Worship Service for December 27, 2020 at 11 AM

Welcome

Opening Song: Angels We Have Heard On High

Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o’er the plains,
And the mountains in reply, echoing their joyous strains.
Gloria, in excelsis Deo; Gloria, in excelsis Deo

Shepherds why this jubilee? Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be? Which inspire your heavenly song?
Gloria, in excelsis Deo; Gloria, in excelsis Deo;

Come to Bethlehem and see Him whose birth the angels sing;
Come adore on bended knee Christ the Lord the newborn King.
Gloria, in excelsis Deo; Gloria, in excelsis Deo

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?

P: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

C: 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.

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: Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee

Joyful, joyful we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love!
Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee, Praising Thee, their sun above. Melt the clouds of sin and sadness, Drive the gloom of doubt away. Giver of immortal gladness, Fill us with the light of day.

All Thy works with joy surround Thee, Earth and heav’n reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee, Center of unbroken praise. Field and forest, vale and mountain, flow’ry meadow, flashing sea, Chanting bird, and flowing fountain Call us to rejoice in Thee.

Thou art giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blest, Wellspring of the joy of living, Ocean-depth of happy rest! Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Fountainhead of love divine: Joyful, we Thy heav’n inherit! Joyful, we by grace are Thine

Old Testament Reading – Psalm 111

Praise the Lord!

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
    in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
Great are the works of the Lord,
    studied by all who delight in them.
Full of splendor and majesty is his work,
    and his righteousness endures forever.
He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered;
    the Lord is gracious and merciful.
He provides food for those who fear him;
    he remembers his covenant forever.
He has shown his people the power of his works,
    in giving them the inheritance of the nations.
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
    all his precepts are trustworthy;
they are established forever and ever,
    to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
He sent redemption to his people;
    he has commanded his covenant forever.
    Holy and awesome is his name!
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
    all those who practice it have a good understanding.
    His praise endures forever!

Gospel Reading – John 21:20–25

Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” So the saying spread abroad among the brothers[a] that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

Children’s Message

Sermon Hymn – In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found. He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground.
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All. Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh, Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness, Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died, The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid, Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay, Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day, Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory, Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine, Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death, This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man, Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘Til He returns or calls me home, Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand
No power of hell, no scheme of man, Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘Til He returns or calls me home, Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand

Sermon – “All This Is True”

1 John 1:1—2:2

The Word of Life

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.  And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

Walking in the Light

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.  If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Christ Our Advocate

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.  He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Prayers

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: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Hark the herald angels sing “Glory to the new born King
Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and 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”

Offering

Upcoming Events

December 31, 7 PM – A Time of Prayer
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January 3, 11:00 AM – Worship
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