Service Preview for December 5

Service Preview for December 5

Download: Readings and Song Lyrics for December 5

Reflection
Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God,
did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited.
Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant,
taking on the likeness of humanity.
And when he had come as a man, he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to the point of death—
even to death on a cross. For this reason God highly exalted him
and gave him the name that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—
in heaven and on earth and under the earth—
and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:5-11 (CSB)

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

Our Spoken Call to Worship
From Isaiah 40:9-11(NKJV)

O Zion, you who bring good tidings,
Get up into the high mountain;
O Jerusalem, You who bring good tidings,
Lift up your voice with strength
Lift it up, be not afraid;
Say to the cities of Judah,
“Behold your God!”

Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand
And His arm shall rule for Him

Behold, His reward is with Him and His work before Him.
He will feed His flock like a shepherd;
He will gather the lambs with His arm,

And carry them in His bosom
And gently lead those who are with young.

All: Behold! The Lord our God shall come!
Come, let us worship the Lord!

Our Sung Call to Worship
Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

Verse 1
Come, Thou long expected Jesus,
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us;
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear desire of ev’ry nation,
Joy of ev’ry longing heart.

Verse 2
Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child, and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all-sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Words and Music by Charles Wesley and Rowland Prichard
Public Domain

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

Our Spoken Confession
Lord, we confess that we so often do not look for Your coming,
neither in the future nor in the details of our daily lives.
We bear our burdens alone.
We strive in our own strength.
We carry on as orphans.

Father, forgive us.
Jesus, save us.
Spirit, renew us.

We call on You as our last option,
often in desperation when nothing else has rescued us.
And instead of withholding from us in punishment,
You come like a shepherd to his needy flock.
You gather us in Your arms.
You bring healing, comfort, help.

Father, forgive us.
Jesus, save us.
Spirit, renew us.

Receive now our private confessions.
Hear our prayers of penitence.
Forgive us our sins.
Come and rescue us.

Time of silent confession.

Our Sung Confession
O Come, O Come Emmanuel

Verse 1
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear. (Chorus)

Chorus
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Verse 2
O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight. (Chorus)

Verse 3
O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
And order all things far and nigh;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And cause us in her ways to go. (Chorus)

Verse 4
O come, Desire of nations, bind
All peoples in one heart and mind;
Bid envy, strife, and quarrels cease;
Fill the whole world with heaven’s peace. (Chorus 2 X’s)

Latin Hymn vs. 1 & 2 translated by John Mason Neal, vs. 3 & 4 translated by Henry Sloane Coffin
Public Domain

Assurance and Peace
We profess our assurance of salvation and peace in Christ through both responsive reading and song.

Remember the Gospel
Isaiah 40:28-31 (NKJV)

Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The everlasting God the Lord,
the Creator of the ends of the earth
neither faints nor is weary.

His understanding is unsearchable!
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might,
He increases strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
and the young men shall utterly fall,
but those who wait on the Lord?

They shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint!

Behold! Our God comes!

Our Sung Profession of Assurance
Joy Has Dawned

Verse 1
Joy has dawned upon the world,
Promised from creation—
God’s salvation now unfurled,
Hope for ev’ry nation.
Not with fanfares from above,
Not with scenes of glory,
But a humble gift of love—
Jesus born of Mary.

Verse 2
Sounds of wonder fill the sky
With the songs of angels
As the mighty Prince of Life
Shelters in a stable.
Hands that set each star in place,
Shaped the earth in darkness,
Cling now to a mother’s breast,
Vuln’rable and helpless.

Verse 3
Shepherds bow before the Lamb,
Gazing at the glory;
Gifts of men from distant lands
Prophesy the story.
Gold—a King is born today,
Incense—God is with us,
Myrrh—His death will make a way,
And by His blood He’ll win us.

Verse 4
Son of Adam, Son of heaven,
Given as a ransom;
Reconciling God and man,
Christ, our mighty champion!
What a Savior! What a Friend!
What a glorious myst’ry!
Once a babe in Bethlehem,
Now the Lord of hist’ry.

Chorus
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Gloria, in excelsis Deo

Verse
Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee,
Christ the Lord, the newborn King.

Chorus
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Gloria, in excelsis Deo

Words and Music by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend
©2004 Thankyou Music

Joy to the World

Verse 1
Joy to the world! The Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let ev’ry heart prepare Him room,
And heav’n and nature sing,
And heav’n and nature sing,
And heav’n, and heav’n and nature sing.

Verse 2
Joy to 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.

Verse 3
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as the curse is found.

Verse 4
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders of His love.

Words by Isaac Watts
Music by George Frederick Handel
Public Domain

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 9:1-7 (CSB)
1Nevertheless, the gloom of the distressed land
will not be like that of the former times when he
humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali.
But in the future he will bring honor to the way of the sea,
to the land east of the Jordan, and to Galilee of the nations.
2 The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
a light has dawned
on those living in the land of darkness.
3 You have enlarged the nation
and increased its joy.
The people have rejoiced before you
as they rejoice at harvest time
and as they rejoice when dividing spoils.
4 For you have shattered their oppressive yoke
and the rod on their shoulders,
the staff of their oppressor,
just as you did on the day of Midian.
5 For every trampling boot of battle
and the bloodied garments of war
will be burned as fuel for the fire.
6 For a child will be born for us,
a son will be given to us,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
He will be named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
7 The dominion will be vast,
and its prosperity will never end.
He will reign on the throne of David
and over his kingdom,
to establish and sustain it
with justice and righteousness from now on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD of Armies will accomplish this.

This is the word of the Lord.
The grass withers, and the flower falls,
but the word of the Lord endures forever.

Sermon
Isaiah 9:1-7 – Jesus: Mighty God – Pastor Eric Schumacher

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

Blessing
Based Isaiah 41:9b-10 (NKJV)

Fear not, for the Lord is with you;
be not dismayed, for he is your God.
He will strengthen you; yes, he will help you,
he will uphold you with his righteous right hand.

Amen.