The Gift of a Child
Series: A Christmas Worth Waiting For
Theme: Every person can find salvation by embracing 2 Facts. 1) We have a Problem; 2) God Offers the Solution.
"Houston, we have a problem."
Those 5 words shook the world. Jim Lovell, the Commander of Apollo 13 broadcast that memorable phrase just after one of the oxygen tanks in their space capsule had exploded, blowing off a side of the craft, and exposing most of the inside of the service module to space. The crew (Commander James A. Lovell, Jr., CM pilot John L. Swigert, Jr., LM pilot Fred W. Haise Jr.) began a 6 day battle for survival.
Part of the reason those words shook our country, was because for America, space flight had become "normal." This was Apollo 13-- it wasn't new anymore. In fact, the major networks didn't even broadcast the launch.
When Jim Lovell announced that they had a problem, the whole world woke up. Complacent people suddenly sat on the edge of their seats. And as the 142 hour-long drama unfolded, the world stood still.
• Would they survive?
• Would America loose 3 men into the death of space?
• They catapulted around the moon and aligned themselves for re-entry
One unknown: Were the heat shields lost during the explosion?
o If so, they would burn up in our atmosphere
There was a 6 min communication break
• They didn't know until a visual picked up the capsule with 3 parachutes, floating into the Pacific Ocean.
• "Houston, we're okay!"
1. We Have a Problem (v.1)
A. The Problem=Separation from God
1) The Problem isn't Sin
You probably think I know where I'm going with this one.
The Spiritual Problem that we need rescue from is "SIN", right?
WRONG!
• Sin doesn't kill us, it's not the eternal avalanche that's waiting for us.
• The Problem is "SEPARATION FROM GOD."
• Sin is the chief way that our separation from God grows.
o "SIN" = Any life choice that pulls us even a hair's breath from a relationship with God.
o Big 10 Commandments
o Little life choices matter too: Whether to golf, or go to your kid's game.
B. Verse 1 Highlights this Problem
"Nevertheless there will be no more gloom"
Nevertheless = you should have gloom, but you won't.
? Why do they deserve gloom?
• Chapter 7-8
• This is the beginning of the "Book of Immanuel" (Chapters 7-12)
o Chapter 6 - King Uzziah died
o Next king was Jotham only reigned 7 years
o Next was AHAZ
Ahaz worshiped false gods
• Molech
• Ahaz had a political nightmare on his hands
o Syria and Israel were uniting to attack Judah
o And Assyria was looming on the horizon
o Ahaz didn't believe he could stand alone against either threat
o He had already burned a bridge with Syria & Israel (Pekah & Rezin)
o So now he's thinking of an alliance with Assyria
Isaiah 7:3 - Isaiah goes and meets Ahaz by the aqueduct
o This was Jerusalem's weak spot
o If an army could cut off Jerusalem's water supply, they could quickly defeat them
o So at his biggest point of weakness, this fearful king is confronted by the promises of God
- Promises that all the threats around him will not come to pass
- Isaiah even offers Ahaz to choose a sign, any sign, that God will follow through on these promises
o Ahaz turns it down "I don't want to put God to the test"
o Isaiah gives him a sign ‘"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14, NIV)
Ahaz obviously has problems
• No faith
• No ability to receive help from God
• Constantly looking to other gods and other men
• Even when God shakes him to get his attention, he is completely unable to respond.
There are "Sins" in Ahaz's life
But these are symptoms of his #1 problem - he has no connection to God
In this sort of life, even the best promises of God turn into judgments and threats
Isaiah 8:12-14a""Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread, and he will be a sanctuary..."
• Do not fear Assyria
• Do not fear Pekah & Rezin and their conspiracy
• FEAR GOD!
Isaiah 8:14b-15 "...but for both houses of Israel he will be a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare. Many of them will stumble; they will fall and be broken, they will be snared and captured."" (Isaiah 8:14-15, NIV)
I will deliver you, but for you it will be a scandal
C. How Can You Tell If Your Life Is Separated from God?
1) We Were Created for Abundance
• Life, in all its abundance, is found in a relationship with God.
• John 10:10 I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
2) Lack of Abundance shows a disconnect from God
• Not just financial abundance , or abundant health
• Mostly - abundant joy, abundant love, abundant patience, abundant gentleness
3) Actions that walk us away from Abundance (sins) are symptoms of this
• Honestly, we don't need a good excuse to walk away from God.
• Most of the time, we do something just because its wrong.
Galvitson, Texas
• Apartment building that is right on the edge of the ocean
• Restaurant on the 1st floor with plate glass window that the waves splash against, right next to the ocean
• It kept getting broken . . . by lead sinkers
- People living upstairs in the apartments would try to go fishing off their balconies, cast the heavy lead sinkers down, miss the ocean, and crash into the window.
- Solution: Fix the window, and remove all the signs that say, "Please do not fish off balconies."
- They never had another incident.
Transition - We Have a Problem: We are separated from God.
• It is going to take more than a fleet of NASA engineers to fix it.
• Honestly, it's going to take more than "Change your life TV"
• It's going to take the full commitment of God himself.
2. God Has a Solution
A. The Solution is The Child
Read Text in The Message Isaiah 9:2-7
"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. For those who lived in a land of deep shadows- light! sunbursts of light! You repopulated the nation, you expanded its joy. Oh, they're so glad in your presence! Festival joy! The joy of a great celebration, sharing rich gifts and warm greetings. The abuse of oppressors and cruelty of tyrants- all their whips and cudgels and curses- Is gone, done away with, a deliverance as surprising and sudden as Gideon's old victory over Midian. The boots of all those invading troops, along with their shirts soaked with innocent blood, Will be piled in a heap and burned, a fire that will burn for days! For a child has been born-for us! the gift of a son-for us! He'll take over the running of the world. His names will be: Amazing Counselor, Strong God, Eternal Father, Prince of Wholeness. His ruling authority will grow, and there'll be no limits to the wholeness he brings. He'll rule from the historic David throne over that promised kingdom. He'll put that kingdom on a firm footing and keep it going With fair dealing and right living, beginning now and lasting always. The zeal of God-of-the-Angel-Armies will do all this." (Isaiah 9:2-7, The Message)
1. This is No Ordinary Child
This is Not even an extraordinary child (a prince)
• Isa 7:14 -- The Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
• Isa 9:6 "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."
o Wonderful Counselor
o Mighty God
o Everlasting Father
o Prince of Peace
• Isa 9:7 "Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign 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."
o His government will grow in peace and power for eternity
o Justice will be dealt out evenly
o Righteousness will flavor every decision and conversation
2. Isaiah means for us to take these titles and promises seriously
• He's not setting us up for disappointment
• He is helping us wait for a Son to Come who will have the Power and Character of God Himself
• This can only happen when God comes to birth, bringing with him the qualities which guarantee his people's preservation and liberation.
v. 4 - Release from Oppression
v. 5- Cessation of War
B. God's Commitment to Us
In our Bibles, the end of v.7 reads, The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
I like the NLT better here: The passionate commitment of the LORD Almighty will guarantee this!
• God passionately wants a relationship with us.
• He is so committed, that despite our inability, he brings to us a solution.
Romans 5:6-8 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
This message is difficult for us to receive
Isaiah 8:14b-15 "...but for both houses of Israel he will be a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare. Many of them will stumble; they will fall and be broken, they will be snared and captured."" (Isaiah 8:14-15, NIV)
1 Peter 2:7-8 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, " The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone," and "A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense." They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
1 Cor 1:22-26 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Conclusion
Lately people have been arguing over the exact day this child was born, but I believe that the fact that he has been born is undisputable!
• It was approximately 2000 years ago that the Prince of Peace was born.
• His impact on the world has been unmistakable
• His Kingdom continues to grow
o Not by geo-political boundaries
o It increases by hearts and souls, lives touched and transformed by His saving power.
The Question of Christmas is: Are you willing to enter His Kingdom?
• Will you bow your knee and acknowledge your Need?
• Will you run to the child who IS God's salvation?
If our greatest need had been information; God would have sent us an educator.
If our greatest need had been technology; God would have sent us a scientist.
If our greatest need had been money; God would have sent us an economist.
If our greatest need had been pleasure; God would have sent us an entertainer.
But our greatest need was forgiveness; so God sent us a Savior.