Sermon – “Unto Us A Child Is Born”

8 The Lord has spoken out against Jacob; his judgment has fallen upon Israel. 9 And the people of Israel[e] and Samaria, who spoke with such pride and arrogance, will soon know it. 10 They said, “We will replace the broken bricks of our ruins with finished stone, and replant the felled sycamore-fig trees with cedars.” 11 But the Lord will bring Rezin’s enemies against Israel and stir up all their foes. 12 The Syrians[f] from the east and the Philistines from the west will bare their fangs and devour Israel. But even then the Lord’s anger will not be satisfied. His fist is still poised to strike.

12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.

11 Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. 12 In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. 13 But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.

21 “You have heard that it was said to those [d]of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother [e]without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’[f] shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, [g]‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of [h]hell fire.

5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,

Every day we celebrate the life of Christ every day of our lives we celebrate that he has come that he became one of us he came as a humble child but he is the king and he shall reign forever more and I want to say from my heart to all of you and all those that may be watching I hope you have great joy this Christmas season I hope you have a Merry Christmas I pray that God is with you that he’ll bless you that you’ll enjoy this time that you remember him and you’ll just be a have abundant joy in your in your life and with your family this holiday season that’s my wish to you and to all that may be watching God bless you unto us a child is born her son to us a son is given Isaiah Chapter 9 versus one through 7 I’m going to be jumping back and forth this morning as I sent the Scriptures I thought are probably thinking Oh my I’ve got a New Living Translation New King James new living back and forth and so this is the New Living Translation I really like the way it reads this morning nevertheless that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever you know many people today and that’s not what Isaiah is speaking of here if you read to previous chapter you will see that they were in fear of the enemy coming against them and they were in great despair what’s going to happen to them but you know there are many people today so I’ll be using a little bit out of context many people today are walking in darkness and despair they’re discouraged they’re depressed but you know what it won’t last forever because there is light there is hope and that hope isn’t the one who came for us the land of Zabulon enough to live. Will be humbled but there will be a time in the future when when Galileo of the Gentiles which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea will be filled with glory the people who walk in darkness will see a great light for those who live in a land of deep darkness and the light will shine you will enlarge the nation of Israel and its people will rejoice they will rejoice before you as people read joy sing at the harvest and like warriors dividing the plunder for you will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders you will break the oppressors Rod jest as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian the boots of the warriors in the uniforms blood stained by war will be burned they will be fuel for the fire for a child is born to us a son is given to us the government will be will rest on his shoulders and he will be called Wonderful Counselor mighty God Everlasting Father Prince of Peace his government and its peace will never end its what the song just said didn’t he will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity how are you the passionate commitment of the Lord of heavens armies will make this happen Amen and may god add the blessings to the hearing and reading of His holy words Let us pray Heavenly Father we do praise you and magnify YOU FATHER We were not worthy that you should send your son but father this demonstrates how great your love is Father that you loved us so deep it so deeply father if you loved us more than we could possibly even love our own children hard for us to believe but you do and we thank you for that in you demonstrated by sending your son allowing him to become flesh. To become one of us we thank you Father we rejoice we rejoice in your grace in your mercy we thank you for and we humbly Father Balbi for you today may we lift you up Lord today May our hearts be united as we praise you as we worship you as we talk about your word father may you draw us closer than we’ve ever been to you and more just help us to receive what you have forced today in Jesus’ name amen you know we’re in that time of year where there is going to be a lot of gift giving in a couple days isn’t there right a lot of gift giving and you know it’s a blessing to give gifts to others to see the joy that it brings to them the we do this our tradition maybe there is a lot of tradition in it but it’s the way that we remember GOD gave us an amazing gift. Says For unto us is born or to is born to us a son is given is given he gave his son a gift the greatest gift he could give no one no greater gift and he gave this passage brought a message of hope for the future to the people of his day to tell them that it will not last forever there is hope there is going to be a light that shines you want to always continually remain in this darkness but this message of hope remains for us today because it’s for all eternity not hope is Jesus Christ they were in desperate need of some hope they were walking in distress and despair and darkness when you read the previous chapter you’re going to see they’re walking in darkness because they had walked away from God they were seeking guidance as to what they should do about this threat of the enemy come against them and they said that we should seek out mediums to find out what should we should do. He say you’re God’s people why should you seek out medians medium’s said they’re wrong but seek God’s guidance seek him turn to him they’d turned her face away from God but they needed to turn back and I think some of this came from their pride the verses that follow what I just read says the verses 8 through 12 the Lord sent a word against Jacob and it has fallen on Israel all the people will know Efrem and habitants of Samarian who say in pride in arrogance of heart so they were still there but their hearts had become prideful they was in their own efforts their own works what they could do they say the bricks have fallen down but we will rebuild with huge stones the sycamores are cut down but we will replace them with Cedars Therefore the LORD shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him and spar his enemies on the Syrians before and the Philistines behind and they shall devour Israel with an open mouth for all this and all his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still the pride had blinded their eyes to the darkness they say that we could you imagine say in the God go ahead and care down we will rebuild within stones go ahead we are great we will rebuild it ourselves we do think that is crazy but that is the same words they quoted that scripture from the Capitol after 911 our leaders did in their pride in arrogance let us not become prideful an arrogant but let us home or selves before God that us humble ourselves we should not be blinded by the darkness. Because if we do or walk in that darkness will be so used to the darkness we can’t stand the light in 1789 there was a prison that looked like a castles so Castle sort of look imprisoned in Paris called the bus Tilly and they were about to raise it to tear it down but they still had some prisoners in it and there was one particular prison prisoner who was confined to the inner cells in a in a dungeon and he had not seen the light of day for many many years so they’re going to releasing they bring him outside you think he would have been joyful for the freedom that he was about to experience but he could not stand the brightness of the light he begged in the taking back into the prison of his letting die their friends are people today walking around in the darkness they’ve been in the darkness for so long they can’t stand the light but have mercy on him yes God forgive them. This parable parallels how some people feel today the choices they make They’ve hardened our hearts for so long that they love the darkness but Lord have mercy on May they turn their hearts to the Lord some have believed the lie of the devil they believe that law that there’s no way out there’s no way out of that despair he’s convinced many that they deserve the misery that they find themselves in but it’s nothing but a lie straight from the father of lies Satan I say encourage the people by telling them the despair will not go on forever there is a better day common they will see a great light that light will shine. This is the message of Christmas this is the message that Christ has come unto us there is a light that will guide us out of the darkness and that source is Jesus Christ he is the only source of light that will guide us from the darkness that will truly set us free from darkness to you if you’re struggling you might go to a therapist and get to feeling a little better but you’re still going to be a better functioning center you might go to the doctor and he might help you for a little give you something to make you feel a little better with the pain but you’re just a healthier center because we must come to the light that can set us free from sin John 812 Then Jesus spoke to them again saying I am the light of the world and he who follows me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life. My friends we can get these new spotlights we’re going to have here soon and we can shine the greatest spotlight on a person and that’s not gonna set him free from the darkness that’s inside we might blight him up and make them glow but we need the light of life in here in our hearts inside of us that light within and you know you’ve seen the people I got many does glow with the joy of the Lord they should you can see the light and those that truly love Christ you can see it in her eyes you can see the interactions you can see what they do in the things that they do Isaiah said of this child it would be born that he would be wonderful which in Hebrew means a miracle or a marvelous thing his birth was de miracle of all miracles not just a birth itself you know I spoke of his birth a little bit last week last Sabbath but the fact. Of what he came to do not just the miracle the birth but the fact that he came to bridge that gap this separates man from God That’s the miracle wop. What is it my friends that separates man from God sin not heard a whisper of sin yes Sin is what separates us no one can dwell with God if they are unrepentant sinner sin causes man to be removed to be separated from God no longer able to walk with him in the dark right. Isaiah 59 to says but your iniquities your sins have separated you from God and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he will not hear God cannot look when you when you have unrepented sin in your life if Egypt is to this is the new living translations don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders you recalled uncircumcised heathens by the Jews who were proud of their circumcision even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts in those days you were living a part from Christ you were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel and you did not know the covenant promises of God who made. That God had made to them you lived in this world without God and without hope meaning they were separated from God but now you have been united with Christ Jesus once you were a far away from God but now you have been brought nearer to him through the book Blood of Jesus Christ that gap has been removed my friends when I think of the gap that separated us from from God It would be like me taken you to the Grand Canyon and God is on the other side and you have to get to him in the only thing you have known as your Air Jordans Well good luck getting to the other side it be like me taking you to the shores in California and God is in HO why in the only thing you have to get you there is that toy boat that you have in your hands or God is on the moon and all you have is a 6 foot stepladder impossible and I said those crazy things just to soak the in possibility of it of us being able to get to him because the gap is too wide it is completely and utterly impossible for us to get to God any other way than through Jesus Christ that was the purpose that was the miracle for which he came to bring us to God to take away that which separates us God created us in His image to have an abundant life to have fellowship with Him but that image was marred. By sin we’ve already said that the entire human race went from being innocent to sinful in one sinful act and I even spoke about that last week the seed about that once in that seed about him affected all mankind it has affected all mankind I found a an illustration an article share author shares this and I don’t have his name but he said that he and his family have to look back on it see where he was he and his family stood at the shores of Jackson lake at the base of the great Teton Mountains in Wyoming and as they stood there on the shores of that late beautiful lake he said they were crystal clear calm not a bit of wind they were as calmest could be and he said as they looked out at the water they could see the reflection of their entire family his parents his siblings in the mountains behind him he says it was a perfect image of the that family his family in the mountains behind him to one of the brothers picked up a stone and went. Out across the lake that one stone center rip will cross that lake in the entire image of the mound of the entire image of the family was now distorted by one little pebble you see where I’m going with this that one little pebble tree of Adam’s sin had distorted the entire family once and that’s how it affected all of us but God had to remedy it didn’t the Romans $323.00 does say for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God each and every one of us who here is without sin right all have sin I want to look at a portion of Jesus’ Sermon on the mouth. 1st Matthew $52122.00 you have heard that it was said to those of all you shall not murder and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment but I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment and whoever says to his brother right God shall be in danger of the council but whoever says you full shall be in danger of hell fire and then jumping to verses 27 through 30 you have heard that it was said to those of old you shall not commit adultery but I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart if your right eye causes you to sin pluck it out and cast it from you for it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish then for your whole body to be cast into hell and if your right hand causes you to send cut it off and cast it from you for it is more profitable that one of your members parries than for your whole body to be cast into hell we were discussing in a different chapter different passage this thing about cutting off your hand and plucking out your eye in Bible study recently and as we usually do we had that we wrestled with that thing quite a bit we Roswitha trying to find what does he really mean or what’s he saying we dug deep into this it’s a hard teaching a very hard teaching you know how how many times who here is been walking down a street and seen someone with a patch over their eyes and what happened are I all up plucked it out because I was Sennen right I have never met a boy I get how many is Mitt Mitt somebody with a hammer is that whatever you’re in a cut off because it caused me to still we’ve never met anyone like that right I mean it’s kind of a crew. What is he really saying that it’s crazy I’m going to pluck my own eye out but why why did Jesus give us those hard teachings to show us the seriousness of sin. It would be more profitable for you to pluck your eye out and make it into Heaven then the not make it their suit sin is serious that’s what he’s saying there it is crazy serious you can not enter into God’s presence you cannot make it or without growing can or that wide gap or you cannot get the god any other way but Jesus Christ because your sin is going to keep you over there Isaiah says a child to be born a counselor what does counselor mean to deliberate to resolve to advise if you find yourself in trouble with the law what are you going to do you’re going to get a lawyer you’re going to hire a counselor right you need someone to defend you someone to fight for your freedom 1st Timothy 25 says for there is one God and one mediator which is a counselor between God and man and that is the man Christ Jesus yes he came as a humble child but he is our advocate he is our mediator he is a man before God you know if a large company a large union company. Is working on a contract with their employees we know the union companies every 70 years be it $35.00 however many years though renegotiate a contract the union is over here they’re trying to get one of 5 dollars an hour raise for employees over the life of this and we want better insurance benefits and we want and we want and we want you got the company ever says no we want to take a couple dollars away and we want you to pay more in your health care we want to do this they’re at an impasse What do they do they hire a mediator the Arab mediator that’s going to work with both sides and bring them together in some kind of a covenant agreement my friends Jesus Christ is our mediator. Adam could not enter back into the garden Adam could not enter back in and do what he had done we cannot go back and undo what we have done. That’s why we have Jesus that’s why unto us a child was born unto us the son was given the greatest gift ever given to mankind because we could not reach God we could not get to him any other way than through Jesus Christ dangerous spoke to Joseph Joseph son of David Do not be afraid to take Mary your wife for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit and she will bring forth a son and you shall call his name Jesus for He will save his people from their sins he will save his people from their sins my friends we are His people you know Jesus came and he performed many miracles you know he embraced the leper what no one else would do that’s a wonderful thing. Jesus bent down one day and got some dirt and spat in it and made some mud and put it in the put it in the sockets where is God didn’t have eyes he created eyes for his man he touched others it had eyes that were blind though and made him see he touched a cripple told a cripple just get up and take your mat and go home and sin no more many miracles Jesus performed and Jesus’ disciples perform many wonderful miracles to some the it would walk by and the shadow would heal take a handkerchief I spoke of that does not long ago touch someone and they be healed those are all wonderful and marvelous things but Jesus did not come to heal them up he did not come to give sight to the blind he came to save mankind that the Don’t get me wrong those other things were good he did them but he came to save us from our Since we’d be better to enter into heaven crippled in layman blind or whatever because we’re going to the new body there anyone Amen amen but we cannot enter in with sin and Christ removes that sin our sins are washed whiter than snow we are forgiven when God looks at us when we accept Jesus Christ we say Lord forgive me of all my sins we sometimes we might have to do this every day you know I said yesterday forgive me Lord today but when we make Him Lord of our lives when God looks at us he sees us through Christ through the blood that Christ said for us. So you could say he sees us through rose colored glasses right because he sees us through the blood that Jesus Christ was willing to settle not cross friends on know that I’m talking about the cross now as Christmas time but when he came he came the shout of the Cross was there he knew that he was going to have to give his life so we can hardly talk about one without the other. He may came of a came as a humble little child dependent on his mother Mary and Joseph to take care of him but he knew that he was going to grow he knew that he was good because become a man and some day hang on that cross and what did he say from the cross Father forgive them for they know not what they do he didn’t even hold it against those that were right there that were going to pierce aside he said forgive them for they know not what they do that is the message of Christmas that Jesus Christ came for us that we can be brought together and made one with the father unto us my friends let’s just say a savior a savior was born and let’s make sure we remember that and not share that with others let’s share that with those that may be walking around in the darkness and don’t have a clue there are many out there you know I was truly blessed so I think of my days right the other day at work I think it was Thursday have a gentleman it’s going to be retiring just in a couple weeks and he commanded Moslems talking to me and he was sharing it this past year had been an extremely rough year for him his wife been bad on battling cancer and he said that her hair has just grown back just starting to grow back so she’s doing good but she still has to go have some test of make see it make sure that it’s gone and it when he was why he was there it was saying you know he said I told my wife that you know there’s and this man is not a church goer. He said there are many churches out there because everyone I’ve talked to a told about it and they said Will praying for your wife so you share with his wife there’s many people praying for you and that’s going to makes a difference if you’re going to be healed but he said his wife started going back to church he said she had been faithful to go every week but he said you know he said I believe in God he said and I went to church as a kid he says I was made to go I was drugged there he said and as I got older I just kind of you know even though I believe he said you know I just had goals things I wanted to do in my life and I just got focused on them so by God’s grace I was able to talk with him in just share him share with him some some scriptures I just basically shared some scriptures with him and I said you know many people walk around and say if you are you going to go to heaven are you going to spend eternity with God I hope so and he says All I know if that’s what everybody says I said we can know and I don’t need to share with you because you’ve heard many times from me I share my favorite scriptures with him that he who has the Son has life. He who does not have the Son does not have life I was able to share that with him and talk with him I mean I did leading the Christ right there but I was able encouraging his name was Tom Tom I encourage you go with your wife did back in the church you believe in God get that relationship thing go on get that relationship thing he just believes but he doesn’t have that relationship so I just told you his name with the intent that you will pray for him. Pray that he will get back in the church that he will experience the relationship with the with God that God desires to have with us that’s the thing God earnestly desires to have a relationship with each and every one of us here everyone listening with everybody that is this is strongest desire as I said in the prayer that’s how great God’s love is use parents here how much do you love your children. You do anything form right you do anything for your children how many parents here would die for the children every one of us would die for our children is that not would Jesus did that without God did for us he came to save us from our sins that is what Christmas is about that is what Christ coming is about it’s not just for today as I said last week today’s day salvation. amen Amen.