Hope Has a Name
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Good morning Union Hill Church Family!
It is so good to be back together again! We have officially entered the Christmas season. We’re going to be starting a Christmas sermon series that we are starting this morning Is all about hope. I want you to know something this morning, that even though you may be in a season of your life where you think you will never escape I want you to know that there is hope today.
I can tell you there is hope because Hope has a name, I can tell you that hope exists no matter what your going through because Hope is a person and His name is Jesus Christ.
This morning were going to be looking at Isaiah 9 if you have your Bible that is where were going to be. Isaiah 9 is a prophecy written about Jesus written about 7 centuries before Jesus was born.
I am going to read you a couple of verses just to help you see what is going on in the text.
Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.
The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
a light has dawned
on those living in the land of darkness.
You have enlarged the nation
and increased its joy.
The people have rejoiced before You
as they rejoice at harvest time
and as they rejoice when dividing spoils.
For You have shattered their oppressive yoke
and the rod on their shoulders,
the staff of their oppressor,
just as You did on the day of Midian.
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
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 forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
(Let’s Pray)
The first thing I want you to understand about this prophecy was that it wasnt given at Christmas time, there was no Christmas then, this was a prophecy that was given to Gods people in the midst of a time where there was real tumultuous national tension and worry.
730 Bc and there was a king named king Ahaz and he was King over the southern kingdom of Israel was very worried bc assyria was threatening to invade him, and he didnt know what to do.
He didnt know what strategies to take or what political moves he could make. So God sends the prophet Isaiah to him and says Ahaz do not worry about making alliances with other nations bc God Himself will protect you.
This is the thing we must remember as national turmoil is taking place still on our world today, protection does not come from a political party though we strive to vote with our biblical principles for a candidate.
Protection comes from the most High God Isaiah speaks this promise to Ahaz and says to prove that God will protect you I am going to give you a sign. Now wouldn’t that be great shouldn’t ahaz be excited about getting a sign.
I mean if I told you no matter what everything is going to be ok and I am going to give you a sign from God to prove it wouldn’t that make you feel better?
You think he would be excited about having a sign from God but instead Ahaz says I dont wanna sign, bc he knew that if God gave him a sign then he knew he would have to obey whatever God said and he wasn’t a man who was known to walk with God and he was like I dont wanna be obligated...
So Isaiah says oh that how you wanna be huh?
ok heres your sign
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Now here is where it gets a little confusing just hang with me
When you read Isaiah 78&9 what your gonna see is that there was a partial fufillment of this prophecy in Isaiah’s time. There was a son that was born that was a sign and he is referred to in Isaiah 9. But as you read you very quickly begin to understand that the child that is being talked about is more than this child it is a future child as well, bc the names that are attached to this child are very innapropriate for just a human child.
Names like Mighty God, or everlasting Father, Prince of Peace
There was a temporary fufillment in Isaiahs day but ultimately you see this prophecy would be fufilled 7 centuries later by JEsus He was the Son born of a Virgin who would be wonderful counselor everlasting father and prince of peace.
By the way alot of Biblical prophecy works that way theres an immediate fulfillment in the prophets day but the ultimate fulfillment comes in the future.
I have heard this described this way. If you are looking at a mountain range from a distance some of the mountains may look like they are right there together they may even look like they are one mountain but if you to look down on them from above, you would actually see that there was a large space between them.
From a distance they look like one but from above they are multiple. well alot of prophecy is like that too. When you are looking at it, it looks like one but as you get over to it you see the present picture the picture the writer sees in his day, an the now that we are further along in history we see the big picture fulfillment.
does that makes sense?
Thats whats going on here.
Now the question i start asking about this is, how does a prophecy about the birth of a Messiah thats not going to come for 700 years ultimately help the problem that Ahaz and Israel have in this chapter.
That there is an army outside jerusalem that wants to destroy them.
Into this situation God gives a promise about a Messiah thats not going to come for 700 years. Now some people read this and they say see this is the problem with the Bible the Bible doesn’t meet people with real situations its all future stuff it doesn’t help in the here and now.
There may be alot of people watching right now and you say I love the stories about Jesus and the manger and the shepherds but I am in a real situation I don’t have a job, my marriage is falling apart, I cannot get rid of this chronic pain and while all this stuff is heartwarming but what is the birth of a future Messiah going to do for us.
That has got to be how Ahaz and the nation is feeling.
Well the birth of Jesus is going help them in 2 ways:
God was dealing with our problem at its roots
Our problem and their problem was much deeper than any enemy army that was standing against them. Our problem is much deeper than any health issues, or financial struggles we may be going through right now.
The real issue we face is eternal judgement and separation from God! People often times get upset when they think about Hell. They are like man I dont wanna hear a preacher talk to me about fire and brimstone.
But I wanna suggest to you today that Hell is not Hell because there is fire and torment, Hell is Hell because it is eternity seeing the God who loved you and made a way for you to have a full and clean life, who desired to walk with you and give you forgiveness and eternity with Him and in Hell you get to spend the next forever looking at the beauty and majesty of Heaven, while being in torment never being able to be with the God who created you.
All of our problems stem back to this central problem sin, as a matter of fact every issue we face in life is a byproduct of sin, there was no covid in a pre sin world.
There was no death in a world without sin, there was no cancer in a pre sin world, there would have been no affairs in a pre sin world, there would be no parentless children in a world without sin.
What I am saying is not that whatever your going through in your life right now is a punishment for some specific sin that you committed.
Im simply saying that if God were to take away all of our problems without fixing our real problem separation from God then we would just create a bunch of new problems.
“The problem with the human heart is that it is turned in on itself, rather than pour itself on God and others, it is radically turned in on itself sometimes so selfabsorbed it doesn’t know how self absorbed it is.”
This is where all of our problems come from, problems on the news or in our family it comes from within the human heart.
Sin if it was going to be dealt with it had to be dealt with at its roots. So God promised Ahaz a Messiah that would save us from our sins, not just deliver us from our enemies.
Transform our hearts not just get rid of those who do us wrong. We want God to give us perfect health God wants to deliver us from the curse of sin which causes death.
We want to be healed of broken relationships and God wants to deliver us from the sin and selfishness that breaks thos relationships.
We want victory in battle God promised a Messiah that would take away the hatred that brings us into battle. Now we say thats al well and good Kyle but I wish he would have gone ahead and destroyed all evil then!
Do you realy wish that?
Do you really wish that the first time Jesus had come He would have destroyed all evil would any of you even be here?
No
We say we wanna go to Heaven where there is no more tears and no more crying. Heres the problem how many people over the last 10 years have you made cry or caused pain for?
See the problem is if Heaven is a place where there is no more crying or pain then Heaven is going to be a place with no Kyle Johnson.
Or you
So in order for us to be fit for Heaven God had to deal with the sin that was in everyone of our hearts. otherwise we would not be fit to live there.
HE CAME NOT TO DESTROY ALL EVIL AND THANK GOD!! HE CAME TO REDEEM US!!!
Ultimate salvation could not come from a warrior who would ride in on a stallion to defeat our problems ultimate salvation would come from a baby born in obscurity, in a barn, a nobody from nowhere and who lived a sinless life like we were supposed to live and then to die and set us free from the curse of sin.
(frozen)
That is the first and ultimate way this promise fixes their problem.
2. God wanted relationship with humanity we see this in his names.
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
WONDERFUL COUNSELOR
Isaiah is telling us when this Messiah comes it will be beyond words to try to describe him. He is wonderful glorious magnificent awesome!
He is one who advises us or instructs us or guides us through problems. But He is able to do this because of His position of authority!
One day a Son will born a child will be given to you HE IS MY CHILD and HIS NAME WILL BE WONDERFUL COUNSELOR
HE is the one who you can come to with your problems and give you wisdom, He is the one if you have a relationship with Him who comforts you in times of pain.
The writer of Hebrews picks up on this concept and he explains how Jesus can be the wonderful counselor to us and heres what he says.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
IN other words Jesus was not just a Sovereign King who would rule over us, He is a friend and brother who will live among us and He has walked through everything we have walked through and there is nothing we can ever experience that He hasn’t already experienced which means He can be a reliable guide to us in even the worst pain.
One thing I hope you notice when you look at the Christmas story this year you should not neglect just hwo poor Jesus was when He was born.
He was born into the worst poverty, the Jews as a people back then were born into the worst kind of poverty but Mary and Joseph seemed to be poor even for Jews in that day.
Jesus was born in a stable he didnt even have a suitable place to be born, When we look at our manger scenes today they are always cute and sentimental, but for those of you who have barn animals I am pretty sure you can attest to the fact that it probably aint the cleanest or most peaceful place to give birth to a child.
Out in the freezing cold amidst the manure and lowing of cattle.
8 days after Jesus was born they offered a sacrifice which was common after the birth of a first born son. The requirement was a lamb, Mary and Joseph offered a pigeon and a dove, which was a provision in Gods law for the poorest of the poor who couldnt afford a lamb to give.
God chose the poorest of the poor to send His son into, isn’t that encouraging? It is to me, that means no matter where you are in your social standing in life, whether you are a millionaire or even if you are in the streets homeless God desires for you and I to have Jesus Christ.
He is not above anyone
He was born in a manger he would die on a cross
WHY ALL THIS POVERTY AND CONDEMNATION \?
IT IS BC HE WAS BEARING THE CONDEMNATION AND REJECTION THAT YOU AND I DESERVE
SO THAT WHEN I COME TO HIM WITH MY PROBLEMS I CAN DO IT WITH CONFIDENCE KNOWING GOD WILL NOT JUDGE ME OR CONDEMN ME BC JESUS WAS JUDGED AND CONDEMNED IN MY PLACE.
HE was pierced for our trnansgressions and crusheed for our peace, the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him. BY HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED!
He now gives us adoption and sonship bc my condemnation was given to him.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
WITHOUT REPROACH= WITH OUT JUDGEMENT
This means the world to me bc usually when I ask God for wisdom it is bc I have gotten myself into something I need help getting out of.
I messed something up
But God doesnt sit up there thinking oh you are coming to me now? Why didnt you come to me before hand?
No that is the beauty of the gospel He gives wisdom WITHOUT REPROACH
I dont deserve the wisdom He gives but Jesus earned it for me!
He gave it to me He allwed me to have access into the presence of my Heavenly Father
We have this access knowing that He is not some Holy Being who has never suffered! He has!
There is no rejection no hurt no condemnation that he himself has not felt the sting of that and now He can get me through it.
Arent you glad of that?
That since he has been through it He can guide you through that situation in your life.
JESUS IS THE WONDERFUL COUNSELOR!
THIS MEANS THAT JESUS CAME FOR PEOPLE WITH PROBLEMS!!
How many of you right now have issue in your marriage? I want you to know that if we will learn to align ourselves with the plan and purpose of God then God will guide us into better days with our spouses our children.
Everyone of the miracles that Jesus did all started with a problem.
Never did Jesus just do magic tricks.
He started with a problem like sickness or disease and he used that issue and He did something amazing to bring Himself glory.
BE HAPPY IF THINGS ARE GOING WRONG YOU ARE A CANDIDATE FOR A MIRACLE!
Jesus came for people who had problems so we should never sit there and think well God works in this persons life bc they have it all together and I am just too far gone…NOOO
EVERY PERSON NEEDS JESUS BC EVERY PERSON HAS PROBLEMS
So if you have problems then be bold and do somethings that will help you in your time of trouble:
Be completely honest with God
If you want help with your problems from the wonderful counselor you have got to be really honest with him. Every counselor I know says that until your completely honest about your problems then there is nothing anyone can do for you.
there is this tendency for us as humans to hide our problems even from the counselor.
It is because we are ashamed and we wanna pretend everything is really not as bad as we feel it is.
But the truth is unless we are totally honest about our problem you cannot get help heres why thats true. Getting help from Jesus is not like taking your dirty car to a car wash and throwing the keys to a kid and saying hey you go clean er up Ill be back in 30.
Getting help from Jesus with your problems means your going to have to be involved so if you are not completely honest about your problems you cant really fix them or even allow God to fix them.
If you wont acknoelwedge that your marriage has a cancer in it your never going to get any better.
The problem is not your spouses annoying attitude, it is not their bad habits or irresponsibility the problem is within you and you have to deal with it and until your honest about these things your never gonna get His help.
God is not going to change your circumstances without changing you.
B ut what if people really see how messed up we are? What is everyone finds out.
That is just where you are going to have to trust the promises of he wonderful counselor
Jesus was once talking to a woman who was really messed up. She had a string of broken marriages and when Jesus was talking to her she was in the midst of an adulterous relationship and she was deeply sad, and she kept thinking if He knew allof that abot her he would shame her.
Finally Jesus interrupts her and says look I KNOW YOU HAVE HAD 5 HUSBANDS AND THE GUY YOUR LIVING WITH NOW IS NOT YOUR HUSBAND AND I KNOW YOUR STILL NOT HAPPY
Jesus says I chose to have this conversation and I knew already and I still chose you to speak with.
Jesus knows everything about you He knows how messed up you are and yet He pursued you still.
God wants to transform your life He knew about it before He started the conversation there is nothing that will surpirsed Him and nothing His blood has not covered. SO IT IS TIME TO BE HONEST WITH HIM
2. YOU HAVE TO WANT TO CHANGE
Jesus one day comes upon a lame man He has been lame 38 years and He ask him a funky question.
He says DO YOU WANNA BE HEALED?
Well of course he wants to be healed, but here is what Jesus was hinting at while many people want the benefit of being healed they dont wanna go through the painful choices that Healing may bring
We want god to clean up the mess of our lives without cleaning up the choices or patterns that got us into that mess in the first place.
DO YOU REALLY WANT GOD TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE?
DO YOU REALLY WANT GOD TO FORM YOU INTO THE PERSON HE CREATED YOU TO BE?
bcif so it will require something you are going to have to deal with.
3. YOU GOTTA DO WHATEVER HE SAYS
Jesus asks people to do crazy things if they wanna be healed
You have a blind man who wants to be healed and so he comes up to Jesus and what does Jesus do I would expect him to just touch the eyes but what he does is spits on the ground makes mud pies and paste and wipes it on the mans eyes
Then he tells him there is a pool named siloam which was not down the street but across town and he tells him to get there and wash the spit off his eyes and he would be healed.
WHY?
JESUS IS DEMONSTRATING TO US THAT SOMETIMES OBEDIENCE DOESNT MAKE SENSE TO US.
He is trying to demonstrate to you that often obedience is not going to make sense to you
If you want Jesus Help you have to be willing to do whatever he says
Heres a question
DO I REALLY TRUST THAT GOD CAN HANDLE THIS?
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
what it means is that you have to be presurrenderd to do whatever He asks you to do or He will never answer the need
(my calling)
IN ORDER TO GET HELP FROM THE WONDERFUL COUNSELOR YOU HAVE TO SAY YES BEFORE YOU EVEN ASK THE QUESTION
This is hard but in this one area this is the only rule
Are you ready to lay down all control and do whatever he wants you to do even if that means it doenst match up with your hopes and dreams?
(the ruch young ruler)
