Why does Jesus bring his peace to our lives?

- Jesus’ Assignment: To Deliver the Lost (10-15), “…he shall speak peace to the nations, his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth…” (10)

- Jesus’ Aim: To Display God’s Glory (16-17), “…On that day the Lord their God will save them…for how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty…” (16,17)

What does the Bible say about the Devil?

- Who is he? (1 Peter 5:8; Eph. 2:2)

- What does he do? (2 Cor. 4:4; 2 Cor. 11:3)

- How will he be defeated? (1 John 3:8; Heb. 2:14)

Is God ok with our pride?

- God Opposes the Proud (1-8), “…Behold, the Lord will strip her of her possessions and strike down her power on the sea, and she shall be devoured by fire…I will cut off the pride of Philistia…” (4,6)

- God Gives Grace to the Humble (9; Jam. 4:10), “…your King is coming to you…humble and mounted on a donkey; Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you” (9; Jam. 4:10)

How does God use our waiting?

- God Trains You in the Waiting (1-17), “Thus says the Lord of Hosts, I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy…” (2,4,6,9,11)

- God Transforms You in the Waiting (18-23), “…The fast…shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore, love truth and peace” (19)

Is your heart in it?

- When the Heart is Wrong, the Worship is Wrong (1-7), “…when you fasted and mourned…was it for me that you fasted?…” (5)

- When the Heart is Right, the Worship is Right (7-14), “…but they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder…stopped their ears and they made their hearts diamond hard…” (11,12a)

How can we stay anchored to truth in a world full of distraction and deconstruction?

- Be Humbled by the Generosity of the Gospel vs1-3…such a great salvation…was declared.

- Be Convinced of the Exclusivity of the Gospel vs1, 3…what we have heard…lest we drift away from it…how shall we escape?

- Be Confident in the Reliability of the Gospel vs 2-4…declared by the Lord…attested by those who heard…God also bore witness.

Big Idea: Jesus is coming soon.

v. 12-13 - What will Jesus do at his second coming?

v. 14-15 - Would I be ready if Jesus came back today?

v. 16-18 - Do I long for Jesus’ second coming?

How do we intensify our joy in Jesus this Christmas?    

 - As We Encounter the Condemned King, “Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns…’Behold the Man’” (v.5)

-    As We Embrace the Crucified King (14-22), “Behold your King…they cried out, “Crucify him!…The King of the Jews” (14,15,21) 

How do we intensify our love for God?

- As We Tremble (8,9), “…keeping watch…they were filled with fear…” (9)

- As We Trust (10-16), “Let us go to Bethlehem…the Lord has made known to us…” (15)

- As We Treasure (17-20), ”…and when they saw it…they made known the saying that had been told them…” (17)