Sermon
Advent | Week 3
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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My name is Kyle for visiting with us today.
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I want to say, welcome to you. I'm glad that you're here, Echo.
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The sentiments of both, my wife and Jasper and welcoming you
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today. I hope that you enjoy your time
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worshiping Christ with us. If you have your Bible, you can
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real close. To the very middle of your
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Bible. All right, so Isaiah chapter 9,
Isaiah 9 chapter mention
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is where we'll be today? Today we are as you're going, as
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you're going there, I'll just kind of set up what we're doing.
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We are in the third week now of our Advent series.
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And so there will be a message on Friday night at the Eve.
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Eve service just about about the birth of Christ looking forward
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to the birth of Christ and about whom he came to save.
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And so I really encourage you to come back Friday night to hear
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that. I think you'll find it
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encouraging, but you'll find the whole night a real treat for
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you. Our family during this time of
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year, it's a blast and then Sunday on Christmas morning.
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I'm excited to worship with you all on Christmas morning.
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I hope just want to encourage you to make plans to be here.
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I know that you're like, and it's Christmas morning.
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And I'm like, man, it's the Lord's Day, right?
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And, and we are people who say all the time that I assume you
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are, that Jesus is the reason for the season, right?
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So let's not say that. And then say, except if If the
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season falls on, you know, a Sunday, then I won't be there.
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So let's make plans to attend on Sunday as much as we're able,
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you may have travel plans. You may already be gone out of
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town but if you're here, come worship with us.
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It'll be a good time in the house of the Lord exalting
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Christ, again looking will look specifically at the birth of
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Christ. The peace that comes with him
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and with his birth and will glory in the Lord together.
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And then we'll go home and enjoy the rest of the festivities.
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So in our home were already making plans for that morning,
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what's it going to look like before church and after church?
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And so men, I encourage you sit down with your family this week.
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Make plans for that, plan it out.
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Look at look ahead and say, hey we're going to be there, but
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here's what we're going to have to do to make that work.
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Okay? You can do it.
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I'm in your corner. You have questions, let me know.
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But let's come and worship together on Sunday morning.
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Again, I say, Nonce, we're in the middle of Advent Advent,
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explores, the first coming of Christ and as we're looking at
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the first coming of Christ, it's in anticipation of the second
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coming of Christ and so there's going to be some of that theme
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we've throughout. But what we're saying is that
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there was real darkness, there is real darkness on the earth
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still but there was real darkness on the earth back then
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as well. And so these promises from
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Genesis 3:15 all the way through.
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Finally, the birth of Christ. The arrival of the Messiah were
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moments of light in the middle of darkness.
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And so we've looked at the promise in Genesis 3:15, we're
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God's just right out of the gate is letting Adam and Eve, both,
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and all of humanity for that matter know that this will not
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in this way. Christ will come.
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He will punish the serpent death will be dealt a death.
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Blow Christ will be bruised in the process, but he will reign
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Victorious. Aureus.
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And so it's the announcement of the gospel.
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And then we looked at Abraham last week and we just talked
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about so journey and how you are sojourners.
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You are men and women, boys and girls, who love the Lord.
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And so as such you're on your way to a Heavenly Homeland.
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Amen, there are things about this world that feel like home
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and then there's a lot of things about this world that are
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nothing like home, but the very best of this world.
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The very best of this world will still need to be redeemed in the
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new. Even a new Earth.
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Amen. And so the best of this world
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was just a foreshadowing of what awaits Us in the new Heaven and
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new earth. And so we look forward to that.
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That's our homeland. And we are going there by the
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grace of Christ. And so today I want to talk to
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you about a prophecy. And so in Isaiah 9, we see in
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the scriptures, we have Major Prophets and we have five books
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of Major Prophets and we have 12 books with Minor Prophets and
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through all of these God, Making pronouncements either of
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judgments or of Salvation to come.
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And he's using this as a way to turn the hearts of his people
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back to himself. And so Isaiah is a book that is
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full of both. It's full of coming judgment.
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Judgment Doom. That's coming up on you.
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Israel Judah Doom that's coming to you but it's also full of
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pronouncements of a coming Savior.
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And so we're going to look Look at Isaiah 9 today to see this
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but these are men who God Called to announce to his people who
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were dwelling in the darkness of sin that to announce either
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judgment or blessing which was to come.
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And the Old Testament there are 300 plus prophecies about the
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coming Messiah. 300-plus prophecies, really incredible.
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Considering the last book of the New Testament Malachi which also
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prophecies about the coming. It Was Written 400 years before
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Christ arrived on the earth and so it's really incredible what
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God is doing in the Old Testament to show us that Christ
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is coming and so Isaiah is a prophet to Judah.
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Judah is the southern Kingdom. There was a split under the
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reign of Solomon David's son. There was a split in the Kingdom
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of Israel and Judah is part of this as part of the Southern
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Kingdom. Mmm.
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And so this is around 9:30 BC, Isaiah continues.
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Sorry, Isaiah contains prophecies about multiple
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aspects of the coming Christ. He prophesies about the last
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days things in, which you'll see in Isaiah 25 about how will
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dwell on the mountain with the Lord will eat of Choice Meats,
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and drink of choice, wine, and we will fellowship with Christ
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in heaven, and with his people, amen.
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I'm excited about it. He prophesized about a manual
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and Isaiah 7 verse 14. It says that the Virgin shall
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conceive and bear a son, his name Shall be Called Emmanuel,
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which means god with us. We see they prophesize about the
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branch and the root of Jesse. We see that he prophesized about
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the Savior waited for. That's what our passage today is
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going to contain. We see that he prophesized about
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the Cornerstone or the foundation stone, specifically
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of the church Who is it? That unites all of God's people.
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It's Christ. We see that the prophet saw is
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about the way of the Lord being prepared which was a prophecy
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about John the Baptist largely. We say they prophesied about the
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Man of Sorrows and Isaiah 53. The one who would be acquainted
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with grief stricken to the point of death.
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So that, again, God's people might go free and enjoy The
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Spoils of such. He prophesized about the
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Redeemer to come to prophesize. Just Explicitly about the
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Messiah Isaiah's book is large and it contains a whole lot of
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encouragement, and a whole lot of discouraging things as well.
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But in the middle of Darkness, there is light and that's what
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we see in our passage today. So when I ask that, you stand
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your feet, we're going to read the word of God today.
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When I'm finished reading, I'll say this is the word of the
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Lord, and I'll ask that you respond.
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Thanks, be to God. All right.
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Isaiah 9, verse 1. Through 7, let's read.
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But there will be, no Gloom for her who was in anguish, and the
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former time, he brought into contempt, the land of zebulun
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and the land of naphtali. But in the latter time, he has
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made glorious the way of the sea.
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The land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nation's, the
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people who walked in darkness have seen a great light eyes.
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Those who dwelt in the land of deep Darkness on them, has light
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Shone, you have Add the nation. You have increased, its Joy.
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They Rejoice before us with joy at the Harvest as they are glad
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when they divide the spoil for the Yoke of his burden and the
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staff for his shoulder. The rod of his oppressor you
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have broken as on the day of Midian for every boots of the
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tramping warrior in battle tumults and every garment rolled
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in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.
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For to us. A child, is born to us.
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A son is given and the government shall be upon his
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shoulder. And his name Shall be Called
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wonderful, counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting father, Prince
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of Peace of the increase of his government and of Peace.
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There will be no end upon the throne of David and over his
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kingdom to establish it and to uphold it with Justice.
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And with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore This
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is Zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
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Amen. This is the word of the Lord.
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Thanks be to God. Amen.
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Let me pray for you before you see that.
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Heavenly Father, we praise you for today.
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We thank you for your word. We ask that you be with us.
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Now, would you open our hearts and Minds to have comprehension
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of the things that we read today to understand your word?
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Lord open our hearts and Minds to believe it.
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And to trust Lord, that you are, who you say you are.
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Lord, would you help us to see the lights of Christ today for?
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It is the only thing, powerful enough to save Souls powerful
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enough to sanctify. Our hearts and Minds to help us
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be more like Christ. It is transformative light and
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we are in need of it. And so Lord, we are helpless
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today to see it on our own were helpless today to know, Christ
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on our own. We must have the spirits help
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and so holy Spirit. We pray that you would
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illuminate God's word today. Help us to see it and to believe
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it, to trust it to live it out. It's in Christ's name we pray.
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Amen. Amen.
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May be seated. So the the theme of what I want
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to put before you today is this it's very simple, but
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life-changing nonetheless God fulfills his promise to destroy
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Darkness through the birth of his son.
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And so I'm going to talk to you about the themes of light and
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darkness again today, but from Isaiah here and Isaiah verse 22
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8 sorry 8:22, so just a verse. Before where we started this is
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what we read says and they will look to the Earth but behold the
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stress and darkness the Gloom of Anguish, and they will be thrust
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into thick Darkness. And so this is the people for
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whom light has come or light is coming.
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These people are dwelling in darkness.
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They're separated from God they're in captivity and there's
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anguish they're beginning to get bitter and angry with God over
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their separation. And Isaiah 9 1 through 7.
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What we have here happening is that in the midst of Darkness?
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God sends Isaiah to proclaim the birth of the coming Messiah.
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For to us. A child, is born to us.
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A son is given and so, God is fulfilling his promise to
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destroy Darkness, through the birth of his own son.
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Amen. In verse 1, God speaks through.
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I'm just going to walk kind of verse.
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By verse through this today, I'll make a few applications
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along the way, but then I'll wrap it up and we'll be on our
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way in verse 1. God again, he's speaking through
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Isaiah. And he announces an into the
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Gloom is going to be an end to the darkness.
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You dwell in great Darkness but thick Darkness.
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It says I mean if ever set in thick Darkness you've ever gone
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hunting maybe you sit and the thick of the dark of night
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waiting on the sun to come up you know maybe used a light to
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get to your stand but once you're in the stand right all
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lights go out. Preparation has begun its time
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to wait. And so as the day Dawns, there's
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thick Darkness as you wait on that.
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All right, there's a thickness of that, or maybe it's some of
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these clouds these foggy nights. We had recently, right?
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It just felt like Darkness upon Darkness, right?
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It is already getting dark early but now the darkness felt thick.
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There was a maybe it's just the humidity.
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There was a thickness to the darkness, right?
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And so this is what's being described of the people of God
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here in and Judah. There's a Darkness, that their
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dwelling in and at one time, God dealt with his people, rebellion
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and wrath, this is why there's a separation of the Kingdom.
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Got it separated, as people as people were now in captivity.
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And and their destruction, this happened through the destruction
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of the promised land, everything that they had gained by their
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faithfulness, they lost by their unfaithfulness, they broke their
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Covenant with God and God punished them.
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And so, there are moments in a Believers life, where God will
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seek, try attempt to gain your attention through punishments,
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will bring about some sort of captivity.
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You might say, Say it bring about some sort of discipline in
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your life and if you hear the discipline, you see the
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discipline you repent? And you turn to the Lord what's
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removed from you. But if you do not The discipline
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may become stricter, may become increasingly larger and this is
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what has happened to God's people.
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I didn't listen, I continued to rebel against the Lord and now
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they sit in great Darkness but a time is coming, this is what's
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being announced for them. There's a Time coming where God
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is going to rescue his people by his own Grace right for to us.
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It's for them. A son is given, right, but whose
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son, God's son. And so by Grace, he's going to
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rescue them from Darkness. It will come through Galilee,
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right? And it's going to affect the
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nation's. That's what we're reading about.
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In verse one, another words come affect the Gentiles not just
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going to be these these Jews anymore.
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It's not going to be just the nation of Israel, but it's going
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to extend to the nation's going to effect the Gentiles.
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And so here we see right out of the gate are called to
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unbelievers. Even today, we might read it as
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such anyone who sits in their sins.
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Anyone who sits yet, unrepentant of their sins, anyone who is
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without faith in Christ for their salvation.
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They sit in grave, Darkness thick Darkness, their soul is in
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danger. But when the gospel comes and
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when it comes to anyone who will receive it by repentance of sins
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and faith in Christ, then a great light has Shone upon that
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person, and when they see the great light, I must welcome that
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light. Let it grow in them and it
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shines brighter with each new day.
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You become more and more like Christ.
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This is what we read about a few weeks ago as we looked at Second
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Corinthians, three and four, where it talks about their how
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there was a veil that's Removed and the same God who spoke a lot
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into being is now shown into the hearts of his people, through
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the Light of Christ. That is the gospel and now they
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can see the Lord, and he says there that it's by seeing Christ
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by beholding Christ, The Light of Christ, looking to the Light
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of Christ that you are transformed from one degree of
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glory to the next. And so this happens for this
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happens for unbelievers. They see the lot of Christ
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Christ makes himself known to them regenerates, a heart,
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there's Faith. Now in the Lord and by their
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faith in Christ by their following him, they are
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transformed from one degree of glory to the next and so they
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must welcome the LIE, Let It Grow shine in them each day and
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it's that shining through the regenerative person that becomes
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evidence of a transformed life, right?
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Where once you have someone whose heart was far from the
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law, And it was evident by their actions that they didn't care at
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all about Christ and his commands about Christ and his
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call to repentance. Now, there's fruits, there's
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fruit, but I like the way the John.
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The Baptist says to the Pharisees, he says bear fruit in
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keeping with repentance and also his baptism was a baptism of
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repentance. It wasn't yet the baptism that
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we see where were baptized into Christ into his death raised to
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New Life. It wasn't that yet.
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So he tells the Pharisees bear fruit in keeping with
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repentance. Don't just say I Repent.
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Don't just say forgive me Lord but bear fruit in.
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That's right. And that's the same thing that
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you see with a genuine believer, there's going to be a
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transformed life and from that transformed life, there's going
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to be evidence of such. You don't talk the same way.
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You don't walk the same way, don't live the same way, right?
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You are transformed and so that person has been removed from
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Darkness. They've been brought into The
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Marvelous Light of Christ Jesus as first Peter.
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Two calls it and that light is a sweet light, right?
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It's a transforming light. It's one that carries with it,
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the brightness of eternal life. And so it draws Us in and it
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transforms. Well, there's also a word of
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encouragement, so that's a call to unbelievers to repent.
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Don't stay in your thick Darkness.
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Come to the light of Christ. But there's a call here or a
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word of encouragement. At least four Saints as well.
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For those of you in here, who love the Lord, who have
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submitted to him, There's a word of encouragement here in the
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worst of times. In the worst of times God's
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people have a, nevertheless now my translation says, but but I
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didn't want to say that. All right, I don't want to say
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God's people have a, but right children.
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God's people have a nevertheless and that's what's taking place
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in verse 1, but there will be no Gloom for her. or nevertheless,
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there will be no Gloom for her who was in anguish, you have a
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nevertheless, you have a, but so to say, To comfort yourself
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with. It's a bomb for you and your
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distressed and troubled heart. It's a help for you.
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And what you're reading here in Isaiah 9.
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Is that though you may be persecuted, you're never
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forsaken. Though, you may experience
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persecution for your faith. The Lord never leaves you, he
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hears your cries, though. You may be filled with sorrow
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yet, you may always be rejoicing, you don't have to be
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overwhelmed by sorrow. Does not defeat you though.
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You feel it, you can be always rejoicing which is what second
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Corinthians 6 tells us. And so this text is a comfort to
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us when there are times of Darkness, we need to remember
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that he who forms the light and creates.
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The darkness has appointed to both their boundaries, right?
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Darkness can only be so dark for the people of God because Christ
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Reigns, amen. And we are holding on to Christ.
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And so, Darkness will not overcome the people of God.
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The people of God, have the promise of the Light of Christ
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to willed against Darkness. Amen.
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That that God is not going to leave you in the dark.
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Darkness. And he alone is able to shine
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great light upon his people. So let that be an encouragement
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to your heart today. But though you may be
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experiencing dark times, you may be having a really difficult
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year months weeks days, maybe it's an hour.
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Like, just on the way here, just didn't go.
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Like you hoped it, put And so, you come in today, and I want
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you to hear today. That Darkness does not Reign
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Over the people of God, cannot will not ever.
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Amen. Not saying you won't experience
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Darkness. I'll send you won't walk through
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it. But you have a bright light in
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the middle of great darkness. That is the word of God that you
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can stand on its a lot of Christ.
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And then in verses 2 through 3, the tone begins to change.
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I'll read it to you again. The people who walked in
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darkness have seen a great light.
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Those who dwelt in the land of deep Darkness on them has like,
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shown you have multiplied, the nation, you have increased, its
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Joy. They Rejoice before you as with
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joy at the Harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
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And so in verses 23 the the tone begins to change Isaiah you
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notice what he's doing? He's speaking in past tense, on
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them, light has Shone they have seen a great light.
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Those who dwelt in the land of deep Darkness on them.
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Light has Shone you have multiplied, the nation, you have
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increased, its Joy. Let me tell you, when they're
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hearing this, it hasn't happened yet. but, The tone is changing.
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Because when God announces something, When God says that
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something is coming, guess what? It's as good as if it has
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already happened. Amen.
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You can trust it as though you're looking in your rear-view
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mirror at it, even though you might be looking forward with
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expectation of that day, a great light has Shone on those who
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were in deep Darkness. John chapter 1 as Alan, read it
John 1 chapter mention
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earlier right? That the light Light shines in
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the darkness, the darkness has not overcome it, not speaking of
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the Light of Christ which is what I'm trying to point you to
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today. It's what it's what Isaiah was
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pointing the people of Judah to in this time.
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And so the nation has been multiplies not only has Judah
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seen the light not only is Israel.
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Going to see the light that Remnant there that God's going
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to keep for himself, but the light is going to shine on the
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nation's. It's going to bless the
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nation's. It's going to be a Multitude.
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And so it's going to be multiplied.
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Amen, you sit here. Today is evidence that this is
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true. You're not Jewish.
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I don't think right. You don't hell from Jerusalem.
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You sit here today as Americans, right?
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And your people came from all sorts of places to create your
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mixture, but what we see is that God has fulfilled Isaiah 9.
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He's already fulfilling it. He's calling people from every A
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tribe and tongue and Nation to worship him to glorify his name
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and so we see are together as people from South Arkansas doing
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that. But guess what?
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There's people all over the world who are sitting together
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on Sunday, the Lord's Day worshipping Christ as well.
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Amen, because God, God makes good on his promises.
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He can be trusted. And so the people of God now
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includes all nations and tongues and tribes.
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Christ. There is neither Jew nor
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Gentile, we read about in the New Testament that we are all
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one family in the Lord. We're all a part of the body of
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Christ. The bride of Christ, he is our
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head, we are his body. Isaiah is saying, this is a
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message of great Victory, that's what he's telling them.
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Like this, this Gloom that you feel will not last Light is
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coming and this Remnant that you see of faithful believers who
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are having to dwell in this Darkness will guess what your
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faithfulness is going to pay off the Lord is going to not only
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redeem you, You but he's going to redeem people from every
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tribe and tongue and Nation. The multitude is going to be
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increased is going to be more and more.
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Who proclaim the goodness of God, the excellencies of Christ.
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We're going to stand on him despite great darkness in their
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own lives. The Light of Christ is going to
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shine and it's going to be Victorious.
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And this brings overwhelming. Joy me.
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Just see it there again. In verse 3, You have multiplied,
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the nation. You have increased, its Joy.
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They Rejoice before you as with joy at the Harvest as they are
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glad when they divide the spoil. So you see all the gladness and
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the joy that comes from Light which shines on a heart, which
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gives New Life In Christ and now there's great joy.
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In Verses 4 and 5. We see that it's not simply a
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deliverance from their oppressors.
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Look at this for the Yoke of his burden and the staff of for his
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shoulder, the rod of his oppressor you have broken as on
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the day of Midian where every boots of the tramping Warrior
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and battle some bolts. And every garment rolled in
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blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.
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So God, here is announcing the breaking of the bondage of sin
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on mankind. It's not just that you're going
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to be released from your oppressors is that you're going
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to be released from the oppression of sin.
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That's a far greater Victory. Amen.
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Sin will not rule over. You, will not Reign Over You
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Christ, Reigns. And so, this is the promise of
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the New Testament. Again, when God takes a Stony
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heart and he removes, any puts in a heart of Flesh, that's
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called regeneration. That's a, that's a new
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beginning, right? It's a new life, a new creation,
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its creative work. And second Corinthians 5:21
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where we see that old things are passing Earth.
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Sorry 517 or see old things are passed away.
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Behold. All things are becoming new
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Ephesians 2:10 says that we are his workmanship God's
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workmanship created in Christ Jesus.
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For good works which he prepared beforehand.
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So what we see is that we're getting an altogether, new life
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in Christ, And now you have at your disposal, the ability, the
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will the want to the drive, the desire to please Christ to live
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a life that honors him. And glorify his name where as
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once we couldn't obey the law, whereas once we found ourself
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oppressed by sin and its nature. Now, we are free from our sin
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nature and we can obey the Lord. Now You might pause here and
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raise your hand and say, we'll call that.
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I still struggle with sins. I still wrestle with desires.
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That are contrary to the Lord's desires for me.
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Yes, you do. Because you have not been
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detached from a broken flesh though, your spirit and your
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mind is set free by the spirit of God.
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And this is Romans 6 7 8 or really getting into this and
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those who have been set free, their free indeed.
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And so you were free with your mind to serve the Lord.
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But what Paul is saying in Romans 7 is that my body is
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still at war with me. My flesh is still at war with my
-
renewed spirit and Though, in my mind I want to serve the Lord
-
though. In my mind I want to do all that
-
He commands. I find myself still doing the
-
things that I don't want to do. I find myself still retreating
-
into sin and selfish desires. And so in Romans 8, he says, You
-
must mortify, the flesh by the spirit, you must put to death,
-
the Deeds of the flesh, by the spirit of God, alive in you.
-
And so, that's what's taking place, the bondage of sin is
-
broken. Once you were bound only to sin.
-
But now, in Christ, you have been set free in your mind and
-
your spirit, to live a life that honors him.
-
Once you could only send now, Now, your will has been renewed
-
and you can serve Christ. It's been freed.
-
Amen. And so you are able now.
-
God has not only removed you as he did here, removed you from a,
-
the oppressors, he's removed. You from the Great Depression
-
which is your sin nature. And so if you were in Christ,
-
you've been delivered from that, the bondage of sin is no longer
-
on you anymore and this is a reason to exult in the Lord.
-
Amen. Got announces here that piece is
-
coming. He's announcing an end to Wars
-
and end to evil in the world. How will it come?
-
Well, in verse six for to us a child is born.
-
To us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his
-
shoulder. And his name Shall be Called
-
wonderful, counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting father, Prince
-
of Peace. Amen.
-
So, how does the war cease? How does the end of evil arrive?
-
How is their peace with God? It's only through the son of
-
God. It's through that Babe in a
-
Manger. Who was born to die?
-
It's a gift of divine grace. You must see it that way.
-
God is giving to you. His very own son.
-
God looking into the darkness of the since card world says, here
-
is my son here is The Marvelous Light of the Savior to save you,
-
out of great darkness and by his life, You will know what I am,
-
like. You will know who I am by his
-
death, you will know true life. This is the encouragement.
-
The Son of God given to save sinners.
-
Isaiah is prophesying about the coming of Jesus Christ.
-
And he's speaking as though it's already happened for to us.
-
A son is given to us a child is born, but this is seven hundred
-
plus years before the birth of Christ incredible what God is
-
doing. Incredible.
-
And as, as he was the lamb, who was slain.
-
So he is also the child here, born.
-
Amen. This is the light of the
-
prophets. As we see it.
-
This is the light of this Prophecy in the middle of great
-
Darkness. God is speaking through his man,
-
has a about what is to come. Here God is telling the world.
-
How he's going to rescue his people from Darkness.
-
It's not just a baby being born. He tells us what the baby will
-
be like what he will accomplish by giving by giving himself for
-
us, what he will be, who he is. And he tells us that and four
-
names here. His name Shall be Called
-
wonderful counselor. He is Christ, is the wonderful
-
counselor? Amen.
-
He is wonderful because he is both God and man.
-
He is wonderful because he is the Son of God is counselor,
-
because he is intimately acquainted with the counsels of
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God from eternity. And he gives counsel to his
-
people as a person. All right.
-
This is what we read about the great high priest and Hebrews.
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The rider. There is making the case that we
-
have no need for a flesh. We have no need for high priest
-
and he Longer because we have a great high priest who is entered
-
once and for all behind the veil into heaven.
-
And he stands. Now ready?
-
He stands now ready to offer himself.
-
He pleads his own blood. His own scars before.
-
The father. There is no need for the blood
-
of bulls and goats of rams and doves.
-
There's no need for any of it. Any longer because Christ has
-
been crucified and he is our great high priest and what we
-
read about the great high priest.
-
It's not that he's some distant high priest, and Heaven is says
-
that he's a great high priest because he became like us, it
-
says, he's a great high priest because he was in every way
-
tempted As we are yet without sin, it says that he's a great
-
high priest because he's sympathetic to your weaknesses
-
because he knows them intimately.
-
What we read about Christ there is that he endured all the way
-
to the point of Bloodshed. How many of you have endured
-
your Temptation long enough to the point of Bloodshed none of
-
us, right? we might make it 10 minutes and
-
then we give in or were victorious because we trust in
-
Christ. The point is, if someone has
-
already paid the penalty for your sin and he stands in
-
heaven, ready to save to the uttermost, all of those who will
-
draw near to him near to the father, through him.
-
And so, I bid you to come to him to see him as a wonderful
-
counselor. He's a wonderful counselor
-
because he's able to sympathize with you and your weaknesses.
-
He's tempted and tried as you are yet without sin, so he's
-
dependable. No one teaches like Christ does
-
no one instructs your heart. Like Christ will no one gives
-
you wisdom. Like Christ gives wisdom.
-
He is himself wisdom. Amen.
-
And he makes the wisest plans. And he orchestrates the best
-
stories. And he stands ready to give you
-
counsel, that you might join the story that he's writing.
-
He has wisdom beyond all human capabilities.
-
He can be trusted. He is wonderful counselor, I
-
digress, let's move on. He is mighty God.
-
Christ is mighty God. This is the title of the Lord
-
himself, right? Until this point.
-
Unless there's other prophecies as all of me.
-
But until this point they did not know the Son of God as
-
mighty God. But here, what we're finding out
-
is that there's coming one a child who will be born a son who
-
is given and he will be Mighty God again.
-
He's fully God fully man. and yet in his birth, what we see is
-
his humility and his birth and his willingness to to give up
-
the glories of Heaven, to come to the Earth, to dwell in the
-
land of Darkness with us to enter in so that he might save
-
us out of. We see his humble estate that he
-
would be born as a babe in a Manger.
-
That he would grow up before his peers and he would increase in
-
wisdom and stature and favor with both God and man that he
-
would endure, the problems of the world that he would endure.
-
The worst for us as the only one who should have never endured it
-
at all. He is mighty God yet.
-
He's a child born to us. He's given to us as a ransom for
-
Sinners. Again, in John chapter 1, we see
John 1 chapter mention
-
that the light shines in the Darkness And that light is none,
-
other than the glory of God revealed to us in the face of
-
Jesus Christ. He is the he is full of grace
-
and truth. Hebrews. 1 says that he is the
-
exact imprint of the father. Jesus Christ is fully.
-
God fully, man. He is mighty God in Christ being
-
born to us is the foundation of our greatest hopes.
-
It's he is the Cornerstone of all that we believe it is a
-
fountain of great Joys to see the birth of Christ.
-
It's a fountain of great joy in times of great, fear, and great
-
grief to know that Christ has achieved death of deaths that he
-
is 1 for us, the Battle of sin and death, and that we might
-
live fully complete in him, he alone is mighty to save.
-
You see here. Also the Christ is the
-
Everlasting father as doesn't mean that he is the father
-
Christ in the father or separate persons within the Trinity.
-
One Essence, three persons, right?
-
We've talked about this many times.
-
He and the father are in perfect Unity.
-
But what we're reading here is that as an everlasting father,
-
he gives eternal life to his people.
-
He achieves eternal life for his people.
-
And so in that way, we become Sons and Daughters of the father
-
just as he is a son of a father. He is also their benevolent
-
protector. Like a father is meant to be a
-
benevolent protector. He is a benevolent protector for
-
all eternity. He can be trusted for all
-
eternity. Really, it's the task of the
-
ideal kings that he would lead in this way.
-
He would sacrifice of himself in this way and this is exactly who
-
Christ is. It also read here that Christ is
-
the Prince of Peace. He Shall be Called Prince of
-
Peace. And guess what?
-
He is, our peace, he is the ruler who will bring about peace
-
because the Nations will rely on him for their peace with God.
-
But Nations, I mean, the people of all places tribes tongues.
-
He gives peace to all who will call on him and these titles
-
show that Jesus will be the best kind of King that he is,
-
literally the King of Kings, the Lord of lords, that he is worthy
-
of all of our devotion and affection and all of our worship
-
and acclamation, he is worthy of everything.
-
No one in the davidic line of kings that we read about will
-
even come close to Christ. He's perfect in every way.
-
What verses 6 and 7 are showing us as Isaiah begins to focus on
-
the Messianic, hope of an air of David, again, for to us.
-
A child, is born to us a son is given.
-
The government shall be upon his shoulder and his name Shall be
-
Called wonderful, counselor, Mighty God.
-
Everlasting father, Prince of Peace, verse 7 of the increase
-
of his government and of Peace. There will be no End.
-
Amen. 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.
-
And so here we see the, the Messianic hope of an air of
-
David, who would extend his rule from Israel to include all the
-
Gentile Nations, bringing to them, the blessing of knowing
-
the true God. And this Empire of Grace will
-
forever. Expand.
-
It will go unhindered. Every moment better than the
-
last God's mission to save his people through his son will not
-
be stopped. It will be accomplished with a
-
passionate intensity of only over, which only God can
-
accomplish. In other words, do we live now
-
in a neo-pagan society, a new Pagan, the society or modern
-
Pagan Society? We live in a place that seeks to
-
redefine marriage by its own terms, even, as recently as this
-
week. we live in a place that seeks to murder human life in
-
the womb and to soften the language of that, By coming up
-
with all kinds of terms to dodge the subject.
-
We live in a nation that seeks to ignore and reject all
-
together, God's truth and wisdom.
-
We must remain. Though we live in the neo-pagan
-
society. You and I as Christians who know
-
the Light of Christ must remain people of good cheer.
-
I don't want far enough, Amen to that.
-
And if you can't say, Amen. Say ouch, right?
-
So Advent reminds us that light shines in the darkness.
-
And so, the beauty of pausing yearly to look at Advent, the
-
beauty of pausing yearly to say, let's look at the birth of
-
Christ. Let's see how light has come and
-
how we can trust God to fulfill his promises.
-
The beauty of that. Is that it creates Joy.
-
In the middle of Darkness, it brings cheer where there should
-
be no cheer. Just came to me.
-
I should have said it creates cheer where there should only be
-
fear and all of you would have applauded, right?
-
so, our King is the king of the universe.
-
Our home is in Eternal Homeland. The Light of Christ will not be
-
snuffed out. Amen.
-
You serve a God. Who will not has not will not be
-
defeated. No man, no president, no
-
government. Can extinguish the Blazing light
-
of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Just ask our brothers and
-
sisters in China. Amen.
-
Well, there's reports of ten thousand plus people coming to
-
Christ a day and a place where that shouldn't happen.
-
The gospel. The coming of Christ.
-
Jesus to die for the Salvation of Sinners, that age, Old
-
Faithful gospel, message. It still saves, amen.
-
And it's worthy of all of your devotion.
-
It's worthy of your attention. That's worthy of your gaze.
-
It's worthy of all that you have.
-
It exalts Christ which was what makes it successful.
-
We proclaim the excellencies of God.
-
Just as the apostles proclaim, the excellencies of God, we
-
Proclaim Christ and him crucified just as the apostles,
-
Proclaim Christ and him crucified.
-
Why? Because it's the message that
-
God has ordained for the victory.
-
It's the message that God has ordained to be light in the
-
darkness. We don't twist it.
-
We don't change it. We don't make it more.
-
Palpable to Sinners, we say that, if you want to live, you
-
must die to yourself. Repent of your sins, and turn in
-
faith to Christ Jesus, and that's light. and I tell you, as
-
Believers that if you want to experience Joy, don't align
-
yourself with things of the world any longer but turn and
-
repent and put your faith fully in Christ, not half-heartedly.
-
Be wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord.
-
We'll see joy in your home. Joy in your marriage joy.
-
In your parents, enjoying your work, join your service to the
-
Lord, joy in every area of your life.
-
You want that devote yourself to the King of Kings.
-
The vote yourself to the King of Kings.
-
Devote yourself to the one who says you have increased Joy,
-
they Rejoice before you as with joy at the Harvest, they are
-
glad amen. Devote yourself to him.
-
The gospel, exalts Christ, who alone is able to save to the
-
uttermost. All of those who draw near to
-
the father through him. By the gospel alone.
-
Sinners are saved by the gospel alone.
-
Redemption flows into the world. Light shines in the darkness, by
-
the gospel alone. God is worshipped in all the
-
Earth. Though, Kings and kingdoms will
-
fall. And great will be their demise.
-
They plot in vain against the Lord.
-
Psalm 2 says, and he laughs at them.
-
They will fall. And though they do you must
-
remember you must be a people of good cheer.
-
And remember that the gospel is invincible.
-
The gospel is undefeated, the Gates of Hell Christ.
-
Says will not Prevail against the gospel.
-
And so light shines in the darkness, the darkness has not
-
overcome it. And Matthew chapter 4.
Matthew 4 chapter mention
-
We see that Jesus Christ, Matthew for just tells us
-
explicitly that Jesus Christ is the Fulfillment of this prophecy
-
in Isaiah 9. This is what we read in verses
-
12 through 17. Now, when he heard that John had
-
been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee and leaving Nazareth.
-
He went and lived in Capernaum by the Sea and the territory of
-
zebulun and naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet,
-
Isaiah might be fulfilled, the land of zebulun and the land of
-
naphtali the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan Galilee of the
-
The Gentiles the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great
-
light. And for those dwelling in the
-
region and shadow of death on them, light has dawned.
-
And from that time forward, Jesus began to preach saying,
-
repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand messages.
-
The same today, Repent. For the Kingdom of Heaven is at
-
hand. As a result, John 3, we see that
-
God fulfills his promise to destroy Darkness through the
-
birth of his son. It's extremely explicit so much
-
so that even I could understand it.
-
It's the beauty of the gospels. It's a simple message, able to
-
be understood by anyone by the least.
-
Verse 16 of John chapter 3 for God.
John 3 chapter mention
-
So loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever
-
believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
-
For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the
-
world, but in order that the world might be saved through
-
him, whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does
-
not believe in him is condemned already because he has not
-
believed in the name of the only son of God.
-
And this is the Judgment that the light has come into the
-
world and people loved the darkness rather than the light
-
because their Works were evil. For everyone who does wicked
-
things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his
-
work, should be exposed, but whoever does what his true comes
-
to the light so that it may be clearly seen.
-
That his Works have been carried out in God.
-
Amen. Light has shone and if you
-
refuse to run to the light, if you refuse to come to Christ,
-
what is being said about you is that you love Darkness more than
-
light. You're clinging to Darkness and
-
yet you would tell us that you're not blind.
-
But the word is clear. You're blind.
-
You're unable to see But offered to you today is the grace of
-
Christ, the light of the Lord, able to give you eternal life.
-
And if you'll trust him today, if you'll turn from your sin
-
turn to Christ by faith, you will be saved today.
-
So I encourage you back of you to run away from darkness and
-
run into the Light of Christ. We might be lovers of Darkness
-
but there is good news. The light shines in the darkness
-
and the Darkness has not overcome it.
-
Amen. Believers.
-
Those of you in here who say you love the Lord.
-
I encourage you to live by the Truth live.
-
By the Light of Christ. Shine the Light of Christ in the
-
world. Do it through your words.
-
Do it through your Deeds. Dude, in the white that you
-
worship. God daily.
-
Matthew 5:16 says in the same way, let your light shine before
-
others so that they may see your good deeds and give glory to
-
your father who is in heaven. Amen.
-
Those of us who have come into the light recognize that we are
-
not the life. We are reflecting the light, but
-
we are not him. I am not able to save anyone,
-
but I know one, who is, amen. Let's Proclaim him until we
-
breathe our last and especially in this season, her claim the
-
excellencies of Christ. During that vent.
-
Let me pray for you. Heavenly Father we love you and
-
we praise you and we thank you Lord that you have shown great
-
light on us. We are so undeserving of your
-
grace. And if we deserved, it wouldn't
-
be grace. Lord, you have seen fit.
-
Father, you have seen fit to Grant to us grace and mercy unto
-
salvation. And you've done it in the face
-
of Christ, the word become flesh.
-
The word dwelling Among Us. Light has come and so Lord.
-
Would you help us to see it? Help us to not be blinded by
-
thick Darkness, but help us to Rejoice, with great joy, as
-
light shines in the darkness of our hearts and minds and we were
-
able to see Jesus and Lord as Believers, I pray that you would
-
help us. Help us to be men and women and
-
boys and girls who love the Lord.
-
Who don't take for granted light anymore.
-
But who seek to proclaim the Light of Christ and all the
-
Earth, take it wherever we go into our homes into our
-
workplaces into our marriages into our parenting into our
-
friendships. Or it may there be not one place
-
in our life. Where we refuse to let the light
-
of Christ in let us walk in marvelous line.
-
Father, especially during this Advent time.
-
We love you so very much. We pray these things in the Name
-
of Christ Amen. Amen.