Morning Service | 2nd Jan | Matthew 4:12-25

We read from Isaiah chapter 9, roughly 732 BC.

Isaiah 9 · chapter mention

I'd like to read now from Matthew chapter 4, roughly 28, 29 AD.

Matthew 4 · chapter mention

Matthew 4 at verse 12.

And you see, Matthew, the author, is capturing this beginning of Jesus' ministry, the first sermon.

And he connects the ministry of Jesus and the message of Isaiah seamlessly.

So Matthew chapter 4 at verse 12, and I'll read to the end of that chapter.

Matthew 4 · chapter mention

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.

Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way of the sea along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.

The people living in darkness have seen a great light.

On those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.

From that time on, Jesus began to preach.

Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew.

They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.

Come, follow me, Jesus said, and I will make you fishers of men.

At once they left their nets and followed him.

Going on from there, he saw two old other brothers, James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John.

They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets.

Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom,

and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

News about him spread all over Syria.

And people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases.

Those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them.

Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and the region across the Jordan followed him.

Amen.

Amen.

And may God add to this reading of his word, his blessing.

So we have this great text, this great promise of Isaiah chapter 9, fulfilled, yes, in the incarnation, the birth of Jesus.

Isaiah 9 · chapter mention

But notice that the gospel writer Matthew connects the fulfillment of the promise with the commencement of Jesus' preaching.

That not only has he been born, but now he is beginning to preach.

And that great promise that was recorded seven centuries earlier is being fulfilled.

Crowds of people from all different places, all different backgrounds are coming to him.

And finding the fulfillment of that promise.

You see, our God keeps his word.

He makes and he keeps promises.

And his timing is perfect timing.

Now, on my computer, when I log on, I get a notification.

And the notification is, on this day in history.

I love history.

I love, and I was reminded yesterday that on the 1st of January, 1863, I should have known this, but I had to be reminded.

But on that day, the Emancipation Proclamation came into force.

Abraham Lincoln, a few months earlier, had declared.

And he declared powerfully.

He said that on the 1st day of January.

See, this is in September.

And he's looking ahead 100 days.

He says, on that 1st day of September, in the year of our Lord, 1863,

all persons held as slaves within any state or designated part of a state,

the people whereof then be in rebellion against the United States,

shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.

A proclamation of freedom that would take effect 100 days in the future.

And when that proclamation was issued, it was issued not just as words, but as words accompanied by power.

And that's exactly what God's word is.

Words accompanied with power.

Because God has the power to achieve what he promises.

So in 1863, on the 1st of January, the proclamation commenced with these words.

Now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States,

by virtue of the power in me vested as Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States.

So he is saying, on this day, anyone held as a slave in these states

will be then, thenceforward, and forever free.

So it is a proclamation of freedom accompanied with all the power and the authority

that he has as the Commander-in-Chief of the United States Army and the United States Navy.

Turn with me for a moment back to Isaiah chapter 9.

Isaiah 9 · chapter mention

And let's grasp something of the promise that is given

and something of the power that accompanies this promise

to see how God has a way of bringing into effect

a message of hope, a message of encouragement,

and a message of enthusiasm.

And if you can leave with those three words in your mind at the start of this new year,

hope, encouragement, and enthusiasm,

then I think the message of Isaiah will be rooted in our hearts, in our minds,

and we can look to see God working out his plan and his purpose.

So we come to chapter 9,

and if we want to emphasize hope, encouragement, and enthusiasm,

it's a strange commencement, isn't it?

Because we have a motif here,

and this motif is characterized by three words that each begin with the letter D.

The first word is defeat,

the second word is darkness,

and the third word is death.

Not a promising start for a promise, is it?

Defeat, darkness, and death.

At the beginning of chapter 9,

nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who are in distress.

In the past, he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali.

It's interesting that Matthew, when he begins to quote Isaiah 9,

he quotes from the beginning,

and he mentions Zebulun, and he mentions Naphtali,

these places in the northern part of Israel, of the kingdom of Israel.

And this is a place,

and this is why we have an insight into the rough date of Isaiah 9,

is because in 732 B.C.,

the Assyrian Empire began to conquer the north.

The Assyrians began to conquer these lands,

and to absorb these lands into their empire.

So this is a period of time

where the people of God are experiencing defeat,

and they are experiencing distress.

Now, in the ancient Near East,

the predominant empire at this time

was the Assyrian Empire.

If you remember in Isaiah chapter 6,

Isaiah 6 · chapter mention

the year that King Uzziah died,

this was a good time for Judah.

It's often called a golden age of Judah.

But even that is a far cry from the real golden age

which existed under Solomon.

Solomon's reign,

the empire that Solomon built,

was the largest

that the combined nation of Israel and Judah had together,

the United Kingdom had.

Ever since Solomon's time,

it was a time of decline.

And by the time of Isaiah chapter 9,

Isaiah 9 · chapter mention

the decline is obvious.

The enemies are getting stronger,

and the people of God are getting weaker.

Now, it's interesting that Isaiah

doesn't even mention the Assyrians by name.

Doesn't mention them as a nation.

Doesn't mention their emperor.

This happened to be Tiglath-Pileser III.

Now, like yourself,

we're all interested to some extent

in the history of the ancient Near East.

But there are weeks that go by

when I don't even think of the Assyrian Empire.

There might be months that go by

where you don't give that empire a second thought.

You see, that empire is a footnote now in history.

It was a big deal at this time,

but it's no longer a big deal.

You see, empires rise and empires fall.

The Assyrians had all power and all authority

so much that their emperor would sign decrees.

There was a later king called Ashurbanipal.

He would sign his decrees.

I am Ashurbanipal,

the king of the world,

the king of Assyria.

Because it was true,

if you were king of Assyria,

you were effectively king of the known world.

And now we don't think much of the Assyrian Empire.

We don't remember Ashurbanipal or Tiglath-Pileser III,

but we remember Jesus.

Because Jesus, the one promised here,

is the king.

And his empire is not an empire of time or of place,

but his empire expands across ages,

across generations,

so that this promise given 2,700 years ago

has now found its fulfillment

in time, in place,

but also in experience.

You see, this isn't just a study in ancient history.

This is a present reality for the people of God.

Because we read these promises,

and we read these guarantees

that God gives us about himself and about us.

So it's a time of defeat.

The Assyrians are on the rise,

and Israel is on the decline.

It's a time of darkness,

the people walking in darkness.

And it's not only dark,

but it's deep darkness,

in the second half of verse 2,

on those living in the land of the shadow of death.

Darkness is so deep

that it's like the words that we sang in Psalm 23.

Yea, though I walk through the valley

of the shadow of death.

So darkness is deep,

and death is near.

So that's the motif.

Death.

Defeat,

darkness,

and death.

But the remarkable thing is that

when light shines,

darkness disappears.

And we're told that a light is shining,

and it's a bright light.

And you see,

the first point I want to make here

is that at just the right time,

at just the right place,

in just the right circumstance,

God shows up.

Unexpected,

in many regards.

Surprising,

by many accounts.

But yet,

God shows up

at just the right time,

in just the right place,

at just the right setting.

When you would least expect it,

there he is.

And you see,

this scene of darkness,

this scene of defeat,

this scene of death,

is transformed

by light,

is transformed

by the arrival

of one

who will soon be described,

a son,

a child.

So this darkness

now is dispelled.

This defeat

is somehow being unraveled.

Why?

Because light has come.

As you read,

the opening verses

of John's Gospel

were told,

in him was life,

and that life

was the light of men.

Jesus enters this world

of darkness,

and he brings light.

Jesus enters this world

that is characterized

by death and defeat,

and he brings victory,

and he brings life,

and he brings joy,

and he brings peace.

So this scene

is now transformed

at just the right time.

Now,

I mentioned

the Emancipation Proclamation,

and there was

a hundred-day gap.

The president

makes a promise,

and he says,

in a hundred days,

this will be the case.

It's not a hundred days.

It's over 700 years

between the promise

and the fulfillment.

And you think

that's quite a long time.

That's quite a long wait.

Well,

God's timing

is perfect timing

because he is

infinitely wise,

he is infinitely great,

he is infinitely good,

so this promise

was intended

to keep

the people

of God

going.

And sometimes

we need

that promise

to keep

going.

Our circumstances,

if we look

at our circumstances,

we are attempted

to distress

and despair.

But when we turn

to God's word,

there we have

an ample supply

of hope,

an ample supply

of comfort,

an ample supply

of encouragement.

So this opening

motif,

death,

defeat,

and darkness,

now light

is shining.

Verses 3 and 5,

again,

we see

this transformation

taking place.

Verse 3,

So now we have

a new scene.

Instead of defeat,

darkness,

and death,

we have

increase,

multiplication,

joy,

and celebration.

How has this

happened?

How is this

possible?

You see,

this is a time

when the people

of God

are experiencing

not increase,

but decrease.

They're not

experiencing addition,

they're experiencing

subtraction.

The land

is reducing.

Why?

Because the northern

neighbor,

Assyria,

is advancing south.

And it's not

going to be too long

before the whole

northern kingdom

disappears,

absorbed into

this vast empire.

But God says

that's not the

case.

You see,

God is at work

in multiplication.

Now you might

remember,

maybe some of you

younger people here

are taking maths

at school.

You might remember

that there's what's

called a progression,

an arithmetic

progression.

When you go 2

and 4

and 6

and 8,

you add

2 plus 2

plus 2

plus 2.

And you see

that's a steady

progression.

But if you have

what's described

as a geometric

progression,

you go from

2 to 4

to 8

to 16

to 32.

It's a multiplication.

Something that's

small becomes

very big

very quickly.

And this message

that Isaiah

is delivering

to the people

seems so unusual

because the writing

is on the wall.

We have a northern

neighbor that's

far more powerful

than us.

We are not getting

bigger,

we are getting

smaller.

There's not light,

there's darkness,

there's not hope,

there's despair,

but God is saying

a time is coming

and a time is coming

where the nation

will expand

and expand rapidly.

You see,

God has a way

of multiplying.

Let me give you

an example.

For over

a hundred years,

there was an

intensive effort

to bring the

gospel to the

nation and to

the people of

China.

Hudson Taylor,

China Inland

Mission for one,

but many

Western organizations

and Western

missionary

organizations

sent people

to China.

By 1949,

it was estimated

that there was

one million

Chinese Christians.

And in that

year,

Chairman Mao

expelled every

Western missionary,

expelled every

Western mission

organization,

and the thinking

was quite

understandable.

This is a

Western faith.

If we get

rid of the

Westerners,

if we get

rid of the

Western money,

this faith

will soon

disappear.

Something

remarkable

happened.

In those

next 60 or

70 years,

the church

of one

million probably

by estimation

became a

church of

a hundred

million.

One Chinese

Christian person

in 1949,

there's now

a hundred.

That's what

multiplication

looks like.

When God

takes something

that looks

small and

he says,

I'm going

to make

it big.

I'm going

to make

it big in

the circumstances

that you

would think

is impossible.

The resources,

the personnel,

everything that

you would expect

is necessary.

God says he

can work in

ways that we

can never

understand or

predict.

So I want

us to begin

this year with

optimism.

I want us to

see what God

is able to do

and I want

us to see

what God

has promised

to do

and how

God can

take a

situation

that seems

hopeless

and bring

multiplication

and bring

increase

and bring

joy.

Because the

language of

these verses

is the

language of

Egypt.

It's the

language of

oppression.

It's the

language of

slavery.

For as in

the day of

Midian's

defeat,

you have

shattered the

yoke that

burdens them,

the bar

across their

shoulders,

the rod

of their

oppressor.

God has

a way of

removing

and transforming.

He removes

the oppressor.

He transforms

the circumstances

of his people.

So instead of

being a captive

people,

they're a free

people.

Instead of

being an

oppressed

people,

they are now

a joyful

people.

And even

that mention

of Midian,

remember

the account

and judges

of Gideon?

The first

time we

encounter

Gideon,

what is he

doing?

He's

threshing

wheat in

a wine

press.

Why is he

threshing

wheat in

a wine

press?

Because the

Midianites

are plundering

the harvest.

They're taking

everything

away.

So if you

want to

preserve what

you have,

you need to

hide it.

And Isaiah

is saying,

you remember

what happened

in Midian,

when Midian

was the

enemy,

you remember

what happened

in Egypt.

God

intervened.

God intervened

at just the

right time,

in just the

right situation,

and he

transformed

the

circumstances

of his

people.

And this

is why it's

so important

to study the

history of

the past.

Because we

see what

God has

done,

and we

see what

God can

do,

and we

are then

given

comfort and

encouragement

for today

and for

tomorrow.

And as

you read

through this

passage,

you might

notice that

the verbs

that are

used,

because Isaiah

is talking

about the

future,

but strangely

he uses

past tense

verbs to

talk about

the future.

We don't

do that

normally.

If I tell

you I'm

going home

to have

lunch and

I will

have,

you know,

I will use

words like

will.

You know,

when I

describe the

future,

I don't

talk about

past tense

events,

but Isaiah

is so

confident,

or in

this word,

in this

message,

that he's

presenting

something as

if it has

already been

achieved.

That is how

reliable God

is.

You can

take his

word to

the bank,

and you'll

never be

disappointed.

You'll

never be

discouraged.

So instead

of slavery,

instead of

hardship,

instead of

suffering,

we have

here a

picture of

joy,

a picture

of abundance,

a picture

of freedom,

a picture

of security,

a picture

of safety.

You see,

God has

a way of

changing our

circumstances

and transforming

our status.

The 1st of

January,

1863,

the President

of the United

States declared

those that

were held in

slavery to be

free.

And from

that point

forward,

they were

free.

Because he

said it,

he meant

it,

and he

accompanied

his

proclamation

with power.

God is

describing his

people now,

no longer

as slaves,

no longer

as in

danger,

no longer

in distress,

but a

people who

are to be

characterized

by joy,

by

celebration,

and by

increase and

multiplication.

salvation.

And as we

come then

to the

final portion

of this

passage,

how is it

possible that

this transformation

can take

place?

How can a

scene of

defeat,

of

captivity,

of suffering,

of darkness

and distress,

how can that

situation be

transformed?

Verse 6,

for to us

a child

is born,

to us

a son

is given.

There is

one who

comes

and who

achieves

and fulfills

and provides

and enables

the impossible

to be

possible.

Isn't that

the refrain

that we often

see throughout

the Bible?

With man,

this is

impossible.

With us,

this is

impossible.

Your

circumstances

today might

seem to be

impossible.

The despair,

the distress,

the discouragement.

The Bible

is not

a self-help

book.

Whatever it

is,

it's not

that.

Because the

help that

we need

does not

come from

ourselves.

If we

could help

ourselves,

surely we

would have

helped

ourselves

by now.

The help

that is

described here

is not

coming from

the people,

but is

coming from

God for

his people.

A child,

a son.

And we're

told that the

government will

be on

his shoulders.

Think of

that image.

The government

of the world

rests upon

the shoulders

of this

child,

this son,

which means

that he

can carry

a heavy

load.

You and

I cannot

carry heavy

loads.

We are

often burdened

or weighed

down or

oppressed.

And that's

why when you

think of the

ministry of

Jesus,

we look

at the

beginning of

Jesus'

ministry in

Matthew,

if you

read through

just a few

more chapters,

you'll come

to the end

of Matthew

Matthew 11 · chapter mention

chapter 11,

where Jesus

says,

come to

me,

all who

are weary

and burdened,

and I

will give

you rest.

Now,

how is he

able to

say that?

He's able

to say that

because he

can carry

the whole

world on

his shoulders.

He is

that strong.

He is

that powerful.

So that

which crushes

us has

no impact

on him

because he

is that

strong,

that great,

and that

mighty.

So not

only does

he carry

the government,

we're told

that he

is called

Wonderful

Counselor,

Mighty God,

Everlasting

Father,

Prince of

Peace.

Wonderful

Counselor.

In this

city,

there's a

counseling service

called New

Growth

Counseling.

Louise

McMillan and

colleagues provide

Christian counseling

for people

who have

problems.

Many

different kinds

of problems,

many different

kinds of

situations,

and there's

a huge

value in

Christian

counseling

of talking

with someone

who can

help you

see or

maybe work

through

problems,

but any

counselor will

tell you

that they

encounter

situations that

are beyond

them.

They've

never seen

this kind

of problem,

they don't

know what

to say,

but the

counselor that

we have

in the

sun,

in the

child,

never

encounters a

problem that

is too

great,

never

encounters a

difficulty that

is too

complex.

This

counselor never

needs advice,

this counselor

never needs

wisdom because

he has all

wisdom and

all knowledge.

We're describing

him here also

as mighty

God or as

a warrior

God.

Now the

Assyrians were

a warrior

empire,

but our

God fights

for us,

and he

can defeat

any foe,

he can

thwart

any enemy.

So when

we have

him on

our side,

we not

only have

all wisdom,

we have

all strength.

And not

only do we

have a

God who

is mighty

and a

God who

is wise,

but we

have a

God who

is relational

by his

very nature.

He knows

us,

he loves

us,

he makes

us part

of his

family.

You see,

there's a

change of

status.

The captive

people have

become free.

The people

in distress

have become

joyful.

But those

who are

separated from

God now

become part

of God's

family.

It's

interesting that

here one of

the titles

given to

the Son

is Everlasting

Father.

Now this

doesn't mean

that,

this doesn't

conflict with

our understanding

of Father,

Son,

and Holy

Spirit.

But the

title here

is one

who has

no beginning,

one who

has no end,

and one

who looks

upon us

as a

member of

his family

with care,

with concern,

and with

compassion.

So the

mighty God,

the warrior

God,

is Everlasting

Father.

And he's

Prince of

Peace.

In an

age of

warfare,

God is

a God

who brings

peace.

In an

age of

military

defeat,

a God

who brings

victory,

but a

God who

declares

peace.

Another

anniversary that

passed in

December,

December 7,

1941,

was the

attack on

Pearl Harbor

by the

Japanese

Empire,

and war

commenced.

Human beings

can declare

war,

but only

God can

declare

peace,

because his

declaration is

accompanied with

the power to

achieve peace.

And we're

told that this

peace and

his government

will extend

and extend

and extend.

The 20th

century was

the most

successful

century for

the missionary

enterprise of

the Christian

church.

We might not

realize that,

but it is.

That 100-year

period was the

most successful

period of

Christian evangelization

since the

book of Acts.

The 21st

century has

the ability

of being

even greater

in terms of

more people

being reached

with the

gospel.

Just to

give you a

statistic that

is remarkable,

in 1900,

the high

water mark

of the

Western

missionary

endeavor,

there were

10 million

Christians on

the continent

of Africa,

10% of the

population.

By the end

of the 20th

century,

there were

360 million

Africans on

the continent

of Africa,

half of

which were

Christians.

This is the

largest shift

in religious

affiliation that

has ever been

identified anywhere

at any time.

This is what

God does when

he extends his

kingdom.

I mentioned

the word

enthusiasm,

and with this

I want to

close,

because at the

end of this

great promise,

we're told that

the zeal of

the Lord

Almighty will

accomplish this,

that God has

an intense

commitment to

fulfill his

own promise.

and he

fulfills that

promise with

great zeal,

with great

enthusiasm,

with great

intensity.

And I would

like to suggest

that as this

year commences,

that we might

hope to share

something of

this enthusiasm.

So I want you

to be optimistic,

not pessimistic.

I want you to

have hope and

not despair.

I want you to

reflect on light

and not darkness,

but I want you to

consider what it

means to be

enthusiastic.

We all have

different temperaments.

Some of us are

half empty people,

some of us are

glass half full

people,

but I want us to

be enthusiastic

if we are

Christians.

Ralph Waldo

Emerson, a great

essayist in America,

put it this way.

He said,

enthusiasm is one

of the most

powerful engines

of success.

When you do a

thing, do it

with all your

might.

Put your whole

soul into it,

stamp it with your

own personality,

be active,

be energetic,

be enthusiastic

and faithful,

and you will

accomplish your

object.

Nothing great

was ever achieved

without enthusiasm.

There's a zealous

enthusiasm of God

that not only does

he promise,

but he achieves.

Not only does he

make commitments,

but he fulfills

those commitments.

And I think there

should be something

of that enthusiasm

in the people

of God.

Let me give you

just one example.

In the early part

of the 18th

century,

the 1700s,

the cause of

Jesus was at

a very low

ebb in the

United Kingdom,

in the American

colonies.

It was exactly

the opposite.

It was exactly

the time in which

you didn't expect

much to happen

because not much

was happening.

But God raised

up a generation

of preachers,

of pastors,

of evangelists

that brought

the gospel

to the United

Kingdom,

to England,

to Scotland,

to Wales,

to Ireland,

to the United

States,

at just the

right moment

when things

seemed to be

going from bad

to worse.

And these

preachers were

described as

enthusiasts.

But that wasn't

a compliment.

They were

described as

enthusiasts in

religion.

And religion

wasn't meant

to be enthusiastic.

Religion was

something that you

had in your

private life,

and you

kept that

privately.

But people

like John

Wesley or

George

Whitefield

became

enthusiasts

for the

gospel.

Whitefield

once said,

other men

may preach

the gospel

better than

I,

but no man

can preach

a better

gospel.

John

Wesley,

his contemporary,

said this,

he said,

catch on fire

with enthusiasm

and people

will come

for miles

to see you

burn.

George

Whitefield

traveled many

times to the

United States,

to the U.S.

colonies,

and on his

last journey

there,

it was clear

that his

life was

coming to

an end.

He was

only in

his 50s,

but still

it was obvious

that he was

growing weaker.

And on one

evening,

it was the

27th of

September

1770,

a friend

said,

sir,

you are

more fit

to go to

bed than

to preach.

And George

Whitefield

replied,

true,

sir.

But then

he prayed,

Lord Jesus,

I am weary

in thy work,

but not of

thy work.

I have

not yet

finished

my course.

Let me

go and

speak for

thee once

more in

the fields.

Seal thy

truth and

let me

come home

and die.

He stood

on a barrel

and preached

for two

hours that

evening.

When he

went to

bed,

he said,

I would

rather wear

out than

rust out.

This was

in the

Massachusetts

colony.

That next

morning,

he died

and was

buried there

in the

United States.

That's what

enthusiasm

looks like,

going forth

in the

name of

Jesus

with the

sure

promise

of the

gospel,

knowing

that God's

word will

always be

fulfilled,

God's

promises are

always yes

and amen,

and God

has a way

of using

ordinary

people to

accomplish

extraordinary

things so

that all the

credit,

all the

praise,

all the

honor is

his.

So we

have hope

today in

Jesus,

the son,

the child.

we have

hope in

his gospel,

even that

portion of

chapter 4 in

Matthew that

we read.

All different

kinds of

people,

with all

different kinds

of problems,

from all

different kinds

of places,

came to

him and

each one

was healed.

That's his

power,

that's his

authority.

So this

promise goes

forth in

the name

of God,

who cannot

lie,

goes forth

with his

power,

and has

been and

is being

achieved.

So if

you are a

follower of

Jesus,

be hopeful,

be encouraged,

be enthusiastic,

and if you're

not yet trusting

in this

Jesus,

place all of

your cares

on him,

come to

him and

come to

know this

joy,

this light,

this life,

this hope,

and come to

experience for

yourself what

it means to

be a child

of this

God,

to be a

member of

this family,

to be a

follower of

this Savior.

And may God

bless you this

day,

and this

year,

and may

all the

glory be

his.

Let's

pray.

Father, we

ask that you

would encourage

us, strengthen

us, and equip

us.

We thank you

for these

precious promises

that are

yea and

amen in

Christ Jesus.

We thank you

that what you

say you mean,

what you

promise you

fulfill,

and you

delight in

using ordinary

people like

us to

demonstrate the

extraordinary

power,

the

extraordinary

grace,

the

extraordinary

wisdom,

the

extraordinary

love that

is found in

Jesus Christ.

We thank you

that he can

carry the

whole world

on his

shoulders,

and that his

government is

increasing day

by day,

that his

kingdom is

growing,

that men

and women

and boys

and girls

throughout this

world are

coming to

know him,

and in

knowing him

are coming

to know

life abundant

and life

eternal.

So give us

encouragement

today,

Lord.

Give us

hope in

great measure

and help us

to be

enthusiastic

in the

gospel,

in the

service of

our Lord,

in the

encouragement

of one

another,

and in

the

proclamation

of these

great and

precious

promises,

the son,

the child,

the wonderful

counselor,

the mighty

God,

the everlasting

father,

the prince

of peace.

We pray in

the name of

Jesus.

Amen.

Now our

final item

of praise

is that

magnificent

hymn written

by Charles

Wesley,

Hark the

Herald

Angels Sing.

Let's stand

together.