The Fourth Sunday In Advent

REFLECTION AND FOCUS

We celebrate the fourth and final Sunday in the season of Advent by lighting the Angel candle. The angel candle, or purple candle, we will be lighted as we gather and is a reminder of the good news made by the proclamation of the angels.

THE ANGEL CANDLE

The angels announced the good news of a Savior!

“…I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” ~ Luke 2:10b-11

WORSHIP IN SONG :: JOY TO THE WORLD

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
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy

No more let sins 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

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

GOD CALLS US TO WORSHIP AND CELEBRATE OUR SAVIOR’S BIRTH :: LUKE 1:68

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people (ESV)

GOD’S WORD PREACHED :: MATTHEW 4:1-17

The Temptation of Jesus

[1] Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. [2] And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. [3] And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” [4] But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

[5] Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple [6] and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

[7] Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” [8] Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. [9] And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” [10] Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”

[11] Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him. Jesus Begins His Ministry

[12] Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. [13] And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, [14] so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

[15] “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—

[16] the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.”

[17] From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (ESV)