Christmas Eve Candlelight Service (9)
First B Jackson
2015-12-24

Automatically transcribed. Where this and the recording disagree, the recording is the record.

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Here we are. Hey, Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas. Yes.

It is good to see you guys. It really is. It is good to be in a you don't mind being shoulder to shoulder, do you? This is really this is gonna be fun. It really is.

So I wanna welcome all of you, especially if you're here for the first time. We're glad you're here and really mean that. There are there are folks back there and they have these baskets. And there are cookies. There are cookies, like delicious cookies in those baskets.

Will you promise me that if you're visiting, that you'll go back and get one of those cookies, please? And there are other little various gifts. Somebody might even give you a hug back there because they love you. So know that and welcome. Glad to see you.

Tonight is meant just to be a fun, reflective, worshipful night. We're here to celebrate the Christ in Christmas. Amen? That's why we're here, and and this is going to be fun. Reading scripture, worship in song, candle lighting, watch your eyebrows tonight.

We want you to keep them. But to begin the candle lighting, I wanna invite up the Sycamma family, and they're gonna they're gonna light the much anticipated Christ candle on the advent wreath at the end of the service, not right now. We're gonna use that candle to light our candles. Take it away, Joe.

Christmas Eve day. Today marks the end of our our Advent journey. We prepared our hearts, our minds, and our spirits for the celebration of Christ's entrance into the world. As we light the Christ candle, may we devote our lives to hit to reflecting his light. He is the light of the world.

In John eight twelve, Jesus said, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life. Yes.

I've been looking forward to that candle for a while. Would you stand with me? Let's pray, and then I wanna sing together. God, we are grateful. We're here to celebrate you, the greatest gift of all.

I thank you that the word became flesh, made his dwelling among us. Thank you, Jesus, for coming to meet us right where we're at. I pray that you'd meet us tonight, and this would be truly a celebration of your entrance into this world, but didn't end there. You lived, you died, but you reign now, and, I thank you, God, for reigning in our hearts. We give you praise.

Amen.

Oh, on ye faithful, joyful and triumphant oh come ye to bear my hand come and behold him Alright. Highest most holy. Sing choirs of angels. Sing choirs of angels. Sing in exaltation.

Singing on the sins of fear. Glory to God in the highest. Come let us adore in Christ oh Lord

We thank you for

be upon forgive. Word of the father.

Amen. Let's clap for our lord. From John one, this is, God's unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. He has revealed God to us. Amen?

Joy to the world. Joy to the world, 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 full. Far as the curse is found, And he rules the world.

He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness

Amen. Y'all can be seated.

We're bursting at the seams. We've got people standing in the street back there. If everybody would kinda scoot in towards the middle and if you've got some open spaces next to you, if you wanna raise a hand, I'm sure there's some folks in the back that would would like to come in. I see there's a couple up here and there's a couple right here in front of me. It's a good place to be.

Reading from scripture from the prophets Isaiah and Micah. The Lord himself will give you the sign. Look, the virgin will conceive a child. She'll give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel, which means God with us. For a child is born to us, a son is given to us.

The government will rest on his shoulders, and he will be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David from for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of heaven's armies will make this happen. But you, oh Bethlehem Ephrathath, you are only a small village among all the people of Judah.

Yet a ruler of Israel whose origins are in the distant past will come from you on my behalf.

You all can stay seated, but, if you would, the words are gonna be on the screen, and please sing with.

God rest you. God rest you, Mary Jedwoman, in nothing you despair. Remember Christ our savior was born upon this day to save us And tidings of comfort and joy.

And now him to sing praises.

And now to the Lord sing praises on you within this place And with true love and brotherhood each other now embraced this holy side of Christmas. Others doubt their face.

This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother Mary was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her fiance was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly. So he decided to break the engagement quietly.

As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. Joseph, son of David, the angel said, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she'll have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord's message through his prophet.

Look, the virgin will conceive a child. She'll give birth to a son and they'll call him Immanuel, which means God is with us. Now when Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. At that time, the Roman emperor Augustus decreed that a census should be taken throughout the entire Roman Empire. This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for the census. And because Joseph was a descendant of king David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David's ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, his fiancee, who was now obviously pregnant. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.

She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger because there was no lodging available for them. That night, there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them.

Don't be afraid. I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The savior, yes, the Messiah, the Lord, has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David. And you will recognize him by this sign. You'll find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others, the armies of heaven, praising God and saying glory to God in highest heaven and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased. When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, let's go to Bethlehem. Let's see this thing that has happened which the Lord has told us about. They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph, and there was the baby lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.

All who heard the shepherd's story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

Amen. You ready to stand up and sing again?

Alright. We'll sing

angels we've heard on high.

Angels we have heard on high. Sweetly singing over the plains and the mountains in reply echoing their joy strange glory.

Alright, shepherds why.

Come to Bethlehem and see.

Amen. I got another song to sing here with you. The first Noel. The announcement of the good news that Jesus Christ was born, not just for Israel, but for all mankind, that includes you and I, so that we could receive forgiveness of sins through him. Y'all can be seated.

So, the next part of the narration, I'm just gonna take over for Eric for just a second is from Matthew two one through 12. I'm gonna read but I want you to look. I've got highlighted up there king because I want to take two passages from Matthew tonight. This one, you'd expect at Christmas but I want to read it first and then I want to go to one other one too. 're going to invite folks up frontline team.

Okay, right. Now, after this, now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod, the king, small cake, king. Behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem saying, where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen a star in the East and we have come to worship him. And when Herod, the king, small K, king, heard this, he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him.

And when he had gathered all the chief priests and the scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So, they said to him, in Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet and Eric read this a little earlier. But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you shall come a ruler, king, capital R, capital K, king. Out of you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people, Israel. Christ also means king.

That ruler is referring to a king. Then, Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared and he sent them to Bethlehem and said, go and search carefully for this young child, capital C child. Same one as the capital K king and the capital C Christ and the capital R ruler and when you have found him, bring back word to me that I may come and worship him also. When they heard the king, they departed and behold the star which they had seen in the East went before them till it came and stood over where the young child was and when they saw the star, they rejoice with exceedingly great joy. And when they come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and they worshiped him.

And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to him, gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And then being divinely warned in the dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way. So, these guys, God was communicating to them in a language that they could understand. I couldn't understand it. Wouldn't know the first thing about a star or notice any difference but they were looking for it.

They saw it and it led them to the place where this capital K king was to be born. They would have assumed it would be in Jerusalem. That's the capital. That's where the small K king was living at the time. But God led them.

And he stopped it right over there and they knew exactly what to do. They fell down and they worshiped him. I think of this capital K king being born and this was in the first part of his life but in the very last week of his life, he took his disciples up onto the top of the Mount Of Olives and during what we call the Olivet discourse, about a week from the crucifixion and we have another little passage that the king is gonna talk about. This is the same capital K king and tonight, we are going to do an offering. It's not to sneak up on you because we have a big crowd.

But I want you to look at this. Actually, I'm saying it right now because over the last few weeks, we've been gathering up a lot of things for this angel tree in the back and a lot of a lot of people have given a lot for those who are are less fortunate and so, I just want to read this. The king will say to those on his right hand, come in, you blessed of my father and inherit the kingdom that's prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you took me in.

I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me and then the righteous will answer him saying, lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we see you? A stranger and take you in or naked and clothe you or when did we see you sick or in prison or come to you?

And the king will answer and say, to them, assuredly I say to you and as much as you did it to one of the least of these, my brother and you did it to me. Amen. Amen. Amen. But God, thank you for bringing us here this evening together.

I thank you for every person in this building, every family represent. God, I just ask your blessing on each one of em. In Jesus name, lord. Amen. Amen.

The stars are brightly shining it is the night of the dear savior's worth a thrill of hope the weary world rejoices for yonder breaks a new and glorious mourn led by the light of faith serenely with glowing hearts by his great all wisdom so led by light of a star sweetly gleaming here came the wise man from the Orient land king kings laid us in lovely manger in all our trials born to be our friend knows our Truly, he taught us to love his law, his love, and his gospel chains shall he break for the slave is our brother and in his name our precious shall see sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus praise we let always in us praise his holy name

So as Jesus grew and became a man, in John eight twelve, he said, I'm the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness because you are the light that leads to life. And tonight, I want you to hear that very real invitation to you to follow God's one and only son. He sent Jesus for you and I because he loves you. Because he loves us.

And as the light of the world, to rescue us from the darkness of of sin and death. So that by belief in him, and it truly is by belief, not through works, but by belief in Jesus and his work, we're promised eternal life. Isn't Jesus really the greatest gift that we could receive at Christmas? I mean, that's really why we're here. And in response to this invitation, we're gonna close in a candle lighting.

So I'd like to invite you to stand up. And while you're standing, I'll invite Ray to light his candle from the Christ candle. And that's representing Jesus as the light of the world, the light of life. And then we, in turn, will pass that light to one another, representing our task to let that light of Christ shine through us to the world. And when your candle's lit, would you be sure to hold it straight straight up and don't tip it?

And let that person next to you with their unlit candle tip theirs toward yours so that wax doesn't spill? Every year we have missing eyebrows and eyelashes, and I'd hate for you to lose them at Christmas. And then or anytime. And then while we're lighting candles, again, we just I'd invite you to sing with us. We've got a couple of hymns away in a manger and silent night, and let's just be a time of reflection, loving on our savior, remembering that Jesus came to rescue us from the power of sin and death and give us life.

Can we do that together? Be near me. Would you join me in silent night too, please? Now that that really is our song and our our prayer here tonight knowing that it's from that you've always been God. You you you were, you are, you always will be.

And I thank you that you are always with us, and that's what Emmanuel means. God with us. And it's not just here. It's everywhere. But I pray that we'd be reaching back for you.

You've reached out to us, but I pray that we'd be reaching back to us. Amen. You can now blow out your candles. And here's what I want you to know tonight. There's nothing that can extinguish the true light of Christ that lives in those who put their faith and trust in him.

Nothing can extinguish that light. John one five, it says, the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. So be encouraged by that, would you, as you're leaving? That nothing can extinguish the light of Christ. The world, cannot.

And you and I have the privilege of letting that light shine through us. Really, God uses you and I. He wants to. Matthew five fourteen through 16, you are the light of the world. This is Jesus charged us.

A town built on a hill cannot be hidden, neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven. This is what this last song is about. Can I encourage you to sing it out and sing loud?

Alright, go tellin' on. Go tellin' on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere. Oh, tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born while shepherds, while shepherds camp out watching for silent frogs by night. Behold, throughout the heavens, there's shown a holy

May God bless and keep you, make his face shine on on you, be gracious to you, look upon you with favor, give you his peace as you let his light shine through you. Amen? Amen. Love y'all.