Download: Readings and Song Lyrics for December 17, 2023
Pre-service Song
Lo How A Rose E’er Blooming
Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming
From tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse’s lineage coming
As men of old have sung.
It came, a flower bright,
Amid the cold of winter,
When half-gone was the night.
Isaiah ‘twas foretold it,
The Rose I have in mind:
With Mary we behold it,
The virgin mother kind.
To show God’s love aright
She bore to men a Savior,
When half-gone was the night.
This Flow’r, whose fragrance tender
With sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor,
The darkness ev’rywhere.
True man, yet very God,
From sin and death He saves us,
And lightens ev’ry load.
Words by Theodore Baker & Harriet Krauth Spaeth, Music Geistlich Kirchengesang
©Public Domain
Call To Worship
We confess the supremacy of God in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Call to Worship
Based on Revelation 21:1-14, 22:20
When Jesus comes back,
he will make a new heaven
and a new earth.
Come back soon, Lord Jesus!
When Jesus comes back,
God will live with us
and we will live with him.
Come back soon, Lord Jesus!
When Jesus comes back,
we will be his people
and he will be our God.
Come back soon, Lord Jesus!
When Jesus comes back,
every bad thing will go away
and everything will be very good.
Come back soon, Lord Jesus!
When Jesus comes back,
we will see God’s beauty
and he will make us beautiful.
Come back soon, Lord Jesus!
Jesus is coming back very soon,
so let’s be happy and sing!
Amen! We light these candles as a sign of the coming hope of Christ!
Our Sung Call to Worship
Come Adore the Humble King
Come adore the humble King,
lowly in the manger;
Fall before His majesty,
Hail the little Savior.
Hope what hope no tongue could tell,
God has come with us to dwell;
His name is Emmanuel,
O praise the humble King.
Come adore in humble state,
He the song of angels;
Join the wise who call His name
and with all creation.
Who oh who would condescend,
God unknown now calls us friend;
Love that none could comprehend,
O praise the humble King.
Come adore the King who came
to our world to save us;
Born to heal our prideful race,
crown us with forgiveness.
Fall oh fall before the One
who in mercy left His throne.
Christ, the Lord, God’s only Son;
His glories now we sing,
O praise the humble King.
Come adore, come adore, come adore the King.
Bow before, come adore the Name above all names. (Repeat)
By Matt Papa and Matt Boswell
© 2018 Getty Music Hymns and Songs; Getty Music Publishing; Love Your Enemies Publishing; Messenger Hymns
Confession
We confess our need for mercy through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Confession
1 John 1:5-9; 2:1-2, 28 (CSB)
This is the message we have heard from him
and declare to you:
God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in him.
If we say, “We have fellowship with him,”
and yet we walk in darkness,
we are lying and are not practicing the truth.
If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light,
we have fellowship with one another,
and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves,
and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous
to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—
Jesus Christ the righteous one.
He himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins,
and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.
So now, little children, remain in him so that
when he appears we may have confidence and
not be ashamed before him at his coming.
Time of silent confession.
Our Sung Confession
O Savior of Our Fallen Race
O Savior of our fallen race,
O Brightness of the Father’s face;
O Son who shared the Father’s might
before the world knew day or night.
O Jesus very Light of Light
Our constant star in sin’s deep night;
Now hear the prayers Your people pray
Throughout the world this holy day.
Remind us Lord of life and grace
how once, to save our fallen race,
You put our human vesture on
and came to us as Mary’s son.
Today, as year by year its light
brings to our world a promise bright,
one precious truth outshines the sun;
Salvation comes from You alone.
For from the Father’s throne You came,
His banished children to reclaim;
And earth and sea and sky revere
the love of Him who sent You here.
And we are jubilant today,
For You have washed our guilt away.
O hear the glad new song we sing
on this, the birth of Christ our King!
O Savior of our fallen race,
the world will see Your radiant face
for You who came to us before
will come again and all restore.
Let songs of praise Your name adorn,
O Christ, Redeemer, virgin born
whom with the Father we adore
and Holy Spirit evermore.
Original Lyrics: Christe Redemptor Omnium, Latin office hymn, circa 6th Century. Translated by Gilbert E. Doan, Jr. Adapted by Kristyn Getty, Music by Keith Getty
Text © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship, Music ©2011 Gettymusic
Assurance and Peace
We profess our assurance of salvation and peace in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Remember the Gospel
Colossians 2:13-15; 2 Corinthians 2:14 (CSB)
Remember the Gospel!
When you were dead in trespasses
and in the uncircumcision of your flesh,
he made you alive with him
and forgave us all our trespasses.
He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations,
that was against us and opposed to us,
and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.
He disarmed the rulers and authorities
and disgraced them publicly;
he triumphed over them in him.
Thanks be to God, who always leads us
in Christ’s triumphal procession!
Our Sung Profession of Assurance
In Christ Alone
In Christ alone, my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.
In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For every sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.
There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain.
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.
No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow’r of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow’r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow’r of Christ I’ll stand.
By Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
© 2001 Thankyou Music
Go Tell It On the Mountain
Chorus
Go tell it on the mountain,
over the hills and everywhere;
Go tell it on the mountain
that Jesus Christ is born.
While shepherds kept their watching
o’er silent flocks by night,
behold throughout the heavens
there shone a holy light. (Chorus)
The shepherds feared and trembled
when lo above the earth,
rang out the angel chorus
that hailed the Savior’s birth. (Chorus)
Down in a lowly manger
the humble Christ was born,
and God sent us salvation
that blessed Christmas morn. (Chorus)
Music by John W. Works, Jr. Words by Traditional African-American Spiritual
©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
Luke 2:25-35 (CSB)
25 There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel’s consolation, and the
Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took him up in his arms, praised God, and said,
29 Now, Master,
you can dismiss your servant in peace,
as you promised.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation.
31 You have prepared it
in the presence of all peoples—
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and glory to your people Israel.
33 His father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him.
34 Then Simeon blessed them and told his mother Mary, “Indeed, this child is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be opposed— 35 and a sword will pierce your own soul—that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
This is the word of the Lord.
The grass withers and the flower falls
but the word of the Lord endures forever.
Sermon
Luke 2:25-35 – Christmas Hope – 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
Angels from the Realms of Glory
Angels, from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o’er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation’s story,
Now proclaim Messiah’s birth:
Come and worship, come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King!
Shepherds, in the fields abiding,
Watching o’er your flocks by night,
God with man is now residing,
Yonder shines the infant Light:
Come and worship, come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King!
Sages, leave your contemplations,
Brighter visions beam afar;
See the great Desire of nations,
Ye have seen the Infant’s star:
Come and worship, come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King!
Saints, before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear,
Suddenly the Lord, descending,
In His temple shall appear:
Come and worship, come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King!
Words by James Montgomery, Music by Henry T. Smart
©Public Domain
Blessing
2 Corinthians 13:13 (CSB)
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with you all.
Amen.
Scripture text for next Sunday: Matthew 2:1-18