Carol Service - Coming Home for Christmas

Amen. Amen.

Amen. Amen.

Amen. Amen.

Amen. Amen.

Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. It's lovely to see the church so full for this special night where we're celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.

A very warm welcome to you all and especially if this is your first time into Bethel and a special welcome to you we're so pleased that you're here to join with us.

My name's Mike and I'll be leading you through the first part of the service. But just to point out, if you need the bathroom facilities at all, you just go through the door there, straight across, on the other side there, you'll see it when you go out there.

Please stay when we finish the service. We've got coffee and tea and soft drinks and some mince pies, you'll be pleased to hear.

Which will be served from the side there. Let me explain what we're going to be doing tonight, just if you're a bit unfamiliar with carol services.

We are going to be singing a number of carols. And when the carols come up on the screen, I won't be announcing each carol, but when you see the words come up and the band starts playing, then just stand and sing your heart out.

That's what we want to do tonight. We've got a special appearance by the Bethel Choir, which haven't performed since this time last year. So it'll be great to hear them.

And then our pastor, Johan, is going to be speaking a Christmas message to us a bit later on. So we look forward to that as well.

So it's great, isn't it? Christmas is a time of giving and receiving. I'm getting on in years, you know. And I've, on occasions over my past sort of 50 years or so, I've been given gifts of a pair of socks, or, you know, several pairs of socks.

And I just haven't needed them. But I can tell you, this year I really need a pair of socks. So if anybody is out there or online, feels very generous, they can send me a pair of socks.

I'll be so grateful. So it's a time of giving and receiving. But tonight, to be serious, we are celebrating the greatest gift of all that this world has ever known.

And that is the gift of the Lord Jesus Christ. And you might wonder why we Christians get so excited about Christmas. Well, it is because of this gift.

Jesus not only brings forgiveness and joy and peace into our lives, but think about this. He gives us eternal life. And particularly when you get to my age, you begin to think about things like that.

And, yeah, we need to be ready, don't we? And that's the gift, the free gift of eternal life for us all. And we'll be hearing a bit more about that later on. Anyway, without any more ado, we shall start off with our first carol, Once in Royal David's City.

Before we do that, let me pray. Almighty God, our loving Heavenly Father, we thank you that we can come here together, in this room, just to worship you.

We thank you, our Father, for sending your son, your only son, into this world. And you sent him here to save us, to rescue us, to give us eternal life.

And so we want to really celebrate his birth this Christmas. We pray that we'll be able to shut out some of the other things that are going on, all the wonderful things we do at Christmas, with our families and our friends, and all the wonderful things we have to eat, and the presents that we give and receive.

But most of all, Lord, we just want tonight to focus on the Lord Jesus Christ and what he has done for us as we worship him together. So do come by your spirit among us tonight, we pray.

And may we each know your presence among us. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. Okay, so let's stand to sing our first carol, Once in Royal David City.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Amen. Amen. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

May your word to me be fulfilled. Then the angel left her. And Mary said, Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.

How my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour. For he took notice of me, his lowly servant. And from now on all people will call me blessed.

For the mighty one is holy and mighty. And he has done great things for me. He shows mercy from generation to generation to all those who fear him.

His mighty arm has done tremendous things. He has scattered the proud and haughty. He has exalted the humble.

He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty handed.

He has helped his servant Israel and remembered to be merciful. For he made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever.

. . Thank you.

Thank you.

Your name is the highest, your name is the greatest, your name stands above them all.

All stripes and dominions, all powers and positions, your name stands above them all.

And the angels cry, glory, all creation cry. Glory, you are lifted high.

Glory, glory forever. Glory, you are lifted high.

Sing a song forever to the Lamb. May you walk in fear and may you let it be.

Sing a song forever to the Lamb. Sing a song forever to the Lamb.

When the angels cry, glory, all creation cry. Glory, you are lifted high.

Glory, glory forever. Sing a song forever. Hear your people sing.

Glory. To the King of kings. Glory. You will always be. Glory. Glory. You will always be. Glory.

Glory. Glory forever. Glory, glory, glory forever. Glory, glory forever. Your name is the highest Your name is the greatest Your name stands above them all Of growth and dominion Of power and position Your name stands above them all And the angels cry Glory!

O creation cry Glory! You are lifted high Glory!

Glory forever! Hear people sing Glory!

To the King of Kings Glory! You will always be Glory!

Glory forever! Take care!

Thank you.

In those days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria, and everyone went to their own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem, the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

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He can dream and sing, the silence of the night. The angels' faces shining, we never lost in sight.

Who were hurt and killed all over you, the very beautiful night.

Who Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all about.

The mortal sea, the angels in the water, the golden sky.

The Lord is not to the heaven, the King of Holy Ghost.

How gracious to you, Lord, the King, and peace to all the world.

Silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is here. So God, it comes to you and us, the blessings of His name.

Oh, hear, hear His love, He'll touch in this world of sin.

Where He shall to receive His name, the dear Christ entered Him.

O Holy child of Mary, He'll send you us today.

The Lord is not to the heaven of Mary, the Lord is not to the heaven of Mary.

He is the Savior, the King of Mary, the King of Mary.

O come to us, the Lord is not to the heaven of Mary.

The shepherds find Jesus. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over the flocks at night.

An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. And they were terrified. But the angel said to them, do not be afraid.

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 and the Lord. This will be a sign to you. You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Suddenly, a great company of the heavenly host appeared, with the angel praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those whom he's favored and that rests.

When the angel had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let's go down to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told to them about this child.

And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Amen. . . .

Thank you.

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Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. In my journey of me.

We're going to have our last carol, and then please stay for some refreshments. There you go. Oh, come all you faithful.

You couldn't do a carol service without this. Thank you.

Thank you.

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Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. We pray now that you will be with us as we go through this Christmas season and help us to remember what you have done for us.

We pray these things in the precious name of Jesus. Amen. Amen. Okay, so please be seated. Just to let you know that there's a Christmas Eve family celebration on Tuesday evening for kids.

And as Keith said in here this morning, children have come dressed up in Christmassy stuff. And it's optional for adults.

Christmas Day service, what we like to get together at the beginning of the day to remember why we're celebrating Christmas. And as any of you, as a result of what you've heard this evening, some questions have arisen in your mind about what is all this Christian stuff about?

Well then, there is an opportunity to go down to Vinyard Church in January week by week and just hear. And have it explained in a bit more detail what it means to trusting God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

So there's an opportunity. But anyway, here we go. Do stay for a refreshment of the chat and another mince pie. Happy Christmas. Happy Christmas.

Thank you. Thank you.