Download: Readings and Song Lyrics for December 19
Reflection
“Prince of Peace . . . means Jesus is not just here to get you a wonderful,
personal relationship with him and deal with your problems on the inside,
but he is here to eventually create a new heavens and new earth
wherein dwelleth righteousness and justice.”
Tim Keller
Call To Worship
We confess the supremacy of God in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Call to Worship
From Isaiah 12:4-6(CSB)
Give thanks to the Lord; proclaim His name!
Make His works known among the peoples.
Declare that His name is exalted!
Sing to the Lord for He has done glorious things.
Let this be known throughout the earth.
Cry out and sing, citizens of Zion,
For the Holy One of Israel is among you
In His greatness!
Give thanks to the Lord; proclaim His name!
Make His works known among the peoples.
Declare that His name is exalted!
Our Sung Call to Worship
O Come All Ye Faithful
Verse 1
O come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem!
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of angels! (Chorus)
Chorus
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord!
Verse 2
Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
O sing, all ye bright hosts of heav’n above!
Glory to God,
All glory in the highest! (Chorus)
Verse 3
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning,
Jesus, to Thee all glory giv’n;
Word of the Father,
Now in flesh appearing! (Chorus)
Words and Music by John Francis Wade
Public Domain
Confession
We confess our need for mercy through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Confession
From Isaiah 1:2, 4, 16-17(CSB)
Listen, heavens, and pay attention earth,
For the Lord has spoken:
I have raised children and brought them up,
But they have rebelled against me.
Oh sinful nation,
People weighed down with iniquity,
Wash us! Cleanse us, for we cannot cleanse ourselves!
Our deeds are evil and our hearts darker still.
We have not done what is good.
We have not pursued justice for the oppressed nor
defended the rights of the fatherless.
We have not pleaded the widow’s cause.
We stand guilty before You, a sinful people before a Holy God.
Wash us! Cleanse us, for we cannot cleanse ourselves!
Time of silent confession.
Our Sung Confession
How Beautiful the Mystery
Verse 1
How beautiful the mystery:
Th’Eternal Word comes down
To live and love and die and rise,
To claim His victor’s crown.
Content we find Him cradled there
Amongst the filth and beasts.
Who would believe that He will be
Our guide from death to peace! (Chorus)
Chorus
How beautiful the mystery:
Th’Eternal Word came down;
The Servant-King has set us free
To live for His renown.
Verse 2
By angry swords and dark decree
He’s driven from His land.
But still He humbly bows His head
To trust His Father’s hand.
The spotless Lamb lays down his life,
A curse upon a cross.
Then lives that He might guarantee
That no sheep will be lost. (Chorus)
Verse 3
How beautiful the mystery:
The Word shall come again
To raise His own to live with Him,
Set free from death and sin.
O! may our hearts grow ever fond
Of Mary’s precious boy:
Our Christ, our hope, our heart’s desire,
Our King and Sov’reign joy! (Chorus)
Words and Music by Eric Schumacher, David L. Ward and Jeff Bourque
©2010 Hymnicity
Assurance and Peace
We profess our assurance of salvation and peace in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Remember the Gospel
From Isaiah 1:18; 12:2 (CSB)
“Come, let us settle this,” says the Lord.
“Though your sins are scarlet,
They will be as white as snow;
Though they are crimson red
They will be like wool.”
Indeed, God is our salvation
We will trust in Him and not be afraid
For the Lord, the Lord Himself,
Is our strength and our song.
He has become our salvation!
Our Sung Profession of Assurance
Angels We Have Heard on High
Verse 1
Angels we have heard on high,
Sweetly singing oe’r the plains:
And the mountains in reply,
Echoing their joyous strains. (Chorus)
Chorus
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Verse 2
Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heav’nly song? (Chorus)
Verse 3
Come to Bethlehem, and see
Him whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord, the newborn King. (Chorus)
Words and Music: Traditional French Carol
Public Domain
Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me
Verse 1
What gift of grace is Jesus my Redeemer
There is no more for heaven now to give
He is my joy, my righteousness and freedom
My steadfast love, my deep and boundless peace.
To this I hold: my hope is only Jesus
For my life is wholly bound to his.
Oh, how strange and divine, I can sing: all is mine!
Yet not I, but through Christ in me.
Verse 2
The night is dark but I am not forsaken
For by my side, the Savior he will stay.
I labour on in weakness and rejoicing
For in my need, his power is displayed.
To this I hold: my Shepherd will defend me;
Through the deepest valley he will lead.
Oh the night has been won, and I shall overcome!
Yet not I, but through Christ in me.
Verse 3
No fate I dread, I know I am forgiven;
The future sure, the price it has been paid
For Jesus bled and suffered for my pardon
And he was raised to overthrow the grave.
To this I hold: my sin has been defeated
Jesus now and ever is my plea
Oh the chains are released, I can sing I am free!
Yet not I, but through Christ in me.
Verse 4
With every breath I long to follow Jesus
For he has said that he will bring me home.
And day by day I know he will renew me
Until I stand with joy before the throne.
To this I hold: my hope is only Jesus!
All the glory evermore to him!
When the race is complete,
still my lips shall repeat:
Yet not I, but through Christ in me.
Song Ending
When the race is complete,
still my lips shall repeat:
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
Yet not I, but through Christ in me.
Words and Music by Jenny Robinson,
Rich Thompson and Michael Farren
©2018 CityAlight Music, Farren Love And War Publishing, Integrity’s Alleluia! Music
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.
You may give electronically at gabcames.org/giving/ or place your offering in the boxes at the back of the sanctuary or send a check in the mail.
Scripture Reading
Isaiah 11:1-9 (ESV)
1There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
2 And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide disputes by what his ears hear,
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist,
and faithfulness the belt of his loins.
6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;
and a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze;
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,
and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.
9 They shall not hurt or destroy
in all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea.
This is the word of the Lord.
The grass withers, and the flower falls,
but the word of the Lord endures forever.
Sermon
Isaiah 9:6 – Jesus: Prince of Peace – Pastor Michael Felkins
Sermon Discipleship Questions
1. What encouraged you?
2. What convicted you?
3. Is there anything in your life that needs to change?
Sending
Having heard and confessed the Gospel, we are sent into the world on mission in Christ, which we express in spoken word.
Blessing
This week as you fulfill God’s purposes in this life,
Give thanks to the Lord,
Proclaim His name!
Make His works known among the peoples.
Declare that His name is exalted!