The Hope of Christmas - Wonderful Counselor, Part 1

Are you discouraged feeling down, even a little hopeless while today we start a new series called the hope of Christmas.

What I want you to know is that Jesus's birth were celebrating. We have all the hope anyone could ever need today learn how to experience that stay with welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with shipping Living on the Edge features the Bible on this daily discipleship program today. Chip begins a brand-new series called the whole of Christmas, struggling with the pressures of the season. Just because that's normal. Something is caught off guard.

I hope you'll settle in for the next 25 all, especially now.

So from a passage in Luke chapter 10 Chip reminds us this time of the year is an opportunity to celebrate real hope no matter what's going on if you don't get to hear the entire program. It's always available on the chip and remap or online at Living on the Edge.okay, let's jump in showing if you have a Bible begins in Isaiah chapter 9 so open and let's join them for part one of his message wonderful counselor, but your hope this Christmas. Now there's there's two kinds of Hobart we use that word in English hope is that in fact, here's a definition of the hope, the way we use it in English. It is a wish or desire with anticipation for a specific positive outcome. It's a wish or desire, and I think we ought hope, I mean hope it's sort of.

Someone said the oxygen of soul, but when you hear the word hope or read the word hope biblically that's not what it is.

It's not a wish and it's not a desire in fact good definition of biblical hope is an unshakable promise or guarantee from God concerning a future event or outcome for your good.

So when the Bible talks about this is our hope. It's not like wishful thinking and maybe something will happen when Scripture says the return of Christ is the anchor of the hope of your soul. When Scripture says he is our hope what it means there is an unshakable promise. There is a guarantee that you can bank your life your priorities everything about your life because it's not up for grabs. It will occur. Let me give you an example. It was about 700 BC, Israel had turned away from God. Their worshiping idols the consulting medians, God has told them repeated times that this is about the 15 years before the Assyrians actually completely take Israel out and then later in the people are just a mean far far from God and so Isaiah is telling them you need to turn back to God. You need to turn back to God. And so when people don't.

God brings what I call the dull the advice of his love their consequences, and so Jerusalem is up on this mountain and its variance was like a fortress.

And so what would happen is that you would surround the city, and then they would build barricades or ramparts, and sometimes it would be a year or two and it just pile up the dirt and they would hold the city hostage until they would come and take it over. And that's what was happening during this time and all the false prophets were saying, hey, everything seemed to be okay in Isaiah, saying, actually, it's really not.

This is God's judgment and then he talks about how terrible life is going to be for God's people because they turned away from him and then there's this little window in this little window says but I want you to know there is still hope all the promises I made to Abraham all the promises I made to David God never gives up on us, even when were really disobedient and far from him and so he says someday a little bit later. Here's your hope you can be taken to exile, there's going to be consequences. But here's what I want you know a child is going to be born, and his name will be wonderful, counselor, mighty God, eternal father, Prince of peace 700 years before Jesus was born, he made this prophecy that there's going to be hope that if you have your note you might pull them out because I put that passage on their and so there there is an absolute sense that this is what's going to happen and we get to be in on the side of looking back 2000 years when that child was born of that virgin that was prophesied in Isaiah 7 now the circumstances. When that was written was the Assyrians the circumstances when Jesus came was a world that was in absolute turmoil. They had the Isis of their day. They were called barbarians. The economy was going in the tank that the false gods in the religion of the day, and the corruption in the Roman government. It was unbelievable. The taxes were overwhelming. You had a very very small group of elite people over 70, almost 80% of all the Roman Empire was slaves and so into this relations forces when the earth or history was pregnant, as is the word literally at this pregnant moment, God sent his son, and he sends Jesus into a world where there is people are looking for hope.

Economically, spiritually, relationally, morally, it it looked a lot like today, and this son was going to bring peace. The sun was going to be a Savior and he was going to be a wonderful counselor. What's it mean a wonderful counselor if the hope of Christmas is that we have a wonderful counselor. What do counselors do they give you wisdom.

Nothing. I mean I'm early in our marriage we you know so ever to get stuck. So we went to a counselor and this counselor helps us see blind spots.

They help the see our our sort of family of origin's and why Treece and I would argue, and why she would shut down and I would get upset. Counselors give you tools to to work through issues they give you insight about how your wired to a great counselors, an amazing thing in this word wonderful. It literally is supernatural counselor. The other time you might jot your notes there but I give you a blank sheet of paper so y'all could sorta do little work with me this Christmas season at Judges 1318, there's an angel that comes in it's the father of Samson and the father asked who are you he says. Why do you ask because you know that my name is wonderful that the Hebrew word is it supernatural.

We have a super natural counselor.

Jesus came in the body of this little baby that was born of the Virgin Mary. He was fully God and he was fully man and one of his major roles would to be calm and give you supernatural wise counsel wise counsel about relationships wise counsel about your future wise counsel about dealing with problems, finances, and kids that are doing well were aging parents, you don't know what to do with for what treatment with this kind of cancer you should take a mean he is a wise counselor that wants to help you. And so what I wanted to do in our time.

Today is to look at maybe three quick counseling sessions that Jesus had that I think really relate to, maybe some things we need to hear during this Christmas, times are turning your Bibles if you would to Mark chapter 10, where Jesus is in the counseling session Mark chapter 10 and will pick it up in verse 17 counselor show us our motives are blind spots give us insight and help in his video. Good counselors are objective. They tell us what we need to hear not always what we want to hear, and he was setting out on his journey, and a man ran up the notice knelt before him and ask him good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life.

And Jesus said to him, why do you call me good, no one is good except God alone. Do you know the commandments you know them do not murder.

Do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honor your father and mother, and he said to him, teacher, all of these are kept from my youth and Jesus looking at him and in your Bible, you might circles little phrase loved him. Sometimes counselors tell us things.

In fact, the wonderful counselor the supernatural counsel of God. At times tells us things that feels so hard and so painful and so impossible to obey. But notice his motive.

He loved him and he said to him you lack one thing go sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you have treasure in heaven and come, follow me, and so like a good counselor. He has a presenting problem right is to do will actually do a major in psychology so I'm not a very good cast about at least I know what you're supposed to do and so people come in they say I have a presenting problem and so you ask questions and you find out about them so you find out in this this counselee is wealthy.

He's young, he's moral.

He's successful. He's kind of the kind of person you think men he's got it all together. I mean, in our day. He's driving a great car is got a good looking family. Morally pure is walk off far as we can tell, high integrity, very wealthy super successful and yet he's restless something in the soul says I've been doing and doing and doing and doing and doing. In fact, you tell me what you supposed to do minutes a target on the wall I go get it. I've done it, but something's missing. This is an unusual counseling situation. Here's the lie. If I do this if I did that. If I achieve this. If I do that if I go to that school if I finally get married. If, then, if then, if then it's sort of scary.

If you ever achieve to a great degree and then you to stop. Go. This author is and and that's the situation so Jesus thought we know the commandments and he lists them. So how are you doing there. Gotta when Ivan Ivan, I learned that as a little kid and I'm in track and I do all those things that's interesting if we had time to study this a little bit more carefully you would notice that he mentions almost all the commandments, but he doesn't touch on the 10th. Anybody remember what the 10th commandment is you shall not covet. And he doesn't emphasize the very first when either Desi you shall have no other gods before me. And so Jesus listens. He has a presenting problem, and like a good counselor you and I'm sure they had little conversation and I mean the guy that has a great attitude. Notice he came he knew Jesus, you know, he knelt before him and so he says you know what there's doesn't give them a list of things to do. He says there's one thing that you lack see in counseling people have presenting issues and then what we call what's the real issue was the core issue what's really going on inside the address is core issue is idolatry is core issue is materialism is core issue was. I can do it. These things will make me happy. So so Jesus obviously wanted to help him write it said it, but he loves him.

So in this counseling sessions as will here's here's what you do. He got a little pad out and Ellen and of his prescription.

He wrote a prescription okay go sell all that you have given to the poor and in battle, here's the results that they can happen is that so you know I mean this is a great prescription so that you have treasure in heaven see Jesus actually believe heaven is a real place that there's role treasure there's reward and then come, follow me see that the problem was. You can't have a relationship with me when you have an idol in your life and Jesus doesn't tell everyone he meets him in a good counselor doesn't tell everyone you know, go sell everything you have.

That wasn't the issue with a lot of people, but but was with this guy so he gets to the core and he loves him and he says look there's a big idol.

We need to address it and here's how we can address there's there's a lot of things more important than money and stuff. So do this and it's can be great. So then you kind of the story and you find out will how law, how does he respond, he only lacks one thing and Jesus desires that I want you to follow me. Let's connect.

This is great disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. He counselors, especially the supernatural counselor unit week we bring him all the symptoms there's this you seen this issue in this this and there's that there's this really good once I got being this is the one.

This is the Domino. This is the issue. This is the core and when you address that all the rest of your life is, but he went away sad because he had great possessions and Jesus looked around and said to his disciples how difficult it will be for those who have great wealth to enter the kingdom of heaven. And I think this is probably a pretty good application to get some great counsel. It's hard for us. All of us wealthy people to have the right focus during any time, but especially during Christmas. See that the heart heart of Christmas at the heart of grace at the heart of really experiencing God left God gave God cares and he counsels us, but there's always a counterfeit in the counterfeit is stuff I am a semi-avid sports illustrated reader.

The article opens up for almost 5 days, the most decorated Olympian in history lay curled in the fetal position in his Baltimore home crestfallen, fearful, embarrassed at his behavior, uncertain of his future. Yet another run in with alcohol and did some outrageous things over three Olympics from 2004 the 2012 Michael Phelps had 118 gold medals and 22 metals.

Overall, each more than anyone ever in history. The article talks about checking into a rehab. The journey that is on but I thought it was really interesting to have a quote I was in a really dark place, not wanting to be alive anymore. See that's what happens to rich young ruler's when they try and fill their soul with stuff. These young he's wealthy and he talks about the bubble that he lived in an house stuff couldn't satisfy. We intellectually agree with what Jesus says, but most of us live like someday, some way we want to be a Michael Phelps in our area and I encourage you this Christmas to take a good word from the wonderful counselor and just ask yourself so what to do with your money this Christmas and how much stuff and why your closets full so counseling session number one is what they a rich young ruler that has it all. And Jesus says to him address idolatry. Don't don't want what other people have is if you got it would never satisfy number two have no other God before me know other God and it's interesting he almost always pokes around half of all little more than half of all of Jesus parables are about money, not because he cares about money, but because it's the other God ready for counseling session number two. Turn, if you will to Luke chapter 10 we have the story not of a rich young successful man, but we have the story of a very stressed out over extended under pressure, frazzled woman and will see in just a minute that her presenting problem is she feels overwhelmed. She feels so overwhelmed. Like most of us do that we start the blame other people and were a victim in why do other people not help us or why my doing all the work and so she has some misguided views about God.

She has some misperceptions about what really matters in what's really important and I know about you but is there a month and all of the calendar that our calendars just go by me. If you asked me for coffee right now you know most of us you just look at your calendar is crazy and you ask will what happened, why at a time when we would ponder and rejoice in. Be thankful when well, we've got some things built-in.

You gotta buy gifts for all these people you got right cards. All these people you know you got a go to parties, a lot of you don't want to go to. There's a lot to do that yet you got a bake right and there some tradition she got a fulfillment. Some you gotta travel you got it you got a yacht you should you got it you got a you should. And what Jesus is really in essays really who who made up the daughters and autos and oughts and that you should that make Christmas season. The most stressful time in many of your lives so stressful so busy, so overwhelming that the only thing you really forget is Jesus will be back with his application. Just a reminder you're listening to part one chips message wonderful counselor from a series, the hope of Christmas 700 years before Jesus was born. The prophet Isaiah wrote to God's people to give them hope. Chip used a little bit about text for this series because the hope. Isaiah wrote about is for us to. Here's what he said for those who live in a land of deep darkness a light will shine and they will rejoice for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, the government will be upon his shoulders and he will be called wonderful Counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of peace. Now that's hope that'll keep you going this Christmas season. God wants you to know he has a plan and it's a good one.

You know this would be a great series to listen to every now and then with the chipping remap. It's always handy if you like CDs take advantage of the current discounts online that LivingontheEdge.org remember the MP3s are always free will chipping. I got a great question coming up in your application, but as we launch this series. Could you give us a peek into what's coming and what we can expect to learn over the next several programs sure Dave, you know, sometimes Christmas gets overwhelming, and most of us know the big story, but 700 years before Christ was born. The prophet Isaiah in chapter 9 verses six and seven gives us the titles of the Messiah. He calls this Messiah Christ Jesus, the one that we knew who came to save the world. Wonderful Counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, Prince of peace and and so what I've done is I've taken a message on each one of those in certainly explain what they met in the Old Testament, but what I wanted people to see was the very life of Jesus as a wonderful counselor how he revealed himself as a mighty God and everlasting father and the Prince of peace. As I think is going to be one of those, especially when we think of all the things were going through in the world in our country. Now is the time for bedrock unchanging view where there's hope hope no matter what happens anywhere at any time. Our God is on the throne and the Lord Jesus came and I can't think of anything more important in the season than to remember that really good thanks all, I hope you will set a reminder to be with us for the entire series, the hope of Christmas is full of powerful reminders as we approach Christmas that our hope is real. It's now and something we can absolutely share with others who need to be sure this program from the chipping remap and invite someone to listen with you over the next few days. Okay Chip, let's get your application as we close today's program. I wonder just between you and me personally what is distracting you right now what is happening this December.

That is causing you to begin to push the very person of Jesus and the real meaning of Christmas into the background and are you struggling. Perhaps the balance between expectations and reality. You know what you thought this Christmas might be in some things that you thought might really be fantastic and great and hopeful.

And then, like all of us, especially in the season that were living in as a nation and in the world that maybe those expectations and reality are bumping up against one another and then to be honest, this is a time traditionally where I do know what we do, we kinda take our brain and we stick it in little box we put on the shelf and then we go out and spend a bunch of money that we don't have to buy presents for people thinking that if I buy people nice things. Some of them even for myself that will all feel better and is going to be this joyful wonderful time and then as you know you will wake up about the middle of January with bills and credit card and and for some that's that the game plan and for others it's you know we are not in a position to do anything close to what we've normally done it Christmas because of all that we been through in this global pandemic. Can I caution you, would you just for a moment, pause and say Lord. Maybe there is a fresh way to experience more of Jesus and less of Christmas tradition this year and maybe some of the challenges might be blessings in disguise. Just what you just pause today with me as we entered this series and this season and ask God, Lord, would you show me, would you show us as a family how maybe this season, loving and caring and giving and helping others and remembering who you are and what you've done for us and why you came could take center stage in our hearts or minds and our activities may be the challenges that we faced interfacing could make this our best Christmas ever.

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Tap the donate button or donate online at http://livingontheedge.org. Your support is greatly appreciated will be sure to join us next time. When Chip continues his series, the hope of Christmas. Until then, this is Dave saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge