Sermon Tone Analysis

A Child Is Born For Us

Isaiah 9:1-7 \\ Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress.

In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan— The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.

You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder.

For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.

Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.

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, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

Pray

 

As we celebrate Advent

 

Context of our great passage –

 

Corrupt People- the Why of Christmas

-         Isaiah 8:18-22

-         Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me.

We are signs and symbols in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion.

When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God?

Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?

To the law and to the testimony!

If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.

Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God.

Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness.

-          – What were the people of Israel doing?

Although they had been entrusted with the very Word of God and although they had even the prophet Isaiah – as a sign and symbol preaching to them they decided to consult the occult.

Isaiah was baffled by this people, the people who had God’s Word.

He even asks them, when men tell you to go and consult these false religions, should you not pause for a second and ask God?

The world is no different today is it?

For nearly every home in our nation has at least one copy of the Bible and yet like the people in Isaiah’s day we pursue the advice of those who are spiritually dead and the last place we go is to God’s word.

And we have a world full of people who are faminished for truth and living in distress and darkness and fearful gloom.

—Actor Orlando Bloom “If life isn't about humanity, then tell me what it's all about, because I'd love to know.

Money and power aren't what life is about.

It can't be.”

-         If Isaiah was writing to our world today he might put it like this:

When men tell you to consult media experts, the internet, horoscopes, false religions and cults, and a world system which denies the very existence of God, those who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God?

Why consult those who don’t have life in them?

Go to God’s Word!

If what you are feeding your heart and mind does not speak according to his Word, then they have no light of dawn.

Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and feeling guilt, they look upward, and  will curse their king and their God.

Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness.

Lest we be tempted to say - yes, it's that lousy culture, it's that cesspool of society that is so awful- we must remember that Isaiah was writing to God’s people Israel.

And although God has rescued us from this darkness and gloom we, as the Church as God’s People,  far too often run headlong right back.

We must take a long, hard look at the church (which should be redeeming the culture) and each of us as individuals and realize that we are distressed and hungry as Isaiah puts it because we have not fed on the truth of God's Word, we are in darkness because we have not allowed the light of his Word to shine into our lives and reveal our hearts for what they are.

For while Christ is transforming us by his Grace, far too often our hearts are transfixed onto the same media as our culture and we are not inquiring of our God.

The lies we tell ourselves and others come from the overflow of the heart, when our eyes wander to the delights of the flesh and the material goods around us we need to remember that, as Augustine says the unchaste eye carries the message of an impure heart.

When our minds delight on the success of this world our hearts are not focused on heaven and when we are famined because the world can not satisfy we also do look up and curse our king and our God.

We are the people living in darkness, we are the people in distress, we are the corrupt people in need of Christmas day.

          - Reflect on your life now, as you enter 2007, what is the biggest problem in your life?

If you believe your biggest problem is anything other than sin in your life and sin in this world then you will do not get Christmas.

The Glory of Christmas is that God does not leave us living in darkness

 

Well point one we can relate to – A Corrupt People

The next point, I feel that we cannot really relate to, instead we need to be in wonder about – we must take time each year to reflect on how God put into place his plan because if we don’t reflect we will take it granted and miss it.

That is point 2 is a

Compassionate Plan-the How of Christmas

 

Verse 1 of chapter 9 – our passage- starts with the word -Nevertheless –

 

Gospel is always a surprise - when the world is left in darkness and gloom – they are left hopeless.

When faced with hopelessness and gloom

-         every religion on earth shouts out try harder,

-         humanistic philosophy says, “its not your fault blame someone else”,

-         and our media centered society says, “cover it up with entertainment- try to forget your woes.”

Only Christ comes back with hope.

That is why chapter 9 starts out with the word – nevertheless.

Let me ask you a question, “do you reflect hope to the world around you?”

This is a distinctly Christian thing to do.

Christians alone can reflect – nevertheless-  to the world around us – because nevertheless means grace.

Look at verse 1-  Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress and moving down to verse 2 the people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has shown.

There is a gift of grace.-

It’s a compassionate plan -

         

          - Have you noticed that the best gifts are gifts that have been planned that have some thought put into them.

It should be no surprise then that this ultimate gift from God was planned.

- God had planned to give this gift to the world before he had made the world itself.

He planned it, every detail.

This is the teaching of the whole of the Bible.

Before the foundation of the earth.

Why Bethlehem?

Why to a young unmarried woman?

Why announced to Shepherds?

It was because God had planned it that way.

We could go on – why at such a time when the stars would speak to Magi from the east (and for an incredible answer to that one – you need to come on Thursday or Friday to the Bethlehem Star Presentation – you will not be disappointed.)

But what we see from all this is that God had a plan, a plan he put into place before even creating the stars.

As Paul said in Galatians – it was in the fullness of time – at the apex of time – that God put everything into motion.

And as we will see in our passage that God had the exact moment in mind and the exact details worked out.

That is why it is so wonderful – so full of wonder – to celebrate Christmas.

Because each year we remember that God’s plan from all eternity – a plan that would change humanity forever– started going into motion!

And we see that our God is a God who his faithful to the promises he made to Isaiah he is the God who is true.

- Once again, take time this Christmas season to reflect even on this passage -  be in magical wonder about the incarnation – for as J. Sidlow Baxter says, In the super-miracle of the Incarnation, our very Creator, Preserver, Judge, becomes our Kinsman, Sinbearer, Redeemer!

Of all miracles and mysteries this is the most staggering.

For this is a plan only God could come up with- think about it how would you have carried out the plan of redemption?

This is where I want you to pause this advent

– I can guarantee you, if I was to draw up a plan it wouldn’t have looked at all like this – and the wonder of his love would be missing.

Let me explain

 

Every aspect of the coming of Jesus Christ is a surprise – we are just too familiar with it to be in awe as we should.

From the least likely to the most unexpected, the coming of the Son of God to Earth has it all.

Location and Means

 

Location- How would I have planned the debut of the Savior of the World - – first of all it would have been in a large city – probably at that time Rome maybe Jerusalem.

a) Galilee- where Jesus would spend most of his ministry -  Out of Galilee – the place that always needed to be rescued – a rescuer would come - In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan

b) Bethlehem – Micah 5:2 – when Joshua divided up the land he listed 115 cities and towns – no Bethlehem

          c) Manger- Humility

                             - problem of Manger Scenes – they don’t smell