Fourth Sunday in Advent (2025)

Imminent Arrival of Emmanuel

Isaiah 7:10–14

Sermon Theme: “The Lord Himself Will Give You a Sign”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Advent has a way of exposing what we trust.

The closer we get to Christmas, the more pressure we feel—pressure to prepare, to plan, to make everything just right. And underneath all that activity, something deeper often stirs:

Fear.

Fear of what we can’t control. Fear of what might go wrong. Fear of what the future might bring.

That is exactly the world Isaiah speaks into today.

Judah is surrounded by enemies. The nation trembles. And King Ahaz—he feels it in his bones. Scripture says his heart shook like trees in the forest. He is afraid, and fear always reveals what faith struggles to trust.

It is into that fear, God speaks to us today, as He spoke to King Ahaz.

A Promise Offered Before It Is Asked For

The Lord sends Isaiah to Ahaz with a promise before any decision is made, before any battle is fought:

“It shall not stand. It shall not come to pass.”

God is already at work. God is already faithful. God is already keeping His promise.

And then the Lord does something remarkable. He invites Ahaz to ask for a sign—any sign at all. High as heaven or deep as the grave. In other words: Ask Me anything. I will confirm My Word to you.

But Ahaz refuses.

“I will not ask. I will not put the Lord to the test.”

It sounds humble. It sounds faithful. It sounds religious.

But it isn’t.

Ahaz doesn’t refuse because he trusts God.

—He refuses because he has already decided not to trust Him.

—He has made other plans.

—He is placing his confidence elsewhere.

—His refusal is unbelief dressed up as piety.

And Isaiah exposes it:

“Is it not enough to try the patience men? Will you try the patience my God also?”

This is not merely a failure of courage—it is a failure of faith.

And before we shake our heads at Ahaz, we should pause. Because we do the same thing.

When Fear Hides Behind Religion

How often do we cloak unbelief in respectable language?

We say, “I’ll just wait and see,” when what we really mean is, “I don’t trust God with this.”

We say, “I don’t want to presume,” when what we really mean is, “I want to stay in control.”

We say, “God helps those who help themselves,” even though God never said that.

Like Ahaz, we sometimes prefer uncertainty to obedience, and fear to faith.

And yet—here is the miracle of Advent—

God does not withdraw His promise.

The Sign God Gives Anyway

Isaiah speaks one of the most astonishing lines in all of Scripture:

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign.”

Not because Ahaz asked well. Not because Ahaz believed strongly. But because God is faithful.

The sign is not thunder. Not an army. Not a political rescue.

“The virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

God with us.

This is not a sign Ahaz would have chosen. But it is the sign God knows His people need.

God does not remain distant. God does not shout encouragement from heaven. God does not wait for better faith.

God comes near.

Immanuel: God With Us for Salvation

This child is not symbolic comfort. He is not poetic hope. He is God in the flesh.

God with sinners. God entering fear and uncertainty. God keeping His promises even when His people resist them.

Luther once observed that God fulfills His promises whether or not we cooperate—but only faith receives the comfort of them.

That is the grace of Advent.

The promise does not depend on us. The sign does not rest on our faithfulness.

Salvation rests on God’s faithfulness.

And that’s why this matters so deeply as we stand on the edge of Christmas.

Because Immanuel is not just God near us then— He is God with us now.

—In His Word that still speaks. —In Baptism that still gives life. —At His Table where forgiveness is still given. —And these three things happen in His Church where weary sinners are still gathered.

Advent’s Invitation

Advent does not ask us to manufacture faith. It calls us to receive the promise.

—To stop bargaining. —To stop hiding. —To stop trusting in ourselves.

—And instead, to hear again what God declares:

“The Lord Himself will give you a sign.”

And He has.

A child. A Savior. A name.

Immanuel.

God with us— not because we were strong, but because He is faithful.

Conclusion

Ahaz refused the sign. God gave it anyway.

And that sign became our salvation.

As Christmas draws near, we do not prepare by proving ourselves worthy. We prepare by receiving what God has given.

The sign is already here. The promise is already fulfilled. And the Savior is already near.

Immanuel has come. Immanuel is with us. Immanuel will come again.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH – FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT

Imminent Arrival of Emmanuel – God With Us

Pastor: Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

For the Church: That We Trust God’s Promise of Immanuel

Pastor: Faithful God, You are the One who gives a sign when Your people are afraid and uncertain. When fear shakes our hearts and unbelief hides behind respectable words, speak again Your promise: “I am with you.” Keep Your Church steadfast in faith, confident not in ourselves, but in Your faithfulness, as we await the celebration of Christ’s birth. Lord, in Your mercy; Congregation: Hear our prayer.

For the Proclamation of the Gospel

Pastor: Lord Jesus Christ, Immanuel, cause Your Gospel to have free course throughout the world. Break down all that resists Your Word, soften hardened hearts, and turn many to repentance and faith. Bring the nations to bow the knee and confess with joy that You are Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Lord, in Your mercy; Congregation: Hear our prayer.

In Thanksgiving for the Sunday School Christmas Program

Pastor: Gracious Father, we give You thanks for our Sunday School children and teachers, and for the Christmas program they have shared with us today. Through their voices and actions, You have clearly retold the story of Your great love—that You came near to us in the birth of Your Son, our Savior. Receive our thanks for this joyful proclamation, and use it to strengthen our faith and to remind us that the good news of Christ is for young and old alike. Lord, in Your mercy; Congregation: Hear our prayer.

For the Sick and Hospitalized

Pastor: Compassionate Savior, You are God with us even in sickness and suffering. We lift before You Wally Schmidt, who is hospitalized in the ICU. According to Your will, grant healing, strength, and peace. Be near to him, to those who care for him, and to all who love him, assuring them that You do not abandon Your people in their hour of need. Lord, in Your mercy; Congregation: Hear our prayer.

For Those Who Grieve, Especially Our Brother Pastors and Their Families

Pastor: Lord of life and comfort, You are Immanuel—God with us in sorrow and in hope. We commend to Your mercy Pastor Neal Cadle and his family as they mourn the death of his father, and Pastor Ray Lorthioir and his family as they grieve the passing of his mother. Surround them with Your peace, strengthen them with the promise of the resurrection, and uphold them through the love and prayers of Your Church. Let them know that even in death, You remain faithful and near. Lord, in Your mercy; Congregation: Hear our prayer.

For All Who Grieve and for a World Marked by Violence

Pastor: Prince of Peace, our hearts are heavy as we grieve lives lost and communities wounded by acts of violence and shootings. Comfort all who mourn, especially those who have lost loved ones suddenly and tragically. Draw near to the brokenhearted, restrain the spread of evil, and bring healing where fear and sorrow now reign. Let Your light shine in the darkness, and let the darkness not overcome it. Lord, in Your mercy; Congregation: Hear our prayer.

For Faith in the Midst of Fear and Uncertainty

Pastor: Immanuel, God with us, when fear tempts us to rely on ourselves or to hide unbelief behind pious words, call us again to trust Your promises. Teach us to receive what You give, to rest in Your presence, and to live in confident hope, knowing that You are with us now and forever. Lord, in Your mercy; Congregation: Hear our prayer.

For Our Preparation to Celebrate Christ’s Birth

Pastor: Heavenly Father, as Christmas draws near, keep us from measuring our readiness by our efforts or accomplishments. Prepare us instead by Your Word and Spirit to receive with joy the gift You have given—Your Son, our Savior. Let us rejoice that the sign has been given, the promise fulfilled, and salvation accomplished in Christ. Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; for You are Immanuel—God with us—through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who has taught us to pray:

Congregation: Our Father who art in heaven….