Father and Son, John 5:18-29

Scripture Reading: John 5:18-29

18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father[a] does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. 22 For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

Scripture Reading:

1. The Glory of Christ

2. The Blessings of Salvation

3. The Certainty of Judgment

Joy to the World, Psalm 98 - Advent 2025

Scripture Reading: Psalm 98

1 Oh sing to the Lord a new song,
    for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
    have worked salvation for him.
2 The Lord has made known his salvation;
    he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
    to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
    the salvation of our God.

4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
    break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
    with the lyre and the sound of melody!
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn
    make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!

7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
    the world and those who dwell in it!
8 Let the rivers clap their hands;
    let the hills sing for joy together
9 before the Lord, for he comes
    to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
    and the peoples with equity.

Sermon Outline:

1. A call to worship.

2. The Lord the King.

3. As far as the curse is found.

Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Hebrews 1:6

Scripture Reading: Hebrwes 1:6

6 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,

“Let all God's angels worship him.”

Sermon Outline:

1. A World of Wonder

2. The Announcement

3. The Explanation

4. The Worship

Hark the Herald Angels Sing: Lyrics

Verse 1

Hark the herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn King

Peace on earth and mercy mild

God and sinners reconciled

Joyful all ye nations rise

Join the triumph of the skies

Nature rise and worship him

Who is born at Bethlehem

Hark The herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn King

Verse 2

Christ by highest heav'n adored

Christ the everlasting Lord

Late in time behold Him come

Offspring of a Virgin's womb

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see

Hail the incarnate Deity

Pleased as man with men to appear

Jesus our Emmanuel here

Hark The herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn King

Verse 3

Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace

Hail the Son of Righteousness

Light and life around He brings

Ris'n with healing in His wings

Mild He lays His glory by

Born that men no more may die

Born to raise the sons of earth

Born to give them second birth

Hark The herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn King

Verse 4

Come, Desire of Nations, come

Fix in Us thy humble Home

Rise, the Woman’s Conqu’ring Seed

Bruise in Us the Serpent’s Head

Now display thy saving Pow’r

Ruin’d Nature now restore

Now in Mystic Union join

Thine to Ours, and Ours to Thine

Hark The herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn King

Verse 5

Adam’s Likeness, LORD, efface

Stamp thy Image in its Place

Second Adam from above

Reinstate us in Thy Love

Let us Thee, tho’ lost, regain

Thee, the Life, the Inner Man

Oh! to All Thyself impart

Form’d in each Believing Heart

Hark The herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn King

© Words: Public Domain; Ryan Foglesong

CCLI Song # 7112981 -- CCLI License # 3168259 2

O Come O Come Emmanuel, Matthew 1:18-25, Advent 2025

Scripture Reading: Matthew 1:18-25

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
    and they shall call his name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Sermon Outline:

1. God with us

2. The history of the hymn.

3. The poetry of the lyrics

4. Lessons

The Healing at Bethesda, John 4:43-54

Scripture Reading: John 4:43-54

43 After the two days he departed for Galilee. 44 (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.) 45 So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast. 46 So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” 49 The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. 51 As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. 52 So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” 53 The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household. 54 This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.

Sermon Outline:

1. Popularity, familiarity and unbelief.

2. Affliction and clarity.

3. The power of Jesus.

4. A snapshot of true faith.