Service Preview for December 24, 2023

Date
December 22, 2023
Author
Dixie Carpenter
Category
Service Preview

Download: Readings and Song Lyrics for December 24, 2023

Pre-service Song
Fullness of Grace

Fullness of grace in man’s human frailty,
this is the wonder of Jesus.
Laying aside His power and glory,
humbly He entered our world.
Chose the path of meanest worth:
Scandal of a virgin birth.
Born in a stable, cold and rejected:
Here lies the hope of the world.

Fullness of grace, the love of the Father
shown in the face of Jesus.
Stooping to bear the weight of humanity,
walking the Calvary road.
Christ the holy innocent
took our sin and punishment.
Fullness of God, despised and rejected:
Crushed for the sins of the world.

Fullness of hope in Christ we had longed for,
Promise of God in Jesus.
Through His obedience we are forgiven,
Op’ning the floods gates of heav’n.
All our hopes and dreams we bring
gladly as an offering.
Fullness of life and joy unspeakable:
God’s gift in love to the world.

God’s gift in love to the world.

By Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty and Stuart Townend
© 2004 Thankyou Music

Baptism

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

Our Spoken Call to Worship
2 Corinthians 4:6-10, 16-18 (ESV)

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of
darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the
light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the
face of Jesus Christ.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay,
to show that the surpassing power belongs to God
and not to us.

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not driven to despair;
persecuted, but not forsaken;
struck down, but not destroyed;
always carrying in the body the death of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

So we do not lose heart.
Though our outer self is wasting away,
our inner self is being renewed day by day.
For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us
an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,
as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.

For the things that are seen are transient,
but the things that are unseen are eternal.

We light these candles as a sign of the eternal presence of Christ in our mourning and affliction.

Our Sung Call to Worship
The First Noel (video has a two additional verses)

The first Noel the angel did say,
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep,
On a cold winter’s night that was so deep.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.

They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the east, beyond them far,
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.

And by the light of that same star
Three wise men came from country far;
To seek for a king was their intent,
And to follow the star wherever it went.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.

Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord
Who hath made heav’n and earth of naught,
And with His blood mankind hath brought.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.

Traditional English Carol
©Public Domain

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

Our Spoken Lament
Excerpts from Every Moment Holy Volume II, Psalm 13:5-6 (NIV)

How long, O Lord, must your people grieve?

How long must we weep, bereft, bereaved,
and suffering separation?

How long must we drink from this well of sorrow?
How long till our tears are tended by your own hands?

How long, O Lord, until you have finished your final work, crushing all evidence of darkness that overshadows us in these blighted lands?

O Lord, how long until death is destroyed forever,
and never-ending songs of gladness
and praise fill these redeemed fields and rebuilt streets?

How long, O King, until your kingdom is established?
How long, O Comforter, until we grieve no more forever?

But I trust in your unfailing love,
My heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing the Lord’s praise,
For he has been good to me.

Time of silent reflection.

Our Sung Response
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

God rest ye merry gentlemen, let nothing you dismay
Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan’s pow’r when we were gone astray.
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy.
O tidings of comfort and joy.

From God our heavenly Father a blessed angel came
And unto certain shepherds brought tidings of the same
How that in Bethlehem was born the Son of God by name.
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy.
O tidings of comfort and joy.

Fear not, then said the angel, let nothing you affright.
This day is born a Savior of a pure virgin bright.
To free all those who trust in Him from Satan’s pow’r and might.
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy.
O tidings of comfort and joy.

Now to the Lord sing praises, all you within this place
And with true love and brotherhood each other now embrace
This holy tide of Christmas all others doth deface.
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy.
O tidings of comfort and joy.

Traditional English 18th Century Carol
©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 9:6-7, 2 Corinthians 8:9 (CSB)

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.

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.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Though he was rich, for your sake he became poor,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.

Our Sung Profession of Assurance
Fullness of Grace

God’s gift in love to the world.

By Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty and Stuart Townend
© 2004 Thankyou Music

O Holy Night

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining.
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices.
O night divine, O night, when Christ was born.
O night divine, O night, O night divine.

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming
Here came the wise men from Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,
In all our trials born to be our Friend.
He knows our need, to weakness is no stranger.
Behold, your King; before Him gladly bend.
Behold your King; before Him gladly bend.

Truly He taught us to love one another.
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother,
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord, O praise His name forever.
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim.
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim.

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
Matthew 2:1-18 (CSB)
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Messiah would be born.
5 “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they told him, “because this is what was written by the prophet:
6 And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah:
Because out of you will come a ruler who will
shepherd my people Israel.”
7 Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared.
8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you find him, report back to me so that I too can go and worship him.”
9 After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was—the star they had seen at its rising. It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overwhelmed with joy.
11 Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route.
13 After they were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Get up! Take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to search for the child to kill him.” 14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and escaped to Egypt. 15 He stayed there until Herod’s death, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled: Out of Egypt I called my Son.
16 Then Herod, when he realized that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the boys
in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men. 17 Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was
fulfilled:
18 A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children;
and she refused to be consoled,
because they are no more.

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

Sermon
Matthew 2:1-18 – Christmas Mourning – 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
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (different lyric order in video)

It came upon a midnight clear, that glorious song of old.
From angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold:
“Peace on the earth, goodwill to men, from heaven’s all gracious King”:
The world in solemn stillness lay, to hear the angels sing.

Still thro’ the cloven skies they come with peaceful wing unfurled,
and still their heavenly music floats o’er all the weary world;
Above its sad and lowly plains, they bend on hovering wing:
And ever o’er its Babel sounds the blessed angels sing.

And ye, beneath life’s crushing load, whose forms are bending low.
Who toil along the climbing way with painful steps and slow.
Look now! For glad and golden hours come swiftly on the wing:
O rest beside the weary road, and hear the angels sing.

Yet with the woes of sin and strife, the world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel strain have rolled two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man hears not the love song which they bring;
O hush the noise, ye men of strife and hear the angels sing.

Blessing
2 Thessalonians 3:16 (ESV)

Now may the Lord of peace himself
give you peace at all times in every way.
The Lord be with you all.

Amen.

Scripture text for next Sunday: Matthew 9:27-38