Sermon Tone Analysis

“And He will be called...” “…Wonderful Counselor”

“…Wonderful Counselor

Intro: Have you ever received bad advice?

You don’t have to look hard to find bad advice, took me 30 seconds looking on line to find some bad advice.

I mean received advice that sounded good, from a source that you thought was good, but in the end cost you on many levels?

In an awkward/uncomfortable situation?

Just moon-walk away.

People will think you are walking toward them but you are in fact leaving.

If you accidentally cut someone off, pump your breaks to spell out “I’m sorry” in Morris Code.

they will acknowledge their forgiveness by honking and swerving.

Sign all of your blank checks now to save time writing future checks!

Having trouble remembering someone’s name?

Give them a new one!

Plug a power strip into itself for infinite power.

Spray yourself in the eyes with windex to quickly clean your contacts without the hassle of removing them.

Now if you found yourself thinking about any of these “why is everyone chuckling that sounds like a good idea”

It’s ok, people have been miss guided by deceitful or bad council since the garden of Eden, and even when things should seem obvious as a bad source for council, like a talking snake questioning Gods intensions, people fall for bad advice all the time.

That is the focus of today, where to find Good Advice, Good Council, Clear Direction, in an ever shifting ever confusing world, where do you turn to for council on which way to take that next step, how to live life, how to respond, how to react, how to … what to… where to… we need a good source of Council.

So today we be begin our Christmas Series...

“And He will be called...”

Gifts and giving are truly at the heart of the Christmas season, not necessarily to the extent that the retail world has exploited it, making you feel like you just have to buy this now because its the best deal that you will find… save save save, spend spend spend in the name of giving giving giving, but the reality is its not about the giving the saving but the spending because of this notion that we have to have the newest, the best, and if we are honest most have to some degree bought into…

But Gifts and Giving are truly at the heart of the Christmas Season.

The greatest gift that humanity has ever received was unwrapped on Christmas.

It wasn’t a gift just to make the kids happy but it would bring Joy,

It wasn’t a gift just to appease the in-laws but it would bring Peace,

It wasn’t a gift just make the kids wishes come true but it did bring Hope,

It wasn’t a gift of romance and mistletoes, but it did bring Love of a whole other kind.

Hope , Joy, Love, Peace they all were a part of the greatest gift humanity ever received, and was unwrapped on the very first Christmas.

“For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given,”

Right from the very onset of this passage we see the gift of Hope.

In a day and age where hope was needed, a promise was given which instilled hope.

With the northern kingdom of Israel falling and captivity to the Assyrian’s, the succumbing to pagan worship, the remnant of God, the select few who remain faithful were in need of hope.

“For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given,”

hope through a future Davidic king.

But so much more than they could have imagined, more then just a man, more than a good man, more than a man after God’s own heart.

This promise of hope, this son given, is Emmanuel God with us.

hope through a future Davidic king

And made his dwelling among us, The king of Kings, the Lord of Lords, creator of the universe, Messiah, Saviour, Jesus is more than a man, more than just another child born.

At the sound of his voice creation took its form, so when He came as Messiah, Redeemer, the fact that the government would be on His shoulders is no mystery, that He would have the entitlement to rule is an obvious position to see, after all He was there at creation....

So the gift of Christmas was the awaited, Messiah, Ruler, Redeemer, Saviour came as a child but now we await again for His return not as a child but as Lord of Lords riding a white Horse, taking His church, His bride to reign with Him forever.

So thats the Gift of Christmas which brings us to the main focus for today...

And He will be called...

Wonderful Counselor

Now by no means is what Im about to preach knocking or belittling the importance or significance of professional counselors.

In fact quite the opposite, having someone to talk to someone to give you good counsel is a good thing.

There are stresses, traumas, mental health issues that need the help of Godly professional counsel.

Its the same as physical healing, if you slip and break your wrist because you didn’t execute a good Yoko Ukemi (side breakfall)are we going to pray for healing?

yes, and God may heal in that moment or He may use the wisdom of the medical field and create an opportunity for you to witness while being treated.

But Im going to pray first, turn to Him first, for if we claim Him to be the great physician, then should we not turn to Him first, at least to ask for guidance and favour in seeking medical treatment.

The same goes for counsel, Im turning to Him first.

He’s my go to for healing, wether thats healing form mind body or soul, He is my go to.

And He will be called … Wonderful counselor

This Counselor is two fold, int he cooperate since, He is our great political leader, describing His overwhelming ability to lead the Kingdom of God, to direct the Church, and secondly He is our individual Counsel, He is the living Word, the infallible source of guidance for the individual.

Not sure what career path to take, seek His Counsel

Not sure what ministry to be involved in, seek His counsel (by the way rarely does He say nothing, others will cover it)

Not sure what carrer path to take, seek His Counsle

Not sure how to respond to a wayward child, seek Him

Not sure what ministry to be invloved in, seek His counsel (by the way rarely does He say nothing, others will cover it)

Not sure how to respond to a wayward child, seek Him

Not sure how to respond and recover from a straying spouse, seek His counsel

Not sure how to overcome addictions, seek His advice

Counsel has always been and continues to be something that is needed.

From the very beginning humanity craves wise counsel

I love what Spurgeon says on this,

"How we need Jesus as our Counselor!

“It was by a Counsellor that this world was ruined.

Did not Satan mask himself in the serpent, and counsel the woman with exceeding craftiness, that she should take unto herself of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, in the hope that thereby she should be as God? Was it not that evil counsel which provoked our mother to rebel against her Maker, and did it not as the effect of sin, bring death into this world with all its train of woe? Ah! beloved, it was meet that the world should have a Counsellor to restore it, if it had a Counsellor to destroy it.”

(Spurgeon)

You know as a pastor people come and ask for counsel, advice when they are hurt, lost, confused, unsure… they come when it seems life has them up agents the ropes and seek for Godly counsel from the pastor.

I love helping, listing, praying and seeking Gods direction with them for them.

But you know there is one very tiring, very draining thing in giving counsel, its when advice is sought, effort is put into giving the advice being sought, and the advice is neglected, and then when the original situation worsens they ask why is this happening to me....

But thats the thing, advice is advice not direction.

Counsel is counsel not instruction.

As a pastor, as people giving godly advice we have to be reminded of that from time to time, not that takes away from the draining of it, however it can be a reminder of how it must make God feel.

The difference is the Counsel from Him, is not advice but direction, it’s not just counsel but instruction, His counsel comes with a much weightier sense of authority.

But dont

Matthew 7:28-29

At the end of His sermon on the mount, which spans from chapter 5-7 of Matthew, those listening were amazed at both the content and the delivery.

It was profoundly wise, but it was delivered with authority.

This is a recognition point of the fulfilment of the prophetic declaration of Him being called Wonderful Counselor.

His counsel comes with a much weightier sense of authority.

but don’t let that weigh you down, because His counsel is wonderful.

This adjective “Wonderful” it is used in Judges 13:18

Beyond understanding

This adjective “Wonderful” it is also used in

Superassingly extradonary, marvellous, Supernatural

Surpassingly extraordinary, marvellous, Supernatural

We are intended to live an Extra Ordinary Life, and the plan to live that was is made known to us because of the Gift of Christmas who will be called Wonderful (Supernatural, Surpassingly extraordinary) Counselor.

You know I preach about living the extraordinary life a lot, and I make no apologies for that, it is a passion of mine, to see more people living a Spirit led and empowered life, to have encounters with the Glory of God that leads them to living life on a whole other level.

But I did realize that the supernatural life, the extra ordinary, the seemingly crazy extreme can be a wee bit intimidating at times.

Like the first time I fired a shotgun, dads old double barrel 12gauge.

It was a wee bit intimidating.

But see at 10 years old dad didn’t just hand me the gun and say go to town, He took of his jacket folded it up put in on my shoulder, went behind me and held the stock tight to my shoulder to show me how, then let go, but i never felt alone, his hands and arms around me the whole time.

See the powerful supernatural life yes it can be intimidating but it is brought about now through the Holy Spirit who lives with you in you.

Your never alone, He’s arms and hands are wrapped around you the whole time.

so I say it again

We are intended to live an Extra Ordinary Life, and the plan to live that was is made known to us because of the Gift of Christmas who will be called Wonderful (Supernatural, Surpassingly extraordinary) Counselor.

So when your Not sure where, what how....

Seek the Supernatural Extra Ordinary plan of God through the supernatural extraordinary wonderful Counsellor Jesus.

How, His Word, and His Spirit.