SPEAKER_00: Reading comes from Isaiah chapter 9, verses 1 through 7.
SPEAKER_00: This season we're going to be looking through various chapters in Isaiah in a new series.
SPEAKER_00: And so we're going to begin with chapter 9 this morning.
SPEAKER_00: Please follow along with me in your bulletin of your Bible.
SPEAKER_00: Isaiah chapter 9, 1 through 7.
SPEAKER_00: But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish.
SPEAKER_00: In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali.
SPEAKER_00: But in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
SPEAKER_00: The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.
SPEAKER_00: Those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them light has shone.
SPEAKER_00: You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy.
SPEAKER_00: They rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
SPEAKER_00: For the yoke of his burden and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken it, as on the day of Midian.
SPEAKER_00: For every boot of the tramping warrior and battle tumult, and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.
SPEAKER_00: 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, of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end.
SPEAKER_00: 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.
SPEAKER_00: The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: Let's pray.
SPEAKER_00: That you are the light of the world.
SPEAKER_00: We thank you for your truth, which is light unto us.
SPEAKER_00: And yet we pray that your spirit would be pleased even this morning to supply us with not only the light of your truth, but the warmth of it.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, that you would be pleased to animate it to us so that it becomes a living word in us and goes out from us.
SPEAKER_00: We ask and pray these things in your son's name.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: Well, one of the first things we see in this text from verse 2 is a contrast to darkness.
SPEAKER_00: The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.
SPEAKER_00: There was real darkness at this time.
SPEAKER_00: What do we know about darkness?
SPEAKER_00: Well, darkness is scary, right?
SPEAKER_00: I'm sure we've all had scary experiences with darkness.
SPEAKER_00: And yet it's not the darkness that itself is typically frightening to us.
SPEAKER_00: It's the fear of what the darkness masks that often scares us.
SPEAKER_00: As a kid, I was cognizant of this.
SPEAKER_00: Perhaps you were too.
SPEAKER_00: We were always concerned that we'd be allowed to leave the hallway light on when we went to bed.
SPEAKER_00: We wanted that light on to be able to make quick sense of any noises or sounds that we heard.
SPEAKER_00: A noise that ordinarily during the day wouldn't have been an issue.
SPEAKER_00: But in the night, such noises became something that had the ability to cause our hearts to race.
SPEAKER_00: The fear of what the darkness might be hiding.
SPEAKER_00: There is gravitation to light in every human heart.
SPEAKER_00: That's how we were made.
SPEAKER_00: And at one point, she volunteered to live with a blindfold on for 22 days.
SPEAKER_00: She sat blindfolded in the laboratory, recording into a dictaphone, a real-time diary of everything that was happening in her brain while blindfolded.
SPEAKER_00: And what they found was that she reported an array of hallucinations, including intricate patterns like yellow clouds and animal prints.
SPEAKER_00: The conclusion was that even in the absence of light, her brain naturally sought to make up images, attempting to create light in the midst of darkness.
SPEAKER_00: And I think that's a good illustration of how we've been created.
SPEAKER_00: We were created as children of light.
SPEAKER_00: And yet many are concerned to live life with their blindfolds on, looking to make sense of things in the darkness, attempting to create an existence of light without any light.
SPEAKER_00: And that was similar to what was going on here.
SPEAKER_00: Israel was rejecting God and looking to live life with their blindfolds on, as it were, walking by sight rather than by faith.
SPEAKER_00: And so God told his prophet Isaiah to deliver a message of comfort and hope in the midst of these dark days.
SPEAKER_00: That was a job description of a prophet, by the way, to hear from God and to deliver his words to the people.
SPEAKER_00: And so what was the nature of the darkness?
SPEAKER_00: Well, the darkness had crept into all of the crevices of the nation.
SPEAKER_00: Poor leadership, no concern for the poor, little concern for justice, to mention a few.
SPEAKER_00: But not only that, there was a deep spiritual darkness.
SPEAKER_00: There was an outward appearance of devotion, but no real heartfelt interest toward God and his will.
SPEAKER_00: It was a kind of external veneer.
SPEAKER_00: And on top of that, they were experiencing increasing fear over rising Assyrian power.
SPEAKER_00: And so with their blindfolds on, as it were, the northern kingdom, whose king was called Pekah, began trying to manage the situation.
SPEAKER_00: And so he comes to the king of Syria and says essentially, hey, let's make a pact.
SPEAKER_00: Let's band together.
SPEAKER_00: And so they form an anti-Assyrian alliance.
SPEAKER_00: Well, then phase two of the strategy goes into action.
SPEAKER_00: And they begin meddling with politics in Judah in the south.
SPEAKER_00: The plan was to remove the king in the south, King Ahaz, so that they could see a new king installed for the purpose of gaining an ally who would also band together with them in their opposition to the rising Assyrian nation.
SPEAKER_00: What it boils down to is that people who experience or fear a large bully are naturally served better in clumping together.
SPEAKER_00: That was what they were trying to achieve.
SPEAKER_00: And yet, despite their best wishes, they so what happens is that Ahaz, the king in the south, begins to feel threatened and intimidated by those in the north who want to see him ousted.
SPEAKER_00: And he looks to align himself with their enemy, the Assyrians, the opposite of their intended plan.
SPEAKER_00: And so there we have it.
SPEAKER_00: We have deep darkness, a rejection of God and his fellowship, a failure to judge themselves rightly.
SPEAKER_00: And God doing what he always does with sin comes with judgment.
SPEAKER_00: Israel would eventually fall under God's judgment.
SPEAKER_00: He gave them up to their desires, essentially saying, if you want to put your trust in the powers of this world, then I'll let you have what you want.
SPEAKER_00: But it won't result in your blessing.
SPEAKER_00: And that's what happened.
SPEAKER_00: The Assyrians eventually sent them into exile.
SPEAKER_00: And so we see it so clearly.
SPEAKER_00: An attempt to create the existence of light out of darkness, trusting in themselves and their own methods and schemes and plans and purposes.
SPEAKER_00: But even then, God's purpose was to restore them.
SPEAKER_00: And so he speaks of hope, of the dawning of a new day, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER_00: And so Isaiah speaks all of this to those in the south in Judah.
SPEAKER_00: And he gives a sign that will be fulfilled as a reminder to them that God is with them and that they ought to trust in him in light of the approaching circumstances, and not to follow suit from those in the north.
SPEAKER_00: Chapter 7, verse 3 of Isaiah, take heed and be quiet.
SPEAKER_00: Fear not, neither be faint-hearted.
SPEAKER_00: How would King Ahaz in the south find peace?
SPEAKER_00: Answer through faith in God's promises.
SPEAKER_00: Chapter 26, verse 3.
SPEAKER_00: You keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you.
SPEAKER_00: Because he trusts in you.
SPEAKER_00: Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord is an everlasting rock.
SPEAKER_00: There it is.
SPEAKER_00: He's saying to Ahaz, You want to have stability?
SPEAKER_00: Trust me.
SPEAKER_00: Inquire of me.
SPEAKER_00: Peace won't come to you apart from me.
SPEAKER_00: Life and circumstances change.
SPEAKER_00: They're not meant to last.
SPEAKER_00: Experiences come and go, even religious experiences.
SPEAKER_00: But fix your attention with the eye of faith on me and my promises.
SPEAKER_00: And it will result in your rest and peace.
SPEAKER_00: And oh, how little has changed, has it not?
SPEAKER_00: Many still today attempting to construct a life from darkness.
SPEAKER_00: Trying to make sense of life with your blindfolds on.
SPEAKER_00: A reminder of the darkness of this world.
SPEAKER_00: We see it all over.
SPEAKER_00: Powers grasping for control.
SPEAKER_00: Governments calculating and scheming to hide their insecurities.
SPEAKER_00: A restless concern to manage life from their own understanding.
SPEAKER_00: But it's not only in the world, it's also in us.
SPEAKER_00: Addictions of many kinds.
SPEAKER_00: Health problems of many kinds.
SPEAKER_00: Conflict and estrangement.
SPEAKER_00: And some might say at this point, why be so negative?
SPEAKER_00: Show some optimism.
SPEAKER_00: It's not all that bad, is it?
SPEAKER_00: But my concern here is not to be pessimistic or optimistic.
SPEAKER_00: It's to be honest about the realities of this world and the brokenness in it.
SPEAKER_00: And so there are many living who what I would suggest is called a whack-amole life.
SPEAKER_00: And it works away from peace, rest, and blessing, and towards instability, and finally an oppression.
SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_00: It's that game when you're given a mallet and maybe at a fear or something like that, and it quickly pops its head up.
SPEAKER_00: And you've got this mallet in your hand, and as soon as it pops up, you're supposed to hit it.
SPEAKER_00: But then as soon as you do so, it quickly submerges out of your ability to hit it.
SPEAKER_00: And then it shoots up in another area, and you're supposed to try to whack that.
SPEAKER_00: It's this idea of a mole quickly emerging and then submerging, and the game repeats itself many times over.
SPEAKER_00: A frantic chasing after moles, popping up and then hiding.
SPEAKER_00: And to be fair, that's the whole point of the game, but how much endless energy and frantic concern would be lost if one went to the root of the issue and pulled the electrical plug.
SPEAKER_00: And you know you can live your entire life that way.
SPEAKER_00: And many have and continue to do so, frantically attempting to deal with the negative effects of sin.
SPEAKER_00: And yet never really getting to the root.
SPEAKER_00: Always groping around, trying to find various situations, trying to control various situations that have happen and loom, constructing new ways of dealing with the darkness as they arise.
SPEAKER_00: Always strategizing, fear always looming, yet failing to judge themselves rightly.
SPEAKER_00: Failing to realize that their greatest need is for the light to come on so as to begin to see things clearly.
SPEAKER_00: And so it begs the question is that your life?
SPEAKER_00: Do you still have your blindfold on?
SPEAKER_00: That's the essential question that we all need to deal with.
SPEAKER_00: Are you still attempting to make sense of life from the vantage point of darkness?
SPEAKER_00: Because the reality is that there are two ways that we naturally tend to deal with darkness.
SPEAKER_00: We will often either try to control it or try to ignore it.
SPEAKER_00: We'll either try to pretend it's not there and stuff it down, or else we'll try to take things into our own hands and attempt to deal with it on our own.
SPEAKER_00: But the gospel calls us neither to ignore the darkness nor to control the darkness, but to seek the presence of God in the midst of darkness.
SPEAKER_00: And so the gospel bids us to be honest about life as it is.
SPEAKER_00: We're not, as Christians, blind to the darkness.
SPEAKER_00: We shouldn't ignore it.
SPEAKER_00: We can see it for what it is.
SPEAKER_00: And yet, because Emmanuel is with us, we can be honest about the darkness that lies both in us and around us, so as to take it to him.
SPEAKER_00: Commentator Ray Ortland tells a story of Richard Williams, a young surgeon and Methodist slate preacher, and an Anglican minister, Alan Gardiner.
SPEAKER_00: And they went as missionaries to Tierra del Fugo.
SPEAKER_00: And in 1851, their ship was forced to winter in a cold and bitter bay.
SPEAKER_00: And the supply vessel never arrived.
SPEAKER_00: Everyone on the board of their ship died of cold and starvation.
SPEAKER_00: Puts a day like this into perspective.
SPEAKER_00: But even as they were suffering on Good Friday, April 18, 1851, Williams wrote in his journal, Poor and weak though we are, our home is a very bethel to our souls.
SPEAKER_00: And God we feel and know is here.
SPEAKER_00: And then on May 7th, he wrote, Should anything prevent my ever adding to this, let all my beloved ones at home rest assured that I was happy beyond description when I wrote these lines and would not have changed situations with any man living.
SPEAKER_00: When your supply ship doesn't arrive, the presence of Christ makes all the difference.
SPEAKER_00: At his coming, the darkness flees.
SPEAKER_00: With him, there is no darkness tinged with light.
SPEAKER_00: There's no gray, it's all light.
SPEAKER_00: And so that's the first point.
SPEAKER_00: The light has made itself known.
SPEAKER_00: Christ's presence is light.
SPEAKER_00: Has his light dawned in your heart?
SPEAKER_00: He gives us his promise.
SPEAKER_00: He says, where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them.
SPEAKER_00: Is that the most precious of all realities to you when you enter into this sanctuary?
SPEAKER_00: That'll change your experience of worship in this place.
SPEAKER_00: That's where belief and faith takes us.
SPEAKER_00: You don't have to be on a ship.
SPEAKER_00: You don't have to be at a manger.
SPEAKER_00: There is light that is given to us today.
SPEAKER_00: There is light on offer to us today.
SPEAKER_00: But it gets better.
SPEAKER_00: Because the light not only illumines, it also warms.
SPEAKER_00: The scene in verses 3 through 5 is a graphic one.
SPEAKER_00: It's likened to a person stumbling upon the scene of a battle that has just taken place.
SPEAKER_00: And yet nothing but the spoil remains.
SPEAKER_00: It's a scene of darkness and death.
SPEAKER_00: And yet at the same time, one of tremendous peace.
SPEAKER_00: Here we are given a glimpse of the paradox of the cross.
SPEAKER_00: And yet, this was not an attack on any nation, but on sin.
SPEAKER_00: Sin was the enemy, the root of all darkness.
SPEAKER_00: The first advent has come.
SPEAKER_00: Christ has conquered the darkness of sin and death, the real enemy.
SPEAKER_00: He has put away our sin, reconciled us to God by his blood.
SPEAKER_00: And because of that, there is nothing left for us to do but to begin collecting the spoils.
SPEAKER_00: It sounds too good to be true, doesn't it?
SPEAKER_00: Spoils in the midst of darkness?
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
SPEAKER_00: I'm sure many of us have experienced spoils.
SPEAKER_00: A bonus and your paycheck.
SPEAKER_00: Enjoying the celebrations after a sporting win.
SPEAKER_00: Either in the locker room or on the streets.
SPEAKER_00: I know a number of you were celebrating the Nats win a few weeks ago in the street.
SPEAKER_00: Or like me, you may have enjoyed a delicious dessert after your Thanksgiving meal this past week.
SPEAKER_00: But oh, how much better to collect eternal spoils.
SPEAKER_00: Yes, much still awaits us at Christ's second advent.
SPEAKER_00: There are many more spoils before us that we won't touch until heaven.
SPEAKER_00: The darkness won't be eliminated until then.
SPEAKER_00: But we don't need to wait until the second advent to begin collecting the spoils.
SPEAKER_00: Are you reaping the spoils of Christ's victory in your behalf?
SPEAKER_00: What spoils do you intend to reap this Christmas?
SPEAKER_00: Let's be those who pursue the spoils of faith.
SPEAKER_00: Look to find satisfaction in the humility of his love.
SPEAKER_00: In leaving heaven to come down to earth.
SPEAKER_00: But don't stop there.
SPEAKER_00: Cherish the precious gift of his spirit who delivers his love to the doorstep of our hearts and leaves it there at no cost.
SPEAKER_00: How much better than that than the UPS man delivering something at our doorsteps?
SPEAKER_00: Do you know that there are gifts that the Spirit is zealous to deliver to the doorstep of your heart only for you to unwrap?
SPEAKER_00: I'm reminded of that eagerness and beautiful exchange most Christmas mornings when I sit and watch the eager expressions on the faces of those who give gifts.
SPEAKER_00: Their faces are lit up with anticipation.
SPEAKER_00: Zealous for the receiver to unwrap the gift and to witness the joy of the kids opening it.
SPEAKER_00: And if that's true of us who still wrestle against the darkness, how much more is the Spirit zealous to give you gifts and anticipate, and with such anticipation and zeal, expression upon his face, waiting for you to open it.
SPEAKER_00: These deeper and lasting gifts of grace that will bring more satisfaction than the best Black Friday deal, I can assure you.
SPEAKER_00: What a gift.
SPEAKER_00: Savor the feast of the Father who has adopted us and dines with us.
SPEAKER_00: That's the secret to peace and joy.
SPEAKER_00: That's the solution to being firm in faith.
SPEAKER_00: That's what gives you and I the ability to be honest about the darkness and yet to still maintain hope.
SPEAKER_00: The link you see between God being glorified in our lives and our receiving peace is trusting in God's character and promises, looking to Him to fulfill them and responding with gratitude.
SPEAKER_00: The darkness may not always leave on our timetable.
SPEAKER_00: I don't know what difficulties you face even as you think about this holiday season.
SPEAKER_00: But may you know this.
SPEAKER_00: He knows about difficulty.
SPEAKER_00: For he himself entered into the darkness of this world and even into our own hearts, and can minister to you and I in the midst of it.
SPEAKER_00: And so it's in that light that I want us to revel for the few remaining moments in the full beam of light in this passage, to bask in its beams, to humble ourselves by looking away from our own preoccupations and by coming with empty hands to gather more of the spoils of his victory.
SPEAKER_00: My desire is that we would be further warmed by his light in our hearts and be those who extend peace.
SPEAKER_00: That's what we all need.
SPEAKER_00: That's the most fundamental answer to the problems that we see around us.
SPEAKER_00: I was riding home the other day with our boys, and as we looked into the distance at one point, we were awed by the dark gray clouds that had begun to part.
SPEAKER_00: And a hole in the clouds formed, and then all of a sudden, a stream of light from the heavens beamed down.
SPEAKER_00: You've probably seen similar things.
SPEAKER_00: But it was a beautiful picture of the light penetrating through the gloomy, dark skies and shining its warmth on everything it touched.
SPEAKER_00: And it reminded me that that's what I want.
SPEAKER_00: That his light might part the dark clouds of anxiety and unrest in my own heart.
SPEAKER_00: And that his light would stream in.
SPEAKER_00: And in doing so, that his light would warm my heart even more intensely than the fireside in our living rooms.
SPEAKER_00: On a wintery Christmas morning.
SPEAKER_00: That's the kind of Christmas that will never be lost on us.
SPEAKER_00: He's zealous to do that for us, you know.
SPEAKER_00: That's a taste of the glow of glory.
SPEAKER_00: And so let's take the last four titles of his character and adore him like the wise men.
SPEAKER_00: Yet not as a baby, but as our king in the midst, in our midst, who rules and reigns over all things, and who will one day return to receive us.
SPEAKER_00: Why is his rule a cause for joy?
SPEAKER_00: I'll tell you.
SPEAKER_00: First, wonderful counselor.
SPEAKER_00: It literally means one giving supernatural counsel.
SPEAKER_00: At the heart of a kingdom is a ruler.
SPEAKER_00: And at the heart of a good ruler is the ability to exercise wisdom.
SPEAKER_00: Christ's counsel transcends conventional wisdom.
SPEAKER_00: It's a wisdom that never fails to make right decisions in every moment.
SPEAKER_00: There is no power of darkness that he cannot outstrategize.
SPEAKER_00: His decisions are always just and good.
SPEAKER_00: Whereas sin brings chaos and confusion and is dishonest.
SPEAKER_00: His word cuts true to the very core between soul and spirit, joint and marrow, exposing our inmost thoughts and desires, separating light from darkness, to bring clarity and order and peace.
SPEAKER_00: He brings supernatural wonder into our lives for our good and our enjoyment.
SPEAKER_00: Mighty God, he is an empowered king for battle.
SPEAKER_00: He defeats his enemies with ease.
SPEAKER_00: Now we would have great reason for fear if our enemies in the devil, in the world, and the flesh were more powerful than he.
SPEAKER_00: But instead, we have a king who, when his enemies see him in his full battle regalia, they are shaken to the core.
SPEAKER_00: We have a powerful king, one that has power to act against the darkness, who takes swift action for our deliverance.
SPEAKER_00: Everlasting Father.
SPEAKER_00: Were we to have a leader who was mighty and yet without compassion would remain in fear.
SPEAKER_00: And yet, his power is a tempered power.
SPEAKER_00: For it's a power extended with fatherly love and care, who is lowly in heart.
SPEAKER_00: And so we can hide behind him.
SPEAKER_00: We can lodge ourselves under his impenetrable protection.
SPEAKER_00: Knowing of his great tenderness toward us in the face of all that is against us.
SPEAKER_00: And Prince of Peace.
SPEAKER_00: In his kingdom, there is the absence of conflict and animosity and the presence of joyful tranquility.
SPEAKER_00: And rich fellowship.
SPEAKER_00: And it's his glory that will shine all the more brightly and increase so that peace will reign and one day fill the whole earth with no end in sight.
SPEAKER_00: His glory will overcome all the darkness.
SPEAKER_00: That's the point.
SPEAKER_00: And at that time his peace will descend to man in all its fullness.
SPEAKER_00: And those are the spoils that still await us.
SPEAKER_00: John Piper states it well.
SPEAKER_00: He says, There is hardly a better way to sum up what God was about when he created the world or when he came to reclaim the world in Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER_00: His glory, our peace.
SPEAKER_00: His greatness, our joy.
SPEAKER_00: His beauty, our pleasure.
SPEAKER_00: The point of creation and redemption is that God is glorious and means to be known and praised for his glory by a peace-filled new humanity.
SPEAKER_00: Unless you feel any burden, the government doesn't fall on you, but on his shoulders.
SPEAKER_00: Let us likewise continue to warm our hearts on his glow.
SPEAKER_00: Let us not be those who are cold and prickly.
SPEAKER_00: But having been warned by the fireside of his love, let us be agents of blessing in the darkness.
SPEAKER_00: Such people are not hard to recognize.
SPEAKER_00: Their countenance is well lit, and their hearts are as warm and welcoming as the main dish on the dinner table.
SPEAKER_00: In all our endeavors, let us be those who reflect the glow of his favor.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: Let's pray.
SPEAKER_00: Oh gracious Father, we confess how a beautiful thing it is to dwell in your presence.
SPEAKER_00: To know that you are for us.
SPEAKER_00: And not only for us, but that you desire to warm us by your presence.
SPEAKER_00: Oh Lord, we thank you for your goodness and mercy to us.
SPEAKER_00: And we confess that even in the midst of the darkness that seeks to penetrate our lives, we pray and ask for renewed faith and hope in the midst of it.
SPEAKER_00: For the glory of your name and for the blessing of all your people.
SPEAKER_00: In Jesus' name, amen.