Christmas Eve Service

We welcome you to our Christmas Eve service, a time of celebration of the presence of Christ and His coming into our world. We want to be able to celebrate what the Bible says about God's coming and what it meant to us. I'd like to ask you to join me, please, in a moment of prayer together. Lord Jesus, we come to celebrate your birth, the gift of your life, the sacrifice of yourself. We set aside this time and all the activities that we have, all the pressures around us to focus our attention on you, because we want to be able to celebrate what you mean to us, the importance of your coming, the impact you've had on us and all around the world. Receive today our praise for you. In the name of Christ, we ask this, amen. The promise of Jesus, of His birth on this earth, is given in a couple of the books of the Bible. Matthew and Luke tell us most about Jesus' coming, what that was to mean and how it was to take place. The promise that was made to Mary was a promise of one who would come to be a Redeemer and a Savior. From Matthew chapter 1, this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph, her husband, was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you will give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet. The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel, which means God with us. When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded. He took Mary home as his wife, and they had no union with her until they gave birth to a son, and they gave him the name Jesus. The name Jesus, the Christ, the one who came to save us. This celebration is about the saving presence and power of Jesus Christ, and that indeed is what we celebrate today. The birth of Jesus, though, was not about a baby. It was indeed about a man, a man whose mission for the purpose of the world was to be able to redeem us. I've been looking at different passages of scripture, and in these passages it tells us about the warning that Jesus gave to us. He came to warn us that there are certain things in this world that we are required to do, and the first one was to acknowledge him as the ruler and redeemer of all of mankind. He said to the religious people of his day, You snakes, you brood of vipers, how will you escape being condemned to hell? Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers, and some of them you will kill and crucify, others you will flog in the synagogues and pursue from town to town. And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of the righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. I tell you the truth, all this will come on this generation. He knew that the people were resistant to him. He knew that they didn't want to listen, they didn't want to hear, they didn't want to obey. But he came to give a warning to us. If you resist the authority of Jesus Christ over your life, there is no escape from the judgment of hell. Jesus gave the warning because it's so serious. He gave the warning because it's so true. He gave the warning because it's so permanent. Jesus cared enough about us to warn us that life without him has a destiny of eternity in hell. Jesus came for this warning for us. In your pews or hymnals, we're going to sing number 187, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. If you'd like to stand for this first one, that would be great. I heard the bells on Christmas Day, their old familial carols play, and while in sweet harmony, the words repeat of peace on earth, goodwill to men. I thought of how the day had come, the bell priests of all Christendom had rolled along and broken song of peace on earth, goodwill to men. And in despair I bowed my head, there is no peace on earth, I said, for hate is strong and love's the song of peace on earth, goodwill to men. Then peal the bells more loud and deep, God is not dead nor dull, he's sleep. The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, goodwill to men. The carol sings, you may be seated please. The carol sings a song about the world, even though Christ said peace would come on earth, it's filled with turmoil and anger and resentment and bitterness. And that was true about the people who were standing before Jesus, but he warned them, this is not everything, it's not the whole story, you can change. I've come to say to you, I warn you, so I light this candle to remind us that Christ is always coming into our lives to warn us. The guilt that you feel when you do something wrong, the intensity of his presence whenever you know that you should do something you're supposed to do. He's always guiding us away from those things that would be destructive and damaging. He came to warn us about what was taking place. But there's more to the life of Christ than simply this. Christ came to tell us that even though we might be angry with him, resentful and rebellious, he never gives up his love for us. To the very people whom Jesus was speaking in this series of events that I've been reading, he turned to them and said, Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who killed the prophets and stoned those who sent you to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. These were the people who were planning to kill Jesus. They had no love for him. They were angry with him, resentful and bitter. But still in the presence of this, he looked at them and said, Every time I come to Jerusalem, I want to gather you under my wings to protect you and care for you. It tells us something important about the glove that God has for us. It's easy to love people that like you and return that to you. It's very difficult to love people who hate you or trying to do you harm and who want to destroy you. But the love of God shown in Jesus Christ was love that even as he looked in the faces of people who were trying to kill him, he said, I long to gather you together under my wings to protect you from the things that would hurt you and bring you life everlasting. So in this Christmas season, as you begin to think about your own life and your relationship with God, you may sometimes feel that your own life is so far away from God that he can never like you or care for you or help you. But the story of Christmas is a story of a man who cared for the people who were trying to kill him. We would never have known the magnitude of God's love had it not been for Jesus, the man who came to show us by his own behavior and action exactly what love means, self-denying, sacrificial service for those who need help, even if they don't like us. This message of God's great love is what we celebrate on this day. Of course, it's the day of the birth of the baby, but it's the baby who became this man who shows us the powerful love of God. 194, a holy night. You'll have to sing with me. It goes high, so loud voices. It is the night of the dear Savior's birth. The world in sin and error pining, till he appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. Fall on your knees, oh, hear the angel voices. O night divine, O night when Christ was born. O night, O holy night, O night divine. Led by the light of faith serenely beaming, with glowing hearts by his cradle we stand. So led by the light of the stars so sweetly gleaming, here came the wise men from Orient land. The King of kings laid thus in lonely manger, in all our trials born to be our friend. He knows our need, to our weakness he's no stranger. Behold the King before him lowly bent. Behold your King before him lowly bent. Truly he taught us to love one another, his law is love and his gospel is peace. Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother, and in his name all oppression shall cease. Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we, that all within us praise his holy name. Christ is the Lord, all praise his name forever, his power and glory evermore proclaim. His power and glory evermore proclaim. And the song said we know that God has taught us to love each other. Not just those people who are nice to us, not just those who are kind, but even those who are enemies. Something we never thought we could ever do, was to love people who hate us, mistreat us, and abuse us. But God by his mighty power has given us the ability to love those, those not only close to us that we care about, but to love those whose lives have been the opposite of love toward us. He breaks the power of anger, resentment, and bitterness in us. The people Jesus came to talk to, the religious people of his time, were his greatest enemies. They were his enemies because they refused to accept the things that he had to say about himself and the world. And these people were trapped in their own world where they couldn't see the truth because of their own background and their own world around them. Jesus said to them when he was talking, I tell you the truth, you will be left and your household will be left desolate. You will not see me again until you say blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Jesus told them, warned them, that their path of destruction was certain and sure and it was already beginning to take place. Jesus left the temple and was walking when his disciples came up to him and called his attention to the buildings. Do you see these things, he asked. I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another. Everyone will be thrown down. Jesus warned them that their life, the life of these people who were his enemies, would be destructive. And that the time of judgment would come to them and their religion that they clung to so hard in resisting him would be torn apart. What Jesus was warning about is everything in your life that causes you to turn away from me is my enemy and I will destroy it. Whatever it is that causes us to turn our back on Christ, to turn our back on his word, to turn our back on his purpose, he will destroy. He will break everything that binds us and holds us. And the way he intends to do it was through his personal relationship with ourself and with him. He wanted to come to us and say, I am here to guide you. I come to say to you, I will provide your needs. Trust me for those. He came to say, I will protect you from all the things that will hurt you and destroy you. He came to say, I will give you a reason to live. Something that will make your life full and complete and worthwhile. I will set you free from every single thing that will keep you from being faithful to me. If you've ever tried to be good, you know that sometimes it doesn't last very long. The habits that we have, the patterns in our lives sometimes hold on to us so tightly that we can't stop being angry. We can't stop losing our temper. We can't stop saying things that are hurtful to others. And sometimes we feel trapped in this. These people were trapped in their religious world. And Jesus said, I want to tell you, already it's beginning to be destroyed. But I've come to say to you, I will set you free from the things that bind you and keep you from following me. If you've ever wanted to know what it was like to walk with Jesus as his disciples did, and felt that there was something keeping you from that, Jesus made a promise to the people who stood in front of me, I will free you so you'll be able to live as I want you to live. A powerful and wonderful promise that we can escape our past. We can have a new future, a different world. That's a promise this man Jesus made. 188, it came upon midnight clear. It came upon a midnight clear, that glorious song of old. From angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold. Peace on the earth, goodwill to men from heaven's all-gracious King. The world in solemn stillness lay to hear the angels sing. Still through the cloven skies they come with peaceful wings unfurled. And still their heavenly music floats o'er all the weary world. Above its sad and lonely plains they bend on hovering wing. And ever o'er its treble sounds the blessed angels sing. And he beneath life's crushing load, whose arms are bending low. Who toil along the climbing way with painful steps and soar. Look now for glad and golden hours come swiftly on the wing. Oh rest beside the weary road and hear the angels sing. For though the days are hastening on by prophet bars foretold. When with the ever circling years comes round the age of gold. When peace shall over all the earth its ancient splendors flee. And the whole world give back the song which now the angels sing. What Jesus promised to us is that by the power that he brings and the power that he has in his own life, he is going to make sure that our lives can change. Our past does not control the future when we give ourselves to serve Jesus. He alone controls the future. And so our lives are open to whatever God is trying to do in our lives. The story of Jesus living on this earth is not the end of what happened because Jesus was killed and he died. But his disciples knew that something different was taking place. As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him privately. Tell us, they said, when will all these things happen? And what will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age? Jesus answered, watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name claiming I am the Christ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you're not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of the birth pangs. Jesus said to his disciples, no one in the world knows when the end is coming. So don't be disturbed when they say the Mayans have said next week the earth is going to end. They don't know. I don't even know. But be confident of this one thing. All of this is under control of God. If you will trust me and live the way I tell you to live, you will neither be deceived nor will you be disturbed by the end of time. For I promise you, I will return for you. I will come and where I am, there you will be. And I will show you everything you need to know about how to live through these difficult times. So Jesus came to be able to say to us that this earth is simply a part of what we go through. A preparation for life eternal and everlasting. And to plan to live only for this life is a futile mistake. For what God wants is to prepare us for life everlasting and eternal. And he said, I will return for you. I will take care of you and I will guide you. What Jesus came to assure us for is that there is not only protection and his strength in this life, but it is also for life everlasting. Angels from the realms of glory, wing your flight o'er all the earth. Ye who sang creation's story, now proclaim Messiah's birth. Come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ the newborn King. Shepherds in the fields abiding, watching o'er your flocks by night. God with men is now residing, yonder shines the infant light. Come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ the newborn King. Sages leave your contemplations, brighter visions be afar. Seek the great desire of nations, ye have seen his natal star. Come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ the newborn King. Saints before the altar bending, watching long in hope and fear. Suddenly the Lord descending, in his temple shall appear. Come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ the newborn King. So people waiting throughout the years for the Lord to return. Some have met him because of death, and they now stand with him, looking back on the life that they had here, knowing that whatever happened here is now made clear and addressed. For what they receive is so much greater than whatever in this world they felt in pain and anguish and sorrow. God has promised to those who follow this man, Jesus, that they will find life everlasting, life eternal. So I light this fourth candle to remind us of the great promise that Jesus gave. The promise not only that he would guide us in this life, but he would give us life everlasting and eternal. Life without end, life with joy, life with him. The story of this baby Jesus' life is a story of conquest and power, power to break the hold of human nature, power to be able to change who we are, power to make us different. This is the story of how Jesus came into the world. In those days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the first census that took place when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem, the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in strips of cloth and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 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, Don't 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 is a sign to you. You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger. Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angels, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests. When the angels left them and had gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord told us about. So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby, who was laying in a manger. And when they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what they had been told about this child. And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. Mary treasured up all this in her heart. Mary treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. All this story about Jesus is a story of history. There is a phrase in this passage that should have significant meaning for us. The angels announced to them that to them a Savior was born. Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you, and this will be a sign to you. Now for us, the story is historical. In some ways, it's a story about a baby in a manger. But in another way, it's a story about our lives. You can talk to people who have met Jesus Christ today. They can point to you to a time in their life in which suddenly Jesus Christ became real to them. Some of them can tell you the hour and the day and the moment in which the story of this person born in the manger became a living reality for them. The story of this book is that Jesus comes to you, every one of us. He comes to us and says, I am the Savior and Lord, born years ago, but ready now to come to you. The purpose of Jesus' life was to come to you, to announce himself to you as the gift of God, to give to you the life that God wants you to have so that it's personal and real for you. Many people believe that Jesus Christ was born in a manger 1,000 years ago, 2,000 years ago. Other people know that that's true, but believe also that Jesus Christ is alive and living because they have met him and know that Jesus came for them. 206, Silent Night. Silent night, holy night All is calm, all is bright Round yon virgin, mother and child Holy infant so tender and mild Sleep in heavenly peace Sleep in heavenly peace Silent night, holy night Shepherds quake at the sight Glories stream from heaven afar Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia Christ the Savior is born Christ the Savior is born Silent night, holy night Son of God, love's pure light Radiant beams from thy holy face With the dawn of redeeming grace Jesus, Lord, at thy birth Jesus, Lord, at thy birth Silent night, holy night Wondrous star, lend thy light With the angels let us sing Alleluia to our King Christ the Savior is born Christ the Savior is born So I light this candle to ask you to remember the day Jesus Christ came into your life how real it was for you when you saw Him the one of history suddenly now part of who you are tonight we're going to take the Lord's Supper we're told to take this in memory of Christ Himself the celebration of Jesus' birth and His life is not to be on a Christmas tree or Christmas presents it's to be the celebration of His coming into our own lives I'm going to ask those who are going to serve the meal if you would come please there are two elements to the meal one is the bread which represents the body of Christ and I want to ask tonight that this bread as you hold it in your hand would reflect to you the story of the historical Jesus who came and was born on this kind of night lived His life in the presence of people in this world and died I'd like you to remember what this has meant to you Lord Jesus bless this bread to remind us of the person who came from heaven to be a human being to walk on the face of this earth as a man to give Himself and His life in service to you and who died on the cross that we might have life everlasting we want to remember the human life of our Lord Jesus Christ and all that it's meant for us we ask that this bread would remind us of who you are Amen I'm going to ask as the bread is passed that you would take a piece of this bread that you would hold it in your hand and think of the stories of Jesus' life and which ones mean the most to you I want to ask a Second thing, I want to ask that you would remember the time in your life in which the stories of the Bible became very real to you. You could see Jesus not simply someone in the pages of history, but you could recognize that this man really lived, and I understand who he is and what he did. Which of the stories of Jesus' life mean the most to you? Which ones make him personal to you? Would you remember those and then thank him for who he was, how he lived, and especially for that story that means the most to you? Lord Jesus, I thought of all the stories that I could remember about you, and the one that means most to me was when you were hanging on the cross and you looked at the people around you, and even though they were killing you, even though they had anger, hatred, and resentment toward you, you asked the Father to forgive them. They didn't understand what they were doing. I'm overwhelmed by how little you think of yourself and how much you think of other people and their needs. So today we remember your life, each one of us, with our own memories that are so important to us. And we take this bread to remember the man Jesus who lived in obedience to you, died in obedience for us, and gave himself in faithfulness. He is our guide to life. In the name of Jesus, we give thanks for you and all you've done, amen. He then took the cup and he gave thanks and offered it to them saying, drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink this fruit, the fruit of this cup, until the day when I drink anew with you in my Father's kingdom. Father, we drink this cup to remind ourselves that you are not dead, but alive. Jesus, our Lord, lives day by day guiding us and he's made a promise to us. He renews the covenant, the covenant where he told us he would guide us, provide for us, protect us, and give us purpose. And the covenant where we said, Lord Jesus, I will exalt you in my life and do everything you tell me as best I can. Today we renew this promise to you. As you gave your life for us, so we give our lives for you. In the name of Jesus, we pray, amen. As the drink is passed and you hold it in your hand, I want you to think of the great price that was paid for our salvation. That we might be free from eternity separated from God, and we might have the opportunity to be able to live forever with him. I'd like you to think about the time in your life when you said to God, I accept you as my Lord, my Savior, and my Redeemer. In that moment, you promised to live in obedience to him, never stop, be faithful in reading his word, asking his direction about the issues that come to your life. When trouble comes, to live with peace because you knew he would protect you, and to live out the purpose that he has for you, to be able to give yourself in obedience to him. What is the most difficult thing you have in obedience to God? What is the most difficult thing you have in obedience to God? What is the most difficult thing you have in obedience to God? In your own life, Father, you directed Jesus day by day. In your life here on earth, Jesus, you told us that you did what the Father told you to do, said what he told you to say. None of us can say that because all of us fall short of what you ask of us. Each of us have thought of times and circumstances in which we knew what we should do, but we didn't. Mine comes in times that you've told me to call people, drop a note to people. In the busyness of my life, I haven't done it. I long to be exactly like you. I made a promise to you, many promises, many times, that I would let you be the ruler of my life. I failed those. I ask, Father, today to renew my pledge to you. I want you to be the ruler of my life, my mind, and my behavior. And just as you were obedient to the Father, even to the shedding of your blood, so I want to be obedient to you, even at the cost of my life. This is my vow to you, amen. So we renew the promise and covenant that we made with God. He said he would be our Lord, and we said we would be his people. We renewed those promises, as the Lord has told us we should do, remembering him and what he's done for us. In our own church, we try to do some things that we know that God wants us to do. One of the things God has told us to do is care for each other, and so each time we take the Lord's Supper, we remind ourselves of that promise we made, and we take an offering to be distributed to those people who have financial need. And so this evening, we give this offering opportunity for you to say, Lord, I remember what you've done for me, and I know what you've asked me to do for others. This is our opportunity to share what the Lord has asked us to do. Nine families this past year, to a total of $3,274, and it's just a time to remember those within our congregation, so let's have a word of prayer. Our gracious Father, we do thank you for the offering that we're about to receive. Father, we ask that you bless it. We have no idea who's going to need this, Father, but you do, so I ask that it would be sufficient to meet the needs of our congregation, for we ask it in Christ's name. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. The Bible commands us to take care of one another, and that's what our family ministry offering is, so if we see people in our congregation that need help, we know that it's our job to help them. Another thing that God told us to do was to proclaim the gospel message around the world, go into all the world and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Every year, this Christmas season, we take an offering for all of our missionaries overseas around the world. We have, I think, 4,600 of them there. Half of all the support that comes comes from this Christmas offering. It's named for a lady who was told to go be a missionary in China. She went over there, and the circumstances were so bad with the famine that she gave all of her food. She shared it with people who were there and died of starvation on her way home in a seaport in Japan. The Lottie Moon Christmas offering, we take each year to remember that she did exactly what God asked her to do, even at her death, and so I want to give this gift to our Lord today. It is the Lottie Moon offering taken through December 23rd of this year from our congregation, $12,799.25. This is our gift to you, Lord, to make sure that your message is carried around the world. Lord Jesus, thank you for extending your hand to us. We extend to you this gift that you might take the people you've called and send them to places that need you, that they might hear this Christmas story. In the name of Jesus Christ, we give this gift, amen. With smiles on your faces, will you get up and join me in singing Joy to the World? Let men their songs employ, while fields and floods, fogs, hills and plains, repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat the sounding joy. No more let sin 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. Have a wonderful Christmas Eve. Hang on one second, Larry. We got one more thing. I'm sorry. Carol, could you come up here with Doyle? And Monty, could you come up here with Shelly, please? I'm sorry, but I did not want to interrupt Joy to the World. Would you come up here, please? We have a staff love offering this year, and we wanted to express our appreciation for Doyle and Carol for the things that they do for us and for Shelly and Monty. I appreciate all that you do for us. So on behalf of First Southern Baptist, thank you very much for all that you do. Merry Christmas, all. Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas.