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*Call to Worship | John 18:37 | Blake Arnoult
God invites and calls us into his presence to worship him.
37 Pilate said to Jesus, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”
*Song of Adoration | Go Tell It On The Mountain
We begin by responding with praise to God for who he is and for what he does.
Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.
While shepherds kept their watching
Over silent flocks by night,
Behold throughout the heavens,
There shone a holy light
Chorus
The shepherds feared and trembled
When lo! above the earth
Rang out the angel chorus
That hailed our Saviour's birth
Chorus
Down in a lowly manger
Our humble Christ was born
And God sent us salvation,
That blessed Christmas morn
Chorus
Music and Lyrics: John W Work Jr.
*Confession of Faith | Psalm 15:1-3, 4
With the church in history we confess a basic statement of what Christians believe.
Pastor: 1 O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent?
Who shall dwell on your holy hill?
People: 2 He who walks blamelessly and does what is right
and speaks truth in his heart;
3 who does not slander with his tongue
and does no evil to his neighbor,
nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
All: 4 who swears to his own hurt and does not change.
*Song of Confession | It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
Psalms, hymns, spiritual songs are simply prayers that are sung. We respond in repentance and praise for God’s redemptive work in Christ.
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.
Still through the cloven skies they come
With peaceful wings unfurled
And still their heavenly music floats
O'er all the weary world
Above its sad and lowly plains
Old echoes plaintive ring
And ever o'er its Babel sounds
The blessed angels sing.
O ye, beneath life's crushing load
Whose forms are bending low
Who toil a-long the climbing way
With painful steps and slow
Look now for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing
O rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing.
Music and Lyrics: Edmund Sears and Richard Storrs Willis
Confession of Sin |1 John 1:5-6, 8, 10
We fight the temptation to hide our sin and instead acknowledge it openly to God, but we do so in light of the grace offered in Jesus.
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth...8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us…10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Assurance of Pardon | 1 John 1:7, 9 | Blake Arnoult
The good news of the gospel is that we are forgiven in Jesus Christ. This assurance is based on God’s words of promise and it is therefore certain.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin…9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
*Song of Response | Angels We Have Heard On High
We respond in repentance and praise for God’s redemptive work in Christ.
Angels we have on heard high
Sweetly singing ore the plains
And the mountains in reply,
Echoing their joyous strains
Glo-ria in excelsis Deo
Glo-ria in excelsis De-o
Come to Bethlehem and see,
Christ whose birth the angels sing
Come adore on bended knee,
Christ the Lord the newborn King
Chorus
See Him in a manger laid,
Whom the choirs of angels praise
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,
While our hearts in love we raise
Chorus
Music and Lyrics: James Chadwick
Prayer of Thanksgiving
We offer our gratitude to God in prayer in response to his gifts and blessings to his people and ask that he make us faithful managers of these gifts.
Song of Thanks | O Holy Night
As we offer our prayers so we also offer up our thanks in song.
O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appear'd and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary soul rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!
Fall on your knees
Oh hear the angel voices
Oh night divine
Oh night when Christ was born
Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming
Here come the wise men from Orient land
The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger
In all our trials born to be our friend
Fall on your knees
Oh hear the angel voices
Oh night divine
Oh night when Christ was born
Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name
Christ is the Lord
O praise His name forever
His power and glory
Evermore proclaim
Fall on your knees
Oh hear the angel voices
Oh night divine
Oh night when Christ was born
O night divine
O night O night divine
Music and Lyrics: John Sullivan Dwight, Placide Cappeau, Kurtis Parks
Prayer for Christ’s Church
We lift up our requests to God knowing that he hears us when we pray.
*Reading of Scripture | Isaiah 1:1; 9:2-7 | Blake Arnoult
God reveals himself and his work and speaks to us his people through his Word.
1:1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
9:2 The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone.
3 You have multiplied the nation;
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
4 For the yoke of his burden,
and the staff for his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire.
6 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.
7 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.
Pastor: The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God
The Preaching of the Word | Blake Arnoult
“The Truth of Light”
Isaiah 9: The Advent of a Great Light
Pastoral Prayer
Sacrament of Communion
Sacraments are visible signs of the invisible grace of God - what Christ does by his Holy Spirit within us. Communion (also called the Lord’s Supper or the Eucharist), as the distribution of the elements of bread and wine, symbolizes a meal. Communion is a sign of fellowship. That sign signifies more than just the future heavenly fellowship that is to come. The outward sign signifies the inner reality that sinners already experience fellowship with God in the Spirit because of Jesus. Communion is not a meal for good people. It functions as a renewing seal to desperate sinners of that fellowship we have with our holy and gracious God.
You will be invited to come forward. If you are not a Christian we encourage you to spend this time in reflection on what you’ve seen and heard in the worship. Children who have not received their first communion are welcome and encouraged to come forward with their families to witness their partaking. We invite children who are ready to make a public profession of faith in Christ to arrange a meeting with the elders, and thus become “communicants” at the Lord’s Table.
Pastor: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Pastor: Lift up your hearts!
People: We lift them up to the Lord.
Pastor: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right to give him thanks and praise.
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Words of Institution
Pastor: Let us proclaim the mystery of the faith:
People: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. Hallelujah!
Pastor: Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed for us. Hallelujah!
People: Therefore, let us keep the feast.
Pastor: The gifts of God for the people of God.
Please let an usher know if it is difficult for you to come forward. We would be happy to serve you at your seat. All communion bread is gluten-free. All communion wine is made from grape juice.
A communion prayer for those searching for the truth:
Lord Jesus, you claim to be the way, the truth and the life. If what you claim is true, please guide me, teach me, and open to me the reality of who you are. Give me the ability to follow you no matter what it might cost me. Give me an understanding for you that is coherent, convincing, and leads to the life that you promise. Amen.
Communion Song | We Three Kings/ O The Deep, Deep Love
We celebrate our communion in faith and song.
We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar.
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder star.
Oh, star of wonder, star of night,
Star of royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect Light.
Born a king on Bethlehem's plain,
Gold I bring to crown Him again,
King forever, ceasing never
Over us all to reign.
Chorus
Frankincense to offer have I.
Incense owns a Deity nigh.
Prayer and praising, voices raising,
Worship Him, God on high.
Chorus
O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean
In its fullness o—ver me!
Underneath me, all around me,
Is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward
To Thy glorious rest above!
Chorus
Music and Lyrics: John Henry Hopkins Jr
Departing Song | Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
We begin to end in faith and song.
Come Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free
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
Day-spring from on high appear
Come thou promised Rod of Jesse
Of Thy birth we long to hear
O'er the hills the angels singing
News glad tidings of a birth
Go to him your praises bringing
Christ the Lord has come to earth
Come to earth 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 Lord of all
Born Thy people to deliver
Born a child and yet a King
Born to reign in us forever
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring
By Thine own eternal spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone
By Thine all sufficient merit
Raise us to Thy glorious throne
Music and Lyrics: Charles Wesley, Mark E Hunt
*Benediction | Revelation 1:4-5 | Blake Arnoult
God sends us out with his blessing. A benediction is not a prayer. We don’t bow our heads. We lift them up and even lift up our hands to receive his blessing as we are sent out as participants in his mission to the city of man.
4 Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Children’s Christmas Party
TODAY! December 11, 11:30am-1pm
Kids and parents, join us for lunch at an awesome Christmas party hosted at the Donovan home today, directly after the worship service!
Christmas Eve Service
December 24, 3-4:30pm
Cornerstone is gathering for our annual Christmas Eve fellowship at 3pm followed by a worship service at 3:30pm. Invite your friends and family to join us!
Spring Calendar is Up!
Check out our spring calendar at cornerstonehouston.com!
Check out our events page to subscribe to our calendar!