Christmas 2009 - Don't Try to Save Yourself

Jeff Fry — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 23:06:05 GMT

Don’t Try to Save Yourself

By Jeff Fry, Darwin Park Community Church

^NIVIsaiah 9:1 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan-- ²The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. ³You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder. ⁴For 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. ⁵Every warrior's boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. ⁶For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

Thesis: Don’t try to save yourself.

I. Intro

A. “Where there is a will, there is a way” implies that if we try hard enough we can do it, we can accomplish something that seem unattainable or hard to attain.

B. In this passage Isaiah tells us the problem – God’s people, Israel, are in darkness but that they’ve seen a great light. The solution is outside of them, and so they should not look within to save themselves but out toward a Saviour, Christ the Lord.

II. Don’t try to save yourself

A. State

1. Background

a) Isaiah, the prophet, is writing this book named after him about 740 years before Christ’s birth.

b) He is telling of the conditions and events during his ministry which took place in Jerusalem, the spiritual capital of the Jewish faith.

c) A main factor was that he ministered during the time that Israel’s enemies, Assyria, attacked and took over the land from Israel.

(1) This route of the enemy was allowed by God because of the spiritual bankrupcy of God’s people, Israel.

2. v.1

a) “ there will be no more gloom” = the distress and darkness caused by Israel’s enemies routing them – the Assyrian army.

(1) Assyrians captured them and took them away into captivity in 733 BC.

b) “in the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and Naphtali”

(1) these are areas that the Assyrians routed

c) “but in the future He will honour Galilee of the Gentiles …”

(1) fulfilled when Jesus ministered in Galilee

3. v. 2 “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on thoose living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned”

a) “The people walking in darkness …”

(1) living in darkness would mean living devoid of God

(2) Examples of darkness that the Israelites lived in:

(a) 1:2 rebellion against God

(b) 1:4 evil-doing, corruption, spurned God

(c) 1:11 outward religion (sacrifices, burnt offerings) instead of heart-felt love for God resulting in obedience to Him

(d) 1:19 resisting God

(e) 1:21 murders (the 20^th century has been the bloodiest in human history – apart from war we’ve killed 1.5 million gypsies, 1.5 million Armenians, 1/3 population of Cambodia, 6 million Jews, 1 million Hutus and Tutsi’s, 50 million Chinese – in total 100 million humans)

(f) 1:23 leaders love bribes and chase after gifts (MP’s expense scandal)

(g) 1:29 sexual immorality

(i) (living together outside of marriage,

(ii) The Independent recently had an article

(a) “Rabbis rage against the internet – Ultra-orthodox rabbis in Israel are trying to crack down on growing use of the internet among their followers, saying it is filled with “abomination” and is leading believers astray”)

(b) We are a nation addicted to porn. And nearly 11 million of us got our fix on the net last year. New figures reveal the extent to which Britain has become hooked. And experts say it is doing great damage to relationships between men and women

(h) 2:6-8 people worshipped idols, the work of their own hands instead of God

(i) 3:9 parade their sin publically (Gay pride parades)

(j) 5:18 deceitfulness

(k) 5:20 call evil good and good evil (BBC presenter remarking on Tiger Woods’ award of Athlete of the Year and that half of the votes were cast AFTER his “transgression” with a mistress said, “cool”!)

(l) 5:24 reject the Law of the Lord and spurn His word

(m) 8:19 the people consult mediums and spiritists instead of the Lord

4. Chapter 8: the Lord’s patience runs out and God calls in Assyria, the enemy, to route his people and purge his people of their impurities.

a) The problem is not:

(1) The people just need to get more educated and then they will solve their problems

(2) The people need to just love themselves a bit more – they have a poor self-image which if improved would enable them to overcome these problems

(3) That we need to advance science more.

b) The problem is we need a new creation in our heart and be reconciled to God

(1) We are rebels rebelling against God and this is our problem

(2) Sin

5. But chapter 9 tells of God’s mercy:

a) V. 2 “have seen a great light”

(1) Light = Jesus

(a) 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given …”

(i) Wonder-Counselor = spiritual counselor (brings healing to our souls)

(ii) Mighty God – God our warrior defeating evil

(iii) Everlasting Father – protector and provider throughout eternity

(iv) Prince of Peace – he brings peace to people in all its wholeness, tranquility, etc

b) God doesn’t give up on His people even though they rebell against him.

(1) He purges them and purifies them via trials, testings and defeats

(2) He delivers them with the deliverer Jesus

B. Illustrate

1. We are the people who walk in darkness.

2. If you are honest with yourself you will admit that you have plenty of your own darkness in your life

a) Joe Jackson sings, “we are tired of all the darkness in our lives”

C. Apply

1. You can have the Deliverer – the baby Jesus whose birth we celebrate is also a

a) Wonder-Counselor

b) Mighty God

c) Everlasting Father

d) Prince of Peace

2. …. who wants to come into your life and make it new.

III. Conclusion

A. A lot of us think we can save ourselves

1. if we try hard enough

2. if we are good enough

3. if I go to church

B. But this story from the Bible teaches us that God instructs us to look outside ourselves to a Saviour, Jesus …

1. not to make us a better person

2. but to deliver us from the darkness in our lives, the sin in our lives, the rebellion against God

3. to someone, Jesus, who can reach into our lives and restore us back to God and therefore change us – make real change!

4. Prayer to receive Jesus

Misc