TO US A CHILD IS BORN: PART TWO MIGHTY GOD

TO US A CHILD IS BORN: PART TWO MIGHTY GOD Isaiah 9:6 December 9, 2007 Given by: Pastor Rich Bersett [Index of Past Messages] Introduction Patrick O’Boyle wrote about the late-1940s Hyde Park "Speakers’ Corner" where often Frank Sheed, the renowned Catholic publisher spoke: "Sheed could be devastating with hecklers. Once, after he had described the extraordinary order and design to be seen in the universe, a persistent challenger retorted by pointing to all the world’s ills, and ended shouting, ‘I could make a better universe than your God!’ ‘I won’t ask you to make a universe,’ Sheed replied. ‘But would you make a rabbit--just to establish confidence?’" Jesus is the Mighty God Who Created the Universe Isaiah 40:26 – Lift your eyes and look to the heavens; Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. Isaiah 40:21-22 – Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. By the way, it would be over 200 years after Isaiah wrote that Pythagorus would be the first person to ever suggest that the earth wasn’t flat, but was spherical. And it would be another 1,000 years before the scientists of the world would finally agree that planet earth is a ball and not a rug. But here is the prophet of God, speaking the words of God, speaking of the circle of the earth, and our ionosphere is like a canopy or tent. In the Orion constellation there is a huge star called Betelguese (BETL-JEEZ). It is the ninth brightest star in our visible sky. It is known as a “red supergiant”. Three hundred million of our earth’s suns could fit into that one star. It is 527 light years away. If you could travel at six trillion miles per year, it would only take you 527 years to get there. The renowned Carl Sagan, who incredibly all his life remained an atheist, concluded from his research that there are billions of such stars in every galaxy. He said that not only are there galaxies and clusters of galaxies, but there are also countless clusters of such clusters of galaxies, probably even super galaxies, which are clusters of clusters of clusters of galaxies! God says, “You want to know how mighty I am? Take this whole universe. Not only did I make every star, I know every one of them by name.” It takes a special kind of fool who will look at this universe even with only the naked eye and say there is no evidence of order and design; there is no evidence of a purposeful Creator behind it all. The Bible says it at Psalm 19 – The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. One of the lessons the Bible teaches about the creation is to stir our minds concerning the almightiness of God. From the first words of Genesis 1 through the book of Revelation, the Bible testifies that God created all things out of nothing. By the breath of His mouth, the mere words that He spoke that which was not came into being and was. His purpose in all of it was that He might show forth His glory as Psalm 19 taught us, and that He might be thus glorified through the primary beings of His creation—men and women who would obey Him. Keeping that purpose before humanity He spoke throughout history through the patriarch, the prophets and an imperfect nation of people. What was clear in His plan was that to complete His purposes in this world, it would require the sending of Messiah. With that in mind, hear the words of Hebrews 1:1-2 – In the past God spoke to the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by His Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. Did you catch that? Not only are we taught that Jesus is the final and perfect Word from God, the His culminating message of His plan for this world, He also says that Jesus was the One who created the universe! But I thought God created the world?! Yes! Through the mysterious reality we know as the Trinity, the one God created everything, but He says it was all done specifically through Jesus, the Son. It’s the same thing that Colossians 1:16 says, speaking of Jesus – For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. Jesus is the Mighty God Who Sustains the Universe Not only was everything created by Jesus, but the Word of God says that Jesus is, even now, sustaining all things in creation. We read Hebrews 1:1-2, testifying that Jesus created, but verse three adds: The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. We read Colossians 1:16 about Jesus creating all things, but go on to verse 17 and learn this: He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. John 1:3 – Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. And Paul adds in 1 Corinthians 8:6 - …there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. Look in the manger in Bethlehem and see a tiny newborn boy, but look again, because he is also the God of Might—Mighty God. Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God . . . Who is the Mighty God? He is Father, Son and Spirit. Specifically, He is the Son of God, sent into His world, surprising Israel and saving the world. Who is this vulnerable little infant, wrapped in rags and lying in the cows’ feeding dish for a cradle, born of the egg of a woman, but the seed of God? Who is He? He is the Creator, the Mighty God. I wonder again: did Isaiah know what he was saying, while the Spirit of God carried him along, giving him things to say about a baby that wouldn’t be born for more than 700 years? I doubt it. But he knew it was important. The Messiah to come was not just another man, charismatic and kingly, catapulted to popularity and political position and military might to deliver oppressed Israelites from Roman domination. No, the holy, mighty God who was born into sinful humanity would come not just to save Jews, but all humanity. That is the mystery of the gospel, Paul said. And it was not to be mere politico-military deliverance, it would be deliverance from our real problem: sin and death! Jesus is not only the Mighty God Who Creates and Sustains . . . Jesus is the Mighty God Who Saves Why would the mighty God who created the world, who sustains it by the word of His power, after deciding to visit this planet, arriving as the helpless baby of poor parents? Hebrews 2 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil . . . For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. (Hebrews 2:14-18) It was the plan of God to show Himself as almighty God clearly enough to command the fear and respect of humanity, yet humble and vulnerable as a human to reassure us of His love. A God of quiet whispers with no thunder and lightning is not feared enough to be heard. A God of thunder and lightning without gentle whispers is feared but never loved. The fear of God to which all human beings is called is often a difficult thing to understand, isn’t it? I think the great author C.S. Lewis helps his readers get a grasp on the idea. Volume four of his famed Chronicles of Narnia is The Silver Chair. At one point in the book, the central character—a little girl named Jill—develops a relationship with Aslan, the lion of Narnia, who is the Lord. That relationship is described in such beautiful language and pictures the most tender, close relationship of love you can imagine. Yet, Jill had to learn to fear the lion. She encounters him at a stream where he is standing. He’s huge, menacing, and awesome: “Are you thirsty?” asked the lion. “I’m dying of thirst,” said Jill. “Then drink,” said the lion. “May I - -? Could I --? Would you mind going away while I do?” asked Jill. The lion answered this with only a look and a very low growl. As Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realized that she might as well have asked the whole mountain to move away for her convenience. The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic.. “Will you--? Will you promise not—not—not to do anything to me,” Jill asked, “if I come?” “I make no promises,” said the lion. Jill was so thirsty that by now without noticing it she had come a step nearer. “Do—do—do you eat—do you eat little girls?” “I have swallowed up girls, bys, women, men, kings, emperors, cities, and realms,” said the lion. And it didn’t say this as if it were boasting nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. He just said it. “I dare not come and drink,” said Jill. “Then you will die of thirst,” said the lion. “O dear,” said Jill coming another step nearer. “I suppose I must go and look for another stream the.” “There is no other stream.” The requisite fear of God mean, I think, three things: First, it means to be in utter awe of God—intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, even physically overwhelmed by the power and purity, the greatness and the glory of God. Secondly, to fear God is to have uncompromised reverence for Him. To willingly, instantly fall down on your face before Him in humility, adoration and worship. Bill Moyers, the television journalist tells the story of a man’s personal response to witnessing the launch of one of the Apollo shuttles: I was an observer at the launch of Apollo 17 in 1975. It was a night launch. There were hundreds of cynical reporters all over town drinking beer, wisecracking, waiting for this 35-story high rocket to take off. The countdown came, and then the launch. The first thing you see is this extraordinary orange light which is just about the limit of what you can bear to look at. Everything is illuminated with this light. Then comes this thing slowly rising up in total silence, because it takes a few seconds for the sound to come across. And then you hear this sound. It enters right into you. You can practically hear jaws dropping. The sense of wonder fills everyone in the whole place as this thing goes up and up. The first stage ignites this beautiful blue flame. It becomes like a star. But you realize there are humans in it, and then there’s total silence. People just get up quietly helping each other. They’re kind. They open doors. They look at one another speaking quietly and interestedly. These were suddenly moral people because the sense, the experience of wonder had made them moral. The fear of God has the same effect on people. It is awe that causes us to tremble before him and to wonder at him and to want to be something good for Him. And that’s the third quality of the fear of God: a desire to never dishonor or disappoint him. I have spoken in the past of my love for one professor I had in seminary: John Webb. Not a famous man; never wrote a book; never spoke at a big convention. But he loved his wife and kids, he loved God’s Word, and he preached with great conviction. Brother Webb taught preaching with all his heart. I learned quickly that he was a man of godly integrity. Within weeks I knew I wanted to be like him, and he became my secret hero of the faith. I wrote my very best papers in his class. I did my personal best in every homework assignment. I scored nearly perfectly on every one of his tests. Do you know why? I loved him and all that he represented to me of godly character. So I did not want to disappoint him. When I see the majesty of God’s power in the heavens and in the molecular and even sub-atomic; when I witness His awesome strength in storms and volcanoes, I fear Him and I am in awe of Him. When I consider God’s high holiness, and the final, sovereign last word He alone will have when all of creation stands before Him in judgment, I fear Him and fall trembling before Him in worship. When I see His love stoop so low as to incarnate into fragile and sinful humanity, and know it is because He loves me and He comes to save me from my sin, then I fear Him, and I never want to dishonor or disappoint Him again. 2 Corinthians 5:18 and Prayer/Invitation.     [Back to Top]