Song Sheets & Sermon

December 14

 “Messiah”     

Verse 1

Long awaited precious promise

Son of God and Son of Man

Heaven's glory in a manger

Has come to us in Bethlehem oh

Chorus

Messiah Messiah

A baby born to save us all

Messiah Messiah

On our knees we fall

Verse 2

All we long for all we needed

Shining in a child's eyes

Hope forever death defeated

Because of this one only holy night

Chorus

Messiah Messiah

A baby born to save us all

Messiah Messiah

On our knees we fall

Bridge

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him Christ the Lord

Verse 3

Long awaited precious promise

Coming back again

Chorus

Messiah Messiah

A baby born to save us all

Messiah Messiah

On our knees we fall - On our knees we fall

  “O Come All Ye Faithful”          

  Verse 1

  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

  Chorus

  O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him,

  O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!

  Verse 3

  Sing, choirs of angels sing in exultation

  sing, all ye bright hosts of heaven above

  "Glory to God, all glory in the highest!" 

  Chorus

  O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him,

  O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!

  Verse 4

  Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning

  Jesus, to thee be all glory given

  Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing

  Chorus

  O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him,

  O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!

  
“Joy Has Dawned”

  Verse 1

  Joy has dawned upon the world

  Promised from creation

  God's salvation now unfurled

  Hope for ev'ry nation

  Not with fanfares from above

  Not with scenes of glory

  But a humble gift of love

  Jesus born of Mary

  Verse 4

  Son of Adam Son of heaven

  Given as a ransom

  Reconciling God and man

  Christ our mighty Champion

  What a Savior what a Friend

  What a glorious mystery

  Once a babe in Bethlehem

  Now the Lord of history

  Not with fanfares from above

  Not with scenes of glory

  But a humble gift of love

  Jesus born of Mary

“Of the Father’s Love Begotten”

1 Of the Father’s love begotten

ere the worlds began to be,

he is Alpha and Omega–

he the source, the ending he,

of the things that are, that have been,

and that future years shall see

evermore and evermore.

2 O that birth forever blessed,

when a virgin, blest with grace,

by the Holy Ghost conceiving,

bore the Savior of our race;

and the babe, the world’s Redeemer,

first revealed his sacred face,

evermore and evermore.

3 This is he whom seers in old time

chanted of with one accord,

whom the voices of the prophets

promised in their faithful word;

now he shines, the long expected;

let creation praise its Lord

evermore and evermore.

4 Let the heights of heaven adore him;

angel hosts, his praises sing:

powers, dominions, bow before him

and extol our God and King;

let no tongue on earth be silent,

every voice in concert ring

evermore and evermore.

Everlasting God

  From everlasting to everlasting

  You are God

  From everlasting to everlasting

  You are God

  Verse 1

  In holiness You stand secure

  Through culture's shifting sands

  Unchanged by all the vanities of man

  And as the nations rise and fall

  Your sov'reignty remains

  You are You are

  You are the one true God

  Chorus

  From everlasting to everlasting

  You are God

  From everlasting to everlasting

  You are God

  Verse 2

  In faithfulness Your love extends

  Through times of turbulence

  Adopting those who call upon Your name

  And ev'ry generation joins in songs

  Of grateful praise

  You are You are

  You are the one true God

  Chorus

  From everlasting to everlasting

  You are God

  From everlasting to everlasting

  You are God

  Bridge 1

  Eternal  immortal 

  Invisible - God

  Bridge 1

  Eternal  immortal 

  Invisible - God

  Bridge 1

  Eternal (eternal) immortal (immortal)

  Invisible (invisible God) God

  Bridge 1

  Eternal (eternal) immortal (immortal)

  Invisible (invisible God) God

“Joy to the World”

Verse 1

  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.

  Verse 3

  No more let sin and sorrow 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.

  Verse 4

  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.

December 21 A.M. 

Infant Holy Infant Lowly

Verse 1

  Infant holy, infant lowly,

  for his bed a cattle stall;

  oxen lowing, little knowing

  Christ the child is Lord of all.

  Swiftly winging angels singing,

  bells are ringing, tidings bringing:

  Christ the child is Lord of all!

  Christ the child is Lord of all!

  Verse 2

  Flocks were sleeping, shepherds keeping

  vigil till the morning new

  saw the glory, heard the story,

  tidings of a gospel true.

  Thus rejoicing, free from sorrow,

  praises voicing, greet the morrow:

  Christ the child was born for you!

  Christ the child was born for you!

Joyful Joyful We Adore You

Verse 1

  Joyful joyful we adore You

  God of glory Lord of love

  Hearts unfold like flow’rs before You

  Opening to the sun above

  Melt the clouds of sin and sadness

  Drive the dark of doubt away

  Giver of immortal gladness

  Fill us with the light of day

  Verse 2

  All Your works with joy surround You

  Earth and heav’n reflect Your rays

  Stars and angels sing around You

  Center of unbroken praise

  Field and forest vale and mountain

  Flowery meadow flashing sea

  Chanting bird and flowing fountain

  Call us to rejoice in Thee

  Verse 4

  Mortals join the mighty chorus

  Which the morning stars began

  Father love is reigning o'er us

  Brother love binds man to man

  Ever singing march we onward

  Victors in the midst of strife

  Joyful music lifts us sunward

  In the triumph song of life

King of Kings

Verse 1

  In the darkness we were waiting

  Without hope without light

  Till from Heaven You came running

  There was mercy in Your eyes

  To fulfill the law and prophets

  To a virgin came the Word

  From a throne of endless glory

  To a cradle in the dirt

  Chorus

  Praise the Father

  Praise the Son

  Praise the Spirit three in one

  God of Glory Majesty

  Praise forever to the King of kings

  Verse 2

  To reveal the kingdom coming

  And to reconcile the lost

  To redeem the whole creation

  You did not despise the cross

  For even in Your suffering

  You saw to the other side

  Knowing this was our salvation

  Jesus for our sake You died

  Chorus

  Praise the Father

  Praise the Son

  Praise the Spirit three in one

  God of Glory Majesty

  Praise forever to the King of kings

  Verse 3

  And the morning that You rose

  All of heaven held its breath

  Till that stone was moved for good

  For the Lamb had conquered death

  And the dead rose from their tombs

  And the angels stood in awe

  For the souls of all who'd come

  To the Father are restored

  Verse 4

  And the Church of Christ was born

  Then the Spirit lit the flame

  Now this Gospel truth of old

  Shall not kneel and shall not faint

  By His blood and in His Name

  In His freedom I am free

  For the love of Jesus Christ

  Who has resurrected me

  Chorus

  Praise the Father

  Praise the Son

  Praise the Spirit three in one

  God of Glory Majesty

  Praise forever to the King of kings

“Here I am to Worship”

Verse 1

  Light of the world

  You stepped down into darkness

  Opened my eyes let me see

  Beauty that made

  This heart adore You

  Hope of a life spent with You

  Chorus

  So here I am to worship

  Here I am to bow down

  Here I am to say that You're my God

  You're altogether lovely

  Altogether worthy

  Altogether wonderful to me

  Verse 2

  King of all days

  Oh so highly exalted

  Glorious in heaven above

  Humbly You came

  To the earth You created

  All for love's sake became poor

  Chorus

  So here I am to worship

  Here I am to bow down

  Here I am to say that You're my God

  You're altogether lovely

  Altogether worthy

  Altogether wonderful to me

  Chorus

  So here I am to worship

  Here I am to bow down

  Here I am to say that You're my God

  You're altogether lovely

  Altogether worthy

  Altogether wonderful to me                              

 Our Father in heaven,

  Hallowed be your name.

  Your kingdom come.

  Your will be done

  on earth as it is in heaven.

  Give us this day our daily bread,

  and forgive us our debts,

  as we also have forgiven our debtors,

  and lead us not into temptation,

  but deliver us from the evil one.

  For yours is the kingdom,

  and the power, and the glory,

  for ever and ever

  Amen.

Joy - Sing and Shout”

chorus

Joy (joy), sing and shout it

Tell all the world about it

God is with us God is with us

Joy (joy), this is the season

Now we have a reason

God is with us and this is Christmas

Verse 1

One night into the darkness - One star shining the brightest

Heaven couldn't contain the greatest news

Verse 2

Shepherds couldn't believe it - Wise men wanted to see it

God was sending his only Son to earth

pre-chorus

Can you hear the sound? The Angels singing out…

chorus

Joy (joy), sing and shout it

Tell all the world about it

God is with us God is with us

Joy (joy), this is the season

Now we have a reason

God is with us and this is CHRISTMAS!!

What Child is This?/Child of the Poor

Verse 1

  What child is this, who, laid to rest,

  on Mary’s lap is sleeping?

  Whom angels greet with anthems sweet

  while shepherds watch are keeping?

  This, this is Christ the King,

  whom shepherds guard and angels sing;

  haste, haste to bring him laud,

  the babe, the son of Mary!

  Verse 2

  Why lies he in such mean estate

  where ox and ass are feeding?

  Good Christian, fear; for sinners here

  the silent Word is pleading.

  Nails, spear shall pierce him through,

  the cross be borne for me, for you;

  hail, hail for Word made flesh,

  the babe, the son of Mary!

  Verse 3

  So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh;

  come, peasant, king, to own him.

  The King of kings salvation brings;

  let loving hearts enthrone him.

  Raise, raise the song on high,

  the virgin sings her lullaby;

  joy, joy, for Christ is born,

  the babe, the son of Mary.

“All is Well”       

Verse 1

All is well all is well

Angels and men rejoice

For tonight darkness fell

Into the dawn of love's light

Sing alle sing alleluia

Verse 2

All is well all is well

Let there be peace on earth

Christ is come go and tell

That He is in the manger

Sing alle sing alleluia

Verse 3

All is well all is well

Lift up your voice and sing

Born is now Emmanuel

Born is our Lord and Savior

Sing alleluia sing alleluia

All is well

Born is our Lord and Savior

Sing alleluia sing alleluia

All is well

It Came Upon the Midnight Clear

  It came upon the midnight clear

  That glorious song of old

  From angels bending near the earth

  To touch their harps of gold

  Peace on the earth good will to men

  From heaven's all gracious King

  The world in solemn stillness lay

  To hear the angels sing

  Yet with the woes of sin and strife

  The world has suffered long

  Beneath the angel strain have rolled

  The countless years of wrong

  And man at war with man hears not

  The love song which they bring

  O hush the noise ye men of strife

  And hear the angels sing

December 21 P.M. 

Do You Hear What I Hear

Verse 1

  M B: Said the night wind to the little lamb 

  Choir: do you see what I see

  M B: Way up in the sky, little lamb,

  Choir: do you see what I see

  ALL: A star, a star, dancing in the night

  With a tail as big as a kite

  With a tail as big as a kite

  Verse 2

  M B: Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy,

  Choir: LEFT - do you hear what I hear 

            (RIGHT - do you hear what I hear)

  M B: Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy,

  Choir: LEFT - do you hear what I hear 

            (RIGHT - do you hear what I hear)

  ALL: A song, a song, high above the trees

  With a voice as big as the sea

  With a voice as big as the sea

 Verse 3 

  ALL: Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king,

  LEFT - do you know what I know 

  (RIGHT - do you know what I know)

  In your palace warm, mighty king,

  LEFT - do you know what I know 

  (RIGHT - do you know what I know)

  A Child, a Child shivers in the cold

  Let us bring Him silver and gold

  Let us bring Him silver and gold

  Verse 4 (key change)

  ALL: Said the king to the people everywhere

LEFT - listen to what I say 

  (RIGHT - listen to what I say)

 (Together) Pray for peace, people everywhere!

 WITH HARMONIES 

  LEFT - listen to what I say 

  (RIGHT - listen to what I say)

  (Together) The Child, the Child, sleeping in the night

  He will bring us goodness and light

  He will bring us goodness and light

Angels from the Realms of Glory

Verse 1

  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

  Chorus

  Come and worship, come and worship,

  worship Christ, the newborn King!

  Verse 2

  Shepherds in the fields abiding,

  watching o'er your flocks by night,

  God with us is now residing;

  yonder shines the infant Light

  Chorus

  Come and worship, come and worship,

  worship Christ, the newborn King!

  Verse 4

  Though an infant now we view him,

  he will share his Father's throne,

  gather all the nations to him;

  every knee shall then bow down

  Chorus

  Come and worship, come and worship,

  worship Christ, the newborn King!

  Verse 5

  Saints and angels join in praising

  God, the Father, Spirit, Son,

  evermore their voices raising

  to the eternal Three in One

  Chorus

  Come and worship, come and worship,

  worship Christ, the newborn King!

  Chorus

  Come and worship, come and worship,

  worship Christ, the newborn King!

“Joy to the World”

Verse 1

  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.

  Verse 2

  Joy to the earth! the Savior reigns:

  let all their songs employ,

  while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains

  repeat the sounding joy,

  repeat the sounding joy,

  repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

  Verse 3

  No more let sin and sorrow 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.

  Verse 4

  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.                       

Go Tell it on the Mountain   

 (kids choir only)

  Chorus

  Go, tell it on the mountain,

  over the hills and everywhere;

  go, tell it on the mountain

  that Jesus Christ is born.

  Verse 1

  While shepherds kept their watching

  o'er silent flocks by night,

  behold, throughout the heavens

  there shone a holy light. 

  (ALL) Chorus

  Go, tell it on the mountain,

  over the hills and everywhere;

  go, tell it on the mountain

  that Jesus Christ is born.

  Verse 3

  Down in a lowly stable

  the humble Christ was born,

  and God sent us salvation

  that bless-ed Christmas morn

  Chorus

  Go, tell it on the mountain,

  over the hills and everywhere;

  go, tell it on the mountain

  that Jesus Christ is born.

  Chorus

  Go, tell it on the mountain,

  over the hills and everywhere;

  go, tell it on the mountain

  that Jesus Christ is born.

“Silent Night”

Verse 1

  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!

  Verse 2

  Silent night! Holy night!

  Son of God, source of light,

  now lies crying in Bethlehem's stall,

  tiny child, Creator of all,

  infant, Savior, and King!

  infant, Savior, and King!

  Verse 4

  Silent night! Holy night!

  Son of God, love's pure light

  shines anew from your heavenly face,

  greets the hour of redeeming grace,

  Jesus, Lord, at your birth!

  Jesus, Lord, at your birth!

Christmas Day

Messiah

Verse 1

Long awaited precious promise

Son of God and Son of Man

Heaven's glory in a manger

Has come to us in Bethlehem oh

Messiah Messiah

A baby born to save us all

Messiah Messiah

On our knees we fall

All we long for all we needed

Shining in a child's eyes

Hope forever death defeated

Because of this one only holy night

Messiah Messiah

A baby born to save us all

Messiah Messiah

On our knees we fall

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him Christ the Lord

Long awaited precious promise

Coming back again

Messiah Messiah

A baby born to save us all

Messiah Messiah

On our knees we fall

On our knees we fall

O Come All Ye Faithful

1 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!

3 Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,

sing, all ye bright hosts 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!

4 Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning;

Jesus, to thee be all glory given;

Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;

O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him,

O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

1 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 th'angelic hosts proclaim,

"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"

Refrain:

Hark! the herald angels sing,

"Glory to the newborn King"

2 Christ, by highest heaven adored,

Christ, the everlasting Lord,

late in time behold him come,

offspring of the Virgin's womb:

veiled in flesh the Godhead see;

hail th'incarnate Deity,

pleased with us in flesh to dwell,

Jesus, our Immanuel.

Refrain:

Hark! the herald angels sing,

"Glory to the newborn King"

3 Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!

Hail the Sun of Righteousness!

Light and life to all he brings,

risen with healing in his wings.

Mild he lays his glory by,

born that we no more may die,

born to raise us from the earth,

born to give us second birth. 

Refrain:

Hark! the herald angels sing,

"Glory to the newborn King"                      

Angels We Have Heard on High

1. Angels we have heard on high,

singing sweetly through the night,

and the mountains in reply,

echoing their brave delight.

Refrain:

Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Gloria in excelsis Deo.

2. Shepherds, why this jubilee?

Why these songs of happy cheer?

What great brightness did you see?

What glad tidings did you hear? 

Refrain:

Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Gloria in excelsis Deo.

3 Come to Bethlehem and see

him whose birth the angels sing;

come, adore on bended knee

Christ the Lord, the newborn King. 

Refrain:

Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Refrain:

Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Gloria in excelsis Deo.

“Behold our God”

Verse 1

Who has held the oceans in His hands

Who has numbered every grain of sand

Kings and nations tremble at His voice

All creation rises to rejoice

Chorus

Behold our God come behold our King

Come let us adore Him

Behold our God nothing can compare

Come let us adore Him

Verse 2

Who has given counsel to the Lord

Who can question any of His words

Who can teach the One who knows all things

Who can fathom all His wondrous deeds

Chorus

Behold our God come behold our King

Come let us adore Him

Behold our God nothing can compare

Come let us adore Him

Verse 3

Who has felt the nails upon His hands

Bearing all the guilt of sinful man

God eternal humbled to the grave

Jesus Savior risen now to reign

Chorus

Behold our God come behold our King

Come let us adore Him

Behold our God nothing can compare

Come let us adore Him

Bridge

You will reign forever

(Let Your glory fill the earth)

(REPEAT X 3)

Chorus

Behold our God come behold our King

Come let us adore Him

Behold our God nothing can compare

Come let us adore Him

Light of the World

Verse 1

Light of the World Treasure of Heaven

Brilliant like the stars in the wintery sky

Joy of the Father reach through the darkness

Shine across the earth send the shadows to flight

Verse 2

Light of the World from the beginning

The tragedies of time were no match for Your love

From great heights of glory You saw my story

God You entered in and became one of us

Chorus

Sing hallelujah Sing hallelujah Sing hallelujah for the things He has done

Come and adore Him Bow down before Him

Sing hallelujah to the Light of the World

Verse 3

Light of the world crown in a manger

Born for the cross to suffer to save

High King of Heaven death is the poorer

We are the richer by the price that He paid

Chorus

Sing hallelujah Sing hallelujah Sing hallelujah for the things He has done

Come and adore Him Bow down before Him

Sing hallelujah to the Light of the World

Verse 4

Light of the World soon will be coming

With fire in His eyes He will ransom His own

Through clouds He will lead us straight into glory

And there He shall reign forevermore forevermore

Sing hallelujah Sing hallelujah Sing hallelujah for the things He has done

Come and adore Him Bow down before Him

Sing hallelujah to the Light of the World

Glory to God - Ere Zij God

  Glory to God! Glory to God!

  In the highest, in the highest, in the highest!

  Peace be on earth, peace be on earth

  To the people whom God delights in.

  Glory to God in the highest, glory to God in the highest!

  Peace be on earth, peace be on earth, peace be on earth,  peace be on earth

  To the people, to the people whom God delights in,

  To the people whom God delights in, whom God delights in.

  Glory to God! Glory to God! In the highest, in the highest in the highest!

  Peace be on earth, peace be on earth to the people whom God delights in.

  Amen, amen.

SUNDAY, Jan 1, 2026 

If You’re Happy and You Know It

  If you're happy and you know it clap your hands

  If you're happy and you know it clap your hands

  If your happy and you know it

  And you really want to show it

  If you're happy and you know it 

  clap your hands

  Verse 2

  If you're sleepy and you know it do a yaaaaaaawn

  If you're sleepy and you know it do a yaaaaaaawn

  If you're sleepy and you know it

  And you really want to show it

  If you're sleepy and you know it do a yaaaaaaawn

  Verse 3

  If you're happy and you know it shout HURRAH!

  If you're happy and you know it shout HURRAH!

  If you're happy and you know it

  And you really want to show it

  If you're happy and you know it shout HURRAH!

  If you're happy and you know it do all three

  If you're happy and you know it do all three

    If you're happy and you know 

  and you really want to show it

  If you're happy and you know it do all three

Be Thou my Vision

  Be Thou my Vision O Lord of my heart

  Naught be all else to me save that Thou art

  Thou my best thought by day or by night

  Waking or sleeping Thy presence my light

  Verse 2

  Be Thou my Wisdom and Thou my true Word

  I ever with Thee and Thou with me Lord

  Thou my great Father I Thy true son

  Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one

  Verse 3

  High King of heaven my victory won

  May I reach heaven's joys bright heaven's Sun

  Heart of my own heart whatever befall

  Still be my Vision O Ruler of all

Ancient of Days

  Though the nations rage

  Kingdoms rise and fall

  There is still one King

  Reigning over all

  So I will not fear

  For this truth remains

  That my God is the Ancient of Days

  Verse 2

  Though the dread of night

  Overwhelms my soul

  He is here with me

  I am not alone

  O His love is sure

  And He knows my name

  For my God is the Ancient of Days

  Chorus

  None above Him 

  none before Him

  All of time in His hands

  For His throne it shall remain and ever stand

  All the power all the glory

  I will trust in His name

  For my God is the Ancient of days

  Verse 3

  Though I may not see

  What the future brings

  I will watch and wait

  For the Saviour king

  Then my joy complete

  Standing face to face

  In the presence 

  of the Ancient of Days

  Chorus

  None above Him 

  none before Him

  All of time in His hands

  For His throne it shall remain and ever stand

  All the power all the glory

  I will trust in His name

  For my God is the Ancient of days

Great is Thy Faithfulness 

  Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father; 

  there is no shadow of turning with thee; 

  thou changest not, 

  thy compassions, they fail not; 

  as thou hast been 

  thou forever wilt be. 

  Summer and winter and springtime and harvest 

  sun, moon, and stars 

  in their courses above 

  join with all nature in manifold witness 

  to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. 

  Great is thy faithfulness! 

  Great is thy faithfulness! 

  Morning by morning new mercies I see; 

  all I have needed 

  thy hand hath provided. 

  Great is thy faithfulness, 

  Lord, unto me! 

  Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, 

  thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide, 

  strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow 

  blessings all mine, 

  with ten thousand beside!

  Chorus

  Great is thy faithfulness! 

  Great is thy faithfulness! 

  Morning by morning new mercies I see; 

  all I have needed 

  thy hand hath provided. 

  Great is thy faithfulness, 

  Lord, unto me! 

All Glory Be to Christ

Verse 1

Should nothing of our efforts stand no legacy survive

Unless the Lord does raise the house

In vain its builders strive

To you who boast tomorrow’s gain tell me what is your life

A mist that vanishes at dawn - All glory be to Christ

His will be done His kingdom come on earth as is above

Who is Himself our daily bread

Praise Him the Lord of love

Let living water satisfy the thirsty without price

We’ll take a cup of kindness yet - All glory be to Christ

All glory be to Christ our king

All glory be to Christ

His rule and reign we’ll ever sing

All glory be to Christ

Verse 3

When on the day the great I Am the faithful and the true

The Lamb who was for sinners slain

Is making all things new

Behold our God shall live with us and be our steadfast light

And we shall e'er his people be - All glory be to Christ

Chorus

All glory be to Christ our king

All glory be to Christ

His rule and reign we’ll ever sing

All glory be to Christ

Ebenezer CRC - December 14, 2025

Adam Veenstra

SCRIPTURE READING

SERMON INTRO SLIDE Our Scripture reading for this morning can be found on page 1497 of the Bibles in front of you. We will be reading the story of Jesus’ birth found in Matthew chapter 1. This telling of the Nativity story focusses on Joseph; we’ll be using his story to reflect on our present, and how the fall into sin influences our lives.

I invite you to follow along, starting at verse 18:

18 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 pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 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.

20 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. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” - which means “God with us”.

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

MESSAGE

Part One - Context

SLIDE 1 In retellings of the Nativity, Joseph can sometimes be a thankless role in the story.

Theology and Christian history haven’t wasted a lot of ink on him.

Nativity scenes usually depict him as being much older than Mary, and sometimes he’s even carrying a sheep and a crook, making him interchangeable with one of the shepherds.

Scripture itself doesn’t bother to tell us anything about him after Jesus is a teenager - he presumably passes away, since at his own death Jesus tells others to look after Mary.

So Jesus’ Dad likely died, and for some reason we don’t get to read about it.

SLIDE 2 There are endless possibilities about the later chapters of how Joseph related to his Messiah Son - and I’m sure it’s all very cat’s in the cradle.

SLIDE 3 What we do know about his life and character is that Matthew describes him as a righteous man.

And based on his actions, that means he is loving and compassionate; taking care of those who could otherwise be in very real trouble.

And yet he also clearly feels the weight of that himself, because it’s enough to warrant an angel’s visit.

Imagine how hurt he must feel.

Imagine how confused, and how angry he might be at Mary.

The girl that he is meant to build a life with has presumably betrayed him in a very public way, that could easily implicate him as well.

Both of them risk being exposed to public disgrace.

There is a whole lot of story that happens between verse 19, when he plans to divorce her quietly, and verse 20, when an angel reveals the truth to him.

I imagine there was some yelling, and some tears; maybe some cold silences.

He was righteous, but he was human.

SLIDE 4 Writer and spiritual advocate Kaitlin Curtice has said that conflict is an essential part of any story.

Because conflicts in a story reflect the conflicts we experience in our present lives.

All of that conflict - all that Joseph is feeling and experiencing - is a result of the fall.

Because present the world is not as it should be.

The need for this baby to be born at all is because of the fall, and because the world is not all as it should be!

Because for generations God promised his people that what they were experiencing would not always be.

That fall into sin plunged the world into a state that wasn’t meant to be.

It’s affected every life. Even that of the Holy Family in our Nativity scenes.

SLIDE 5 In the Reformed tradition, we refer to this as the doctrine of total depravity.

SLIDE 6 As we often sing at Christmas, “far as the curse is found.”

The use of “total” is important.

It does not mean that everything is totally depraved, that everything is as bad as it could possibly be.

Joseph is still described as a righteous man!

When this story is told in Luke, it says that Mary has found favour with God.

What it means is that the total, the whole, and the entirety of creation - everything - has been affected.

“Far as the curse is found.”
Even righteous men and favoured women will make mistakes.

They will struggle; they will experience hurt and confusion and pain.

SLIDE 7 1 Kings 8:46 says simply that there is no one who does not sin.

SLIDE 8 Then Psalm 130:3 asks if the Lord kept a record of our sins, who could stand?

SLIDE 9 Ecclesiastes 7:20 says that there is not a righteous person on earth who does what is right and never sins.

SLIDE 10 Jeremiah 17:9 affirms that the heart is deceitful above all things, and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
SLIDE 11 We have fallen, and none of our lives is unscathed.

“Far as the curse is found.”

The Reformed tradition affirms what it calls “definite connection between Adam’s sin and all persons of all times” - he was our representative in that first chapter of the story, when he and his wife disobeyed God, and the world first fell into sin.

SLIDE 12 The name “Adam” simply means “man” or “son of the earth”, and it comes from the Hebrew word meaning ground soil, earth, and dirt.

He was meant to be the archetypal person.

But was no longer as good as he was meant to be.

Total depravity means that nothing is as good as it could be.

Nothing quite lives up to its potential, no situation is quite what God meant to for it to be.

SLIDE 13 Romans 5:12 says that “sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people.”

It is more than just physical death.

The layers of Hebrew language translates death as also meaning a spiritual and metaphorical death.

The state of daily dying, suffering under the weight of all that affects us.

A death of what is. A death of what was.

A fall.

Like what Joseph experiences.

Like what all of God’s people have experienced.

SLIDE 14 Scripture says that in our present state we see things through a glass darkly - we know what God desires for us, but it’s not fully within reach.

Our present is the now, and the not yet.

Knowing God is good, but still feeling the influence of sin.

SLIDE 15 The Hebrew tradition that Joseph and Mary were a part of saw this fall as a curse, which it is often described as in Scripture - “the curse of sin”.

The original meaning is the opposite of bless, and meant a removal from favour.

Something that is cursed won’t work exactly as it’s meant to. It can’t. Because it as become separated from God.

There’s suddenly conflict in the story.

SLIDE 16 Romans explains this by saying that we wait in eager anticipation even as the whole creation is groaning, over what it has lost, and from what it has to endure in the present state.

Part Two - Mission & Application

SLIDE 17 We said last week that we are a species of stories. For millennia we have gathered around the hearth to share stories that help us make sense of the world.

SLIDE 18 But over time we have ventured away from the hearth, away from the gathering, and further from the core of who we are.

We have ended up isolated and on our own, confused about the world, influenced by sin.

The present chapters are not always smooth ones.

Our Reformed tradition acknowledges the sinful present, and since 1986 has professed in one of its statements of faith that we are to lament the lasting damage our abuse of creation has brought to the world.

SLIDE 19 It’s maybe fitting that a place filled with the stink of animals is where Christ made his entrance to the world, because we have polluted the entire world with the stink of our refuse.

SLIDE 20 The fallen state of our present world isn’t a fun topic.

No one wants to dwell on how much our world stinks!

I remember seeing a cartoon as a kid where the door was slammed in the face of an orphan asking for food, because “Nobody wants to think about people like you at a perfectly nice time like Christmas!” (It was being ironic, I promise.)

But the point is not to mar Christmas by pointing out how awful the world can be.

It’s simply that if we don’t acknowledge the conflict in the story, if we don’t acknowledge the fallen state of Christmas present, we can’t ever work for or appreciate the resolution.

Acknowledging the reality of the fall is not to shame us, make us feel less than, or let us feel hopeless.

We shouldn’t feel down in the dirt.

It’s meant to help us grow, and become the person God created us to be, and assure us of his presence with us.

SLIDE 21 By telling him, “do not be afraid”, the angel affirmed what had seemingly gone wrong in Josephe’s story.

It acknowledged the fear and the influence of sin!

Christian philosophy professor Richard Mouw says that he can feel the truth of sin down to the depths of his being.

There are probably a lot of us here in this room who feel the influence of the fall; who have experienced hurt, confusion, anger, and fear, right down to the core of who we are.

The fall is a part of our present reality that we can’t ignore.

But it is just a part - it is not the point of our story.

SLIDE 22 Instead, the Christmas story tells us all, “do not be afraid”, because there is good news of great joy for all people.

We are fallen. We are not good enough.

But we are loved enough.

And that is ultimately what the story is about.

It is about knowing and believing that no matter what we have done, or left undone, no matter what has been done to us, we are loved.

SLIDE 23 I would assume (and hope!) that if you’re a parent, it would take a lot for you to not love your kid.

For most people it would take something unimaginable.

Which is not to say that you like all the things they do, but that itself is probably out of your love for them: you want better from them, you want better for them, and you know what they could be capable of instead.

And I would say that is true for most of us in relation to the people we love - the people we love the most or spend the most time with can sometimes frustrate us the most, because in our eyes they’re better than that. They’re capable of more.

That is how God loves us, and deals with the presence of sin in our world.

He desires better for us than this for us. He created us for better than this.

SLIDE 24 We might see through a glass darkly, but he sees us face to face.

He still sees into the past, to the first people he formed from the dust.

Like a parent who can still see a baby when they look at the teenager rolling their eyes at them.

He sees into the future, with all that incredible, holy, lifegiving potential that he first created us with.

He sees the now,but he also sees the not yet.

And he is cheering you on to meet that potential again, more than you could imagine.

He thinks the world of you. Still.

SLIDE 25 Romans 8 assures us that “neither death nor life, nor angels nor demons, nor the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus Christ.”

When we mess up again - and we will - we have the safety of knowing we have someone who loves us and believes in us.

Still. Always.

Enough to give us another chance, and then some.

SLIDE 26 Who loves us enough to see the entirety of what hurts us, and reaches down, no matter what we have done or left undone, and no matter what has been done to us, and says “be not afraid.”

Don’t worry. Your Father’s got this. When you fall, he’ll pick you up.

SLIDE 27 Joseph is a man whose life has fallen down around him.

He was a tradesperson - usually depicted as a carpenter, but could have also been a stonemason.

That requires a certain skillset.

His daily life is lived by right angles and straight lines; by precision and order.

His story is a perfectly linear one.

Then, his fiancee gets pregnant, and her explanation is that the baby is God’s.

There’s no straight order to that; no finesse, no natural way forward.

How many possible endings to his story had he envisioned before Mary’s news?

How many happily ever afters was he dreaming up for their family?

Then, how must he have rearranged those endings after her news?
And then again, after the angel’s message?

SLIDE 28 Even then, I doubt he could have ever imagined how his family’s story would someday turn out.
Because only a skilled author could put that together.

Only a skilled author could deliver a Son who is a Wonderful Counselor, Might God, and an Everlasting Father himself.

One who has more to teach Joseph than Joseph could ever teach him.

SLIDE 29 When we are stuck in the darkness and sin of the present, we can know that the author and perfecter of our faith is at work on the future.

Conclusion

I think that there is a strange kind of freedom in the reality of the fall.

Because it means that we are not wrong, and not alone, when we look around and sense that something isn’t quite as it should be. That no, even though things are good, they’re not always great.

When we do see and acknowledge what has gone wrong, we can take our place in the story to make it right.

We have to grieve it before we can heal from it.

The fall is our present, but it is not our future.

The fall is not forever.

SLIDE 20 2 Corinthians 4:8 assures us that even though we are “hard pressed on every side, we are not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not abandoned, struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed.”

From the moment of his arrival, he was making life better for those whose stories had been influenced by the fall.

He has been picking us back up, and giving us all his grace and strength, and the power of the Holy Spirit with us.

SLIDE 31 I love the final verse of this passage, that “he [Joseph] gave him the name Jesus.”
Culturally, that would have likely been the father’s role anyway.

But I love that this guy who might have experienced so much hurt was given such a valuable role in the story.

That even though their first chapter together was a hard one, and even though he’s not Jesus’ biological father, he’ll still get the chance to be the Messiah’s Dad.

Their story together is unknown, and won’t be perfect, but it’s full of possibilities.

His blessing will always flow far as the curse is found.