Description
Matthew 1: 18-25
With the celebration of Christmas, a week away, it is easy for us to get caught up in the preparations and tasks of the holiday. Today, our last Sunday of Advent, may we pause and recall the need for a savior to come in the first place. Our lessons today point us to the hard truth: we need saving and thus require a savior. Christmas is a time to celebrate that God keeps His loving promise to save us and this week we prepare for that celebration by hearing the voice of the angel to Joseph concerning the baby in Mary, “He will save His people from their sins.”
We Lift Our Hearts in Worship
[Preservice options include videos (countdowns, worship music, welcomes), worship music CD, or live music by worship band.]
Time of Praise and Worship
O, Come, All Ye Faithful
John Francis Wade, ©several publishers
Available on www.PraiseCharts.com, www.LifewayWorship.com, www.MusicNotes.com
Jesus Saves
Nick Herbert & Tim Hughes, ©2008 Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
At Your Name
Phil Wickham & Tim Hughes, ©2011 Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing), Phil Wickham Music (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.), Seems Like Music (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)
[Traditional Options]
O Come, All Ye Faithful
BH 75 81; BH 91 89; CH 249; CHH 148; EH 83; ELW 283; HWC 145; HPW 20; HFG 193; HLC 103; HGP 78; HSP 332; LBW 45; LSB 379; LW 41; NCH 135; PH 41; RH 133; RS 499; STTL 175; WC 173; UMH 234; WAR 182; WHM 133; WIS 178
Let the Earth Now Praise the Lord
LSB 869; LW 33
From Heaven Above to Earth I Come
CH 146; EH80; ELW 268; HLC 111; LBW 51; LSB 358; LW 37; NCH 130; PH 54
Invocation and Introduction of Today’s Theme
Pastor Father God, our creator,
ALL Come, save us.
Pastor Jesus Christ, precious Lord,
ALL Come, save us.
Pastor Holy Spirit holy sanctifier,
ALL Come, save us.
Pastor Have mercy on your people and bless us,
ALL Amen.
Opening Prayer
Pastor Jesus Christ, Holy God, Your people need You among us. Fill us this day, prepare us,
save us.
ALL We pray Your presence and blessings on us Jesus. As we prepare to celebrate Your birth we ask that You would purify our hearts and minds, that we can worship and praise You in truth. Amen.
Time of Greeting
Time of Confession and Forgiveness
[Alternate location: following Message]
Pastor As we approach the celebration of Christmas, let us first consider our need for a savior. To enjoy His blessings, we must realize who we truly are. Let us pause for a moment and confess our sins and proclaim in our hearts that we do need Jesus Christ among us to redeem us.
Time for personal reflection & confession.
Pastor Holy Lord,
ALL We have sinned against You and one another. We have not kept our promises, we have not loved as You ask and guide, we often go on our own forgetting Your presence in our lives. We need to be rescued from ourselves, from sin, from death, from the devil. Oh Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us, save us, forgive us our sins and lead us to everlasting life.
Pastor The angel proclaimed to Joseph in a dream:
“Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for the conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Jesus came to save you from you from your sins. By His death and resurrection, Your sins have been forgiven, you have been rescued in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
ALL Amen! Praise to You Lord Jesus Christ!
We Hear God’s Word
[Read aloud both the introduction and Scripture]
First Reading Isaiah 7:10–16
The Lord will send a messiah, “God with us”, Emmanuel. This will be a sign in the slow recovery of Israel from the destruction that is to come.
10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, 11 “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.” 13 Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. 15 He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, 16 for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste. 17 The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.”
