Advent 2025 - Part 2 - A Promise Foretold
Advent 2025 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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GREET EVERYONE-
If I have not had a chance to meet you; My name is Scott and I am a follower of Jesus and have the privilege of serving Him as the Lead Pastor among the people of Stonewater Fellowship.
INVITE
Bi-Lingual worship moved to march.
Christmas Eve 2 Gatherings 4 and 5:30
MARRIAGE
Kolton and Amanda
When the Church Marries -
from this day forward. Today not only marks the beginning of your lives being bound together in covenant marriage but also marks a continuation of our prayers for you and our encouragement and admonition to you both as Husband and Wife,
THE SCRIPTURE
From the Beginning - a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
from the beginning , we see and hear the Lord declaring several things about Man and Woman.
- Both made in the image of God
- Equal before God no one lesser no one greater - Heirs and co-heirs with Christ!
For in Christ there is neither male or female, slave or free Jew or gentile.
- Both male and female with the commands from God to subdue the earth, rule over every creature on it, fill it, and be fruitful and multiply.
It was not until male and female were created and these instructions were given to His creation that God said His creative work was VERY GOOD.
Through these passages of scripture God gives us several insights to Marriage.
- First God gives us the condition of man away from marriage. That being that it is NOT GOOD for him to be alone. It is very few that are called by God not to be married. You Christian, by standing here today are proof that it is not good for you to be without Patsy.
- This text also illustrated the beauty of marriage in that God custom designs our wives to be exactly what we need to help us grow into the grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus. This is amplified for us in the New Testament when God commands us through the Apostle Paul to a life of sacrifice unto our wives, telling us men that Husbands are to Love their wives as Christ Loves the Church and Gave himself up for her,
- It also illustrates that Wives you are truly a gift; a gift to your husbands, fashioned for him, and specifically suited to him and Him suited to you; to be his helper in every way. God again speaks through the Apostle Paul and says “that wives are to submit themselves to their husbands and a wife is to see to it that she respects her husband”
Here is one way that can be walked out.
Amanda: Peter writes that if KOLTON is acting unbecoming, He would be won over by your internal beauty of who God made you to be as a woman and wife to KOLTON
- When Adam looked upon Eve for the first time, He declared that this is Bone of my Bone and flesh of my flesh. This gives us the insight of how Husbands are to Love our wives. The Scripture tells us that we are to love our wives as our bodies; to nourish Her and Cherish Her just as Christ does the Church. It says we are to live with them in an understanding way and honor our wives as a fellow heir of the grace and Kingdom of God with Jesus.
- And so it was from the beginning that God ordained marriage to be between one man and one woman and held in honor among all. As such Marriage is Holy. Set apart, separate and different than any other relationship we will ever have. Including the one you have shared up until this point!
- Lastly the Bible Says that the man and his wife were Naked and not ashamed. This condition of nakedness gives us a prescription to the emotional and inward intimacy of marriage. That wives and husbands are to know each other with the deepest of knowledge and transparency. Wives and husbands are to be our closest of friends and Companions.
Our spouse is the one that knows us better than any other person on earth.
Nothing hidden, nothing separate, unified and known in everything and in every way; being loved completely by the other and loving the other completely. The Bible speaks as to how we are to love completely. We do this he says by wrapping our relationship in patience and kindness, not in jealousy, pride or arrogance, with no acts that are unbecoming, never seeking our own way and never provoking our partner, never keeping a record of wrong, never being happy with evil but rejoicing in truth; bearing all things, believing all things hoping in all things and enduring all things for in this most excellent way Love never fails.
The Scriptures says that this kind of marriage reflects, foreshadows and testifies to the ultimate marriage of Christ and the Church. For our hope is in Christ Alone and our ultimate union will be with Jesus when the trumpet sounds and his Church, His Bride, the elect are gathered from the four winds and from the corners of the sky as we will dwell with Him forever.
Amen and Amen
Question and Answer time-
KOLTON Is it your desire and do you come at this time and to this place before God and these brothers and sisters in Christ to enter into this lifelong covenant of marriage with Amanda
KOLTON: I do
Do you come to this marriage Covenant willingly and without hesitation or reservation having covered this decision in prayer and with the blessing of God and your family?
KOLTON: I do
AMANDA, is it your desire and do you come at this time and to this place before God and these brothers and sisters in Christ to enter into this lifelong covenant of marriage with this man KOLTON?
AMANDA: I do
Do you come to this marriage Covenant willingly and without hesitation or reservation having covered this decision in prayer and with the blessing of God and your family?
AMANDA: I do
Wedding vows
KOLTON and AMANDA - turn to each other, hold each other’s hands look into each other’s eyes and repeat after me.
KOLTON let’s begin with you.
I KOLTON, before God and these witnesses, take you AMANDA, under the covenant of marriage, as my lawfully wedded wife. To have and to hold you, to comfort and to keep you, to love, honor, and cherish you all the days of my life. My covenant to you is life-long whether in sickness or in health, in plenty or in want, in peace or in strife, forsaking all others keeping myself only unto you till death do us part.
AMANDA: repeat after me:
I AMANDA, before God and these witnesses, take you KOLTON, under the covenant of marriage as my lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold you, to comfort you and to keep you, to love, honor, and cherish you, all the days of my life. My covenant to you is life-long whether in sickness or in health, in plenty or in want, in peace or in strife, forsaking all others keeping myself only unto you till death do us part.
Exchange of Rings
KOLTON and AMANDA what token of your love and covenant have you brought for each other?
From the beginning the Ring was used to symbolize a covenant. In the bible Issacs's servant was sent to find Rebecca with gold and bracelets and rings. Pharaoh placed his signet ring on Joseph’s hand when he placed him over Egypt.
The rings you are giving today are made of the purest of metals. This metal will not tarnish or decay with age. As the metal in this ring is pure so let your love for each other ever be. Today your rings have a much deeper meaning than in times past. The rings you give this day symbolize your love and covenantal commitment to one another. Like the covenant you profess today, the ring, being in the form of a circle has no beginning and no end and represents your endless love and commitment you have for each other.
KOLTON:
Take this ring and place it on Amandas left hand and repeat after me.
AMANDA with this ring I thee wed... giving all of myself and all I have to you. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
AMANDA:
Take this ring and place it on KOLTONS left hand and repeat after me.
KOLTON with this ring I thee wed... giving all of myself and all I have to you. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Prayers & Blessing – Scott prays and blesses?
Announcement of couple
KOLTON and AMANDA by the power vested in me by the state of Texas and the ordination of God. I now pronounce you husband and wife.
Jesus Said: You are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no man separate. And all Gods people said AMEN-
KOLTON you may kiss your bride.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ it is with great love and affection and honor that I present to you KOLTON and AMANDA KENDALL
ADVENT INTRO
Welcome to our season of Advent our season of Arrival -
Every year - during this time of year - On Sunday Mornings we take this season to join the millions of other believers throughout the world and the hundreds of millions of believers who for the last 1800 years or so have walked together in the season of Arrival - The Season of Advent.
We join the rest in our setting aside this season of Arrival this season of Advent to prepare our hearts and minds for the celebration of the day when in fact God came in the flesh and was born of a virgin to dwell with us - Emmanuel.
LETS GRAB OUR BIBLES IF YOU HAVE ONE AND
Open it to Isaiah chapter 9 this morning as we look at the promise of God that was foretold to us that Advent was coming that a season of arrival was headed to the world.
PRAYER OVER SERIES
Is and will be that as we walk through the messages of Advent that three things would happen to us.
One that we would be deeply reminded of the Love of God - The Love that God has for us who believe and his deep love for the whole world and everyone in it.
and
TWO that we would experience a deep and intense renewal of the Gospel in our hearts.
THREE - That as we are reminded of Gods love for His church and for all of humanity - And as we experience a deep and intense Gospel Renewal. That we would it would be so powerful in our lives that we would live it out, walk it out as never before.
Living for the Child in the manger because the REASON for HIs arrival - is He is the one who died and was raised.
PRAYER OVER MESSAGE
has been all week that we would come to know and understand that the Coming of Jesus wasn't just by some happenstance -
That the 2nd greatest historical event that was ever to occur in Human History - The Birth of Jesus - was not and event that happened just because one day God said “I’m gonna head on down there”
AND
That we would marvel in the fact that Not only was it not random nor was it spontaneous and although it took a minute from when God said I would do it -
God foretold people that HE was coming - He told them in the midst of their fullness - In the midst of their flourishing - at the Highpoint of His People as a People -
and what we will hear this morning is that - God’s promise was foretold to God's people - A Promise that takes them out of despair - A promise that takes them out of Darkness - A promise that takes them out of oppression - A promise that is to bring joy - a promise that will set people free - A Promise that this will be established in strength passion and ever lasting -
ENGAGEMENT –
There are Two words that can bring such a dynamic difference response into out lives -
One is flourishing and the other is despair.
The word Flourishing - it is interesting that it is a word that you don’t hear at Walmart -
Ya know when Ya walk in that they say “good morning how are you today?” Ya don't ever hear anyone say “I am flourishing today”
So - I just had to look it up:
Human Flourishing is marked by vigorous and healthy growth - very active and successful
In other words Flourishing can very well mean - WE are doing well - or in terms that we might think about -
We might say “We are blessed and highly favored”
The other word is despair - and again - not a word you hear in response to the Walmart greeter - “how are you guys this morning?
“ We are in despair”
here is what Noah Webster had to say about that one -
Despair - to loose hope or confidence - a cause of hopelessness - Great unhappiness or disappointment -
And I think we all have experienced time of Flourishing where we we would say - we are blessed and Highly favored -
AND I think we have all experienced times of deep dark despair when we fell like there is not hope - there is no hope for improvement - The season is marked by Great disappointment and unhappiness -
our response to our circumstances is oh so interesting and varied - Dynamically Varied -
Like a pendulum swing-
When we are in seasons of flourishing we say we are blessed and highly favored -
When we are in seasons of despair - there are lots and lots of things we can say and do. and some of those things are pretty strange.
TENSION
What is interesting is that we often times will find ourselves in despair and it is a season of despair we have brought upon ourselves.
and what we will hear of this morning is that there are time of flourishing and there are times of despair and in both of those times we must keep our eyes on the Hope that is the person of Jesus -
the hope that is in the manger -
Lessons from the experience of the people of God to whom the promise was foretold.
BACKGROUND
our text this morning comes from the prophet Isaiah -
Isaiah was a person whom God spoke directly to and the sent Him to specific people to speak to - Usually these were Kings of Judah -
Isaiah heard from God and Spoke for God to 4 of the kings of the Kings of Judah -
Just as a quick reminder - When God established Israel about 1000 years before Jesus - He did so through a King named Saul - Saul gave way to King David - David Gave way to his son Solomon.
After Solomon - There was a division - The Kingdom of Israel was divided into a northern kingdom and a southern kingdom
The Northern Kingdom was called Israel - The Southern Kingdom was Judah -
Jerusalem where Jesus was born - Where Solomon built the temple - That was in Judah.
Isaiah was called by God, to be the messenger of God - To hear the words of God directly from GOD in the year King Uzziah Died - Uzziah was the 10th King of the Southern Kingdom-
And After He died - His Son Jotham was made King -
Jotham has no interaction with Isaiah but His sone does -
Ahaz - and The Lord end up in a voice to voice conversation - Because Ahaz was under attack and HE was worried about the salvation of God's people from the enemy of God and of His people -
Ahaz was prompted by God to ask Him for a Sign - Ahaz says - Not thanks not going to tempt the Lord - God says - I will give a sing anyway - The Virgin will conceive and bear a son and shall call His name Immanuel
That is basically Chapters 6-7
we get to chapter 8 and what has happened is the people did not give thanks to God for the salvation from the ones attacking -
Here is why - They were flourishing - Judah was having the time of their lives - They were strong in military might - They were strong in commerce their economy was great - But they were arrogant - They were prideful and what was interesting is that King Uzziah was so arrogant He stepped out of his role as king and assumed the role of Priest - He tried to be all - Prophet Priest and KING -
And Ahaz had been told by God that the current approaching army would not prevail - He did not lead the nation into a season of pray and thanksgiving because of their pride and Because His great grandfather was also Prideful becasue the people were practicing which craft by going to mediums and Necromancers who chirp and Mudder - The Text says
God used Isaiah in chapter 8 to tell them - You are going to be captured by the Assyrians -
Listen Loved ones - Isaiah was a credible prophet - TO be one of those what you say must come true -
Isiah in his tenure would give three prophecies that would become true in His lifetime -
SO we should listen -
And HE tells AHAZ that there is an army and Assyrian Army that will invade them and capture them and distress, darkness, gloom and anguish will be their plight and they will be thrust into Thick Darkness -
Sounds like despair to me.
UNPACKING
VVS1
Begins with a “there will be” a future condition - A time after a time that has passed -
But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
after the captivity - after the anguish - After the contempt was brought into the land becasue of idolatry -
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.
It is written in the past tense - IF your Ahaz and your hearing this prophecy You mut be thinking to your self - How can this be - There is anguish coming - then after the anguish - In the present tense - People who walked in darkness have already seen a great light?
Loved ones Here is what Isaiah is speaking - Isaiah is speaking to something in the future as if it is in the past -
As if the Promises of God are so sure, I can speak of them as if they have already happened -
Watch what He says - People who walked in darkness have seen a great light -
Those - People who lived in the land of deep darkness on them has light shone -
VVS3
He then speaks of Israels Renewal after captivity -
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.
VVS4
He then speaks of Freedom -
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 Midian.
As on the say of Midian is where the prophet is peaking of a past event that was celebrated in Israel when Gideon defeated the armies of Midian after Gideon requested that the lord prove his would do what He said He would do when Gideon laid out a fleece -
Remember that Story?
VVS5
Isaiah now speaks of the totality of the victory - Every weapon formed against the People of God in the day of restoration will be burned in the fire -
VVS6
Isaiah then unfolds how this is going to happen - It will all happen through a child -
Watch -
Isaiah 9:6
A child will be born -
A son will be Given -
This son will have authority - as the government will be on His shoulders
His name will be called -
Wonderful becasue He will be a great worker of miracles -
He will be called counselor - becasue in Him are found all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge-
Mighty God - Because it will be known that by the word of his power all things are held to gether
Everlasting Father - Because He and the father will be one -
The prince of Peace - Because He will be peace between man and God.
VSS7
then unfold that this Child will be Established forever -
His rule will be forever - His reign will be forever -
Not a reign of tyranny like they will endure from the Assyrians - But a reign that is a reign of things that are right and things that are good - Justice and Righteousness -
From the time the child comes forever more -
And Isaiah closes this by saying “The Zeal of the Lord Hosts will do this”
The Zeal - The Passion - The Jealousy - of the Lord -
Zeal - Jealousy or Passion for His possession -
Jealousy Explained -
Years Later this child - This child of Victory - This child of Wisdom This child of Peace will be spoken of again.
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.
Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return
to the people of Israel.
And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth.
And he shall be their peace.
This child that was foretold this promise that was Foretold This Promised Child is the Child in the Manger -
THE GOSPEL CONNECTION -
This prophecy of Isaiah and Mica will for the people of God - The Nation or the people group of Israel - This prophecy will become for them Good news of Great Joy as despair does come to them just a few short years later -
and Loved ones it is Good news of Great Joy for us as well -
For the Promises of God, Foretold to them - spoken to them in advance - bring us our of Gloom and Anguish - This child Delivers us from the land of darkness that we are born into -
For this Child is the Light of God that we can see and that has been shone upon us.
This Child - The Child of the Prophecies the Child in the Manger - Jesus is the one with all authority -
He is the one who is WONDERFUL becasue He restores and heals our soul -
He is the COUNSLER One in whom are found all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge -
HE is the one who is Mighty as He is the word that is God and with God and Created all things
He is the one who make peace between us and God.
This coming Child that will be born to them, is born to us -
This Son that will be given to them is given to us-
Isaiah also tell us HOW he will accomplish the finished work of the Passionate, Jealous Zeal of God -
Who has believed what he has heard from us?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.
By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered hat he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?
And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
Loved ones this is the Good news of Great Joy - This is the Child that was born and the Son that was given -
He is the Savior - He calls all people to repent - Surrender all of life to Him - To live the Life He has for us - To live FOR him becasue He is the one who died and was raised -
COMMUNION - WORSHIP TEAM
Acknowledgement of our need for Jesus to prepare for the table of Jesus–
The Scriptures tell us that when we come to the table of Jesus it is a time of remembrance – A time of thinking about what Jesus has done and accomplished on the cross – A time of remembering why Jesus did what He did. And So as the people who have been called out of darkness, we take time to contemplate, remember and repent–
Repentance is a turning to Jesus again and again and again – In the life of a follower of Jesus it is never a once and done thing. The Bible tells us that if we agree with God “if we confess” in the ways we have rebelled against God “our sin” He is faithful and just to forgive our sin and clean us from all unrighteousness.
So, as we prepare our hearts to come to the table of Jesus, we encourage everyone to spend time in prayerful contemplation, agreeing with God trough confession, the areas of our life where we have rebelled against Him, where Jesus still needs to do some work and touch us and heal us.
When we do this, we encourage you to take a posture of Humility, as we spend the next minute or so in silent contemplation.
A posture of humility to you might be to stay in your seat with your eyes closed and your head bowed. You might stand with your eyes lifted to heaven and your arms and hands raised as Solomon did when he prayed. You might come and kneel here at the front or there Where you are seated – whatever that is to you, let us all take a posture of humility, agreeing with God through prayerful confession the times where we have rebelled against Him as we prepare our hearts to participate in the table of Jesus.
Pause for 60 seconds in prayerful contemplation
Unity of the Table
When we come to the table of Jesus, we are spiritually united together. Paul says in this letter to the Corinthians “that Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread.”
So as we come to the table of Jesus, we are spiritually united together as brothers and sisters in Christ. We are also united with Jesus in his death and resurrection at His table.
Assurance of our forgiveness through the table – By Remembering!
As we come to the table of Jesus together, we are reminded of the assurance of our forgiveness. Because we openly and actively declare the Gospel as we participate in communion together. The poured-out blood of Jesus and the death of His body as he joyfully took upon Him self the wrath of God that was due us.
PROCESSION – Take this time as you come to receive the elements to REMEMBER – To Think upon the Finished work of Jesus on the Cross and His being raised form the dead.
Participation at the Table
BREAD: On the night He was betrayed, He gathered His disciples for a Passover meal. While they were eating Jesus took some bread; after He blessed it and gave thanks to the Father: He broke it, gave it to His disciples and said: “Take this all of you and eat of it, for This is My body, which is for you; when you do this, do this in remembrance of Me.”
Eat the Bread with Everyone
CUP: After the meal, in the same way He took the cup, again gave thanks to the Father. He took the Cup and gave it to His disciples saying, “Take this all of you and drink of this cup. This cup is the cup of my blood. The blood of the New and Everlasting covenant. My blood which will be poured out for the forgiveness of sins for many; when you do this, as often as you drink it, do this in remembrance of Me.”
Drink the Cup with Everyone
STACK CHAIRS
NEW MEMBERS
John Debost
Greg and Sue Lindfeldt
Bruce and Peggy Bates
Kolton and Amanda
Bob and Kathy
