Sermon Title: Hopeless, Nevertheless Hope Sermon Text: Isaiah 9:1-7 November 29, 2009 Introduction of Series: This morning we begin our preparations for Christmas. These Sunday s leading up to Christmas are designed to pull us in from the scattered thoughts and emotions of the year and help focus us on the grand significance of the event of the birth of Jesus, the Christ. We go fast all year long and then in the month of December we kick it up a notch. And the annual risk is that at the end of the month we will have enjoyed great parties and navigated family gatherings but will we have had a soul touching encounter with the story of God s most merciful reach to us? It s so easy to blow through the holidays and miss the whole point. This series is an effort to avoid that. My hope is that this series will help to keep us centered on the main event: The birth of Jesus, Immanuel God with us! I m calling this series The Voices of Christmas. During this series we are going to do our best to listen keenly to the voices of the cast of this amazing Christmas story as the Bible rolls it out for us. Each time we gather, we are going to try and zero in on the key message which each voice in the story wants us to hear. And this morning I want to start by listening to the voice of the Prophet Isaiah. Turn in your Bibles to Isaiah Chapter 9. As you are finding your way there, I want to share the context for this prophecy of Isaiah. Revisit the story Daniel told of his escape from Iran all he could see was the end, death was certain in his mind and the only thing uncertain was how it was going to happen. If you are like me, you ve never been in a situation that bleak or terrifying but, maybe you have experienced or know someone close to you who has gone through dark, distressing times in life. Perhaps some of you are going through a dark time in your life right now. Maybe you feel your spouse drifting away from you and you feel powerless to stop the drift. Maybe your employer believed your job could be sacrificed in light of economic cut back and you find yourself unemployed as you face the holidays. Some have faced the death of a close friend or family member in recent months and part of your heart has died. Maybe you feel trapped in an addiction that you can t get free from. Sometimes we find ourselves facing really dark times. Anxieties rise. Frustration builds. Every day we fight feelings of desperation. Often we can t see how the situation is going to work out. We see little or no hope. Sometimes in those seasons or situations our desperation causes us to look anywhere and everywhere to find relief or resolve to our heartache. If you can get in touch with that those feelings, then you are very close to grasping how the Jews who lived in Judah were feeling about 700 years before Jesus was born. At one time the nation of Israel was united, but by the time the Prophet Isaiah began his ministry, the Nation of Israel was divided into the Northern Kingdom called Israel and the Southern Kingdom called Judah. The massive super power of Assyria was pressing in on Judah threatening to destroy her. Though God had continued to extend his hand to those who would turn to him, most of the people had basically ignored him.
Isaiah chapter 8 tells us that Isaiah was sent to warn them and wake them up because the people had rejected the steams of God s blessing and provision. As a result, their situation grew increasingly desperate. In their deep desperation the leadership foolishly contradicted God s direction and tried to establish a treaty with Assyria to make peace with them. With hearts cold toward God, fear dominated the people. Dread blinded them. They were scrambling around looking for love and solutions in all the wrong places. In their desperation the people of the living God even resorted to pleading with physics and mediums to consult the dead for answers to their problems. This leads Isaiah to write beginning in 8:19, 19 When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the law and to the testimony! {He s saying God to God s Word!} If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn. 21 Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God. 22 Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness. -Isaiah 8:19-22 It s a dark, bleak picture isn t it? The people of God have turned from him. They are stumbling and hiding from him, looking under every rock and into every shady place to try to fix their problems. When you stop to think about it, it s a picture of humankind isn t it? It seems the human heart is bent on looking everywhere else for solutions while God stands there offering to help the whole time. And just when you think God would throw his hands up and walk away and give up on them which by the way, many think God has done just that with them. I want you to see a super significant and really beautiful word in this text. Look at the first word in Chapter 9. That s all I want you to look at right now is this one word. I want you to take out your pen and underline it. Nevertheless The word means, in spite of what has just been said. In spite of all the darkness in their lives, in spite of all the distress in their spirits, in spite of all the fear, in spite of the people of God ignoring his help and looking in all the wrong places and in spite of feeling hopeless and defeated IN SPITE OF ALL THAT, GOD OFFERS HOPE. In spite of all the doom and gloom, God in his mercy promises hope. Let s see what the basis of this hope is. Read Isaiah 9:1-5 Nevertheless, there will be light. (Isaiah 9:2). Isaiah informs his distressed friends who are stumbling in the dark; light is coming! It is a light that would come centuries later. Though in the near term God would use the kingdom of Assyrian to bring a necessary discipline on his people, to get their attention, disconnect their hearts from all their earthly solutions and revive their devotion to him Isaiah promises that it is only temporary. Isaiah announces hope that in the long term, there will be a great light that will rise in the region of Galilee, by the sea, along the Jordan River. And this light would totally change their lives. This light would completely reverse the effects of spiritual darkness and bondage.
Matthew wants us to know that this reference is clearly describing the hope of Christmas, the Messiah, the Son of God, Jesus who spent most of his earthly ministry in the area of Nephtali and Zebulun, When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:... Matthew 4:12-17 There s nothing like light when you are the dark. When I was growing up in Ohio, my house was out in the country and we had a basement. The basement was huge and unfinished and the only way you could get to it was through an outside entrance in the garage. I young boy I always dreaded having to go to the basement for any reason. The stairwell that led to the basement door was dark and cold and you sort of had to run your fingers along the concrete wall of the stairwell while you carefully navigated the stairs to get to the basement door. Sometimes spiders would build their webs along there. That was always pleasant to feel. But the part I dreaded most were the moments between when I had to open the latch on the door push the door open and feel around to find the light switch to get it on. When I opened that door, man it was dark down there. And there were all sorts of things stored in that basement and even when the light was on, there were plenty of dark shadowy places for things to hide and jump out and get me. It was always sort of a frenetic panic to get that switch on as soon as possible. Once the light snapped on, things really changed. When my sister or I would get a mean streak in us, if we knew the other one was down there at the other end of the basement as far as you could be from the door and the switch, we would snap the light off and close the door. Ah that was the worst. But, when the light comes our confidence is renewed, our sense of safety and security returns. We feel more protected. Folks: light makes all the difference! The hope of Christmas, wants to shine his light in and around your life. He wants to shine his light so that you can see how the enemy is deceiving you. He wants to expose his lies that are disguised as promises. He wants to expose your enemy s plan to keep you bound up in negative, destructive habits and patterns of living. He wants to illuminate the enemy s tactics that are designed to abuse you, take advantage of you and destroy you. He wants to shed light on the enemy s strategy to keep you discouraged, full of self contempt and self-doubt. The light of God that comes at Christmas wants to help you see any shadow of darkness in your life AND THEN bring all the power of God and the resources of heaven to reverse the effects of darkness in your life. Isaiah says the people are roaming around in the dark, by choice nevertheless God will bring a light! Next he promises that though things are bleak and the people feel defeated, nevertheless God is going to bring joy and victory. Look at verses 3-5. Nevertheless, there will be joy and victory. (Isaiah 9:3 5). The hope of Christmas comes to blast away the darkness. Life as they had known it would be
turned upside down. Darkness would give way to the light of a new day where defeat would be replaced by victory, gloom and despair would be replaced by rejoicing and celebration and the bitter oppression of the battle would be replaced by peace and well-being. We ve probably all been in those situations where you re stuck, you re in a jam and you don t know which way to turn. Unless something miraculous happens, you don t see a way out. Then the unimaginable happens and you go from despair to exaltation. It s sort of like when you are rooting for your sports team and they are losing and things look pretty bleak but then the unimaginable happens. Avid football fans will remember what has come to be known as The Drive. It was the fourth quarter of the 1986 AFC Championship game, Broncos were down, Cleveland had just scored and then the broncos fumbled the kickoff and they recovered in the 2 yard line. Things look absolutely dismal. I can remember sitting there looking in disbelief at the television, thinking; it s over! Nevertheless, John Elway, in a span of 5 minutes and 2 seconds, led his team 98 yards to tie the game with 37 seconds left in regulation. Denver won the game in overtime with a field goal, 23-20. Recognizing the skepticism of those who hear this message, Isaiah offers an example of how it will happen. God's victory over Satan s dark rule would be as improbable and as complete as Gideon's victory of Midian. The story in Judges 7 tells us that the Midianite army was a massive, abusive hoard, completely overwhelming but God chose Gideon, the most insignificant man, from the most insignificant tribe to pull together a measly 300 men to defeat an army whose number was too big to even count. The point of using this example from history is to emphasize that the hope of deliverance from darkness, bondage and distress will appear in an entirely unlikely form. It will not be a human solution. It will totally and completely rests in the hand of God. It will be God s solution. Though humankind is hopeless to help themselves, nevertheless God will provide an unlikely but nevertheless completely effective solution. What is that solution? Look at verses 6-7 Nevertheless, a male child will be born to us. (Isaiah 9:6-7). The promise of Christmas is a child born to us or for us meaning that the hope of Christmas is a child born FOR OUR BENEFIT despite all our sin and rebellion from God s ways. The child is given to us by God. The child will hold the authority, capability and responsibility to be the leader we need so desperately. Isaiah gives us 5 descriptors of what his rule and reign will be like. You and I will often be confused and need direction in our lives. Nevertheless, God has provided a wonderful counselor. This is not pointing to God s compassionate understanding of our emotions and psyche as much as it points to his role as our King and leader. The adjective that describes his leadership is literally marvelous. This role of the hope of Christmas speaks of his competent and informed leadership in our lives. It speaks to his trustworthiness. You can trust his leadership in your life. You can trust counsel of his Word and its direction in your life. What he says will happen and what he promises will come to fruition. You and I have very limited power and strength. Nevertheless, God has provided a mighty deliverer. This title stresses his divine power and bravery as a warrior. God s never a loser and those with God are never losers. No foe is too large, no challenge too great...nothing is
impossible with God. When you let him lead in your life he brings his power to break free from destructive habits and patterns of living. You and I are finite and have limited resources. Nevertheless, God offers us the everlasting watch care of a Father. The Savior, the hope of Christmas cares for you, provides for you, sustains you, nourishes and grows you, and looks after your needs. This title lets us know that Jesus will be an enduring, compassionate provider and protector. The tender compassion of Jesus is stressed here. When you let him lead in your life there is no situation, no pain, no hurt, no problem, and no difficulty that he doesn't understand or that he can t help you through. You and I are prone to offend God with our sin. Nevertheless, God provides a way to offer forgiveness and restore peace to our relationship with him. When you let him lead in your life and you listen to his word, apply it and follow it...you will come to experience peace with God, peace with others and peace within yourself. The promise of Christmas will usher in a grand peace process into your life. What s more, as the leader of your life, the promise of Christmas will rule with absolute justice and righteousness for eternity. In other words, he will always have your best interest at heart and he ll never betray you or sell you out or throw you under the bus. You and I are prone to trust in all sorts of untrustworthy things that promise to solve our problems. Nevertheless, God promises to never act unfairly towards us. Nevertheless. Nevertheless. What an amazing concept. It stands in this text as a signal of grace! It broke into the hopelessness with a promise of mercy! It declared God s committed love for his people then and it still speaks hope to us today. My life your life inconsistent, imperfect, caught in cycles of sin, flawed, broken and self-centered. NEVERTHELESS, a child is born. Nevertheless, a son is given. Nevertheless, God reaches to us with a savior who is Christ Jesus. Nevertheless, he dies on the cross for us. Nevertheless, he opens the way for peace with him. Nevertheless, he credits our account with his righteousness. Nevertheless, he promises eternal life. Like in Isaiah s day, the gentle flowing waters of God s provision and salvation are flowing. And God has invited us to drink from them. The people in Judah rejected his waters of provision. They insisted on trying every other strategy around and it resulted in darkness, confusion, increased distress and hopelessness. Is there anything that feels hopeless or unfixable in your life right now? Nevertheless, your wonderful counselor is reaching to you. Maybe you are facing some challenges in your life and things seem pretty discouraging. Nevertheless, your mighty God is available to you. Maybe there is a situation that feels hopeless to you. Nevertheless, your everlasting Father extends hope to you. Maybe it s a relational conflict? Maybe it s an estranged marriage? Maybe it s a cycle of addiction or a cycle of repeated sin? Nevertheless, a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us and he has come to rescue the weak and bind up the brokenhearted and restore your
soul. I m sure you can think of all the reasons why you are unworthy of God. Nevertheless, nevertheless, nevertheless he loves you and longs for you to come to him. Call out to him. Surrender your heart and your will to him in prayer. Drink deep from his steams of gentle flowing waters. Prayer space In the next few moments we are going to have a period of silence. I d encourage you to take advantage of it. It might be the last one you get this Christmas season. Here in Live and in our other venues, we are going to have a time of silence. For those of you who have already surrendered you life to Jesus, it s going to be the perfect space for you to call out to God and bring before him the distressing, seemingly hopeless situations in your life. Maybe you will need to simply bring before him the things that normally distract you from the true meaning of this season. Ask him to help you focus. Maybe you have never stopped to ask Jesus to be your personal forgiver and leader in your life. You might use the time to call out to Jesus with a prayer like this, Jesus, I am a sinner. I admit that I have looked for solutions in many other places rather than you. Nevertheless, you came and died for me and rose again. You are my only hope. I ask you today to forgive all my sin. And I ask you to be the Lord and leader of my life, giving me the power to stop walking in darkness and instead, walk in your light..3-4 minutes of quiet prayer space If today is the first time you have called out to God to be your forgiver and leader, your Savior and Lord then I d love to know that. As we stay in this mode of prayer, just reach into that chair pocket in front of you and pull out one of those white envelopes, write your name and contact information and on the inside prayer space, just write I chose Jesus today. Please do that so that I can touch base with you later this week and help get you going in your new life as a Christian.