Luke 1:39-45 / David VanAcker

39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

This Sunday is, as I hope you know, the first Sunday of Advent. And Advent, as I hope you know, refers to the four weeks leading up to Christmas, set aside to help us prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth and anticipate His return.

We want to help you with those things—preparation, celebration, and anticipation. One of the ways we plan to do so this year is by preaching through some of the songs (or poetic utterings) in Luke’s Gospel concerning the coming and glory of Jesus Christ.

With that, the big idea of this sermon is that experiencing the true significance of the incarnation is a miraculous gift from God. The main takeaways are to immerse ourselves in the truths concerning Jesus’ birth and the poetry that celebrates it, and with those things, prayerfully seek God’s help in responding as we ought.

Service Order

Welcome
Exhortation
Assurance of Pardon
    Hark The Herald Angels Sing
Reading – Psalm 71
    Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me)
    Turn Your Eyes
Offering
Sermon
    Who Is He In Yonder Stall
    Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
Benediction

Memory Verse

Psalm 84:10-11 [12] [For] a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. ¹¹For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. [¹²O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!]

Service Times

Prayer
8:30-8:45am
Sunday School
9:00am-10:00am
Worship Service
10:30am-Noon

Berea

In Berea, the adults will continue to work through the whole Bible, this week we will look at the book of Romans. Sunday School (kids ages 2-12) and Berea (kids 12+ and adults) take place at 9am on Sunday.