Adent Sermon Hope 2023

Winters End

In the novel series by C.S. Lewis the Lion, Witch and Wardrobe there is a story of a Kingdom called Narnia. In the first novel you quickly ecounter Narnia has been impacted by a character called the White Witch. She has turned Narnia into a land of fear displayed by the use of winter.

The protagonist of the story is Lion named Asian who will come to save Narnia.

Now while this is a wonderful story and Lewis being a Christian has Christian themes in his movie, and indeed this series is filled with hope and adventure.

There is a season upon to which we like the characters of Narnia desire hope. Hope is indeed something we all desire. In a lot of ways the story of the white witch is something we face every day, and certainly the people of God.

Their indeed is war, death, cancer, poverty, a lack of peace in this world. This world is tainted by sin and sinners alike. Man is not greater than the white witch, infarct when it is played out man’s heart is perhaps more wicked than the white witch of Narnia.

In a world where sinners reject Christ and a world where sin has tainted God’s creation winter is at hand.

How does the hope of a messiah bring upon spring time in the land of Narnia? In God’s Kingdom which like Narnia is here and yet to come.

I want to bring us more into an application of Isaiah 9:6-7

Isaiah 9:6–7 KJV 1900

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, Upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, To order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice From henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

The Promise of the Messiah

Our study in Hebrews has really benefited us to bring us to this passage. We have examined the promise of Christ through the covenant made with Adam, through the Covenants of Abraham, Mosses, and David.

Indeed we at Waughtown Baptist have seen this promise foretold so now encountering this promise in the Prophet's it is the hope that the dots have connected throughout scripture that Christ is the chosen messiah.

Indeed at the hour of the Saviors birth in a nothing more than a feeding troth for farm animals, laying in a filthy barn is a young mother giving birth with a wearied husband. It is not the scene out of movies or songs such as holy night. It was holy in the fact a savior was born, but dreadful in the fact that a savior had to be born.

Mind you while there is great hope in Christ we must recall why Christ had to come and suffer. For you and I the wicked who rejected God but in His good mercy and love provided the hope of a messiah, a savior.

Indeed a son was given. The very Son of God, was given as a sacrifice for sinners who rejected God. What mercy has God given on that very hour of Christ’s birth. This is mercy and grace that undeserved but promise that has been kept since the beginning of time.

A Child is given.

The Government will be upon Him

In the giving of the messiah is the first promise we encounter; the government *nations* will be upon Him. This maybe a foreign concept to the Christian reader who is not understanding that this verse as given to Judah (Southern Israel) who was being pressured from Northern Israel to fight against Assyria and King Ahaz is afraid of this war.

Judah is questioning has God abandoned us?

Hearing this promise would have been great hope to Judah and all of Israel that the Messiah will come and govern the affairs of God’s chosen people.

Hearing this would give assurance that God’s mighty counselor will destroy the enemies of God. How much more assurance can we have in the second advent which will have all nations confessing Christ, and Christ as King over all nations.

Now as a good and merciful King, He is extending His grace, the call of salvation to all who will believe in Him. Far better to bow the King as an heir of the Kingdom, than a child of wrath to face eternal damnation of the soul.

Indeed no matter the side of the King you fall, his right or to his left there will be the bowing of the knee, the confessing of the tongue and Christ on the throne.

Wonderful Counselor/Mighty God

Christ who is King whose name is wonderful Counselor, a deity statement. When Manoah, Samson’s father asked in a theopahny of God’s name, he was given wonderful. Judges 13:18

Judges 13:18 ESV

And the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?”

Or as the King James says, secret. God is beyond any names we can rightfully give him, but the names do give him reveal much about God.

As wonderful counselor, Christ is the one whose counsel as wise King we can trust and obey.

The white witch gave the youngest boy Edman a temptation of Turkish delight in exchange for information regarding man. If he shall join her in her palace he shall have many great meals. What awful counsel this boy took.

Christ the true King, the good King has given us council and we go to Him for all our needs. We trust what He says is right and true. We can be comforted in this truth of Christ and by His divine mercy through the council of churches we have before us the 66 books of His council.

Mighty God

God is indeed a mighty God, one in whom are battles are won. He is a King of victory. No enemies of God shall prevail. Deuteronomy 10:17

Deuteronomy 10:17 NKJV

For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe.

Prince of Peace

In the midst of war there can be shalom, peace. On Christmas Eve 1914 during the first World War in the middle of what is declared no man’s land soldiers across the aisle of nations declared peace. All because Christmas was being sung.

Christ is the the prince of peace will bring about a permanency of peace upon his second coming. But in the midst of the two advents there is peace with God.

His first coming brought peace of sinners being reconciled to God.

In His second coming much like the picture of our illustration, peace will come forever. There will not be anymore pain, death, sin, it will be of peace that is unshakable, because our King is the very prince of peace.

For Judah hearing this in the midst of the battles with Assyria must have

been astounding news, and I’m sure skeptics were in the crowd. But is here in this peace that you too shall have . The hope of peace is in Christ and Christ alone.

His Kingdom Forever

Judah would know the Davidic Covenant, that the one from Davids line would be the eternal King whose Kingdom of peace shall last forever.

This was promised to David in 2 Samuel 7:8-29

2 Samuel 7:8–29 ESV

Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ” In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David. Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God! And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God! Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. Therefore you are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things by driving out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O Lord, became their God. And now, O Lord God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”

This very promise is once again given to Judah and fulfilled in Christ. In one way at His first advent the Kingdom of God was ushered in, but needed the blood of a savior for the people of God now including both Jew and gentle only through Christ alone.

Today in one regard we await the full consummation of His Kingdom, and until then we preach Christ in the Kingdom that is already is here.

All of earth and heaven belongs to God, and when He fully ushers in the New Heaven and Earth there shall this prophecy be fully realized as it was fulfilled at Calvary.

Application

The promise of Christmas which is Christ is not just for Judah, but all who are of the Lion of Judah, Christ Himself. If you belong to Christ this very first coming is the hope that leads to His second coming.

This Christmas you may still be at war or waiting for the day of spring living in the land of Narnia. But Christ is coming again, so let hope be of Christ that this promise of Isaiah 9 is for you yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

His Kingdom has no end, and God is a mighty God.

Conclusion

Look towards the promise of Christ which is and who is to come again. Christmas indeed is upon us and the peace of God is given to men by the sacrifice of the one true messiah.