Service Preview for September 16

Service Preview for September 16

Call To Worship
We confess the supremacy of God in Christ through both responsive reading and song.

Our Spoken Call to Worship
From Isaiah 40:1-11 (ESV)

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her
that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is
pardoned,
that she has received from the LORD’s hand
double for all her sins.

A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way
of the LORD;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

A voice says, “Cry!”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”

All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the
flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades
when the breath of the LORD blows on it;
surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever.

Go on up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good news;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good news;
lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”

Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.

Our Sung Call to Worship
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus

Confession
We confess our need for mercy through both responsive reading and song.

Our Spoken Confession
Based on Isaiah 40:1-11 (ESV)

Lord, we confess how weak our faith is.

You declared words of comfort,
but we dwell in despair.

You declared that our iniquity is pardoned,
but we dwell in guilt.

You declared that your Word would stand forever,
but we dwell in fear.

You declared good news,
but we dwell in sorrow.

You declared that you would come to save us,
but we dwell in unbelief.

We believe;
help our unbelief.

Open our eyes to see our salvation
in Jesus Christ, God With Us.

Give us grace to receive him,
to believe him,
and to rest in him.

Amen.

TIME OF SILENT CONFESSION

Our Sung Confession
What Child Is This

Assurance and Peace
We profess our assurance of salvation and peace in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Remember the Gospel
From Colossians 1:15-20 (ESV)

Who is Jesus?

He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.

For by him all things were created,
in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—
all things were created through him and for him.

And he is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.

And he is the head of the body, the church.

He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in everything he might be preeminent.

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
and through him to reconcile to himself all things,
whether on earth or in heaven,
making peace by the blood of his cross.

Our Sung Profession of Assurance
Joy to The World

Thanksgiving and Petition

We Give Thanks in Prayer and Offer Petitions to God
We express our gratitude to God our Father for Christ’s work on the cross for us and bring our requests before him. In bringing our requests, we confess that we believe God truly is a good father, who cares about our needs and gives us what he knows is best.

We Give Thanks by Giving
We give financial offerings to support the work of the church because of our gratitude to God. By giving we confess we are trusting in God’s provision for us as well.
On the first Sunday of each month we have two offerings—one for the general fund and a second one for the benevolence ministry of our church.

We Give Thanks in Song
Joy Has Dawned/Angels We Have Heard on High

Scripture Reading
Luke 2:1-21(ESV)

1In those days a decree went out from Caesar
Augustus that all the world should be registered.
2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called
Bethlehem, because he was of the house and
lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he
is pleased!”
15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.

18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!

Sermon
Luke 2:1-21 – Songs for the King: Gloria In Excelsis Deo – Steve Vardeman

Sending
Having heard and confessed the Gospel, we are sent into the world on mission in Christ, which we express in both song and spoken word.

Sending Song
O Come All Ye Faithful

Blessing
Go out from here and into the world
full of comfort and joy,
for the Lord who was born in Bethlehem
now reigns in heaven
and will come again to make all things new.