SPPC 7 Dec 2025

Opening Hymn

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, give thanks to the risen Lord - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZcCnLfufQs

Prayer

🙏 Opening Prayer

Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, we gather this morning in the spirit of Advent, waiting and watching for the coming of Your Son, Jesus Christ. As John the Baptist lifted his voice in the wilderness, calling Your people to prepare the way of the Lord, so we too lift our hearts to You in repentance and hope. Clear away the clutter of our lives, straighten the crooked paths, and make room within us for Your Spirit to dwell.

Lord, as we sing our carols and hear Your Word, awaken us to the joy of Christ’s coming. May this service be filled with Your presence, and may our worship join the song of angels who proclaim peace on earth and goodwill to all. Prepare us not only to celebrate His birth, but to welcome Him anew into our lives and our world.

We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

🙌 Congregational Response

Leader: Prepare the way of the Lord! People: We will make His paths straight.

Leader: Lift up your hearts, for the King is coming. People: We welcome Christ with joy and hope.

Cathy will now read the Psalm to us from the NIV pew bible.

She begins with “Hear the Word of God as it is written in Psalm 72 She ends with “This is the word of God”.

Congregation: “Thanks be to God”. Psalm Psalm 72 “Of Solomon. 1 Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness. 2 May he judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice. 3 May the mountains bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness. 4 May he defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; may he crush the oppressor. 5 May he endure as long as the sun, as long as the moon, through all generations. 6 May he be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth. 7 In his days may the righteous flourish and prosperity abound till the moon is no more. 8 May he rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. 9 May the desert tribes bow before him and his enemies lick the dust. 10 May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring tribute to him. May the kings of Sheba and Seba present him gifts. 11 May all kings bow down to him and all nations serve him. 12 For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. 13 He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. 14 He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight. 15 Long may he live! May gold from Sheba be given him. May people ever pray for him and bless him all day long. 16 May grain abound throughout the land; on the tops of the hills may it sway. May the crops flourish like Lebanon and thrive like the grass of the field. 17 May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. Then all nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed. 18 Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds. 19 Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen. 20 This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.” Cathy will now read the Old Testaant to us from the NIV pew bible.

She begins with “Hear the Word of God as it is written in Isaiah 11:1-10

She ends with “This is the word of God”.

Congregation: “Thanks be to God”.

OT Reading Isaiah 11:1–10 “1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord— 3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; 4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. 6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. 7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den, the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. 9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. 10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.”

Lidia Epistle Romans 15:4–13 “4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. 5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed 9 and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing the praises of your name.” 10 Again, it says, “Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again, Isaiah says, “The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Gospel Matthew 3:1–12 “1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ ” 4 John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.””

Second Sunday of Advent – 7 December 2025 Text: Mark 1:1–8 “1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, 2 as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way”— 3 “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ ” 4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”” Theme: Prepare the Way

Introduction

Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Today we gather in the spirit of Advent, the season of waiting, watching, and preparing. Advent is not simply about counting down the days until Christmas—it is about opening our hearts to the coming King.

Our text from Mark’s Gospel begins with a bold announcement: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” And immediately, we hear the voice of John the Baptist crying out in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”

🎶 Carol: On Jordan’s Bank (John) the Baptist’s Cry - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIr21lLgFpg&list=RDpIr21lLgFpg&start_radio=1 This hymn sets the tone for our worship today, echoing John’s call to readiness.

The Wilderness Voice

Mark tells us that John appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance. The wilderness is a place of emptiness, silence, and testing. It is where Israel wandered for forty years, where prophets heard God’s voice, and where Jesus himself would later be tempted.

Why does God’s word come from the wilderness?

Because it is in the wilderness that distractions are stripped away.

It is there that we learn dependence on God alone. Advent invites us into that same wilderness—to step away from the noise of the season and hear the voice that truly matters.

The Call to Repentance

John’s message was simple but urgent: Repent. To repent is not merely to feel sorry—it is to turn, to change direction, to realign our lives with God’s purposes.

Advent is a season of repentance. As we prepare for Christ’s coming, we are called to examine our hearts.

What crooked paths need straightening?

What valleys of despair need lifting up? What mountains of pride need bringing low?

Repentance is not a burden—it is a gift. It clears away the clutter so that Christ may enter in.

🎶 Carol: Hark! The herald angels sing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa5O6EnJtLk&list=RDxa5O6EnJtLk&start_radio=1 This hymn captures the urgency of John’s cry: awake, prepare, and be ready, for the Lord is near.

The Promise of One Greater

John knew his role. He was not the Messiah, but the messenger. He baptized with water, but he pointed to One who would baptize with the Holy Spirit.

John’s humility is striking: “After me comes one who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.” His whole life was a signpost pointing to Jesus.

We too are called to be signposts. Our words, our actions, our lives should point others beyond ourselves to Christ. Advent is not only about preparing our own hearts—it is about preparing the world to see Jesus through us.

The Joy of Christ’s Arrival

The wilderness cry leads to Bethlehem’s song. The rough places are made smooth, the valleys lifted up, and the glory of the Lord revealed.

The angels who sang to shepherds now invite us to join their chorus. The preparation gives way to proclamation, the repentance to rejoicing.

🎶 Carol: Angels We Have Heard on High This hymn lifts our voices with the angels, celebrating the fulfillment of God’s promise in Christ.

Conclusion & Call to Action

Advent is not passive waiting—it is active preparation. To prepare the way of the Lord is to clear the obstacles in our hearts, to make space for Christ, and to live as witnesses pointing others to Him.

So I ask you today:

Where in your life do you need to repent?

Where do you need to make room for Christ?

How can you be a signpost pointing others to Jesus this Advent?

Let us prepare the way—not only in our homes and churches, but in our hearts and communities. For Christ has come, Christ comes now, and Christ will come again.

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, we hear the voice crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord.” Help us to repent, to turn from sin, and to make room for You. Fill us with Your Spirit, that our lives may point others to Your light. As we sing with the angels, may our hearts be ready to receive You anew this Advent. Amen.

John

Collection

Praise God

Benediction

Doxology