Call To Worship
We confess the supremacy of God in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Our Call to Worship
READING FOR THE FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT
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
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.
Our Spoken Profession of Assurance
Remember the Gospel
From Colossians 1:15-20
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 Has Dawned/Angels We Have Heard on High
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
How Beautiful the Mystery
Scripture Reading
We hear the scripture text of the sermon read.
John 1:1-18 (ESV)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. 9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.
Sermon
John 1:10-13 – Jesus Is: Jesus is the Greatest Gift of All – Pastor Michael Felkins
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
Joy to the World
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.