in which she became pregnant he is a wine bibber he's a drunkard a friend of sinners he casts out demons because he himself has an unclean spirit by the power of the devil and then the worst content was reserved for him in his death they placed a robe upon him in mockery a cruel thorn crown and then caused him to die a beggar's death in a great measure of suffering and humility he was poor in reputation he was poor in power operation in comparison to eternity he who holds the elements of the cosmos fast he who fashioned sons and worlds could have delivered himself and justly tormented his tormentors but he chose not to again for what purpose for your sakes he became poor he was hungry but he refused to turn stones to bread he was thirsty but he asked a woman to draw him water rather than have it gush forth from a rock he never worked a miracle on his own behalf he became poor in his operation he did so for your sake and he was poor in communion also most people perhaps will try to impress other people by the people they claim to know but our

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Lord never hung with anybody that had any reputation reputation nobody was special or educated he chose to associate with sinners why so you and I can come to him and know that we'll be welcomed by him he did it for your sake and of course he was poured buried our sin there is no inclination of sin in him yet God his father made him who knew no sin to be sin for us and then the

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Lord was crushed under its lobe the wrath of God's justice fell upon the only begotten

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Son and in doing so the righteous one died for unrighteous ones for you and me and though he was rich in holiness he became poor when he was made sin for us he was abandoned by all left hanging alone and then a lifeless corpse on a cross he surrendered all the

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Bible says for your sake although he was rich he became poor there is nothing left of himself from which he could deny himself he gave up all for your sake for what purpose thirdly so that you through his poverty might become rich take note of this fact that in every area that Christ became poor he made his people rich those who believe on him as Lord and Savior he made them and will make them rich we are rich in our condition because of Jesus is poverty today as his people we who have embraced him as Lord and Savior we have access to the very throne of God God has promised to be there for us when we need him and ask of him through his

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Son Jesus Christ is that not rich just rich a richness we are now rich in reputation because of his poverty he didn't just forgive us of our sins but but through faith in Jesus Christ God the

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Father declares us is to be his children by an option and the

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Apostle Paul said we can't even fathom the glory that's gonna be rendered onto us one day as the children of God when we come into our glorification and we are rich in power as well he refused to use his authority on his on his behalf because of this he now bids us to ask anything in his name and he will do it and we're actually called as Christians fellow workers together with God again he was poor in communion so that we might be rich in communion we who were once aliens are now citizens we who were once God's enemies are now declared to be his friends we who are in Jesus Christ we who were once strangers are now his sons and daughters and today our fellowship is with the father and with his son and because the son was willing to encounter our alienation to bring us to the father and then of course we are rich with eternal life he became poor losing his life now and through him we are now rich we who are in Christ have life he who has the son has life and this is not a mere prolonging extension of this earthly existence but we have the possession and enjoyment of eternal life as the

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Word of God describes it it's characterized by true peace true joy true righteousness true fellowship with God and with one another thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift although he was rich for your sake he became poor that you through his poverty might become rich do you know the grace of our

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Lord Jesus Christ in his incarnation and his life and his death on behalf of sinners do you believe on him as the resurrected

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Lord King of Kings and Lord of Lords all of his riches belong to those who believe on him amen thank you father for your word and for the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ that you lay out for us so clearly in your word thank you father for the humiliation of Jesus Christ in his incarnation denying

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Lord setting aside the glory of his divine attributes and assuming our human nature in order to live in a manner that's required of us but impossible for us because we're sinners and then to die to atone for our sin upon his cross and we thank you that because he was without sin death could not hold him but he rose from the dead and you enthroned him because he is worthy we thank you our father for the salvation that we have in Jesus Christ and this

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Christmas season this evening tomorrow we pray that this would be very vividly realized by us and wait may we be filled with a grateful spirit our

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God as we think upon our Savior and our Lord for we pray these things father in Jesus name amen now if you folks would please take your candle and if you move to the perimeter of the sanctuary and and we'll begin to light the candles and if you have the bulletin with you we've got the stanzas of silent night after the candles are lit we'll sing together some of you that have a lit candle if you will walk around and help others get theirs lit quickly please

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Bill why don't you grab one of those candles if you wouldn't help me out thanks

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Bill yeah Jason maybe ought to come over and get a candle and start lighting that over there

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Jason right here we all set okay silent night holy night is come is bright oh dear has he

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Jesus well amen