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God Is With Us

December 24, 2013

Scripture referenced 10 passages

The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.

  • Isaiah 7:14 prophecy read aloud: the virgin will conceive and bear Emmanuel

    14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

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Isaiah 9:6-7

prophecy read aloud: a child is born, wonderful counselor, prince of peace, government without end

6 For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, on David’s throne, and on his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from that time on, even forever. The zeal of Yahweh of Armies will perform this.

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Micah 5:2

prophecy read aloud: Bethlehem, small village, a ruler will come from you

2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, being small among the clans of Judah, out of you one will come out to me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings out are from of old, from ancient times.

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Matthew 1:18-25

nativity reading: Mary's pregnancy, Joseph's dream, angel's announcement

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was like this: After his mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found pregnant by the Holy Spirit.

19 Joseph, her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, intended to put her away secretly.

20 But when he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take to yourself Mary, your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

21 She shall give birth to a son. You shall call his name Jesus, for it is he who shall save his people from their sins.”

22 Now all this has happened, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying,

23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall give birth to a son. They shall call his name Immanuel”; which is, being interpreted, “God with us.”

24 Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took his wife to himself;

25 and didn’t know her sexually until she had given birth to her firstborn son. He named him Jesus.

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Luke 2:1-20

nativity reading: census, birth in Bethlehem, shepherds and angels

1 Now in those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled.

2 This was the first enrollment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

3 All went to enroll themselves, everyone to his own city.

4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to David’s city, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David;

5 to enroll himself with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him as wife, being pregnant.

6 While they were there, the day had come for her to give birth.

7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 There were shepherds in the same country staying in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock.

9 Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

10 The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people.

11 For there is born to you today, in David’s city, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

12 This is the sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a feeding trough.”

13 Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army praising God, and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men.”

15 When the angels went away from them into the sky, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

16 They came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby was lying in the feeding trough.

17 When they saw it, they publicized widely the saying which was spoken to them about this child.

18 All who heard it wondered at the things which were spoken to them by the shepherds.

19 But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart.

20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told them.

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Matthew 2:1-11

nativity reading: wise men, Herod, star, gifts of gold frankincense and myrrh

1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying,

2 “Where is he who is born King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and have come to worship him.”

3 When King Herod heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

4 Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Christ would be born.

5 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is written through the prophet,

6 ‘You Bethlehem, land of Judah, are in no way least among the princes of Judah: for out of you shall come a governor, who shall shepherd my people, Israel.’”

7 Then Herod secretly called the wise men, and learned from them exactly what time the star appeared.

8 He sent them to Bethlehem, and said, “Go and search diligently for the young child. When you have found him, bring me word, so that I also may come and worship him.”

9 They, having heard the king, went their way; and behold, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, until it came and stood over where the young child was.

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.

11 They came into the house and saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Opening their treasures, they offered to him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

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John 3:16

quoted to connect God's giving with the offering appeal

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

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John 8:12

Jesus says I am the light of the world, used in candle lighting

12 Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”

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John 1:5

the light shines in darkness and darkness can never extinguish it, spoken at candle lighting

5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn’t overcome it.

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Revelation 1:8

he was and is and is yet to come, pointing to Christ's return

8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

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Recap

The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.

The Christmas Eve service at First B was built around the nativity story read straight from Scripture, woven together with congregational singing and a candlelight close. There was no new argument to make; the aim was to let the story do its work and invite everyone in the room to respond to it. The whole night moved from celebration toward a personal invitation to believe.

What was said

The service opened with a welcome that made the purpose plain: this night was meant to be fun, reflective and worshipful. Visitors were told they were simply glad to have them there, and the congregation was reminded that what they were about to hear was nothing they had not heard before. The point was not novelty but participation, presence and praise.

The nativity readings carried the evening. The prophecies from Isaiah and Micah came first, naming the child before He arrived, and then Matthew and Luke filled in the story: the angel to Joseph, the journey to Bethlehem, the birth, the shepherds, the wise men. The readings were read aloud to the congregation as Scripture, without commentary between them, letting the narrative stand on its own.

When the offering moment came, the pastor was direct about what the money was for. First B keeps a discretionary fund to help people who come to the church in financial need, and he described what it means to be able to say yes to someone who is struggling. Giving, he said, flows from the same logic as the gospel itself: John 3:16 shows that God's love expresses itself in giving, and the church is invited into that same movement.

The candlelight portion of the service carried its own brief message. John 8:12 was quoted, Jesus saying He is the light of the world and that following Him means not walking in darkness. The candles were a response to that claim, and the pastor made the connection explicit: the flame passing around the room was a picture of what happens when someone believes.

When the candles were blown out, he pointed to John 1:5, that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness can never extinguish it. That verse, he said, is the promise that holds for anyone who has come to believe. The physical darkness in the room after the candles went out did not change what the light represented.

The service closed by turning the congregation's eyes forward. Revelation 1:8 was named as a reminder that the one whose birth they had just celebrated was also the one who is yet to come. Christmas, he said, is not only a moment to look back at what happened in Bethlehem. It is a reason to go and share the news that Jesus was born and that Jesus will return.

Doing a Bible study?

Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.

  1. The service opened with the reminder that Jesus came to earth to live among us, die for us, rise for us, and reign. Which of those four things is most meaningful to you personally this Christmas, and why?
  2. The nativity readings showed very different people responding to Jesus' birth: Joseph, the shepherds, and the wise men. Which of their responses do you most identify with, and what does that tell you about where you are with God right now?

and 3 more questions in the guide

Open the study guide

Read the full transcript 2,029 words
0:01 Speaker 1Friends, welcome. It is so good to see you. Merry Christmas to you. Christmas. And welcome to First Beat.
0:09 We are really, honestly, and truly glad that you're here to worship with us. We hope that you feel right at home here at First Beat. If you are visiting for the first time, we want and you wanna know a little bit more about First Beat and and who we are, please stop by the welcome desk in the back before you leave tonight for a free gift. Woo hoo. And a very warm welcome.
0:33 Okay? So that's back there. If you're a first time visitor or no more, please stop there. Tonight is just meant to be a fun, reflective, worshipful night. We're celebrating Jesus entrance into the world by reading the nativity story for from scripture.
0:50 Nothing new here that you're gonna hear tonight. And we're worshiping song and we're gonna close in a candle lighting. And what's great is that we all get to sing tonight. So it's very much a participation here on your part. We'll sing together.
1:08 But let me open up in prayer before we before we begin and and greet one of our lord. Lord, we give you thanks. How wonderful that you came to earth. It is overwhelming. It truly is.
1:25 Just watching that video and knowing that you came to live among us, to die for us, to raise for us, and to reign. Thank you God. How powerful, how mighty you are, and what a privilege it is for us to be able to worship Amen. Why don't we stand up and greet one another? Say hi to the folks around you.
1:47 Hey. How's it going? How you doing girls? How you doing buddy? Pretty good.
8:44 We can have a seat.
8:48 Speaker 2The Lord himself will choose the sign. Look, the virgin will conceive a child. She will give birth to a son and will call him Emmanuel. 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.
9:06 These will be his royal titles, wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace. His ever expanding peaceful government will never end. He will rule forever with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David. The passionate commitment of the Lord Almighty will guarantee this. But you, oh Bethlehem, are only a small village in Judah.
9:32 Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past.
9:41 Speaker 1If you know this song, would you please sing with us?
12:26 Speaker 2This 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.
12:51 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. She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel, which means God is with us. When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.
13:25 At that time, the Roman governor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. Was the first census taken when Quinerius was governor of Syria. All returned to their 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.
13:51 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 first child, a son. She wrapped him snuggly in strips of cloth and laid him in ages because there was no walking available for them
14:10 Speaker 1Again, would you sing this song with us too?
18:32 Speaker 2That night, there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby guarding their sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of God's glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them, don't be afraid, he said. 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.
19:01 You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in the leaves. Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others, the armies of heaven, praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest heaven and on and peace on earth with those whom God has 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.
19:30 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 have 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 seen and heard.
19:52 It was just as the angel had told them.
19:55 Speaker 1Amen. Shall we praise you? Amen. Let's stand up together.
26:25 Speaker 2Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea during the reign of King Herod. About that time, some wise men from Eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem asking, where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw stars that rose and we have come to worship King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this as was everyone at Jerusalem. He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, where is the Messiah supposed to be born? In Bethlehem and Judea, they said, for this is what the prophet wrote.
27:02 And you, oh, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah. For a ruler will come from you, who will be a shepherd for my people Israel. Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. Then he told them, go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. When you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him too.
27:28 After this interview, the wise men went their way, and the star they had seen in the East guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. They entered the house and saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. And they opened their treasure chest and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
27:55 Amen.
27:56 Speaker 1Well just as the wise men joyfully gave gifts to the Lord, we too have an opportunity to be joyful givers as well. So I'd like to invite our ushers to please come forward and while they're coming forward, I want you to know this that you are under no obligation to give to me. And I really mean that especially first time visitors. We're just glad that you're here and welcome. But if anyone does feel compelled to give tonight, I I do wanna know I want you to know what you're giving to.
28:24 At first b, we have a discretionary fund for anyone who comes to First B and has a financial need. And it is a real blessing, can tell you as a staff member to say yes, when when someone has has a baby can we can give and we can pray and If that sounds like something that you'd like to give to tonight, please feel free to do that and know this know that as a church that that we encourage giving because God has given us. John three sixteen for God so loved the world that he gave his only son. We see that it's synonymous. And whoever believes in him, this is the message I want you here today.
29:11 And whoever believes in him won't die without eternity. Let's pray together. Lord, thank you for for loving us so much, so much that you would give us your son. We celebrate him tonight. Not only his first coming and his entrance into this world, but who is yet to come.
29:33 We look forward so much to your return. Thank you, God. When you say whoever believes in you, you mean whoever believes in you will have eternal life. Thank you for that free gift of grace. Amen.
32:45 As Jesus grew in a man, John eight twelve, he said, I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in the darkness because you'll have the light that leads to life. Tonight, I want you to hear that very real invitation to you, to believe in the one that God has sent and to have the light that needs to eternal. And in response to that invitation, we're gonna close in a candlelight. And so I'd like to invite my friend Joe here to light from that Christ candle and then he'll light your candle and pass around.
33:22 Pass to the person next to you and I'll say this too because it's a would you take your unlit candle and that's the one to tip. So you the you know what I'm saying? Candle wax and the burnt eyebrows. It's happened one too many years. So please be careful.
33:42 There you go. And we'll begin lighting them around the room. And then once we get going here, we're gonna share in in the song silent night. Thank you, also for peace. Thanks that's what you offer us, and that's who you are.
38:37 And I pray that that peace will go with us. Thank you, God, that you are also joy, and you are loved and you are light. There's no one that compares to you again. And so tonight, we wanna pause, we wanna reflect, Alright. We can turn those lights back on and you can blow your candles but I want you to know this that when you become a believer in Christ and Christ lives in you, there's nothing that can extinguish that.
39:42 I want you to know that. That's from first John or from John one five that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness can never extinguish it. That is that is a wonderful promise for the Lord. And so we're gonna share that new that new news about Jesus that he's the light of the world. He's our great hope.
40:01 Not only in these days but the days to come. Revelation one eight reminds us of this that he was and that he is and he is yet to come. We don't just look back at his birth, we look forward to his return. And that's a good reason to go, to share that news that Jesus was born and Jesus will return. So we're gonna close with one last song here.
40:25 And let's joyfully sing that Jesus has been born. Let us say Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
43:19 Amen.
44:01 Speaker 2Hello?

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Scripture

Written up from the message given at First B Jackson. If something here reads oddly, the recording is the record.

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