12-9-18 Sermon Notes Northpark CC INTRODUCTION: (story[s] of out of control Christmases) HE SHALL BE CALLED Mighty God Our Bible reading this Advent is an Old Testament prophecy written to a nation (Israel) in the midst of being punished because of their refusal to obey, serve & make God their #1 priority. It was written to a group of people who had hit rock bottom. YET It is a message of hope & promise. A message of salvation & renewal. A message of the life-changing power of God. A foretelling of His amazing love for each one of us. This prophecy foretold of the coming of a child (born in a stable, laid in a feeding trough, totally dependent on the care of his mother) who was in reality our Wonderful Counselor. Wonderful = miracle In His coming from heaven/immortality to earth/mortality In His birth born of a virgin In His life He was & is a miracle worker; able to transcend the very laws of nature that He put in place to do the extraordinary. Councilor = wise & tender Exceeding all human knowledge & wisdom Giving us a guide to pattern our lives after (the Bible) Wonderful Counselor = Jesus is our miracle working counselor. His counsel is true & His advice is eternally sound His council is able to produce miracles in our lives He speaks through the Holy Spirit in our lives His input in our lives results in the miraculous (((Keep appointments with your Wonderful Counselor )))
IF, you are feeling lost, depressed, overwhelmed, confused, directionless, hopeless, or unloved this Christmas season; listen up, this is for you! BIBLE READING: Isaiah 9:6 (NLT) For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. I. A Child is born, a son is given to us o A Child the incarnation God becoming flesh miracle Born of a virgin miracle Willingly died for us miracle Rose from the dead miracle Ascended to heaven miracle And one day will return to fetch us & take us to heaven to live with Him for all eternity miracle *** This miracle child was given to us! Given to YOU! o A Son given to us A gift GIVEN TO US think about that for a moment; Jesus came to & for us; for you! To a nation Messiah To free the nation of Israel from captivity, oppression & persecution. We ve seen it happen throughout history, but one day it will be complete & final. To individuals our Lord & Savior He came so that the price for our sins might be paid. He redeemed us from the punishment we deserve &
restored us to a right relationship with our Crestor & Father in Heaven. He came so that we might be adopted into His forever family. To a world as His people live out His Kingdom principles on earth. He established a Family/Kingdom that is more powerful & permeant than any other. He has commissioned us to be His ambassadors for His Kingdom. He has given us all gifts to use for the good of others. He sent His Holy Spirit so that we might be empowered to complete the task He has given us. II. Who Is This Child? MIGHTY GOD Mighty to possess great & impressive power or strength; fearsome; o Ferocious; o Powerful; o Dominant; o Influential; o Powerful & strong; o important; o Predominant; o Even, Forceful; Violent & Thunderous o Or, Huge; Enormous; Massive; Gigantic, etc. *** The world tells us that the Mighty are large & in charge; able to conqueror their enemies & control things & people; putting them under their power. o Mighty is akin to conquer; possessing the ability to rule over others whether it be by force, thru influence, or by means of manipulating & controlling.
*** Although God is more powerful, stronger, wiser, more dominant than anyone, any nation or any force in the universe He has chosen to express His might quite differently. o His might is expressed through His extreme love John 3:16-17 His Wonder His miraculous nature & actions The establishment of His not of this world eternal Kingdom His ability to transform us by the renewing of our minds And so much more God The Creator of the universe & the source of all moral authority. o He is The Supreme Being o He is in charge of all things o Although He is One; He Triune God the Father God the Son God the Holy Spirit o Some Bible scholars say that there are as many as 951 names & attributes for God mentioned in the Bible A few of my favorite: Abba the God who is are Daddy Adonai The God who is in charge; our Lord & Master El Elyon The Most High God El Olam The Everlasting God El Roi The God who sees; the all-seeing God El Shaddai The Almighty, All-Sufficient God Elohim The Creator God; possessing strength & power Yahweh The God Who is always there; The selfexistent One
Mighty God Our Creator & God Who possess all the might, power & awesomeness in the universe & beyond o BUT, Who loved us enough to become a lowly human-being, born of a virgin & laid in a feeding trough. Philippians 2:1-11 (NLT) Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. 3 Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross. 9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. The Mighty God submitted to humanity & death so that we might be restored to relationship with our God & Creator; God Almighty. AND This same Mighty God fights our battles & He never loses!!! *** We so often take that for granted. Let s not this Christmas. CONCLUSION:
I heard a song the other day, sung by Darious Rucker What Does God Want for Christmas? The lyrics included these lines: I wonder what God wants for Christmas What might put a smile on His face What do you give someone who gave His only Son What if we believed in Him as much as He believes in us Then he gives a couple of suggestions, including: Maybe peace on earth, maybe no more empty seats in church More sisters, more brothers, more lovin one another The list could go on & on & on & on What might it be that God wants from us, from you, for Christmas? Mighty God gave everything up for you! What might it be that you could give to Him? What from you would put a smile on His face? After all; we re celebrating His birthday, not yours! RESPONSE: