The Hope of Christmas - Mighty God, Part 1

Let's just say it. Christmas is going to be different this year were almost 12 months into a global pandemic. We have issues and situations in the economy in our country and political parties and families like never before. I don't know what you are expecting Christmas to be like but it might be different. Stay with today. Welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with shipping trips are Bible teacher on this international discipleship program written a series called the hope of Christians celebrating the birth of historical event was the angel certainly remember thousands of thousands of declaring GENERAL would have a new expecting of the expectations that aren't met.

Because all kinds of problems with this program chip helps us shift our perspective from the baby in the manger to the mighty God. Jesus proved himself to be because we all made right about now. Some of us needed more than ever, open your Bible if you will to Mark chapter 4 and let's join chip part one of his message, mighty God, what do you expect this Christmas mean good or bad, consciously or unconsciously as your mind travels through okay. I get shopping done.

Do this Christmas Eve Christmas day. A day or two before day two after just what you expect it's going to be like and for some it might be all man I expect to be greatest in the Warman family coming in our whole thing was good to be together in some of the kids are coming back from school work but you know all of our families are different parts of the country. My three roommates were to go do this since can be graded and for others you to go travel somewhere be reconnected and your expectations are like Christmas is going to be wonderful. Warman Rich E. And for others.

Your expectations are a little different. You basically something you being negative, you just realistic to thinking this is not be good.

This is the first Christmas that I've been single since the divorce. This is the first Christmas since maybe one of my parents or my brother when my kids died this for many is a Christmas like it's just chaos you can have to go to your in-laws and you know the one guy always wants to talk politics or religion you get a brother-in-law who is a jerk and you're just praying his magnification. God give me enough grace just to be nice for two half days, and right eye for others is just a really depressing time to think I know what I'm going to do now I want you to get thinking about what your expectations are. Because here's the principle you might even write it on the notes but there what you consciously or unconsciously expect to happen even how you think God will work or might work can blind you to God actually working in a way that's different than you expect to give this expectation like it's can be grades can be.

This is can be that in there some struggles or difficulties or pay also God where are you or are the flipside, you know, I just want to endure. He always has a bad attitude. God couldn't be at work. What if if your antenna was up. This is a breakthrough Christmas one of gods and are going to intervene in some ways and use you see what you expect, consciously or unconsciously can blind you to the very thing God might want to do and you know what you'll miss.

I learned this the very hard way. My very first Christmas with Teresa. We had just gotten married got married in mill December went on our honeymoon. It was cut short because of a family emergency so we went back to see her dad's brother was in critical condition and then we had our little Christmas and we didn't have any premarital counseling and my expectations of marriage were somewhere between unrealistic in lunatic. And you know I because of our various backgrounds. We decided you were going to be sexually pure working to do this. God's way. I had this formula that if you did it God's way. It's gonna be awesome and she was the sweetest nicest most wonderful person I was head over heels and so it's Christmas this is can be also awesome and I can I'm not going to tell you what the issue was with the day after Christmas. We had our first argument would have any argument stating we didn't know what we were doing and I remember having feelings inside of me toward this beautiful suite, lovely woman that I didn't think I could ever have.

Like so ticking me off and that she actually said a couple things that I never dream would come out of that sweet wonderful mouth to make me feel like this and I remember walking out the door and get in my car and driving around for about an hour to get.

Have I missed it is the wrong person you know and you know it was a and instead God was doing a breakthrough and was he wanted to crush some of those unrealistic crazy expectations and started us on a journey of you need to learn to communicate. You both have a lot of baggage you need to resolve some anger you know you just have to and I would've completely missed. If my little Hallmark Christmas would've got interrupted by God you civil what's this got to do with the hope of Christmas. At the time that Jesus was born. I want to give you a background of Judaism. If you are a Jew living in the Roman Empire. You are deeply oppressed.

I mean it's very economically.

It's over the top. One of the herons that was put in place over the Judean area wanted to make a lot of points with Rome, so we had all these building programs he was doing and naming them after Caesar. So the taxes are off the chart your living under oppression, the political situation is visible that religious leaders are carnal so you get economic pressure, a Roman soldier at any time can tell you here pick up my bag go from the tax collectors were Jews that weren't faithful and they would double charge you mean life was difficult and painful, and there was like this big Pharma Roman oppression and what you are praying was God deliver us and unlike us when we see you know the little Christmas card right. It hasn't its blue dark blue and has those sort of the sparkly little things. It's a picture of a manger and you know you can see Joseph and Mary and there's a little sheep and everything and then underneath and beautiful handwriting. It says unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will rest on his shoulders and his name will be called wonderful Counselor, mighty God, the eternal father, the Prince of peace. See, unlike us, when they knew 700 years earlier when Isaiah said that their hope was that God was going to send a wonderful counselor and a mighty God that word mighty God is used in Deuteronomy chapter 10 verse 17 for Yahweh forgot they were expecting the Messiah to come. Who would be a mighty God you what the word mighty God means in Hebrew deliver rescuer irresistible champion. The all-powerful one. The warrior who goes and defeats the enemies for you.

So if you're a Jew growing up in Jesus day and you're waiting for the Messiah year expecting like someone pretty close to like Superman with a cane, cleaning things up, putting Rome down in the what's rest that say and he will rule on the throne of David until you've got this picture the Messiah is going to come and he's going to take down our enemies were oppressed, it's unfair and not only that set up like David's kingdom member when David was in charge and we were.

The world power than Solomon.

People came from the ends of the earth. There picture is this mighty God is to take care of all of our problems, and so Jesus shows up and now I feel wonderful counselor.

Even the religious leaders they were astonished with authority but they're waiting for a mighty God, and he doesn't fit the bill to see what they wanted was a political and physical deliverance make my life work today. Jesus came to bring a spiritual and eternal deliverance.

He wanted to make everybody's life work forever.

I want you to open your Bibles to Mark chapter 4 because one of the biggest challenges I believe in Jesus ministry, especially for the disciples, don't you think about. You are one of the 12 you're following him around your learning. But you're a good Jewish boy or girl and your picture and your expectations of the Messiah are what everyone else is our it's what you've heard since you've been a little child and now you following this itinerant preacher and he's amazing.

He does amazing things in their miracles are undeniable, but could he in fact be the Messiah is see the mighty God has you to open to Mark chapter 4, but ask you to look at where it opens up and it says again he began to teach by the sea, and this is the most pivotal parable of all Jesus teaching.

He does lots of teaching, but when he gets done with this parable. He says something unique. He says if you can't understand this parable if you don't, you can't understand any of the others because his mother, his brothers, his ministry has come in as mothers and brothers to just come there standing outside and they want to see them. He uses this as a moment to educate people about his purpose, he says, who are my mother and my brothers and then he looks down at a group of disciples and he says whoever does the will of God, these are my mother and my brothers so Jesus was saying more than fleshly relationship people's response to him and they who do the will of God that raise the question. So how would you know the will of God. And so as you look at chapter 4 and it opens up this parable is one where he calls himself the son of man, it's a messianic title and he says the Son of Man comes and he gives us parable of the seed following four different types of soils, hard soil, shallow soil, thorny soil and good soil and then privately he says the disciple Satan. What's that mean because he says to them. Here you has ears to hear, living here. He says disciple don't you understand if you don't understand this one you won't understand anything.

The seed is the word of God.

The sower is the Son of Man, the Messiah, when the seed of the truth of God's word goes to a human heart that is hard. The enemy takes away some times its own in a human heart. The word of God and that they sprout up and they respond to God initially, but when there's persecution or the cost goes up. They fade away. Other people respond deeply to godly begin to grow and they begin to flourish and then worries of the world and the deceitfulness of riches, just that the cares of other things. It begins to choke out the truth of God's word. But he says there are those and he speaking to them who have a good and honest heart, and they receive God's word me as the Messiah as he connects himself with the Torah in the word of God and he says they their life will multiply 3060 hundredfold bases. This is what the kingdom of God is like, and then as you as you look the notice he gets three quick parables were what he's doing is he's describing the kingdom of God that he's ushering in, and he connects himself with the Torah and Moses John would even say in the beginning was the Word and the Word was God was with God and he speaks and Jesus is the word, and so now he says to them the kingdom of God. Notice the first one. It's like it's like lighting a lamp in a room you don't put a basket over it, but the kingdom of God and God's word comes into the world to illuminate make things clear. Its purpose is to be shared and what does light do. It reveals darkness and reveals truth then the next parable. He says the kingdom of God is, is not something to just immediately says is like a mysterious seed seeds planted in the stock comes up in the leaves and then the fruit, and he says and it grows in enough by itself and no one understands exactly how spiritual growth occurs, but the power of God's word in human heart brings transformation over time than the third little parable.

He says no. The last one is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed and he says the kingdom of God grows and it starts very small.

People respond to the truth than they respond to the truth and then it has exponential growth where over time.

It creates impact that is just super structured for that little C becomes a tree, and provide shelter for others. So they've got now okay and in your teaching is awesome. I believe you the wisdom of God. I believe you are now connecting yourself with the Torah, the log us the word of God.

All that Moses said here's the question. Can you trust in. Is this really the Messiah.

So what I want to do is I want take you on a little journey. What you keep your Bibles open because I'm gonna walk through the story.

But what is going to do.

He he's been in the lecture hall now is going to take them on a field trip and this can he's going to take them to for specific impossible situations they're very specific and are not hard and they're not difficult or impossible and what is going to demonstrate is the all mighty power of God that he has over every situation and noticed the author wants to be very clear that this connects to what he's just taught so notice if you will.

Verse 33, with many such parables, he spoke to them.

He didn't speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples explained everything look the on that day when evening had come. He said to them, let's go over to the other side and leaving the crowd.

They took with him. The boat just as he was, and other boats were with them and a great wind arose and the waves were breaking onto the boat to the boat was already filling but he was in the stern of sleep on a cushion and they woke him and said him, teacher, do you not care that were perishing, and he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea piece be still. Instantly, the wind ceased. There was calm from this roaring ocean to glass and then he said to them, why are you afraid have you still no faith and they were filled with great fear and said to one another, who then is this even the window. They now their professional fisherman. They've been in lots of storms they know what to do in a storm.

This is the kind that they realize were done. It's impossible.

Don't you care and what's he do.

He has power over the natural realm and how does he express his power. He speaks what you been teaching about for the last you know whole chapter before my word, my word by word by word by word. When the Old Testament talks about how to God create the world in the beginning God said, let there be light. He spoke the world into existence. Jesus is connecting himself, and now he speaks waves and wind and nature obey him because he has authority over them because he created them. He's God. See number one is a drowning fisherman who, on behalf of other fishermen in desperation cry out and notice what happens is this and they were afraid in a reverential fear they ought to be.

Can you imagine being in that boat scene number two.

The boat lands. Chapter 5 opens up. It's a very rocky area. The history behind it is, there is a actually a a demonized maniac. This person you can glance and read it very quickly if you want to reasonably speaking and Jesus comes there and and this man is naked and runs around naked and he has supernatural strength and as you read very carefully will save no one or nothing could bind him they would put chains on them. He would break up if they tried to stop it. No one could break if this was a wild eyed demon possessed man who had a legion of demons and it apparently is you read the story that Jesus had spoken to them and he comes out he says do not torment me, son of the most high God.

Interestingly, the only person in all four of the impossible situations who know who he is for sure the demons and then the man comes the demons plead don't send this to the abyss, the place of nothingness that big sentence into that herd of pigs is 2000 pigs and I think he gives them permission because he wants the disciples to see verifiable proof of the one thing to say demons go away you go.

What did that really happen or not. So he says yes I give you permission the demons go into these 2000 pigs and they run off a cliff, smashing into the ocean little Greek play on words.

The word there for the bottom of the ocean is like the abyss and so Jesus demonstrates his power over the spiritual world. You are living in a world I'm living in a world where there is good and there's evil you get that today like never before. The author of evil was Satan himself, 1/3 of the angels and a crew were taken and there's this powerful angelic beings seeking to destroy mankind and Jesus as I have power over them. When the people came from the town. They were so terrified by what they heard and saw they ask him to leave and is getting ready get in the boat.

The person who was curios clothes sitting in his right mind completely transformed. He said I want to go with you. Jesus is no go tell is a Gentile, go tell your family what God has done for you and he goes to these 10 cities, he begins to tell them I met a man who spoke in the demons came out of me.

The Messiah has come back with this application. Just a quick reminder you're listening to part one of his message mighty God 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 of that 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 chip before you come back with some final thoughts were living in a day were evils being called good goods being called evil, what are we Living on the Edge doing to battle the radical shift values in America and around the world will day we are living in a day where things that we would all call evil are being called good the values in America have been flipped upside down and whether that's in sexual morality, whether that's in the life of an unborn child, or whether that's in things like what's it mean to be married. We Living on the Edge take a strong stand to teach what the Bible says. Not in a harsh way, not in a way that puts people down.

But in a way that gives life. You see, God designed life to work in a certain way. He has a design for marriage for sexuality for family and what we've done in the last year is create very specific courses and teachings that help God's people first practice that and then communicate that in a winsome way to a world that is very very confused. The world is not the enemy. Jesus didn't come to condemn the world, he came to save the world but we as God's children have to model what that looks like, and we Living on the Edge or creating resources in this coming year.

That's going to address the most controversial and difficult issues of our day. When you give to Living on the Edge you're taking a stand for biblical morality for marriage and helping our young people understand what biblical sexuality is all about. We long to help God's people grow and then in a winsome and loving way share that love with the people around them. Will you please help us Dave why don't you tell them what their gift will mean this month will it'd be huge because when you give to Living on the Edge you become part of an amazing team of believers who are committed to sharing the truth of God's word and really keep doing that as long as were able, if you like to help us do that December is the perfect time because every gift we received will be doubled dollar for dollar to send a donation.

Just go to LivingontheEdge.org Donate on the app or give us a call at AAA 333-6003 that's AAA 333-6003. Your generosity is much appreciated as we wrap up today's message. I can't help but imagine that some of you are thinking hey Chip, it's Christmas, man, could you lighten up just a little bit. I mean stories about you know demonic influence in Jesus casting out demons. Let me remind you that Jesus came for a reason he came as a little baby to demonstrate dependence to relate to every single person in our time of need. But he also came to defeat those demons he came to free his people from darkness and oppression. A baby foretells hope but a mighty God demonstrates hope here's your hope right now I want you to get the little baby out of the major and understand not only did he grow up. Not only was he fully man, but fully God, but he died he defeated sin he defeated death, he defeated Satan, and here's the issue. He's your hope in your time of need. Do you believe he has that power you believe he came to rescue you do believe he's good you believe he has a plan for your life, it's better than any plan you could have for yourself. It's been a difficult year right. I mean for all of us in many many different ways.

He is a mighty God, believe his promises lean in, let him rescue you. In fact, if you've never trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior. You learn today that he has the power of the spiritual world.

The physical world. The demonic world and life and death itself could I encourage you at this moment. Pause asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins and ask him to come into your life and be your Savior. He is a mighty God who will give you all you need to face everything you're going through. Just right now in your own words. Lord Jesus come into my life.

Forgive me. I believe you died for my sins and rose from the grave right now, I ask you be my Lord and be my Savior.

If you did that right now go online.

We have some resources to help you on your journey and experience the mighty power of God that'll help you face what ever you go through beginning today. If you prayed with Chip. I hope you'll take a minute and call us at AAA 333-6003. We love to talk with you and get a free resource in your hands that'll help you understand what you just did and where to go from here if you'd rather go to the new believers tab on our website LivingontheEdge.org or Special offers on the app we'll find that same resource. We just want to help you get started on your new journey of faith flex time Chip continues his series, the hope of Christmas so I hope will join us if you live this is Dave Drury saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge