Christmas Eve - Loves Arrival

Total time - 45 minutes approx

Prophecy - WAITING & LONGING

Isaiah 7:14 (CSB)

Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: See, the virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel (which means God with us).

“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” (verse & Chorus)

Isaiah 11:1–3 (CSB)

Then a shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, a Spirit of counsel and strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. His delight will be in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, he will not execute justice by what he hears with his ears,

“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” (Verse & Chorus)

Isaiah 22:22 (CSB)

I will place the key of the house of David on his shoulder; what he opens, no one can close; what he closes, no one can open.

“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” (Verse & Chorus)

Prayer - Advent Prayers of Waiting

Thank you Lord that you are an everlasting God. We thank you for the promise of a savior that came to die for our sins. You give strength to the faint and you strengthen the powerless. though we may become faint and weary, we may stumble and fall, but you promise those who eagerly wait in the LORD will have their strength renewed. We Wait on you this Christmas season. Help us to wait in HOPE Oh Lord; for you are our help and our shield. We wait eagerly For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people who trust in Him. It teaches us to live in this present age while we wait for the blessed HOPE—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 1st candle lit We thank you Lord that the birth of Christ is the birth of PEACE. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have PEACE with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through you we have a peace that passes our understanding. 2nd candle lit Restore to us the JOY of your salvation, and grant us a willing spirit, to sustain us. JOY comes with our salvation! All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. let us Shout for JOY to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song. With JOY you will draw water from the wells of salvation. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and JOY are in his dwelling place.3rd candle lit May your unfailing LOVE come to us, LORD, your salvation, according to your promise. “My unfailing LOVE for you will not be shaken, nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you. God you first LOVED us. by sending your one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 4th candle lit Help us to wait on you this Christmas and beyond, help us to look to you and accept the salvation that came through Jesus.

Psalm 33:13–22 (CSB)

The Lord looks down from heaven; he observes everyone. He gazes on all the inhabitants of the earth from his dwelling place. He forms the hearts of them all; he considers all their works. A king is not saved by a large army; a warrior will not be rescued by great strength. The horse is a false hope for safety; it provides no escape by its great power. But look, the Lord keeps his eye on those who fear him— those who depend on his faithful love to rescue them from death and to keep them alive in famine. We wait for the Lord; he is our help and shield. For our hearts rejoice in him because we trust in his holy name. May your faithful love rest on us, Lord, for we put our hope in you.

Poem

Waiting for the promised seed, dropped into a cove of hungry earth. Waiting 40 days and 40 years for the tree of Jesse, the branch of David. Noah’s olive sprig to return, again, as Christmas fruit, rinsed in Jordan, peeled by Pilate, 5,000 fed, then sealed in a cove of stony earth.

Waiting for the promised seed, lifted into wrappings of opaque clouds. Waiting, with lamps of oil burning, for a shoot from the stock of Jesse, whose roots reach to the river. Noah’s olive sprig to return, again, on a white horse whose rider is called Faithful and True.

Waiting for clouds to unwrap. Waiting.

Jesus Birth - LOVE IS HERE

Songs - 2 songs

Scripture Reading

Reader 1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Reader 2: He was with God in the beginning. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.

Reader 1: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.

All Readers: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Reader 2: We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Reader 1: In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.

Reader 2: This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone went to their own town to register.

Reader 1: So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged 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.

Reader 2: All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

Reader 1: Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

Reader 2: While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

—adapted from John 1:1, 4–5, 9, 14; Luke 2:1–7; Matthew 1:22–23; 1 Timothy 1:15

[The Christ candle is lit.]

Songs - 2 songs

Scripture Reading

Reader 1: And there 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 they were terrified. But the angel said to them,

Reader 2: “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.”

Reader 1: Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

All Readers: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Reader 2: When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another,

Reader 1: “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

Reader 2: So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

Reader 1: 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.

—Luke 2:8–20

2 Songs

Message - Pastor Michael

What are we waiting for? This has been the theme we have been going through this advent season. We may be going through trials and difficulties? I guess another way of looking at it is who do you look to or what do you look to when the going gets tough? Christmas can be a time of joy but what it can also do is amplify the feelings of regret from the bad decisions that we have made, sadness of the loss of a loved one whatever the case may be. We get wrapped up in the giving and getting of gifts, the family gatherings and all that it entails but we lose sight of the real reason why we meet together for these things on Christmas, the greatest gift of all. That is the gift of salvation that is offered in Jesus. All who trust in Him and call on His name are given the gift of salvation and eternal life.

We are told to eagerly wait on the Lord, but what does this mean exactly?

We need to be waiting for the Light

John 1:4-5 tells us something about Jesus “In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.” Light is a powerful thing, it illuminates the darkness. but the illustration the bible talks about when it comes to light and darkness is the salvation Jesus offers and the darkness is sin and despair that we try to hide in.

In the light of Jesus is life that the darkness of Satan will never overcome.

We can not hide anything in the light of the messiah. But the beauty of it is that we do not have to hide anymore because Jesus promises forgiveness, even as He exposes the darkness in us he says we can be forgiven.

it is with reassurance and hope that we remember that the prince of darkness will never overcome the light of the messiah. Satan tries to steal away from the flock but we must stand firm, we must not be afraid knowing that our saviour has won, the end is written.

it may be hard now, knowing that we may be tempted and attacked by Satan and his minions. It is difficult knowing that Jesus has allowed this to happen for a short while. But our strength comes from the eternal one, the never changing one who which Satan will never overcome.

The light of Jesus enables us to be born again as children of God.

The light of the Messiah is life eternal and enables all who come to Him to become children of God!

we are not of this world as His children, that is the heavenly calling that we have that even though we may die here, our eternal home is in heaven for all eternity. We are all children of God, for those that have called on His name and live according to His word.

John 1:16 “Indeed, we have all received grace upon grace from his fullness,”

Grace upon grace is what we recieve. we do not deserve any of it but Jesus deals with us on the basis of His grace. If he dealt with us on the basis of truth and what we have done, none of us would survive. But through the grace of God which we do not deserve we become children of God.

We need to be waiting for the Lord’s Comfort.

When, like Israel of old, you face a difficult task and an impossible tomorrow, do what they did and take comfort and strength from the greatness of God.

The message we receive, the message of comfort God speaks directly to our hearts, unmerited forgiveness is given to us, in spite of our sin. God is forever faithful, our times of trial will come to an end if we put our faith in Him.

the glory of our Lord is eternal, all things will fall away and He will become ruler of all one day. This is the comfort we have. All things will be stripped away but the glory of the Lord. We are know longer in control and we know this to be true because our God is forever faithful

Our Comfort comes knowing our God is in control His word is forever enduring. Any pride we have must fall away knowing that the Glory of the Lord and His gospel must be presented to the world for there will come a day when we will meet Him face to face.

We need to be actively Waiting for the Lord.

Actively waiting means that we will be waiting for the messiah, watching for His return and working at the responsibilities left to us.

The second coming of the Messiah will be unannounced and unexpected so we must not be caught by surprise but be found prepared, ready and waiting for His return.

This means that we will be preparing for the coming of the messiah. We will be using all the Lord has given us top prepare the way for the Lord.

What the Birth of the messiah shows us is that we now need to await the second coming of the messiah. Though it will be a surprise and unexpected that does not mean that we can not be ready for His coming. We need to live our lives with purpose and let the whole world know that He is coming again so be ready.

we need to be found using all that He has given us for His glory. whether we think He is coming tomorrow or tonight or in 100 years, we need to be found using all He has given us for His glory.

and lastely some practical ways in which we can await the coming of the messiah.

We are to use what God has given us, use the tools, the gifts, everything we have we are to use to prepare and get ready for the second coming of the messiah.

so tonight this is what I want you to focus on, eagerly waiting and trusting in the messiah. The light of the world who came to save you from your sin. You may try to find peace and joy in the things of the world but what the bible tells us is that the only true source of peace and joy comes from trusting and waiting in the Lord. Will you put your faith in Him today? It is not hard, all it takes is talking to Him.

Away in a Manger

[As the singing transitions to “Silent Night,” light from the Christ candle is passed among the congregation.]

“Silent Night! Holy Night”

SENDING

Sending and Blessing

Actively waiting means that we will be waiting for the messiah, watching for His return and working at the responsibilities left to us.

Jesus is the light of the world that overcomes the darkness and in Him alone is eternal life.

When, like Israel of old, you face a difficult task and an impossible tomorrow, do what they did and take comfort and strength from the greatness of God. God speaks to our hearts and lets us know unmerited forgiveness is offered to all who call on Him.

Come to us, Lord Jesus, Be born in us this night, in our hearts, our minds, our lives. May the light of your life be kindled in us, And lead us to the shining truth, of God with us, God for us, God in us. Amen.