Ashe Alliance Church
Sunday Service 12.07.25
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      • Isaiah 9:2ESV

  • Sing To The King
  • O Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)
  • Worthy Of It All
  • Main Idea
    Darkness surrounds us until the promised Light breaks in to deliver us.
    There’s something unmistakable about this time of year — the twinkling lights, the warm glow of candles, the music drifting through the air, and the nostalgia of a quiet manger scene with a sleeping baby who seems to radiate peace. Christmas carries a kind of magic we all feel, whether we can explain it or not. But have we ever stopped to ask why it feels this way? Why does the birth of Jesus stir joy, hope, and longing in places nothing else can reach?
    To answer that, we need to zoom out. From the very first page of Scripture, God tells the story of the world through darkness and light. Before creation came into being, darkness covered the deep — until God uttered a single powerful command: “Let there be light.” That moment wasn’t just cosmic; it was prophetic. Because just as physical darkness yielded to God’s light at the beginning, so spiritual darkness yields to God’s Light in Christ.
    And this is why Christmas shines so brightly: the good news is only “good” when we understand the dark backdrop behind it. Humanity has wandered into a deeper night — a darkness we can feel, a darkness we cannot escape on our own. We see the shadows in our world, in our relationships, and most painfully, in our own hearts.
    Advent starts by recognizing that darkness is real. But luckily, the message of Advent doesn’t leave us there. The Christmas story is about God doing again, in an even greater way, what He did at the start — speaking Light into the darkness and transforming what was once chaotic.

    Series Intro: Darkness → Light

    This Advent season, we will march toward the manger through this perspective of darkness and light:
    Sermon 1: The Darkness We Cannot Escape
    Sermon 2: The Light We Cannot Ignore
    Sermon 3: The Light We Cannot Hide
    Sermon 4: The Light We Eagerly Await
    Today, we will start this journey by understanding the darkness that we cannot escape from on our own.

    I. The Reality of Darkness (Isaiah 8:19–22)

    Beyond the opening verses of Genesis 1, we need to recognize the serious situation our world faces. As humans descended from Adam, we are fallen… dead in our sins, because when Adam fell, so did all his descendants. Spiritually, this means we are lost in darkness… or more accurately… lost in the dark sinful desires we long for. This grim view of the human condition sets the stage for one of the most famous and beloved Christmas passages, found in Isaiah 9, which promises the child that is born… the son that is given… who is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. But have you ever stopped to consider what that really means? If we do not have this incredible ruler, then we are without counsel, the mighty and everlasting Father, and peace. That is a bleak picture of a nation that is lost, and what we need to understand is that these people did not simply fall into darkness — they chose it.
    The story for today begins in Isaiah 7 during a time of national crisis. Two enemy nations, Israel and Syria, threaten Judah’s survival and demand that King Ahaz join their alliance against the rising empire of Assyria. Ahaz and the people tremble with fear, but God sends Isaiah to deliver a better message: “Do not fear… stand firm… trust Me.” God even offers Ahaz a miraculous sign — any sign! — to prove His faithfulness. But Ahaz refuses. His mind is already made up. Instead of trusting the Lord, he places his hope in Assyria, the very nation that will one day become God’s instrument of judgment against him.
    This rejection of God’s help marks the turning point in the story. Isaiah describes Judah as despising “the gently flowing waters of Shiloah”— a symbol of God’s quiet, steady, sovereign care for His people. Instead of trusting in the Lord’s provision, they exchanged His living water for the raging flood of Assyria. When they pulled away from God’s voice, they didn’t become spiritually neutral; they turned toward counterfeit voices, desperate for guidance but unwilling to seek it from the Lord. In other words, Judah ran to every source of light except the true Light. Let’s read together:
    Isaiah 8:19–22 CSB
    19 When they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the spiritists who chirp and mutter,” shouldn’t a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? 20 Go to God’s instruction and testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, there will be no dawn for them. 21 They will wander through the land, dejected and hungry. When they are famished, they will become enraged, and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God. 22 They will look toward the earth and see only distress, darkness, and the gloom of affliction, and they will be driven into thick darkness.
    The result is sobering. Isaiah 8 ends with a people stumbling in ever-deepening night. Because they rejected God’s counsel and resisted His presence, they no longer recognize truth from error or wisdom from foolishness. They search endlessly for answers but find only distress, hunger, gloom, and anguish. And then comes Isaiah’s final indictment: they are “thrust into deep darkness.” This is not just a political or military crisis — it is a spiritual collapse.
    The darkness Judah faces is the same darkness humanity encounters when it rejects the God who is Light.
    From this perspective, Isaiah 8:19–22 describes the types of darkness that still exist in the world today. When people ignore God’s voice, four kinds of darkness inevitably follow:
    Spiritual blindness — seeking guidance everywhere except from the Lord.
    Moral darkness — sin distorts, deceives, and deforms the human heart.
    Relational darkness — fear, conflict, injustice, and betrayal fracture community.
    Cosmic darkness — creation itself groans under humanity’s rebellion.
    The sobering reality scripture reveals to us is that darkness isn’t just around us — it’s in us.
    This is the world into which Isaiah 9 declares, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.”
    But, before we get to that magnificent aspect of Advent, we need to go beyond an event of Israel’s past to see how scripture reveals this reality to New Testament believers.

    II. The Universality of Darkness (Romans 1–3)

    Flip now to the book of Romans. This book is one of Paul’s crowning achievements. It is an impressive compilation of much of the theology found in his other writings and is skillfully constructed. In its opening chapters, Paul elaborates on the conditions we saw in Isaiah 8. As you read through the first 3 chapters, here is what you will find in a nutshell:
    Paul’s opening argument about the human condition:
    Romans 1: The irreligious are in darkness.
    Romans 2: The religious are in darkness.
    Romans 3: There is none righteous, no, not one.
    Romans 1: The irreligious are in darkness
    Romans 1:18–21 CSB
    18 For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, 19 since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse. 21 For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened.
    Romans 1:28–31 CSB
    28 And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a corrupt mind so that they do what is not right. 29 They are filled with all unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 senseless, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful.
    Do you see a clear link from Isaiah 8 to Romans 1? No matter how sophisticated our culture becomes, how advanced our technology is, or how civilized we believe we are, the reality is that we will continue to descend willingly into sin and the darkness that follows, as long as we pursue the passions of our fallen hearts.
    This widespread rebellion against God from unbelievers highlights why the need for a Savior is so incredibly urgent! But, lest we assume that ‘religious people’ have it all together; let’s see where Paul’s argument goes next.
    Romans 2: The religious are in darkness
    Here, Paul is talking about the Jews. It may be easy to judge those who clearly don’t seek after God, but what about God’s covenant people? Surely they walk in light, not darkness, right? After reading through the gospel of Mark, I’m sure you will remember that Jesus’ main opponents were the religious elite—the Pharisees, who were experts in the Law. Even those who claim to be God’s chosen people are not immune from walking in darkness.
    Romans 2:17–24 CSB
    17 Now if you call yourself a Jew, and rely on the law, and boast in God, 18 and know his will, and approve the things that are superior, being instructed from the law, 19 and if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light to those in darkness, 20 an instructor of the ignorant, a teacher of the immature, having the embodiment of knowledge and truth in the law—21 you then, who teach another, don’t you teach yourself? You who preach, “You must not steal”—do you steal? 22 You who say, “You must not commit adultery”—do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 For, as it is written: The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.
    Being a people who have the written Law doesn’t necessarily bring you into the light, because since we are made in God’s image, we have God’s law imprinted internally.
    Romans 2:14–15 CSB
    14 So, when Gentiles, who do not by nature have the law, do what the law demands, they are a law to themselves even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts. Their consciences confirm this…
    This again presents a bleak view of our spiritual condition. The Gentiles are in darkness because they actively rebel against the God they seek to hide from and whose truth they suppress. But, lest the religious stand in judgment, they should also see that their religiosity doesn’t help them either. Simply possessing the Law and trusting in your ability to keep it doesn’t bring you any closer to the light, because even the most dedicated person will still fall short of God’s perfect standards, which is what Paul discusses next.
    Romans 3: There is none righteous
    The crescendo of our unworthiness is expressed in chapter three:
    Romans 3:9–20 CSB
    9 What then? Are we any better off? Not at all! For we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin, 10 as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one. 11 There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. 12 All have turned away; all alike have become worthless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one. 13 Their throat is an open grave; they deceive with their tongues. Vipers’ venom is under their lips. 14 Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 ruin and wretchedness are in their paths, 17 and the path of peace they have not known. 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes. 19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are subject to the law, so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become subject to God’s judgment. 20 For no one will be justified in his sight by the works of the law, because the knowledge of sin comes through the law.
    Romans 3:23 CSB
    23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;
    Just to make sure we understand what Paul is emphasizing... he bluntly states humanity’s harsh truth... There isn’t anyone who does what is good, not even one. We cannot escape the universality of our sin.
    This is truly a difficult truth to face. The reality of our pursuit of darkness is actually quite revealing. It exposes our failures, our heart condition, our carnal desires, and our rejection of the God who not only said “let there be light,” but “is light.” It reveals our inabilities, weaknesses, and our need to look outside of ourselves for a solution to our deep needs.
    Does this resonate with you…
    the running from God
    suppressing a truth you know is right but don’t want to acknowledge?
    the pursuit of sinful indulgences
    the living of life by your own set of rules and standards? (how’s that going, by the way)?
    the self-righteousness
    the false piety of rule-keeping
    the compounding corruption of it all
    If you can connect wIf you can connect with one or more of these realities, then you are beginning to understand why the message of Advent is good news. Why? Because a repentant acknowledgment of these truths prepares your heart for the transformation that Christ offers, emphasizing the hope found in His grace. This darkness serves as the backdrop where Christ's light shines most brightly, because Jesus' light illuminates the way out of darkness and toward reconciliation with God.
    Praise God, there's more to the letter to the Romans than just 3:23. It’s true that we all fall short of God’s glory, but Romans 3:24 continues to say:
    Romans 3:24 CSB
    24 they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
    The glory of Advent is that it reveals the full truth: yes, we are born into darkness, but the Light has come, and the darkness cannot overcome Him.

    III. The Promise of Light (Isaiah 9:1–7)

    Isaiah 9:1–7 ESV
    1 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. 3 You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. 4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 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. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, 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. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
    The light has appeared in the darkness to resolve the problem of darkness. Let’s stay here for a moment to understand the nature of this Light.
    A. Light breaks in from the outside
    Not human achievement → divine intervention.
    B. The Light is a Person
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
    C. The Light comes to deliver and rescue
    Jesus doesn’t come in anger to condemn His people, He comes in sacrificial love to save them.
    D. The Light cannot be extinguished
    “Of the increase of His government… there will be no end.”
    The Advent season reminds us of the transformative journey from darkness to light, but we can’t do that unless we start in the dark. We don’t want to stay there or feel ashamed for spending time in darkness, but it serves as the beginning of the great joy we find in Christ, because it reveals why His arrival is so wonderfully life-changing.
    So today, we reflect on our dark beginnings because it shows us why we still need Advent.
    When we minimize darkness, we trivialize grace.
    When we pretend everything is fine, we are blind to our need.
    Advent trains us to wait, to long, to be honest about our condition, so that when we see the only way out, we can rejoice in it.

    Conclusion

    Advent begins with honesty:
    The world is dark.
    We are sinful.
    We cannot save ourselves.
    But the Light is coming.
    And so we return to where we began — that familiar sense of wonder we feel every December. The twinkling lights, the carols, the manger scenes… they captivate us for a reason. They are faint reflections of a far greater reality: into our deep darkness, God has sent His Light. Not a sentimental glow, not a seasonal feeling, but a Savior who steps into the shadows we created and brings a hope we could never produce on our own. This is why Christmas feels different — because it is different. It is the moment when God pierced human history with the radiance of His redeeming love.
    But remember, if darkness exists not only around us but within us, then Christ’s light must do its work not only in the world but in our hearts. So as we enter this Advent season, I want to invite you to quietly, honestly reflect: Where do you need the Light of Christ to shine? Where have you been hiding, suppressing the truth, managing sin in the shadows? What dark corners still need His counsel, His power, His peace, or His illuminating presence?
    The beauty of Advent is that you don’t have to clean yourself up to approach the Light — the Light has come to you. And the same Jesus who stepped into the darkness of Bethlehem is willing, even eager, to step into the darkness of your life today. Open yourself to Him. Let His Light expose, heal, and transform.

      • Isaiah 8:19–22CSB

      • Romans 1:18–21CSB

      • Romans 1:28–31CSB

      • Romans 2:17–24CSB

      • Romans 2:14–15CSB

      • Romans 3:9–20CSB

      • Romans 3:23CSB

      • Romans 3:24CSB

      • Isaiah 9:1–7CSB

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  • Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow (Old 100th)
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Ashe Alliance Church
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