We read from Isaiah chapter 9, roughly 732 BC.
I'd like to read now from Matthew chapter 4, roughly 28, 29 AD.
Matthew 4 at verse 12.
And you see, Matthew, the author, is capturing this beginning of Jesus' ministry, the first sermon.
And he connects the ministry of Jesus and the message of Isaiah seamlessly.
So Matthew chapter 4 at verse 12, and I'll read to the end of that chapter.
When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee.
Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali,
to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah.
Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way of the sea along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.
The people living in darkness have seen a great light.
On those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.
From that time on, Jesus began to preach.
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew.
They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.
Come, follow me, Jesus said, and I will make you fishers of men.
At once they left their nets and followed him.
Going on from there, he saw two old other brothers, James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets.
Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom,
and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
News about him spread all over Syria.
And people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases.
Those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them.
Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and the region across the Jordan followed him.
Amen.
And may God add to this reading of his word, his blessing.
So we have this great text, this great promise of Isaiah chapter 9, fulfilled, yes, in the incarnation, the birth of Jesus.
But notice that the gospel writer Matthew connects the fulfillment of the promise with the commencement of Jesus' preaching.
That not only has he been born, but now he is beginning to preach.
And that great promise that was recorded seven centuries earlier is being fulfilled.
Crowds of people from all different places, all different backgrounds are coming to him.
And finding the fulfillment of that promise.
You see, our God keeps his word.
He makes and he keeps promises.
And his timing is perfect timing.
Now, on my computer, when I log on, I get a notification.
And the notification is, on this day in history.
I love history.
I love, and I was reminded yesterday that on the 1st of January, 1863, I should have known this, but I had to be reminded.
But on that day, the Emancipation Proclamation came into force.
Abraham Lincoln, a few months earlier, had declared.
And he declared powerfully.
He said that on the 1st day of January.
See, this is in September.
And he's looking ahead 100 days.
He says, on that 1st day of September, in the year of our Lord, 1863,
all persons held as slaves within any state or designated part of a state,
the people whereof then be in rebellion against the United States,
shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.
A proclamation of freedom that would take effect 100 days in the future.
And when that proclamation was issued, it was issued not just as words, but as words accompanied by power.
And that's exactly what God's word is.
Words accompanied with power.
Because God has the power to achieve what he promises.
So in 1863, on the 1st of January, the proclamation commenced with these words.
Now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States,
by virtue of the power in me vested as Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States.
So he is saying, on this day, anyone held as a slave in these states
will be then, thenceforward, and forever free.
So it is a proclamation of freedom accompanied with all the power and the authority
that he has as the Commander-in-Chief of the United States Army and the United States Navy.
Turn with me for a moment back to Isaiah chapter 9.
And let's grasp something of the promise that is given
and something of the power that accompanies this promise
to see how God has a way of bringing into effect
a message of hope, a message of encouragement,
and a message of enthusiasm.
And if you can leave with those three words in your mind at the start of this new year,
hope, encouragement, and enthusiasm,
then I think the message of Isaiah will be rooted in our hearts, in our minds,
and we can look to see God working out his plan and his purpose.
So we come to chapter 9,
and if we want to emphasize hope, encouragement, and enthusiasm,
it's a strange commencement, isn't it?
Because we have a motif here,
and this motif is characterized by three words that each begin with the letter D.
The first word is defeat,
the second word is darkness,
and the third word is death.
Not a promising start for a promise, is it?
Defeat, darkness, and death.
At the beginning of chapter 9,
nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who are in distress.
In the past, he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali.
It's interesting that Matthew, when he begins to quote Isaiah 9,
he quotes from the beginning,
and he mentions Zebulun, and he mentions Naphtali,
these places in the northern part of Israel, of the kingdom of Israel.
And this is a place,
and this is why we have an insight into the rough date of Isaiah 9,
is because in 732 B.C.,
the Assyrian Empire began to conquer the north.
The Assyrians began to conquer these lands,
and to absorb these lands into their empire.
So this is a period of time
where the people of God are experiencing defeat,
and they are experiencing distress.
Now, in the ancient Near East,
the predominant empire at this time
was the Assyrian Empire.
If you remember in Isaiah chapter 6,
the year that King Uzziah died,
this was a good time for Judah.
It's often called a golden age of Judah.
But even that is a far cry from the real golden age
which existed under Solomon.
Solomon's reign,
the empire that Solomon built,
was the largest
that the combined nation of Israel and Judah had together,
the United Kingdom had.
Ever since Solomon's time,
it was a time of decline.
And by the time of Isaiah chapter 9,
the decline is obvious.
The enemies are getting stronger,
and the people of God are getting weaker.
Now, it's interesting that Isaiah
doesn't even mention the Assyrians by name.
Doesn't mention them as a nation.
Doesn't mention their emperor.
This happened to be Tiglath-Pileser III.
Now, like yourself,
we're all interested to some extent
in the history of the ancient Near East.
But there are weeks that go by
when I don't even think of the Assyrian Empire.
There might be months that go by
where you don't give that empire a second thought.
You see, that empire is a footnote now in history.
It was a big deal at this time,
but it's no longer a big deal.
You see, empires rise and empires fall.
The Assyrians had all power and all authority
so much that their emperor would sign decrees.
There was a later king called Ashurbanipal.
He would sign his decrees.
I am Ashurbanipal,
the king of the world,
the king of Assyria.
Because it was true,
if you were king of Assyria,
you were effectively king of the known world.
And now we don't think much of the Assyrian Empire.
We don't remember Ashurbanipal or Tiglath-Pileser III,
but we remember Jesus.
Because Jesus, the one promised here,
is the king.
And his empire is not an empire of time or of place,
but his empire expands across ages,
across generations,
so that this promise given 2,700 years ago
has now found its fulfillment
in time, in place,
but also in experience.
You see, this isn't just a study in ancient history.
This is a present reality for the people of God.
Because we read these promises,
and we read these guarantees
that God gives us about himself and about us.
So it's a time of defeat.
The Assyrians are on the rise,
and Israel is on the decline.
It's a time of darkness,
the people walking in darkness.
And it's not only dark,
but it's deep darkness,
in the second half of verse 2,
on those living in the land of the shadow of death.
Darkness is so deep
that it's like the words that we sang in Psalm 23.
Yea, though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death.
So darkness is deep,
and death is near.
So that's the motif.
Death.
Defeat,
darkness,
and death.
But the remarkable thing is that
when light shines,
darkness disappears.
And we're told that a light is shining,
and it's a bright light.
And you see,
the first point I want to make here
is that at just the right time,
at just the right place,
in just the right circumstance,
God shows up.
Unexpected,
in many regards.
Surprising,
by many accounts.
But yet,
God shows up
at just the right time,
in just the right place,
at just the right setting.
When you would least expect it,
there he is.
And you see,
this scene of darkness,
this scene of defeat,
this scene of death,
is transformed
by light,
is transformed
by the arrival
of one
who will soon be described,
a son,
a child.
So this darkness
now is dispelled.
This defeat
is somehow being unraveled.
Why?
Because light has come.
As you read,
the opening verses
of John's Gospel
were told,
in him was life,
and that life
was the light of men.
Jesus enters this world
of darkness,
and he brings light.
Jesus enters this world
that is characterized
by death and defeat,
and he brings victory,
and he brings life,
and he brings joy,
and he brings peace.
So this scene
is now transformed
at just the right time.
Now,
I mentioned
the Emancipation Proclamation,
and there was
a hundred-day gap.
The president
makes a promise,
and he says,
in a hundred days,
this will be the case.
It's not a hundred days.
It's over 700 years
between the promise
and the fulfillment.
And you think
that's quite a long time.
That's quite a long wait.
Well,
God's timing
is perfect timing
because he is
infinitely wise,
he is infinitely great,
he is infinitely good,
so this promise
was intended
to keep
the people
of God
going.
And sometimes
we need
that promise
to keep
going.
Our circumstances,
if we look
at our circumstances,
we are attempted
to distress
and despair.
But when we turn
to God's word,
there we have
an ample supply
of hope,
an ample supply
of comfort,
an ample supply
of encouragement.
So this opening
motif,
death,
defeat,
and darkness,
now light
is shining.
Verses 3 and 5,
again,
we see
this transformation
taking place.
Verse 3,
So now we have
a new scene.
Instead of defeat,
darkness,
and death,
we have
increase,
multiplication,
joy,
and celebration.
How has this
happened?
How is this
possible?
You see,
this is a time
when the people
of God
are experiencing
not increase,
but decrease.
They're not
experiencing addition,
they're experiencing
subtraction.
The land
is reducing.
Why?
Because the northern
neighbor,
Assyria,
is advancing south.
And it's not
going to be too long
before the whole
northern kingdom
disappears,
absorbed into
this vast empire.
But God says
that's not the
case.
You see,
God is at work
in multiplication.
Now you might
remember,
maybe some of you
younger people here
are taking maths
at school.
You might remember
that there's what's
called a progression,
an arithmetic
progression.
When you go 2
and 4
and 6
and 8,
you add
2 plus 2
plus 2
plus 2.
And you see
that's a steady
progression.
But if you have
what's described
as a geometric
progression,
you go from
2 to 4
to 8
to 16
to 32.
It's a multiplication.
Something that's
small becomes
very big
very quickly.
And this message
that Isaiah
is delivering
to the people
seems so unusual
because the writing
is on the wall.
We have a northern
neighbor that's
far more powerful
than us.
We are not getting
bigger,
we are getting
smaller.
There's not light,
there's darkness,
there's not hope,
there's despair,
but God is saying
a time is coming
and a time is coming
where the nation
will expand
and expand rapidly.
You see,
God has a way
of multiplying.
Let me give you
an example.
For over
a hundred years,
there was an
intensive effort
to bring the
gospel to the
nation and to
the people of
China.
Hudson Taylor,
China Inland
Mission for one,
but many
Western organizations
and Western
missionary
organizations
sent people
to China.
By 1949,
it was estimated
that there was
one million
Chinese Christians.
And in that
year,
Chairman Mao
expelled every
Western missionary,
expelled every
Western mission
organization,
and the thinking
was quite
understandable.
This is a
Western faith.
If we get
rid of the
Westerners,
if we get
rid of the
Western money,
this faith
will soon
disappear.
Something
remarkable
happened.
In those
next 60 or
70 years,
the church
of one
million probably
by estimation
became a
church of
a hundred
million.
One Chinese
Christian person
in 1949,
there's now
a hundred.
That's what
multiplication
looks like.
When God
takes something
that looks
small and
he says,
I'm going
to make
it big.
I'm going
to make
it big in
the circumstances
that you
would think
is impossible.
The resources,
the personnel,
everything that
you would expect
is necessary.
God says he
can work in
ways that we
can never
understand or
predict.
So I want
us to begin
this year with
optimism.
I want us to
see what God
is able to do
and I want
us to see
what God
has promised
to do
and how
God can
take a
situation
that seems
hopeless
and bring
multiplication
and bring
increase
and bring
joy.
Because the
language of
these verses
is the
language of
Egypt.
It's the
language of
oppression.
It's the
language of
slavery.
For as in
the day of
Midian's
defeat,
you have
shattered the
yoke that
burdens them,
the bar
across their
shoulders,
the rod
of their
oppressor.
God has
a way of
removing
and transforming.
He removes
the oppressor.
He transforms
the circumstances
of his people.
So instead of
being a captive
people,
they're a free
people.
Instead of
being an
oppressed
people,
they are now
a joyful
people.
And even
that mention
of Midian,
remember
the account
and judges
of Gideon?
The first
time we
encounter
Gideon,
what is he
doing?
He's
threshing
wheat in
a wine
press.
Why is he
threshing
wheat in
a wine
press?
Because the
Midianites
are plundering
the harvest.
They're taking
everything
away.
So if you
want to
preserve what
you have,
you need to
hide it.
And Isaiah
is saying,
you remember
what happened
in Midian,
when Midian
was the
enemy,
you remember
what happened
in Egypt.
God
intervened.
God intervened
at just the
right time,
in just the
right situation,
and he
transformed
the
circumstances
of his
people.
And this
is why it's
so important
to study the
history of
the past.
Because we
see what
God has
done,
and we
see what
God can
do,
and we
are then
given
comfort and
encouragement
for today
and for
tomorrow.
And as
you read
through this
passage,
you might
notice that
the verbs
that are
used,
because Isaiah
is talking
about the
future,
but strangely
he uses
past tense
verbs to
talk about
the future.
We don't
do that
normally.
If I tell
you I'm
going home
to have
lunch and
I will
have,
you know,
I will use
words like
will.
You know,
when I
describe the
future,
I don't
talk about
past tense
events,
but Isaiah
is so
confident,
or in
this word,
in this
message,
that he's
presenting
something as
if it has
already been
achieved.
That is how
reliable God
is.
You can
take his
word to
the bank,
and you'll
never be
disappointed.
You'll
never be
discouraged.
So instead
of slavery,
instead of
hardship,
instead of
suffering,
we have
here a
picture of
joy,
a picture
of abundance,
a picture
of freedom,
a picture
of security,
a picture
of safety.
You see,
God has
a way of
changing our
circumstances
and transforming
our status.
The 1st of
January,
1863,
the President
of the United
States declared
those that
were held in
slavery to be
free.
And from
that point
forward,
they were
free.
Because he
said it,
he meant
it,
and he
accompanied
his
proclamation
with power.
God is
describing his
people now,
no longer
as slaves,
no longer
as in
danger,
no longer
in distress,
but a
people who
are to be
characterized
by joy,
by
celebration,
and by
increase and
multiplication.
salvation.
And as we
come then
to the
final portion
of this
passage,
how is it
possible that
this transformation
can take
place?
How can a
scene of
defeat,
of
captivity,
of suffering,
of darkness
and distress,
how can that
situation be
transformed?
Verse 6,
for to us
a child
is born,
to us
a son
is given.
There is
one who
comes
and who
achieves
and fulfills
and provides
and enables
the impossible
to be
possible.
Isn't that
the refrain
that we often
see throughout
the Bible?
With man,
this is
impossible.
With us,
this is
impossible.
Your
circumstances
today might
seem to be
impossible.
The despair,
the distress,
the discouragement.
The Bible
is not
a self-help
book.
Whatever it
is,
it's not
that.
Because the
help that
we need
does not
come from
ourselves.
If we
could help
ourselves,
surely we
would have
helped
ourselves
by now.
The help
that is
described here
is not
coming from
the people,
but is
coming from
God for
his people.
A child,
a son.
And we're
told that the
government will
be on
his shoulders.
Think of
that image.
The government
of the world
rests upon
the shoulders
of this
child,
this son,
which means
that he
can carry
a heavy
load.
You and
I cannot
carry heavy
loads.
We are
often burdened
or weighed
down or
oppressed.
And that's
why when you
think of the
ministry of
Jesus,
we look
at the
beginning of
Jesus'
ministry in
Matthew,
if you
read through
just a few
more chapters,
you'll come
to the end
of Matthew
chapter 11,
where Jesus
says,
come to
me,
all who
are weary
and burdened,
and I
will give
you rest.
Now,
how is he
able to
say that?
He's able
to say that
because he
can carry
the whole
world on
his shoulders.
He is
that strong.
He is
that powerful.
So that
which crushes
us has
no impact
on him
because he
is that
strong,
that great,
and that
mighty.
So not
only does
he carry
the government,
we're told
that he
is called
Wonderful
Counselor,
Mighty God,
Everlasting
Father,
Prince of
Peace.
Wonderful
Counselor.
In this
city,
there's a
counseling service
called New
Growth
Counseling.
Louise
McMillan and
colleagues provide
Christian counseling
for people
who have
problems.
Many
different kinds
of problems,
many different
kinds of
situations,
and there's
a huge
value in
Christian
counseling
of talking
with someone
who can
help you
see or
maybe work
through
problems,
but any
counselor will
tell you
that they
encounter
situations that
are beyond
them.
They've
never seen
this kind
of problem,
they don't
know what
to say,
but the
counselor that
we have
in the
sun,
in the
child,
never
encounters a
problem that
is too
great,
never
encounters a
difficulty that
is too
complex.
This
counselor never
needs advice,
this counselor
never needs
wisdom because
he has all
wisdom and
all knowledge.
We're describing
him here also
as mighty
God or as
a warrior
God.
Now the
Assyrians were
a warrior
empire,
but our
God fights
for us,
and he
can defeat
any foe,
he can
thwart
any enemy.
So when
we have
him on
our side,
we not
only have
all wisdom,
we have
all strength.
And not
only do we
have a
God who
is mighty
and a
God who
is wise,
but we
have a
God who
is relational
by his
very nature.
He knows
us,
he loves
us,
he makes
us part
of his
family.
You see,
there's a
change of
status.
The captive
people have
become free.
The people
in distress
have become
joyful.
But those
who are
separated from
God now
become part
of God's
family.
It's
interesting that
here one of
the titles
given to
the Son
is Everlasting
Father.
Now this
doesn't mean
that,
this doesn't
conflict with
our understanding
of Father,
Son,
and Holy
Spirit.
But the
title here
is one
who has
no beginning,
one who
has no end,
and one
who looks
upon us
as a
member of
his family
with care,
with concern,
and with
compassion.
So the
mighty God,
the warrior
God,
is Everlasting
Father.
And he's
Prince of
Peace.
In an
age of
warfare,
God is
a God
who brings
peace.
In an
age of
military
defeat,
a God
who brings
victory,
but a
God who
declares
peace.
Another
anniversary that
passed in
December,
December 7,
1941,
was the
attack on
Pearl Harbor
by the
Japanese
Empire,
and war
commenced.
Human beings
can declare
war,
but only
God can
declare
peace,
because his
declaration is
accompanied with
the power to
achieve peace.
And we're
told that this
peace and
his government
will extend
and extend
and extend.
The 20th
century was
the most
successful
century for
the missionary
enterprise of
the Christian
church.
We might not
realize that,
but it is.
That 100-year
period was the
most successful
period of
Christian evangelization
since the
book of Acts.
The 21st
century has
the ability
of being
even greater
in terms of
more people
being reached
with the
gospel.
Just to
give you a
statistic that
is remarkable,
in 1900,
the high
water mark
of the
Western
missionary
endeavor,
there were
10 million
Christians on
the continent
of Africa,
10% of the
population.
By the end
of the 20th
century,
there were
360 million
Africans on
the continent
of Africa,
half of
which were
Christians.
This is the
largest shift
in religious
affiliation that
has ever been
identified anywhere
at any time.
This is what
God does when
he extends his
kingdom.
I mentioned
the word
enthusiasm,
and with this
I want to
close,
because at the
end of this
great promise,
we're told that
the zeal of
the Lord
Almighty will
accomplish this,
that God has
an intense
commitment to
fulfill his
own promise.
and he
fulfills that
promise with
great zeal,
with great
enthusiasm,
with great
intensity.
And I would
like to suggest
that as this
year commences,
that we might
hope to share
something of
this enthusiasm.
So I want you
to be optimistic,
not pessimistic.
I want you to
have hope and
not despair.
I want you to
reflect on light
and not darkness,
but I want you to
consider what it
means to be
enthusiastic.
We all have
different temperaments.
Some of us are
half empty people,
some of us are
glass half full
people,
but I want us to
be enthusiastic
if we are
Christians.
Ralph Waldo
Emerson, a great
essayist in America,
put it this way.
He said,
enthusiasm is one
of the most
powerful engines
of success.
When you do a
thing, do it
with all your
might.
Put your whole
soul into it,
stamp it with your
own personality,
be active,
be energetic,
be enthusiastic
and faithful,
and you will
accomplish your
object.
Nothing great
was ever achieved
without enthusiasm.
There's a zealous
enthusiasm of God
that not only does
he promise,
but he achieves.
Not only does he
make commitments,
but he fulfills
those commitments.
And I think there
should be something
of that enthusiasm
in the people
of God.
Let me give you
just one example.
In the early part
of the 18th
century,
the 1700s,
the cause of
Jesus was at
a very low
ebb in the
United Kingdom,
in the American
colonies.
It was exactly
the opposite.
It was exactly
the time in which
you didn't expect
much to happen
because not much
was happening.
But God raised
up a generation
of preachers,
of pastors,
of evangelists
that brought
the gospel
to the United
Kingdom,
to England,
to Scotland,
to Wales,
to Ireland,
to the United
States,
at just the
right moment
when things
seemed to be
going from bad
to worse.
And these
preachers were
described as
enthusiasts.
But that wasn't
a compliment.
They were
described as
enthusiasts in
religion.
And religion
wasn't meant
to be enthusiastic.
Religion was
something that you
had in your
private life,
and you
kept that
privately.
But people
like John
Wesley or
George
Whitefield
became
enthusiasts
for the
gospel.
Whitefield
once said,
other men
may preach
the gospel
better than
I,
but no man
can preach
a better
gospel.
John
Wesley,
his contemporary,
said this,
he said,
catch on fire
with enthusiasm
and people
will come
for miles
to see you
burn.
George
Whitefield
traveled many
times to the
United States,
to the U.S.
colonies,
and on his
last journey
there,
it was clear
that his
life was
coming to
an end.
He was
only in
his 50s,
but still
it was obvious
that he was
growing weaker.
And on one
evening,
it was the
27th of
September
1770,
a friend
said,
sir,
you are
more fit
to go to
bed than
to preach.
And George
Whitefield
replied,
true,
sir.
But then
he prayed,
Lord Jesus,
I am weary
in thy work,
but not of
thy work.
I have
not yet
finished
my course.
Let me
go and
speak for
thee once
more in
the fields.
Seal thy
truth and
let me
come home
and die.
He stood
on a barrel
and preached
for two
hours that
evening.
When he
went to
bed,
he said,
I would
rather wear
out than
rust out.
This was
in the
Massachusetts
colony.
That next
morning,
he died
and was
buried there
in the
United States.
That's what
enthusiasm
looks like,
going forth
in the
name of
Jesus
with the
sure
promise
of the
gospel,
knowing
that God's
word will
always be
fulfilled,
God's
promises are
always yes
and amen,
and God
has a way
of using
ordinary
people to
accomplish
extraordinary
things so
that all the
credit,
all the
praise,
all the
honor is
his.
So we
have hope
today in
Jesus,
the son,
the child.
we have
hope in
his gospel,
even that
portion of
chapter 4 in
Matthew that
we read.
All different
kinds of
people,
with all
different kinds
of problems,
from all
different kinds
of places,
came to
him and
each one
was healed.
That's his
power,
that's his
authority.
So this
promise goes
forth in
the name
of God,
who cannot
lie,
goes forth
with his
power,
and has
been and
is being
achieved.
So if
you are a
follower of
Jesus,
be hopeful,
be encouraged,
be enthusiastic,
and if you're
not yet trusting
in this
Jesus,
place all of
your cares
on him,
come to
him and
come to
know this
joy,
this light,
this life,
this hope,
and come to
experience for
yourself what
it means to
be a child
of this
God,
to be a
member of
this family,
to be a
follower of
this Savior.
And may God
bless you this
day,
and this
year,
and may
all the
glory be
his.
Let's
pray.
Father, we
ask that you
would encourage
us, strengthen
us, and equip
us.
We thank you
for these
precious promises
that are
yea and
amen in
Christ Jesus.
We thank you
that what you
say you mean,
what you
promise you
fulfill,
and you
delight in
using ordinary
people like
us to
demonstrate the
extraordinary
power,
the
extraordinary
grace,
the
extraordinary
wisdom,
the
extraordinary
love that
is found in
Jesus Christ.
We thank you
that he can
carry the
whole world
on his
shoulders,
and that his
government is
increasing day
by day,
that his
kingdom is
growing,
that men
and women
and boys
and girls
throughout this
world are
coming to
know him,
and in
knowing him
are coming
to know
life abundant
and life
eternal.
So give us
encouragement
today,
Lord.
Give us
hope in
great measure
and help us
to be
enthusiastic
in the
gospel,
in the
service of
our Lord,
in the
encouragement
of one
another,
and in
the
proclamation
of these
great and
precious
promises,
the son,
the child,
the wonderful
counselor,
the mighty
God,
the everlasting
father,
the prince
of peace.
We pray in
the name of
Jesus.
Amen.
Now our
final item
of praise
is that
magnificent
hymn written
by Charles
Wesley,
Hark the
Herald
Angels Sing.
Let's stand
together.