WORSHIP TOGETHER

WELCOME, ADVENT READING, AND PRAYER

In the arrival of Jesus, O faithful God, you have visited and redeemed your people.

You have raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of your servant David, as you spoke by the mouth of your holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.

In the arrival of Jesus, O faithful God, you have visited and redeemed your people.

You show your promised mercy, remembering your holy covenant—the oath you swore to our father Abraham—and delivering us from the hand of our enemies so that we can serve you without fear, in holiness and righteousness, for all our days.

In the arrival of Jesus, O faithful God, you have visited and redeemed your people.

You have come down to us according to your tender mercy, forgiving our sins and bringing to us the heavenly Sunrise—a light in the shadow of death’s darkness—to guide our feet in the way of peace as we work and wait for the day of your return.

For you have promised that on that day it will be said:

“Behold, this is our God we have waited for, and he saved us!
Let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” Amen.

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BEGIN AND NEVER CEASE (MVMT II)

While shepherds watched their flocks by night
all seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down and glory shone around!

“Fear not!” said he, for mighty dread
had seized their troubled minds,
“Glad tidings of great joy I bring, to you and all mankind,
to you and all mankind!”

O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy!

“To you, in David’s town this day, is born of David’s line,
The Savior, who is Christ the Lord, and this shall be the sign:

The Heavenly Babe you there shall find
to human view displayed,
And meanly wrapped in swaddling bands,
and in a manger laid.”

O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy!
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy!

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel! Born is the King of Israel!
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel! Born is the King of Israel!
Born is the King of Israel!

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

“All glory be to God on high,
And to the earth be peace!
Good will henceforth from God to man:
Begin and never cease, begin and never cease,
Begin and never cease!”

Words: verses by Edith Sanford Tillotson and Nahum Tate, 1700; chorus from “God Rest, Ye Merry Gentlemen” an English Carol, 18th cent.); 2nd bridge from “O Come, All Ye Faithful” attributed to John Francis Wade, trans. Frederick Oakeley; Music: verses by The Oh Hellos; 2nd bridge attributed to John Francis Wade; © 2013 The Oh Hellos; CCLI License #11029770

GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN

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!

Go tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills, and everywhere!
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born!

The shepherds feared and trembled
When lo! above the earth,
Rang out the angels chorus
That hailed the Savior’s birth!

Go tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills, and everywhere!
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born!

Down in a lowly manger
The humble Christ was born,
And God sent us salvation
That blessed Christmas morn!

Go tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills, and everywhere!
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born!

Words & Music: John W. Work, 1901; Arr. Will Milks; PD; CCLI License #11029770

CONFESSION OF FAITH

TITUS 3:3-7

Beloved, we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures,

passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us,

not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy,

by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs, having the hope of eternal life.

PASTORAL PRAYER

GIVING

JOY TO THE WORLD

Joy to the world—the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every 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.

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.

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.

Words: Isaac Watts; Music: George Frederick Handel; PD; CCLI License #11029770

SERMON

SERIES: THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS

SERMON: “NO CONDEMNATION” FOR CHRISTMAS

SCRIPTURE: LUKE 2:1-20; ROMANS 8:1

LUKE 1:1 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.

ROMANS 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

OUTLINE

Therefore Now

No Condemnation

For Those In Jesus

LORD’S SUPPER

LET ALL MORTAL FLESH KEEP SILENCE

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand.
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in his hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth;
Our full homage to demand!

King of kings, yet born of Mary;
As of old on earth he stood.
Lord of lords, in human vesture;
In the body and the blood.
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heav’nly food.

Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the pow’rs of hell may vanish!
As the darkness clears away!

At his feet the six winged seraph—
Cherubim with sleepless eye—
Veil their faces to the presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
“Hallelujah, hallelujah,
Hallelujah, Lord Most High!”

Words/Music: Gerard Moultrie, 1864; PD; CCLI License #11029770

HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING

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 host proclaim:
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Hark! The herald angels sing:
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Christ, by highest heav’n 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 as man with men to dwell—
Jesus, our Emmanuel!

Hark! The herald angels sing:
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Hail the heav’n born Prince of Peace;
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings—
Ris’n with healing in his wings!
Mild he lays his glory by:
Born that man no more may die;
Born to raise the sons of earth;
Born to give them second birth!

Hark! The herald angels sing:
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Words: Charles Wesley; Music: Felix Mendelssohn; PD; CCLI License #11029770

BENEDICTION