Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church Worship Service - December 19, 2021

Sermon Begins: 43:58

Sermons by Pastor David Whitney, Senior Instructor of Institute on the Constitution and pastor of Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church in Arnold, MD.

Bible read in one year contact j.delimater@easicontrols.com

SUNDAY December 19, 2021

Theme: As disciples of Jesus Christ we should anticipate that we will be treated even as Christ was treated in His first Advent here on earth.

Welcome & Call to Worship
“O Come, All Ye Faithful” #249
“Ir Came Upon the Midnight Clear” #251
Prayer & Children’s Story
“O Little Town of Bethlehem” #250
“Go Tell It On The Mountain” #258
Offering - “Silent Night! Holy Night!” #253
Responsive Reading - Bulletin insert reading Luke 2:21-35
Congregational Prayer
Hearing God’s Word
“The Blessing of Persecution”- Pastor Whitney
Responding to God’s Word
“Good Christian Men, Rejoice” #273
Benediction and Postlude

"The Blessing of Persecution"
24th in our series the Book of 1 Peter

I. The Last Beatitude - Matthew 5:10-12
A. Contrary to our human thinking
1. Persecution for righteousness sake,
2. Saying all kinds of evil against you falsely
B. Rejoice for the great heavenly reward
II. The Christian Life and Witness - 1 Peter 2:12
A. Pagans are watching believers
1. Those outside the Kingdom of our Lord and Savior are here called Gentiles because the true Israel of God are believers - Galatians 6:15-16
2. Even as they see our good works they speak evil of us - 1 Peter 4:12-17
a. We suffer with Christ in persecution
b. There is no shame in this, only glory
c. Judgment is coming, it begins with God’s people
B. The Day of Visitation coming is the 2nd Advent
1. In the 1st Advent Jesus referred to His coming as the visitation - Luke 19:41-44
a. Great judgment fell upon that land in 70 A.D.
b. Christ’s 2nd Advent will bring an even greater judgment upon the whole earth
2. How will the lost give glory to God in the 2nd Advent?
a. Every knee will bow
b. Every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord - Philippians 2:10-11
III. As Saints we are highly exalted by God - 1 Peter 2:9
A. But we are despised by the world even as our Lord and Savior was - John 15:18
B. He promised us hatred - Matthew 24:7-10

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"Bethlehem - Christmas" by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100307
Artist: http://incompetech.com/

"We Three Kings of Orient Are" by John Henry Hopkins, Jr. Performed by Philadelphia Orchestra, 1995.