December 15, 2024

                                         THE COMING KING: NOTHING TO FEAR

December 15, 2024

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

What would you say if someone asked you what Christmas is all about? Would you say it’s the Son of God coming to give us salvation? Or, is it about giving gifts? Would you say it’s about Santa Claus? The world has made it into gifts and Santa, but the reason for the season is Christ. Christmas is Jesus. Christmas is God the Father giving the world His only Son so that eternal life is available to anyone who calls upon His name, confesses their sins, turns from them, and makes Him Lord of their life. What a lifetime of opportunity is missed by those who try to live without Him. Start today living in a relationship with the only One who can give peace, joy, and so much more. Join us as we seek to know Him better.

Focal Passages: Isaiah 9:6-7.

Worrying about today’s problems is pointless:                                                                                                                              

  • Read Isaiah 9:7a. Are you a worrywart, or were you raised by someone who worried about everything? What are some of the traits of one who worries constantly?
  • Take a few minutes individually and write down verses that God has given that tell us to trust, or to not worry—and then share them. After you have talked about the promises or commands concerning worry, what conclusion do you draw about your degree of worrying? Does God want us to worry? Can worry and trust in Him exist in the mind at the same time? What is the root cause of worry?
  • The past two weeks we have talked about the term “Wonderful,” as it applies to Jesus. What does it mean? We also learned in Jer. 32:27 that God asks a question—does anyone recall what it is? If God is so amazing that we cannot begin to comprehend His awesome abilities, and nothing is too hard for Him, what does our worrying about our ____ (fill in the blank) tell us about our faith?
  • What are some steps we can take to train ourselves to leave worry behind, and place our trust completely in our God?

OT prophecies and promises were not just for those days—they are for us today:

  • Read verse 7b. Why does God say Jesus will sit upon the “throne of David”? Why does a king sit upon a throne? Last year, 2023, the world watched as Charles became King of England. What are some of the privileges that go along with that position? What will differentiate the reign of Jesus Christ when He takes the millennial throne?
  • What are some of the OT promises that you know? What are some of the Millennial prophecies you can recall? If all the promises of the Messiah’s first coming came true, is there any reason to doubt that the ones concerning His earthly reign for one thousand years will not come true as well? Explain your reasoning.

We rest firmly within the grasp of God Himself:

  • Read verse 7c. Have you ever known a time of true justice and judgment from a ruler? Why not? Why will the rule of Jesus Christ be different in His second coming?
  • Can we even imagine such a world as will be during the thousand years?
  • Read Is. 11:1-10. Share insights that were in this passage. There are at least twenty-two promises in these verses. What were some of them? What are some of the things that will be ‘normal’ at that time that today cause us fright, fear, or panic?
  • Are you ready for today to be your last? When you hear of a random shooting, a car wreck with no survivor(s), or a deadly accident of some type, does it cross your mind, “That person did not wake up, dress, and leave his house to go out to die today?” What is the lesson for us here? Does anything happen to us that does not first go through the Hand of God?

TAKE AWAYS:

  • Fight worry with faith. Phil. 4:6: Be anxious for nothing, but IN everything [not “FOR” everything] by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God, and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus!
  • Trust the goodness of God. 12:2: Indeed, God is my salvation; I will trust Him and not be afraid, for the Lord, the Lord Himself, is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation.

Close:

Do you ever reflect on the content of a sermon such as this, one which has the power—not from man but from God—to change your life? If you are like so many people, you may have grown up with a parent who worried about every detail of life. Here are some common ones: What will other people think if you ____? My child curses every sentence, although they never heard it at home, and my heart is breaking. I have had a bad report from my doctor but I don’t want to live; what should I do? My daughter is living with a man, they are not married, and he does not care for her children—what shall I do? My son beats his child over small things—should I turn him in for abuse? My spouse… well, as you can see, it can be one’s child, one’s health, one’s spouse, one’s finances, etc. Does God know what you’re going through? Yes! Does He want to help? Yes. Are you trying to fix it, or worrying 24/7 about it? If so, that is not His will. His will is that you trust Him as you walk through these things, know that He loves your kids, your spouse, or your life more than you do, and trust Him IN everything. Pastor recently reminded us that it is not FOR everything—that’s impossible to do—but it is possible to trust God during every valley or shadow of death. Maybe the knife God is using to carve the image on your vessel is the only one that will produce a lasting masterpiece. He does nothing haphazardly or without reason. His goodness is eternal, and He is good—all the time. All the time, He is good.

By Sandy Day
December 15, 2024

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