Sermon Tone Analysis

The four of the names of Christ, found in Isaiah - prophetic descriptions of the King who was to come; they told God's people what kind of deliverer He would send them.

(Read Isaiah 9:6)

Why study these names?

No better time than Christmas to consider why Jesus was born.

These names help us understand the purpose behind the incarnation.

Even more than that, they help us relate to God.

They help us to know Christ better so that we can have a deeper relationship with Him.

"Wonderful Counselor" It seems that never before have there been so many people searching for advice and counsel.

Especially since 9~/11, people are seeking answers, looking for guidance and direction.

And never before have there been so many claiming to have the answers.

There are dozens of religions and philosophies to choose from; hundreds of new self-help books; and the airwaves are full of experts of every kind.

But we have something that takes us back to the source of true wisdom.

And that's the Word of God.

“Wonderful” Heb-something indescribably great; something so tremendous, so amazing, that it's literally beyond description.

It doesn't just mean that he's good at giving advice.

It means that he understands things that are beyond the ability of our finite minds to comprehend.

He knows things that only God can know.

So in Jesus Christ, we have someone who, by virtue of his great knowledge and understanding, is abundantly qualified to guide and direct our lives.

Why does this matter?

Because I wonder if we really see Christ in this way; as a fully competent counselor, someone whose guidance is superior to any other.

Do we really see him as someone who understands, better than anyone else, what life is all about?

Do we believe him when he claims to be able to lead us into "abundant" life?

Do we go to him first for assistance in dealing with our marriage, our children, our job?

When we need help coming to terms with illness, or depression, or conflict?

Yes, we know he's the Son of God, and so we view him as omniscient, all-knowing.

But when it comes to living our daily lives, do we really look to him for practical guidance?

Do we study his teachings?

Do we follow his example?

Do we go to him in prayer?

Or do we look first to the advice of our friends, our family, our co-workers; perhaps even someone we stood in line next to at the hardware store, or someone we saw on Oprah; and only as a last resort go to Christ?

This evening, my goal is simple.

I want to convince you to look to Christ first whenever you need advice, or guidance, or counsel.

And in order to do that, I want to persuade you of two things.

*First, that God is the source of all wisdom*.

All wisdom, not just theoretical, abstract wisdom, but everyday, practical wisdom about how to live, comes from God.

And we have access to this wisdom through Jesus Christ, and through His Spirit.

Listen:

Job 12:13 “With Him are wisdom and strength, He has counsel and understanding.”

Psalms 16:7 I will bless the LORD who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.

Proverbs 2:6 For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding;

James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

The source of all true wisdom is God.

Does that mean no one except a Christian can have any wisdom or understanding?

No. It's possible to discover many things about life without reading the Bible or knowing God.

That's why you can read the Koran, or the writings of Confucius, and find some truth there.

All truth is God's truth, and even apart from Christ, men still have enough of the image of God in them to find some truth.

But here's the problem: it's truth mixed with error.

It's wisdom combined with foolishness; light combined with darkness.

And so it's unreliable as a guide to life.

The only way to separate the truth from the error in these alternative sources of wisdom is to compare them to the Word of God.

Because the Bible is pure truth, without any mixture of error.

The Bible is God's Word, and God cannot lie or be mistaken.

Therefore, by definition, the Bible is completely true from beginning to end.

So, is it wrong to read the sacred texts of other religions, or to read secular self-help books?

No, it's not wrong, as long as you keep in mind the need for discernment, the need to constantly compare what you're reading to the truth of the Bible.

It's not wrong.

But on the other hand, it's not necessary either.

Because as Peter tells us,

2 Peter 1:3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,

In other words, if you were to read only the Bible, and never again opened another self-help book; if you never got around to checking out Buddhist philosophy or the Koran, you wouldn't be missing anything.

You have everything you need to live the life God intends for you, right here in the Bible.

It is a comprehensive guide to life.

Which raises another question: if that's true, then why spend precious time on inferior sources of wisdom when you have the mother lode right here?

Does anyone in this room think they have mastered the teachings of this book?

If not, then why spend precious time on anything else?

At least when it comes to seeking guidance, why read anything other than the Bible, and books that help you understand and apply the Bible?

All truth is God's truth; all truth and wisdom have their source in God.

And how is that truth communicated to us?

Through the Son of God, the Wonderful Counselor, Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:23-24 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Colossians 2:2-3 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Jesus Christ doesn't just reveal the wisdom of God to us, He is the wisdom of God.

There is no truth, no knowledge, no understanding which He does not possess.

In Him are hidden "all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge".

Now, who would you rather have giving you advice on how to raise your children?

Jesus Christ, the "wisdom of God"?

Or some guy who graduated with a degree in clinical psychology from the State University?

Or even Harvard?

Who understands people better?

Who understands the dynamics of human relationships better?

Isn't it the one who created us in the first place?

"Well", you might say, "of course God knows everything.

But he never intended that we should look only to him for instruction in how to live.

He didn't intend for the Bible alone to guide us through life.

He expects us to seek out the advice of experts."

Well, if that's true, then how did Christians manage to honor God with their lives for eighteen hundred years before psychiatry was invented?

How did Christians of the first century manage to raise children, and overcome temptation, and relate to one another, and relate to unbelievers, without the modern psychological theories to guide them?

Peter says that in Christ, we have "everything we need for life and godliness."

And Jesus said: "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."

(John 10:10) Was the abundant life that Jesus promises really out of reach until the last two centuries?

Again, I'm not saying you should never see a secular counselor.

As I said before, you don't have to be a Christian to have some wisdom.

And sometimes there isn't a pastor or Christian counselor available who has experience in the issue you're dealing with.

But if you're going to a secular counselor because you don't think Christ can help, then you need to re-evaluate your choice of advisors.

Because when it comes to questions of how to live, Jesus is the wisest and most insightful counselor you could have.

How do we receive his guidance?

How do we receive His advice and counsel for the specific issues we're dealing with?

And this is the second thing I want to persuade you of; that *you can receive the wisdom of Christ*.

First, you have to read and understand the Bible.

And I don't mean just looking for a few verses that speak directly to the issue you care about.