Navidad: Esperando en Dios (pt3)
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction. Have you ever been disappointed bc expectation didn’t match reality?
Take a look at these expectation vs reality pics. [slides 2, 3, 4]
How about your XS expectations?
Did it look like something like this? [slide 5]
Were you expecting a large family gathering?
Were you expecting a peaceful XS day?
Were you expecting lots of XS cheer?
There is nothing wrong with having expectations. [Slide 6]
The Bible is filled with expectation: HOPE
Hope (world) = wish (I hope the M wins El Mundial)
Hope (bible) = confident expectation on God’s promises.
“I know it’s going to happen.”
Paul declares in Romans 5:5 that “Esta esperanza no nos defrauda.”
Here’s why this is important to have a confident expectation -
I believe that every Christian at some in life will go through a dark valley marked by deep doubts and fears. Some of you are there right now.
In that dark valley you will need “unshakable hope.” A strong and confident expectation on God’s promises.
Hope has a name: Jesus
In the midst of a dark season for the nation of Judah. God gives the following promise in Isaiah 9:6-7 [slides 7,8)
6 Porque nos ha nacido un niño, se nos ha concedido un hijo; la soberanía reposará sobre sus hombros, y se le darán estos nombres: Consejero admirable, Dios fuerte, Padre eterno, Príncipe de paz.
7 Se extenderán su soberanía y su paz, y no tendrán fin. Gobernará sobre el trono de David y sobre su reino, para establecerlo y sostenerlo con justicia y rectitud desde ahora y para siempre. Esto lo llevará a cabo el celo del Señor Todopoderoso.
Pray!
[slide 9] Background:
Isaiah 9 | 700 yrs BC
Rising super power | Assyria
Syria & Israel | anti-Assyrian Alliance
They ask Ahab (Judah), “come join us. We can protect each other” | Ahab, “no, thanks.”
Syria & Israel plan to invade Jerusalem & take over Judah (PANIC)
Assyria to Ahaz, “join me, I’ll protect you from them.” | Ahaz doesn’t know what to do. | 2 different enemies.
God sends the prophet Isaiah, “Don’t join any of them. I will protect you.” | Imagine Ahaz’ confused face.
Isaiah, “In addition God will give you promises through a baby.”
How’s a baby going to deliver Ahaz from an impending army?
How does this baby help me with my problems?
The ultimate answer for our needs are given in the reign of Jesus. Our greatest problem is not:
health issues
disintegrating marriages
war/famine
mental health issues
racism
corruption
abuse
These are huge problems, but they are not the biggest problem. They are the symptom.
Our greatest problem is our sin that separates us from God and his peace. (root cause)
Isaiah 9 promises to send a King that would come to save us from the kingdom of sin and transfer us to a kingdom of peace.
[Slide 10] Isaiah describes this king: His name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor
Mighty God
Everlasting Father
Prince of Peace
What we discover in these two verses are two advent seasons. Two comings of Jesus the Messiah. The first coming took place at Xmas. The second coming is yet to happen.
Main Idea: [slide 11] Tenemos la presencia de Jesus mientras esperamos que se establezca su reino.
Jesus’ 1st coming: to deliver us from sin
Jesus 2nd coming: to deliver us from suffering (establishing a kingdom marked by righteousness, justice and peace).
[slide 12] Bonhoeffer: “Nuestra vida entera es un Adviento (venida), una temporada de esperar por el ultimo Adviento, en donde habra un cielo nuevo y tierra nueva.” “Our whole life is an Advent, a season of waiting for the last Advent, when there will be a new heaven and earth.”
Until then, we, like the people of Judah in Isaiah 9, are waiting. We are waiting for his second coming
Why the need to wait? Why didn’t He just fix it all on his 1st coming?”
God uses waiting to shape and form important things in our lives such as our character and attitude.
We live with confident expectation in light of God’s promises. Meanwhile we get the presence of Jesus:
Four relational names: [slide 13]
Admirable Consejero
Admirable Consejero
Jesus comes alongside to give us counsel and wisdom with our problems:
5 Si necesitan sabiduría, pídansela a nuestro generoso Dios, y él se la dará; no los reprenderá por pedirla.
Sin reproche (RV60)
Sin menosprecio (NVI)
Sin reprension (NTV)
He understands you.
15 Nuestro Sumo Sacerdote comprende nuestras debilidades, porque enfrentó todas y cada una de las pruebas que enfrentamos nosotros, sin embargo él nunca pecó.
He knows what is like to feel lonely
He knows what it feels to be misunderstood
He knows what it feels to be rejected/despised
He knows what it feels to be betrayed by a close friend
He knows what it feels to be falsely accused.
He understands and sympathizes with us. (pause & think)
Dios fuerte
Dios fuerte
In the gospels, we see how mighty Jesus is. He has power over everything that we cannot control:
Disease | Demons | Disaster | Death
He is he only one powerful enough to take on Satan, sin and death on our behalf. At the cross, he entered the horror of darkness in order to save us. He is mighty to save.
Danny Akin. “The King with 4 names is a warrior God, a hero God who would fight a battle greater than Waterloo or Valley Forge, more decisive than Gettysburg or D-Day. No, the Warrior God, the Captain of our Salvation (Heb 2:10) would take the field at Calvary, engage the titan forces of sin and Satan; death, hell and the grave, and when the dust of the battle had settled, an empty tomb stands as an eternal monument to the victory of El gibbor, the Mighty God.”
Padre Eterno
Padre Eterno
At Morris Evangelical Free Church we affirm the doctrine of the Trinity: “we believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
Here in Isaiah 9:6, Jesus is called everlasting father. No need for confusion.
Edward Young, “The word Father designates a quality of the Messiah with respect to His people. He acts toward them like a father”
Jesus points us towards the heart of the Father.
Xmas is hard for many. Some of you had a good father, but he is now gone. Others of you din’t have a good experience with your father growing up.
I hated xmas growing up.Physically absent dad. Xmas=loneliness
I’m aware that many of you had a good relationship with your father. I’m also aware that many of you didn’t have a good relationship with your dad:
Abusive
Absent
Distant
Uncaring
Rigid
Unloving
Compara a tu padre terrenal con tu padre celestial. No compares a tu padre celestial con tu padre terrenal.
EL ES COMPASIVO
13 Tan compasivo es el Señor con los que le temen como lo es un padre con sus hijos.
EL NUNCA TE ABANDONARA
10 Aunque mi padre y mi madre me abandonen, el Señor me recibirá en sus brazos.
Jesus will never let you down. Jesus accepts you not based on your performance but based on his life and work. He lived the life we were supposed to live and died on our place. All we have to do is receive his forgiveness and acceptance by trusting in Christ.
You can experience God’s acceptance by trusting Christ.
You can see this in the story of the woman caught in adultery who is brought to Jesus.
3 Los maestros de la ley y los fariseos llevaron entonces a una mujer sorprendida en adulterio, y poniéndola en medio del grupo
4 le dijeron a Jesús: —Maestro, a esta mujer se le ha sorprendido en el acto mismo de adulterio.
5 En la ley Moisés nos ordenó apedrear a tales mujeres. ¿Tú qué dices?
6 Con esta pregunta le estaban tendiendo una trampa, para tener de qué acusarlo. Pero Jesús se inclinó y con el dedo comenzó a escribir en el suelo.
7 Y como ellos lo acosaban a preguntas, Jesús se incorporó y les dijo: —Aquel de ustedes que esté libre de pecado, que tire la primera piedra.
8 E inclinándose de nuevo, siguió escribiendo en el suelo.
9 Al oír esto, se fueron retirando uno tras otro, comenzando por los más viejos, hasta dejar a Jesús solo con la mujer, que aún seguía allí.
10 Entonces él se incorporó y le preguntó: —Mujer, ¿dónde están? ¿Ya nadie te condena?
11 —Nadie, Señor. —Tampoco yo te condeno. Ahora vete, y no vuelvas a pecar.
Notice the order... Acceptance 1st; then change. We change not to be accepted, but because we have been accepted.
Jesus is not absent, but ever present.
Compara a tu padre terrenal con tu padre celestial. No compares a tu padre celestial con tu padre terrenal.
5 Manténganse libres del amor al dinero, y conténtense con lo que tienen, porque Dios ha dicho: «Nunca te dejaré; jamás te abandonaré.»
8 Pero Dios demuestra su amor por nosotros en esto: en que cuando todavía éramos pecadores, Cristo murió por nosotros.
15 «¿Puede una madre olvidar a su niño de pecho, y dejar de amar al hijo que ha dado a luz? Aun cuando ella lo olvidara, ¡yo no te olvidaré!
Compara a tu padre terrenal con tu padre celestial. No compares a tu padre celestial con tu padre terrenal.
Principe de Paz
Principe de Paz
The word here translated peace is “shalom.”
Shalom: paz, prosperidad, completo, seguridad, salud (DIB Hebreo)
Shalom: completeness, soundness, welfare, peace (BDB Lexicon)
It would be used to describe a wall with no cracks (soundness).
Adam & Eve experienced perfect shalom with God and with each other:
Adam & Eve walked with God
Healthy bodies
Hearts with no sin
Healthy relationship w/God w/each other)
Unfortunately, they rebelled against God. Sin entered the world. Shalom was lost.
Our greatest problem is our sin that separates us from God and his peace.
Good news: the angels announce to the shepherds that the newborn baby is the one who brings true peace to earth (Luke 2:14)
God’s shalom is manifested as the reconciliation of all things:
19 Porque a Dios le agradó habitar en él con toda su plenitud
20 y, por medio de él, reconciliar consigo todas las cosas, tanto las que están en la tierra como las que están en el cielo, haciendo la paz mediante la sangre que derramó en la cruz.
Jesus restores shalom:
Shalom with God
Shalom with God
1 En consecuencia, ya que hemos sido justificados mediante la fe, tenemos paz con Dios por medio de nuestro Señor Jesucristo.
Shalom with others.
Shalom with others.
Our peace with and from God is our source to promote unity and peace among us.
15 Que gobierne en sus corazones la paz de Cristo, a la cual fueron llamados en un solo cuerpo. Y sean agradecidos.
Shalom within oneself.
Shalom within oneself.
A peace that is not based on circumstances. A peace that protects our hearts and minds.
7 Y la paz de Dios, que sobrepasa todo entendimiento, cuidará sus corazones y sus pensamientos en Cristo Jesús.
Before Jesus died.
27 La paz les dejo; mi paz les doy. Yo no se la doy a ustedes como la da el mundo. No se angustien ni se acobarden.
After the resurrection he continually says to his disciples:
21 —¡La paz sea con ustedes!—repitió Jesús—. Como el Padre me envió a mí, así yo los envío a ustedes.
There is a lot of turmoil, but Jesus wants to fill his church with his peace and then be sent into the world.
How are you being a conduit of shalom in your sphere of influence?
Tim Keller “Christians in their daily work and life in their neighborhoods can and should find a thousand ways to maintain or repair physical, psychological, and social/cultural shalom. How can we do that? Strengthening shalom means sacrificially giving your time, goods, power, and resources to all the various needs of your neighbors.”
Conclusion: We have the presence of Jesus while we wait for the establishment of his kingdom.
He is the Wonderful Counselor who understands and sympathizes.
He is the Mighty God who secured my salvation by defeating sin and death.
He is the Everlasting Father who is present and cares for me.
He is the Prince of Peace who restores broken relationships.
Let’s pray: “Lord we wait for the establishment of your kingdom. Thank you for your presence while we wait. Give us faith to see and believe.”