Message Aim: Fourth Sunday of Advent (Christmas Eve)
Sermon Title: “A Light in the Darkness”
Scripture: Colossians 1:15-20
Candle Light Service Synopsis:
Insert: Litany Call to Worship & Prayer
Remembering others with the lighting of personal Altar Candles
In the beginning of God’s relationship with humanity, there was hope, peace, joy and love. The relationship Adam and Eve enjoyed with God in the Garden was perfect. The perfect relationship was corrupted by the introduction of sin into a perfect world. From that point, darkness entered into the world.
Turn the Lights Down
The world walked in the darkness of sin and death. Jesus entered the world at Christmas as the hope we need. Tonight we come to celebrate the coming of Jesus into our world to give us light of hope.
Colossians 1: 15-16
“15 [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God… 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible…; all things were created by him and for him.
Jesus is everything that God is. Jesus uncovers the character of God to an unbelieving world. He brings light to where there was only darkness. When we see Jesus, we see God.
Light First candle – HOPE: followed by singing: “Away in a Manger”
Colossians 1: 15; 17
“15 [Jesus] is … firstborn over all creation…. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
In ancient society, birth order was extremely important. The firstborn was given the place of authority within the household. Jesus has been given a place that has authority over the entire scope of creation. Jesus is supreme and has all authority under heaven and on earth. Jesus will one day be proclaimed as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Light Second Candle – PEACE: followed by singing: “O Little Town of Bethlehem”
Colossians 1: 18
18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
Jesus is the beginning of God’s resurrection work. Jesus is the first to experience the power of the resurrection and because He lives we have Joy. Only Jesus has died and now lives through a bodily resurrection and because He lives we can have life. It is at the name of Jesus that every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord.
Third Candle – JOY: followed by singing: “How Great Our Joy ”
Colossians 1: 19-20
19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him …20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Christ is the personal embodiment of God on earth. Jesus is the ultimate expression of God’s love –He gave Himself for us when we wanted nothing to do with Him. Jesus existed before creation came into being and will exist when time comes to an end. Jesus is God!
Fourth Candle – LOVE: followed by singing: “O How He Loves You and Me”
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”
The name Jesus means God save us. Jesus came to save His people from their sins. The mission of Jesus was to buy us back from the power of sin and death. Christmas and the cross are undeniably linked; one is pointless without the other. We can’t remember and celebrate Jesus’ birth without remembering and honoring His sacrifice.
Fifth Candle – Christ: followed by singing: “Joy to the World”
PRAYER
Candle Lighting Service
John 8:12
“Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”
Jesus came to make all things new. He came to redeem this lost and fallen world. Jesus came to reconcile a corrupt and condemned humanity back to God. Jesus reconciles us with God by restoring the relationship we were created to experience with God.
Isaiah 9:2
This is where Christmas comes in …“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”
John speaks of the life Jesus brings and called it the light to men. Jesus brings a life that is light in the land of the shadow of death. Jesus offers us the choice to step out of the darkness and walk away from the shadow of death. He waits for us to accept His life and walk in His light.
Call to candle lighting service followed by singing “Silent Night”
(As we light our individual candles…)
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