CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE 2013

CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE 2013

Pastor Bruce A. Shields

House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org

{slide 1} - WELCOME

I would like to welcome you all to the 8^th annual Christmas Eve Service here at the House of Faith Church.

Tonight, we will be paying homage to God the Father for the Messiah, and His promise of redeeming humankind.

Though we know that December 25^th is not the actual day of Christ’s birth, it is the day many have chosen to celebrate His coming into our world, and His ultimate sacrifice to pay our debt, and to reconcile us to God, allowing us who believe in Him to have eternal life.

Tonight is a special night for friends and family to gather, give reflection, praise and worship to our King.  Not baby Jesus, but Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Lord of Lord’s and King of King’s, our savior.

CALL TO WORSHIP

So as we celebrate this evening, let the songs fill your soul with the love and joy of Jesus.

Tonight, as we celebrate His coming, give thanks to God for the love He has shown, and given us.

Let us celebrate Christmas in the Spirit of Jesus Christ, who came to us from the heart of God’s own being, in the form of a servant, born in human likeness.

Let us celebrate God’s entering into our lives, bringing light to the entire world.

Tonight, may love be reborn in our hearts as we worship God together.

OPENING PRAYER: Pastor Bruce Shields

{slide 2} - SCRIPTURE READING

†         1 John 4:9-10

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

{slide 3} - SCRIPTURE READING

†         Galatians 4:4-5

But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.

{slide 4} - SCRIPTURE READING

And the people cried out for the Messiah to come, the one that God promised, the one that the prophets spoke of.  They sang out, Emmanuel, which is two Hebrew words, El, meaning God, and Immanuel, meaning with us.

O’ come, Emmanuel is a cry for God to come and be with us.

{slide 5} - SONG: O’ Come, O’ Come Emmanuel

{slide 6} - SCRIPTURE READING

†         Luke 1:26-38

 ²⁶In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, ²⁷to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. ²⁸The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

 ²⁹Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. ³¹You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. ³²He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, ³³and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

 ³⁴"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

 ³⁵The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God...

... ³⁸"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

{slide 7}

†         Isaiah 9:6

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

{slide 8} - SONG: Let the Peace of God Reign

{slide 9}

†         Luke 2:8-15
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” ¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

{slide 10} - SONG: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

{slide 11}

†         Luke 2:16-18

 ¹⁶ So the shepherds hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

{slide 12}

†         John 3:16 - 18
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.”

{slide 13} - SONG: Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem

1.      CHILDREN'S PLAY

a.      NARRATION

                                                             i.      {slide 14} - CHILDREN SING: O Come, All Ye Faithful

b.     NARRATION

                                                             i.      {Song 1 on CD} - SONG: Mary Did You Know? - Special Music by Mark Barr

c.      NARRATION

                                                             i.      Light on Manger

                                                          ii.      {slide 15} - CHILDREN SING: Away in a Manger

                                                       iii.      {slide 16} - CHILDREN SING: Happy Birthday Jesus

{slide 17}

John 1:14 & 16,17

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

{slide 18} - SONG: The First Noel

{Slide 19 } - SONG: Joy to the World

{Slide 20}

Jesus took the disciples in Matthew 28, and gave them the “Great commission”, which instructs that the light that Jesus brought, would be shared with the world through the Body of Christ, which is us, the believers and followers of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 5:14

“You are the light of the world...”

The Word of God tells us that we are this light.  Jesus Himself said to take this light, and share it with the world.

{Deacons Come Forward}

As we sing Silent Night, let us pass this light from one to another, and let it represent the lives we are living in the world, and how we share the Gospel and light with others around us daily.

{slide 21} - SONG: Silent night

We will now close with our final song of the evening, afterwards, I will close with prayer, and you are all welcome to stay and have snacks and coffee and fellowship together.

{slide 22} - CLOSING PRAYER

·        Thank you for this evening, and each one here

·        Bless each for coming

·        Pray that each one takes with them tonight, Hope, Peace, Joy and Love of God

·        Most of all, the Love and light of Christ, which they will share with all around them

·        Pray that each one here tonight, takes this Light that Christ has given us, and shares it with the world as He commanded in His Word