"The Government of Christmas" December 16, 2018 AM

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Sunday Morning, December 16, 2018 AM "The Government of Christmas" Isaiah 9:3-7

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Father, I want to give you thanks this morning for the answered prayers already.
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In the singing of the truths of your
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Word, and the prayers offered up by my brothers in Christ, and in the reading of your
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Word, you already lead us to worship you, to give you the glory, to ascribe the worth that you deserve to your name.
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Lord, we thank you for the opportunity, the blessing of this local church, where we can gather together, and in unified voice, in the communion of the saints, that we offer up this praise to you.
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Now, Father, as we turn to your Word, in which you have so splendidly revealed your
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Son, with such great power by your Holy Spirit, have your way in us, do your work in us, seal the truth of your
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Word to us, press us into the mold of Christ, so shaped in this
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Word, and bring us forth to your own glory and for our own good, holy, forgiven, repentant, faithful.
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We pray for these mercies, looking only to our Savior Jesus Christ, the one with whom you are well pleased.
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Amen. Well, we've been looking in the book of Isaiah at some of the passages that are quoted in the
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Gospel narratives at the birth of Christ, the passages in Isaiah that are often brought to bear in the
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New Testament, when something must be said about the birth of Christ, the arrival of Christ, the position of Christ as Savior and King.
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Isaiah chapters 7 through 12 are known as the book of Emmanuel, wherein we hear about this particular individual who is called
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God with us, who is identified as a king, who is seen as the heir of David, and in fact, the true fulfillment of Abraham's Shiloh and Eve's seed.
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And so it's a wonderful place to go in the Christmas season. We've talked about the God of Christmas from Isaiah 11,
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Emmanuel, God with us, and we've also spent some time already in Isaiah 8 and 9, thinking of the grace of Christmas, the light that has shone in the darkness.
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And you'll notice the bulletin says we're going to make it through verse 7, and that's not accurate. The bulletin was done efficiently and on time, and my sermon was not.
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So it is done, it just wasn't done in time for the bulletin to be corrected. We're not talking about the guarantee of Christmas.
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That'll be next week. Please come back next week. We'll talk about the guarantee of Christmas. For now, we're talking about the government of Christmas, two words you've probably never put together.
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If you have, you've done better than I have before I studied this text. But we're going to talk about the government of Christmas this morning.
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Will you please stand with me in reverence to Jesus Christ, our King, who is revealed here in this passage.
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I'll be reading from Isaiah 9, beginning in verse 3. You shall multiply the nation.
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You shall increase their gladness. They will be glad in your presence, as with the gladness of harvest.
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As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For you shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.
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For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult and cloak rolled in blood will be for burning, fuel for the fire.
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For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us, and the government will rest on his shoulders.
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And his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
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There will be no end to the increase of his government or of peace on the throne of David and over his kingdom.
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To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore.
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The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.
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And this is the reading of the word of God. You may be seated. So how do you feel about the government?
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You can ask that question in any nation and you get about the same answer. Politicians know the general dissatisfaction of the people for the government.
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And this is why they incessantly politic on the theme of change. And they don't mean anything that radical, just the comfort of a new face.
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Very few of them in history have ever advocated for a total regime change. The overthrow of the current government and the establishment of a new one.
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Though there were quite a few folks in the mid -1700s in the English colonies who were calling for regime change.
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And once it got started, it proved very difficult for a cash -strapped King George to put down what the
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English not so fondly referred to as the Presbyterian Revolt.
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Forget war for independence, forget revolutionary war. It was the Presbyterian Revolt. That's what the
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English called it. Why? Because the call for regime change came first from the reformed pulpits.
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And the fight was then led by the men who'd been filling the pulpits, forming what was then also called the
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Black Robe Regiment. The regime change, you see, had a spiritual origin.
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It had a theological basis. And when it comes to Christmas, we need to acknowledge at this season in the year the most important regime change of all.
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Surprisingly, government or Christmas is about government. It's about who's in charge.
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It's about a regime change that has a spiritual origin and a theological basis. And I think as we read this passage from Isaiah, as we pay attention to all of the links in the prophetic chain given to us, we observe that this promise of a child born to us, this promise of a son who was given to us, is connected without any doubt, connected to regime change.
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As old Simeon said when he held the infant Lord Jesus, the nativity of the child will bring about the fall and the rise of many in Israel.
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The advent of the son, he said, is a sign to be opposed. Luke 2 .34.
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The government will be overthrown. New government established. Our controlling thought for this passage, and again, this is really just the first half of two sermons, but our controlling thought this week and next is this.
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Christ's regime change guarantees the joy of salvation.
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Christ's regime change guarantees the joy of salvation.
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We're going to talk about joy today. We're going to talk about regime change today. And we'll talk about guarantees next week.
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There's a couple of translation notes that I feel obligated to give at the outset.
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First one is this. As I was reading through the passage verses 3 through 7 in Isaiah 9, if you were not using the
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New American Standard, you would have noticed that everything was written in the past tense or present tense while I was reading in the future tense.
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Example, verse 3. The ESV reads, You have multiplied the nation.
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You have increased its joy. The New American Standard says, You shall multiply the nation.
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You shall increase their gladness. So one says past. One says future. And then in verse 6, the
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ESV again. For to us a child is born. To us a son is given.
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While the New American Standard reads future. For a child will be born to us.
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A son will be given to us. If you've noticed that, don't let that throw you off too much. Why are the translators doing it in that way?
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It's because Isaiah is clearly talking about things that are yet to come. He is clearly elaborating on the sign of Emmanuel that God gave to Ahaz.
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He's got some things to say about what will happen, but he says them in the past tense or in the completed present tense.
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What's the point of all of that? The point of it is, it's as good as done.
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That's the point of it. The point of it is that God declares the end from the beginning and from ancient times things that have not yet been done.
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That God's purpose will be established and he will accomplish all his good pleasure. That's Isaiah 46 .10.
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So when God says something about the future, it's as good as done as if it already happened.
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And that's why we have the different translations. One in the past and completed. One in the future.
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Read them alongside and you get the idea. The second translation note happens in verse 3.
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Those of you reading from the King James will wonder at the rendering. In verse 3, Thou hast multiplied the nation and not increased the joy.
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And the rest of our translations read the second phrase positively. Thou hast increased its joy.
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That's the RSV. A more literal translation, Thou hast to it increased joy.
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Why the difference? Because the
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Jewish scribes didn't have a lot of papyrus to write on. So they didn't leave space wasted.
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They didn't give space between the words. And so it's all jumbled up together. And there's a question as whether or not there's this little bitty squibble on the front of increased.
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Does it mean to it? Or does it mean no? They're spelled exactly the same.
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Context determines. Well, the King James reads it that God had multiplied the nation, but not increased the joy.
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If you adopt that reading, it's one of those things where you are to reflect back on the days of Solomon. When God had increased a nation and look at all how grand they were, look at how many people were in the nation.
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But what about the joy? Where was the joy? The people were hard pressed, forced labor, high taxation.
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And yes, they increased. And yes, the nation was glorious. But where was the joy? And the idea in the text is the real son of David, the true son of David, he'll increase the nation and the joy at the same time.
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And that's a true statement. And that's a good idea to hold on to as we read through this passage.
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Otherwise, if it doesn't say, thou hast not increased the joy, the Hebrew particle means, thou hast to it increased joy, which falls in line with everything else that is being said about the things that God will do.
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He will multiply the nation. He will increase their gladness. They will be glad in your presence with the gladness of harvest and all the wonderful things that God will do.
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We'll stick with the second reading. I'm not smart enough to know which one.
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I just know that what God put down, it was it. And he'll let us know when we get to heaven, what the particle was.
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Was it negative or was it dative? I don't know. So, moving on.
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Deliverance through destruction, verses three through five. Here's some really good news in verse three.
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Really good news. But what you have to look at is the connection between verses three and four and five.
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The good news in verse three depends entirely on the violence of verses four and five.
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The oppression will be broken because the oppressors will be burned. Joy will come, but only because judgment will fall.
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First, the deliverance. There are two joys to drink from in verse three. Two veins of gladness to mine.
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These are joys for us to taste this Christmas. These are treasures for us to receive with gladness this
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Advent. The first is the joy of multiplication. Verse three begins this way.
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You shall multiply the nation. You shall increase their gladness. Why is that such good news?
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Multiply the nation. Because they live under the threat of extermination. They had always lived under the threat of extermination.
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From the time that they were wandering about with Abraham and his few descendants, and even the time that Abraham had no son, and would his lying continue?
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Then wandering about in Canaan without a place to really settle down. To the time the famine afflicted them, and would they have enough food to survive?
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To the time that they were enslaved in Egypt and their babies are floating down the Nile River because of Pharaoh. They were always under the threat of extermination.
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And God says he will multiply the nation.
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Isaiah has been preaching to a king that is shaking in his boots because of the enemies that are on his doorstep.
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Extermination is a very real threat. And yet, here's his promise.
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You shall multiply the nation. Isaiah has been prophesying. His eyes level on the northern horizon in verses one and two.
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He's been talking about those who were in darkness will see a great light, Galilee, of the
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Gentiles. But now he puts his eyes upward and he's staring in wonder at what the
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Lord will do. What the Lord will do is not just preserve his people, but multiply his people.
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Isaiah's firstborn son is called Shear Jashub. A remnant will return.
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Well, a remnant is not very much, but at least it's something. Now here's a promise that it's not just a remnant. It's multiplication.
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What a marvelous promise. And if you track all the connections in the links, he says, you shall multiply the nation.
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You shall increase their gladness. Notice verse four, for you shall break the yoke of their burden.
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How will he do this? Verse five, for every boot of the booted warrior will burn. How is all this coming about?
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Verse six, for a child will be born to us and a son will be given to us. How will the multiplication come about?
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How will the nation be multiplied? It is all predicated on the child being born, upon the son being given.
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And if you want to know where the multiplication of the nation comes from, you just look at the previous two verses. Look there,
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Galilee of the Gentiles. Why are the Gentiles going to be involved with the
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Jews? Because Abraham through his seed, Genesis 17, will be the father of a multitude of nations.
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Not just Abram, father of a people. Abraham, father of many peoples.
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Isaiah 49 .6, he says, the father says to the son,
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God says to Christ, it is too small a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and restore the preserved ones of Israel.
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That's too small a thing, he says. I will also make you a light of the nations so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.
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Not just a remnant, folks. Multiplication to the ends of the earth.
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And that is why surprising and special instructions were given to those who were anticipating the restoration of Jerusalem as the centerpiece of the earth.
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In Zechariah chapter 2, there's a young man who wants to go and measure everything to get ready for the rebuilding of Jerusalem.
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They're going to make Jerusalem great again. He's got a plan. He's going to measure it all and start building the walls.
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And an angel is sent to intercept this young man. He says to the young man,
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Jerusalem will be inhabited without walls. Zechariah 2, 4.
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Without walls. Because of the multitude of men and cattle within it.
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For I, declares the Lord, will be a wall of fire around her and I will be the glory in her midst. So many people, so much life, so almost overabundant life that the walls will not be able to contain the number of people in Jerusalem.
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Therefore, don't build the walls. God will take care of the walls. He'll be the wall of fire.
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How many people? Well, Zechariah 2, 11 and 12. Many nations will join themselves to the
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Lord in that day. What day? The day of the Messiah. The day of Emmanuel. And will become my people.
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Singular. Do you hear it? Then I will dwell in your midst.
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Emmanuel. And you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. The Lord will possess
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Judah as his portion in the Holy Land and will again choose Jerusalem. And how will that be? It will be as he brings together a people of a multitude of nations.
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One that you can't even begin to count. That is the joy of multiplication.
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Does that make you glad? That there's that many people of God? That it's not just a few and it's not just the
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Jew? That there's a massive multiplication of God's people. That is one of the joys of Christmas.
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One of the joys of God sending his Son into the world. To live and to die for us and to be raised for us and to reign over us.
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The intensity of the joy is on the level with the extensiveness of the multitude.
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I don't like your brownies. You really should. You should bring forth a holy yee -haw.
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We often feel the pang of the few, don't we? We just heard how lonely it is to be a missionary in a missionary's family.
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It can sometimes feel lonely in your own family. If your relatives are not Christians and you have to go to family gathering after family gathering, you're the only one who cares a lick about Jesus.
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It can feel like it's just a few. When you're wondering about the people defecting from Christ and giving up the truths of Scripture for the sake of popularity.
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You can feel the pang of the few. Yes, many are called, few are chosen.
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But you know what the few end up being? The innumerable multitude. The multitude that no man can count.
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That's the joy of Christmas. And it's also the joy of worship. It says that they will be glad in your presence as with the gladness of harvest.
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As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. The joy of worship.
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That they will be in the presence of God. Why does that excite them? Why is that good news for them?
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Because they live under the threat of exile. The armies are on their doorstep.
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The judgment has been preached that they don't follow God. They're going to be taken off into exile. No longer will they be in Jerusalem.
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No longer will they have a temple to worship at. They will be cut off from the signals and the symbols that God had given to them.
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Where they were to worship Him. They're under the threat of exile. But this is a promise that they will be glad in the very presence of God.
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That they will be able to worship Him in the light of God. That no longer will they live in darkness. That they will not be cut off from a holy
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God in their sin. But they will rejoice in His presence. And how in the world is this promise of the joy of worship accomplished?
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It is because God will break the yoke of their burden. And because every boot of the booted warrior will burn.
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Why? Because a child will be born to us. And a son will be given to us.
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The joy of worship is brought about because God with us is born.
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Because Jacob's ladder became a person. And heaven and earth are brought together into one place.
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Into one person. And that person is Jesus Christ. And through Him we are brought before the very face of God.
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Isaiah writes here of the gladness of harvest. And as men rejoice over the spoils of war.
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And in this he's reflecting on Deuteronomy chapter 12 verses 1 through 7. Where Moses is giving instructions to the people to go forth and conquer
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Canaan. Then settle it. And when they've conquered Canaan and they've settled it. To come and bring their sacrifices in Deuteronomy 12 verse 7.
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There in the place where God said to gather in His name. There also you and your households will eat before.
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It's the same term as in the presence of. Before the very face of God.
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You shall eat before the Lord your God. And rejoice in all your undertakings.
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In all your victories. In your battles. In all of your harvests. Of your crops. In which the
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Lord your God has blessed you. To worship God and fellowship in His presence. Joining with Him in a meal.
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That was to be a central joy for them. And a powerful shadow of Christ.
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Do we know the Christmas joy of multiplication? Do we know the Christmas joy of worship?
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Because Christ has come. We may gather all the blessings of God to His table in Thanksgiving.
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And with pounding fists and hearty voices. Chant His victory song. Because He has smashed the dragon.
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And He has saved His bride. So that's the deliverance in verse 3. That's why there's so much joy in verse 3.
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But this deliverance happens because. Of the destruction that God brings against the oppression and the oppressors.
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See these two joys of multiplication and worship. These two joys. Ride high upon deliverance from extermination and deliverance from exile.
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So whatever it is that threatened extermination. Whatever it is that threatened exile. Mark it down for destruction.
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Whatever kept them from multiplying. Whatever kept them from worshiping. Mark it down for destruction.
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The oppression will be broken. The oppressors will burn. Notice verse 4. For you shall break the yoke of their burden.
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And the staff on their shoulders. The rod of their oppressor. As at the battle of Midian. Begin reading the verse and you begin to think about the oppression.
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That the Israelites were under in Egypt. But soon we find out that Isaiah has example in mind of Midian.
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For seven years. The Midianites. Went wherever they wanted in Canaan.
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Killed and kidnapped whomever they wanted of Israel. And they took whatever they wanted. From the stores and the livestock of Israel.
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For seven long years they did this. It was such a great oppression. That many people in Israel were fleeing the lowlands and the valleys.
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And they were fleeing to the hills. Just to survive. And how did God break their oppression?
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Not with a mighty army. But with one servant.
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And a small group of tested believers. That's how he did it.
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Gideon. Gideon and the 300. All they did was break some clay pots.
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And Gideon was no prize either. But God delivered them in a remarkable way.
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He did the impossible through the unlikely. And Isaiah is saying. You're going to break all manner of oppression.
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Everything that keeps the people of God from multiplying. Everything that keeps the people of God from worshiping you.
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You're going to destroy that. You're going to bring that down. And you're going to do it in a surprising and an effective way.
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Just like you did it with Gideon and the Midianites. And God does break the oppression of Satan.
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In lies and lust. Through his chosen servant. And what are we but just.
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As Paul says, earthen vessels filled with Christ's glory. We read of a rod and a staff that are oppressive.
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But we know a different rod and staff if we follow Christ. The rod and the staff of the good shepherd.
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We read of a yoke and a burden for those who are oppressed by the enemy. Those who are oppressed by false teaching.
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And those who are oppressed by sin. But Christ calls to us and assures us that his yoke is easy and his burden is light.
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The oppression is broken. And the oppressors are burned. This is necessary. They're the ones who are bringing the oppression.
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Notice it says verse 5. For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult and cloak rolled in blood will be for burning.
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Fuel for the fire. Here comes the enemy army.
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The Assyrians. And they are well equipped. They've got boots.
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They can march. They're coming. They're intimidating. They have soaked their cloaks in the blood of their enemy.
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They are fearsome. But what are they? They're in God's way.
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And so, ultimately, they're going to fail to eliminate
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Jerusalem. They're going to fail to take the throne.
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And this is the way that all those who come against God's people end up. All those who would oppose
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Christ. This is how they end up. Read Psalm 2. God will grant to his people the joys of multiplication and worship because he's going to break the burdensome yoke and the oppressing rod.
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How he will consume with fire the enemy warriors and from their dust -covered boots to their blood -soaked cloaks all fuel for the fire.
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No more shall the tumult sound against his people, threatening to exterminate them, threatening to take them away into exile.
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It's very clear that since the enemy soldiers would rob God's people of their joys of multiplication and worship, since they were the enforcers of the oppression, they would be destroyed so that God's people would be delivered.
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You see, God's salvation inevitably proceeds through judgment. Every salvation he ever brings is through judgment.
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Someone is always judged to bring about salvation. It's the way it always works in the Bible and it's always to God's glory.
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In this we see that regime change is essential. Those who had the yoke, those who controlled the yoke, those who had the staff, those who employed the rod, those who had the armies, those who were in charge are no longer.
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There has to be regime change. And in a regime change there can be no survivors from the previous administration.
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All of this deliverance and destruction is all grounded in the fact of verse 6.
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For a child will be born to us and a son will be given to us and the government will rest upon his shoulders.
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Regime change has come because Christ has come. So, what needs to go to the flames?
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Assyrians had to go to the flames for God to save his people Israel. But when
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Christ comes, regime change comes, what keeps us from the joys of multiplication?
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The joy of the multiplying of God's people. What keeps us from the joy of worshiping
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God in his presence? Mark it down. What is it? It goes to the flames.
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It goes to the flames. The bad doctrine that keeps us from rejoicing in the multiplication of God's people should go to the flames.
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The Jewish religious leaders in Christ's day make a great study in that regard. Their temple -ism, their legalism, their nationalism all impeded their joy at Christ's arrival.
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To multiply his nation. To exponentially grow his kingdom. They did not heed
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Zechariah's blueprints. They were all about building the walls. And not just keeping Gentiles out, but the
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Jews who were less than real Jews. And keeping as many people out as they possibly could.
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Christ accused them of tying up heavy burdens on the backs of people and not lifting a single finger to help them. That they would travel over land and sea to find one proselytite and make them twice the son of hell as they were.
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People who did not enter the kingdom and kept others from entering the kingdom as well. Bad doctrine that kept them from rejoicing in the multiplication of God's people.
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How it galled them that Christ did his ministry in Galilee of the Gentiles.
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How it galled them that he went over to Decapolis and preached to the unholy pagans who raised pigs.
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Bad doctrine that keeps us from rejoicing in the multiplication of God's people. It's a little bit different today.
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A little bit. The bad doctrine that needs to go to the flame today is the inclusivism that so many people hold to today.
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So what if they never repented of their sins and trusted in Christ alone as their savior?
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So what if they're religious and they live in absolute immorality?
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So what if they never even heard the name of Jesus? They're probably still going to heaven.
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That's not rejoicing in multiplication. When people speak out and say things like,
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Oh yeah, all the Roman Catholics are going to heaven because they're all Christians. Because they bear that name.
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That's not multiplication of the kingdom. That's bad doctrine that is saying,
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Don't witness to people who are going to hell. That's a bad doctrine that needs to go to the flames.
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I wonder if any of us thought ill of John Allen Chow for his bungled, wasted mission to Sentinel Island.
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He didn't go through proper channels. Where was his mission board? Where was his proper training?
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Where was his seminary degree? Didn't he know better than to try to land on that island and get killed by the natives?
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Maybe he was rejoicing in multiplication. Maybe he defied government orders from India and said,
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No, I'm going to go anyway. They need the gospel. If they don't hear the gospel, they're going to die as those made in the image of God.
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And they're going to go burn in hell forever. I'm not going to let that happen. I'm going to go over there and I'm going to preach the gospel. Because he had a joy for multiplication of God's kingdom.
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So he died and he shed his blood on the island. John Patton would say, The fact that he shed his blood there means that that place will most certainly be secured for Christ.
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What else needs to go to the fire? Patterns of sin which keep us from rejoicing in the presence of a holy God. The joy of being in the presence of God.
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Do we know that joy? Do we know that joy? The joy of being in his presence.
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How can we be in his presence? Because of Christ. Because of Emmanuel. Patterns of sin that keep us from rejoicing in his presence.
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We who have died to sin should no longer live in it. We are crucified with Christ. Let us cast to the flames the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life.
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It's Christmas. Time for a bonfire. It's regime change. And anything from the previous regime cannot coexist with the current government and it has to be burned.
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Away with it. It's a good tradition. Christmas bonfire.
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Second, let's talk about deliverance by a deliverer. This should be obvious but we need to make it clear. The deliverance that comes, comes from a deliverer.
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We've been saying that all along but notice for six. For a child will be born to us. A son will be given to us and the government will rest upon his shoulders.
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This is the light who comes into the darkness. His name is Emmanuel. He is the child born to us and he is the son given to us.
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And the government will rest on his shoulders. When Peter went preaching to Cornelius' house, here's how he described the one given to us.
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He promised the gospel of peace. Peace with God through Jesus Christ.
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Acts 10 .36. Peter is specific to say, he, Christ, is
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Lord of all. Where did he get that idea? Isaiah 9 .6
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says that. He is Lord of all. Verse 38 of Acts 10. God anointed him with the
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Holy Spirit and with power. And he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.
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Here comes the deliverer. His name is Christ. This Lord of all, he delivers us from oppression.
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This Emmanuel who brings light is this child, this son given to us.
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And when we think carefully about what this is and who this is. We recognize that the gift that God gives us comes with a government.
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And this regime change occurs in a hostile environment.
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In other words, God has to give us his son. We would never ask for him. It has to be a gift.
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Who wants regime change? The light shines in the darkness.
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It's going to be real pleasant tonight when we have our candles out. But just so you know. Just so you know.
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The light who came into the darkness. This Jesus Christ who comes with a government on his shoulders.
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This light is not the warm glow of a candle. Radiating a soft light in the darkened room.
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This is light so bright you can hear it's hum. So strong you can feel it's heat.
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Crackling with power. Assaulting the bleak depths of a pitch black humanity. This is invasion.
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The incarnation is an act of war. God put enmity between the serpent and the woman.
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Between his seed and her seed. It's war. God invaded in his son.
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Revelation 12. Read the whole thing on Christmas day. Tells us that Christ's birth was a cosmic battle.
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Raging from the courts of heaven to the feeding trough in Bethlehem. The sounds of that conflict sounded in the stars of the galaxies.
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And the depths of the earth. But the serpent could not devour him. And he tried.
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He tried. Through the cruel threat of exposure. Why was it they couldn't find a room?
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They couldn't find a shelter for Mary to give birth to her child. It was the threat of exposure. But the infant did not die.
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He tried through the murderous rage of Herod. Herod was a fool but he wasn't dumb. If you know what
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I mean. He knew the arrival of the son of God meant regime change. He knew that meant his reign, the days of his reign were numbered.
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And he tried to kill Christ. And he couldn't do it. Christ's arrival signaled the overthrow of Satan and all his many sons.
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It is the government of God. God's government. The government will rest on his shoulders. Hebrew word is mitzvah.
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Means rule or dominion. And it was worth asking.
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Which government is this that God put upon the shoulders of the child? Put upon the infant son?
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Well, verse 7 obviously points to David's throne, doesn't it? Verses 1 and 2 point to Abraham's reach to all the nations.
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Kings will come forth from you. Genesis 17. Kings over all the nations.
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Chapters 7 and 11 and 12 all point to the victory of the seed. The victory of the seed of the woman.
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So what government was this that God placed upon the shoulders of Christ? It's the ultimate government.
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It's the whole rule and reign of the kingdom of God. It's the eternal government promised to the son of David.
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It's the global government promised to Shiloh of Abraham. It's the victorious government promised to the seed of the woman.
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It was laid upon the child. It rests upon the son. This massive responsibility.
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The entire weight of this divinely commissioned authority. That which
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Adam shrugged off in his rebellion. All laid upon the son of God. The son of Mary.
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You got to think about what Adam was supposed to do, right? When Eve takes the fruit off the forbidden tree.
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Takes a bite. Turns to offer it to him. What do you do in that moment?
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What if Adam had resisted temptation? What if he had refuted the devil's ploy?
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What if he had turned his eyes to heaven and said, My life for hers. And this is what
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Christ did. This is what Christ did.
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Gave his life for his bride. Why? Because the government is on his shoulder.
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Everything that it means to live as the very human of all humans.
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The image of God. To have this government that means to love
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God supremely. And love others rightly. And steward the creation responsibly. All the responsibility of what it means to be human.
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The whole kingdom of God placed upon the shoulders of Jesus Christ. And this is what he did to save us.
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Save us. The king of all became the slave of all. And gave his life as a ransom for many. Mark 8.
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So Christ opposes Adam. He stomps the serpent. And he wins the bride. Matthew 28 18.
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And Jesus came up and spoke to them saying, All authority. All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.
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That's good news. The government is on his shoulders. And there's going to be no end to the increase of that government.
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And all his titles tell us that he is Lord. He was born to die.
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We'll see that this year. Signs. Bookmarks. Songs. He was born to die.
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Yes. He was born to die and be raised. Yes. And amen. He was born to reign.
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As the first born from the dead. 1 Corinthians 15 25. He must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
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Christmas is a celebration of regime change. The incarnation was an act of war. Christ has won the day.
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And that's why we celebrate his birth. That's why we celebrate his advent. We are his, to be his collaborators.
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Loyally pushing forward his regime change through our own lives. And our homes.
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And our churches. And our society. The advance of God's kingdom begins in each of us when we're born again in Christ.
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And then works outwardly into all the spheres of life. Abraham Cooper writes, there is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence.
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Over which Christ, who was sovereign over all, does not cry, mine. It's all his.
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And that means we've got to live by faith, right? We've got to live by faith. Hebrews 2 8. For you have put all things in subjection under his feet.
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Born subjecting all things to Christ, God left nothing that is not subject to him. But now, we do not yet see all things subjected to him.
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Isn't that the case as we look around the world today? Isn't that the case when we look in our own lives? We do not yet see a full subjection to the
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Lord Jesus Christ who has all authority. That does not mean he is not
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Lord. That does not mean that he doesn't reign from the right hand.
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That doesn't mean that because there's rebellion in the world, that somehow the ruins of the earth and the microbes in my compost aren't subject to him.
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They are! Every last bit of it. He is Lord of Lords. So we've got to live by faith.
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We've got to live by faith. He will soon bring all rebellion and all disorder and all sin to an end when he returns.
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In the meantime, it's a life of faith. That's what Hebrews 11 1 says. Now, faith is the assurance of things hoped for.
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The conviction of things not seen. Are we living as if the regime change has come?
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Because it has. Are we living as if Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and has all authority in heaven and on earth?
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Do we live like that? That's the life of faith. That's the life of faith. And we are called to be collaborators.
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There are few characters in literature and movies so repulsive as those who sell out their countrymen and join with the foreign invaders.
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These turncoats are shown in the worst possible light. But what if it came to light that the natives were not natives at all?
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What if it were revealed that these so -called patriots were in fact squatters and thieves? What if it came to light that the so -called foreign invader was the true owner of the land in the first place?
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And after several calls for unconditional surrender, he begins his reclamation assault.
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This is a good analogy of what Christmas is all about. Turncoats are actually repenters.
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Repenters. You know why people are so aggravated with Christians? We're not dealing with neutral, feel -good material.
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When we say that we worship Jesus Christ, we don't follow it up with, but whatever you worship is fine.
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It is an absolute thing. He has a name which is above every name.
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And they're so aggravated with us because why don't we do the things they do? Why can't we get along merrily and approve of everything going on around us?
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Peter says they don't understand why you don't do their things anymore, why you don't give approval to them anymore. They're angry with you.
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Yes, I can understand why. But we are to demonstrate by our love for one another and for Christ, by our joy in the multiplication of the people of God, and our joy in the worship of God that Christ is the child who was born to us, the son who was given to us.
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The government does rest on his shoulders. He has won the day. He has died upon the cross.
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He has been raised from the dead. He has ascended to the right hand. He's won. Time for everyone to come along quietly.
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So what do we do at Christmas? You know, every single Christmas light, light has come into the world.
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This could be an emblem of our loyalty. Every Christmas tree, a standard for Christ's soldiers advancing.
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Every Christmas card, an announcement of regime change. Every gift we give, a battle reenactment.
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Don't let the serpent sink his fangs in it. Don't let him get you with greed and covetousness.
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This is a gift. Every feast, a celebration in honor of our victorious
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Lord. See, we're collaborators with the one who has won, giving attention to the person on whom the government rests.
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Now, you might find it annoying that at Christmas time and at a
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Christmas passage, that Christmas scripture would evoke combativeness at what is supposed to be a calm and sleepy time, when everybody joins together in warmth and hugs.
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Those are fine. But I want you to think about how offensive it is to Christ to have his birth celebrated as an ecumenical ceasefire of tolerance and acceptance for everyone and everything, no matter their beliefs and behavior.
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That's not why he came. He didn't come to call a ceasefire. He came to take the world.
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Let's pray. Lord, I thank you for the time you've given us in your word.
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I thank you that you did not leave us in the darkness, but you sent your light as bright as it is.
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You gave us what we would never have wanted ourselves. And I thank you for your son, Jesus Christ.
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Thank you for salvation in his name. And I pray that you would help us to rejoice, to rejoice in his governing power, and to show ourselves loyal to Christ this