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["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] All right, well, thanks for coming tonight, everybody, for our panel-like service. We're glad you're all here. Merry Christmas to all of you, and again, appreciate you being here. Let's go ahead and open up with a quick word of prayer. Dear Lord, again, thank you for this time of year when we come to celebrate your birth, and Lord, remember the greatest gift that's been given to us through salvation, through not only the birth, but also the death and burial of your son. I pray you help us to remember that tonight and honor you in the coming year. We ask these things in Christ's name, Amen. So I'll just briefly go over a few things before we get started. It's not going to be a long service tonight, and first of all, just a reminder, if you would please silence your cell phones at this time. We don't want to have any of those go off. We know how embarrassing that is, so just a reminder, go ahead and shut those off. Turn them on silent. And then basically, we're just going to have Brother Gabriel and Brother Andrew take turns reading and singing some songs. So all the songs are going to be out of the hymnal in front of you tonight. So Brother Andrew, when he comes up, we'll announce the song, and then Brother Gabriel will be doing all the reading, just a few passages tonight going over the Christmas story. And at the very end, of course, we'll have the lighting of candles. We'll shut the lights off. But it'll still get very dark in here, so by the time you get through, it came upon a midnight clear, you're probably going to want to be in your seat if you have to get up because you might be stumbling in the darkness, or you wouldn't want that. So we're going to have the lighting of candles at the end, and then just another singing silent night, and that'll be it. So again, I appreciate everybody coming here and helping us celebrate Christmas. Hopefully, it's a good one for you, and you're blessed for having been here tonight. With that, we'll go ahead and begin with the reading of Isaiah, chapter number nine. Isaiah 9-6. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is born, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsel, Almighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, and the increase of the government of peace shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order, and to establish, to judge, and to justice, from henceforth, even forever, the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. Start ahead with the song number 424. Song number 424, O Come All Ye Faithful. O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye to faith. Come and be forgiven, born the King of me. O come, let us adorn him, O come, let us adorn him, O come, let us adorn him, in Christ the Lord. Sing, O come, angels, sing in exultation, O speak, O be kind, O stand there and adore. Glory to God, glory in the highest, O come, let us adorn him, O come, let us adorn him, O come, let us adorn him, in Christ the Lord. Hey, glory be to Thee, Lord, this happy morning, Jesus, truly be the glory there. Word of the Father, thou with flesh of fear, O come, let us adorn him, O come, let us adorn him, O come, let us adorn him, in Christ the Lord. Micah 5, verse 2, But thou, Bethlehem, Ephrathah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me, that is, to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Therefore will he give them up until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth. Then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel, and he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord, God his Father, and they shall abide, for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth. Let's turn our hymnals to song number 423. Song number 423, Joy to the World. Joy to the world, the Lord is come, let earth receive her King. Let every heart prepare him food, let heaven and nature sing, let heaven and nature sing, let heaven and heaven, let heaven and nature sing. Joy to the world, the Savior bring, let heaven and nature sing, let fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains, give him the sounding joy, give him the sounding joy, give him the evening, give him the sounding joy. Long were the saints their sorrows grew, the Lord did best to dwell. He comes to be great with blessings full, for as the curse is found, for as the curse is found, for as the curse is found, He knows the world best together, and makes the nations prove, the glories of his righteousness, and wonders of his love, and wonders of his love, and wonders of his love. Luke 2 verse 4, And Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be taxed with Mary as his spouse's wife, being great with child. And so it was that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Let's turn to song number 434. Song 434, O Little Town of Bethlehem. piano plays softly O little town of Bethlehem, How still we singing find, O blood-like he gave dreamlessly, The silent sky so wild, Yea, thy dark streets shine, They everlast me by, The hopes and fears of all the years, Are making me to come, For Christ is born of every And ever on the run, On board the sleeping angels' skin, Their hearts are one and one, O Lord, each loss to heaven, And the moving earth, Let praises sing to the blood-cured, And peace to men on earth, How silently, how silently, The wondrous gift is given, So glad in hearts to heal in heart, The blessing of his hand, Though we may hear his calling, But in this world of sin, Where each soul will be speaking still, The dear Christ, live to sing, O holy child of Bethlehem, He stands with us who pray, Lest thou, our sin and victory, Be born in us today, We be the precious angels That bring the time instead, Hold on to us, O God, With us, our Lord and anywhere. Luke 2 verse 8 And they were in the same country, Shepherds abiding in the field, Keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, And the glory of the Lord shone round about them, And they were so afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, Which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, A Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And it shall be a sign unto you, Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, Lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel A multitude of the heavenly hosts, Praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men. Let's turn our hymnals to song number 429. Song 429, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Glory to the newborn King. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Glory to the newborn King. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Glory to the newborn King. Hail the herald angels sing. Hail the sign of righteousness. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Come, desire, with shows of light, They sing us thy homely home. Christ, the one whose home we've seen, Whose deep waters we've sunk, yet to be. Hallows, white birds, plowing rays, Set by wind and chill its rays, Set with arrows from above, We here sing and sing thy call. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Hark! The herald angels sing. Luke 2 verse 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, The shepherd said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, And see this thing which has come to pass, Which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe, lying in a manger, And when they had seen it, they made note abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child, And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart, And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God For all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. Song number 428 Song number 428 It came upon a midnight clear It came upon a midnight clear It came upon a midnight clear That glorious song of old It came upon a midnight clear That glorious song of old From angels bending near the earth To touch their hearts abroad Peace on the earth, goodwill to men From every gracious deal The world is told, and still is made To hear the angels sing Still through the perfect skies they come With these old wings on board And still their heavy boots take post For all the weary world The world is set in the only place They can on the wind And ever, for it e'ers out The blessed angels sing Thank thee, thee, thee, life's crushing door Whose swords are blending gold Whose swords are blending gold With people's steps and stone Look down to heaven and all around Those filling on the wind Oh, bless this high, the weary world And feel the angels sing For both the days are rich, react Like love, live hard foretold We'll live the ever so early years Come, found the angel Lord Where peace shall rule over all the earth Praise the angels, land of fear And of the world, give back the sun Which now the angels sing As the candles are lit, I'll light this one And then, of course, I didn't bring my candle But that's all right, I've got one here Yeah, there we go Nothing sets the mood like a Bic lighter, folks I'm telling you So as that goes around, I'll just read some verses Regarding light If I can see these verses, that is I'll do my best And of course, as the light goes around It's representative of the fact that This is how the gospel works The light of the gospel is lit in one of our hearts And then we spread it, hopefully, to our neighbor And light that light in their heart as well The Bible says in John 1 In the beginning was the Word And the Word is with God, and the Word was God The same was in the beginning with God All things were made by Him And without Him was not anything made that was made In Him was life, and life was the light of men And the light shineth in the darkness And the darkness comprehended it not There was a man sent from God whose name was John The same came for a witness to bear witness of the light That all men through Him might believe He was not that light But was sent to bear witness of that light That was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world He was in the world, and the world was made by Him And the world knew Him not He came unto His own, and His own received Him not But as many as received Him, to them gave He power To become the sons of God Even to them that believe on His name Which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh Nor of the will of man, but of God And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt amongst us We beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father Full of grace and truth Jesus said in John 8 I am the light of the world He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness But shall have the light of life Said in John 12 Yet a little while is the light with you Walk while ye have the light That the darkness come upon you For he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth While ye have light, believe in the light That ye may be children of the light The Bible reminds us in James 1 Every good gift and every perfect gift Is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights With whom there is no variableness, neither shadow or turning 1 John 1, the Bible says This then is the message which we have heard of him And declare unto you that God is light And in him is no darkness at all If we say that we have fellowship with him And walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth But if we walk in the light As he is in the light We have fellowship one with another And the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin So of course I hope that everyone in the room tonight Has that light in their hearts The light of the truth of salvation By grace through faith in Christ alone And if you don't have that light I hope that maybe you would take one of our church members aside And ask how you can be saved The Bible assures us that every single one of us Can be 100% sure that heaven is going to be our home When we die that we can walk in that light And we can know the light of heaven when we get there And I trust that's most people in the room And to the rest I would say if you already know that you're saved You're knowing your way to heaven I hope that you have the light of fellowship in your life That you, as it says in 1 John, love your brother And I think that's important for us to always remember Of course I was joking earlier today This evening that around Christmas everyone's really nice Aren't they? Everyone's filled with joy But then the New Year's come around and everyone starts their diet And everyone starts to get cranky And of course we're all being extra sweet And we're all in a good mood And hopefully we're all enjoying one another's fellowship And hopefully that's something that we'll carry on into the New Year And something that we'll experience through our lives And I promised I wouldn't preach so let me just wrap up with a reminder Again from 1 John regarding that He says in chapter 2 Again a new commandment I write unto you Which thing is true Which thing is true in him and in you Because the darkness is past and the true light now shineth He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother Is in darkness even until now He that loveth his brother abideth in the light And there's none occasion of stumbling in him But he that hateth his brother is in darkness And walketh in darkness And knoweth not whither he goeth Because that darkness hath blinded his eyes It's a sad thing when we have the light of Christ in our hearts And we don't allow that love to shine out to our brother and sisters in Christ So hopefully we'll do that in the coming year I'm going to go ahead and close with a word of prayer And then we'll sing with the candles still lit Silent Night And then we'll just simply dismiss You can blow out your candle Set it in the seat next to you if you want to take it Set it on the table on the way out That's fine We'll pick them up later But let's close quickly in a word of prayer And then we'll sing Silent Night Dear Lord again, thank you again for these folks that have come out tonight To honor you in this time of year And your birth, Lord And again I pray you'd help us to always be mindful of the great love Wherewith you have loved us, Lord And help us to show that love one to another And to the lost in the coming year And throughout our lives We ask these things in Christ's name, Amen Alright, we'll go ahead and sing Silent Night Number 431 in our hymnal, Silent Night Number 431 Holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, Holy, holy, holy, holy, Holy, holy, holy, holy, Holy, holy, holy, holy, Holy, holy, holy, holy, Holy, holy, holy, holy, Holy, holy, holy, holy, Holy, holy, holy, holy, Silent night, holy night Shorebirds waiting at the sight Waring streams of heaven Katie and Julie Christ the Savior is born, Christ the Savior is born. Silent night, holy night. Son of God, blessed be thy God. Praise be to thy holy King. When the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord at thy birth. Jesus, Lord at her birth. Silent night, holy night. Christ the Savior is born, Christ the Savior is born. Christ the Savior is born. Thank you for coming, everyone. We are this way. Jesus, Lord at her birth.