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 and the Christ candle. Usually, these candles are lighted in separate services, but given the unique timing of Advent ending on Christmas Eve, we will be lighting them both in the same service. The angel candle, or purple candle, we will be lighted as we gather. And, the Christ candle, or white candle, will be lighted as we leave. The angel candle is a reminder of the good news made by the proclamation of the angels. And, the white candle reminds us that Jesus is the spotless lamb of God, sent to wash away our sins. His birth was for his death, his death was for our birth!

The Angel Candle (Purple 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

The Christ Candle (White candle)

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!‘” ~ John 1:29

God sent his only Son to earth to save us, because he loves us!

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” ~ John 3:16-17

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 :: LUKE 1:26-38

The Angel Candle

Birth of Jesus Foretold

[26] In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, [27] to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. [28] And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” [29] But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. [30] And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. [31] And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. [32] He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, [33] and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

[34] And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

[35] And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. [36] And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. [37] For nothing will be impossible with God.” [38] And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. (ESV)