December 3, 2017
This is the first week of Advent, the season that includes the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. Advent is a season of waiting and longing, designed to help us cultivate awareness of God’s actions—past, present, and future. While we hear the Messianic prophecies of old and reflect that we have seen them fulfilled in Christ’s first coming, we also hear the prophecies of His second coming and cry out from our hearts for His return! Our series for Advent is called Your Kingdom Come: Gospel Promises from Isaiah. Here’s how you can prepare for week one:
1. Read through our text, Isaiah 11:1–11.
The season of Advent can help Christians to cultivate stale desires and reorient misguided desires. Through promises made in Isaiah—kept through Christ—we want our hearts stirred to long for Jesus above all other things.
2. Read, pray and sing through the service:
CALL TO WORSHIP: From Matthew 6:9–13
O Come, O Come Emmanuel (John Neale, Henry Coffin, arr. Chichi Agorom, The Christian Year)
Come Thou Fount (Robert Robinson, John Wyeth)
CONFESSION OF SIN: From Scotty Smith’s Every Season Prayers
Dear heavenly Father, as we begin the season of Advent,
we rejoice in the gift of Your Son, Jesus—
Immanuel, God with us and God for us.
Even as we trust in His finished work,
we long for the fullness of Jesus’ kingdom.
Until that day, grant us power to grow in the love of Christ.
For we are weak and foolishly prone
to look to people, places, and things to fill us up.
Grant us grace to mature in the likeness of Jesus.
For we are broken, and we cannot change our hearts,
left to our own resources.
Grant us joy in living to the praise of Your glory.
For we are deceived, and we spend too much energy
living for comfort and the approval of people.
Have mercy on us, O Lord; have mercy on me.
In Jesus’ loving and trustworthy name we pray.
Amen.
Lord I Need You (Carson, Maher, Nockels, Reeves, Stanfill)
Oh Praise The Name (Anástasis) (Benjamin Hastings, Marty Sampson, Dean Ussher)
ASSURANCE OF PARDON: 1 Corinthians 1:4–9
GREETING, SERMON, & COMMUNION
RESPONSE: Song & Prayer
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus (Charles Wesley)
Build My Life (Younker, Martin, Kable, Redman, Barrett)