1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,040 Thank you, Roxanne, for that thoughtful song. 2 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:06,320 There's probably no aspect of scripture 3 00:00:06,320 --> 00:00:11,520 that stirs up more interest and curiosity 4 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:15,600 in the part of people than that of prophecy. 5 00:00:15,600 --> 00:00:19,880 We are fascinated by having some insight into the future. 6 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:25,120 I guess that's one reason why astrology 7 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:29,280 and other occult practices are making a strong comeback here 8 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:31,760 in the mid-'90s. 9 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:37,760 People are seeking to uncover some secrets about the future, 10 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:42,360 and by that, I think, hope to manipulate the future 11 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:45,260 to their own advantage. 12 00:00:45,260 --> 00:00:50,600 I was reading one of our local high school student newspapers 13 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:52,760 recently, and there was a whole column 14 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:57,840 given for astrological information for the students 15 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:00,880 in the newspaper. 16 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:04,060 Astrology, however, is a lie. 17 00:01:04,060 --> 00:01:07,960 It is a deception, as are all of the occult practices that 18 00:01:07,960 --> 00:01:12,360 seek to expose the future to us. 19 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:17,480 God forbids us to be involved in that kind of prophecy. 20 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:19,560 It leads to demonic control. 21 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:22,180 It leads to manipulation. 22 00:01:22,180 --> 00:01:24,920 It leads to darkness, not to light about the future. 23 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:27,720 The mysterious things, the things of the future, 24 00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:31,320 belong to the Lord our God. 25 00:01:31,320 --> 00:01:33,440 And God has not been pleased to tell us 26 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:38,040 everything about the future, but God has included in His word 27 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:40,960 some prophetic truths. 28 00:01:40,960 --> 00:01:44,400 We're going to look today at some truths of prophecy 29 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:45,920 regarding the gift of God. 30 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:50,880 In Isaiah chapter 9, I invite you to turn there with me, 31 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:53,040 verses 6 and 7. 32 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:58,240 Verses 6 and 7 of Isaiah 9, where we read, 33 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:04,280 for to us a child is born, to us a son is given, 34 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:09,000 and the government will be on his shoulders. 35 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:14,200 And he will be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, 36 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:18,900 everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 37 00:02:18,900 --> 00:02:22,120 Of the increase of his government and peace, 38 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:24,320 there will be no end. 39 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:28,520 He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, 40 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:33,160 establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness 41 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:36,320 from that time on and forever. 42 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:42,760 The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. 43 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:44,800 A good deal of prophetic scripture 44 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:48,760 focuses on the coming of Jesus Christ, the Savior 45 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:53,280 that God promised to send to the human race. 46 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:57,200 Last week, we looked at that promise in Genesis 3, 15, 47 00:02:57,200 --> 00:03:03,480 where God began to weave for us the truths about the Redeemer, 48 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:07,240 who would come to bring judgment to the serpent, that 49 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:11,920 is to Satan, and to the works of darkness, 50 00:03:11,920 --> 00:03:15,760 and to bring redemption to the human race. 51 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:20,760 God's gift to humanity is Jesus Christ, his Son. 52 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:23,320 His coming is foretold by the prophets, 53 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:28,400 and none of the prophets stands above Isaiah, 54 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:33,120 who ministered in Judah and to Israel in the seventh century 55 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:35,320 BC. 56 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:37,920 We see the hint here in this text 57 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:40,000 that Messiah will be more than a man. 58 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:45,320 You see, in this concept, a child is born, a son is given. 59 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:47,720 There is at least the insinuation, 60 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:54,000 there is the hint that Messiah is more than a mere man, 61 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:57,960 that he is God himself. 62 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:01,760 Now, there are four truths about this God-man Messiah 63 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:06,560 that we want to look at in terms of prophecy in Isaiah chapter 64 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:10,120 9. 65 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:13,080 The first truth is that he will be born. 66 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:14,920 He will be born. 67 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:18,520 For to us, a child is born. 68 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:21,360 Why is it that he will be born? 69 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:27,040 The story is told about a Christian who was one day 70 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:30,280 walking down the street, and in front of him, 71 00:04:30,280 --> 00:04:34,480 he saw some grain that someone had thrown out. 72 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:38,440 And around the grain were some birds that had come to eat, 73 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:40,600 little sparrows. 74 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:43,000 He was fascinated as he watched them eat the grain, 75 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:47,800 and he stopped to watch. 76 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:51,000 He took a step toward them, and they looked up at him, 77 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:53,000 but did not feel threatened at that point. 78 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:54,880 And so he watched some more. 79 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:58,000 And then he took another step, at which they looked up again, 80 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:00,240 and some of the ones near him began to back away 81 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:02,800 as they kept eating. 82 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:04,800 He then took another step toward them, 83 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:07,600 and by this time, they all got spooked and flew away. 84 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:11,000 And he thought to himself, now, why did they fly? 85 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:13,680 And he realized it was because of his size. 86 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:17,200 He was rather imposing. 87 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:19,680 He thought to himself, how is it that I could get down there 88 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:20,880 with those birds? 89 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:23,400 And he concluded the only way that he could do it 90 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:27,480 was to become a sparrow and fly down there alongside of them 91 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:29,480 to eat that grain. 92 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:35,080 How is it that God is going to reveal Himself to us 93 00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:39,080 in all of His holiness? 94 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:41,280 He is so different than we are. 95 00:05:41,280 --> 00:05:47,680 How can the God of the universe reveal Himself to us 96 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:50,880 without frightening us? 97 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:54,080 The answer is that He must be born. 98 00:05:54,080 --> 00:05:55,280 He must become a man. 99 00:05:55,280 --> 00:05:57,080 He could not be born again. 100 00:05:57,080 --> 00:05:59,480 He must become a man. 101 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:00,880 He could have come in other ways. 102 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:04,480 He appeared as an angel in the Old Testament. 103 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:09,680 The angel of the Lord was the Lord Himself appearing 104 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:10,880 in human form. 105 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:15,680 That is one of the titles given to Messiah before He was born, 106 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:17,680 the angel of the Lord. 107 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:19,880 And so the Lord appeared to Abram, for example, 108 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:25,080 as a man, but it was the angel of the Lord. 109 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:28,680 It was God Himself who came. 110 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:33,880 God might have taken control of another human person 111 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:37,080 and simply adopted Himself into the life 112 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:40,680 and the personality of that person. 113 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:44,880 Or He might have directly created a body for Himself 114 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:46,080 like He did Adam. 115 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:50,080 After all, why couldn't He simply get down into the clay 116 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:56,080 and form another body and inhabit the body Himself? 117 00:06:56,080 --> 00:07:00,280 Well, the answer to those possibilities is that birth 118 00:07:00,280 --> 00:07:03,380 was absolutely necessary. 119 00:07:03,380 --> 00:07:09,380 It was essential for the Messiah to be fully human, 120 00:07:09,380 --> 00:07:16,280 to be flesh and blood, to be the descendant of Adam. 121 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:19,680 Not only did He have to bear the likeness of Adam, 122 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:20,880 but He had to come. 123 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:26,080 He had to come as the seed of the woman, 124 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:28,480 as we saw last week. 125 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:34,480 It was essential for Him to be born, but there's a problem. 126 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:38,280 Most of you would realize that that problem is 127 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:40,280 that humanity is sinful. 128 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:45,980 All of the descendants of Adam are tainted with sin. 129 00:07:45,980 --> 00:07:51,880 How is it then that the Holy Messiah could come into the human race, 130 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:56,680 actually be born as a man? 131 00:07:56,680 --> 00:07:59,680 Well, the answer that God miraculously provided 132 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:04,480 is the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. 133 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:08,680 And it is Isaiah who gives us the first word about this 134 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:13,880 just back a page or two in your Bible in chapter 7, 135 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:18,880 where in verse 14, Isaiah speaking to King Ahaz 136 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:24,680 about a situation that they were involved in says this, 137 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:29,480 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. 138 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:37,180 The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son 139 00:08:37,180 --> 00:08:42,880 and will call him Emmanuel. 140 00:08:42,880 --> 00:08:48,080 Now in that day Ahaz was an unbelieving king. 141 00:08:48,080 --> 00:08:50,680 He had a hard time accepting the promises of God. 142 00:08:50,680 --> 00:08:54,180 And so Isaiah says, God's going to give you a sign Ahaz. 143 00:08:54,180 --> 00:08:58,480 The virgin is going to conceive and bear a son. 144 00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:01,480 I believe the best way to understand this is that there was a woman 145 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:03,680 who was a virgin at that point in that day, 146 00:09:03,680 --> 00:09:08,080 who then was married probably to Isaiah, became his wife. 147 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:12,180 She became pregnant, bore a son, and that son was a sign to Ahaz 148 00:09:12,180 --> 00:09:17,280 that God was with His people and was going to fulfill His promise 149 00:09:17,280 --> 00:09:21,880 to deliver Judah from their enemies. 150 00:09:21,880 --> 00:09:26,680 But we know this, behind that promise in that day, 151 00:09:26,680 --> 00:09:30,380 probably a promise Isaiah didn't fully realize, 152 00:09:30,380 --> 00:09:34,880 there was a prophecy. 153 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:38,680 And it is the Holy Spirit who tells us in Matthew chapter 1 154 00:09:38,680 --> 00:09:45,280 that Isaiah 7 14 refers to the birth of Jesus Christ. 155 00:09:45,280 --> 00:09:48,280 Because it says that what happened in Jesus' birth 156 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:54,780 was the fulfillment of Isaiah 7 14. 157 00:09:54,780 --> 00:09:57,680 Because Jesus did not have a human father 158 00:09:57,680 --> 00:10:04,180 but was conceived miraculously by the Holy Spirit. 159 00:10:04,180 --> 00:10:10,180 He did not inherit Adam's sin. 160 00:10:10,180 --> 00:10:13,280 Now there's another problem. 161 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:17,180 What about Mary's sin? 162 00:10:17,180 --> 00:10:22,980 I'm going to answer that in a later Sunday, not today. 163 00:10:22,980 --> 00:10:27,080 The Roman Catholic Church answers that one way. 164 00:10:27,080 --> 00:10:29,680 The Bible answers it a different way, 165 00:10:29,680 --> 00:10:34,080 as to how God dealt with the sinfulness of Mary 166 00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:35,380 in the birth of Jesus. 167 00:10:35,380 --> 00:10:38,680 But we'll leave that for another Sunday. 168 00:10:38,680 --> 00:10:43,080 The point I'm making this morning is that He had to be born. 169 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:47,480 Isaiah mentions His birth. 170 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:52,680 And he says to us, a son, a child will be born. 171 00:10:52,680 --> 00:10:57,780 And so the angels appeared to the shepherds and said to them, 172 00:10:57,780 --> 00:11:02,880 get on down to Bethlehem, for unto you is born this day 173 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:10,780 in the city of David a Savior who is Messiah, the Lord. 174 00:11:10,780 --> 00:11:15,980 And truly in this one who was born and laid in that manger, 175 00:11:15,980 --> 00:11:22,580 we find Emmanuel, God with us. 176 00:11:22,580 --> 00:11:26,280 The first prophecy, the first truth that we see from Isaiah, 177 00:11:26,280 --> 00:11:29,480 chapter 9, is that He will be born. 178 00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:30,580 Why? 179 00:11:30,580 --> 00:11:33,380 He had to be born. 180 00:11:33,380 --> 00:11:35,480 He could not merely enter the world. 181 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:41,280 He had to be born to identify with us. 182 00:11:41,280 --> 00:11:46,780 Thus He could be our Savior, Christ the Lord. 183 00:11:46,780 --> 00:11:52,880 The second prophecy that we see in our text is that He will be given. 184 00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:57,380 Now there are those who understand these two phrases to be parallel, 185 00:11:57,380 --> 00:12:02,080 to be a poetic construction, and there's some truth to that. 186 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:06,380 A child born, a son given. 187 00:12:06,380 --> 00:12:10,380 And yet it strikes me that God may be saying something different 188 00:12:10,380 --> 00:12:14,980 in that second phrase, that it's not merely a parallel expression 189 00:12:14,980 --> 00:12:16,580 that's intended to be poetic. 190 00:12:16,580 --> 00:12:20,380 It is that, but probably more. 191 00:12:20,380 --> 00:12:25,880 A child born, a son given. 192 00:12:25,880 --> 00:12:30,180 Do we have any people here this morning named Benjamin? 193 00:12:30,180 --> 00:12:34,180 First, second name? 194 00:12:34,180 --> 00:12:35,480 Not a single Benjamin. 195 00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:36,680 I can't see any hands. 196 00:12:36,680 --> 00:12:38,980 Yes, there's one right here. 197 00:12:38,980 --> 00:12:39,880 A little hand. 198 00:12:39,880 --> 00:12:41,280 Thank you, sir. 199 00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:44,780 Does anybody call you Ben? 200 00:12:44,780 --> 00:12:46,680 Does anybody call you Ben? 201 00:12:46,680 --> 00:12:51,480 The word son right here, a son will be given, 202 00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:55,480 is the word in the Hebrew, Ben. 203 00:12:55,480 --> 00:13:03,580 There is the implication in this word, not merely of a baby, 204 00:13:03,580 --> 00:13:08,180 but of a son who is grown to maturity. 205 00:13:08,180 --> 00:13:16,380 A child will be born, a son who has all of the privilege 206 00:13:16,380 --> 00:13:21,380 and all of the rights, all of the responsibilities of an adult, 207 00:13:21,380 --> 00:13:25,880 a son will be given. 208 00:13:25,880 --> 00:13:30,380 And in that word given, might there be the implication 209 00:13:30,380 --> 00:13:36,080 of more than a birth, but rather a gift? 210 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:37,980 I believe so. 211 00:13:37,980 --> 00:13:44,280 And I believe that what we have here is an implication of the cross. 212 00:13:44,280 --> 00:13:52,280 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Ben, 213 00:13:52,280 --> 00:13:55,080 His son. 214 00:13:55,080 --> 00:13:56,580 How did He give him? 215 00:13:56,580 --> 00:13:59,280 At the cross. 216 00:13:59,280 --> 00:14:01,780 That whoever believes in Him might not perish, 217 00:14:01,780 --> 00:14:04,680 but have everlasting life. 218 00:14:04,680 --> 00:14:08,280 Herein is love, not that we love God, but that He loved us 219 00:14:08,280 --> 00:14:15,780 and gave His Ben, His son, to be the propitiation for our sins. 220 00:14:15,780 --> 00:14:21,280 A son given. 221 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:25,680 In His fascinating book, Peace Child, 222 00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:28,980 Don Richardson tells the story of his family 223 00:14:28,980 --> 00:14:34,380 as they went to Irian Jaya to reach the Salvi people. 224 00:14:34,380 --> 00:14:37,380 If you've read the book, you've heard him speak, 225 00:14:37,380 --> 00:14:39,480 and you know that they labored for many months 226 00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:42,080 to try to find a way to communicate the gospel 227 00:14:42,080 --> 00:14:45,080 to these primitive people. 228 00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:48,980 And there was a major problem in that culture. 229 00:14:48,980 --> 00:14:58,280 The problem was that anyone who demonstrated kindness 230 00:14:58,280 --> 00:15:05,380 to the Salvi people was regarded with suspicion. 231 00:15:05,380 --> 00:15:08,580 So how do you tell them about God's kindness, 232 00:15:08,580 --> 00:15:11,080 God's love in giving His son for them, 233 00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:16,780 if kind acts are regarded with suspicion? 234 00:15:16,780 --> 00:15:19,080 They prayed about that, and as you know, 235 00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:27,980 many of you know, God had built into that culture a key. 236 00:15:27,980 --> 00:15:34,080 For in that culture, all gifts, all demonstrations of kindness 237 00:15:34,080 --> 00:15:39,680 were regarded with suspicions except one. 238 00:15:39,680 --> 00:15:48,280 If a father gave his own son to the enemy, 239 00:15:48,280 --> 00:15:55,080 his sacrificial deeds showed that he could be trusted. 240 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:59,580 Furthermore, anyone who then touched that child, 241 00:15:59,580 --> 00:16:01,980 who was called the Peace Child, 242 00:16:01,980 --> 00:16:05,780 was brought into a friendly relationship with the father 243 00:16:05,780 --> 00:16:11,280 who gave the son to the enemy tribe. 244 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:16,580 Do you see how wonderfully that pictures what God did for us? 245 00:16:16,580 --> 00:16:22,780 In giving His son to be truly the Peace Child, 246 00:16:22,780 --> 00:16:25,080 and all who touch Him by faith, 247 00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:28,780 all who are related to Him by faith, 248 00:16:28,780 --> 00:16:35,480 men are at peace with God. 249 00:16:35,480 --> 00:16:39,980 A child will be born, Messiah will be born. 250 00:16:39,980 --> 00:16:45,580 A son will be given, Messiah will be given. 251 00:16:45,580 --> 00:16:48,980 Now the third prophetic truth that Isaiah gives us 252 00:16:48,980 --> 00:16:53,480 is that He will rule. 253 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:57,580 This born child, this given son, he says, will rule. 254 00:16:57,580 --> 00:17:01,080 The government will be upon His shoulders. 255 00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:02,380 What will He rule? 256 00:17:02,380 --> 00:17:06,780 The answer is a kingdom. 257 00:17:06,780 --> 00:17:10,580 This is elaborated upon by Isaiah in this text. 258 00:17:10,580 --> 00:17:13,780 There are five insights He gives to us about this prophecy 259 00:17:13,780 --> 00:17:15,880 that He will rule. 260 00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:19,680 The first insight is the fact of it. 261 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:24,680 He says the governmental authority will reside in Him. 262 00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:27,680 When it speaks about the government being on His shoulders, 263 00:17:27,680 --> 00:17:31,880 the allusion is to the monarch's robe 264 00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:36,480 that was tied across His shoulders and around His neck. 265 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:43,280 That robe was a symbol of His power, of His authority. 266 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:45,480 And it says here regarding Messiah 267 00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:49,580 that the government will be on His shoulders. 268 00:17:49,580 --> 00:17:53,180 The royal garment will be worn by Messiah 269 00:17:53,180 --> 00:17:57,680 to show that He is the sovereign, 270 00:17:57,680 --> 00:18:00,080 that all authority is represented in Him. 271 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:02,980 And then notice secondly the extent, 272 00:18:02,980 --> 00:18:06,580 the extent of His kingdom. 273 00:18:06,580 --> 00:18:12,080 It says that of the increase of His government and peace, 274 00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:13,080 there will be no end. 275 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:16,880 Now if you just take this at face value, 276 00:18:16,880 --> 00:18:20,480 you might think that somehow the Republicans and Democrats 277 00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:22,680 have something to do with Messiah's kingdom 278 00:18:22,680 --> 00:18:25,880 because it says of the increase of His government, 279 00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:29,480 there's no end. 280 00:18:29,480 --> 00:18:32,880 But I assure you that that is not the case. 281 00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:36,980 It is talking about something other than Washington, D.C. 282 00:18:36,980 --> 00:18:44,880 It is talking about the extent worldwide of His kingdom. 283 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:48,980 Zechariah says, the fourteenth chapter, the ninth verse, 284 00:18:48,980 --> 00:18:56,680 the Lord will be king over the whole earth. 285 00:18:56,680 --> 00:18:59,980 Revelation 11, 15, the angel says, 286 00:18:59,980 --> 00:19:07,880 the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord 287 00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:11,880 and of His Messiah, His Christ. 288 00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:16,580 And He will reign forever and ever. 289 00:19:16,580 --> 00:19:20,680 The extent of His kingdom cannot be measured. 290 00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:26,480 There is no end to it as you cannot measure east and west. 291 00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:29,280 You cannot measure the extent of His rule. 292 00:19:29,280 --> 00:19:32,680 It will extend outward and outward and outward 293 00:19:32,680 --> 00:19:35,780 forever and forever. 294 00:19:35,780 --> 00:19:41,180 That's what Isaiah says. 295 00:19:41,180 --> 00:19:44,380 Having talked about the fact of His kingdom and its extent, 296 00:19:44,380 --> 00:19:48,280 he now talks about its foundation. 297 00:19:48,280 --> 00:19:53,980 He says He will reign on David's throne. 298 00:19:53,980 --> 00:19:57,880 Last week I mentioned to you the covenant that God made with David. 299 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:00,380 It's called the Davidic covenant. 300 00:20:00,380 --> 00:20:06,180 I think it would be good to turn there to 2 Samuel. 301 00:20:06,180 --> 00:20:10,780 This is back closer to Genesis, about halfway to Genesis. 302 00:20:10,780 --> 00:20:15,680 2 Samuel chapter 7. 303 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:22,680 God begins revealing His covenant to David in verse 8. 304 00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:26,680 But I think for time's sake this morning we'll just go to the last verse 305 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:32,380 in this paragraph, which is verse 16. 306 00:20:32,380 --> 00:20:36,580 God is speaking to David here through Nathan the prophet, 307 00:20:36,580 --> 00:20:40,080 but He says to David, verse 16, 2 Samuel, 308 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:50,180 your house and your kingdom will endure forever before Me. 309 00:20:50,180 --> 00:20:57,780 When He talks about your house, He's talking about David's family, 310 00:20:57,780 --> 00:21:04,180 just as in England now the house of Windsor rules on the throne 311 00:21:04,180 --> 00:21:07,380 of the British Empire. 312 00:21:07,380 --> 00:21:11,480 He's talking here about the house of David. 313 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:16,480 And He says your house, your family rule, 314 00:21:16,480 --> 00:21:20,280 and your kingdom will endure forever before Me. 315 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:25,680 Your throne will be established forever. 316 00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:30,480 Now there was an immediate fulfillment to some of what God says in this paragraph 317 00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:34,480 in Solomon who succeeded David. 318 00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:42,380 You don't find a forever in the life of Solomon. 319 00:21:42,380 --> 00:21:46,080 In the first place, his rule became corrupt, 320 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:51,880 and he died a very unhappy, broken man. 321 00:21:51,880 --> 00:21:58,980 And the second he did die, you don't find a forever in Solomon, 322 00:21:58,980 --> 00:22:05,480 but you do find a forever in Jesus, the Christ. 323 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:11,280 And what Isaiah says to us is that the foundation of his kingdom is David's throne. 324 00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:17,280 In other words, in him will be fulfilled God's covenant to David 325 00:22:17,280 --> 00:22:25,480 because Jesus Christ is the Son of David according to his ancestry. 326 00:22:25,480 --> 00:22:27,880 Now let's go back again to Isaiah, 327 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:32,780 where we find the character of this kingdom that is here prophesied. 328 00:22:32,780 --> 00:22:38,080 He will rule, says Isaiah. 329 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:41,580 Its character can be summarized in three words that are used, 330 00:22:41,580 --> 00:22:51,080 peace, justice, and righteousness. 331 00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:55,680 Our world today likes to talk about peace, 332 00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:57,980 and it likes to talk about justice, 333 00:22:57,980 --> 00:23:02,580 but don't talk about righteousness to our world. 334 00:23:02,580 --> 00:23:04,680 The problem is you can't have peace, 335 00:23:04,680 --> 00:23:08,180 and you can't have justice unless there's righteousness too. 336 00:23:08,180 --> 00:23:10,880 You see they all go together. 337 00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:17,480 Peace here is shalom, that familiar Hebrew greeting, shalom. 338 00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:24,380 It refers to health and security, to tranquility and prosperity. 339 00:23:24,380 --> 00:23:27,480 It means more than the absence of warfare. 340 00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:35,780 Peace to the Hebrew mindset means complete satisfaction in every way. 341 00:23:35,780 --> 00:23:43,880 The peace that will describe the kingdom of Messiah is rooted in God's character. 342 00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:48,680 In the book of Judges, the Lord takes a name. 343 00:23:48,680 --> 00:23:53,780 He calls himself the Lord our peace. 344 00:23:53,780 --> 00:23:57,580 In other words, peace is rooted in God Himself. 345 00:23:57,580 --> 00:24:00,880 It's who God is. 346 00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:07,580 And the kingdom of Messiah will be an expression of God Himself on the earth. 347 00:24:07,580 --> 00:24:12,680 And then justice is a judicial verdict. 348 00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:14,380 It's a judgment. 349 00:24:14,380 --> 00:24:17,680 It too is rooted in God's character. 350 00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:24,280 Isaiah 30 verse 18 says, the Lord is a God of justice. 351 00:24:24,280 --> 00:24:29,080 In other words, God has the ultimate authority to decide all cases. 352 00:24:29,080 --> 00:24:31,280 He is the judge. 353 00:24:31,280 --> 00:24:33,280 He is the judge. 354 00:24:33,280 --> 00:24:36,280 And in that day, that will be the case for Messiah. 355 00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:41,280 All justice will flow back to His throne. 356 00:24:41,280 --> 00:24:47,880 And then thirdly, righteousness, which refers to virtue and faithfulness. 357 00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:52,780 It comes from a verb that means to be straight or to be true. 358 00:24:52,780 --> 00:24:58,180 In the kingdom of Messiah, no law breaking will be tolerated. 359 00:24:58,180 --> 00:25:04,680 Righteousness too is rooted in God's character for in Jeremiah 23 verse 6, 360 00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:11,080 it calls God the Lord our righteousness, Jehovah-Sid-Kinu. 361 00:25:11,080 --> 00:25:17,780 Righteousness describes God and this kingdom will be the expression of God's rule on the earth. 362 00:25:17,780 --> 00:25:24,280 So the kingdom of Messiah, the character of it is that it will conform in every respect 363 00:25:24,280 --> 00:25:29,280 to God's character and God's demands. 364 00:25:29,280 --> 00:25:38,480 How far the nations of the world are today from peace, justice, and righteousness. 365 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:48,080 And there is no greater expression of the failure of man to come to any of these than the United Nations. 366 00:25:48,080 --> 00:25:54,480 Which has proven itself utterly bankrupt of justice and righteousness and peace 367 00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:59,180 around the world and most recently in Bosnia. 368 00:25:59,180 --> 00:26:01,480 But not so the kingdom of Messiah. 369 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:06,680 There will be justice, righteousness, and peace when He reigns. 370 00:26:06,680 --> 00:26:13,880 And the final insight that we have from this text is the guarantee that He will rule. 371 00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:20,880 Because Isaiah says the Lord's zeal will fulfill this. 372 00:26:20,880 --> 00:26:24,780 God has a passion for this. 373 00:26:24,780 --> 00:26:31,880 God is jealous for the rule of His Son. 374 00:26:31,880 --> 00:26:34,880 He is committed to this. 375 00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:40,280 God's emotion is behind the rule of Jesus Christ. 376 00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:45,280 God is eager to see Him reign and He will. 377 00:26:45,280 --> 00:26:47,680 God will see to that Himself. 378 00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:49,180 He will rule. 379 00:26:49,180 --> 00:26:55,880 He will rule. 380 00:26:55,880 --> 00:27:01,080 Back again in the Gospel of Luke in the first chapter. 381 00:27:01,080 --> 00:27:10,080 We have an expression of similar thoughts in verses 32 and 33. 382 00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:19,880 These are the words of Gabriel to Mary as he announces that she will be with child. 383 00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:22,580 Luke 1, 32. 384 00:27:22,580 --> 00:27:27,480 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. 385 00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:33,780 The Lord God will give Him the throne of His Father David. 386 00:27:33,780 --> 00:27:37,880 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. 387 00:27:37,880 --> 00:27:41,080 His kingdom will never end. 388 00:27:41,080 --> 00:27:50,480 You see the very same ideas expressed again to Mary there in the city of Nazareth as Gabriel 389 00:27:50,480 --> 00:27:56,780 announces the birth of Jesus Christ to her first. 390 00:27:56,780 --> 00:28:04,880 Now there's a final prophetic truth that we come to in Isaiah chapter 9. 391 00:28:04,880 --> 00:28:09,480 It is that Messiah will be named. 392 00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:12,380 He will be called certain names. 393 00:28:12,380 --> 00:28:14,880 Who is He, this Messiah? 394 00:28:14,880 --> 00:28:23,880 Well Isaiah says, He will be called first the wonderful counselor. 395 00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:26,080 Now those can be understood as two names. 396 00:28:26,080 --> 00:28:30,080 I'm taking them as a singular name this morning. 397 00:28:30,080 --> 00:28:40,780 It means that He is the supernatural advisor who alone gives counsel as to salvation. 398 00:28:40,780 --> 00:28:50,480 In Him dwells the fullness of the Spirit as described in Isaiah 11 verses 1 and 2. 399 00:28:50,480 --> 00:28:55,080 He has never sought the advice of man. 400 00:28:55,080 --> 00:29:02,980 All the final authority for everything rests with the one in whom all wisdom resides as 401 00:29:02,980 --> 00:29:05,980 Jesus Christ. 402 00:29:05,980 --> 00:29:10,580 All wisdom is rooted in Him. 403 00:29:10,580 --> 00:29:17,580 He is the one who is mentioned in Proverbs chapter 8 as wisdom. 404 00:29:17,580 --> 00:29:27,680 These foolish people who have created this goddess called Sophia as though somehow she 405 00:29:27,680 --> 00:29:31,880 is the female counterpart to the male Jesus Christ. 406 00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:34,680 What bunk. 407 00:29:34,680 --> 00:29:39,720 I can think of other words I can't use this morning. 408 00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:45,180 When it mentions wisdom in Proverbs 8, it's not some pagan goddess. 409 00:29:45,180 --> 00:29:52,080 It is talking about wisdom that resides in the person of Jesus Christ. 410 00:29:52,080 --> 00:29:54,880 Check it out in Colossians 1 and 2. 411 00:29:54,880 --> 00:29:58,780 The wonderful counselor. 412 00:29:58,780 --> 00:30:01,780 Then He is the mighty God. 413 00:30:01,780 --> 00:30:06,780 El-Gabor is the name. 414 00:30:06,780 --> 00:30:12,180 The word El is one of those compound names for God like Emmanuel. 415 00:30:12,180 --> 00:30:16,080 El is God. 416 00:30:16,080 --> 00:30:23,580 It's the singular form of the Hebrew word Elohim. 417 00:30:23,580 --> 00:30:31,380 Here it is mighty God, El-Gabor, the strong and faithful God. 418 00:30:31,380 --> 00:30:35,840 The God who is the champion in battle. 419 00:30:35,840 --> 00:30:39,800 The one to whom all power is given. 420 00:30:39,800 --> 00:30:46,380 Isn't it amazing that this babe in Mary's lap that we heard sung about this morning, 421 00:30:46,380 --> 00:30:52,980 this babe in Mary's lap is the mighty God. 422 00:30:52,980 --> 00:31:03,080 And that as He lies there waiting His next meal, He is at the same moment holding the 423 00:31:03,080 --> 00:31:07,880 whole universe together. 424 00:31:07,880 --> 00:31:14,340 What an amazing contrast in the person of this baby. 425 00:31:14,340 --> 00:31:19,540 The weakness of His humanity and yet He is the mighty God. 426 00:31:19,540 --> 00:31:24,580 And third, He is the everlasting Father. 427 00:31:24,580 --> 00:31:27,780 There are those who scratch their heads at this and they say, now wait a minute, I thought 428 00:31:27,780 --> 00:31:30,900 He was the Son of God. 429 00:31:30,900 --> 00:31:35,740 And here He is called the everlasting Father. 430 00:31:35,740 --> 00:31:44,020 Well in terms of His relationship to the Trinity, He is God the Son. 431 00:31:44,020 --> 00:31:47,140 He is not God the Father. 432 00:31:47,140 --> 00:31:56,820 But in relationship to time and to His people, He here takes the name of everlasting Father. 433 00:31:56,820 --> 00:32:04,140 It means that He who inhabits and possesses eternity, a concept that is so far beyond 434 00:32:04,140 --> 00:32:08,380 us that we can only begin to grasp it. 435 00:32:08,380 --> 00:32:17,140 He who possesses and inhabits eternity at the same time tenderly cares for us and provides 436 00:32:17,140 --> 00:32:23,660 for us as His people, as does a Father for His family. 437 00:32:23,660 --> 00:32:25,940 He is the everlasting Father. 438 00:32:25,940 --> 00:32:31,240 And finally, says Isaiah, He is the Prince of Peace. 439 00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:37,420 He is the ruler who will subdue all of His opposition, who will enforce peace, who will 440 00:32:37,420 --> 00:32:44,100 cause wars to cease. 441 00:32:44,100 --> 00:32:51,340 There was a couple in England a few years ago who wanted to give their daughter some 442 00:32:51,340 --> 00:32:57,260 way to be remembered and so they gave her 139 names. 443 00:32:57,260 --> 00:33:01,380 Do you remember reading about that? 444 00:33:01,380 --> 00:33:06,180 Her first name was Tracy and that is what everybody was going to call her, but she was 445 00:33:06,180 --> 00:33:11,740 Tracy, Mary, Claire, Lisa, Tammy, Samantha, Christine, Alexandria, and on it went for 446 00:33:11,740 --> 00:33:17,060 139 names. 447 00:33:17,060 --> 00:33:21,860 Jesus Christ has more names than that. 448 00:33:21,860 --> 00:33:23,900 And you know something about a name in the Bible? 449 00:33:23,900 --> 00:33:25,100 It has significance. 450 00:33:25,100 --> 00:33:30,780 I mean, that little girl is growing up with, I mean, I can't imagine being in elementary 451 00:33:30,780 --> 00:33:33,980 school and having to sign your name on your paper. 452 00:33:33,980 --> 00:33:38,820 Take her all day just to sign her name on the paper. 453 00:33:38,820 --> 00:33:41,100 But those names have no significance. 454 00:33:41,100 --> 00:33:46,380 Every name given to Jesus Christ in the Bible has significance. 455 00:33:46,380 --> 00:33:52,660 We've talked about wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, 456 00:33:52,660 --> 00:33:56,100 and His names go beyond that. 457 00:33:56,100 --> 00:34:09,820 Now the one thing that Isaiah was not given was the depth of this prophecy. 458 00:34:09,820 --> 00:34:14,020 He saw it in one dimension. 459 00:34:14,020 --> 00:34:20,900 What we now are able to see is that this prophecy has some time depth to it. 460 00:34:20,900 --> 00:34:25,620 The son would be born. 461 00:34:25,620 --> 00:34:29,060 About 33 years later, excuse me, the child would be born. 462 00:34:29,060 --> 00:34:35,140 About 33 years later the son would be given. 463 00:34:35,140 --> 00:34:44,220 And now at least 2,000 years later he will rule because the rule of Messiah that is predicted 464 00:34:44,220 --> 00:34:51,820 here is a rule on the earth in what is called the millennial period, the thousand year reign 465 00:34:51,820 --> 00:34:58,100 of Jesus Christ, and He will reign as the son of David. 466 00:34:58,100 --> 00:35:03,180 All of these wonderful names of Jesus have such great application to us. 467 00:35:03,180 --> 00:35:08,920 He is the powerful, faithful one who stands for us in battle. 468 00:35:08,920 --> 00:35:12,180 Are you in a battle today? 469 00:35:12,180 --> 00:35:19,380 Remember this, if you are a Christian, the one who dwells you is the mighty God, Elgibor. 470 00:35:19,380 --> 00:35:23,140 He's the champion who has won the victory. 471 00:35:23,140 --> 00:35:29,220 Do you have some need for provision? 472 00:35:29,220 --> 00:35:32,800 Are you struggling, looking for some answer? 473 00:35:32,800 --> 00:35:41,220 He is the everlasting Father who tenderly cares for you. 474 00:35:41,220 --> 00:35:46,700 He is the Prince of Peace who can right now bring peace to your heart. 475 00:35:46,700 --> 00:35:49,100 First, between you and God. 476 00:35:49,100 --> 00:35:52,100 He can cause the war to stop. 477 00:35:52,100 --> 00:35:54,580 You see, as sinners we are at war with God. 478 00:35:54,580 --> 00:36:02,140 We are hostile against God, but He is able to bring peace if we will trust in Him because 479 00:36:02,140 --> 00:36:05,920 of the blood of His cross. 480 00:36:05,920 --> 00:36:10,900 And then He is able to bring peace in the relationships of our lives as we allow Him 481 00:36:10,900 --> 00:36:13,460 to be Lord. 482 00:36:13,460 --> 00:36:19,660 With all of these wonderful truths about Him, it's no wonder that we worship Him. 483 00:36:19,660 --> 00:36:26,460 There is no gift that surpasses the wonder and the worth of God's Son. 484 00:36:26,460 --> 00:36:31,920 Clarence McCartney preached for more than 25 years at the First Presbyterian Church 485 00:36:31,920 --> 00:36:34,820 of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 486 00:36:34,820 --> 00:36:36,540 Died in the late 50s. 487 00:36:36,540 --> 00:36:41,420 A marvelous preacher and author of 40-some books. 488 00:36:41,420 --> 00:36:49,500 In one sermon he said, Shepherds with your staves and shaggy coats, move over. 489 00:36:49,500 --> 00:36:55,780 Wise men with your gifts, your gold, frankincense and myrrh, move over please. 490 00:36:55,780 --> 00:37:05,940 Wondrous star with your guiding radiance, move over and make room for me. 491 00:37:05,940 --> 00:37:10,300 You see at this Christmas time as we think about all of these scenes, what we need to 492 00:37:10,300 --> 00:37:20,220 think of is ourselves participating in faith, in worship, in giving ourselves to Him. 493 00:37:20,220 --> 00:37:25,460 This last week I had the privilege again to go down to the Billy Graham Telephone Center 494 00:37:25,460 --> 00:37:31,180 and answer telephones during the crusade. 495 00:37:31,180 --> 00:37:34,380 Every time there is a crusade on television, you know there is a number that is flashed 496 00:37:34,380 --> 00:37:35,380 on the screen. 497 00:37:35,380 --> 00:37:38,660 Somebody has to be at the other end of the telephone. 498 00:37:38,660 --> 00:37:42,700 And all of you by the way have the opportunity to volunteer to do that. 499 00:37:42,700 --> 00:37:45,540 I am telling you it is a great experience. 500 00:37:45,540 --> 00:37:46,540 It is not intimidating. 501 00:37:46,540 --> 00:37:47,540 It is not threatening. 502 00:37:47,540 --> 00:37:50,060 It is a wonderful experience. 503 00:37:50,060 --> 00:37:52,100 You don't have to be a pastor to do it. 504 00:37:52,100 --> 00:37:57,520 We have a number of people in our church who have been trained to do this very simple counseling. 505 00:37:57,520 --> 00:37:59,220 One man called in from Ohio. 506 00:37:59,220 --> 00:38:02,180 His name was Mike. 507 00:38:02,180 --> 00:38:06,060 I got a chance to talk to Mike. 508 00:38:06,060 --> 00:38:10,180 And Mike began to tell me that he was at his office. 509 00:38:10,180 --> 00:38:11,500 He had come back from dinner. 510 00:38:11,500 --> 00:38:12,780 His secretary was still there. 511 00:38:12,780 --> 00:38:14,960 They had work to do late. 512 00:38:14,960 --> 00:38:18,260 His secretary had the television on. 513 00:38:18,260 --> 00:38:20,600 And he said to her, what are you watching? 514 00:38:20,600 --> 00:38:23,140 She said, Billy Graham. 515 00:38:23,140 --> 00:38:26,660 He said, oh turn that thing off. 516 00:38:26,660 --> 00:38:30,620 Well she started to do it and then a lady came on to give a testimony. 517 00:38:30,620 --> 00:38:31,620 I don't know who it was. 518 00:38:31,620 --> 00:38:32,620 I didn't remember who it was. 519 00:38:32,620 --> 00:38:34,460 He said, wait, wait, wait, just a minute. 520 00:38:34,460 --> 00:38:37,260 Let me listen to her. 521 00:38:37,260 --> 00:38:41,980 And whoever this lady was on Thursday night there in Ohio giving a testimony, she began 522 00:38:41,980 --> 00:38:45,980 to tell what God had done in her life. 523 00:38:45,980 --> 00:38:48,180 And it just struck Mike. 524 00:38:48,180 --> 00:38:51,460 Oh, he was captivated by what she said. 525 00:38:51,460 --> 00:38:56,000 And do you know in the five minutes or so that she shared her testimony, God radically 526 00:38:56,000 --> 00:38:58,220 changed his life. 527 00:38:58,220 --> 00:39:03,980 Instead of being a 32-year-old single businessman who's going out for money, his whole life 528 00:39:03,980 --> 00:39:10,620 was revolutionized and he realized he needed a relationship with God. 529 00:39:10,620 --> 00:39:16,060 He took the little remote control from his secretary, put it in his desk, and locked 530 00:39:16,060 --> 00:39:20,680 the drawer so he wouldn't be tempted to turn the television off until the crusade was over 531 00:39:20,680 --> 00:39:22,440 that night. 532 00:39:22,440 --> 00:39:25,180 And he called in and he said, I just got to tell somebody. 533 00:39:25,180 --> 00:39:30,420 He said, my whole life has changed this evening by what that woman said. 534 00:39:30,420 --> 00:39:34,340 We had the opportunity to review that briefly with him and then to send him some material 535 00:39:34,340 --> 00:39:38,940 to help him understand more thoroughly the change that God had made. 536 00:39:38,940 --> 00:39:41,980 You see, he received the gift. 537 00:39:41,980 --> 00:39:45,420 That's what Christmas is all about. 538 00:39:45,420 --> 00:39:52,540 It's about having your life changed to the power of Jesus Christ, coming in faith and 539 00:39:52,540 --> 00:39:57,140 believing Him, worshiping Him. 540 00:39:57,140 --> 00:40:07,540 Maybe you're a mic, maybe today you need to make that same decision. 541 00:40:07,540 --> 00:40:10,320 Let's pray. 542 00:40:10,320 --> 00:40:14,420 Are you here without Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? 543 00:40:14,420 --> 00:40:20,460 Have you ever experienced the true meaning of Christmas by receiving the gift of God 544 00:40:20,460 --> 00:40:23,620 that we've seen prophesied in Isaiah 9? 545 00:40:23,620 --> 00:40:28,300 Would you receive that gift this morning by opening your heart and saying something like 546 00:40:28,300 --> 00:40:34,180 this, Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that I'm a sinner. 547 00:40:34,180 --> 00:40:39,640 I believe that you died for my sins and rose again from the dead. 548 00:40:39,640 --> 00:40:43,540 I invite you to come into my heart and save me. 549 00:40:43,540 --> 00:40:48,340 Forgive me of my sins. 550 00:40:48,340 --> 00:40:51,420 You know that He'll do that. 551 00:40:51,420 --> 00:40:56,060 If that is your heart's attitude today, would you just lift your hand briefly and put it 552 00:40:56,060 --> 00:40:57,060 down? 553 00:40:57,060 --> 00:40:58,980 Say, Pastor, that's my decision. 554 00:40:58,980 --> 00:41:02,420 That's what I need to do today. 555 00:41:02,420 --> 00:41:06,100 I want to receive God's gift. 556 00:41:06,100 --> 00:41:13,820 Is there one? 557 00:41:13,820 --> 00:41:21,100 Let's stand together, please, all of us, and sing with our heads bowed as we contemplate 558 00:41:21,100 --> 00:41:27,580 the wonder of the child being born and the son given. 559 00:41:27,580 --> 00:41:31,060 Let's sing again that chorus that we sang earlier. 560 00:41:31,060 --> 00:41:44,180 O come, let us adore Him. 561 00:41:44,180 --> 00:41:58,460 O come, let us adore Him. 562 00:41:58,460 --> 00:42:05,460 O come, let us adore Him. 563 00:42:05,460 --> 00:42:12,460 O come, let us adore Him. 564 00:42:12,460 --> 00:42:21,460 O come, let us adore Him. 565 00:42:21,460 --> 00:42:39,060 We'll praise Your name forever, Christ the Lord. 566 00:42:39,060 --> 00:42:43,460 Father what a marvelous gift You have given us in Your Son. 567 00:42:43,460 --> 00:42:51,620 As we have seen the prophecy of Isaiah, the man of old, our hearts are brought to renewed 568 00:42:51,620 --> 00:42:59,860 wonder how You prepared the way and made everything perfect for the coming of Jesus. 569 00:42:59,860 --> 00:43:05,020 We have just sung that we will praise His name forever. 570 00:43:05,020 --> 00:43:10,340 We thank You that in Him we have eternal life. 571 00:43:10,340 --> 00:43:17,660 We thank You that with Him too we will reign forever and ever. 572 00:43:17,660 --> 00:43:26,180 That will surely be a service of praise for all that You have done for us, our Lord. 573 00:43:26,180 --> 00:43:32,780 Now as we go from here, Father, we pray that You will use us and You'll help us to share 574 00:43:32,780 --> 00:43:35,000 this gift with others. 575 00:43:35,000 --> 00:43:36,180 Bring us back this evening. 576 00:43:36,180 --> 00:43:41,740 Make it a wonderful evening of praise to Your name as we adore and worship You. 577 00:43:41,740 --> 00:43:42,740 Amen. 578 00:43:42,740 --> 00:44:09,740 God bless you.