Glory of Christ Fellowship

The Word of God Will Stand Forever Isaiah 40:6-8 December 31, 2016 Sermon Notes What’s the most important thing you learned from today’s sermon? From Isaiah 40:6-8? How has this sermon helped you to grow in love for God and others? What’s the most important thing Jesus would have you do in light of this sermon? Take some time to worship Jesus. Thank him, praise him, and ask for his help as you seek to strive with other believers for the faith of the gospel.

Announcements—December 31, 2016 Reminder: NO SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP Service on January 1, 2017. Sunday School Schedule into 2017: All Sunday school classes will not meet again until January 15. Agape Meal Next Sunday, January 8 : After the communion service next week, we will share a meal together. See the back of the announcements for details about the Agape Meal. All-Church Quarterly Prayer Meeting Wednesday, January 11: Join us for our quarterly prayer meeting at the Handke Center from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. We will pray for all Glory of Christ ministries to bear fruit in 2017 and the upcoming trip to Romania for Pastor Charlie and Ethan Larson. Child care will be provided. GCF Annual Business Meeting Sunday, January 15 at 6 p.m.: We will meet at the Fergus' home. Members are asked to attend while all attendees are welcome. Wednesday Morning Prayer Meeting : Anyone who would like to join in corporate prayer may do so. The prayer time is 6:00 a.m. to 7:0...

Ask and It Will be Given to You By Pastor Charlie Over the last several weeks we’ve been meditating on the question, why must we ask of Jesus in prayer? I have suggested eight answers to this question which you can find on my blog at bornoftheword.blogspot.com. For now, I’d like to turn our attention to the promises Jesus makes to those who will in fact ask of him by faith. We begin this six-week journey with the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:7-11. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” The promise Jesus makes in these verses is ext...

The Root and Descendant of David Matthew 1:1-17 December 24, 2016 Sermon Notes  1. What’s the most important thing you learned from today’s sermon? From Matthew 1:1-17, Psalms 2, 16, 22, 110, and Revelation 22:16? 2. How has this sermon helped you to grow in love for God and others? 3. What’s the most important thing Jesus would have you do in light of this sermon? 4. Take some time to worship Jesus. Thank him, praise him, and ask for his help as you seek to strive with other believers for the faith of the gospel.

Announcements - December 24, 2016 Reminder: NO SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP Services on December 25, 2016 and January 1, 2017. Sunday School Schedule into 2017: All Sunday school classes will not meet again until January 15. Wednesday Morning Prayer Meeting : Anyone who would like to join in corporate prayer may do so. The prayer time is 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. at the church office. Next Week’s Fighter Verse You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23:5-6

Why Must We Ask of Jesus in Prayer? Part III By Pastor Charlie In John 15:7-8, Jesus promised, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you . By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (emphasis mine). Over the last two weeks we have seen that this promise assumes something very basic but extremely important, namely, that we must ask of Christ in prayer or our prayers cannot be answered. I see at least eight reasons why Jesus commands us to ask of him, five of which I have shared over the last two weeks. Specifically, I have said that we must ask of Jesus in prayer (1) because he commanded us to do so, (2) because we’re in a relationship with him and communication is key to the health of any relationship, (3) because it teaches us childlike dependence upon him, (4) because it teaches us to think, feel, and ask like Jesus, and (5) because it teaches us how to counsel and bles...

Sing: Silent Night Reading: Luke 2:15-21 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. Summary (for your preparation): Awe and wonder are really the themes of this section. The shepherds naturally respond to the invitation of the angels (tough to see them passing this one up). ...

Sing: Hark the Herald Angels Sing Reading: Luke 2:10-14 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Summary (for your preparation): Jesus is the Savior who would save his people from their sins. This bears repeating, Jesus is the Savior who would bring his people into peace with the living God. Sin has brought with it many horrible consequences but none are greater than separation from the living God! Being at peace with God is the point of human existence, the very thing sin ravages. The gift of salvation in Christ is that we who a...

Sing: The First Noel Reading: Luke 2:8-12 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” Summary (for your preparation):  Once again, this isn't the way I would have done it. If I were sovereign I would have provided a better place for Jesus to be born. If I were God I would not have told the shepherds in the fields first about the birth of Jesus...good thing I am not God. God does tell the shepherds first. Normally they would be last. They were the lowliest, the most insignificant and le...

Sing: O Come, O Come Emanuel Reading: Luke 2:1-7 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Summary (for your preparation): Caesar Augustus was the first emperor of Rome after it ceased being a republic. Many believe he was also the best of the emperors. Augustus, which means "exalted," was a title that the Senate voted on as he took office in 27 B.C. Th...

Sing: Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee Reading: Luke 1:67-80 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall vis...

Sing: Go Tell It On The Mountain Reading: Luke 1:57-66 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.   Summary (f...

Sing: Angels We Have Heard On High Reading: Luke 1:46-56  And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home. Summary (for your preparation):  This song of Mary is so rich we can do at least one more day ...

Sing: Angels We Have Heard On High Reading: Luke 1:46-56 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home. Summary (for your preparation): Consider this insight from John MacArthur: "Mary re...

Sing: Silent Night Reading: Luke 1:43-45 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” Summary (for your preparation):  Did you hear that? Did you hear what Elizabeth called Jesus? Listen closely: ... the mother of my Lord.  Mary was Jesus' mother, which means the unborn infant was already the reigning king...and this isn't premature on Elizabeth's part. The writer of Silent Night, Josef Mohr, said Jesus was lord at his birth... technically, he was Lord in the womb (but we know what he meant). Elizabeth, by the Holy Spirit, sees the beauty of Christ and bows down in humble adoration. How does she know so much about Jesus and have so much understanding about who he is already? It is a wonder! Nevertheless, she says Jesus is my Lord . Jesu...

Sing: What Child Is This? Reading: Luke 1:39-42 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! Summary (for your preparation): There are some fantastic things that happened in the accounting of Jesus' birth. John the Baptist doing a somersault in the Elizabeth's tummy is no exception. In all reality, it is a little far-fetched that an unborn infant would be able to sense the presence of another unborn infant. We make sense of it as the work of the Holy Spirit. This reaction by the baby John is a way that we see him fulfilling what was prophesied of him in Luke 1:17 (that he would prepare the way for Jesus). It also seems to fulfill what verse 15 sa...

Sing: O Come, All Ye Faithful Reading: Luke 1:26-38 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of ...