Advent 2017: Wonderful Counselor

Isaiah 9:1-7 Wonderful Counselor Introduction: This morning we’re beginning another short series through Isaiah on the subject of Advent - focusing on the character and person of the Promised child King of Isaiah 9. “We need Advent as much as ever this year. The world has gone insane. False prophets and charlatans abound. We need the clear calling of "Come Lord Jesus" to resound over our culture of compromise and nonsense. And we need the comforting knowledge that he will, indeed, come.” - Mike Cosper But Advent isn’t just about waiting..it’s about living under the reign of Christ now. It’s about living out the kingdom until he returns in second advent. Now in our text, Judgment is coming upon Israel for all their unrighteousness, injustice and rebellion. Chapter 8 of Isaiah ends with these words - "And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness….It looks like the end for the children of Israel and their wicked kings - they are promised judgment, destruction, darkness and gloom…. But then immediately in the next verses we’re told that the darkness and the people sitting in darkness will be dispelled by a great light, the light of this King to be born..He’s not just any old king. He is the long awaited messianic king, the Son of David. It’s interesting to take the last part of this section (vs.7) and then to read this passage in light of it. “The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.” or NET reads, “The Lord’s intense devotion to his people will accomplish this.” Because of God’s intense devotion to his people he will send the son, he will enthrone his perfect king over the earth. And it says, “Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end” In His Intense love land devotion God sends us the gift of his Son, this child, this newborn King..And Christmas is about celebrating and receiving this gift of Jesus Christ. 1. The Bestowed King. 1. Throughout history people have sought and still seek the perfect society, the perfect government, the perfect king or queen to rule. Maybe we don’t put it in those terms but that’s what we’re really saying.. 2. Listen to what Ben Affleck recently said in USAToday about why hero films are so popular - “We certainly are in need of heroes in 2017,” Affleck says. “There’s a lot of stuff going on in the world, from natural to man-made disasters, and it’s really scary. Part of the appeal of this genre is wish fulfillment: Wouldn’t it be nice if there was somebody who can save us from all this, save us from ourselves, save us from the consequences of our actions and save us from people who are evil? 3. This is a real, and actual human longing. A desire for a True King One who will love his subjects, who will rule for their protection and thriving. One who will rule in righteousness, truth and justice. That’s what Isaiah 9 is all about. The kings of Israel and Judah have ruled wickedly and selfishly, not for the good of the people, not in truth, righteousness, justice.. so God is taking away their kingdoms But in place of them he will establish his true king and his kingdom. 4. A child will be born, A son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulders….Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with Justice and with righteousness from this time forth and for evermore.” 5. This was and is a very different kingdom than the Israelites had ever experienced, or anyone has experienced, for that matter ,and that is because this is a different King, a king like we’ve never seen before. 2. The Name of the King 1. Names in the Bible are very significant. In their highest use, “name”, sums up character; it declares the whole person including, character, status, and credentials. 2. Think of the story in Exodus where Moses asks to see God in his glory - What happens? God hides Moses in a cave and passes by him declaring his NAME - “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands,[a] forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.” 1. The perfection of this King is seen in his qualification for ruling. His name is Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Father of the Ages, Prince of Peace. 3. Incomprehensible Counsel 1. So what does it mean that the Messianic King is wonderful counselor? 1. In ancient times as well as in modern times, kings, rulers and presidents have had councils and counselors - Men and women who advise them, give them insight, perspective and wisdom on the situations they have to make to govern well. Interestingly enough the perfect King, God’s king, does not have a council - he is his own counsel - As Isaiah tells us elsewhere - “The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord…and then the results -He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth, and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” - Isaiah 11:2-9 1. The Wisdom of this king bring rest and peace to his kingdom like have never been seen before. 2. We are told in Colossians that in Jesus Christ, God’s true king “all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.” We are talking about Infinite wisdom. All the wisdom, understanding, and counsel that framed the Cosmos, that holds, and sustains all things is manifest in this King. There is no situation too complex, there is no riddle he cannot solve, “The enemy shall not outwit him; the wicked shall not humble him.” The word wonderful that’s used means incomprehensible -The fulness of wisdom and knowledge, wisdom knowledge and counsel beyond human understanding. 4. Our Desperate Need for Wisdom & Counsel 1. The Bible likens us to sheep wandering off the right, safe paths; to ignorant children that don’t know right from wrong. To spiritually blind and deaf people that cannot discern what is right good and true. Lest we think that ignorance is simply our problem Psalm 107, (One passage among a myriad of scripture) shows us that much of our pain coming from our ignorance is due to our rebellion against God, and against his truth - his rules, guidelines and principles for how life works best. 2. Every single one of us have complex, and confusing situations in our lives. Whether it’s a loved one that is physically or mentally ill. Maybe a divorce or a marriage on the rocks. Maybe bad choices in dating and relationships. Trouble with finances and planning for the future. Maybe it’s that our children are in rebellion, our home structure is collapsing..etc.What Job to take, who to marry, or not marry, how to live well, where to invest… We all have situations that leave us wondering what to do, where to go, longing for wise counsel, for the correct course of action. 3. But this isn’t just a personal and individual problem. This is a global problem. Nations, Tribes, and Peoples, are in desperate need of counsel. Our Policies, Philosophies, and Leaders are greatly flawed and it shows.. Just think of the what we read in the media; Blatant lies, allegations of sexual assault, corruption of government, abuse of power from one end of the globe to the other. Isis still at work in the middle east, shooting after shooting in our country, instability in the east - with North Korea. What do we do; who can we trust; who can we follow; who will lead us? We are people in desperate need of wisdom and counsel. We need to know what course of action to take in order to have human thriving, and peace on earth. 4. Counseling and therapy in our own country is at an all time high (Show list here) -People are seeking help and counsel for just about everything.. we are a country, a world fraught with fear and anxiety. We need counsel. The problem is human counsel can only take us so far because apart from a theological framework, we have no idea what’s wrong with us.. The Bible says that each one of us are deeply flawed because of sin and selfishness.. it is what ruins Nations, Families, Individuals.. and every single one of us is in need of counsel because we are sick with sin….We are in darkness, moral darkness. We are ignorant to God’s glory and purposes, which also effects all our practical and physical choices… it is because of this darkness that we are estranged from one another, estranged from ourselves, and estranged from the creation. This is why our World is in chaos. 5. Your Counselor 1. This is why God in his intense devotion and love for humanity sent the Wonderful Counselor - God the Creator’s counsel shows us the way life works best. God’s ideal is human blessing and thriving. Life to it’s fullest. We find such direct teachings in The Law of Moses, The Wisdom Literature, and the Prophets. We find it in the teachings of Jesus, especially the Sermon on the Mount; we find it in the Epistles, Etc. 1. In the fourfold gospel account - Jesus, explains just about everything - from money and ambition, to human relationships, to death. The world of humanity longs for the wisdom to know how to live and to die well. 2. Examples of Jesus’ wonderful counsel - Matthew 6:25-34 Jesus teaches us about the dangers of anxiety and the fact that it accomplishes nothing… it is only through trust in God’s goodness as Father, and provider that we can be ultimately free from crippling fear and anxiety (Which we all know poisons everything).. How do we do that.. we get our eyes off stuff, off our selves and we fix them on God as our loving heavenly Father, that has intimate knowledge of all of our needs, who loves us more than we love ourselves. We concern ourselves with the things that he cares about and all other things will be added to us.. 1. Or think about the woman at the well in terms of our trying to fill the deep hole of emptiness and meaninglessness we have in our lives…Jesus says, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”…. Jesus tells us that satisfaction is found in him alone, this will keep our lives from burn out, disappointment and ultimate ruin… (The dentist in Fountain Grove - tragic, heart breaking..) 2. Jesus shows us time and time again that our biggest problem is sin - we have disordered loves, and therefore disordered lives. We love the the wrong things and have made the wrong things ultimate things…this will destroy our lives.. And he is the only one who can set us free “Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Freedom from the lies, or the counsel that has enslaved you.. 3. Last one - Think of the word of Peace he speaks to us in John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” A word of truth that if truly grasped and taken to heart can give us peace of mind no matter the situation… 6. Conclusion: How many times have you wished that there was someone to talk to, who knew the end from the beginning, or who knew the intricate details of your life and situation.. One who has walked in your shoes before. How many times have you simply wanted to tell someone the truth and felt like you couldn’t or you would be shamed, and shunned?? 1. This incomprehensible counselor, Jesus Christ, knows your thoughts before you think them, He hears your cries, he stores your tears in a bottle, he knows the number of hairs on your head, your sitting and your rising...he is acquainted with everything intricate detail about you, there is nothing hidden from him, either good or bad….He stepped down from his heavenly throne, became a helpless child, a homeless man, dying a shameful substitutionary death to rescue you, to redeem you, to bless you and give you an eternal inheritance in a perfect world without end. To give you all the wisdom and counsel you need to live this life well, to live it to the fullest. It cost Jesus everything to become your king!!… Can you doubt the goodness of God’s counsel to you, or his intentions towards you? 1. God gives us this precious gift of his Son, the wonderful counselor, will you receive his kingship and his counsel - will you begin to take advantage of this incomprehensible gift and resource? Will you receive Jesus as your Incomprehensible Counselor and King?