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Leader’s Guide

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A Series of Special Services for Advent 3CLK

Index

About Child of Promise ...........................................................4-5

Service One: God With Us ................................................... 6-28

Service Two: Prince of Peace ............................................29-52

Service Three: Branch .........................................................53-77

Service Four: Salvation .................................................... 78-101

Service Five: Promise Fulfilled.....................................102-125

Music Guide ......................................................................126-185

By David Peter. Art and design by Jodi Hendrickson. © 2013 by Creative Communications for the Parish, 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. 800-325-9414. www.creativecommunications.com. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

A Series of Special Services for Advent

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4 Child of PromiseCLK

Promises, promises—the Bible is full of them, but ultimately all of the promises of God are found in the Christ Child. In this Advent worship series, seminary professor Rev. David Peter explores the promises associated with the original Hebrew names given to the Messiah, the Promised One, in Isaiah 7-12. Each service will delve into the meaning behind the promises of old and how those promises of old give meaning to our lives today as people of promise as we await the Christ Child.

• “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). In the Hebrew name Immanuel (meaning “God With Us”), Isaiah captures the essence of the promise of Christ’s presence with us forever.

• “The government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called … Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). In the name Sar Shalom (meaning “Prince of Peace”), Isaiah proclaims the promise of harmony and unity which only Christ can bring.

• “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit” (Isaiah 11:1). By using the name Nezer (meaning “Branch”), Isaiah reveals to us that Jesus is connected to us and we are connected to him—always.

• “The Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation” (Isaiah 12:2). When he used the name Yeshuah (meaning “Salvation”), Isaiah was highlighting the promise that Jesus would be the one who would be our ultimate rescuer from sin, death and hell.

• “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given” (Isaiah 9:6). When the Christ Child was born on Christmas, he became The Promise Fulfilled in human flesh, Isaiah assures us, and we celebrate.

About Child of Promise


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Each service features a monolog sermon read by the pastor which includes background information and biblical scholarship on the derivation of each Messianic Hebrew name of promise. Children’s sermons are also included.

Kit includes everything you need for each service as well as a CD-ROM (Mac/PC) with the text of the entire kit in .rtf (rich text format) and a PowerPoint document of the entire service with text (with a copyright release) for use on screens.

Ordering Information

Pre-printed bulletins, blank bulletins, and several other resources are available. Call Creative Communications for the Parish at 1-800-325-9414, or visit us on the web at www.creativecommunications.com for current pricing and availability.

Printed bulletins Order Codes:Service 1 (God With Us) CLKA

Service 2 (Prince of Peace) CLKBService 3 (Branch) CLKC

Service 4 (Salvation) CLKDService 5 (Promise Fulfilled) CLKE

Blank 8 1/2” x 11” bulletins Order Codes:Service 1 (God With Us) CLKF

Service 2 (Prince of Peace) CLKGService 3 (Branch) CLKH

Service 4 (Salvation) CLKJService 5 (Promise Fulfilled) CLKK

Blank 8 1/2” x 14” bulletins Order Codes:Service 1 (God With Us) CLKL

Service 2 (Prince of Peace) CLKMService 3 (Branch) CLKN

Service 4 (Salvation) CLKOService 5 (Promise Fulfilled) CLKP

Fabric Banner. 36” x 56”. PHCLKPromotional poster. 22” x 28”. CLK8Bulletin insert. 5 3/8” x 8 3/8” CLK7

Bookmark. 2 1/2” x 7”. CL5

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Complete Script For Worship Leaders

Advent, Week 2 • Prince of Peace

• The Opening Hymn is sung by the congregation to the tune Freu Dich Sehr 87 87 77 88:

“Comfort, comfort ye my people,Speak ye peace,” thus saith our God;“Comfort those who sit in darkness,Mourning ‘neath their sorrow’s load;

Speak ye to JerusalemOf the peace that waits for them;

Tell her that her sins I cover,And her warfare now is over.”

For the herald’s voice is cryingIn the desert far and near,

Bidding all men to repentance,Since the kingdom now is here.

O that warning cry obey!Now prepare for God a way!

Let the valleys rise to meet him,And the hills bow down to greet him.


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Make ye straight what long was crooked,Make the rougher places plain:

Let your hearts be true and humble,As befits his holy reign,

For the glory of the LordNow o’er earth is shed abroad,

And all flesh shall see the tokenThat his word is never broken.

• The Scriptural Litany, An Advent Approach, is spoken responsively by the pastor and the congregation:

P Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying:

C Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests�

P Jesus said to his disciples:C Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you� I do not give to you as the

world gives� Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid�P Therefore, since we have been justified through faith,C We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ�P Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,C Since as members of one body you were called to peace�P Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.C For Christ himself is our peace!P Oh, come, oh, come, our Prince of Peace!

• The Hymn is sung by the congregation to the tune Veni, Emmanuel LM and refrain:

Oh, come, Desire of Nations, bind in one the hearts of all mankind;Bid thou our sad divisions cease, and be thyself our Prince of Peace.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel!

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• The Prayer of the Day is spoken by the pastor:

P Father God, in the coming of Sar Shalom—the Prince of Peace—you bring us peace. We rejoice that we have been reconciled to you through Christ. Thank you for not counting our sins against us for Jesus’ sake. Now empower us to of-fer peace to others. We pray this in the name of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. Amen.

• The Children’s Sermon is delivered by the pastor or other worship leader:

Instruction item: Toy sword and toy spade. Take care that the toys, especially the sword, are not dangerous (i.e., they should be made of soft, pliable material such as rubber).

P Children, again this week I invite you to gather around the Advent wreath. Re-member that the Advent wreath is a decoration which we have in our church during the four weeks before Christmas. Each week we light another candle. Last week we lit the first candle which stands for hope. Today we light the second candle. It stands for peace. It is called the peace candle. This is because the Advent season leading to Christmas is one of peace.

I have here two items. One is a toy sword. The other is a play spade. Now what is a sword usually used for? [Hold up the sword. Children’s answers focus on its use in fighting.] Yes, swords are used to fight with. We even talk about having a sword fight. Swords are used to hurt other people. But what is a spade used for? [Hold up the spade. Children’s answers focus on digging.] Yes, a spade is used to dig dirt, it is used to do good work. A spade is used to work in a field or garden in order to grow food to help and feed people.

The Bible speaks of swords being made into something like spades; back then they called them plowshares. In other words, something that is used to hurt someone—a sword—is changed into something that is used to help someone—a spade. Something that is used for fighting—the sword—is transformed into something that is used for farming—the spade. Something that is used in war is made into something used in peace. In other words, God promises us peace in the place of fighting and war.

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Also God promised that this peace would be brought about by the baby whose birth we celebrate at Christmas. You know that this baby’s name is Jesus. But he has another name. Jesus is also called the “Prince of Peace.”

Jesus, the “Prince of Peace,” wasn’t born to fight us. [Hold up the sword.] He didn’t come to hurt us. No, Jesus came to help us. [Put the sword down.] He came to res-cue us from the things which hurt us. He came to show us how much God loves us. Jesus loves you and gives you his love to share with other children and adults.

When we believe this love we have peace with God. And when we give this love away we have peace with each other. In this season leading to Christmas we celebrate the coming of the “Prince of Peace,” Jesus Christ. Let us also share his peace with others. So reach out and shake someone else’s hand. As you do so, say: “Peace be with you.”

Optional distribution item given to each child: Tree ornament (possibly in the shape of a dove) on which is printed the word PEACE.

• The Old Testament Reading, Isaiah 9:2-7, is spoken by the pastor or other worship leader:

P The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Mid-ian. For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

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• The Hymn is sung by the congregation to the tune St. Louis 86 86 76 86:

How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given!So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heaven.

No ear may hear his coming; but in this world of sin,Where meek souls will receive him, still the dear Christ enters in.

• The Gospel Reading, Luke 1:26-33, is spoken by the pastor or other worship leader:

P 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 for-ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

• The Hymn is sung by the congregation to the tune Chesterfield CM:

Hark, the glad sound! The Savior comes, the Savior promised long;Let every heart prepare a throne, and every voice a song.

He comes the prisoners to release, in Satan’s bondage held;The gates of brass before him burst, the iron fetters yield.

He comes the broken heart to bind, the bleeding soul to cure;And with the treasures of his grace to enrich the humble poor.

Our glad hosannas, Prince of Peace, thy welcome shall proclaim;And heav’n’s eternal arches ring with thy beloved name.

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• The Sermon is delivered by the pastor:

P There is a huge bronze statue which stands in front of the United Nations build-ing in New York City [A photo is available at http://www.flickriver.com/photos/striderv/3130016283/ ]. This statue depicts a man hammering upon what had been an immense sword. He is in fact forming this sword, an instrument of war and death, into a plowshare, an instrument of growth and life. At the base of the statue are inscribed these words: “We shall beat our swords into plowshares.” The statue symbolizes the goal of the United Nations to promote peace among the countries of this world. But the imagery actually comes from the Bible, from the prophet Isaiah, to be exact. Isaiah visualizes a day in which peace will prevail among the nations, a time in which “they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isaiah 2:4 ESV). What a beautiful picture the prophet gives us of peace.

But what kind of peace is Isaiah speaking of? Is it peace between nations? Certain-ly. But it is much more than that. Because the peace, the shalom, which God offers is deeper than any worldly peace. It is, as Paul puts it, a “peace which passes all understanding.” And it is a peace which is ushered in by the one who is prophesied and promised by Isaiah—the Messiah. Isaiah announces his coming with these words:

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;And the government shall be upon his shoulder,And his name shall be calledWonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end. (Isaiah 9:6-7 ESV)

The arrival of this Promised One would be in the package of a little baby, the prophet indicates. He would be born for us as a child. He would be given to us as a son—the Son of God. The government would be upon his shoulder, that is, the rul-ership of all the world would be his. He is the supreme King! He will go by different names: “Wonderful Counselor”—indicating his supreme wisdom; “Mighty God”—identifying his divine nature and omnipotent power; “Everlasting Father”—sig-nifying his eternal existence as the source of all. This is no ordinary human being! He will be none other than the omniscient, all-powerful, eternal Deity incarnated

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in human flesh! But why will he come? The answer is provided in his final title. The Hebrew is Sar Shalom. The English translation is “Prince of Peace.” He will come to bring peace. He will come to bring God’s ultimate shalom, which means “peace.” And of the increase of that peace there will be no end.

When this Promised Prince of Peace was born in Bethlehem almost 700 years after Isaiah spoke these prophetic words, his birth was heralded by the heavenly host of angels which sang: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14 NIV). Notice that the angels announce that the peace is to men. It is to human beings. And who is it from? It is from God who has sent this child. The angels were saying that this little babe would bring about God’s peace to men. First and foremost, the peace that is established by the Prince of Peace is between God and his human creatures.

The reason this is such good news is because as sinners we are by nature enemies of God. Isaiah writes about this enmity between God and his creatures: “Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear” (Isaiah 59:2 ESV). Our sins and iniquities are offensive to the holy God, and he must condemn and damn sinners because of his wrath toward sin. But Sar Shalom, the Prince of Peace, has come to bear that judgment in our stead. By his death on the cross he experienced in the full God’s wrath toward sin. As Isaiah describes it: “He was wounded for our trans-gressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace” (Isaiah 53:5). His punishment brings us peace—peace with God once again. The Apostle Paul understood what Jesus had done. He writes in Romans chapter 5:

Therefore since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Since therefore we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. (Romans 5:1, 9-10 ESV)

This is the ultimate dimension of peace which Christ brings to us—peace with God through the forgiveness of our sin. God is at peace with us because of the work of Sar Shalom, the Prince of Peace.

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Tune ............................................................................ Antioch CM and repeat

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• The Closing Hymn is sung by the congregation to the tune Antioch CM and repeat:

Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King;Let every heart prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing,

And heaven and nature sing,And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations proveThe glories of his righteousness, and wonders of his love,

And wonders of his love,And wonders, wonders, of his love.

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&RPPXQLFDWLRQV - Creative Communications€¢ “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit” (Isaiah 11:1). By using the