Young Adult Christmas Liturgy

REVELATION

Read together:

John 1:9–13 ESV

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

ADORATION

The Gift of Gifts The Valley of Vision

O source of all good, What shall I render to you for the gift of gifts, your own dear Son?

Herein is wonder of wonders: he came below to raise me above, was born like me that I might become like him.

Herein is love; when I cannot rise to him he draws near on wings of grace, to raise me to himself.

Herein is power; when Deity and humanity were infinitely apart, he united them in indissoluble unity, the uncreate and the created.

Herein is wisdom; when I was undone, with no will to return to him, and no intellect to devise recovery, he came, God-incarnate, to save me to the uttermost, as man to die my death, to shed satisfying blood on my behalf, to work out a perfect righteousness for me!

O God, take me in spirit to the watchful shepherds, and enlarge my mind!

Let me hear good tidings of great joy, and hearing, believe, rejoice, praise, adore, my conscience bathed in an ocean of repose, my eyes uplifted to a reconciled Father!

Place me with ox, donkey, camel, goat, to look with them upon my Redeemer’s face, and in him account myself delivered from sin!

Let me with Simeon clasp the newborn child to my heart, embrace him with undying faith, exulting that he is mine and I am his!

Sing together:

O Come Let Us Adore Him

O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.

For he alone is worthy, For he alone is worthy, For he alone is worthy, Christ the Lord.

Let's praise his name together, Let's praise his name together, Let's praise his name together, Christ the Lord.

We'll give him all the glory, We'll give him all the glory, We'll give him all the glory, Christ the Lord.

THE LAW

Someone read:

Deuteronomy 6:1–8 ESV

“Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

CONFESSION

Piercing Heaven: Prayers of the Puritans (Cleanse Me, Emmanuel)

CLEANSE ME, EMMANUEL

Dear Emmanuel, in whom alone, and by whom alone, all my hopes and confidences are founded: I fall down at your feet.

As the prophet cried out, so I desire unceasingly to exclaim, “I am a man of unclean lips!”

But if you cause the iniquity to be taken away, and my sin to be purged from me, I will be clean. For you are our New Testament altar.

You are the Lord my righteousness. Precious Jesus, you are the Alpha and Omega.

Even as the Father made you the glorious covenant head of your people in the beginning of his way, so be my all in all. My first and last. The Author and Finisher of my faith.

Precious Lord! May I, like Paul, be able to say, “Not as though I had already attained”—because I long to catch up to and hold fast to you, Christ Jesus, even as you have caught up to and held fast to me.

So come, Lord Jesus, to your bride, the church. Be the fountain of life to all your redeemed, until you bring your church below to join your church above, so they will dwell together in the light of your countenance, forever, Amen.

Robert Hawker

REDEMPTION

Read together:

Matthew 1:20–23 ESV

But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

PROCLAMATION

A word from Voddie Baucham

DEDICATION

Sing together:

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

Hark! the herald angels sing,   “Glory to the new-born King; Peace on earth, and mercy mild;   God and sinners reconciled.” Joyful, all ye nations, rise,   Join the triumph of the skies; With angelic hosts proclaim,   “Christ is born in Bethlehem.”

Christ, by highest heav’n adored,   Christ, the everlasting Lord: Late in time behold Him come,   Offspring of a virgin’s womb. Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,   Hail th’ incarnate Deity! Pleased as man with man to dwell,   Jesus our Immanuel.

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.

Come, Desire of nations, come!   Fix in us Thy humble home: Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring seed,   Bruise in us the serpent’s head; Adam’s likeness now efface,   Stamp Thine image in its place: Final Adam from above,   Reinstate us in Thy love.

Sing together:

Silent Night

Silent night! Holy night! All is calm, all is bright ’round yon virgin mother and child! Holy infant, so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night! Holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight. Glories stream from heaven afar, heav'nly hosts sing, “Alleluia! Christ the Savior is born! Christ the Savior is born!”

Silent night! Holy night! Son of God, love’s pure light radiant beams from Thy holy face with the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth! Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth!

Silent night! Holy night! Wondrous star, lend thy light; with the angels let us sing "Alleluia" to our King: “Christ the Savior is born! Christ the Savior is born.”

BENEDICTION

Read together:

Isaiah 9:6–7 ESV

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.