Christmas Eve 11pm 2023

the when the kindness and love of God our savior. He saved us not because of the righteous things we had done but because of his Mercy He saved us through the washing of rebirth and Renewal by the Holy Spirit. Who me pulled out on us generously through Jesus Christ Our Savior say that having been justified by his grace. We might become as

having the hope of eternal life. Thanks be to God.

Thanks, toilet stand for another Carol As we sing Hark the Herald Angels Sing?

Please be seated as Rachel comes to read a second reading the rating that comes from a gospel this evening. Thanks, Rachel.

A second reading is from The Gospel According to Luke Chapter 2 beginning at the 8th sis.

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree. The defenses should be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the first census that took place place that sell Quikrete was governor of Syria. And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went out from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea to Bethlehem the town of David because he belong to the house and line of David.

He went there to register with Mary who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. Well, they were there the time came for the baby to be born. And she gave birth to Jesus phone a son she wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a Manger because there was no no guest room available for them. And they were shifted to living out in the fields nearby keeping watch over their flocks at 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 host 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 going into heaven the ship it 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 was lying in the manger. When I seen him they spread the word concerning what had been told to them about this child and all who heard it were amazed at what the Shepherds had said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her account. The ship has returned glorifying and praising God for all the things I had heard and seen which which I have to say had been told this is the word of the Lord.

We're going to hot Slyman's to come and share his message with us that says the Lord has placed on his heart. Let's pray for him before he comes father. We thank you for your word. Just read to us by Terry and Rachel. We pray that as we hear from so I'm in this evening that you would speak to us load up the truck. We were to hear you. You'll love for us and father at Hawks in the mines will be changed. And so we reflect on this wonderful Festival of Christmas in Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Good evening in French. Can I can I owe 70 thank you for coming out on this dank and blessed Christmas Eve Sunday know a great deal of deep and Crisp And even going on outside.

The the images we guess of the first Christmas from our Christmas cards. Are a lot different from love what lies outside the doors of the church this evening. The images we see some of which may need to take the reading from Luke that we have just heard do seem somewhat detached. From the reality of what is going on out there? outside in the world of the early 21st century

lights on in 2023 Leon on Christmas Eve It's really what if it really was engaging with all this. If it was even considering this account of what went on in a client by quarter of the Roman Empire. Just over two thousand years ago. What was going on on that night or is it just some myth? a bit like the text of the Night Before Christmas

well The importance of are always grounded in that 22 up there on the screen before us tonight. incarnation

that word is important because it means god with us. But it points to the reality of what was going on that night. It points to the reality that on that first Christmas night. This birth in the stable is good news for everyone. And it's good news for everyone. Because God is with us.

Soon as we unpack good news that God is with us this whole idea. We must first jump back to that last question. I posed a moment a guy.

How is the accounts of Mary and Joseph? a baby lying in a Manger angels and Shepherds on a Heavenly Choir any different from the night before Christmas

the poem from Clement Clarke Moore and they spoil his hair for any children present with something. He was writing about that. He already knew. Was just an account of a fictional character. Performing an act for everyone knows doesn't actually happen.

What we are dealing with tonight and Luke's gospel is a whole different kettle of fish. I just want us to a briefly before we got warm. So we know the ground upon which we are standing tonight.

Luke's gospel the book containing the accounts we have just had read to us was written by one of the early Christians. He was adopted by trade and probably became a Christian not long after the time of Jesus death and resurrection and id-33. He became a traveling companion of the Apostle pull. The guy who is responsible for a huge chunk of the New Testament books. This gospel accounts of Jesus life and then a second book about the origins of the early Church The Acts of the Apostles. He wrote this book. We're looking at tonight somewhere between 80 60 and 80 90. Probably around 87 C. Allen ratchet with a very very specific purpose in mind. If you go to church Bible in front of you that you can turn to the beginning of Facebook and see exactly what it was. He was trying to day. Luke chapter 1 verses 1 to 4 many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled Among Us just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first William Witnesses and Servants of the word with this in mind since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning. B A decided to write an orderly account for your most excellent Theophilus so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been told. Lyrics opening tell sister what he is writing to his friend Theophilus London by Warren Zevon it be in before us tonight to us. It's not some thing dreamed up on a web story that was written down to three four hundred years after the events. This was the recent Recollections of the first Witnesses of those events. Those who saw these things happened who wolves and tools alongside Jesus and the people around him. He has taken the effort to carefully investigate all of this to write it down in an orderly fashion. So his friend and way. May have certain C. About the things we are being told. This is no man. This is an account of what happened in real time. in real places with very real people just like you and me.

salute tells us what we are reading in these pages of his gospel a word which we must remember just simply mean good news is the trace about the events that happened that night since you fast music I So one more final verdict on sex before we get to the main deal that's before us this evening in the rest of chapter 1 in that suit of previously in Luke's gospel bed immediately before our meeting tonight Luke's been building up to this moment of the birth of the baby in the stable and Bethany have those the announcement of his cousins the announcement of Jesus's birth the angel coming to Mary telling her the news she was going to have a baby even though she was a virgin she was going to have a baby and the baby was to be the son of the most high the son of God.

That is the great reality of the choice before us tonight about incarnation. About the good news that God is with us.

Sorry to all reading for tonight.

to the main points the weekend to think about there are three things. I'm going to think about the end of the new Mitzi of the bus. We're going to think about the Angelic intervention telling the good news. How many the think about the significance? office birth such festivities of the bus leak is very specific in the text about vacations and timing he tells us that all this happened because Caesar Augustus the emperor of the Roman Empire the Conqueror of most of Europe and the Middle East the signs. He wants to hear any good of everyone in his Empire so we would know how much tanks to extract from amore.

As a result everyone has to go back to that town and Joseph and Mary have to go to Joseph and his ancestral home in Bethlehem.

I didn't invite you but looking on the television it was bad enough in the last days leading up to Christmas in the UK with people traveling back and forth with the French Port workers on strike causing Havoc across the channel, but this edict meant in the days of what was host Jeron travel at best. That was many many people on the Move travel was going to be very difficult.

Archie main characters gets to the town eventually traveling with a heavily pregnant woman in those days must have been a real bundle of laughs so many extra people in the city that they can't find anywhere to stay. But eventually there is someone willing to offer a stable for them to stay here. except that the baby is born. While they were there the time came for the baby to be born and she gave birth to her first born a son. She rents him and Claws and placed him in a Manger because there was no guest room available for them.

the baby's born inexpensive white corner of this amount of whitetail in an obscure country in a remote part of the Roman Empire Nothing remarkable, nothing noticeable. It could have so easily slipped into anonymity. No one needed to with my chest.

But still out at different times. There is an Angelic intervention again, and the good news of what has happened is Proclaim to an unlikely Bunch stuck on a hillside above the city. And they were shepherds living out in the fields nearby keeping watch over their flocks at night an angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord Shone around them and surprise surprise, but the angel said something don't 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 of this will be a sign to you. You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying. in a Manger

It's not going to be anonymous. It's not going to be missed by Minecon because this event is good news and it is good news for old people.

Oh my God. This is a piece of news that will bring great joy and it would do that because today in the town of David a savior. Has been bone CA he's the Messiah. He's the Lord. The big headline has been issued by the angel. He's told the shepherd was Chef as well as happened invites since it go and see and test won't he has said at this point the quarter was singing They proclaimed glory to God, but I also proclaim the good news that through this event. There is supposed to bility of pace of wholeness. All those who seek out the one who is the good news.

So what's it could have gone on nights just I don't know them has not changed the moment the angel and his mates of his and everyone is to know old people ought to know this good news.

And so we see that they spoke with its significance.

But why? Why was it significant? Wheeling Spanx Watts on the beginning of incarnation the good news God With Us you see when the angel came originally to marry April to greasing telling her that she had found favor with God that she shouldn't be afraid because God had significant plans for She was going to have a child conceived by the Holy Spirit and he was to be cold Jesus. He was to be cold the son of the most high.

I'm not links back even further. It goes back 500 years will side. To the words of an Old Testament prophet Isaiah speaking about what God is going to do to save his people. I saw 7 verse 14 says therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign the Virgin will conceive and give birth to a son. I will call him. Emmanuel

The channel to be born is to be Emmanuel God With Us. That's who he will be his actual name that he will carry is to be Jesus is the Angels told Mary and Jesus means in Hebrew the Lord saves didn't you tell the chef is that in Bethlehem? That will find good news. Good news for everyone the savior. The 13 Hanes all to save up $10. He will be the special King the people have been waiting for. Am I still supposed to be it will be the Lord. Here we go hard with us.

this Is the significance of the event we consider tonight? the pivotal events in history The moment in which God entered into his Creation in the form of a frail human baby and became one of us. So that he can save us. can save old people

and this is the key matter each of us to grasp this evening. This is the good news and it's such an important that good news that none of us can afford to ignore it or sweep it under the carpet. Go to deliberately revealed himself to us in order that we have to make a response to that revelation.

That's why I want to lay before so this evening.

the sidewalk. Of this whole event that was celebrating at this time. How does this event that took place so long ago in his answer for a corner of this ounce of weight and in an obscure country in a remote part of the Roman Empire close to me apply to you.

Well for all of us there is firstly the certainty that these events actually happened in time and space are given point in history in a geographically definite place. This is true. This is not fake news or the ramblings of some deranged Mystic in the Dark Ages. Secondly, we must all understand. This event has those Cosmic implications from this point onwards and the history of the cosmos. Nothing has ever been the same again. The God of all creation took on flesh and came and made his dwelling with us. He came and dwelt with us so that we can be restored to relationship with him the state we were meant to be in from the very beginning of time. He came unto well tamang us to deal with the Rebellion. We had hatched against him when we chose to follow our own agenda. The thing we talked some comes to be cool scene. Came to be the means by which that sin is dealt with and the life with him made possible once more.

Sadly it requires an individual response from me.

The Shepherds have to get up off their backsides and go to Bethlehem to see the sign that the Lord has given them. Each of us tonight or responses code for we can't sit on the fence. We can't ignore the baby in the manger because God because God chose to go public. So everyone would know what was going on.

safe All of this may not be news to you. You may have heard the news before you may have responded to the news about savior who was born who is Christ the lord you may know him as your lord and savior and you may be living as his disciple day by day. Is that shoe that's brilliant? So then let's pillow in Shepherd's let's get on with the work. We have been given to spread the good news about this glorious. Good news to Owen cancer. Today tomorrow. I mean the guy's a hat.

If this is new news for you tonight.

Then you have a conundrum tonight. This Christmas Eve.

What are you going to do? About this good news that you have heard this evening. Are you going to receive it? for yourself

Or are you nuts?

This is a seemingly simple and Stark Choice before us Lux account tells us that the Shepherds called off and they hurried off to Bethlehem to see the truth of a Saviour born in the stable. and I rejoiced

when you decide to come and see for yourself. common have an encounter with Jesus and when you see rejoice come see the baby in the manger see the man who walked the dusty roads of Israel and then died on a Roman cross to deal with your sin. But then on the third day Rose gain in order to open the gates of eternal life to you.

As we end this evening the one thing we must be sure of tonight. Is accounts it's here on my hands tonight and do nothing. in response to these events in Bethlehem not knowing

this is the most significant birth in history. And I cannot be neutral about it. Don't go home tonight without responding. Don't go home and leave Jesus behind in the manger.

What's closed for reminding ourselves of the Angels? W?

But the angel said to them to notes be afraid. I bring you good news. That will cause great joy. old paper 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. annoying In A Manger

Let's pray together.

Go to school right we praise you.

that in your grace

you chose before the foundations of the world. To send Jesus to that place that time. To be the one who will be the savior of the world.

enable each of us slowed to find the truth. in those events

and to take that good news on board for ourselves. It's a living. In the days and weeks and months and years ahead. We ask it in Jesus name.

Thank you Sonia.

You might like to responds now as we turn to for this evening of Kris and we often say is really just an estimation of what we believe.

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