Christmas Eve Service December 24 2024

First Baptist Church Leominster

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Good evening, folks.

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Merry Christmas to you. Welcome here at the First Baptist Church. I'm Pastor Lars Larson.

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We greet you in the name of God, our Father and His Son, our Lord Jesus. Glad you made it tonight. I believe you must have an order of service that was distributed and I trust that you all have a candle for at the end of the service.

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We'll be reading scripture, singing carols, the choir's got a few numbers for us, and I trust that we'll have a good evening in the

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Lord. Now, after we pray, we're going to have our opening

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Christmas carol. We're going to have the children come up and they're going to sing the first two stanzas of joy to the world, the

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Lord is come, and then all of us will stand and join in and sing verses three and four.

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So you might turn to hymn 195 in your red hymnals just to begin with, and so we'll be ready for them.

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Again, on verses three and four for the congregation. But let's go to our

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Father in prayer and ask His blessing upon our gathering this evening. Our Heavenly Father, we do thank you for this occasion that we can come and celebrate our

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God, the birth of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, our Lord, our

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Savior, the eternally begotten Son of God, who took upon Himself our human nature, body, and soul, became one of us, one with us, our

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God, in order to redeem us from our sin. And we thank you, our God, that you have sent

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Him to be our Lord, our King, for we needed one far greater than ourselves to deliver us from oppression and from sin, from ourselves.

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We thank you, Father, for the birth of the Lord Jesus. We pray, our God, that this

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Christmas season would be a source of encouragement and blessing for us, your people, as we look to you and celebrate the birth of your

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Son. We pray this evening, our God, would be honoring to you. Our God, it's our intention and desire to worship you in spirit and truth.

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May you enable us to do so, our Father, through Jesus Christ. And so help those that have planned and prepared and are involved, our

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God. May this time we have together be pleasing to you as we offer everything now, our

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God, in the name of and the merit of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

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And Father, we pray for anyone here that may be a stranger to Jesus as a true Lord and Savior, is not a disciple of Jesus Christ, living daily, fully submitted to Him as King.

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We pray, our God, that the words that we read from Scripture and that we sing, we pray the blessed

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Holy Spirit would illuminate our minds and hearts to the truth. And we just pray, our

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God, that you would give the grace of faith, our Lord, and enable us to go forth from here to have an enriched

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Christmas day tomorrow as a result of being here. We commit ourselves in this time to you,

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Father, in Jesus' name. Amen. Very good. And so, children, if you want to come up, please.

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And again, they're going to be singing the first two stanzas of Joy to the

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World, and that's hymn 195 in your red hymnal. And then

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Alan is going to come and lead us in verses three and four. Thank you. Be seated.

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Jesus' birth is the advent of life, and so the Turner's, including

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Bill, will be reading the Scripture from John's Gospel and lighting the candle for us. Starting with John 1 verses 1 to 14.

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

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Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made.

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Without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.

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The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. And there came a man who was sent from God, and his name was

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John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe.

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He himself was not the light. He came only as a witness to the light.

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And the true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and through Him the world was made.

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Through Him the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive

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Him. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name,

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He gave the right to become children of God. Children born of natural descent, nor of human decision, or a husband's will, but born of God.

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And the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen

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His glory, the glory of the one and only who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

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John 8 12. When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, I am the light of the world.

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Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

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The fifth and final candle lit tonight symbolizes Jesus's birth as the advent of life.

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Thank you. That reading from John chapter 1 speaks of the eternal son of God who came into this world, took upon himself our human nature.

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He came to be our Savior, but the scriptures, the Bible, sets forth Jesus Christ, the

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Savior, as being the Lord, the King. The Bible teaches that we need a

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King in order to save us from our enemies, namely our own sin, and all that would frustrate, defeat us, and damn us in our sin.

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And so the entire Bible is a declaration of God sending forth

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His Son to become King, become Lord over this world. There's room in this universe for only one

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God, and it's not me, and it's not you, it's King Jesus. And so the passages we want to read this evening speak of this from the

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Old Testament into the New, and we're going to begin with 2 Samuel chapter 7, where here you have really the first declaration that God intended to send a

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King, and he would be a descendant of David in his human nature, and as was just read, he's also the eternally begotten

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Son of God. And so here is 2 Samuel chapter 7, beginning with verse 4.

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But it happened that night that the word of the Lord came to Nathan the prophet, saying, Go and tell my servant

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David, thus says the Lord, would you build a house for me to dwell in?

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For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt, even to this day, but have moved about in a tent and in a tabernacle.

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Wherever I have moved about with all the children of Israel, have I ever spoken a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel, whom

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I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, why have you not built me a house of cedar?

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And now therefore, thus shall you say to my servant David, thus says the Lord of hosts,

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I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel, and I've been with you wherever you've gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth.

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And moreover, I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more, nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them any more, as previously, since the time

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I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused you to rest from all your enemies.

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Also, the Lord tells you that he will make you a house, a dynasty, in other words.

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When your days are fulfilled, and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.

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He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

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I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the blows of the sons of men, but my mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom

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I removed from before you, and your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you.

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Your throne shall be established forever, and according to all these words, according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David, and so God promised

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David that he would have an everlasting dynasty, pointing toward his greater son,

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Jesus Christ, who would become king, lord over God's people forever, and so that's the initial promise of the king with clarity and straightforwardness in the

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Old Testament, and of course, as we read through the Bible, more information unfolds with regard to the nature of this coming messiah, this coming king, this coming savior.

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At this time, the choir is going to sing an anthem. Mary, did you know? Thank you, choir.

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Please turn in your red hymnal to hymn 218, and please stand.

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Angels from the realms of glory, bring your.

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He who sang creation's story, now proclaim messiah's birth.

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Come and worship, come and worship, worship

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Christ, the newborn king. Shepherds in the fields abiding, watching o 'er your flocks by night.

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God with man is now residing, yonder shines he in pendulum and worship with the newborn king.

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Seek the great desire of nations, he has seen his natal star.

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Come and worship, worship with the newborn king.

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Saints before the ending, watching long in hope and fear.

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Suddenly a descending in his temple shall appear.

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Worship God evermore to the eternal three.

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Please be seated.

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The second Old Testament passage we wish to read is Isaiah chapter 9.

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The passage, earlier passage we read, dated about a thousand

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BC in the days of King David. Well, centuries passed, and the promise of the coming messiah hadn't been realized, and the prophet

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Isaiah spoke up at a time when the nation of Israel was under the judgment of God, and reaffirmed the promise.

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And here there's a prophecy of the coming Lord Jesus, and the significance that he would bring to the people of Galilee in particular, and to the world.

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And so this was a prophecy of Jesus Christ 800 years, 750 years before his birth in Bethlehem, Isaiah 9.

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Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed. That's a promise of redemption, of salvation of people under the judgment of God.

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As when at first he lightly esteemed the land of Zebulun, the land of Naphtali, and afterward more heavily oppressed her by the way of the sea beyond the

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Jordan, in Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.

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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.

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They rejoice before you according to the joy of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

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For you have broken the yoke of his burden and the staff off of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor as in the day of Midian.

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For every warrior's sandal from noisy battle and garments rolled in blood will be used for burning and fuel of fire.

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And then here it is, for onto us a child is born, onto us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulder.

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And his name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

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And 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

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Lord of Hosts will perform this. Let's pray. Thank you,

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Father, for your words, words of prophecy given so long before the coming of Jesus.

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And we thank you, Father, that we live on this side of the coming of Christ, our Lord and our Savior.

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And we can read these words, our God, and see it was in your purpose through history.

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Indeed, it was your eternal plan to save us through your Son, Jesus Christ, we who turn from our sin and believe on him as Lord and Savior.

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We pray, our God, that those who are struggling with sin, those who seem to be in darkness, will see the great light that is

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Jesus Christ himself and experience forgiveness of sin and deliverance from the power of sin that they might live before you.

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And so bless this word to us, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. And the next hymn,

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Allen, hymn number 194, please, the red hymnal. O come,

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O come, Emmanuel. Emmanuel is with us. Please stand. Thy people save.

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And the great joys and cheers by thy draw.

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Disperse the gloomy clouds at night.

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And death's dark shadows pull. Now keep me safe.

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The way that leads the path to me.

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Rejoice, At this time,

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Lizzie Weir will present to us Mary's Child. Luke chapter 2, verses 1 and following.

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The king came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.

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And this census first took place while Coridius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

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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.

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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 and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.

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Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.

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And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

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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

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Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you.

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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

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God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill toward men.

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So it was when the angels had gone away from them into heaven that the shepherds said to one another,

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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 babe lying in a manger.

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And now when they had seen him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this child.

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And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, 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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Fire, if you'll come now please. Lord Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

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Of course he grew up in Nazareth and he was king.

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He was Lord, but he was not the kind of Lord that the Jewish people were anticipating. Clearly he had the power to do wonderful, miraculous things.

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We read that he healed the sick. He of course taught the people. He walked on water.

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He even raised the dead. He did many, many miracles. He was truly the king.

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He showed himself to be so. But of course the Jewish people in large did not regard him as such.

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And so rather than embrace him as king, they crucified him on that cross in Jerusalem.

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And yet it was in the purpose of God for them to do so. Because the scriptures teach that it was actually through his life of humility and obedience to his heavenly father that resulted in his cross.

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That cross was the very means, the very way that he would be exalted to the throne of God. And so he was crucified.

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He was without sin. He died, but he died on behalf of others to atone for their sin, to pay the penalty that they owed

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God. And Jesus Christ satisfied that penalty when he died upon the cross.

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Because he was without sin, he could not remain in the abode of death.

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Death could not keep him in that grave. And so on the third day, God the father raised him from the dead, vindicating him as holy righteous.

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And then some weeks later, an event occurred the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given to the people of God.

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And there was such a magnificent outpouring of power and wonder that took place.

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Everybody couldn't understand what had occurred. And so Peter stood up before the people of Jerusalem and he declared what happened, that Jesus Christ had been crucified, nevertheless exalted and enthroned in heaven as Lord.

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And he had given the Holy Spirit to his people to show forth his enthronement as a great gift of God to his own.

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And so Peter declared these words, men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch

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David, that he is both dead and buried and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore being a prophet and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the

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Christ to sit on his throne. He for saying this spoke concerning the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.

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This Jesus God is raised up of which we're all witnesses and therefore being exalted to the right hand of God and having received from the

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Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he poured out this which you now see and hear.

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It was a declaration that Jesus Christ was indeed enthroned in heaven on the throne of God.

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He merited through his life, his humility, his obedience to the Father, he deserves to have all the authority in heaven and in earth.

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We're going to pass this next carol and we're going to ask Pastor Jason to come now and speak about the real meaning of Christmas.

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Let's pray and ask God's blessing. Thank you Father for your word and the glorious story of redemption told through the many centuries of God, our

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God through Old Testament saints and prophets and we read of it being realized through the birth and the life, the death, resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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We pray again our God that you would help this reality, this truth be cemented in our hearts and our minds and that we would live in faith and obedience to our

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Lord Jesus Christ in whose name we pray, amen. Something new that I've noticed this

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Christmas season is all the non -Christmas Christmas decorations. I saw an outdoor nativity scene the other day but with snowmen and skeletons.

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I saw a life -size Bigfoot or Sasquatch with a Santa Claus hat and a sack full of gifts and my favorite an eight -foot

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Darth Vader holding a candy cane lightsaber. Now if someone were to visit our country in the month of December, someone who had no knowledge of Christmas, they would be hard -pressed to figure out what

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Christmas is all about. In our own lifetime as a holiday,

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Christmas has significantly changed over the years. Our culture seems to continually commercialize, redefine and redirect the emphasis away from the birth of Jesus.

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And it places it on just about anything else. Now more than ever it is especially important to be reminded of the true meaning of Christmas.

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And the true meaning of Christmas, the reason for the season is the incarnation.

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The term incarnation means to make flesh. It refers to God becoming a man.

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It refers to God taking upon himself human flesh. The incarnation is the

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Christmas story. It's the story of the Lord God entering into his creation, entering into time and taking upon himself humanity, becoming a living and breathing flesh and blood man.

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For the Lord God to become flesh, he had to disregard his high and lofty position.

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He had to abandon his exalted and sovereign status. He had to lay aside his divine rights and privileges.

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The Lord God had to empty himself in order to take the form of a man.

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And this is the greatest miracle of Christmas. The Lord God, the creator, sustainer and final goal of creation, the

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God to whom belongs all praise, glory and honor, the

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God who was and is and is to come, the God who fills all things, condescended and veiled himself in the humble garments of humanity.

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The question that arises, why? Why did the

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Lord God condescend and become a flesh and blood living and breathing man? What was the purpose of the incarnation?

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Was it so we could take a few days off in the month of December? Was it so that we could put up a tree and decorate it with lights?

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Was it so we could give and receive gifts from our family and friends? The reason the

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Lord God condescended to become a flesh and blood living and breathing man was for our deliverance from the consequence of sin.

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The reason for the incarnation was for our spiritual benefit. It was for our salvation.

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The Christmas story does not begin in the book of Matthew or in the book of Luke.

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It begins all the way back in the book of Genesis. In order to fully understand

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Christmas, you need to fully understand the beginning chapters of Genesis.

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Genesis is the first book of the Bible and it chronicles the creation of man, the corruption of man and the consequence of man's corruption, which is death.

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It also promises a coming Messiah who would deliver man from the consequence of his corruption, a

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Savior who would deliver him from death. In the space of six days, the

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Lord God created the heavens and the earth. It was perfect and immaculate. The Lord God created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them.

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God created Adam, the first man, and from Adam, God created Eve, the first woman.

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God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, which was a delightful garden that was full of beauty and life.

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At this time, there was no death, there was no disease, there was no pain, no suffering, no conflict, and no difficulty.

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The Lord God's creation was good. It was very good.

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The relationship between Adam and Eve was perfect. Their relationship was the ideal and quintessential marriage.

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Adam was the perfect man, the perfect husband, and Eve was the perfect woman, the perfect wife.

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The relationship between Adam and Eve and their Creator, the Lord God, was also very good.

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Between man and the Lord God, there was perfect harmony, perfect peace, and perfect unity.

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But things did not stay very good for very long. The Lord God had given to one commandment to obey, keep, and follow.

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Genesis 2 .16, the Lord God commanded the man saying, you may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat.

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For in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die. The Lord God had given

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Adam dominion over the entire creation. Adam was free to do as he pleased, when he pleased, and how he pleased.

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The only prohibition that the Lord God commanded was to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

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Adam disobeyed this one command. Eve took of the fruit and she ate.

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She gave it to Adam, who was with her, and he also ate. The consequence of their disobedience was death.

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Through this one disobedient action, sin entered into the world and death through sin.

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Romans 5 .12 says, therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.

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Prior to the fall of Adam, there was no death, there was no sickness, there was no sadness, there was no conflict, there was no lack of any good thing.

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After the fall of Adam, after his disobedience, there was death, disease, division, destruction, and despair.

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The very good creation was now an ugly and cursed creation.

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The introduction of sin into the world corrupted and distorted every good thing.

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The relationship between Adam and Eve was now perverted and corrupt. The relationship between mankind and their creator, the

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Lord God, was now perverted and corrupt. Thus, the Lord God expelled

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Adam and Eve from the garden and from his presence. Thankfully, even though the

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Lord God is just, and was just, he is also good.

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The Lord God is very good. The Lord God was not content to leave his creation in such a miserable and dreadful estate.

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In Genesis 3 .15, the Lord God promised a coming Savior, a coming

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Deliverer, a coming King. The Lord God promised that one day a descendant of Adam and Eve would be born, and this child would reverse the curse, redeem fallen man, and deliver him from his fallen and sinful estate.

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And all throughout the scriptures, we see glimpses of the coming Savior. And eventually, the promise of Genesis 3 .15

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was fulfilled. Galatians 4 .4, but when the fullness of time had come,

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God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

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The Lord God sending forth his Son to become flesh, to be born of a woman, to be born under the law, is the

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Christmas story. Matthew 1 .21, she will bear a son, and you shall call his name

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Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the

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Lord had spoken by the prophet. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name

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Immanuel, which means God with us. The birth of Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of many biblical prophecies, including

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Genesis 3 .15. But not only did Jesus fulfill all the biblical prophecies, he also perfectly fulfilled the law of God in his life.

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All throughout the course of his life, Jesus perfectly obeyed every command of the

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Lord God, and yet he was crucified.

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He was killed at the hands of his own creation. But even this was according to the plan and purpose of God.

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This was the fulfillment of Genesis 3 .15. You see, the consequence of sin is death.

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The wages of sin is death. And since all men have sinned, all men will die.

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Death is a universal truth. Death will come to us all. Some men may live longer than others, but in the end, all men and women will eventually die.

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All men will be judged and will have to give an account of their lives to the Lord God. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses and sins, he made us alive together with Christ.

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In his great love and his great mercy, the Lord God offers salvation from sin through his son,

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Jesus. Jesus died on a

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The wages of sin is death, but Jesus did not sin. Therefore, death could not hold him.

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After three days, he rose from the dead, victorious over sin, victorious over death, and victorious over the serpent.

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You see, Jesus was no ordinary man. Jesus was the Christ. Jesus was

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God incarnate. He is God in the flesh. John 1 .1,

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

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God. Verse 14, the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory.

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Glory is of the only son from the father, full of grace and truth. The Lord God himself entered into his creation.

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He entered into history, and he accomplished what Adam could not accomplish.

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He accomplished what no man could ever accomplish. He fulfilled the law of God, and he lived a perfect and holy life.

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At his death upon the cross, Jesus did not die for his sin, because he had no sin.

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He died for the sins of his people. Jesus died as a substitute. He died in the place of sinners.

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In the place of sinners, he absorbed the full wrath of God. He redeemed and delivered his people from the curse and the penalty of sin.

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Romans 5 .18, therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, referring to Adam, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men, referring to Christ.

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For as by one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.

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Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.

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So that as sin reigned in death, grace might also reign through righteousness, leading to eternal life, through Jesus Christ our

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Lord. All men are in dire need of rescue.

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The greatest need of every man is salvation. Man needs to be delivered from sin.

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Man needs to be redeemed. Man needs to be reconciled to the Lord God. Man needs to be justified and sanctified, but man cannot accomplish this on his own.

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Even the very best of men will fall short of the glory of God. In our great need, the

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Lord Jesus Christ delivered for us the greatest good. It was the greatest good at the highest possible price, his life.

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Jesus Christ gave up his life for sinners, and it is through Jesus Christ that we are restored.

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It is through Jesus Christ that we are delivered. We are redeemed. We are reconciled to the

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Lord God. And this is the gospel. This is the good news of Jesus Christ.

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This is the good news of the incarnation. God became flesh, kept the law, died on a cross as a substitute for sinners so that we might live and be freed from the slavery of sin.

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Hebrews 2 verses 14 through 15, since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is the devil.

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And deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

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This is the true meaning of Christmas. This was the purpose of the incarnation.

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This was the purpose of God becoming flesh. Isaiah 53,

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Jesus was born to pour out his soul to death. He was born to be numbered with the transgressors.

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He bore the sin of many. He makes intercession for sinners. Jesus was born,

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Galatians 3 .13, that he might redeem us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.

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Beloved, as you celebrate Christmas, as you reflect upon your holiday traditions, do not forget the reason for the season, which is

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Christ Jesus, God who became flesh. All men live under the curse of Adam and all men will die for their sins.

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The only way to be freed from the curse of sin is to be reconciled to the

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Lord God through Jesus Christ. Salvation is possible only through his sacrificial life, death, burial, and resurrection.

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May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace and believing so that by the power of the

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Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the incarnation.

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What a glorious miracle, God becoming flesh. God becoming flesh for a purpose, and that purpose is to restore fallen men and women to you.

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We thank you for the work of Christ. We thank you for what he accomplished on our behalf, and we pray,

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Lord, that we would lift him up in our lives, that we would surrender, that we would bend the knee, that we would follow after you.

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Thank you, Lord. In Jesus' name, amen. Well, at this time, let us move to the perimeter of the sanctuary, please.

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Take your candle with you and also your bulletin, because at the bottom of the second page are the three stanzas of silent night, holy night, and so if hopefully somebody has matches and get this thing started, and pardon me, we're all good.

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Okay, maybe some of you deacons can help spread the flame.

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Deb, please, and Raymond, would you be able to handle the lights for us?

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Okay, over here we have some candles to be lit. Okay, we're all set,

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I believe. Glorious love and kindness, your wisdom and power.

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Thank you, our God, for your love for us through Jesus Christ, born so long ago, but lives even now.

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We thank you, our Father, that you have enthroned him, that he is king. Help us, our

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God, to believe this wholeheartedly and help us to live accordingly, our God, in faith and obedience unto you, doing your will as you guide us and direct us from the holy scriptures.

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Bless everyone here, our God, and their families, their gatherings tomorrow. May Christ be central to all of our experience.

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We pray these things in Jesus' name, amen. And now may the

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God of peace who brought up the Lord Jesus from the dead, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do his will, working in you what is well -pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever, amen.