Call to Worship
Prayer and Praise
Verse 1
Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o’er the plains
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains
Chorus
Gloria
In excelsis Deo
Gloria
In excelsis Deo
Verse 2
Shepherds why this jubilee
Why your joyous strains prolong
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heav’nly song
Verse 3
Come to Bethlehem and see
Christ whose birth the angels sing
Come adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord the newborn King
Verse 4
See Him in a manger laid
Whom the choirs of angels praise
Mary Joseph lend your aid
While our hearts in love we raise
Jesus, Light in the Darkness
Verse 1
In a manger, weak and humble
Almighty God in flesh and blood
Set all aside, His power and glory
God incarnate, infant, child
Chorus 1
Jesus, light in the darkness shining
Jesus, Immanuel
By His grace bringing peace among us
Glory to Him on high
Verse 2
The angels came, proclaiming Good News
That on this day, a Saviour’s born
The shepherds quaked, in awe and wonder
And ran to see, this Christ the Lord
Verse 3
Kings of east, His star to guide them
Searching for Messiah foretold
Brought priceless gifts, to lay before Him
And bowed with joy before The King
Bridge
God with us
Light that shines to all mankind
God with us
The darkness shall not stand
Verse 4
To meet our need, this humble Saviour
Came to earth in love divine
Here to save the lost and broken
And for our sin, he bled and died
Chorus 2
Jesus, light in the darkness shining
Jesus, Immanuel
By His grace bringing peace among us
Glory to Him on high
Glory to Him on high
Sunday School
Pilgrim’s Progress – John Bunyan
Sunday Service
Pastoral Reading
Matthew 1:18-25
1st Advent: Expectation and Hope
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
Opening Hymn
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus (TH #196)
Verse 1
Come, thou long expected Jesus,
Born to set thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us;
Let us find our rest in thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of ev’ry nation,
Joy of every longing heart.
Verse 2
Joy to those who long to see Thee
Day-spring from on high, appear.
Come, Thou promised Rod of Jesse,
Of Thy birth, we long to hear!
O’er the hills the angels singing
News, glad tidings of a birth;
“Go to Him your praises bringing
Christ the Lord has come to earth!”
Verse 3
Come to earth to taste our sadness,
He whose glories knew no end.
By His life He brings us gladness,
Our redeemer, Shepherd, Friend.
Leaving riches without number,
Born within a cattle stall;
This the everlasting wonder,
Christ was born the Lord of all.
Verse 4
Born thy people to deliver,
Born a child, and yet a King,
Born to reign in us for ever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By thine all-sufficient merit
Raise us to thy glorious throne.
Prayer
Focus this week: Henry Mears
Offering Hymn
1 Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
let ev’ry heart prepare him room
and heav’n and nature sing,
and heav’n and nature sing,
and heav’n, and heav’n and nature sing.
2 Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ,
while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains,
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
3 No more let sins and sorrows grow
nor thorns infest the ground;
he comes to make his blessings flow
far as the curse is found,
far as the curse is found,
far as, far as the curse is found.
4 He rules the world with truth and grace
and makes the nations prove
the glories of his righteousness
and wonders of his love,
and wonders of his love,
and wonders, wonders of his love.
Scripture Reading
John 15:1-17
Preaching the Word
Luke 13:6-9
Closing Hymn
See Amid the Winter Snow (TH #199)
1 See, amid the winter’s snow,
born for us on earth below,
see the tender Lamb appears,
promised from eternal years.
Refrain:
Hail! Thou ever-blessed morn!
Hail, redemption’s happy dawn!
Sing through all Jerusalem,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem.”
2 Lo, within a manger lies
He who built the starry skies;
He, who throned in height sublime,
sits amid the cherubim! [Refrain]
3 Say, ye holy shepherds, say,
what your joyful news today;
wherefore have ye left your sheep
on the lonely mountain steep? [Refrain]
4 “As we watched at dead of night,
lo, we saw a wondrous light;
angels singing ‘Peace on earth’
told us of the Savior’s birth.” [Refrain]