Worship Service for December 26, 2021 at 11 AM

Welcome

Opening Song: He Has Come For Us (God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen)

God rest ye merry gentlemen let nothing you dismay
Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan’s power when we were gone astray
Oh tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy
Oh tidings of comfort and joy

Chorus:
He has come for us, this Jesus
He’s the hope for all mankind
He has come for us, the Messiah
Born to give us life (He is born to give us life)

From God our heavenly Father a blessed angel came
And unto certain shepherds brought tidings of the same
How that in Bethlehem was born the Son of God by name
Oh tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy
Oh tidings of comfort and joy

Chorus

Invocation

Confession and Forgiveness:

P: Come into the presence of the Lord our God.

C: Have mercy, O Lord. If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand; but if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

(a time of silence to reflect and personally confess our sins)

P: I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. Let us confess our sin before the Lord. Let us confess together.

C: Heavenly Father, we confess that we are sinners.  We have sinned against you and our neighbors. We have not loved you with our whole heart and we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your punishment.  For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us.  Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name.  Amen.

P: The Lord is gracious and merciful. He promises to forgive our sins. Therefore, upon this, your confession, as a called and ordained servant of the Lord, in the stead and by the command of my Lord, Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen.

Song of Praise and Thanksgiving – Hark The Herald Angels Sing

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

Christ, by highest heaven adored; Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time behold him come, Offspring of the Virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh, the God-head see; hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus, our Immanuel
Hark the herald angels sing, “Glory to the new born King”

Hail! the heaven-born Prince of Peace. Hail the son of Righteousness
Light and life to all He brings, risen with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by, born that man no more may die
Born to raise each child of earth, born to Give them second birth
Hark the herald angels sing, “Glory to the new born King”
Hark the herald angels sing, “Glory to the new born King”

Old Testament Reading – 2 Chronicles 24:17-22

Now after the death of Jehoiada the princes of Judah came and paid homage to the king. Then the king listened to them. And they abandoned the house of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols. And wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs. Yet he sent prophets among them to bring them back to the Lord. These testified against them, but they would not pay attention.

Then the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stood above the people, and said to them, “Thus says God, ‘Why do you break the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.’” But they conspired against him, and by command of the king they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the Lord. Thus, Joash the king did not remember the kindness that Jehoiada, Zechariah’s father, had shown him, but killed his son. And when he was dying, he said, “May the Lord see and avenge!”

Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.

Second Reading – Acts 7:2a, 51–60

And Stephen said: “Brothers and fathers, hear me,…

“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”

Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.

Children’s Message

Sermon Hymn – Well Done

What will it be like when my pain is gone
And all the worries of this world just fade away?
What will it be like when You call my name
And that moment when I see You face to face?

Pre-Chorus 1:
I’m waiting my whole life to hear You say

Chorus:
Well done, well done   My good and faithful one
Welcome to the place where you belong
Well done, well done   My beloved child
You have run the race and now you’re home
Welcome to the place where you belong

What will it be like when tears are washed away
And every broken thing will finally be made whole?
What will it be like when I come into Your glory
Standing in the presence of a love so beautiful?

Pre-Chorus 2:
I’m waiting my whole life for that day I will live my life to hear You say

Chorus

Sermon – “The Strange Blessing of Being Cursed”

Luke 6:20-26

And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said:

“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.

“Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.

“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.

“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.

“Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry.

“Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.

“Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.

P: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise be to You, o Christ.

Prayers: Text in prayer requests to (813) 602-1104

Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,

And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.  Amen

Words of Institution

Peace

P: The peace of the Lord be with you all.
C: And also, with you.
P: We greet each other in the peace of Christ.

Distribution

Prayer

Benediction

Closing Song – O Little Town of Bethlehem

Oh, little town of Bethlehem how still we see thee lie
Above the dark and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight

For Christ is born of Mary and gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love
O morning stars together proclaim the holy birth
And praises sing to God the King and Peace to men on earth

How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given;
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His Heaven.
No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.

Oh, holy child of Bethlehem, descend on us we pray;
Cast out our sin and enter in be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels, their great glad tidings tell,
Oh come to us, abide with us, our lord, Emanuel.

Upcoming Events

January 2, 11am – Worship Service
Song and Dance

January 9, 11am – Worship Service
New Series – “Breaking Down the Barriers to a Deeper Faith Life”
Song and Dance

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