Wonderful Counselor / Mighty God

Who is someone you trust?

why do you trust this person?

Lately I’ve seen a guy circulating on facebook who has caused some trouble in Spartanburg.

He seems to be a homeless guy, which is sad… tragic even.

I know people who have helped him personally and I myself have as well.

However, he is also a bit crazy and can be violent.

His name is Gary Spicer

My brother used to work at Hobby Lobby in Spartanburg and told me that Gary was on the “Blacklist” meaning, if he came into the store, he was immediately escorted out of the store due to trouble he had caused.

A few years ago, I was leaving walmart in my car and Gary approached my window.

He asked me for money and I didn’t have any at the time, but I offered to buy him a cheeseburger.

He then proceeded to yell obscenities at me and punch my car door and window.

I left quickly.

The point is, I’m confident Gary has a dark past.

I’m confident Gary has lots of issues.

But...

I don’t trust Gary.

How many of you would trust Gary?

Probably none of us.

So, if you were in trouble yourself and needed to seek counsel. How many of you would go to Gary?

Why not?

Because you don’t trust him! Right?

When we need good counsel, we go to a good counselor.

You don’t just go to some random person on the street

You don’t go to a random person in school.

We go to someone we trust.

Read Isaiah 9:6 again.

Why is Jesus a “Wonderful Counselor?”

If you seek counsel from someone, do you want them to empathize with you?

What does it mean to empathize?

That means, someone has experienced what you are going through.

They may not know how you feel, but they know how they felt going through the same situation.

Like exams.

I don’t know how you feel taking finals, but boy howdy, I remember how I felt going into certain exams.

Stressed. worried. concerned. Occasionally confident.

But when you walk into that room of your peers who are also about to take the same exam and you see the stress, worry, and concern on their faces… for some reason, it makes you feel a little better.

Your in this together.

In Hebrews 4:15 it says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.”

Jesus has experienced the same things you have.

He knows what you’re going through.

You may be like me and hate it when someone says, “I know exactly how you feel.”

Well… actually… you might not...

But Jesus knows… He knows.

Even crazier, Jesus has done the one thing that none of us could empathize with Him about ever.

Died for us on the cross.

Matthew 6:33-34 says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all of these things will be provided for you. Therefore, don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

How is God our wonderful counselor?

He’s experienced everything you have.

He makes Himself accessible to you and wants you to seek Him.

Just like you seek out a friend, a parent, a mentor when you need wisdom.

Seek Jesus First.

The creator of the universe can handle your problems. and

He wants to.

This is what brings us to our second trait of GOd today.

2. Mighty God.

In Luke 2, 13-14 the angels appear to the Sheperds and say,

“Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors.”

Would a wimpy God have a multitude of angels?

Where are the idols throughout history who have had a multitude of spiritual beings following them?

Where is the heavenly host appearing in the sky singing about our own idols, like our phones, and telling us to worship our phones over and over again each day.

You won’t find it.

Because God is God.

He is the only one mighty enough to be worth of worship.

But not just that…

He is gentle and lowly.

In Matthew 11:29 Jesus says,

“All of you, take up my yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and lowly of heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

The heart of almighty God is to get on your level.

When Roman does something to make me mad, I’ll be honest, my gut reaction alot of times isn’t to get down on his level and figure out the problem.

Too often my gut reaction is for Roman to go to another room so I can process whatever shenanigans he has gotten himself into.

God is not like this.

His gut reaction to all of our shenanigans is that he is gentle and lowly of heart.

This is the only place in the gospels where Jesus directly says, “This is my heart.”

There is no one so mighty that when someone does the worst to them, that they are willing to get on the level of the offender.

God is always getting on the level of His offenders.

You offend God.

And yet he wants you.

The Gary’s of the world offend us, yet God still wants Him.

Nothing could prove God’s love for us more than the fact he left perfect eternity to come as a baby in an itchy manger.

or that he died on the cross.

or that he rose again.

Don’t miss this Christmas how mighty he is, not for wearing the best armor or carrying the biggest weapons, but because He gave it all for you and me.

What an amazing God we serve.

How are you seeking His counsel?

How are you humbled by the mighty God?

Let’s worship Him this Christmas and always.