First Baptist Church
December 4, 2022
Luke 1.26-28ESV
Luke 1.29-31ESV
Luke 1.32-34ESV
Luke 1.35-36ESV
Luke 1.37-40ESV
Luke 1.41-43ESV
Luke 1.44-47ESV
Luke 1.48-50ESV
Luke 1.51-54ESV
Luke 1.55-56ESV
- Good Christian Men Rejoice
- O Come All You Unfaithful
- Joy To The World
- Jesus Messiah
- This is an incredibly familiar verse, so I want us to think about what we are reading.
Isaiah 8:22 ESV 22 And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness.These are people in sin, but the application is vivid.Because of sin the earth is full ofdistressdarknessanguishI also want you to think of this in context of Hebrews 11.Hebrews 11:13 ESV 13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.Isaiah is writing prophecy… things yet to come.He was writing prophecy to encourage those who had not yet recieved the promise.We have received the promise.We have thousands of years of testimony and truth to look back on to back up the prophecy.How much more then should we be encouraged?Isaiah 9:6 ESV 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.Some versions split the two words - wonderful & counselorHowever, most scholars agree that the better translation is that they go together.The child that was born is a Wonderful Counselor.The meaning is far deeper than the english language would lead us to believe.1. Jesus is incomprehensible.“Wonderful”Something that is wonderful is great. It’s extra good.Our thanksgiving meal was wonderful.That wedding was wonderful.Ice Cream can be wonderful.Hebrew…AstonishingExtraordinaryIncomprehensibleJudges 13:17–18 ESV 17 And Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “What is your name, so that, when your words come true, we may honor you?” 18 And the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?”The angel of the Lord told Manoah that he would not be able to understand even if He told him.We really could say - in the original Hebrew - “A wonder of a counselor”2. Jesus is an incomprehensible strategist.“Counselor” -to advise, counsel, purpose, devise and plan.to purpose, devise and plan is to strategize.It is far more than someone who give us advise.an esteemed position that involved giving wisdom and strategy to the king. The kings closest advisors.It is one who can properly stand near the king and give advice on how to rule.Jesus the King needs no advisors. He is His own counselor and strategist.Job 38:4–5 ESV 4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. 5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?Romans 11:34 ESV 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?”He is an incomprehensible, wonder of a strategist.So incomprehensible that His strategies often don’t make sense to us.Like spreading the gospel.1 Cor says it PLEASED God to use the foolishness of preaching.Like the people He uses.We also know that He uses the foolish and broken things of the world.His strategy is not like ours.Isaiah 55:8–9 ESV 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.Here’s what I mean...Jeremiah 29:4–14 (ESV)4 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce.6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease.7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream,9 for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the Lord.10 “For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place.11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.This was the master strategists plan.He had a future plan for them, but for now exile was part of that good plan.We can’t fathom His strategies.3. Trust His strategy.(3) A. Our incomprehensible strategist knows what we need better than we do.He can handle all the problems that keep us awake at night.FinancesfamilyhealthjobProverbs 19:21 ESV 21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.The reason we struggle with God’s plans is because it doesn’t match ours.(3) B. Our incomprehensible strategist knows the past, present, and future.Isaiah 46:9–10 ESV 9 remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’God is writing HIS story.He is using you and I to do it.God chose you before your past.We like to disqualify ourselves because of our past.God knows the future… not just OUR future.The story of the Bible.Is a about God.We fit in that story is a special way that we can’t comprehend.Remember Zerubbabel from the book of Haggai.Given a second chance.Receiving the grace of God.So that the Davidic line could be restored and the Messiah could come.(3) C. Our incomprehensible strategist has a bigger plan than we do.We cannot comprehend the greatness of God’s plans.Maybe you don’t like God’s plans.Maybe God’s plan hurts right now.Maybe God’s plan scares you right now.Know this...His strategies are infallibly and wonderfully right.No pain. No gain.Our pain if for our gain.If suffering is for our good then suffering will not disappoint and our incomprehensible strategist knows that.Our plans are futile and small.We would take away the suffering in an instant.But God says we will not be disappointed by it.Romans 5:1–5 ESV 1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.We rejoice - glory, boast, find joy - because...Produces or works fully!!EnduranceCharacterHopeSome of you may remember this...Questions for the week:In what specific areas of my life do I need to trust The Incomprehensible Strategist?How does my prayer life reflect my trust of The Incomprehensible Strategist?How do the truths of this sermon give me comfort and hope? Isaiah 8:22ESV
Hebrews 11:13ESV
Isaiah 9:6ESV
Judges 13:17–18ESV
Job 38:4–5ESV
Romans 11:34ESV
Isaiah 55:8–9ESV
Proverbs 19:21ESV
Isaiah 46:9–10ESV
Romans 5:1–5ESV
First Baptist Church
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