(CALL TO WORSHIP

(Tune – O Little Town of Bethlehem – p. 92)
(Words by Pastor Jim Byrd)

Sing praises to the Son of God, Who down from heaven came;
To save His people from their guilt, From misery and shame.
Down from His heav’nly glory The Savior came to earth;
And angels looked with fear and awe, upon Messiah’s birth.
God in the flesh, the Son of Man, our Prophet, Priest and King;
The Seed of woman came to earth, to save the perishing.
In love and great compassion, the great Redeemer died;
He reconciled us to our God and we are justified.
Christ gave Himself, the ransom price, our debt of sin to pay;
The sword of justice pierced His heart, and guilt was washed away.
O’er sin and death He triumphed, His greatness let us own;
The Savior reigns forevermore upon His sovereign throne.
Bow down and worship Christ the Lord – His wonders gladly tell;
The fullness of the Godhead three, in Christ the Savior dwell.
The only Mediator, on Him our hopes depend;
He is our Savior, God and King, our Advocate and Friend.

TODAY’S SERVICES

MORNING WORSHIP – 11:00 a.m –

• CALL TO WORSHIP (above)

• HYMN – Pannell Family hymn

• READING – Ephesians 1:3-14

• MESSAGE – Pictures of Grace from Esther
  Esther | Randy Wages

• CLOSING HYMN – Come Thou Fount - 17
  

Birthdays: Kristen Fuller – Dec. 17^th | Beverly Hayes – Dec. 22^nd

- There will be no services held on Sunday, 12/23/18. Regular
services will resume on Sunday, 12/30/18.

- There will be an abbreviated annual church business meeting at 9:30 a.m.. on Sunday, 12/30. All members are invited to attend.

GOD SENT HIS SON

God has declared in His Word that He will show mercy, that He will redeem and glorify a people, and that heaven will be populated with a holy people like His beloved Son. Here is the greatest evidence that His promise will be fulfilled – “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” (Gal. 4:4-5); and God “ spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all ...” (Rom. 8:32). The Father sent the Son into the world to work out the only righteousness whereby He could be just and justify the ungodly. The Father did not withhold the Son from all that He must be, endure, suffer, and accomplish in order to take up our hopeless case and redeem us. He gave Christ to be our Representative, sacrifice, sin-offering, and Mediator. If God so loved His elect that He gave Christ, and Christ so loved them that He gave Himself, shall those for whom He lived and died not freely and abundantly receive all that He purchased for them? Did Christ suffer and die in vain? Perish the thought! His righteousness demands the salvation and final glory of every sinner He represented. They shall be saved! Sinner, you are commanded to believe that God will save you for Christ's sake alone, based on His righteousness alone! –Copied

Hearken unto Me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness: I bring near my Righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel My glory.

(Isaiah 46:12-13)

UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN, A SON IS GIVEN

God was manifest in human flesh, “and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this” (Isa. 9:6-7), and He is the salvation provided by God, the Lord our righteousness.

“FOR MINE EYES HAVE SEEN THY SALVATION”

LUKE 2:30

The world views this time of the year either as a religious or family holiday. We know that most people embrace and promote the myths, human traditions, and even idolatry that come with it. We as believers should never join with the world in the idolatry of any season. But we know the reality of the Lord Jesus Christ and His great work of redemption. We can, therefore, rejoice and thank God for the birth of Christ. Why? It is because we do not focus our attention and worship on Him as a helpless babe in a manger, but as the Lord of Glory, the Lord our Righteousness who by the grace of God executed judgment and justice in the earth when He died on the cross for our sins (Jer. 23:5-6). The babe in the manger is truly a miraculous work of God the Son manifesting Himself in human flesh without sin – “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matt. 1:23). We can all stand amazed and thank God for this moment in time when the Word was made flesh to dwell among us (John 1:14). But when we view the Lord Jesus Christ with the eyes of God-given faith, we say with Simeon of old as he took the infant Jesus up in his arms, praised God, and said, “For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation” (Luke 2:30).