Sermon Central
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Jesus Is The Mighty Counselor
Contributed by Douglas Phillips on Jan 27, 2010 (message contributor)
Summary: THIS IS THE SECOND IN A SERIES OF ADVENT MESSAGES ON THE NAMES OF JESUS AS RECODED BY ISAIAH.
JESUS IS THE MIGHTY COUNSELOR
INTRODUCTION:
LAST WEEK WE BEGAN OUR ADVENT CELEBRATION BY MEDITATING ON THE NAMES THE PROPHET ISAIAH USED TO DESCRIBE JESUS IN CHAPTER NINE.
SOME TRANSLATIONS PLACE A COMMA BETWEEN WONDERFUL AND COUNSELLOR, SO IT IS ALL RIGHT TO THINK OF THESE WORDS AS ONE TITLE, OR AS WE ARE DOING TO SEPARATE THEM AND THINK ON EACH INDIVIDUALLY.
WE THOUGHT ON HOW AMAZING AND UNIQUE JESUS IS, AND HOW THIS WAS SHOWN EVEN IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF HIS BIRTH.
TODAY I WANT TO LOOK AT THE SECOND TITLE USED AND THAT IS COUNSELLOR. NOW WONDERFUL IS STILL IMPORTANT BECAUSE IN THIS CASE, IT ACTS AS AN ADJECTIVE AND DESCRIBES OUR AMAZING COUNSELLOR.
NOW THE WORD “WONDERFUL” MEANS THAT JESUS IS:
-BEYOND ANYTHING WE HAVE EVER SEEN, SINGULARLY UNIQUE
-EXTRAORDINARY, SO VAST THAT WE CAN’T UNDERSTAND THE FULL MEANING
- THAT JESUS GOES BEYOND THE BOUNDS OF ALL HUMAN EXPECTATIONS.
IN THE NEW TESTAMENT THE WORD “WONDERFUL” SEEMS TO BE REPLACED BY THE WORD “AMAZED”.
SO WHAT WE ARE GOING TO SEE TODAY IS THAT JESUS AS A COUNSELLOR IS EXTRAORDINARY, SINGULARLY UNIQUE, BEYOND THE BOUNDS OF ALL HUMAN EXPECTATIONS.
EVERYONE NEEDS A COUNSELOR AT SOMETIME, TO BOUNCE IDEAS OFF OF, TO SEEK STRATEGY AND ADVISE. IN OUR WORLD WHEN WE THINK OF COUNSELORS, THERE ARE FOUR BASIC TYPES THAT WE LOOK FOR.
1. THERE IS THE POLITICAL COUNSELOR THAT YOU VOTE FOR.
2. THERE IS THE COUNSELOR THAT GIVES ADVISE OR STRATEGY. THIS CAN COME IN VARIOUS FORMS. AT SCHOOL THEY HAVE A GUIDANCE COUNSELOR. THERE ARE ALSO PEOPLE WHO WILL GIVE COUNSEL ON FINANCIAL MATTERS, JOB SITUATIONS, THE PRIME MINISTER HAS A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO COUNSEL HIM ON VARIOUS ELEMENTS OF GOVERNMENT.
3. THERE IS THE PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELOR.
4. THERE IS LEGAL COUNSEL, OR A LAWYER. THEY ATTEMPT TO INTERPRET THE LAW TO THE BEST POSSIBLE END FOR THEIR CLIENT.
THESE DIFFERENT GROUPS ARE ALL GOOD IN AND OF THEMSELVES, AND THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE AS CHRISTIANS NEED TO AVAIL OURSELVES OF THEIR EXPERTISE, BUT WE SHOULD NOT NEGLECT THE HELP OF THE GREAT COUNSELOR AS WE SEEK ANSWERS TO OUR PROBLEMS.
IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE AUTOMOBILE A MAN HAD BROKEN DOWN BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. HE HAD TRIED IN VAIN TO GET HIS CAR RESTARTED. ANOTHER MAN NOTICED HIS PLIGHT AND PULLED UP NEXT TO HIM, AND TOLD THE OTHER MAN WITH CONFIDENCE, “I CAN FIX IT, JUST GIVE ME A MINUTE. CONFIDENTLY HE OPENED THE HOOD, AND AFTER A MINUTE OR TWO ASKED THE MAN TO GIVE IT A TRY. THE CAR STARTED ON THE FIRST CRANK. THE MAN WHO FIXED THE CAR WAS HENRY FORD.; WHO BETTER TO FIX THE CAR THAN THE CREATOR.
WHO BETTER TO HELP US WITH THE PROBLEMS WE ENCOUNTER IN THIS WORLD, THAN THE CREATOR OF THE WORLD.
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! 34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?” 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
THIS SCRIPTURE REMINDS US THAT:
- GOD’S MIND IS SO DEEP YOU’LL NEVER GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT
- GOD-S MIND IS SO COMPLETE THAT HIS PLAN IS PERFECT THOUGH IT IS CONFUSING TO US.
- GOD’S MIND IS SO UNSEARCHABLE THAT YOU CANNOT FATHOM WHAT HE IS DOING. HE MAY BE DOING SOMETHING TODAY THAT WON’T BEAR FRUIT FOR 50 YEARS.
- GOD’S MIND IS SO BEYOND US. WE ARE LIMITED TO OUR SENSES IN WHAT WE UNDERSTAND. GOD IS NOT.
NOW FOR US TODAY THE TYPES OF COUNSELOR I WISH TO FOCUS ON TODAY ARE THE STRATEGIST AND THE ADVOCATE OR THE LAWYER. LET’S TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TODAY AND SEE IF JESUS LIVES UP TO THE TITLE THAT ISAIAH GIVES HIM AND WHY.
BIBLICAL BACKGROUND:
IASAIAH’S PROPHETIC MINISTRY LASTED ABOUT FORTY YEARS THROUGHOUT THE REIGNS OF UZZIAH, JOTHAM, AHAZ, AND HEZEKIAH. THE FIRST THREE VERSES OF THE BOOK ARE CRITICAL TO US.
The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. 2 Hear, O heavens! Listen, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: “I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me. 3 The ox knows his master, the donkey his owner’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.”
THE REIGNS OF THE KINGS MENTIONED WILL TELL US WHAT THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND. UNDER UZZIAH, JUDAH WAS SICK WITH PROSPERITY. HE WAS A GREAT KING. JOTHAM HIS SON ALLOWED THE WORSHIP OF IDOLS AND THE DECLINE OF JUDAH BEGAN. AHAZ WAS A WICKED KING. HE WAS MARRIED TO JEZEBEL, AND TOOK IDOL WORSHIP TO A NEW LEVEL AS HE SACRIFICED HIS SON TO PEGAN GODS. HE ALSO FORGED ALLIANCES WITH PEGAN NATIONS RATHER THAN TRUSTING IN GOD FOR THE NATION’S SECURITY. HEZEKIAH WAS A GOOD KING, REOPENING THE TEMPLE AND DESTROYING IDOL WORSHIP.
