Sunday, December 9th

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Advent: Light of the World  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  28:56
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Welcome, my name is Tim and we are continuing this song and Isaiah through the fall an hour and admit we're looking at some Isaiah text for a events were going to continue this morning. And so do you have your Bible with you? I invite you to turn to the book of Isaiah. Now, we're going to get Isaiah chapter 8 where we begin this morning. And I said you're new to the Bible. It's a little over halfway through and you can always jump to the table of contents in and look there for where Isaiah is as well. Let me let me pray and then we will get started this morning.

Lord God we do. Pause and take a breath and acknowledge your presence with us this morning.

December Lord is often a busy time for us in our schedules but also in our minds and so we set this time aside to listen for your voice got a lot of times this month brings up his stuff up of issues with our families or unmet expectations in Life or just how stress affects I just bring stuff up in our lives or and we we pause now and we take a breath and we desire you to speak a timely and necessary word endure personalized today. Would you do that through these words of Isaiah in your name? And then all right. I'm going to read or going to be at the very end of chapter 8 8 verse beginning in verse 21. This is this is 2700 years ago a prophet Isaiah. He's writing and he is describing people his countrymen and women who have turned away from the Living God and they're looking to other sources for spiritual life spiritual guidance, their sense of identity does describing what's half what happens to them when they turn away from God looked at other places for their spiritual life and sewing chapter 8 verse 21. He says he describes in this way so distressed and hungry. They will roam through the land. When they are finished, they will become enraged and looking upward will curse their King and their God. Then they will look toward the Earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful Gloom and they will be thrust into outer Darkness. Isaiah it he uses this lame but he says these you know what they turn away. They look to things other than living God for Spiritual. I will become famished and in raid. This is the earliest recorded reference to being hangry.

Isaiah Isaiah is getting at this he's getting at this this idea that humans are meant we're meant to get our sense of our Identity or significance. Like the love their life is built on our meaning Were Meant to get that from The God Who created all things and when we when we look to other things for that deep sense of identity and security and and and and significance. We look the other place that doesn't satisfy it leaves people inwardly famished and looking to devour things to try to fill themselves up and in distress even angry when those things fail to do so

Number years ago Christina, I we were at we live in Colorado at the time and we we were we want to do this couple day backpacking trip will summer vacation and so we get in or maybe blue 2001 Volkswagen Jetta and we drive to rural Colorado outside Durango in the trailhead was like out on 5 miles of dirt road up in these mountains as we're driving, you know my 103 or so excited you on this back in the truck now four and a half and also could dunk. We hit something and I see the engine temperature light just going up up up up up in a trail of oil through the rear-view mirror on the dirt road and I feel cut the engine pull it off and just oil is pouring out the bottom of the car because what if a car doesn't have oil in it, it burns the engine up right and you can put anything else you want in that engine. It's not going to work. So what you know, we end up catching a ride back to town and kind of ruin the trip was spent the weekend trying to fix the car instead of spending time together. But is this the same these people who are looking to a source of significance identity of spiritual life. In other places are like cars running without oil they are just burning themselves and this and it leaves an Ascend word famished this hunger and then even distress anger when it's not working. I mean we see this, right who sings play out in the eyes of work I think about

Elizabethton High School

how many guys in high school are devouring with their eyes and Minds girls bodies? Try to feel something up inside them.

How many girls in high school are literally devouring themselves? literally going without food for attention

Bolivar middle school or High School culture like how many I mean how much how much time is spent cutting others down with words to satisfy something deep inside us. Is it in word hunger? Are college life parties trying to find the sense of who I am? Or sometimes it's not it's not sometimes it's it's seeking the sense of significance in things that look good from the outside. So like seeking and grades and academic performance and then I will be secure and be filled up inside. Inward hunger leading to distress even anger when it doesn't work. What are the words I found so interesting that Isaiah use the word enraged? I just found myself reflecting on men and anger in our world today.

How many how many adult men live with a secret rage? Anger about a perceived futility of Life unmet expectations job things that aren't working out families and it turned out the way they imagined and they just have this weather. It's a hot anger sometimes a frozen anger and every now and again you'll see it's spill out. It's this this inner hunger is gone unmet Is leaving people angry?

Isaiah says when he's people look to things other than God for their deep sense of spiritual off their sense of who they are at least people vanished the stress and then the darkness and wandering and just looking for something to fill themselves up.

Question to reflect on this week. Where is that what I mean is where is it for you or is it for me? Like, what is that place where you've been looking to fill yourself up? Where's that enter hunger in your life? You've been looking than this thing to fill yourself up and it's not working. this thing for your sense of identity significance meaning I did point out these people who date their they're looking to places other than God for this deep sense of who they are there spiritual life and Isaiah continues in chapter 9 verse 1 in the chapter. Of course, the chapter markings are later on Isaiah this I did this just flowed for him. We added the chapters later on chapter 9 verse 1 he continued to says nevertheless. There will be no more Gloom for those who are in distress. In the past the humble the land of zebulun and the land of naphtali, but in the future, you will honor Galilee of the nation's by the way of the sea beyond the Jordan talks about some specific historical places and events. And I think we have a map here zebulun and naphtali tribes and their tribal and you can see up in the north are just around the Sea of Galilee. This was the tribal land of zebulun and Isaiah. We've talked in the series of Assyria Assyria was this massive military Empire and Isaiah's day actually before and after him as well as a rule for centuries and centuries, but they were a violent spective War Machine and Isaiah's day Assyria was coming and putting pressure on Israel and Judah and then 7 is like 7:33 BC Assyria rolls in Devours zebulun and naphtali in fact off in the coastal region twisty and up in in the north east in Damascus around there, but they just come in and and decimate them. They take they burn the villages they take the men women and children and chains off of the Exile and it is gone. And so just a decade after that these regions next slide are actually can we hit that next these regions become just territories of a Syrian fact some scholars believe those three phrases in the very end that we read by the way of the sea Galilee of the Gentiles and across the Jordan actually where they stood for these a Syrian province is what they were now controlled by Assyria and imagine that it's all kind of like ancient history to put yourself imagine that you don't you live in what's left of Northern Israel. Are you living in southern Judah maybe in a village outside Jerusalem and you have just seen You just seen your cousins and zebulun and naphtali you seen their Villages burn and you seen cousins taken away into Exile and you're wondering where in Assyria is coming for your village and your family.

This is this is genuine socio-political fear that people are living with what happens when people look kind of ugly look for a source of Life out the other than the Living God and the things go wrong in relief, but here we see Isaiah referencing that not only when things go wrong with people's hearts when people base their lives on things only God like things go wrong out there as well and things are wrong in here, but things are also wrong out there. We now live in a world where we have to fear for the safety of our village and of people are going to come our families is the world Isaiah is describing and this is still our world today.

This past week. I was listen to the news. I'm driving home and it's talking about school buses in Yemen have been blown to bits by Saudi Arabia with bombs that say made in the USA on the side of them.

Last weekend I was at a memorial for a 35 year old mom who died due to cancer leaving two little kids Behind.

This fall my kids my first grader regularly at school does active shooter drills or she and other six and seven year olds in a class going the back class closet, they lock the door turn the lights off and they practice being quiet so bad people wouldn't be able to find them if they came to their school.

Isaiah says things have gone wrong in here. And things have gone wrong out there.

Where do you feel this? Where do you see this? What do you see where things have gone wrong in our world today, or is it personally touching your life this month?

A list of things going wrong in here things are going wrong up there and then he continues on in verse. 2 and writes the people walking in darkness have seen a great light on those living in a Land of deep Darkness a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increase their Joy. They were Joyce before you as people Rejoice at the Harvest as Warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder for as in the Day of midians Defeat you have shattered the yolk the burdens them the bar across their shoulders the rod of their oppressor. Every Warriors boot used in battle in every government ruled in blood will be destined for burning will be fuel for the fire.

and to the stage

Isaiah here it's really interesting what he does because he thought he was describing these this is going wrong in us has gone these things are wrong outside of us and then he begins talking about these four great reversals, but he does it in the past tense. Do you notice that they have seen this light that the oppressor has been defeated Freedom has come but everybody and Isaiah's day would have known these things haven't happened yet. They knew that Isaiah was talking about future things. But in the past tense to make the point that this isn't a maybe this will happen. This isn't this we hope this will happen Isaiah is saying this is as good as done. This will come to pass. How many names these four great reversals the first reversal inverse to is light for Darkness Darkness for light who are there then Darkness they'll be light and why does this image of of spiritual life and guidance people who are in the dark will see the second reversal is in verse 3 and where before there had been fearful Gloom there will now be joy and just to make the point we see him say over and over Joy Rejoice Rejoice Rejoice for time is coming. It's all those first two reversals there more of these inward things this this inner spiritual light this on this inner Joy these things will be reversed and then the next to versus more outdoor things in verse for we see this this this reversal where there have been slavery and oppression. There will now be freedom Me to Syria literally enslaved people. They literally put yolks on people. They deliver use bars and rods against people and what Isaiah saying is there will be a day when Freedom comes in these places. And then the fourth great reversal is this reversing from war and violence to peace Isaiah describes the Implements of War being used in the home oven to cook a meal. War for peace before reversals Darkness for light groom for joy

slavery for freedom war for peace the first two of these in were things the second two are these outward things? So maybe a question for us to just pause on for a second is where do you long for one of these for great reversals to take place? Is there a place in your life?

A situation that's been on your mind.

That you think I would love to see this reversal take place in there.

Isaiah says he's for rent reversal happen. It's as good as done, but it kind of leaves the question hanging out there. Like how is this going to happen What will bring this new State of Affairs about and in verse 6 we get The explanation the first word of her six is for because this is why these reversals take place for to us a child is born. To us a son is given and the government will be on his shoulders and he will be called wonderful counselor. Mighty God Everlasting father Prince of Peace of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. It Will Rain on David's throne and over his kingdom establishing and upholding it with Justice and righteousness from that time on and forever The Zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

This is one of those. This is one of those scriptures that you may have heard before and if you've been around the church, you may have heard a lot of times before and we can kind of just jump to think all I know exactly what that means. But think about against God Isaiah's day Isaiah there people are Wandering Way from God there. There's this social economic social political threat over their nation and and Isaiah says this child will be born who will become king of the ants the way these reversals will take place. Isaiah says is a Prince Will Come who will become king and threw his Reign these reversals will take place this human King. This human came over verse these things for us.

It's okay. There's this hot this descendant of the great Canyon from the past David. When will this King, So it almost it almost leaves at like this for Isaiah and his first listeners. It's like a question hang out there. Who will this King be like this job link to be filled in and as you go to the book of Isaiah we come across this. Good King Hezekiah later on you come across this kid named Josiah Josiah the good King will do this. No zedekiah's he the king will do it do it knowing. So by the time we come to the first century.

And there's this this child is descendant of David Boren the rule Village of Bethlehem by the name of Yeshua, when he is Born the question still hangs out there. When will this King Kong to bring these reversals?

see Christmas Christmas is about a person arriving.

Christmas is not about an idea. If not for to us an idea is born to us a philosophy is given. It's not for to us an institution is born to us a set of rules is given.

For to us a child a son a person has arrived. For this child would be king.

I heard a quote. I want to read it actually in the last few weeks and it is stuck with me as I was thinking about the passage and and the person was talking about how sometimes when we eat when we talk about what it means to follow Jesus. We can give this impression that that it's these ideas that you think in your head and then the result is will go to heaven some other nice place someday and this person said that's not the core of Chris and that's not the core of Christmas. They said it this way at this quote. he said that the story of Christmas is this is it of you yearn for someone who is completely trustworthy and virtuous to be put in charge to rule and reign with perfect Justice to put the world right again, if you for that why do I have a story for you?

The story of Christmas is the announcement of the king arriving to set things right?

This is an announcement.

This is not good advice. This is when we talked about Jesus being born. We talked about Christmas. It's not tips for living. It's not ways to make your life happier more efficient. It is simply and an ounce of something that has happened.

Jesus has stepped into the world. This child is gift of God of the world. Jesus showed up and said I am the light that shines in the darkness. Jesus showed up and said wherever I am, it's like a wedding party that never ends. It is Joy. Jesus showed up finding those were depression and enslaved by all sorts of power and setting them free. Jesus showed up to said I have come to bring peace between you and God between you and your neighbor Jesus is the good King the one who is better than we could have imagined the king the leader who says to us, I would rather be tortured and die than let any of my followers even when they betray me come to any lasting harm. He is the one we've been longing for. This is an announcement. This is this is just something that happened. It's not like your ideas that you can follow her things that help you live a better life. This is just this has happened is also an announcement about something that is happening continues to happen that Jesus by his Spirit when the spirit of Jesus gets ahold of people's hearts when the spirit of Jesus gets ahold of families to get ahold of neighborhoods gets ahold of churches when his Spirit gets ahold of places, they start hearts and friendships and communities start to look more like the world did Isaiah described. Its announcement that something that Jesus is continuing to do in this world. And it not only is it an announcement about something that God has done in Jesus that something God is continuing to do so in the spirit of Jesus. This is an announcement about something that God will bring to Future completion in Jesus. This is an announcement that Jesus is going to come back again. and darkness and fearful Gloom

inopressa slavery and violent War and cancer that cuts lives short. Do not get the last word. Christmas is an announcement that a day will come a day is coming when the reign of Jesus will be everywhere Forever and Always and he will put this world to write.

This is good news.

Want to take a moment. I want to explore a couple implications of this announcement with you.

First implication just two of them. I just want to talk about and wrap up here in just a second.

The first implication is this

I think I think a lot of our world today a lot of the modern Western World what some people call the post-christian world still carries this ethical vision and there's this heart to have the kingdom of Jesus without the king. We long for this kind of Peace. We long for people to be set free. We long for people to have joy, we still carry this ethical vision of the kingdom of Jesus, but there's this cutting off of the ground of the power and the hope and I believe that the pursuing of the Kingdom without the key is it just doesn't work. It will come it will not work in a personalized. It will not work in our society and maybe you're one of those people and you've been longing you've been yearning you've been working to see this kind of world come about what you have had the ground for 11 had the power for it. You haven't had any hope that this will really happen and maybe today is the day that you say I want the king with the kingdom.

Maybe you've been on the fence about following Jesus and today is the day that you say. I mean, he's my king. I believe he's coming again.

If that's you I'd invite you to take these next couple songs and and do business with God talk to him about that and then talk to myself or Christian with other pastors after the service about that decision.

And that's the first implication the separate the second implication. Is this for those of us who you're here and Joachim, I believe this is true. This is my king. This is the one I follow this is the one who am I hope is in this is what I would like to invite us to do today. I would like to invite us to sing. Sing it out. It's at least and now. There are these time there's these true sometimes things in in in Christianity are things that we have to respond to and do and sometimes it's just about singing and praising and getting ourselves into the truth of it and letting the truth of it get into us. There's a quote e stanley-jones who said it this way the early Christians did not say in this may look what the world has come to but said and Delight look what is come to the world.

For to us a child is born to us a son is given.

Let's sing together.

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