Order of Worship – December 26th, 2021

Preliminaries: Welcome and Announcements

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We Give Glory to God

Call to Worship: “Psalm 100”                                  

 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
²     Serve the Lord with gladness!
    Come into his presence with singing!
³ Know that the Lord, he is God!
    It is he who made us, and we are his; 
    we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
    and his courts with praise!
    Give thanks to him; bless his name!
⁵ For the Lord is good;
    his steadfast love endures forever,
    and his faithfulness to all generations.

Hymn of Acclamation: “O Come, All Ye Faithful” 
Kauflin and Clow, 1841

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; 

Refrain: 
O come, let us adore him; O come, let us adore him; 
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord! 

Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning; 
Jesus, to thee be all glory given; 
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing; [Refrain]

We Mourn the Reality of Sin

Hymn of Confession: “God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen”
18^th century English Carol                                                                                    

God rest you merry, gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay,
Remember Christ our Savior
Was born on Christmas day,
To save us all from Satan’s power
When we were gone astray;

Refrain:
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy.

From God our heav’nly 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, [Refrain]

“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 power and might.” [Refrain]

We Celebrate Christ as Our Redeemer

Assurance of Hope: “Galatians 4:4-7”                                 

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. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

Hymn of Redemption: “Joy to the World”
Watts, 1719 

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare Him room,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

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.

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.

Reading: “Luke 2:1-20”  

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³ And all went to be registered, each to his own town. ⁴ And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. ⁶ And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. ⁷ And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

⁸ And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. ¹⁰ And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

¹⁵ When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. ¹⁷ And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. ¹⁸ And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. ²⁰ And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Prayer for the Proclamation of God’s Word 

Sermon: “Jesus Birth is Good News for Broken Hearts”
Seth Teegarden – Luke 2:1-20

Main Point: The birth of Jesus is good news for broken hearts

We Respond to the Gospel

Hymn of Response: “Jesus Strong and Kind”                                                                                                                                                CityAlight, 2019

Jesus said that if I thirst
I should come to him
No one else can satisfy
I should come to him

Jesus said if I am weak
I should come to him
No one else can be my strength
I should come to him

Chorus
For the Lord is good and faithful
He will keep us day and night
We can always run to Jesus
Jesus, strong and kind

Jesus said that if I fear
I should come to him
No one else can be my shield
I should come to him

Chorus

Jesus said if I am lost
He will come to me
And he showed me on that cross
He will come to me

Chorus

Commissioning of the Church

Hymn of New Creation: “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”
Charles Wesley, 1739 (alt. George Whitfield)                                      

 Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King:
peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
join the triumph of the skies;
with angelic hosts proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King.”                                 

Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
Late in time behold him come,
Offspring of the Virgin’s womb:
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail the incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus, our Immanuel.

Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King.”

Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
Risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,
Born that we no more may die,
Born to raise us from the earth,
Born to give us second birth.

Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King.”

Benediction and Sending