Advent 2010 #4 There Will Be No End
Advent 2010 #4
There Will Be No End
Isaiah 9:6,7
Well Thursday is my birthday.
Can you imagine it is your birthday, and all your friends show up; they gather in the family room, and everyone is so excited?
There are presents all over the place. But when they start, there isn’t a single present for you. They have bought EACH OTHER presents. And they aren’t CHEAP gifts either, they are quite extravagant but nothing for you.
Well, you and I, good folks that we are, we would NEVER do that. Not to anyone we know and love.
But do we do that to Jesus our Lord and Savior? We say it’s all about him, but what is FOR him this Christmas? What gift are you giving him to show him your love?
Oh there’s nothing wrong with giving to one another, but should the cause of Christ suffer for want while we lavish on each other? Can we consider what we will give to the one who has given us so much?
(Inspired by a poem by —Fred D. Jarvis )
For 3 weeks now we have been looking at Isaiah 9:6,7 as we celebrate the Advent Season.
The word Advent as you know means, The coming of Christ in Incarnation. That is Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity, leaving the glories of Heaven, emptying himself of his rights and privileges and taking on the limitations of humanity.
Philippians 2:6-8 says this about Jesus and his incarnation … “who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on as cross!"
Be very clear about this.
Jesus Christ was NOT a human that grew into a great example for us.
Jesus Christ was not a human that worked himself INTO a position of divinity
Jesus Christ was not a Spirit that became a human and then a son of God
Jesus Christ was not godlike
Jesus was ALREADY IN VERY NATURE, in his natural state was already GOD.
He then willingly gave up the rights and privileges that this entailed so that he could serve us
We needed a pure and perfect sacrifice and he BECAME like us to redeem us
He didn't just leave Heaven because he was bored.
He left Heaven to start something.
He left Heaven to start something that would not end.
And he placed the desire for it in our hearts … what is it?
His eternal rule, an eternity with God's purposes and plans carried out in our lives.
Isaiah 9:6,7 READ
Ecclesiastes 3:11 he has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end … 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so men will revere him.
God has put in your heart and mine a desire for eternal life, eternal rule and reign of Christ, and when we surrender to that … his purposes are carried out …
Let's break this down a bit, verse 7 says He will REIGN RULE on David's throne and over his kingdom/
1. Rule
How is the rule and reign of God carried out in Christ Jesus?
THRONE = seat of honor, authority and power
A. David's Throne
Jesus was an answer to God's promise to David
Psalm 132:11 the Lord swore an oath to David, a sure oath that he will not revoke: ´one of your own descendants I will place on your throne -
V12 says “if your sons keep my covenant and the statues I teach them, then their sons will sit on your throne for ever and ever”
Well David’s sons eventually did NOT keep those covenants. And they were disqualified. But God keeps his promises. And we also couldn’t keep the laws and promises we made to God … But that was not the end of the story
1. Jesus was a Descendent of David both through Mary and Joseph … God kept his word.
2. Though he was fully God, he was born INTO the family of David so that God could keep his promise and Christ could reign on David's throne forever.
Jesus Christ came and lived according to the statutes and covenant.
God kept his promises. Though hundreds of years had passed and many heartaches and disappointments as many of David's kings had been ungodly and wicked, yet still God protected his promise.
Luke 1:32 he will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David
3. By the way … Jesus has YET to sit on David's throne … at his FIRST Advent, he came meek, lowly, and humble. He came as a suffering Servant.
But as we read and learn in The Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the day is still coming when he WILL physically take David's throne. The day will come when he will appear, coming with the clouds of Judgment, riding a white horse accompanied by his church
But if you and I are to be with him … he must rule and reign on our throne. The throne of our heart Today NOW.
B. Your Throne
1. When Solomon took David's throne, 1 Chr 29:23 put it this way … Soloman sat on the throne of the Lord as king in place of his father David
2. You see Solomon recognized that HE was NOT the Eternal ruler of David's throne. He was only HOLDING the Throne temporarily … the throne belonged to the Lord
3. We also must come to a place in our lives where we recognize that the throne to our heart does NOT belong to us, our heart is the throne of the Lord and we need to get down and give it to him
He is the holder of David's throne, he desires to be on your throne but you need to know that he IS on ….
C. Eternity’s Throne
1. Matt 25:31 - he will come in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory
2. In Rev 21:3 as Eternity enters its final disposition and the New Jerusalem comes down to the New Earth from Heaven we hear, "Now the dwelling of God is with men and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said "I am making everything new!" then he said … "it is done. I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of water of life."
He is the promised one of David's throne, He is the One who is or wants to be on YOUR throne, and he is on Eternities throne
He rules not just for the purpose of ruling.
So many kings and rulers that this world have known have ruled for the purpose of ruling alone.
"It's Good to be the KING" that may be true for the King but not always for the subjects.
But for subjects, it is GOOD to have a GOOD King" …
Jesus didn't want to rule David's throne and your throne just so he could rule. He has that already, but he wanted to bring PEACE
2. Peace
Our sin destroyed our peace.
Our sin destroyed our relationship with God
Jesus rules and desires rule, so that he might establish peace and keep it forever …
Verse 6 ends by saying he is “the Prince of Peace” leading into verse 7. “and the increase of his government and peace will have no end
He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, …
A. Establishing and Holding
1. What a different kind of King we have in Christ. Think of every story you've ever read, every movie you've ever seen regarding Kings. Thrones are TAKEN and held by Force. God doesn't work that way with us. The throne of the Universe is HIS ACCORDING to Who he is.
He is the one who created it, he is the one who holds it together, he is the one who continues it moving and operating in harmony.
2. But the throne to your heart and life, the peace that you seek will never be taken by FORCE, no, God offers it and then will establish and hold it in your life through his kindness, mercy and peace
Pr 20:28 - Love and faithfulness keep a king safe; through love his throne is made secure
Romans 2:4 - it is his kindness that leads us to repentance
It is provided by him and it is KEPT by him
That’s why I know whom I have believed and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day 2 Tim 1:12
He is able to save completely those who come to God through him Heb 7:25
What a child, what a son that has been born to us Reigning on David’s Throne, Establishing and Holding It with
B. Justice and Righteousness
Pro 16:12 - a throne is established in righteousness
Pro 20:8 when a king sits on his throne to judge he winnows out all evil in his eyes
The righteousness of God demands Justice … Our Sin demands payment
So the justice of God was poured out on Christ at the cross and it was for that reason that the child was born, the Son was given.
And Through Christ HIS Righteousness is offered to replace our sinfulness
Rom 3;22-24 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus
So the choice is yours, an offer of a trade.
Justice poured out on Christ and accepted by you means the Righteousness of Christ imparted to you
Or his righteousness rejected will mean justice poured out on you
Remember the rule of this child born, this son given is established
3. From Then to Forever
FROM THEN or From that Time …
A. There must be a beginning
1. Jesus came at a specific time. And his eternal rule will come at a particular time and so You must give your heart, your life, your surrender to Christ and a specific time. There must have been a time when you recognized your need, your sin, convicted by the Spirit and empowered by him you believed in Christ and received his offer of forgiveness and righteousness.
And once you have done that …
2. then his rule is forever, his righteousness is eternal
3. For you and I who have given our hearts to Christ, our salvation is sealed forever, … but is that it? No, remember that we said, the government must be on his shoulder. We have to make a daily decision to continue to surrender to his rule. His Salvation is eternal but we must continually surrender to his reign in our life
B. It must be a Daily Decision to Continue
1. The great news about his Kingdom and his rule is that it only gets better from here. The stock market rises and falls, investments payoff but eventually play out. Everything you will put your hope in on this earth will eventually give out. Everything you invest in has a lifespan and you better get out at the right time or you could lose it all.
2. But I have GREAT NEWS, the increase that comes with HIS government … there will be no end. Someone feel me today? That’s GREAT NEWS!
3. So we have a choice. Live as a citizen on this world or …
C. I can live NOW like a citizen of Heaven, of Eternity
1. We are aliens in this world … this world is not my home. This child was born, this son was given but he was NOT of this world. If it were he would have fought for a throne, he would have sought the assistance of angels to protect and defend, but he was heading somewhere else
John 8:23,24 Jesus said … you are from below; I am from above. You are of this world: I am NOT of this world.
2. Abraham lived by faith in Tents … he recognized that this world was not his home until he came into God's promise
Hebrews 11:9,10,16 by faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents … 10 for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God … 16 … they were looking for a better country - a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them
3. Let me ask you, Have you set up permanent residence here or are you living as it were in tents? If you lose it all tomorrow would it be ok? How tightly do you hold on to the things of this world?
6. The Only way to leave behind our residence in this WORLD is to believe in Christ and surrender to his ever increasing rule
Jesus continued in John 8:24 I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins
We need to live as Citizens of Eternity RIGHT NOW
Is his rule INCREASING are you moving in GREATER obedience?
7. That is the gift we can give Christ today for Advent
In the New Living Translation it says
His ever expanding, peaceful government will never end. He will rule forever with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David
“What A Night”
That night when in the Judean skies
The mystic star dispensed its light,
A blind man moved in his sleep
And dreamed that he had sight.
That night when shepherds heard
The song of hosts angelic choiring near,
A deaf man stirred in slumber’s spell
And dreamed that he could hear.
That night when o’er the new-born babe
The tender Mary rose to lean,
A loathsome leper smiled in sleep,
And dreamed that he was clean.
That night when in the manger lay
The Sanctified who came to save,
A man moved in the sleep of death,
And dreamed there was no grave.
—Selected
!Conclusion -- My Gift –
Live Like a Citizen of Eternity, Heaven --
Our Gift to Him is to Receive HIS GIFT
I don’t know about you but I can’t WAIT till Christmas so my loved ones will open what I picked out and paid for to provide for them. What a terrible thing if they reject what I have lovingly given them
Receive His Gift
There is no need for you to be blind to the truth, deaf to his call, lame and unable to walk in righteousness, sick with the leprous sin or live in fear of the grave
Open your eyes and See
Tune your ears to hear
Walk in his Way
Be Clean and
LIVE TODAY
Live with your Heart Set On Eternity
Turn it all Over to Jesus Christ
My Mind, My Will, My Emotions
My Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength