This morning, as we enter into the Christmas season, we're also beginning a new message series. Together, we'll recall and dive deeper into that warning and awesome prophetic word from Isaiah regarding the birth of Jesus. Within this prophecy, Isaiah assigns four names to Jesus. We start this morning with the name: Wonderful Counselor.

We live in a world full of counselors. People are quick to give you their opinion and their advice; whether you ask for it or not. There are countless self-help books and Dr. Phil's galore.

With all of this counsel and advise, you think we would all be generally physically, emotionally, and spiritually healthy people. A quick glance at our culture and you quickly see how broken and unhealthy we still are, however.

It's not that people are rejecting this counsel, either. Many people are trying desperately to improve their lives and to find healing. They do what their counselors instruct them to, but still find themselves broken.

There is a whirlwind of counsel all around us, but what we are in desperate need of is a word of counsel from the Wonderful Counselor, Jesus.

Granted, it can be wise to seek the advice of others, however, not all advice is good and sound advise and not everyone has your best interests in mind.

Proverbs 15:22

Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.

We often fail in life simply because we live life our own way, by our own opinions and by doing what we feel is right. After all, we know best right?

We often lose our battles simply because we quietly fight them alone.

Proverbs 20:18

Plans are established by seeking advice; so if you wage war, obtain guidance.

When everyone does what is right in their own eyes, chaos, conflict, and calamity are sure to be there. When everyone cooperates together looking to the interests of one another and seeking after God's will, unity, peace, and success are enjoyed by all.

We think we know ourselves well, but it is impossible to know yourself by yourself. It is only through the interaction with others that we truly find who we are.

Many, that's right, Jesus said that MANY will argue with Him saying that they did this or that in His name, telling Jesus who they are, but He will simply respond, "I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers."

We think that we know who we are and we think that we do good. However, we must seek out counsel from Jesus through others to know who we truly are so that we will not be one of the many who unknowingly deceived themselves.

Our hearts are deceitful and our understanding corrupt. We cannot trust in ourselves to know what is best for us no matter how much our flesh tells us to. We must give our whole hearts over to the Wonderful Counselor and submit our understanding to Him.

Proverbs 3:5‭-‬8

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.

When we seek out the counsel of many advisers, we must seek out the counsel of those who are seeking after God's and listening to His word and His voice. This is where healing and success can be found.

Isaiah 8:19-22

19 When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? 20 Consult God’s instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn. 21 Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward,