The Promise
Advent means “coming” and during this season, Christians prepare and celebrate the coming or the birth of Jesus. During advent we will recognize four virtues of Jesus: hope, love, joy, and peace.
Today is the first Sunday of advent at Dream Church and the scriptures will help us see the promise of the Savior according to the Old Testament prophet Isaiah. Isaiah prophetically proclaims the coming of our savior Jesus Christ coming into a dark world who needed light.
"THE BIRTH OF JESUS IS THE GRANDEST LIGHT OF HISTORY THE SUN IN THE HEAVENS OF ALL TIME. IT IS THE POLE-STAR OF HUMAN CHRONOLOGY, THE HINGE OF THE WATERS OF THE PAST AND THE FUTURE." ~ Charles H. Spurgeon
By the end of today's gathering my hope is that you will experience the light of Christ in your heart, therefore using you to radiate his light to a dark world.
[a] The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
3 You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
4 For the yoke of his burden,
and the staff for his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon[b] his shoulder, and his name shall be called[c]
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Prayer: Gracious Father thank you for this time of worship, prayer, and scripture. Touch your people today, heal the wounds, mend the brokenness within someone's life today, save someone who is listening or watching, work a miracle like I know you can, because you are a miracle worker for your glory Amen.
Today we get to experience this prophetic gospel proclamation of our savior Jesus. We can visualize and read what was happening before he came and hear what he will do and what he will accomplish during his life on earth.
God promised the world a savior and today we are allowed to relish in the fact that he was sent into the world to save us. Giving us hope to live, joy to exemplify, love to give, and peace to swim in...
When peace like a river attendeth my way, When sorrows like Sea pillows roll, Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul.
It is well, with my soul.
It is well, it is well with my soul.
[a] The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
“The people walking in darkness on them has light shone. This light was not subjective wishful thinking but an objective, surprising joy breaking upon sinners through the grace of Christ.”
Point 1: Jesus is the light of the world
Verse 1 is descriptive: But there will be no gloom for her (Israel) who was in anguish. In the former time he (Who is He? God the Father) brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he (here is a prophetic proclamation) has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. This is the same place where Jesus began his earthly ministry.
Matthew 4: 12When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. 13Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
15“Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles—
16the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”
We see the light of Jesus was concealed in the Old Testament and years later he is revealed by His light... Today Jesus is still the light of the world. Many of us has
seen the great light of Jesus. He called Israel out of darkness and today He calls us out of darkness. How has Jesus called you out of darkness? Are you living in the light of Christ? Are you a light bearer?
3 You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
Point 2: Experience the fullness of Joy
He proclaims the multiplication of nations who were once defeated, dark, depression lived and drove the people. But he sees in a vision of the coming the increase of joy. He sees the people rejoicing as he describes the joy at a harvest and when an army wins the battle...
The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD,
and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.
And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion; instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot;
therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy.
The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD
And the ransomed of the LORD, shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow
and sighing shall flee away.
• Instead of shame and dishonor, they shall have everlasting joy. Here Isaiah explains the overflowing joy in verse 3 with threefold FOR
4 For the yoke of his burden,
and the staff for his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
(Like a freedom fighter, God breaks all human oppression as on the day of Median, where Gideon achieves an improbable victory (Judges 7 with 300 men from 22000-10000-300) over Median by the power of God)
The coming of Jesus is by the power of God
Bearing the shame of our sin, and pain of the cross is by the power of God
5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire.(He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire.)
(He shall judge between the nations,
and shall decide disputes for many peoples;and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore.) Psalm.46:96 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon [b] his shoulder, and his name shall be called [c]
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Point 3: Jesus is a gift of divine grace
Jesus is a gift of divine grace to sinners. A child is born, and a son is given, (Natural and spiritual).
“This is the invincible figure striding across the world stage, taking a gracious command, Luke.1:32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,
Isaiah proclaims the kingdom assignment of Jesus:
Wonderful-Counselor, Mighty-God, Everlasting-Father, Prince-of Peace.
A counselor is one who can make wise plans. He is a ruler whose wisdom is beyond mere human capabilities.
Mighty God, this is His title, He is Lord by himself.
Everlasting Father, a father is the benevolent protector, its ideal of the way of a king and ideal of how God cares for his people.
Prince of Peace, He is the ruler whose reign will bring about peace, because the nations will rely on his just decisions in their disputes.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
There will be no end to the kingdom of God and of peace. God called Abraham to channel the messianic blessing of the world.
The empire of grace will forever expand, every moment will be better than the last. From the book of Genesis to Revelation reflects Jesus coming...
Take this moment and receive Jesus as Lord of your life (John 3:16)
Almighty God, give us grace that we may put away the works of darkness and put on the armor of light now in the time of this mortal life, in which Your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when He will come again in His glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through Him who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, now and ever. Amen.