Thank you. so so Hmm. Good morning. Welcome to Oxford Church and we wish you all a blessed new year. A few announcements before we begin. We will have some refreshments after the service. This coming Sunday, Pastor Bert Van Ittersen will preach for us, lead both the morning service. There is a Consistory Meeting planned for January the 8th. Also, this Saturday, we'd like to have one more big clean-up day at the project in Ingersoll, so if you can spare some time, please come out at 8.30 on Saturday, this coming Saturday. Donations will be collected during the service, and you can, or you can e-transfer to donations at oxfordchurch.ca. Wish you a blessed service. Also welcome this morning in our worship service, the first one of this new year, 2025. I'll have to get used to the 2025. And again, at the beginning of this worship service, it's always necessary that we call upon God's name in this presence. So let's pray. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth, who keeps truth forever and never forsakes the works of his own hands. Grace, peace and mercy be unto you from who is and who was and who is to come, from the seven spirits, which are before his throne, from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of all the rulers of this earth. Amen. Let us stand and sing together in your hymnals as we will consider the angels singing the song they sang at the birth of Jesus Christ, we are also called upon to sing to the Lord, to the Holy Trinity, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, which comes from Revelation 4, verse 8, and that is 6. All stands at 1, 2, 3, and 4 standing, it's 2, 6, and 2. in the morning holy, merciful, and mighty. God in three persons, blessed Trinity. Holy, holy, holy, all the saints adore Thee, as we now declare. ♪ As we see him ♪ ♪ Jibber-jibber, jibber-jibber, jibber-jibber, jibber-jibber, jibber-jibber ♪ Holy, holy, holy Lord God of hosts. of sin, O man, thy glory cannot see. Only Thou art holy. There is none beside Thee. Perfect in power, in love, and good you. ♪ Holy, holy, holy ♪ ♪ Lord God Almighty ♪ ♪ All the earth shall praise thy name ♪ ♪ In earth and sky and sea ♪ ♪ Holy, holy, holy ♪ First service of the year we want to offer confess our faith And that's again about the Trinity. So let us confess our faith together. I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages. God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, who God did not make, being of one substance with the Father, through whom all things were made, who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary and was made man, who for us, too, was crucified on the Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried. The third day he rose according to the Scriptures, ascended into heaven, and is seated on the right hand of the Father. He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom shall have no end. In the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, whom together with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified. You spoke by the prophets. I believe one holy Christian apostolic church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And I look for the resurrection of the dead and life of the age to come. Amen. Let us ask God for his blessings. O Lord, triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, at the beginning of this special worship service, which is the beginning of a new year, 2025, It is appropriate that we come to you to ask you to bring us through this year as one who has created all things and sustains all things by the power of your word and the word of your power, but also the one who we have celebrated already in this season of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the flesh to Not only create, but also recreate, redeem your people whom you have loved from eternity, but who have fallen and who are in darkness. Yet, Lord, you have come as the light. Even though the darkness likes to overcome it, the light has overcome the darkness. That Lord we also celebrate and that you so may be our light also throughout this year. That your word may be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. That your Holy Spirit also, Lord, who is the sanctifier of all things, the applier of what you have accomplished in your Son, Jesus Christ, may be the light to lead us, to guide us, to lead us, but also to comfort us. That we may, O Lord, rest in the assurance which only is and comes from you, O Prince of Peace. Bless us, O Lord, as we consider the song of the angels this morning. And that it also would be applied that we may sing in return and that we may go our way rejoicing and praising the Lord. For Lord, this world and all that it is in it will pass away, will be rolled up like a curtain, the carpet and saying, your word, your word will remain forever. So, Lord, guide us and lead us. Take the hindrances away which may so easily beset us. Take the evil one away who always tries to pick away the seed. of your word, or you will not be able to. Do what you desire. Speak to us. If you know what is in each and every one of our hearts, we ask the forgiveness of all our sins. In Jesus' name, amen. Let us stand and sing, and it's good to begin this new year in Trinity, singing of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. And again, it comes from John 12, John 12, 28, glorify thy name, it's number 29 in your journals. Let's stand and sing, Father, Jesus, Spirit, we love you. Father, we love you, we worship and adore you. Glory to God thy name in all the earth Glory to God thy name we love you we worship Glory by thy name, glory by thy name in all the earth. Even if we love you, we worship and adore you. Glorify thy name in all the earth. Glorify thy name. Glory by thy name, glory by thy name in all the earth. We continue in Luke 2. This morning we are looking at the song of the angels as they came and sang the birth of Jesus Christ. We begin at verse 13. Luke 2, verse 13. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, goodwill toward men. So it was when the angels had gone away from them into heaven that the shepherds said to one another, let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us. They came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in the manger. Now, when they had seen him, they made wisely known the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things. and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told them." That's part of reading of God's holy and infallible word. The title for this meditation is angels' song of adoration. The angels' song of adoration. And we wanna briefly look at the three points of concentration first. Why do they sing, these angels? Why do the angels sing? Then, what did they sing? And of course we know it comes in three parts, so to speak. Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace and goodwill toward men. This is how it is in our translation. Then also the response to their song by the shepherds, by the people whom they proclaim the good news. and also by Mary, and also may it be so by us. May it be, therefore, a comfort to us singing with the angels into this new year. So first, briefly, why do they sing? We read to verse 13, 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, goodwill towards men. Some commentators have called this the angel's song of adoration, the angel's song of worship. And yes, That's the answer to our first question. Why did they sing this song of adoration? Because, also children in our midst, this is one of the reasons why the angels were created, what they were created for, and what they were called to do by God, to praise God, to glorify God. That's what we already read in or also read in Hebrews 1 verse 6. Listen carefully, when he brings in the first begotten into the world, that is when Jesus Christ is born, when God brings in the first begotten into the world, he says, let the angels of God worship him. Hebrews 1 verses this they had done already also at the laying of the foundations of the earth when God created the heavens and the earth we can read it that even then already we read it in Job 38 verse 7 that morning stars sang together so they sang at the because of the work of God. And all these sons of God shouted for joy already at the foundation of creation, when creation was brought forth by the Word of God. And now they do the same when the foundation of salvation or when redemption was laid in the manger by God. at the creation, but also at God's word of recreation. When God laid Jesus, as it were, in the manger, see here the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of his world. That's a reason to celebrate, to glorify God. because he has come to redeem, to be gracious, to bring peace. That's why they are singing. And that's a good reason for us also to start this new year. May it be to sing with them into the new year. I said briefly, second, And this will be more in depth. What do they sing? That will be our focus. What do they sing? How do we understand and maybe can sing along with them the angels song of adoration? And looking back not so long ago, also because our dear family is here also from the Netherlands who will be going back again and as family we have gone through this I don't know if you know but this was the last song our dear father and pastor Kay Veldman sang He sang it before he passed into glory as he was before the portals of death. It was the last song that even one of our siblings recorded. And see, let us listen to it. He sang it with somewhat of a broken voice, but speaking, singing all the words of the angel's songs. So, he clearly sang it, as we sang it. together with him. He sang it, this angel's song of adoration. And so may we, in a sense, together with the angels, but also with him and the Church of God, sing it into this new year. What did they say? And there are three parts. The first part is glory to God in the highest. Friends, these angels knew much about God's glory. This was heaven opened and these angels were created by God. But where do they usually dwell? Where do they and where are they? They are singing about something that they that they know and that they experience daily. They dwell in the glory of God. They dwell in the presence of God. And they have been and are with Christ even before he was born of Mary, before Jesus came into this world. So that's first, that's what they sing about, of God, and we've said it already also the other day, that the glory of God, that is a summary, it includes all the attributes of God, all the characteristics of God, who God is. And that's what they are singing about, who He is and about His words. Glory be to God in the highest. And they do it from They dwell in his glory. And so, heaven opens for them to sing about him. First, maybe directly also, and again, in application. Therefore, it's a lesson also. At the beginning of this new year, and I'll be saying this maybe too many times in this worship service, but that's what it's about. And four, what you see in this song is that God is always first. then man and then earth. You see? Glory be to God in the highest. God is always first and that should never be reversed. That should never be the other way around. Also this New Year. Glory to God in the highest. Just to give you another reference and we move on. It's the same in the prayer that the Lord Jesus taught his disciples. Where does it begin? Our Father who art in heaven. Where does it end? Thine be the power, thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever. So not only in song, but in prayer, you see, this is maybe the first lesson, also the practical lesson that it begins with God, goes to the bread and goes back to God. From God to his kingdom. Second, these angels also knew something about the deep fall of man into sin. A little bit. Of darkness and death under the dominion of the evil angel Lucifer, the angel of light. Of course, this had been there, one of them. Before the fall of man, there was the fall of angels. And who had fallen? Lucifer. And Lucifer was the angel of light. And now he had fallen into darkness, who became the angel of darkness and had dragged man with him into sin, war and destruction. They knew something about this. It was one of them who had been and fallen into sin. But also thirdly, they also knew something about man's salvation. And that also is central, even in this first part already. You know, dear children, who was probably there as well as one of the angels? What was one of the angels that we have heard about already in the Christmas stories? Do you know his name? Who came to Mary? Gabriel. Gabriel, right. And some commentators say that it could easily be that Gabriel again came to the shepherds who announced to them this first word, fear not also, and then everybody, all the other, the multitude of angels joined Gabriel. And so Gabriel and the other angels knew something about salvation, about redemption. He had told Joseph in Matthew 1 verse 28, you shall call his name Jesus. Yes, he was the seed and that goes all the way back to Genesis 3 verse 15. This was the seed promised to Adam and Eve already who would come to put enmity between the devil and the woman, between the devil's seed and her seed. He shall bruise the devil's head and the devil shall bruise his heel. That's who has come and that's whom they are singing about. And now he had come to defeat the enemy and crush his head in his own domain of darkness as the light of the world to save his people from their sin. That's what the angels sing about. That's what they are singing about. Glory to God who is in the highest, who is in the highest, who has come down to the lowest of lowest. even into hell to deliver, redeem, set free by bearing the wrath of God against sins laid upon him, and so even defeat the last enemy, death. Again, permit me to be personal. As Paul sang of it, Pastor Bell, also This was the last song he sang. I said it already. Sure, he struggled with death. I've said it also in the sermon when we were committing his body to the earth. Then he cried, grant life to my soul. Then shall I live and praise you. So he struggled, but it Also for Pa, for Reverend Veldman, it was, this death was and would be overcome. That's what he believed nonetheless, even though we can struggle with it. To the other side, he would be translated because death had been overcome. As for other loved ones who have gone through the Jordan of death, maybe also this year, it seems that sometimes I'm confronted with the thought is that is God and did God bring a lot of his children home in 2024? There are many. Also Mrs. Bishop was taken home. But also our friend who began with us this George Grant, Jeffrey Loren, I was at his funeral. Also a good colleague, Amar Jabana, struggling with cancer. Also this year, God took him to himself. But it was to himself. Death had been overcome. And now they are singing on the other side. Also, maybe of our children in the past or whomever we know of our families. Take it into the glory of God and now we can long for us to maybe join them one day to sing the glory of God. So yes, glory to God. Thanks be to God for his indescribable It says in 1 Corinthians 8 verse 12, that's what we're singing about. The gift of eternal righteousness, grace and peace, which the angels desire to look into. You read it in 1 Peter 1 verse 12. And that's what they're singing about. Glory be to God in the highest. Second, We continue, the angels also sing of peace. And on earth, peace. Now, the question is, what kind of peace? And how? No, they do not sing about worldly or external peace first. And I'll get back to it. Friends, there will be wars and rumors of wars until the end. There will be wars and rumors of wars until the hater and murderer from the beginning will be thrown into outer darkness and all his warmonger followers and powerhunger followers with him. Until that time, there will be enmity, war, and it may even increase. Maybe he will sense that his end is near, so he will even try to destroy as much as possible. I don't know. How then do they sing of peace and what kind of peace? I believe they sing first about God, we've seen it, but then also about Christ. Christ is the man. We read it in the scriptures, and this one or this man shall be peace. We read it in Micah 5, Micah 5 verse 5. In Ephesians 2 verse 14, he is our peace. He is our peace. We read, for he himself is our peace. And of course, you maybe have sung it during the season of Christmas as well. Isaiah 9, verse 6. It's a well-known piece of scriptures. 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 and prince of peace so he is and that's what they are singing about our peace prince the prince of peace how And that's his work as the Prince of Peace. When we read this in John 14 verse 27, Jesus said to his disciples, and listen carefully, peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Remember, he added, not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. So how does the Lord Jesus leave us his peace and give us his peace as the prince of peace? This is what the angels are singing about. And that's the beauty, not as the world, it says. And in this world, yes, there is anxiety and there is trouble. and we can all and do all experience it. I will get back to it in a moment. But he is nonetheless and remains our peace and he gives it and he leaves it to us. Dear congregation also and Again, personally, I need to share this with you because we also as a congregation go through this together, that we bear one another's burden and so fulfill the law of Christ. But you also knew in 2024 that at one point I could no longer preach. I was anxious, full, It was like a blackout. Those who were there probably remember it. And every time I came back to the pulpit, we were probably thinking maybe it's going to happen again. I understand that. I understand that. But thank you also for praying, for supporting, for loving, for giving me three months And in these three months near congregation, the Lord did come over and gave me counsel as the Almighty One and as the Prince of Peace. That's why I praise God that we can still be together and here I can be before you yet. Not because of me. But in that anxiety, in that trouble, that worry, that blackout, you know what? The Lord showed me that, and this is the image I've shared with others as well, is that He is the rock and I'm set upon the rock. And the waves and the wind of anxiety of this world and the waves of people, because peoples are waves and waves are people in the Bible, they come and go. And they hit the rock, but they cannot destroy it. And those who are upon it, he is my peace, is in your peace. Also going into this new year, I thank God for it. He is faithful. He is our peace. He is our assurance. He is our comfort. You know, this is what they also play with in the world, the insurance industry plays with this. I'm just being, that's why it says not of the world. The insurance plays with this all the time. You know, also at the beginning of this new year, maybe you'll have some stuff in your mailbox or that's old fashioned now. Yahoo or Gmail, even Yahoo is outdated. Gmail or what have you. And you get all the spam, right? And maybe you've gotten some of the insurance companies. Oh, it's going to be bad 2025. You should really be worried, you know, all this stuff going on here and there. And maybe, you know, you have a really expensive car, you should really insure that car. And your house, and especially your life insurance. Make sure you got your life insurance in order. Because this could be the year that could be very destructive and calamitous. This is what they play on. Now, I'm not against insuring your car, don't get me wrong. But that's what they play on. But this is not what Christ is giving and leaving his people. That is houses like castles or silver or gold or an insurance for your pension. I hear that all the time. You know, I'm working for my pension. And then when the pension time comes around, they're retired. You know, God strikes them with a sickness and they can't even enjoy 10 cents a week. This is how we naturally think. It's how the world thinks, unfortunately. But this is not what God Christ is talking about when he says, gives peace and leaves peace. What is this gift for peace? What is this assurance for peace of mind and heart, which is internal and which is eternal? It's of another kingdom. I'll hammer on this again at the beginning of this word. What is this peace? Well, read it. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace. There it is. It is an eternal peace because we are right with God. He has made us right with himself by forgiving our sins. I leave you. Isn't that wonderful? So again, the Doctrine of Justification. Ah, yes, talk about doctrines. This is central. This is central. This is what gives you peace. The forgiveness of all our sins and being dressed in the righteousness of Christ gives us peace, internal and eternal peace. Not what we do or what we have or what we can possess in this world. Gold, silver, houses of castles. It's all okay. But it will pass away. Like the gift of the grace of faith and love. And this peace will last forever. And will guide you into the future. Also in the new year. Is this also in this song? And we move to the next. Yes, this is also in this song. Of adoration. Listen and we continue. And goodwill towards men. Okay, I'll try to simplify it. What is this peace grounded upon? What is it founded upon? That God, that Jesus gives and leaves us. Yes, it is grounded upon the gift of righteousness, the gift of forgiveness of sin, the gift of reconciliation of our souls with God. That's for sure. That's for sure. But you know, in this song itself, it is also grounded in something that is behind everything. And that is the cause. And just bear with me. And again, I hope you do not mind, and I'm coming back to our dear Father Feldman, who sang these words, somewhat in a broken voice, but very clearly, and especially those words, and has to make us aware of it as we were listening to it. Especially this line, what do I mean? As he always had understood and preached them as last song before his passing. You know, in Dutch we say, in de mensen een welbehaag. But you know what? Very clearly comes it through in this recording. This is what he held on to until the end of his life. He said, and he said it again and again, he didn't make a mistake until the end. And as soon as the song was done, he had said it consistently throughout. In de mensen van het welbehagen. There's a difference. Niet in de mensen een welbehagen, maar in de mensen van het welbehagen. And I thought, well, you know, I can be critical of my father, and I was critical of my father, and he was critical of me. You know that, too. It's maybe in our blood. I don't know. Probably. I see it in my kids, so yes, probably in my blood, too. So I thought, okay, yes, that's a conviction, you know, something to put our faith in. And I went digging a little bit. in the scriptures. And this is important and very profound. What did the angels shout indeed? How do we interpret this? Did they use the words for peace, good pleasure, goodwill towards man? The ground of the peace is God's goodwill or wellbehagen in in the human being. Is that the ground and the foundation of our peace? Now, so there are ways to understand this, and forgive me, no, I'm not going to ask for forgiveness anymore on this thing, but yes, I do always ask for forgiveness. I should always ask for forgiveness. But the word here is eudokia. Thoughts, good pleasure, goodwill, eudokia. That's one way, or did it say eudokias? A little Greek, eudokias. Meaning of good pleasure, the S makes all the difference. And I believe it's better said, eudokias, meaning of good pleasure, with the S attached. And then it reads, and on earth peace among men of his good pleasure. Very important, that's what the angels are singing about. Dear congregation, let us be clear. The angels were there for not praising men or women because of what was in them or their good works or what they had or what they possessed so that God may be good and agreeable or pleasurable to us so that we can have peace. That first translation can give us this impression No, no. Listen carefully. No peace on earth in and eternally for men and women is why? Yes, righteousness. Yes, forgiveness. But where is that rooted in and grounded upon? because they are graciously chosen by God. It is rooted in his eternal love, his eternal compassion, the compassion of the Father. So God loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son to whoever believes in him. This is the love of God. They're singing about this eternal love of God. of His love, of His grace, those who are chosen because of His love and His grace will also be called and those who are called will also be justified and those who are justified also will be from God, through God, unto God. That's what they are singing about. This is why Father also sang it at the end of his life, I believe, and was comforted by it. At one point he says so, as the only way for his and our eternal comfort and peace. You know, at that moment he may not have felt it and it didn't look like it. He was struggling with death. But then the foundation of our salvation is because of him having loved comfort and peace. And dear congregation, I hope that it also may be so with us, with them, as it was with them, also with us in this new year. Oh, against all appearances and struggles, there will be anxiety, but of His good pleasure. The responses. Back to the shepherd who heard and saw all this. We read, so it was when the angels had come away from them into heaven that the shepherds said to one another, let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass. This is their response, which the Lord has made known to us. This is my third focus and it will be brief. Also important and critical, as a response. Now, as I was thinking about this point, it's beautifully, this text is beautifully enveloped in a song and in a response to that song, in song. That's why I chose this pericope, you call it a pericope. It begins with something and it ends with something in response to that something. Let me be, I'm talking mysteries, maybe. But it starts with, glory be to God in the highest, peace on earth towards men of his good pleasure. What does it end with? That again could just be the insight that will take us home. What we ended with, then the shepherds returned glorifying, praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told them. This is remarkably beautiful and beautifully remarkable. You have the praises of God, by the shepherds, and they go quickly to see what has happened, as the Word had told them, as they had told them, and it ends in responding in kind, praising and glorifying God. Isn't that actually what the church should be all about? Now, this response also, and during a sermon the preacher may ask, or will the listeners believe it, is a question. And will there be a follow-up? Will there be a response also of myself? And you are all sitting here, I'm standing here, and in a way this is more intimate than in the big room. So maybe that's also a potential problem. But, you know what? Everybody is talking in this room. I don't want to put you on the spot, but you're on the spot anyways. Everybody is reacting. In the way they look, in the way their posture is, whether they turn their head away or whether they look or rejoice or get angry. You can see it. Somebody is changing their face right now on purpose. Just to make the point. The response is immediate. There is a dialogue. But what is the response? The question is. And the response here in this passage is remarkable. You know, you can imagine, and I want to make this applicable to Atlantis too, you know, when you go from here, and you go, ah, yeah, well, he just said this, this pastor, he just worded it this way, and it was a bit difficult, and probably it's true, and it was a bit of this and that, and I don't believe it, blah, blah. That probably can be and is a response sometimes after a worship service or a service. Now, in the case of the shepherds, you could probably imagine that that would have been their response. I think you can imagine that they would have said within themselves, you know what, it's a bit dark and we're in the fields of Africa and Bethlehem is far away. So, and it's dangerous, or who's gonna take care of our sheep when we go? No, no, and it's dreary, and will we even find this place? It's in a manger, where is this place? Maybe they knew, maybe they didn't. So I could have imagined that they said, let's wait till tomorrow. Till the sun is up, we find somebody to take care of our sheep and then we go. That's not what we see here. And that's what's remarkable in terms of this response. It says immediately they left their sheep and they said, let's go and see what the Lord has done. Dear congregation, also going into this new year, there may be coming upon us opportunities of grace, of exhortations, of admonitions, either through the preaching or through brothers and sisters in the church. The question is, how do we respond? That is a question. You know, a grandpa heard the gospel from Paul, how did he respond? Oh, I'll hear this over again and I'll see it again. You know what? And this sounds Armenian, but that's not what I mean. He missed the opportunity of grace right then and there. The question is, and again, if it's of God, otherwise they wouldn't have gone. That's absolutely true. But how will there be a response? How was there a response? Well, they hurried. They did not hesitate for a moment. They said to each other, let us go now without delay and see the fulfillment of God's word. Remarkable. So they hurried off, found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in the manger. They had seen him, and they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child, both what the angel had told them, who he was, and where he lay, and how the Lord had brought them to Jesus. They couldn't stop talking about it. And second, thirdly, Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that had been heard and seen as it was told them. Finally, back to the beginning, as I said, this is the envelope story. The angel began to make God great, magnify him, praise him. So now also the shepherds. for all the things they had heard and seen in this order as it was told them. God is glorified. To God be glory, peace upon earth towards men of his good pleasure. We also, just these last days, we have heard the message of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. What is our response? was the hearing mixed with believing, was the believing mixed also with joy, and with an eagerness to run out and proclaim the gospel, just like the shepherds in their response, and to praise God as they returned, praising and glorifying The congregations. Again, ask congregations, as we are in this new year, that it may be so, that many may come, not only to hear, but to believe, to trust, to speak of the works and word of God, what God also has done to their souls. That's how they were brought to Jesus. How were they brought to Jesus? that many will be brought to Jesus, to the crib, to the cross, for the forgiveness of sin, the righteousness rooted in his eternal love. Also at the beginning of this new year, that we then also excited and enthused. Enthusiast means God-indwelled, that we may go out and preach the gospel. to a world that lies in sin and darkness. And we see that also around us. Oh, the prince of darkness is strong, but he isn't the strongest. And so, as we go into this, we are also thinking about the projects that are before us. Again, maybe Tuesday, Saturday, come out and help. These are the little things, the big things. But that God may use all of that. To everyone. And you know what? Some people will wonder. And they will love the spectacle. That's what you saw also in their response. And they say, ah, we'll hear them again. And who are those shepherds? What do they know anyways? Those little poor folk. That will be the response also. And they will go home. Or they will only be interested in the spectacle. Oh, that's a beautiful story. Or will it be? And that's the response. And we pray for that, that there will be those like Mary who put all of that in their heart, putting it together and seeing upon the Lord how he would and will fulfill it also in and for their lives. Because Mary, oh yes, a sword would go through her heart as she would stand at the foot of understood that He had come for her to be washed, to be dressed, to be glorified, and to rejoice in Him forever. That that may be also the work of God in and among us. And that we solely go into this world with those who have gone before us and those who will come after us. Sing the song of adoration of the angels. What is it? God be the glory who is in the highest and peace upon earth towards men of his good pleasure. Amen.