Christmas Eve Service 12/24/2022

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 going to the perimeter of

the sanctuary and we'll be lighting the candles and singing Silent Night.

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

as we come to worship him this evening.

We thank you our father for this Christmas season.

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.

We pray our father that the blessed Holy Spirit would reveal Jesus Christ in a special way

to us this evening.

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.

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 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.

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.

You were doing it when I arrived, so thank you.

Tonight's reading is from John chapter one.

In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the

word was God.

He was with God in the beginning.

Through him all things were made.

Without him nothing was made that has been made.

In him was life, and that life was the light

of men.

The light shines in the darkness.

But, I'm getting old, can't read very well,

the darkness has not understood it.

There came a man who was with, who was sent from God.

His name was John.

He came in as a witness to testify concerning that light,

so that through him all men might believe.

He himself was not the light, he came only as a

willness to the light.

The light, I'm sorry, I just really had to read Sanidak.

The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

And then in chapter eight, when Jesus spoke again to the people, he

said,

I am the light of the world.

Whosoever, I can't, I'm sorry, follows

will walk, will never walk in darkness, but will have

the light of life.

Amen.

Thank you.

These lights are too dark.

Take these off, you can see better.

Maybe I don't need them at all.

It's tough to get old.

You can get burnt.

Second to go?

Yeah.

The fifth and final advent candle lit tonight on Christmas Eve

signifies Jesus's birth as the advent of life.

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, O Come All Ye Faithful.

Let's stand and sing, please.

All ye faithful, joyful and

triumphant, O come ye, O come

ye to Bethlehem.

Born the king of angels, O come let us

adore him.

O come let us

adore him.

O

come

let us

adore

him.

O come let us

adore him.

Choirs

of angels sing

exultation.

Sing all ye citizens of heaven.

And

at this time, the choir will sing an anthem, O come, O come, Emmanuel.

The first passage we're going to read is from the Old Testament, Isaiah 9.

The setting of this historically was God's judgment on ancient Israel.

In the eighth century BC, God raised up the empire of Assyria and enabled it to come down

and conquer the northern kingdom of Israel because of Israel's great sin against God.

And so they were utterly destroyed.

The people, of course, left defeated.

They were captured and carried away into exile.

And so it was a very dismal, dark time in history.

But God took the occasion through the prophet Isaiah to set forth the

promise of the coming Messiah who would redeem them from their lost and their destroyed

condition, their sinful condition.

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 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.

So here's Isaiah 9, verses 1 through 7.

Nevertheless, the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, as when at first

he, God, lightly esteemed the land of Zebulun, 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 have 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 oppressor,

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 shall be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called Wonderful,

Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace,

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

from that time forward even forever, the zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform

this.

Let's pray.

Father, we thank you that you are the ruler of all of history 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, you sent them a deliverer.

And this deliverer, the Lord Jesus Christ, would save his people from their sins.

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.

We thank you, Father, that Jesus Christ is King and we look to him as the light of

life.

We thank you, our God, for the forgiveness of our sins through faith in him.

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.

Help us, our God, to live in faith and live in faithfulness as we await his return.

For we pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Well, the choir at this time will sing a second.

Anthem, Still, Still,

Still.

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.

It came upon the midnight clear, that

glorious song of old, from

angels bending near the earth to touch

their harps of gold.

Peace on the earth, goodwill to men from

heaven's all -gracious King.

The world in solemn stillness lay to hear

the angels sing.

Still through the cloven skies they come with

peaceful wings unfurled.

And still their heavenly music floats o 'er all

the weary world.

Its sad and lowly planes, they bend on

hovering wing.

And as its babble sounds, the

blessed angels sing.

And ye beneath life's crushing load, whose

forms are bending still

along the climbing way, with painful steps and

slow, look now for glad and golden

hours come swiftly on the wing.

Oh, rest beside the weary road and hear the

angels sing.

For lo, the days are hastening on, by

prophet Mars foretold.

Their circling years comes round the age of gold.

When peace shall over all the earth its ancient

splendors fling.

And the whole world give back the song which now

the angels sing.

Please be seated.

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

us.

Thank you.

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.

We read of the annunciation to Mary of Jesus's birth

in Luke chapter 1 verse 26 and following.

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 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 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 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 Jesus.

He will be great and will be called the son of the highest.

And the 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 Mary said to the angel how can this be since I do not know a man.

And the angel answered said to her the 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 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 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 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 Elizabeth.

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

Elizabeth was filled with the 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 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 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 Emmy and Annabelle you have a piece for us now please.

God has shown to those who sit in death's

shadow the sun on high pierce 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

our savior.

One broke of sin has been broke

a slave now by a

nation.

Unto us a son is given unto

us a child is born on a

great thing taken on flesh conquered death's sting

shattered the darkness and lifted

our shame.

Rejoiced days I will trust

his unfair praises all

my days.

Now my soul magnifies the Lord.

I rejoice days I will trust

his unfailing

taking protesting shattered the

darkness and lift.

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.

An English melody.

What child is this.

Let's stand please.

Needed

please

and

Jennifer

and

Lizzie Weir Angel

Carol.

Chapter two contains the.

Story of the birth of Jesus and the setting in history.

And it 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 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 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 cloths 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 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 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 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 cloths 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 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 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 God for all the things that they had heard

and seen as it was told them.

Hymn 195.

Familiar Christmas carol joy to the world.

The Lord has come.

Let's stand.

Please

has come.

Let earth

receive heaven and nature

sing and heaven and nature sing.

And heaven and heaven and nature sing

through the earth.

The 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.

Or let sins and sorrows grow nor

thorns infest the grounds to

make his blessings flow.

Far as the curse is found.

Far as the curse is found.

Far as found

the world with truth and grace.

And makes the

days of his righteousness and

wonders of his love and wonders of his love and

wonders wonders of his amen

be seated please.

The 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 Lord's

birth and 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 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 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 Mary herself wrapped this infant in

swaddling claws which was the common practice the attire of a pulper 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 God send his son into the world in this fashion.

Well there's a statement by the apostle Paul that he wrote to the church at Corinth that expresses the reason.

Here's 2nd 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 2nd 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 line in this manger was having his

beginnings in abject poverty.

But our text says differently.

It declares that before Jesus was born in Bethlehem he had been rich.

This speaks of his pre -existence of being God Almighty the Son of God from

eternity.

And so Jesus Christ although becoming human through the womb of Mary is the eternal 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 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 Son of God is eternal in essence.

Jesus Christ is no mortal but rather he is the immortal invisible the

only wise 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 Solomon blush.

Solomon would have looked impoverished in comparison.

And so our text declares that he was rich.

Well in what way was our 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 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 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 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 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.

Psalm 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 passed he was also rich in grace.

Thankfully again our text says.

Paul had written brethren you know the grace of our lord Jesus Christ.

That though he was rich yet for your he became poor.

And so although the riches of the 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.

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

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

Our 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 god was doing in history.

The moment of his incarnation.

The surprise and whisper which must have permeated the heavens.

When news spread the 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 in odd wonder as the 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 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 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 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 empire.

But rather he became the child of a carpenter his birthplace a stable a poor accommodation for the 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 Lord never hung with anybody that had any reputation reputation.

Nobody who is special or gifted 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 poor and buried our sin.

There is no inclination of sin in him.

Yet God his father made him who knew to be sin for us.

And then the Lord was crushed under its lobe.

The wrath of God's justice fell upon the only begotten 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 Bible says for your sake.

Although he was rich he became poor.

There was 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's 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 son Jesus Christ.

Is that not richness.

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 Father declares us

to be his children by an option.

And the Apostle Paul said we can't even fathom the glory that's gonna be rendered unto 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 are 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 are want 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 a 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 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 Lord Jesus Christ in his incarnation and

his life and his death on behalf of sinners.

Do you believe on him as the resurrected 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 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 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 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

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

Thanks Bill.

Yeah

Jason maybe you ought to come over and get a candle and start lighting that over

there.

Jason

right

here

are

we

all

set.

Okay

Bill

thank

you.

Silent

night,

holy

night, God bless you all.

Merry Christmas to you.

Good night.