Download: Readings and Song Lyrics for December 25, 2022
Reflection
Born That We May Have Life
No reputation, no stately bearing,
No palace bed for royalty;
But a star in the Heavens, a sign full of wonder
Announcing the coming of the King of kings.
Rejoice, o world, your Saviour has come
Through the love of a virgin’s womb.
Son of God, Son of man, born that we may have life.
You were born that we may have life.
A throne in a manger, the cross in a cradle,
The hidden revealing this glorious plan
Of a Child who would suffer, a Child who would conquer
The sin of every woman, the sin of every man.
Rejoice, o world, your Saviour has come
Through the love of a virgin’s womb.
Son of God, Son of man, born that we may have life.
You were born that we may have life.
Rejoice, o world, your Saviour has come
Through the love of a virgin’s womb.
Son of God, Son of man, born that we may have life.
You were born that we may have life.
Rejoice, o world, (hallelujah, the Saviour has come)
Rejoice, o world (join with the angels)
Rejoice, o world (rejoice)
Rejoice, o world (for the King of kings and the Lord of lords)
Rejoice, o world (a Saviour is born)
(Who brings us life and brings peace)
Born that we may have life.
You were born that we may have life. (we may have life)
You were born that we may have life.
Music and Words by Chris Tomlin, Matt Maher, Ed Cash
Call To Worship
We confess the supremacy of God in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Call to Worship
Isaiah 9:2
The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
a light has dawned
on those living in the land of darkness.
What do these things mean?
God’s Forever King is here!
God has come to dwell with us!
Jesus is here to save us from our sin!
O come, let us adore him.
Shepherds came and worshiped him.
Angels sang his praise.
Wise men brought their gifts.
What shall we do?
O come, let us adore him, Christ, the Lord! Amen.
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 be 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
Matthew 1:18-21 (CSB)
The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way:
After his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph,
it was discovered before they came together that
she was pregnant from the Holy Spirit. So her husband,
Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to
disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her
secretly.
But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Merciful Father,
We are sinners, this is true:
in thought, word, and deed,
in the evil that we have done
and the good we have left undone;
we have not loved you wholeheartedly;
we have not loved our neighbor as ourselves.
By the life, death, resurrection, and reign of Jesus,
forgive us and save us from all our sins.
Amen.
Time of silent confession
Assurance and Peace
We profess our assurance of salvation and peace in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Remember the Gospel
Nicene Creed (325 AD), Galatians 4:4–5 (ESV)
Who is Jesus?
The Lord Jesus Christ is the only‐begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father;
by whom all things were made;
What has Jesus done for us?
Jesus, for us and for our salvation, came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures,
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory
to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
But when the fullness of time had come, 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.
Amen.
Our Sung Profession of Assurance
What Child Is This (Distribution Song)
Verse 1
What Child is this who, laid to rest
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom Angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and Angels sing:
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
Verse 2
Why lies He in such mean estate,
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christians, fear, for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
The cross be borne for me, for you.
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
Verse 3
So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,
Come peasant, king to own Him;
The King of kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
Raise, raise a song on high,
The virgin sings her lullaby.
Joy, joy for Christ is born,
The babe, the Son of Mary.
Words by William C. Dix, Music is a traditional English melody
©Public Domain
Behold the Lamb (Distribution Song) (Selected parts of the song will be used.)
Behold the lamb of God
Who takes away our sin
Behold the lamb of God
The life and light of men
Behold the lamb of God
Who died and rose again
Behold the Lamb of God
Who comes to take away our sin
Words and Music by Andrew Peterson
©2019 Laura Stories, New Spring, Junkbox Music
Celebration of the Lord’s Supper
King of Kings/Gloria in Excelsis Deo
Verse 1
In the darkness we were waiting
Without hope, without light,
Till from heaven You came running,
There was mercy in Your eyes.
To fulfill the law and prophets,
To a virgin came the Word,
From a throne of endless glory,
To a cradle in the dirt. (Chorus)
Chorus
Praise the Father,
Praise the Son,
Praise the Spirit, three in one.
God of Glory, Majesty,
Praise forever to the King of Kings
Verse 2
To reveal the kingdom coming
And to reconcile the lost,
To redeem the whole creation,
You did not despise the cross.
For even in Your suffering,
You saw to the other side.
Knowing this was our salvation,
Jesus, for our sake You died. (Chorus)
Verse 3
And the morning that You rose,
All of heaven held its breath,
Till that stone was moved for good,
For the Lamb had conquered death.
And the dead rose from their tombs,
And the angels stood in awe,
For the souls of all who’d come,
To the Father are restored.
Verse 4
And the Church of Christ was born,
Then the Spirit lit the flame.
Now this Gospel truth of old,
Shall not kneel, shall not faint.
By his blood and in His name,
In His freedom I am free
For the love of Jesus Christ,
Who has resurrected me. (Chorus 2X’s)
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 Brooke Ligertwood, Jason Ingram, and Scott Ligertwood, Gloria: Traditional French Carol
©2019 Hillsong Music Publishing Australia, Fellow Ships Music, So Essential Tunes, ©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 a Mission Moment to highlight the different missions giving opportunities we have at Grand. Members are encouraged to give to GABC Missions to support these missions.
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 52:13-53:12 (CSB) (Only Isaiah 53:1-12 will be read)
52:13 See, my servant will be successful; he will be raised and lifted up and greatly exalted.
14 Just as many were appalled at you— his appearance was so disfigured that he did not look like a man, and his form did not resemble a human being— 15 so he will sprinkle many nations. Kings will shut their mouths because of him, for they will see what had not been told them, and they will understand what they had not heard.
53:1 Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground. He didn’t have an impressive form or majesty that we should look at him, no appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was. He was like someone people turned away from; he was despised, and we didn’t value him.
4 Yet he himself bore our sicknesses, and he carried our pains; but we in turn regarded him stricken,
struck down by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds.
6 We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the LORD has punished him
for the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter
and like a sheep silent before her shearers, he did not open his mouth.
8 He was taken away because of oppression and judgment, and who considered his fate? For he was cut off from the land of the living; he was struck because of my people’s rebellion.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, but he was with a rich man at his death, because he had done no violence and had not spoken deceitfully.
10 Yet the LORD was pleased to crush him severely. When you make him a guilt offering, he will see his seed, he will prolong his days, and by his hand, the LORD’s pleasure will be accomplished.
11 After his anguish, he will see light and be satisfied. By his knowledge, my righteous servant will justify many, and he will carry their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him the many as a portion, and he will receive the mighty as spoil, because he willingly submitted to death, and was counted among the rebels; yet he bore the sin of many and interceded for the rebels.
This is the word of the Lord.
The grass withers and the flower falls but the word of the Lord endures forever.
Sermon
Isaiah 52:13-53:12 – God’s Gift to the World (Part Two) – 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 both song and spoken word.
Sending Song
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
Blessing
May God, who sent his angels
to proclaim the glad news of the Savior’s birth,
fill you with joy and make you heralds of the gospel.
Amen.
Scripture text for next Sunday: Isaiah 54:1-55:13