Series: Christmas ‘23
Title: “In crisis, what are you trusting in?”
Scripture: Isaiah 7:1-17; Luke 1:26-38; Matthew 1:18-25
Bottom line: God uses the crises of life to expose our true faith: If we do not stand firm in our faith in Christ, we will not stand at all.
Question: When you and your family are in crisis, what are you trusting in to get through it?
INTRODUCTION
Does anyone remember the bicentennial train? For a year, a red, white and blue train traveled around the country as a mobile museum celebrating the first 200 years of America as a nation. That’s been 47 years ago now. I vaguely remember stepping onto that train as a twelve year old. The train is firmly in my mind because for Christmas that year I got an HO scale replica of that train engine.
As we consider the historical context of Isaiah 7, it’s about 200 years since Israel divided into two kingdoms: 10 to the north, called Israel, and 2 stayed loyal in Jerusalem in the south, called Judah. 40 years before that Solomon was crowned king. 40 years before that David. 40 years before that Saul.
Here we’re 200 years into the divided kingdom where Judah represents the remnant—the faithful, though they weren’t much more faithful than the northern tribes.
It’s during this time that Isaiah is called to be a prophet. The year is about 740 BC then, and here in chapter 7 it’s 735. Remember that BC counts down to 0 before AD starts back up.
Start with Luke 1:26-38
v. 37: “For no word from God will ever fail.”
What word did Mary just ask about? Matthew 19:26, “Nothing is impossible with God,” is surely appropriate. But I think in light of the fact that she is a virgin and yet about to have a baby leads me to Isaiah 7:14 where 730ish years earlier the Lord prophesied through Isaiah that the sign will be, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” We know that Immanuel means God with us. And he surely was through Jesus, the Son of God.
So we travel back 700+ years from the birth of Christ, 2700 years back from today, and see how God was preparing his people for a Savior way before his physical arrival.
OUTLINE
I. Crisis reveals true faith (7:1-2)
A. The crisis: a scary alliance
B. Fluttering like a leaf
II. The Sovereign Lord Intervenes, Promises, and Warns (7:3-9)
A. God’s command: Don’t be afraid, only believe.
B. God’s promise: The plans of man will fail.
C. God’s warning: There is grave danger for unbelief.
III. The Sovereign Lord Gives a Sign: Immanuel (7:10-17)
A. Stooping to our weakness: The Lord gives a sign.
B. Three issues with the sign “Immanuel.”
CONCLUSION
Bottom line: God uses the crises of life to expose our true faith: If we do not stand firm in our faith in Christ, we will not stand at all.
This crisis was for King Ahvaz and was personal. What about you? What are you trusting in in your crisis?
This crisis was for the nation of Judah (southern kingdom of Israel). What about us? What is our nation trusting in in our crisis? What about your family?
This crisis was for the here and now. The crisis of whether or not the Syrian-Ephraimite alliance would defeat them in Judah. What were they trusting in in the here and now? What are we trusting in in our crisis right here and now?
There’s another crisis coming when Jesus Christ returns as King. Will you be standing firm in your faith in him at his return? Or will you fall?
Question: When you and your family are in crisis, what are you trusting in to get through it?
Turn to Christ the King today as your savior and lord. He is worthy and he is able to save you!
Let me invite you to do 3 things:
Accept Christ.
Join a group.
Give something.
Ask for help.
Text me at 843-830-2464 as needed.
-Pastor Darien
Lord’s Supper
Explain
Read
Confess
Go out into the mission field
Lord’s Supper, 1 Corinthians 11:17-32
“For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 NIV https://bible.com/bible/111/1co.11.23-26.NIV
Pray.
Other notes
Preach the Word Commentary on Isaiah, Ray Orland, Jr.
The triumph of grace over failure: Judah (7:1-8:8)
Decision: Will we trust God or ourselves? (7:1-17)
A1 The people of God intimidated by attack (7:1-2)
B1 A symbolic son and the attackers plan (7:3-6)
C1 The Lord’s overruling word of promise (7:7-9)
D The response of distrust (7:10-12)
C2 The Lord’s overruling sign of salvation (7:13-15)
B2 A symbolic son and the attackers’ defeat (7:16)
A1 The people of God destined for attack (7:17)
Judgment: (following verses for another time)
SECTION OUTLINE FOUR (ISAIAH 6-8) from the Outline Bible, Willmington
Isaiah records his vision and new commission, (6) his ministry of comfort to King Ahaz, (7) and his message of destruction to the northern kingdom. (8)
1. THE CALL OF THE PROPHET (6: 1-13)
A. Isaiah and the heaven of God (6:1-7)
1. Isaiah's vision (6:1-4)
a. What he sees (6:1): The Lord seated upon his exalted throne in glory
b. What he hears (6:2-4): The mighty seraphim (angelic beings) praising God for his holiness
2. Isaiah's vexation (6:5): This awesome sight causes Isaiah to cry out, acknowledging his own sin and that of his people.
3. Isaiah's visitation (6:6-7): One of the angelic seraphim touches Isaiah's tongue with a burning coal from heaven's altar, purifying the prophet.
B. Isaiah and the God of heaven (6:8-13)
1. Isaiah hears God's voice (6:8a): God wants to know whom he should send as his messenger to his people.
2. Isaiah heeds God's voice (6:8b-13): Isaiah volunteers.
II. THE CHRIST OF THE PROPHET (7:1-25) (Our focus this week)
A. Isaiah's first prophecy (7:1-12): God sends the prophet to reassure young Ahaz, the terrified king of Judah.
1. The need for this reassurance (7:1-2): The southern tribe of Judah is threatened with invasion by the northern ten tribes and Aram.
2. The nature of this reassurance (7:3-9): God instructs Isaiah to assure Ahaz that this simply will not happen, for the enemy armies will soon be crushed and broken.
3. The negative response to this reassurance (7:10-12)
a. The Lord's sign (7:10-11): God invites Ahaz to ask for any sign he might desire to validate Isaiah's promise.
b. The king's scorn (7:12): Wicked Ahaz refuses, not allowing God to show his mighty power.
B. Isaiah's second prophecy (7:13-16): Many believe these verses predict the births of two babies, one to be born supernaturally in the distant future, the other to be born naturally in the immediate future.
1. The first baby (7:13-14): This will be the Messiah, born centuries later to the Virgin Mary.
2. The second baby (7:15-16): This will be Maher-shalal-hash-baz, born less than a year later to Isaiah and his wife. Ahaz is told that even before this baby is weaned, the enemy kings of both the northern kingdom and Aram will be dead.
C. Isaiah's third prophecy (7:17-25): He warns of a terrible Assyrian attack on Judah.
MAIN COMMENTARY HELP:
Exalting Jesus in Isaiah by Andrew Davis
Preaching the Word: Isaiah commentary by Ray Ortland, Jr.
ESV Global Study Bible
Bible in One Year by Nicky Gumbel
Bible Knowledge Commentary
The Outline Bible, Wilmington
Gospel Transformation Bible
NIV Study Bible
Jesus Through Middle-eastern Eyes, Kenneth Bailey`