12-24-14 Christmas Eve Worship

The Sweetest Story

FirstB Children

Advent Wreath, The Christ Candle

Kim & Jeff Cooper

The Light of Christmas & Caroling, Caroling

Teddy Snow and daughter & Robin (need her last name from Teddy)

Joy to the World, Away in a Manger

Congregation

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

Megan & Abby Pato

Christmas Offering / O Holy Night

Congregation

Mary, did you know?

Amber Vance & Sandy Hacking

                              “Christmas Eve: The Christ Candle” / Luke 2:1-20

Pastor Jeff Cooper

Be born to me

Heather Etcheverry & Elianne Mae Henken (aka. Baby Jesus)

Candle light service / Silent Night

Congregation

 

A special Thank you to Sandy Hacking and the FirstB Praise Team, Tech Team, our greeters and ushers.

 

Please join us this Sunday at 9:30 am or 11:00 am for a reprise

of a condensed version of “It’s a Wonderful Life – The Musical.”

12-21-14 Fourth Sunday of Advent: The Angel Candle

 

Scripture                                                1 John 1:1-4

          That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched — this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our joy complete.

The Angels of Christmas

Luke 2:8-15  The MESSAGE
          There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David's town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger."  At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's praises: Glory to God in the heavenly heights, Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.  As the angel choir withdrew into heaven

Luke 1:8-20                                   Zechariah’s Angel

It so happened that as Zachariah was carrying out his priestly duties before God, it came his one turn in life to enter the sanctuary of God and burn incense. Unannounced, an angel of God appeared just to the right of the altar of incense. Zachariah was paralyzed in fear. But the angel reassured him, "Don't fear, Zachariah. Your prayer has been heard. Elizabeth, your wife, will bear a son by you. You are to name him John. You're going to leap like a gazelle for joy, and not only you — many will delight in his birth. He'll achieve great stature with God. He'll drink neither wine nor beer. He'll be filled with the Holy Spirit from the moment he leaves his mother's womb. He will turn many sons and daughters of Israel back to their God. He will herald God's arrival in the style and strength of Elijah, soften the hearts of parents to children, and kindle devout understanding among hardened skeptics — he'll get the people ready for God." Zachariah said to the angel, "Do you expect me to believe this? I'm an old man and my wife is an old woman." But the angel said, "I am Gabriel, the sentinel of God, sent especially to bring you this glad news. But because you won't believe me, you'll be unable to say a word until the day of your son's birth. Every word I've spoken to you will come true on time — God's time."

 Luke 1:26-38                                         Mary’s Angel

In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to the Galilean village of Nazareth to a virgin engaged to be married to a man descended from David. His name was Joseph, and the virgin's name, Mary. Upon entering, Gabriel greeted her: Good morning! You're beautiful with God's beauty, Beautiful inside and out! God be with you.  She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that. But the angel assured her, "Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus. He will be great, be called 'Son of the Highest. 'The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David; He will rule Jacob's house forever — no end, ever, to his kingdom." Mary said to the angel, "But how? I've never slept with a man." The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the Highest hover over you; Therefore, the child you bring to birth will be called Holy, Son of God. "And did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conceived a son, old as she is? Everyone called her barren, and here she is six months' pregnant! Nothing, you see, is impossible with God." And Mary said, Yes, I see it all now: I'm the Lord's maid, ready to serve. Let it be with me just as you say. Then the angel left her.

Matthew 1:18-25                                   Joseph’s Angel

Joseph, engaged to Mary, discovered was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn't know that.) Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced. While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God's angel spoke in the dream: "Joseph, son of David, don't hesitate to get married. Mary's pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God's Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus — 'God saves' — because he will save his people from their sins." Joseph woke up and did exactly what God's angel commanded in the dream: He married Mary and named the baby Jesus.

Angelic warning to the Wise Men and Joseph about Herod

Matthew 2:11-12

Overcome, the scholars from the East knelt and worshiped the infant king. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh. In a dream, they were warned not to report back to Herod. So they worked out another route, left the territory without being seen, and returned to their own country.

Matthew 2:13-15

After the scholars were gone, God's angel showed up again in Joseph's dream and commanded, "Get up. Take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt. Stay until further notice. Herod is on the hunt for this child, and wants to kill him." Joseph obeyed. He got up, took the child and his mother under cover of darkness. They were out of town and well on their way by daylight. They lived in Egypt until Herod's death.

Matthew 2:19-22

Later, when Herod died, God's angel appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt: "Up, take the child and his mother and return to Israel. All those out to murder the child are dead." Joseph obeyed. He got up, took the child and his mother, and reentered Israel.

           Interesting that the church in the Americas did not widely celebrate the birth of Jesus until recent times; while the biblical account shows angels intervening with a message on 7 occasions. That is huge. Angels are messengers – There is a message to tell – and the church is God’s angelic messenger today.  We need to proclaim the Christ-mass event from the roof tops.  WHY?

Here the rest of 1 John 1 -

1 John 1:5-10

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.  If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.  If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.      1 John 1:1-2     That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched — this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.

          DON’T MISS THIS: JESUS WAS BORN, SO THAT WE COULD BE RE-BORN

John 3:3-21

Jesus told Nicodemus, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.  Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. "How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.  Jesus answered “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.  "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”

      Let me make it simple – here is what the angels came to tell us – that God’s son was born so we could be reborn – and here is what being reborn looks like:

 ‘Twas the Fight Before Christmas
       By Tony Cooke and David Beebe

‘Twas the fight before Christmas,
And all through the house,
Not a creature was peaceful,
Not even my spouse.
The bills were strung out on our table with dread,
In hopes that our checkbook would not be in the red.
The children were fussing and throwing a fit,
When Billy came screaming and cried, "I’ve been bit."
And Momma with her skillet, and I with the remote,
She said, "You change one more channel and I’ll grab your throat."
When on the TV there arose such a clatter,
I sat up on the couch to see what was the matter.
When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
The cable was out, it was my worst fear.
"The Cowboys, the Celtics, the Raiders, the Knicks,
Without the sports channel I’d soon need a fix!"
And then in the midst of my grievous sorrow,
I remembered the times I had promised, "tomorrow…"
"Not now, my children, but at some soon time,
Dad will play with you, and things will be fine."
Now under conviction, I looked at my wife,
Where was my kindness? Why all the strife?
My heart quickly softened; I now saw my task,
Some love and attention was all they had asked.
I gathered my family and called them by name,
And told them with God’s help I’d not be the same.
We’ll keep Christ in Christmas and honor His plan.
No more fights before Christmas – on that we will stand.
My children’s eyes twinkled; they squealed with delight.
My wife gladly nodded; she knew I was right.
It was the fight before Christmas, but God’s love had come through,
And just like He does, He made all things new.

12-14-14 Third Sunday of Advent: The Shepherd Candle

1 John 4:13-16

          We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

Luke 2:8-20     (NIV)

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

          Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." 15 When the angels had left them and gone into 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 they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

When in scripture do you see a multitude of angels announcing anything to a group of people? We see the multitude of angels in heaven singing praise to God in eternity.  By eyewitness account when else other than to announce God coming into the world have you heard of angels announcing anything?  I can’t think of any – Angels, one or a few have appeared and usually to an individual – but a multitude to a group – I can’t think of any.

Since creation this was the most important event in the history of the world – and as God spoke in the beginning, so God now speaks with a LOUD voice to announce world redemption to the group of people he thought could best deliver His message – shepherds.

Understanding by having the mind of Christ

1 Corinthians 2:9-16     (The MESSAGE)

That's why we have this Scripture text:

No one's ever seen or heard anything like this,

Never so much as imagined anything quite like it —

What God has arranged for those who love him.

          10 But you've seen and heard it because God by his Spirit has brought it all out into the open before you.  The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along. Who ever knows what you're thinking and planning except you yourself? The same with God — except that he not only knows what he's thinking, but he lets us in on it. God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us. We don't have to rely on the world's guesses and opinions. We didn't learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it from God, who taught us person-to-person through Jesus, and we're passing it on to you in the same firsthand, personal way.

          14 The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can't receive the gifts of God's Spirit. There's no capacity for them. They seem like so much silliness. Spirit can be known only by spirit — God's Spirit and our spirits in open communion. Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God's Spirit is doing, and can't be judged by unspiritual critics. 16 Isaiah's question, "Is there anyone around who knows God's Spirit, anyone who knows what he is doing?" has been answered: Christ knows, and we have Christ's Spirit.

          Every Christmas season we talk about the shepherd’s low position on the societal totem pole.  It is true. The shepherds were not held in high esteem, they were not wealthy, they were not invited to the “in” parties.

Sheep raised on the hillsides around Bethlehem may well have been destined for temple sacrifices in Jerusalem, only six miles to the north.  Jeremias describes a shepherd's life: "The dryness of the ground made it necessary for the flocks of sheep to move about and to stay for months at a time in isolated areas, far from the owner's home. Hence, herding sheep was an independent and responsible job; in view of the threat of wild beasts and robbers, it could even be dangerous.

Some of Israel's great heroes were shepherds -- Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David. Both Psalm 23 and Jesus compare God's care to that of a Good Shepherd. But in the First Century, it seems, shepherds had a rather unsavory reputation. Shepherds were not allowed to fulfill a judicial office or be admitted in court as witnesses.  A midrash on Psalm 23:2 reads, "There is no more disreputable occupation than that of a shepherd."  Philo, a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher of Alexandria (25 BC - 45 AD), wrote about looking after sheep and goats, "Such pursuits are held mean and inglorious.”

The shepherds to whom the angels appeared were from a despised class.  "Keeping watch" is a combination of two related Greek words. The verb is phulasso, "to carry out sentinel functions, watch, guard.” The noun is phulake, "the act of guarding." Together they carry the idea of "keep watch, do guard duty." The shepherds made sure that the sheep were safe from wandering off and injuring themselves, as well as dangers from thieves and wolves.

How would the shepherds know that the angel's message is true?

"This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." (2:12)  "Sign" is the Greek noun semeion, "a sign or distinguishing mark whereby something is known, sign, token, indication." The sign consists of two elements. The baby is:

Wrapped in cloths, and

Lying in a manger.       (Amber & Sandy enter)

"Baby" is the Greek noun brephos, "a very small child, baby, infant." The phrase "wrapped in swaddling clothes" (KJV) or "cloths" (NIV) translates the Greek verb sparganoo, "to wrap in pieces of cloth used for swaddling infants, wrap up in cloths." These were "strips of cloth like bandages, wrapped around young infants to keep their limbs straight". There is nothing unique about being a baby being wrapped this way. There were likely other babies in Bethlehem wrapped in cloths that night. However, the second sign was that the newborn would be found in a manger -- that was unique! The Greek noun is phatne, "manger, crib, feeding-trough." A manager would indicate the location in some kind of stable.

In other words – this baby was like any other baby ever born in the history of the world and this baby is unique among every other baby born in the world – his bed is a feeding trough for animals.

1 John 4:13-16        (Music begin)

We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

MUSIC:   God with us – Amber & Sandy

INVITATION

William Dix wrote a poem called “The Manger Throne” over 100 years ago when Christmas was barely celebrated even in churches. It was eventually added to a tune hundreds of years older called Greensleeves. He wrote the poem from the point of view of strangers walking up to this baby in a manger they had heard about and asking themselves the question – which is now the title of the song: “What child is this?” Do you know him?

12-07-14 Second Sunday of Advent: The Bethlehem Candle

1 John 4:4-12

          You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.  We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

          Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

If there is a subject that has been historically near and dear to the hearts of believers through the centuries it is the return of Jesus Christ. Without a doubt the return of Christ is going to be an exciting event! Through the years there’s been a lot of debate about it. There’ve been false Christs, false prophecies, false teachings, date setters and more, but they’ve all been wrong. Some people spend their entire lives trying to figure out everything they can about the end times and the second coming of Jesus. They’ve got charts and graphs and a storehouse of Scriptures memorized. They can debate the debaters. They can tell you who the two witnesses will be, where the antichrist lives and what the bride’s going to eat for dinner, but I’ll have to right here: I’m not one of them. I don’t mind telling you I don’t have it all figured out. As far as I’m concerned, I have enough concern for today – wait the bible tells us to live one day at a time – Phil 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

That is not to say don’t study end times scripture, don’t learn all you can about the return of Christ – we need to know that we HAVE a future – so that we can live today – in light of eternity.  How do we do that – by realizing that we were born out of town.

Where were you born? What were the circumstances around your birth?  I was born 8-23-1959. To Phyllis & Richard Cooper.

I was born at Mt Carmel West.

It was the hottest part of summer

Dad was a sweeper salesman and my mom was a stay at home mom.

Dr. Chosy & Dr. Buttler

Parents not in a good relationship – dad gone most of the time.

Very middle class – Columbus West side – much like twin falls.

Georgian Heights  /  585  /  house  /  baseball  / red rover & Red light green light & mother may I and capture the flag.

          I love my upbringing – I love where I lived – I get home sick for it.  But that is not my home – I was born out of town.  My home is in heaven – Georgian Heights in Columbus Ohio, Elgin Illinois, Kansas City Kansas, Mt Vernon and New Albany Ohio, Twin Falls, Idaho – none of them are my permenant residence – my address is in God’s Kingdom located in the only place a person can live forever – HEAVEN.

          How do I know that, because I know the only person who can take me there and I can relate to him because he too was born out of town.

BETHLEHEM

The city of Bethlehem, located about six miles southwest of Jerusalem, is the birthplace of our Savior Jesus Christ. Meaning "house of bread," Bethlehem was also the renowned City of David. It was there in young David's hometown that the prophet Samuel anointed him to be king over Israel (1 Samuel 16:1-13).

And in Micah 5, the prophet foretold that Messiah would come from the small and seemingly insignificant town of Bethlehem:  Micah 5:2–5   But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past. The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies until the woman in labor gives birth... And he will stand to lead his flock with the LORD’s strength, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. Then his people will live there undisturbed, for he will be highly honored around the world. And he will be the source of peace...

          Jesus should have been born in Nazareth – the home town of Mary and Joseph. (Census)

Luke 2:4-7

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Bethlehem was an unimportant village with some important Biblical people associated with it. Naomi and Ruth (a Moabite through whom Jesus comes) they go to live in Bethlehem.

Jacob’s wife Rachel was buried in Bethlehem.

Jesse of Bethlehem had 7/8 sons – the last was a boy named David whom Samuel anointed as the second king of Israel.

          As unimportant as Bethlehem was, some important people were already associated with it when the most important person ever was born there – but remember he too was born out of town – OH I DON’T MEAN NAZERETH TO BETHLEHEM!  I MEAN HEAVEN TO EARTH.  Jesus was born WAY out of town. Don’t live beneath your privilege.  God has a greater home you were originally designed for but you chose to design your own home – How is that working for you?  Come, come home, Jesus is waiting – come home.

The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world.  We are from God – and our home is with Him!