Christmas Eve Service - 4.30pm (2) First B Jackson 2018-12-24 Automatically transcribed. Where this and the recording disagree, the recording is the record. ---- I mean, usually, it it takes everything just to to to be get everybody to be quiet and the hush fell over. I'll tell you what, we don't even need to wait until zero unless. Okay. Sorry for those who are like, no. No. No. No. It's gotta get down to zero. Hey, Merry Christmas everybody. Christmas. It's good to see y'all and and welcome to first beast sincerely. We're very very glad that that you're here, and we hope that you feel at home. I hope that when you walk in this building it feels like coming home because that's who we want to be here. And if you're new please know this, please stop by the back before you go tonight. There's a free gift including a homemade cookie and a warm welcome and and we just want to say hi to you. So would you do that please if you're new to first b would you would you stop by the back? We want to give you a little gift and say hi. Also know there's nursery care downstairs. There's some overflow down the hall and tonight is meant just to be a fun reflective worshipful night. We're here to celebrate the Christ in Christmas. Amen to that. Amen. So we'll read the nativity story. We believe the powers in the story. Amen. We're gonna sing some Christmas songs, do a candle lighting, watch your eyebrows this year. And to begin the candle lighting, I would like to invite up the Galloway family. Are the Galloway's here? Excellent. And so they're going to light the much anticipated Christ candle on the advent wreath here. And at the end of the service, not now, we're gonna use the that candle to to light our candles later on. So Galloway's, wanna take it away? We are we are the Galloway's. Grant, Kristen, Nora, and Hazel fell asleep on the way here so I dared not wake her. Merry Christmas to everyone. Today marks the end of our advent journey. We've prepared our hearts, our minds, and our spirits for the celebration of Christ's entrance into this world. As we light the Christ candle, may we may we devote our lives 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. Amen. Thanks, Galloway's. And can I pray on that? And then we'll stand up and greet one another. But let me pray first. God, I'm we're we're grateful. Grateful to be here, and thank you that you are light and you are life. Thank you for making your entrance into human history. Thank you God for being alive and well, working in the hearts and lives of your people. And you ought to pray that, you'd meet us where we're at tonight. And, we'd look back at your first coming. We look forward to your second. Pray this all in Jesus name. Amen. Hey, would you stand up and just say hi to the people around you? We'll bring you back in in song. Alright. You sound great. Here, let me just share the the line that really sticks out in this next song. It's, he rules the world with truth and grace. And I was just thinking this week, couldn't we use more truth and couldn't we use more grace in our lives? Truly. Let's sing joy to the world. Joy Alright. Here's my favorite part. He goes. Alright. You can be seated. Alright then. The Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the virgin will conceive a child and she will give birth to a son and will call him Emmanuel which means God is with us. For a child is born to us, a son is given to us, and 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, for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of heaven's armies will make this happen. But you, oh Bethlehem, Ephesians, are only a small village among all the people of Judah, and yet a ruler of Israel whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf. As we sing this next one, the the words are on the on the screen and and would you sing with too, please? And 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 and Joseph, her fiance, was a good man and he did not want to disgrace her publicly. So, he decided to break the engagement quietly and 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 will 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 and she will give birth to a son and they will call him Emmanuel which means God is with us and when Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and he took Mary as his wife. They didn't own a house no crib, no toys were waiting but still they had their love for the child they were anticipating he was born one winter night on a road There was a new star shining in the sky up above. By its light, that winter night they found peace and perfect love if we want to find They worried how to feed him. Simple trade was all they knew. It was hard enough to make ends meet when they were only two. But the cold, dark, and hunger There was a new star shining in the sky up above. By its light, that winter night they found peace and perfect love if we want to find it I know we always will because that new star is shining for us still if we want to find it I know we always will because that new star is shining for us still because that new star is shining for us still Thank you. Why you hang right there? We'll call you we'll call you right back. So, and at that time, I'm going to just read the story, alright? I'm not going to add any new characters to this story. This is not something that I'm going to add anything to and I'm not I'm going try my best not take anything away from it, alright? This is a great story. It's the New Living Translation if you're wondering. If it doesn't sound quite like scripture, it is. Just update it a little bit with the way that we speak now. At the time, at that time, the Roman emperor Augustus decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire and this was the first census that was taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria. All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this 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 and he took with him Mary, his fiance, who was now obviously pregnant and while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born and 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. Mary, did you know that your baby boy would one day walk on water? Mary, did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters. Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new? This child that you delivered will soon deliver you. Mary, did you, Mary, did you know that your baby boy would give sight to a blind man? Mary did you know that your baby boy would call the storm with his hands? Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod when you kiss your little baby you kiss the face of God the blind will see the deaf will hear, and the dead will leave again. The lame will leap, the dumb will speak. Praises of the lamb. Mary, did you know that your baby boy is lord of all creation Mary did you know me did you know that your baby that your baby boy would one day rule That night, there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby and they were guarding their flocks of sheep and suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them and they were terrified but the angel reassured them, don't be afraid. He said, I bring you good news that will be bringing great joy to all people. The savior, yes, the Messiah, the Lord has been born today in the city of David in Bethlehem. You will recognize him by this sign. You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth lying in a manger. And suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others, the armies of heaven and they were praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth, peace to those with whom God is pleased and when the angels had returned into 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 and they hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph and there was the baby lying in the manger. Can you imagine that? Just for a minute. Hold on a second. You have received a direct divine message out in the fields and then you get up and say, did you see what I saw? Yes, we saw the whole armies of heaven. And it was very clear what the message was and the the scripture says, immediately, they got up and they did. What had been told and so they went and then they found it. Now, thinking about that, that's one thing but can you imagine Mary who's had this vision and she said, may it be to me just as the Lord has said and Joseph has had this vision. It's alright. Go ahead. Take her as your wife and then to have shepherds show up and say, is there a baby here? And see that he's in a manger. That's not a normal place for a baby Back to the story, sorry. They hurried to the village and they found Mary and Joseph and there was that baby lying in that manger and after seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child and all who heard the shepherd's story were astonished but Mary kept all these things in her heart and she thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen. For it was exactly as the angel had told them. Alright. Here's where we get to sing again. So, would you stand up? We'll sing a song of it. Angels we, angels we, our Come to Bethlehem and see. Listen. That means glory in the highest to God. The English version, glory be to God on high. Let's also sing first Noel. Okay? Amen. Y'all can have a seat. Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea during the reign of King Herod and about that time, some wise men from Eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem asking, where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose and we have come to worship him. And King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this as was everyone in Jerusalem and he called a meeting of the leading priest and teachers of the religious law and asked, where is the Messiah supposed to be born? In Bethlehem, in Judea, they said, for this is what the prophet wrote and you, oh Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you, who will be the shepherd for my people, Israel. And then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared and he told them, go to Bethlehem and search carefully for this child and when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him too. Does that sound like what he wanted to do? After this interview, the wise men went their way and the star, they had seen in the East guided them to Bethlehem and it went ahead of them and it stopped over the place where the child was and when they saw the star, they were filled with joy. They entered the house and they saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and they worshiped him. Shepherds are one thing, right? But the wise men showing up and the next line says, and they opened their treasure chest and they gave him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. Gold is a very royal thing. It's still awfully valuable even more so probably at the time more scarce then than now. Frankincense, beautiful priestly significance and myrrh. Myrrh was an embalming spice. So, all these guys showing up and worshiping in him, worshiping him, and handing over these offerings as it were. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And just as they they gave, we too have an opportunity to give as well. I'd like to invite up Kyler Areola and Judy, if you'd come up, and the and the ushers to come forward as well. Kyler's gonna sing, holy night in French, because it's too easy to sing in English. Seriously, it's it's a real treat to have this guy, and I'm really glad that he's here. But while they're coming for him, I want you to know you are not obligated to give. Let me say that again. You are not obligated to give. If you do felt compelled to give, want you to know what you're giving to. At first b, we have a local benevolence fund here and thanks to your generosity, we get to help people in their time of need and it's about every day. It's about every day whether that's a bill or or gas or rent or room for the night, somebody's fallen on hard times, we get to say yes. And believe me, it's a huge blessing when we do. So sounds like something you wanna give too. Thank you. We encourage giving because God has given to us. John three sixteen says, for God so loved the world that he gave his son Jesus that whoever believes in him wouldn't die but have eternal life. Ray, can I have you pray on that? God almighty, we do come before you humbly lord thinking about your humble entry into this world and thinking about lord, the way that you lived your life. Surrender to the spirit. To walk this Earth tempted and tried in the same ways that we are yet to be without sin, having a perfect record and able to go forward, lord. What's ringing in my ears right now is to say, whatsoever you do to the least of these, you've also done to me. So, lord, may we be benevolent, truly benevolent, and be giving to others around us. I pray that you would use this this church body here but the greater church body that's here this evening lord that you would be a blessing in each life of in each soul that's here and lord that you would be reflected. Your love will be reflected through them onto others in their sphere. So, in Jesus name, lord, we pray your blessing on this offering that it would accomplish your kingdom's work, that it would set captives free, that it would clothe those who are naked, that it would feed those who are hungry. In Jesus name, lord, we pray that you would be with and in this extended gift in Jesus name, amen. Thanks, Kyler and Judy. Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful. By the way, this is gonna happen the next service as well if you wanna come back. So as Jesus grew and he began he began his public ministry, 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 will have the light that leads to life. Tonight, I want you to hear that very, very real invitation to you to trust and follow Jesus. God sent him as the light of the world to rescue us from the condition we all start in, darkness, sin. So that by belief in him, we're promised eternal life. That's the good news of the gospel right there. Amen. Simply put Jesus came to earth so we could go to heaven and in response to this invitation we're gonna close in a candle lighting and so I'd like to invite you to stand up at this time and while you're standing I'd like to invite Ray He's gonna light his candle from the Christ candle that represents Jesus as the light of life and then we're going to pass that candle to one another representing our task to let the light of Christ shine through us to the world. So when your candle is lit, would you please be sure to hold it straight up. Okay? Don't tip it. The person with their unlit candle, they're gonna tip yours. Their theirs to your lit candles. Does that make sense? Yes. Keep your eyebrows for Christmas, would you? And while we're lighting these candles, I'd like to just invite you to sing couple songs with us. Words are on the screen. That's beautiful. And we're gonna sing away in a manger, and we'll sing silent night. And would you sing those with us, please? Alright. And how about silent night as well? You can now blow out your candles. Here here's something that I I want you to know. We we might blow out these candles here, but there is nothing that can extinguish the true light of Christ that lives in those who put their faith and trust in him. Nothing can extinguish his light. John one five says, the light shines in the darkness and the darkness can never extinguish it. You'd encouraged by that that the darkness that that that the world brings cannot extinguish the light of Christ. He shines too bright. Darkness. What's more is God has given you and I the privilege of letting his light shine through us. He says, I'm the light of the world. Then he says to us, you are the light of the world. He puts it on us. Matthew five, you're the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden, neither do people light a lamp, put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand and 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. So that's what this last song is about. I encourage you to sing out, sing loud. We're gonna sing, go tell it on the mountain. Alright. Go tell. Jesus that Jesus Christ is born. And one more. That Jesus Christ is born. Hey, Merry Christmas everybody. Sincerely drive safe out there. It's good to have you. Again, if you're a visitor, check-in in the back. Okay, please?