Advent 4B 2020
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The Promise The Fourth Sunday in Advent December 20th + 2020 PRINCE OF PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCH 3415 ERBES RD, THOUSAND OAKS, CA 91362 | WWW.PRINCEOFPEACETO.COM (805) 492-8943 PASTOR NOAH BATER | [email protected] | WISCONSIN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN SYNOD YOUR PLACE TO FIND PEACE! WELCOME Thank you for joining us for this 1me of worship. We extend a special welcome to those who are our guests this morning—both in-person or online. We pray you will be blessed by the message of the living God as He comes to us through His Word of peace. NEW YEAR; NEW SEASON Today is the last Sunday in the season of Advent as we begin a new church year. Advent means “coming near” or “arrival,” and in the season before Christmas we think about how Jesus comes near to us at different 1mes and in many ways. One way we do this is by preparing to celebrate Christ’s first arrival when He came as a humble baby in Bethlehem. We also remember and rejoice that Jesus s:ll comes to us in lowly ways: in His Word, in Holy Bap:sm, and in Holy Communion. Through these humble means, He comes to give us His mercy, forgiveness, peace, and strength. Finally, we eagerly look ahead to when Jesus will come again, not in a humble way, but in glory and with all power at the end of :me. We confess this about Him each week in the Creed: “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.” ADVENT SERIES: THE PROMISE Advent is a 1me of promises. In our families, we may end up making promises about family vaca1ons over the Christmas holiday or promises about items on the Christmas giP list. Sadly, promises oPen get broken. The toy is sold out or too expensive. The family trip can’t happen because of illness. The promise of a “good Christmas” doesn’t seem to hold true. Thankfully, when God makes a promise, he keeps his promises, and his promises do not disappoint. In our worship series for Advent, we will be encouraged by 3 promises from the book of Isaiah. God the Father promised to redeem and protect his children, he promises them comfort and forgiveness, and he promises freedom and joy. Today, we will move forward to the Gospel of Luke to see the greatest promise. The promise of Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary. Jesus Christ is the answer to every promise God has given us! This promise will not disappoint. THE ADVENT CANDLES & WREATH A tradi1on of the Advent season is the ligh1ng of candles on a wreath. Each light reminds us of Jesus who is the Light of the world (John 8:12). Each Sunday in Advent we light an addi1onal candle, providing a visual countdown to the celebra1on of Christ’s first coming in flesh in Bethlehem. On Christmas Eve we will light the center candle, remembering Jesus’ incarna1on and the light of life He brings to the world (John 1:4,9). 2 The Divine Service OPENING HYMN “Dawning Light of Our Salva:on” The season of Advent is a 7me in which we prepare to meet our coming Savior. This new hymn, which we have been singing through the season, beau7fully weaves the various images painted in Isaiah we’ve heard that depict the coming Messiah. 3 INVOCATION MaOhew 28:19 The name of the Triune God and the sign of the cross recall our bap7sm. It is a fiFng and historic Chris7an prac7ce to retrace the sign of the cross when hearing these words. m In the name of the Father and of the Son ✙ and of the Holy Spirit. C: Amen. CONFESSION OF SINS Isaiah 40:3-5; 1 John 1:8-9 This responsive confession and absolu7on for Advent makes use of language from Isaiah 40:3-5, stressing the importance of preparing our hearts to meet the Lord. m Prepare the way for the LORD, C make straight in the desert a highway for our God. m Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. C And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. m Dear friends, one day Christ will come in glory to deliver His people. Therefore, let us prepare our hearts to meet Him by humbly seeking God’s forgiveness. C Almighty and merciful Father, we have strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed what we have devised and desired in our hearts. We have offended you and sinned against your holy law. We have done those things that we should not have done, and we have not done those things that we should have done. Have mercy on us, Lord! Spare us, forgive us, and restore us, according to your promises in Christ Jesus. OUR LORD’S ABSOLUTION John 20:22-23 Because Jesus took away the sins of the world, He authorized His followers to announce His forgiveness to all who repent of their sins. m What God promised long ago through His prophets He has fulfilled in His Son, Jesus Christ, who came in human flesh: Immanuel, God with us. By His perfect life, He fulfilled God’s law. By His innocent death, He paid sin’s penalty. By rising from the grave, He opened heaven’s door. Christ now comes to you through the word of His called servant: I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son ✙ and of the Holy Spirit. C Amen! 4 LIGHTING OF THE ADVENT CANDLE The Advent Wreath is a combina7on of two very common symbols: light and the fir tree. From the early centuries of Chris7anity it has been the prac7ce to represent Christ, the Light of the world, by burning a candle. The also fir tree has a long history of religious use, especially its connec7on with the Christmas tree. The tradi7on began hundreds of years ago among the Lutherans in eastern Germany. A wreath of evergreen branches, made in various sizes, was either suspended from the ceiling or placed on a table. Four candles represen7ng the four Sundays in Advent were fastened to the wreath. Eventually, the use of the Advent Wreath became widespread and moved also from the home into the church. The general symbolism lies in the growing light of the wreath, increasing each week as we approach the celebra7on of our Savior’s birth which brings light and life to the world. m We light four Advent candles remembering Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of Mary. C He came to share our humanity. m We remember Jesus, who came to save His people from their sins. C We light four candles as a sign of our joy and hope. m Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest. C Through your Word and Spirit may our souls be blessed. Amen. The Word THE PRAYER OF THE DAY The Prayers of the Day for the season of Advent date back to the 800s A.D. Each prayer reflects one aspect of this season of prepara7on. m The Lord be with you. C And also with you. m Let us pray. S1r up your power, O Lord, and come. Take away the burden of our sins and make us ready for the celebra1on of your birth, that we may receive you in joy and serve you always; for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C Amen. 5 SCRIPTURE READING 2 Samuel 7:8-16 Through the prophet Nathan, the Lord makes an amazing promise to David: his son will build a house for the Lord and establish a never-ending throne. This prophecy is partly fulfilled in David’s son, Solomon, who would build the temple. Ul7mately, it is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who is David’s Greater Son. 8 “Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the LORD Almighty says: I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth. 10 And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning 11 and have done ever since the 1me I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies. “‘The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you: 12 When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. 15 But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you.