Wonderful Counselor

Introduction

Christmas can be a tough time for so many

a time that is supposed to be joyous, can be very lonely

maybe there is an empty seat at the table

maybe it is that it is winter, it gets dark earlier, your on your own more

We talked last week about God coming to this world when we needed him most

God came!

But if God simply came and did nothing it would be like when we say we are going to pray for somebody only to forget what they told us in the first place

so today we will look at another name given to Jesus found in Isaiah 9:6 “Wonderful Counselor”

Isaiah 9:6 CSB

6 For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Wonderful counselor is one of those terms that can mean something different if we do not understand

I am afraid that we hear that name and think it somebody that just makes me feel better when I am feeling bad

If I just read my bible, pray, I will feel better

wonderful - pele - meaning extraordinary, miraculous

counselor - yoez - meaning advisor from a place of authority

not simply a friend that makes you feel better for a time

but somebody who has the authority to command us to obey and the power to help us do what we need to do

John 5:1–9 CSB

1 After this, a Jewish festival took place, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 By the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem there is a pool, called Bethesda in Aramaic, which has five colonnades. 3 Within these lay a large number of the disabled—blind, lame, and paralyzed. 5 One man was there who had been disabled for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and realized he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to get well?” 7 “Sir,” the disabled man answered, “I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I’m coming, someone goes down ahead of me.” 8 “Get up,” Jesus told him, “pick up your mat and walk.” 9 Instantly the man got well, picked up his mat, and started to walk. Now that day was the Sabbath,

PRAY!

We Need a Counselor

I am one that when I buy gifts at Christmas, I do not like to go out and buy something because you need it

that is not fun, I want to buy you something that you want, something that you might not buy yourself, not because it is expensive, but because you do not need it, but want it

I think that this is how we ask God for things in our prayer time

we simply ask for things that we cannot provide for ourselves

we think we can make it through most of the on our own, not needing anything from him

I can handle the day to day small stuff, when it comes time for the healings and things that are out of our control, that is where you come in

By the way, that is not worship, that is something where we instruct God and give him permission on where he is supposed to be involved

as if we can tell him to do anything,

we are in essence making ourselves into gods

Tell the story of the man being healed at Bethesda...

speak about the missing verse 4

McAuthor says this passage is about a false religion, that the angel was a superstition

I don’t know if it is or not, it is not relevant to our use of the passage in the illustration of the “wonderful counselor”

this man needed something that was extraordinary

Romans 11:33–36 ESV

33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

This miracle that Jesus performed has something in common with every miracle that he performed

it started with a problem

J.D. Greear “If you have a problem you are a candidate for a miracle. No problem no miracle, but we will pray that God would give you a problem so that you can see a miracle in your life.”

We do not need some flashy new advice or self help system

those things are simply temporary fixes, bandaids and they have no power in your life

Are we willing to admit that our biggest problem is sin

Are you honest with an all knowing God

that we still struggle with the three sins that John spoke about in first John

Lust of the flesh - living in luxury

lust of the eyes - desire to be satisfied

pride of life - desire to be worshipped, or admired for what you have

will you admit today that you are in need of a Wonderful Counselor

We Need a Miracle

Have you ever been frustrated and proud of your kids all at the same time

One of our kids went with a group of kids to an event and the mom that took them also took them out for lunch

when they got home, they were starving, we asked why, they told us that they just got a little something because they did not want it to cost too much for that mom

This man did not ask for a miracle

What is his stated problem… he could not get to the pool

John 5:6–7 ESV

6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.”

Three observations

the paralytic did not ask Jesus for anything… Jesus went to him

We have no idea if he had prayed that day, if he had given up on a miracle

We do know that Jesus saw him and had compassion on him

the difference between compassion and sympathy is action

2000 years ago, Immanuel came to this earth

Romans 5:6–8 ESV

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Jesus understood what the man’s problem really was

what is his real need, healing, not somebody to put him in the pool

What miracle are you in need of…

perceived needs… situations that we have put ourselves in that we need a miracle to get out of

Lord, I have wasted all of the resources that you have given me on lusts of the flesh… give me a miracle to pay my rent.

This is different from David saying that he is being hunted down by those who do not believe

This man has no idea who it is that he is speaking too… no idea what the possibilities are

Can you imagine having all the power in the universe in front of you and asking just for a hand instead of a miracle

How many times are we simply praying to God to assist us with our plans that we have laid out instead of asking for a miracle

Jesus did not offer to put somebody with him, but told him to pick up his bed and walk

Jesus does not simply help us “not sin more,” but brings our dead souls back to life

Ephesians 2:4–5 ESV

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

We are all offered a miracle

we are are dead in our sins, and through the death of Jesus, we have the opportunity to come to life!

what makes this a miracle...

miracle - a surprising and welcome event that is not explained by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine

something that is out of this world, something that you cannot do on your own

and that is the miracle… we are eternally separated from God, but through our wonderful counselor, we have the opportunity to be in relationship with God!

We Need to be Obedient

I”m going to miss going to basketball games at the schools this year

I enjoy watching it, but i get amused at listening to the parents

parents watch basketball with the assumption nobody else in the gym knows what is happening

I think that the two things yelled the most is

You have to shoot the ball!

You can’t let them score

sometimes they might be right… the kids can think that the game is so complicated that they forget to simply shoot the ball when they are by themselves under the basket

The crippled man picked up his bed and walked and this is exactly what Jesus asked him to do

John 5:9 ESV

9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath.

I would guess that simple obedience to Jesus is missing from the walk of so many

we would rather hear the command and then have discussions about what that command really means

this is why we have more meetings in churches

this is easier than actually obeying

it is easier to be in the stands shouting what you should be doing than in the game actually trying to accomplish the goal

This man got up and walked

John 5:10–13 ESV

10 So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” 11 But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’ ” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” 13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place.

he did not know who told him to do so,

he did not care what day it was

We have a wonderful counselor that has been sent so that we could enjoy the miracle of being alive in Christ

We have a lot of ‘whataboutisms”

coming up with all kinds of excuses as to why we cannot obey, why following Jesus just isn’t as simple as I am making it out to be

Following Jesus really is as simple as the ABC’s…

Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior

Believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead

Confess your sins to him