Good News of Great Joy for All People
First B Jackson
2021-12-20

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

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Good morning, everybody. Can you hear me? Good morning. Hey, there is some anticipation in this room this morning, isn't there? This is fantastic.

So we're going straight into announcements. I'll get off the stage pretty quick here. We have a Christmas presentation. It involves a lot of people, a lot of volunteers and most all the kids. So we're very thankful for that announcements.

Can you flip through them for me, Blake? Monday nights at first b. Carl, what's happening?

Luke two.

Luke two? 820. Good news of great joy for all people. So it's Christmas message tomorrow night, 06:00. Meal, music, and message on Monday nights.

We do it every Monday night. We are on Awana. We are taking the night off from Awana. So there's no Awana tomorrow night. So if you want to come to Monday nights instead of Awana, you're welcome to do that.

But Awana, our kids program, kids matter to God, and we have a great program here normally. But since school is out, we don't do it when school is out. So the twentieth and twenty seventh were off for the next two weeks. If you'd like to get emails from the church to know what's going on around here, it's kinda like the paper bulletins we used to hand out. You can go to firstbjackson.org, and it'll let you sign up for the emails now.

We haven't had that before in the past, but if you wanna do that, you can. We have a congregational meeting coming up that I'm contractually obligated to mention this meeting, 01/16/2022. Alright. That's it. That's coming up.

We'll be doing those things. It's the normal meeting that we have to have every year. Angel Tree. So some of y'all are having last minute wonderings about the Angel Tree. My wife, Tanya McDaniel, is back there.

She's gonna stick her head in here. Hey. Plaid shirt, black pants. That's Tanya. Her cellphone number is up on that that.

That. That. To We're go and buy a new gift and then bring it back with the tag accompanying that wrapped gift, that'd be great. Kristen Galloway is right in the back. On my left, your right.

If she'd stand, Kristen Galloway is approachable. She's friendly. She's loving. She's caring. She is our nursery coordinator, and she, would like, to have some help.

So if you would, contact her. It'd be great. It's great to have kids growing up in the church. Thank you, Kristen, for doing that. And the last one, Christmas Eve service.

Okay. There's not a not a visual to go with this one, but Christmas Eve service is happening when? Christmas Eve. Thank you. That's right.

The December 24. That is Friday, right? Friday. So we're doing that 04:30 in the afternoon and six in the evening. 04:30 and six.

We do two different showings. They're almost exactly alike, but 04:30 and six Christmas Eve services. A lot of anticipation in that room too. That is indoors. It's indoors in here this year.

We did do it outside last year, but we're doing it indoors this year. So, McCooey's, would you come forward for the lighting of the fourth advent candle?

Today, we light the fourth candle on our advent wreath, the candle of love. God's inexpressible love was demonstrated in the sending of his son. His love has led to our salvation. We respond by loving and living for him.

John three sixteen through 17 says, for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through him.

Alright. And this is... We're kind of compressing everything down. It's time for the offering right now. I'm gonna ask prayer and ask the ushers to come forward.

We do this every Sunday obviously but we work through some songs by this point but if you would like to put anything in there, feel free. If you're a visitor and you just say, just that's fine. Alright? It's fine. God Almighty, for those of us who know you, Lord, we want to give back.

I pray, Lord, that if you would move in us and put on our hearts what you desire from us, Lord. I know that you want us to walk humbly and live justly and walk with you, our Lord. Lord, I pray that you would humble us, that you would present us with opportunities to share your love. Lord God Almighty, I pray that you'd work, in the program today, you'd work in our hearts and on our hearts, Lord, that you'd draw us closer to you, that we'd see in these kids something of you, that we would be reminded of something within us that's that's willing to have faith and not be so jaded and cynical. So Lord God Almighty, I pray that you'd work, in the program this morning through a simple retelling of the Christmas story.

I pray, Lord, that you'd do, all that you will do in us. And Lord, I pray that in this time, we would begin to open up and give back. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you, Judy. And without any further ado, welcome.

Glad you're here. We're celebrating Christ Jesus' birth. This is a tribute and celebration of the birth of Christ, the incarnation of God. And I'll turn this over. Come on up, Rachel.

Do 25. Joseph accepts Jesus as his son. This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about. His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph. But before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.

Because Joseph, her husband, was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet. The virgin will conceive and will give birth to a son and they will call him Emmanuel, which means God with us. When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary as his wife. And he didn't... But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to his son, and he gave him the name Jesus.

It's good to be here. Amen? I love to worship God's music, and I'm privileged to be here. Mary did you know that your baby bird would someday 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 deliver will soon deliver you. Mary, did you know that your baby boy will give sight to her blindness? Mary, did you know that your baby boy would calm the storm with his hands? Did you know that your baby boy has one where angels throb.

When you've kissed your little baby, then you've kissed the face of God. Oh, Mary, did you know? The blind will see, that therefore hear, that Mary, did you know

In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, greetings, you who are highly favored. The Lord is with you. Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be, but the angel said to her, do not fear.

Do not be afraid, Mary. You have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus, and he will be great. He will be called the son of the most high. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David, and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever.

His kingdom will never end. How will this be, Mary asked the angel, since I am a virgin? The angel answered, the Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the most high will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the son of God. Even Elizabeth, your relative, is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month.

For no word from God will ever fail. I am the Lord's servant, Mary answered. May your word to me be fulfilled. Then the angel left her.

Luke two one through seven. In those days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken over the entire Roman world. This was the first census that took place while Quirinus was governor of Syria, And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from Nazareth in Galilee to Judah to Bethlehem, the town of David, because he belonged to the house and the line of David. So Joseph went up to register with Mary, who is pledged to be married with him, and expecting a child.

While they were there, the time came for the child to be born, and Mary gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and placed him in the manger, for there was no guest room in the inn.

Luke two eight through 14. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks by night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.

Today, in the town of David, a savior has been born to you. He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you. You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Suddenly, a great company of heavenly hosts appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth, peace to those on whom his favor rests.

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about. So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby who's laying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told about them and this child. And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherd said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

From the second chapter of Matthew. Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod, the king, behold, Magi from the East arrived in Jerusalem saying, where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star in the East and have come to worship him. Then Herod secretly called the Magi and ascertained from them the time that the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, go and make careful search for the child.

When you have found him, report to me that I too may come and worship him. And having heard the king, they went their way and lo the star which they had seen in the East went on before them until it came and stood over where the child was. And when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And they came to the house and saw Mary and and saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. And opening their treasures, they presented to him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their own country by another way.