Theme Details

Title: The Symphony of Christmas: The Sound of Prophecy

Date: December 5th, 2020

Text: Isaiah 9:2-3, 6-7

Subject: The people are lost and in darkness and in need of a king.

Complement: A King will come in power who will bring light, longevity and joy.

Key Idea: A powerful King will come who will take the people from lostness and darkness to light, longevity and joy.

Memorable Bottom Line: The Sound of Prophecy Is the Sound of the King We Are Desperate For

Message Details (Notes/Slides)

Introduction:

The Adagio, the second movement of the symphony moves us from crisis to the beginning of a resolution, something is happening in the Adagio, there is a slow anticipation, a build up of sorts and as we continue in our series the Symphony of Christmas, Mateo has helped us with that build up, with that second movement. With the cadence he played for us this morning there is the introduction of a military feel to Christmas, and rightly so because as we continue in our series of Advent, as we look this morning at The Sound of Prophecy, what we will see is the prophecy of a child, but even more than just a child, more than just a promised offspring that we saw last week in Genesis 3, we see a child who will be promised through the prophet Isaiah who is more than a child, he is a king.

Transition:

Open your Bible with me to Isaiah 9 starting at verse 2. As we consider the symphony of Christmas, the agreement of sounds from Genesis 3 to Isaiah 9, we see a continuity, a sweetness of the sound that works together. This morning as we listen for the sound of prophecy, the sweet sound of God speaking through his people and for his people, we find a people in a monarchy that is slowly falling apart, the kings Israel wanted are not what they expected, in part because of their humanity, their sinfulness. the king that God’s people needed could never be fulfilled in any one man and rightly so, because in God’s economy, his desire is for his people to see and have and experience one king. and the sound we hear as we are faced with this continued crisis in the Symphony of Christmas we hear the cadence of a procession. The processional sound in the Symphony of Christmas of the coming king, the king we are desperate for.

Teaching:

Isaiah 9:2-3, 6-7 (ESV) 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. 3 You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. 6 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. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

As we look at this passage I need a child to come and help me with something…

So you are going to help me explain the first part of our Bible passage this morning; do you notice something different about this tree compared to the rest of the trees on the stage? All of the other trees have lights that are lit, that is correct! I love Christmas lights and I love Christmas trees with lights on them, I really feel like that is the way they are supposed to be don’t you? During Christmas when we have a tree like this something just doesn’t seem right does it. Well that is what was happening in our Bible passage today, Isaiah says  The people who walked in darkness, they dwelt in a land of deep darkness. They were kind of like this tree this tree is dwelling in darkness no lights, sad little Christmas tree, but when we take what God says to Isaiah, he says even though they were in darkness God was going to do