Sermon Tone Analysis

4th Sunday of Advent — Dec 22 — Our Hope: God With Us

Scripture for Worship Leader to Read and cue one song or chorus/chant from if possible: ,

Let’s Pray

Our Hope, Emmanuel, God with us.

Backstory:

Regarding v9 -

Full faith in the promise of ver.

7 would have enabled Ahaz to dispense with all plans of earthly policy, and to “stand fast in the Lord,” without calling in the aid of any “arm of flesh.”

Distrust of the promise would lead him to take steps which would not tend to “establish” him, but would make his position more insecure (see 2 Kings 16:7–18; 2 Chron.

28:16, 20).

Isaiah 7:10-

Ahaz is discouraged and unstable in His hope in God...

Yet God’s response is to reach out and give him even more confidence

Ask the Lord for a sign...

Make it as difficult as you want… As unbelievable as you want...

Make it so NO HUMAN CAN ACCOMPLISH THIS

APPLY IT -

Ahaz responds: No, I will not test the Lord… “I would never do such a thing”

You want God to do something… give up your ego… give up your self-righteousness...

If God invites you to do something… do it!

Ahaz’s ego-guarding-self-protection is exhausting God’s patience...

Isaiah 7:13

Ahaz responds: No, I will not test the Lord… “I would never do such a thing”

You want God to do something… give up your ego… give up your self-righteousness...

If God invites you to do something… just do it!

Ahaz’s ego-guarding-self-protection is exhausting God’s patience...

Isaiah 7:14-

What is the ONE THING that ABSOLUTELY, for sure, NO HUMAN CAN FORCE OR MAKE HAPPEN?

Putting God in human flesh...

, The sign of Emmanuel.

God hasn’t given up.

He doesn’t take orders from anyone; He is above all and rightfully so...

Promise to David for all through Good News in Jesus.

But the ONE THING no one else can do is EXACTLY WHAT HE DID

7:10–25 Isaiah’s meeting with Ahaz should have encouraged his faith in Yahweh to deliver Judah from its present predicament.

Instead, Ahaz discounts the reassurance Yahweh offers, and compounds his sin by refusing a divine sign.

The sign of Immanuel has implications for the immediate future: Within a year or two—the time it would take for a woman to conceive, give birth, and rear a young boy—the threat from the Syro-Ephraimite alliance will have passed.

The ultimate fulfillment of the sign points to the future restoration of God’s relationship with His people through the miraculous birth of God in human form (Matt 1:23).

God: Ahaz, you’ve given up… you’ve given into despair and hopelessness

But I am not bound by your hopelessness!

I

The sign of Emmanuel is the sign that God hasn’t given up.

, promise to David for all through Good News in Jesus.

7:10–25 Isaiah’s meeting with Ahaz should have encouraged his faith in Yahweh to deliver Judah from its present predicament.

Instead, Ahaz discounts the reassurance Yahweh offers, and compounds his sin by refusing a divine sign.

The sign of Immanuel has implications for the immediate future: Within a year or two—the time it would take for a woman to conceive, give birth, and rear a young boy—the threat from the Syro-Ephraimite alliance will have passed.

The ultimate fulfillment of the sign points to the future restoration of God’s relationship with His people through the miraculous birth of God in human form (Matt 1:23).

The birth of Jesus, Emmanuel.

, the birth of Jesus, Emmanuel.

God: Ahaz I haven’t given up on you

I haven’t given up on humanity

In fact I’ll let you in on my plans on how I’m gonna do it

The name Immanuel symbolizes the full restoration of Yahweh’s broken relationship with His people.

While the immediate context of the sign itself points to a short-term fulfillment (see note on Isa 7:10–25), the larger context of Isaiah heavily stresses the future time of redemption and reconciliation between Yahweh and Israel.

The coming salvation is depicted in the royal role of the Messiah in 9:2–8 that weaves divine titles into the description of the ideal righteous ruler—the Davidic messiah.

The close relationship between messianic and divine roles and titles supports the understanding of Immanuel as a messianic figure.

In 11:1–10, the Messiah is given the divine right to judge the nations; His reign inaugurates an era of worldwide peace.

The suffering, death, and destruction that entered the world through sin will be replaced with peace, justice, and righteousness as predator and prey live together in harmony (11:6).

The time of Immanuel will reflect the perfection of creation as originally formed in the garden of Eden.

What does God with us mean?

The birth of Jesus, Emmanuel.

Video

From Johnny Cash: All of the legislative bodies that ever sat and all of the kings that ever reigned

All of them put together have not affected the life of man on this earth

So powerfully as that one solitary life

Examine and Apply:

Write down something you see as hopeless in your life:

Hopeless thing that people would write in here to participate

Write down what could stop God from changing that:

This is where someone would write down what they think of

Write down why you struggle to believe that:

This is where someone would write down what they think of

Share this with a trusted person in your life this week