1. Bayshore Gardens Community Church B elieving, Again G aining Hope C aring Relationships C hrist Jesus

2. WE EXTEND A WARM WELCOME TO MEMBERS, REGULAR ATTENDERS, and THOSE VISITING TODAY. If you are visiting with us, we welcome you to our church! You are no longer a stranger for you are with the people of God.

3. TODAY IS THE THIRD SUNDAY OF THE ADVENT SEASON You are invited to pick up a copy of the handout entitled HEROD THE GREAT which gives helpful detail about the Roman-appointed King of Judea when Jesus was born

4. WE EXTEND A WARM WELCOME TO MEMBERS, REGULAR ATTENDERS, and THOSE VISITING TODAY. If you are visiting with us, we welcome you to our church! You are no longer a stranger for you are with the people of God.

5. WE INVITE YOU TO SIGN THE ATTENDANCE PAD so that we may celebrate your presence with us today! Please pass it on to the next person and then back down the row

6. Please Take Your Bulletins Home With You and Read the Announcements We invite you to take advantage of the many opportunities for fellowship and service

7. Bayshore Gardens Community Church B elieving, Again G aining Hope C aring Relationships C hrist Jesus

8. THE CALL TO WORSHIP [ Pastor / CONGREGATION ] John 1:1-5; 29b, 34 In the beginning was the Word, AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD, and the Word was God. HE WAS WITH GOD IN THE BEGINNING; through him all things were made; IN HIM WAS LIFE and that Life was the light of all people WHICH SHINES IN THE DARKNESS.

9. But the darkness has not understood it. BEHOLD, THE LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKES AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD. We have seen and declare to you THAT THIS IS THE SON OF GOD!

10. THE OPENING HYMN #278 ‘ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH’ [ All who are able please stand ]

11. (1) Angels we have heard on high, Sweetly singing o’er the plains And the mountains in reply, Echo back their joyous strains. Glo---------------------------ria In excelsis Deo, Glo---------------------------ria In excelsis Deo.

12. (2) Shepherds, why this jubilee? Why your joyous strains prolong? Say what may the tidings be Which inspire your heavenly song? Glo---------------------------ria In excelsis Deo, Glo---------------------------ria In excelsis Deo.

13. (3) Come to Bethlehem and see Him whose birth the angels sing; Come adore on bended knee Christ the Lord, the newborn King. Glo---------------------------ria In excelsis Deo, Glo---------------------------ria In excelsis Deo.

14. (4) See within a manger laid Jesus, Lord of heav’n and earth. Mary, Joseph lend your aid, With us sing our Savior’s birth. Glo---------------------------ria In excelsis Deo, Glo---------------------------ria In excelsis Deo.

15. LIGHTING OUR ADVENT CANDLE

16. SILENT PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING AND CONFESSION THE ASSURANCE OF PARDON Galatians 1:3-5 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins according to the will of our God and Father, to Whom be glory for ever.

17. #250 ‘O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM’ Verses 1 & 4 only O little town of Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie! Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by. Yet in thy dark streets shineth The everlasting Light; The hopes and dreams of all the years Are met in thee tonight.

18. O holy Child of Bethlehem, Descend on us, we pray. Cast out our sin and enter in; Be born in us today. We hear the Christmas angels The great glad tidings tell O come to us, abide with us, Our Lord Emmanuel.

20. A TIME OF SHARING WITH GOD’S CHILDREN OF ALL AGES

21. THE HOLY SCRIPTURE Luke 2:15-20 When the angels left the shepherds and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let's go 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 the shepherds had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child.

22. 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. And the shepherds returned to their fields glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. Matthew 2:1-5; 7-12; 16 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?

23. We have seen his star in the east and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this he was jealous of the Child called King of the Jews, and all Jerusalem with him. So he called together all the chief priests and teachers of the law, and asked them where the Christ was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet Isaiah has written.” Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said (in jest), “Go and make a careful search for the Child. As soon as you find Him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship Him.”

24. After the Magi heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the Child was. On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.

25. THE SONG OF PREPARATION #273 GOOD CHRISTIAN FRIENDS, REJOICE!

26. (1) Good Christian friends, rejoice, with heart and soul, and voice; Give you heed to what we say: News! Jesus Christ is born today; Ox and mule before Him bow; and He is in the manger now. Christ is born today!

27. (2) Good Christian friends, rejoice, with heart and soul and voice; Now you hear of endless bliss: Joy! Jesus Christ was born for this! He has ope’d the heavenly door, and we are blest forevermore. Christ was born for this!

28. (3) Good Christian friends, rejoice, with heart and soul and voice; Now you need not fear the grave: Peace! Jesus Christ was born to save! Calls you one and calls you all, to gain His everlasting hall. Christ was born to save!

29. THE SERMON On Which Side Are You? KEY VERSE: Luke 2:20 The shepherds returned to their fields glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. Bayshore Gardens Community Church Dr. Daniel Herlein

32. The birth of Jesus Christ set into motion a clear DIVISION between those who love the Lord and those opposed to Him.

33. Matthew 10:32-36 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

34. For my sake a person may turn against his father. For my sake a daughter may turn against her mother. For my sake a daughter-in- law may turn against her mother-in- law. For my sake a person’s enemies may be the members of his own household.”

35. HEROD THE GREAT (the Roman-appointed King of Judaea)

38. Who do YOU say the Christ ‑ Child is and what will be YOUR response to Him?

39. The birth of Jesus Christ >> confronts us, >> pushes us, >> forces us, >> requires us, to make a decision, a clear, unequivocal, definitive choice. There is no middle ground. ON WHICH SIDE ARE YOU?

40. The Pastoral Prayer and The Lord’s Prayer OUR FATHER, WHO ART IN HEAVEN, HALLOWED BE THY NAME. THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE, ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD, AND FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS AS WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS; AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL. FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM, AND THE POWER, AND THE GLORY FOREVER AMEN.

41. OUR OFFERING As A Tangible Expression Of Our Gratitude To God, We Joyfully Offer Our Monetary Gifts To Financially Support God's Work At Bayshore Gardens Community Church

42. OFFERTORY MUSIC ‘ HE SHALL FEED HIS FLOCK’ (From Handel’s Messiah) Harriet Hoeksema, Organ

43. THE DOXOLOGY Praise God from Whom all blessings flow; Praise Him all creatures here below; Praise Him above ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. AMEN

44. THE CLOSING HYMN ‘JOY TO THE WORLD’ #270 [ All who are able please stand ]

45. (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 heaven and nature sing.

46. (2) 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, Repeat the sounding joy.

47. (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 far as the curse is found.

48. (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, wonders of His love.

49. THE PASTORAL BENEDICTION Go forth from this place as God’s elect and covenant people... …………………………… Go in Peace Go to Serve AMEN RECEPTION FOR JUDY HAZELTON AT 10:05 – FELLOWSHIP HALL

50. Join us for refreshments in the Fellowship Hall