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.
Our Focus Today
The Gospel of joy of the Messiah’s entrance into the world is not merely for his kinsfolk, Israel, but for all the world.
Invocation
Eternal God, you loved the world so much that you offered your one and only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. You sent him for the entire world, and all the nations are blessed through what you offered through Abraham for us all. 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.
Wednesday: Jer. 12-15
The Gospel of joy of the Messiah’s entrance into the world is not merely for his kinsfolk, Israel, but for all the world.
Reflection
The prophecy regarding the coming of Messiah is good news of great joy for all the world. The angel said literally “for all the people.” God has anointed a champion who would defeat the powers that have invaded and ravaged his creation and his people.
Benediction
The good news of great joy is for all the people, O Christ. All nations and all peoples are included in the great salvation you have won for the world through your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank you for including me in your story of deliverance and peace. 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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