Welcome to Ontario Community Church,
where we're dedicated to encouraging,
equipping, and engaging lives for Christ.
Located in Ontario, Oregon,
Pastor Patrick Daly preaches
insightful sermons from the Word of God,
offering practical applications for modern living.
We're delighted to share this sermon with you.
All right. Well, good morning, everyone.
How are we doing this morning?
It's great. That's good to hear you guys keeping warm.
How about that snow?
It just came by. That was really,
that was a lot of fun.
So I got to tell you,
this has been the first snowstorm
where all of my kids were experiencing it.
Aaron had, my firstborn has seen
snow before and experienced it,
but the rest of the kids though,
this was their first snowstorm where they went out to play.
The girls were a little hesitant.
I'm not going to lie.
But the boys went out and they were in
their little, they were all bundled up
and they were going out to play.
And it was just really cool to just see that and experience it.
Even though the girlies just kind of
wish they were playing a little bit more with that,
but it's a lot of fun when we're thinking about
the changes of the weather,
the changes of season.
We are now in the Advent season,
which is just really great.
It's a great time for us to prepare for
Jesus Christ coming in,
being born in Bethlehem, being born in the manger.
So it's just a wonderful time of preparation.
Today we're going to continue and go ahead
with our series, Journey to the Manger,
Prophets, Promises and the Prince of Peace.
And in your notes here, you'll see there are,
there are going to be some verses.
Our main focus is going to be on Zaea chapter nine,
verse six and Romans chapter 15,
verses 12 through 13.
And that's all found in your notes.
Before we get in our time and reading the word
and going in our message,
I'd like for us to open in a word of prayer.
Will you pray with me?
Let's pray together.
And Heavenly Father, we come before you today
as we are in our current situation and circumstance.
Father, we are reminded today that you are the God
of hope.
You love us so much and you,
there is salvation that exists in you.
There is hope that exists in your son, Jesus Christ.
You have given us your son, who is the Prince of Peace,
who comes from the root of Jesse,
who is from the Davidic line.
It is in your son that we have hope in salvation.
We must believe in him.
And it is in this season where we are preparing the way
for the coming of your son.
We also know that we will be filled with hope.
And oh Father, do we need hope in this world that we live in
with so much discouragement,
with the media that says things that seem hopeless,
there is new life in you.
There is hope in you.
May we experience that hope through your son.
We ask God that you are with us this morning,
as we open the word of God.
May we look at the context and the connections
with these verses, but most importantly,
we allow for you to work in and through each
and every one of us this morning.
We say all of these things in the name
that is above all names, Jesus Christ.
And we all say together, amen.
Amen.
So let's turn our Bibles.
We're gonna start off with Isaiah chapter nine verse six.
We're gonna put that on the screen here.
It's gonna be on page 680.
Page 680 in your ESP Pew Bible,
or Isaiah chapter nine verse six.
Are we all there?
All right, let's read it together.
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.
We start off this passage in Isaiah
that is using very descriptive language.
It is poetic, it is prophecy of the coming of Jesus Christ.
These are names, these are descriptions of who Jesus is.
You know, one of the beautiful things
about the word of God is seeing the context
and also seeing the connections that is found in scripture.
For Jesus Christ to come into this world
was divine intervention from God the Father.
It was God's timing.
And you know what's so great about our God
is that he fulfills all of his promises
and all of his prophecies.
And just like how we spoke last week,
Christ is the yes to all of the promises
and the prophecies that were told by the Lord.
Christ is the fulfillment.
And in your notes, you'll see in here
that Isaiah chapter nine verse six
is broken down into different sections.
Now, we're not gonna go into every single verse in here,
but what I found very interesting
is how this verse is connected to other verses
in the old and in the New Testament.
And that's what's so great about it
is that there are connections.
I'm sure some of you have seen,
there's a famous picture where it's showing
the word of God kind of as a line.
And there's all of these connections within each other.
And it makes, well, it just shows kind of these,
it's almost like it's creating a rainbow,
but it's showing all of the hundreds
or thousands of connections with each other.
And I just find that to be very inspiring.
It goes to show how powerful,
how divine the word of God is
that God had his hand in the creation of the word.
And it's just so powerful.
So you'll see in your notes that the Isaiah passage
is broken down into different sections.
There is a lot of depth that is found
in just this one verse.
That's inspiring to me.
And I hope it's inspiring to you.
Prophetic and poetic language
of the coming of Jesus Christ,
who is the savior of the world.
So we begin off, for to us a child is born.
To us a son is given.
We begin with those words.
And this is directly talking about
how Jesus Christ will come to earth as a baby,
as a child in the manger.
And this is part of what we celebrate every year.
We thank God, or we should thank God
for sending his only son to earth.
We're not speaking of an adult who's coming to the earth.
We're speaking of a child.
We're speaking of Jesus who's being born.
And then it goes on to say,
to us a son is given,
much like how it is written in the gospel of Matthew
about how Jesus will save his people from their sins.
That's very powerful language.
Jesus Christ is our savior.
What we must do is place our faith in him.
We must believe in him.
It is not about what we do.
It is about what has been done
by the Lord fulfilling his promise and the prophecies.
God sent his son because of the love
that he has for humanity,
because of the love that God has for us,
just like how John 3.16 tells us
about how God the Father sent his one and only son.
And we can see this connection
with the Isaiah chapter nine, verse six passage.
A son is what?
A son is given, right?
And that son is the one and only son of God.
Jesus the Christ.
And it goes on in that verse
that the government shall be upon his shoulder.
And as a kid, when I heard that,
I thought it was such a strange language, right?
And you might find this a little humorous.
I imagine Jesus like holding the capital building
on his shoulders,
or maybe he's carrying some politicians
because Jesus is so buff and strong.
When you really think about it though,
when we're talking about Jesus as the authority,
well, it would be as though Jesus is so strong
that he's carrying the government on his shoulder.
And it's just such a funny imagery as a child,
but there is some truth to that.
And it's saying, look, Jesus is going to be the ruler,
that Jesus Christ is the authority.
It's much like how in Matthew chapter 28, verse 18,
that all authority and heaven and on earth
is given to him,
that Christ was given that authority.
And it's, Jesus has been given authority in heaven
and on earth.
This was given by God the Father.
And in the Philippians passage, in your notes,
you'll see God exalted Christ
and gave him the name that is above all names.
That is also describing the authority,
the power of Jesus.
It's a connection with the authority.
And when we read that the government
will be on his shoulder, right?
It's speaking of symbolism,
talking about how Christ will fulfill the prophecy
that Christ is the divine ruler,
that he is the authority,
that Jesus Christ is Lord.
He is King, he is the divine ruler.
And we go on next in that verse,
his name shall be called what?
Wonderful counselor.
And this is where we're going into the four names,
the four descriptions or the four titles.
It's these four characteristics of Jesus Christ.
We have these names.
So we start off with wonderful counsel.
Well, that's a wonderful description of Jesus Christ.
It has to do with Jesus Christ having supernatural wisdom
and miraculous ability for Christ,
he gives us guidance and he gives us wisdom.
Now Christ being part of the Trinity,
he has supernatural ability
and in him is wisdom and knowledge.
In fact, when you look at the Colossians passage,
you will see that that verse is saying that in Christ,
all the treasures, they are of wisdom and of knowledge.
So Christ being part of the Holy Trinity
is much like how the Holy Spirit also can give us wisdom,
can give us insight.
So too does Christ.
And Christ is the wonderful counselor
in the fact that he counsels us to come to him,
that he guides us in our walk with him.
Now, many of you may have heard me say this before,
I hope and I pray that all of you
are on a spiritual journey towards Christ, right?
And in Christ you walk with the Lord,
you continue on a spiritual journey with him.
And there's much like how there's the John passage
in your notes that states that,
that Christ is the way, the truth and the life.
So he is that wonderful counselor.
He has supernatural ability.
He will lead and guide you.
This should be encouraged for us to believe in him,
to trust in him and to allow him to be the authority
in our life.
Will you follow the path that God has set before you?
Are you on that walk with Christ?
We then go to the next one.
And what is that title, mighty God, right?
Let's say that together, mighty God.
And this is the second description, the mighty God.
When we think of mighty, right?
We're thinking of someone who is strong, right?
We're thinking of someone who has great might.
And this typically, this language is typically used
to describe a warrior, right?
So we can think of a soldier,
we can think of someone who is very strong, right?
Someone who's very athletic, someone who has that strength.
And when we think of mighty God,
we're talking about Jesus Christ being strong.
Thinking about the triune God, right?
We have God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Holy Spirit, the three in one.
We talked about how Christ is the creator,
the redeemer and the sustainer.
And I cannot help but mention in your notes,
the passages that we have gone over,
which mention the idea, the truth,
that Christ is the mighty God,
that Jesus Christ is strong.
The Hebrew passage in your notes,
it talks about how Christ is the radiance
of the glory of God and upholds the universe.
Well, that talked about some strength right there
to uphold the universe.
And of course, John 1.1 talks about how Jesus was there
at the beginning, right?
Existing as the word in the beginning was the word
and the word was with God.
All of this describes the strength, the presence,
and the power of Jesus Christ.
And then we go into the next one.
What's the third description?
Everlasting Father, let's say that together.
Everlasting Father.
Now this one, although it's simple,
it can be easily misunderstood.
Are you saying that Jesus Christ is God the Father?
Well, no, it's saying everlasting Father
as Jesus has the attributes of a Father, right?
Someone who is strong,
someone who is exhibiting fatherly qualities.
So we have the Father, Son, and the Spirit.
We read this section where it talks about
we have Jesus as the everlasting Father, right?
One who cares for his own.
We think of Christ as the shepherd, right?
He's taking care of his sheep.
When we are considering Jesus being everlasting,
we can see that he has existed
from the foundation of the earth.
And he is also with us today and forever.
We think of the idea of Father,
we're thinking of someone who is protecting us,
someone who helps us to grow
and one who keeps his promises.
In the Hebrews passage in your notes,
there's a verse there that's saying
that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
That's the everlasting part.
And there is the John passage in there.
That's John chapter 10, verse 30,
which is saying that Christ and God the Father are one.
A lot of these verses are mentioning the attributes of Christ,
but also mentioning the triune God, the Trinity.
And I say all of this to help us understand
that Christ is like a father to us.
He is that shepherd for us.
He protects us.
And what's also interesting is that Jesus Christ
is referenced as the Alpha and the Omega,
the first and the last.
And this would have to do with Jesus being everlasting.
And then we go to that fourth description,
which is the Prince of Peace.
Let's say that together.
It's the fourth description.
Jesus is the Prince of Peace.
It's the final quality.
It's the final attribute for Christ being the Prince of Peace.
For in Jesus Christ, we place our faith in Him.
We believe in Him.
We trust in Him.
What does Christ do?
He gives us peace.
And that's wonderful.
Much like how in the John passage where Christ is saying,
the peace He will give to us,
the kind of peace is not the kind of peace
that the world gives.
Don't you see that Jesus Christ gives us hope for this life?
Don't you see that Jesus Christ gives us hope
for salvation, for eternal life in Him?
Just it's all connected with each other.
In the Ephesians passage,
it says that Christ Himself is our peace.
And all of these attributes are the wonderful name
of Jesus Christ and it's a chance for us to celebrate
as we are preparing for the coming of Jesus Christ.
And every year, we celebrate how Jesus is born in a manger.
Such humble beginnings in a time
where there was not a lot of hope,
but that hope came from Christ.
And it reminds me so much of the world
that we live in today.
Is it seeing that the world is full of hope
and full of inspiration?
I mean, could you imagine just for a moment
if the news told maybe half of the stories
being inspirational and good stories?
Could you imagine that?
I mean, every time I think of the news or what's going on,
it's never good.
It's never good news.
I mean, maybe once in a while, okay?
You have to account for that.
But the reality is hope comes from Jesus Christ.
And here's the thing, when you place your faith in Christ,
you have that everlasting hope to be comforted,
to be protected by Jesus Christ.
It doesn't take much for us to look,
for us to observe the world that we live in.
But when there's hopelessness in this world,
there is hope in Jesus.
This might be a call for you to believe in the Lord,
to be saved by Him.
May also be a call for you to grow in your faith
or to reconnect with the Lord.
And this leads us to our second scripture reading,
which is going to be in Romans chapter 15,
verses 12 through 13.
Let's turn there together.
It's going to be on page 1129.
Okay, let's do this.
Let's go ahead and read it together.
I'm going to read it together.
So it's Romans chapter 15, verses 12 through 13.
Let's read it together.
And again, Isaiah says,
the root of Jesse will come.
Even he who arises to rule the Gentiles in him,
will the Gentiles be able to do the same.
So it's Romans chapter 15, verses 12 through 13.
Let's read it together.
And again, Isaiah says,
the root of Jesse will come.
And again, in this chapter,
the Gentiles in him will the Gentiles hope.
And then the next verse.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing
so that by the power of the Holy spirit,
you may abound in what?
In hope.
We've been going over many different verses that talk about the
the root of Jesse, from the Davidic line,
even tracing Jesus Christ back all the way through scripture.
There's a lot of significance in that.
This verse in Romans is referencing the prophet Isaiah once again,
mentioning the lineage where Christ comes from.
What's also interesting though,
is that this verse is talking about how Christ will arise
to rule the Gentiles, and in him there is hope,
for it is in Jesus Christ that we have that living hope.
The coming forth of Jesus Christ was fulfillment of prophecy,
so that salvation, I want you to listen here,
so that salvation would be available for everyone.
It wouldn't be exclusive to one group of people,
but to all who believe.
And that is the beauty of our Lord and our God.
That is the living hope that is in Jesus Christ.
It doesn't matter what you look like,
it matters if you come to Christ and believe in him,
and allow for the word of God,
allow for the Lord to mold you into the men and the women
that God wants you to be.
In being saved there is transformation that exists.
And that transformation is a wonderful process,
just like how we talked about the refiner's fire
and the fuller soap being made more holy by our Lord and our God.
Sometimes it can be difficult, I admit, it can be.
Right, when you're thinking about the heat that's turned up
and the imperfections of metal that's coming out,
but it's a process, knowing that God is with you
in that process as well.
Our God extends salvation to all who believe.
It is the question then of if you are going to believe
in Jesus Christ or not believe.
That is not a decision that I can make for you.
That is a decision that you make.
Will you believe in the Lord and receive salvation,
or will you not?
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever,
and he provides a very different way of doing things.
As opposed to this system, this way of doing things
that other fates say that you have this checklist
and you must check off everything in the checklist.
Well, God forbid you make a mistake
or you forget to check off your list.
I don't want to do that way.
In fact, knowing that God saved,
that God provides salvation through Christ,
that I have to believe in him,
and that I am saved in believing in him.
That's much better than this way.
I've got to be honest here.
I'm going to continue to check off the list.
This way is what you can do.
But when we think of the cross, when we think of Christ,
it's about what has been done.
Christ calls us to believe in him.
Knowing.
When we think of Jesus Christ, think of the last words that Christ said that it is finished,
providing a new way, an alternative, a different way of doing things.
Let me tell you, this alternative is so much better.
So much better.
It is in Christ that we have new life, we have salvation,
and we find our identity in him.
In Christ, we will be secure.
Don't we need security in this life?
Don't we want to feel safe, no matter what's happening,
quite honestly, what's happening in our own lives?
We may have stable lives,
but we need that eternal security, that true safety,
that we call that blessed assurance.
And then in the ending of the Romans passage,
it says, may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
so that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope.
And this last part of the verse, we see sort of a benediction, as it were,
where the Jews and the Gentiles, together,
those who believe in Christ can be filled with joy, with hope and with peace.
Doesn't that sound interesting?
Doesn't that remind you of the advent season to be filled with joy and peace, right?
And you may abound in hope.
It's very interesting to find that in Scripture.
And we're not talking about something that is superficial.
We're talking about something that is rather on another level,
a divine level, so to speak.
And God fulfills all of his promises, and he provides hope now and in the future.
God gives us hope, especially in this world, where we need it.
I speak of receiving salvation and the promise of eternal security.
I speak of how God made promises, and he made sure that those promises were seen to completion.
God is not a liar.
There is truth in God.
There is life in the Lord.
There is salvation in him.
And this, my friends, is the great encouragement.
We should be encouraged to be filled with hope, especially in times such as this.
And as we conclude our time today, I want to remind us of what we have learned in God's word.
We have gone through the names about the coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, right?
That Jesus is the wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace.
And we've also seen how in Romans that Christ provides hope for everyone, the Gentile and the Jew.
And that salvation is available for all who believe.
And in this Advent season, we are called to prepare our minds and our hearts for Jesus Christ,
and to really embrace and be thankful and be grateful for all that God has done for us.
Let us be reminded of, in this season, about the significance of Jesus.
And I want you to consider your own journey.
Do you believe in the Lord?
If you don't believe in him and you shall receive salvation.
If you feel disconnected, maybe this is an opportunity for you to reconnect with the Lord.
I know there have been times in my life where I felt very disconnected with the Lord,
and I had to pray, I had to be in fellowship with other believers who encouraged me.
Maybe it's a call for you to go deeper in the Word and to continue your walk and to inspire the next generation of people.
Friends, when we think of salvation, we may be saved, but what about our friends and our family?
Do you share in the gospel? Do you share in your testimony with others?
Let this be an encouragement, not a discouragement, but an encouragement to share in the good news,
the message of hope that is found in the gospel.
Let us seek Christ, let us come to know him, and let us grow in faith in him, and let us share our faith with others.
Let's pray together.
And Father, as we close our time together, we want to thank you for your son, Jesus, who is the Christ.
We ask that you help us to trust in you and know that you provide hope in your son.
Help us to internalize this message that Jesus is the wonderful counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace.
May you guide us in this season and in our very lives.
Your grace is so wonderful, and it is so powerful.
You provide hope in a dark world, in a world that desperately needs hope.
We need you, and we need to have you in our lives, for without you we are nothing.
We ask for your wisdom.
We ask for your guidance, and we ask for the strength to live out the truth of your word.
We ask that you're with us as we finish in this last song, and as we just we ask that you're with us every single moment and every single day in our lives.
May Jesus' name be with you.