Audlem Baptist Church Online Service for
the
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Surprising
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IntroductionFor those
of us in church, today is our Gift Service.
We have the Christmas tree up and decorated and the toys and gifts
that we receive will all go to the Crewe Salvation Army Christmas Appeal. This is
the second week of Advent, which is traditionally when we think about Jesus’s
birth in Bethlehem and the candle is sometimes called the ‘Bethlehem Candle’. In some liturgies Jesus’s birth is a sign
of God’s LOVE and in others it is
a fulfilment of Isaiah’s words that he is the Prince of PEACE. Peace is a ‘hot
topic’ today in our violent world. But
peace was also the experience of Joseph and Mary as they awaited the birth of
their Son. Day and night they waited,
steadfast, unfaltering in prayer and quietness. Probably scared and shaken--
but grounded in faith and inner peace. This theme of peace and love fits well with our
message today, which again comes from Twin Lakes Church in Santa Cruz in
California, which is a church I have visited many times over the years. The pastor is René Schlaepfer and, if you have watched our online services
before you will have met him already.
His mother was Swiss and he has heard all about Audlem Baptist Church
because I have mentioned us to him. We will
watch the sermons he gave one year ago for Advent 2023. |
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Prayers on
the Second Sunday in Advent Heavenly Father, You are the God who gives peace. During this
second week of Advent, cause us to remember that because of Jesus we can
experience a Christmas free from turmoil and chaos. Regardless of our
circumstances or our situations, you offer us peace that passes all our understanding. That first Christmas, when you sent your
Son, you sent the one described as Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Even the angels cried out, ‘Glory to
God in the Highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour
rests.’ The angels knew your purposes. They knew the gifts of hope, peace,
joy, and love that Christmas holds. They recognized that the fullness of God
was wrapped in the tiny flesh of an infant as you humbled yourself and dwelt
among us. Emmanuel. God with us as the
baby Jesus. Amen. |
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Song: Thorns in the Straw (Since
the Day the Angel Came) This
Graham Kendrick song starts with Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem and reflects on
the fact that they could not possibly have imagined how their lives would
change since the day the angel came.
And the video features a thread that goes on and on from the manger to
the cross. Some of these same thoughts
will crop up later in the message for today.
Our own lives can be thought of as a ‘journey’ that is a continuous
thread that takes many twists and turns. Click here to play
the video. |
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Bible Readings Please have your Bible or Bible App
ready and o
From the Old Testament please read Isaiah chapter 9 verse 3 and verses 6 to 9. o From the New Testament please read Luke chapter 2 verses 8 to 20. Now
before we listen to the message turn to Matthew chapter 2. |
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The
Message: Surprising News René starts his message by
making reference to their harvest Food Bank appeal and they too were having
their special Gift weekend – on a much larger scale than ours! Click here to watch the video.
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Prayers As you
watched the message today was
there a moment when you sensed the Holy Spirit speaking directly to you? Then tell Jesus about it. Or maybe you simply had a ‘lightbulb’
moment which you would like to thank God for. Spend a
few moments to thank God for all
his goodness to you in the last week. Spend a
few minutes in confession. Take a
few minutes to pray for others who you feel burdened
for. If you have received the Church
Email, it will give you some suggestions. Now spend
a few moments praying for the fellowship of the church to which we belong and
its witness to friends, family,
neighbours, the young and the old, and to the wider world. |
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Song: From the Squalor of a
Borrowed Stable This is a great song to follow the message for today. Like the first song, it traces the story
through the years but this time from Jesus’s first coming in the manger to
his second coming in glory. Click here to watch the video. |
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A Benediction to Close [ From 1
Thessalonians 5 verse 23 in ‘The Message’ ] May God himself, the God who makes
everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit,
soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ.
The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it! Amen |
