O Come, O Come, Emmanuel: “Rejoice! Rejoice!” Luke 2.10-12
The Good News of great joy for all people is that Jesus, the child born in the city of David, is the true Messiah, the Lord.
Invocation
The angels declared to the shepherds good news of great joy, given for all people everywhere. With the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, Messiah has come to the world. Joy to the world, the Lord has come! Glory be to your name, O Most High, and to your Son, Emmanuel who has come to usher your Kingdom in. Amen.
Gloria Patri
Glory be to the Father,
And to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
As it was in the beginning,
Is now, and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen, amen.
Chronological Scripture Readings for Today
These Scriptures texts allow us to read through the entire Bible in one year in chronological order.
Sunday: Jer. 19-20; Dan. 1
Lectionary Readings for Today
Our readings from the Psalms, the Old Testament, the Gospels and the Epistles are taken from the Revised Common Lectionary for the Lord’s Day.
Psalms: Ps. 145.8-14
OT (Acts during Eastertide): Zech. 9.9-12
Gospel: Matt. 11.16-19, 25-30
NT: Rom. 7.15-25a
Click Here for all of this week’s Scripture Readings
The Good News of great joy for all people is that Jesus, the child born in the city of David, is the true Messiah, the Lord.
Reflection
The angel of the Lord told the shepherds not to fear for he was bringing good news of great joy that would be for everyone. On that very day in David’s city a Savior, the Messiah the Lord, was born. Emmanuel has come to the world, and the Kingdom has come.
Benediction
Thank you, eternal Father, that in the person of Jesus, the child of Bethlehem, the Kingdom of God has come. We believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the promised Son of David whom the prophets declared would come and restore God’s rule to the nations and the world. We believe in him. Lift up our hearts to be joyful in your presence today. Amen.
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Scripture Memory
Philippians 4:4-7 (ESV)
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Book Reading and Reflection
“Obedience is the very nucleus of worship. If you forget everything else, remember this. We can be broken all we want to. We can be demonstrative until the cows come home. But if we are unwilling to obey—if we refuse to do what God wants us to—then He will never pick up our broken pieces, and He will reject all of our demonstration. Valid worship begins and ends with obedience—that is, submission—to the will of almighty God. And what does He “will” for us? Holiness. It goes hand in hand with submission. It can never simply be one or the other. Obedience and holiness are required of God’s bona fide worshippers.”
~ Vernon Whaley, Called to Worship: The Biblical Foundations of Our Response to God’s Call.
Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2009.
Let God Arise! Focus
Amazing Grace: “Grace Will Lead Me Home”, Revelation 21.1-8
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