Yeah. Our service tonight is inspired by the traditional Nine Lessons and Carols service that was begun over a hundred years ago in England. The service foretells and proclaims the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ through nine scripture readings, each followed by either a congregational carol, which would be sung by you, or anthem sung by our choir. Tonight we'll be standing for each of the carols and you can look to me for motions for standing and sitting and then we'll be seated for each of the scripture readings. We begin tonight with the singing of Once in Royal David's City, and the Children's Choir will lead us on stanza one, they'll sing stanza one, the Sanctuary Choir stanza two, and then I'll be standing you to join in on stanzas three and four. On behalf of the elders of our church tonight, I wanna thank all of the musicians who have worked so hard to make tonight possible. I also want to ask you, if you would, as this is a service of worship, to refrain from any applause. If you'd like to offer your appreciation in such manner, we ask that you would wait until after the postlude at the end of the service. May we rejoice in God this evening, our Creator and Savior of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ, and wonder at His incarnation. Amen. ♪ And through all his wondrous works ♪ ♪ He put on a hand of faith ♪ ♪ And with one sound only made him ♪ ♪ In this gentle harpsichord play ♪ Christ-child of the sea, I know thee well. and he leads his children on to the place where he is gone. Join me in this evening's call to worship. The bold print is something we say together, and the small print is mine. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which means God with us. And the word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we have seen his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift. And the invocation is taken from the prophet Daniel in a section out of the psalm. Behold one like the son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall never be destroyed. Blessed are those who put their trust in Him, It is he who was ordained by God to be the judge of the living and the dead. To him, all the prophets witness that through his name, whoever believes in him will receive the remission of sin. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, sing we all Noel. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, sing we all Noel. Sing of the angels and shepherds, sing of the Saviour's birth. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, sing we all Noel. He is the mighty King of Kings. He is the Lord of Lords. Let every nation praise the name of Christ, the incarnate Word. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, God's grace is freely given. All hell is coming down to earth and raising us to heaven. Noel, noel, noel, noel, sing we all noel. Noel, noel, noel, noel, sing we all noel. Sing of the angels and shepherds. Sing of the Savior's birth. Noel, noel, noel, noel, sing we all noel. The angel did say, was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay, in fields where they lay keeping their sheep on a cold winter's night that was so deep. King of Israel. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, Born is the King of Israel. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, Sing we all Noel. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, sing we all Noel. The first lesson, they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. And the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called the man and said to him, where are you? And he said, I heard the sound of you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked. So I hid myself. And he said, who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat? The man said, the woman who you gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree and I ate. And the Lord God said to the woman, what is this that you have done? And the woman said, the serpent deceived me and I ate. The Lord God said to the serpent, because you have done this, cursed are you more than all the cattle and more than every beast of the field. On your belly you will go and the dust you will eat all the days of your life. And I'll put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel. 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 every nation, joy of every longing heart. Joy to those who long to see thee, dayspring from on high appear. Come, thou promised rod of Jesse, of thy birth we long to hear. O'er the hills the angels sing. whose glad tidings of a birth. Go to him your praises bring. Christ the Lord has come to earth. The second lesson, Genesis 22, 15 to 18, the covenant promise God made with Abraham. And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, by myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you. And I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sands that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies. And in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed because you have obeyed my voice. Comes our Lord 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. Born thy people to deliver Born a child and yet a king Born to reign in us forever Thou Thy gracious kingdom bring, ♪ By thine own eternal spirit ♪ ♪ Rule in all our hearts alone ♪ ♪ By thine own sufficient merit ♪ ♪ Raise us to thy glorious throne ♪ The third lesson, the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shown. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace, there will be no end. On the throne of David and over his kingdom to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. The King of Kings is drawing near. The Savior of the world is here. Redeemer, come and be a part. My heart is open wide. My heart is open wide. Let me thy holy presence feel. Thy grace and love reveal. Thy grace and love reveal. Thy grace and love reveal. the portals of your heart, a temple set apart, a temple set apart from earthly youth forever. This is the fourth lesson taken from the book of Isaiah, the root of Jesse. Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The spirit of the Lord will rest on him. The spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And he will delight in the fear of the Lord. But with righteousness he will judge the poor, and he will decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth. And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together, and a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze their young, will lie down together, The lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper's den. They will not hurt or destroy in all of my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. air blooming, from tender stem hath sprung, of Jesse's lineage coming, as men of old have sung. It came a-flowering bright, amid the cold of winter, when her spent was the night. Isaiah t'was foretold it, the rose I have in mind, with Mary we To show God's love aright, She bore to man a Savior When has spent was the night? The fifth lesson taken from the Book of Luke. In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, greetings, you who are highly favored, the Lord is with you. Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son and you are to give him the name of Jesus. He will be great and will be called the son of the God most high. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end. How will this be, Mary asked the angel, since I am a virgin. And the angel answered, the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the only one to be born will be called the Son of God. I am the Lord's servant, Mary answered. May it be to me as you have said. Then the angel left her. This flower whose fragrance tender, with sweetness fills the air, dispels with glorious splendor the darkness everywhere. True man, yet very God. From sin and death he saves us and lightens every load. O Savior, Child of Mary, who felt our humility? O Savior, King of glory, who dost our weakness know, bring us that length we ♪ To the bright courts of heaven ♪ ♪ And to the endless day ♪ The sixth lesson from Luke two, one through seven, the birth of Jesus. Now, in those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that a census be taken of all the inhabitants of Earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinarius was governor of Syria, and everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house of the family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was with child. While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth, and she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him in clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. ♪ Joy to the world, the Lord is come ♪ ♪ Let earth receive her King ♪ ♪ Let every heart prepare Him room ♪ ♪ And heaven and nature sing ♪ ♪ And heaven and nature sing ♪ sing. 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, The seventh lesson from Luke 2, 8 through 16, the shepherds go to the manger. And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a savior who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you. You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased. When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherd said to one another, let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us. And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger. No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the crowd. 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, 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. The eighth lesson. Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem saying, where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. When Herod the king heard of this, he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him. And assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, in Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet. And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel. Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them, what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem saying, go and search diligently for the child. And when you have found him, bring me word that I too may come and worship him. After listening to the king, they went on their way and behold the star that they had seen when it rose, went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and worshipped him. Then opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. Hark! the herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King! Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled, Joyful all ye nations rise, Join the triumph of the skies, With angelic hosts proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem! Hark! the herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King! Christ my highest heaven adored, Christ the everlasting Lord. Late in time behold him come, offspring of a virgin's womb. Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see, Hail, the incarnate Deity! This with manneth men to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel. Hark! the herald angels sing, ♪ Glory to the newborn King ♪ ♪ Hail the Sanborn Prince of Peace ♪ ♪ Hail the Son of Righteousness ♪ ♪ Light and life to all he brings ♪ ♪ Raise with healing in his wings ♪ Mild he lays his glory by, Born that man no more may die, Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth, The ninth lesson from chapter 1 of John's Gospel, verses 1 through 14. In the beginning was the word, And the word was with God, and the word was God. He was in the beginning with God, and all things came into being through him. And apart from him, nothing came into being that has come into being. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shined in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There came a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify about the light. so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. There was the true light, which coming into the world enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world did not know him. He came to his own, and those who were his own did not receive him. But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, even those who believe in his name, who were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw his glory, glory as the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. This ninth lesson that I've just read from comes from the fourth of the four Gospels, the Gospel of John. The Gospel of John has been called by some the Holy of Holies of the New Testament. If you're not familiar with the Holy of Holies, it was that sacred of most sacred places within the Jerusalem Temple, a small cubicle room where the omnipresent God was said to be positioned present. The Holy of Holies was veiled from the world. The Holy of Holies was unapproachable. So holy was it. In that place, God dwelt. And God filled that small place with indescribable glory. John's gospel has been called the Holy of Holies of the New Testament because in John's gospel, literally, the veil is torn open. In John's gospel, the unapproachable becomes approachable. The glory of God is made manifest to every one of us, to a watching world in the person of Jesus Christ. No wonder the apostles, when they talk about their time with Jesus, they continue to marvel at the fact that they will say things like, we saw with our own eyes and we heard with our own ears and we touched with our own hands. The unapproachable God in the person of Jesus Christ. It is in John's gospel that we see God, the invisible God Made manifest. Those of you know your scriptures, maybe some of you realize and are familiar with the fact that John's gospel of the four, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, is the only of the four that are not what we call a synoptic gospel. The word synoptic means seen from the same general point of view. John's gospel is distinct. Distinct from Matthew, distinct from Mark, distinct from Luke. In fact, John's Gospel is so different that 90% of John's Gospel isn't found in the other three Gospels. In John's Gospel, for instance, there is not one single record of Jesus performing a miracle. There's no account of the Mount of Transfiguration in John's Gospel. There's no account of Jesus casting out demons in John's Gospel. No calling of the disciples to follow him in John's Gospel. There's so many things in John's Gospel that don't appear anywhere else in the other three Gospels, and vice versa. And why is it that John's Gospel is so different? It is because of John's intent. When he wrote that fourth and final Gospel, his intent was explicitly to reveal to us Jesus Christ, listen to this, as God. As God. From the unique statement in John chapter 20 verse 28 where Thomas sees the resurrected Jesus and says to Jesus, what does he say? My Lord and my God. Or even John's account of all the I am statements of Jesus. When Moses in the Old Testament met God at a burning bush and asked God, what was your name? It is there that God said to Moses in the Old Testament, my name is I am. And throughout John's gospel, Jesus constantly referring to himself as I am. I am the light of the world. I am the resurrection and the life. I am the good shepherd. I am the vine. I am the living water. I am the way, the truth, and the life. I am the door. Even John 8, 58, where Jesus says, before Abraham was, I am. However, there is no passage in the entire New Testament, and even John's gospel, that declares the deity that is the divinity of Jesus Christ as God, like the text I just read. In John 1, those verses 1 through 14, there are seven unambiguous statements made about Jesus. They are, number one, that Jesus is the logos of God. Your Bible may translate the Greek word logos into the word word, But literally, number one, Jesus is the Logos of God. Number two, as the Logos of God, he was in the beginning. Number three, as the Logos, Jesus was with God. Number four, as the Logos, Jesus is God. And as the Logos, God became flesh. And number six, as the Logos to all of us, Jesus must be believed upon in order for sinners to become children of God. And finally, when the Lagos became flesh and humanity beheld him, what did they discover about God in Jesus? That God is, listen to this, full, full of grace and truth. What does it mean when John tells us that Jesus is the Lagos of God? What does it mean that Jesus was in the beginning as the Lagos? That as the Lagos, he was with God and he was God. And that the Lagos became flesh. What in the world does Lagos mean? Even though it's translated simply in most of our Bibles as word, it is not a simple concept. Way back in 1843, several English scholars published what is now titled, Lytle and Scott's Greek and English Lexicon. Their lexicon is still to this day considered the finest, most comprehensive Greek-English lexicon that exists. If you were to take that lexicon and you looked up the word Lagos, what you would discover is you would discover five columns, each of those five columns containing 90 lines, 90, page after page of the various meanings of the word Lagos. In fact, Scott, one of the authors, original authors of this lexicon, explicitly says that the word logos rarely means a single thing. According to these scholars, let me give you an example, the Greek word logos can mean computation, reckoning, account, measure, sum, total, value, reputation, relation, ratio, proportion, rule, pretext, reason, case, theory, argument, principle, law, thesis, hypothesis, formula, definition, debate, reflection, narrative, story, speech, oration, phrase, message, tradition, dialogue, oracle, proverb, language, sentence, and even truth. And I'm giving you the cliff notes. If we understand this complex word when the scriptures tell us that Jesus is the logos of God, literally John is telling us that Jesus is the computation of God, the account of God, the measure of God, the sum of all that God is, the totality of God, the proportion of God, the principle of God, the reflection of God, the very narrative of God, God in speech, God the message, the sum total of God. If I were to put the word Lagos in relationship to Jesus in one simple sentence according to my own lexicon, the Jacob's Greeks lexicon of the New Testament, which doesn't exist by the way, it would be something like this. That Jesus Christ is the manifestation, listen to this, of the infinite wisdom of God. The infinite wisdom of God. I think of Paul, the Apostle Paul, in Romans 11.33, he says this, Paul writes, oh, the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. Listen, how unsearchable are his judgments, how unfathomable are his ways, that's the logos. Unsearchable, unfathomable wisdom and knowledge and judgments, that's who Jesus is. In 1 Corinthians 1.30, Paul writes, You are in Christ Jesus when you're a Christian. And Christ Jesus who became to us the wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1 24 simply stated, Paul writes this, Christ is the wisdom of God. Ephesians 3 10, so that the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the world through which he carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord. Or Colossians 2, 2 and 3, a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is Christ Jesus, in whom, in Christ Jesus, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. The manifold wisdom and knowledge unfathomable, unapproachable, unattainable, all in a baby born in a manger. In that animal trough some 2,000 years ago, the unknowable, unsearchable, indiscernible wisdom and knowledge of God was made real, manifest to humanity in the person of Jesus Christ. And the unambiguous claim of John chapter 1 in the Greek New Testament is kai hai lagas ai mithias, literally means this, and lagas was God. That's in John. That's John 1. And John intends for his entire gospel to be read in light of this reality. That is to say, when we read in the Bible, in John's gospel, we are to understand that Jesus' works are God's works. Jesus' words are God's words. Jesus' declarations are God's declarations. His authority over sin, demons, wind, wave, death, life, all of it, is the manifestation of God's own authority. In Romans 9 verse B, the apostle Paul asks the question, here's the question, who is the Christ according to the flesh? Who is overall? Who is he? To which Paul answers like this, he is God blessed forever, amen. God blessed forever, amen. Whereas Paul writes in Colossians 115, he is the image of the invisible God. As you've heard tonight, Jesus is called Mighty God, he's called Everlasting Father, he's called Emmanuel, meaning God with us. Even the name Jesus, you know what the name Jesus means? God who saves. God who saves. The Bible ascribes to Christ all the deity that belongs to God, to Christ. Jesus is described in the New Testament as eternal, as omnipresent, Omniscient, knows everything, omnipotent, all-powerful, immutable, unchangeable. Jesus is equal with God the Father. He is to be worshipped as God. Christ is credited with works that only God could do. Jesus is credited in the scriptures as being the creator of all things. Jesus is credited as upholding all things in this universe. The stars, the moons, the solar system, the waves, winds, all of it. Jesus is credited with the ability of something that only God can do, and that is to forgive sins and to give life and to raise the dead. Jesus himself claimed that to know him was to know God, to see him was to see God, to receive him was to receive God, to believe upon him was to believe upon God, to honor him and worship him was to do the same with God, and even to disdain him, to ignore him, was to do the same to God. When we celebrate Christmas, do you realize what we're talking about? God became a man. The incarnation, that is God becoming flesh, becoming carnate, is called the miracle of all miracles. One church father said this, quote, no one but God could have imagined such a work. Indeed, God himself could not have performed a more difficult and glorious work than in the incarnation of the Son of God. One of my personal favorite theologians is a man by the name of Herman Bavnik, the late Dutch theologian. Lecturing at Princeton Theological Seminary in 1908, he said this, quote, In Christ we have, listen to this, eternity in time. We have immensity in space. We have infinity in the finite. We have immutability in change, being in becoming. This mystery cannot, Bavnik said, cannot be comprehended. It can only be gratefully acknowledged. And he's right, because it's incomprehensible. The early church father, Augustine, using Old Testament names and references for God to explain the miracle of the incarnation said this, quote, he said, man's maker was made man so that The ruler of the stars would nurse so that the bread would hunger. The fountain would thirst. The light would sleep. The way would tire. The truth would be falsely accused. The teacher would be beaten. The foundation of all things would be suspended on a cross. The strength would grow weak. The healer would be wounded. Life itself would die. I'm going to close with the miracle of all this. I'm a Bible teacher, I've been teaching scripture verse by verse for 40 plus years. In the Old Testament, God is depicted as many things. He's depicted as a father, he's depicted as a husband, he's depicted as a king, he's depicted as a warrior, a builder, a shepherd, a vine grower, a judge, and so forth. But there is one thing in the Old Testament that God is never depicted as, ready? A baby. That is the miracle of the incarnation. That God became flesh and dwelt among us. And he did so purposely. And that is to save sinners from their sins. God became man so that as man he could represent God in his holiness, man in their sinfulness, and die vicariously, substitutionally in our place. Christ became sin that you and I might experience the righteousness of salvation through him. If you never trusted in Christ, you're missing Christmas, completely and utterly missing anything significant about Christmas. That's the ninth lesson. God rest you merry, gentlemen, and nothing you dismay, for Jesus Christ our Saviour is born. day, to save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray. Oh, tidings of comfort and joy. Comfort and joy. Oh, tidings of comfort and joy. Our Heavenly Father, a blessed angel came, and unto certain shepherds brought tidings of the same. Now that in Bethlehem was born the Son of God, Oh, tidings of comfort and joy. Comfort and joy. Oh, tidings of comfort and joy. And when to Bethlehem they came and had this infant laid, they found him in a manger where oxen did not lay. His mother Mary kneeling Unto the Lord did pray O tidings of comfort and joy Comfort and joy O tidings of comfort and joy O tidings of comfort joy. O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem. ♪ Come and behold him ♪ ♪ Born the king of angels ♪ ♪ O come, let us adore him ♪ ♪ O come, let us adore him ♪ ♪ O come, let us adore him ♪ ♪ Christ the Lord ♪ God of God, light of light, lo, he abhors not the virgin's womb. ♪ Begotten, not created ♪ ♪ O come, let us adore him ♪ ♪ O come, let us adore him ♪ ♪ O come, let us adore him ♪ Christ the Lord. Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation. Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above. ♪ Glory to God all ♪ ♪ Glory in the highest ♪ ♪ O come let us adore him ♪ ♪ O come let us adore him ♪ ♪ O come let us adore him ♪ ♪ Christ the Lord ♪ Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas. Receive God's blessing tonight. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace. And all God's people said, amen. Yea, Lord, we greet Thee by this happy morning. Jesus, to Thee we all glory give. of the Father, made in flesh appearing. O come, let us adore him. O come, let us adore him. O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.