Welcome and Announcements

Prelude: Larghetto George Frideric Handel Tom Jackson, violin; Colin Howland, piano

Call to Worship: Psalm 9:1–2

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.

I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

Doxology Lasst Uns Erfreuen

Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise him, all creatures here below; alleluia, alleluia!
Praise him above, ye heav’nly host; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Invocation

Hymn 208: O Come, All Ye Faithful Adeste Fideles

Text: John Francis Wade (1751)

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
come and behold him born the King of angels;

Refrain
O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.

God of God, Light of Light;
lo, he abhors not the Virgin’s womb;
very God, begotten, not created; (Refrain)

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,
sing, all ye citizens of heav’n above;
glory to God in the highest; (Refrain)

Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning:
Jesus, to thee be all glory giv’n;
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing; (Refrain)

Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into ­­heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

Scripture Reading: John 16:25–33

25 “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.” 29 His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! 30 Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.” 31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. 33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Multilingual Prayer

Hymn 218: Angels from the Realms of Glory Regent Square

Text: James Montgomery (1816)

Angels, from the realms of glory, wing your flight o'er all the earth;
ye who sang creation's story, now proclaim Messiah's birth;

Refrain
Come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ, the newborn King.

Shepherds in the fields abiding, watching o'er your flocks by night,
God with man is now residing, yonder shines the infant Light: (Refrain)

Sages, leave your contemplations, brighter visions beam afar;
seek the great Desire of nations; ye have seen his natal star: (Refrain)

Saints before the altar bending, watching long in hope and fear,
suddenly the Lord, descending, in his temple shall appear: (Refrain)

All creation, join in praising God the Father, Spirit, Son;
evermore your voices raising to th'eternal Three in One: (Refrain)

Offering Prayer

(In person offerings may be made via the oak boxes. Give online at tenth.org/give or mail checks to:
1701 Delancey Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103)

Offertory: O Holy Night Adolphe Charles Adams Joe Park, baritone; Colin Howland, piano

Sermon Passage: John 1:14-18

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”)
16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.

Sermon: The Word Became Flesh Rev. John

Hymn 214: Angels We Have Heard on High Gloria

Traditional French Carol

Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o'er the plains,
and the mountains in reply echo back their joyous strains.

(Refrain)
Gloria in excelsis Deo. gloria in excelsis Deo.

Shepherds, why this jubilee? Why your joyous strains prolong?
Say what may the tidings be, which inspire your heav'nly song? (Refrain)

Come to Bethlehem and see him whose birth the angels sing;
come, adore on bended knee Christ the Lord, the newborn King. (Refrain)

Benediction

Postlude: Sussex Carol arr. Stephen Nielson Colin Howland, piano
Scripture quotations are from the ESV®Bible, copyright©2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Hymn lyrics used by permission: CCLI# 2486853