I invite you to turn again with
me to Isaiah chapter nine. The first seven verses of Isaiah nine set
before us a declaration of the coming Messiah, the Redeemer,
the Savior of Israel. And it also sets before us the
awful condition of those to whom he was sent and before whom he
would appear. Now there can be no question
that this is a prophecy concerning the Messiah because in Matthew
chapter four and verses 13 through 16, he records the fulfillment
of it and applies it to Jesus of Nazareth. He said, this is
what Isaiah talked about, and this is the fulfillment of it. Nobody can come to me after this
message and say, now that really wasn't talking about Christ.
Oh, yes it was. Yes it was. God said it was. That's good enough for me. There just simply can be no question
about it, no doubt about it. He said, the people that walked
in darkness, have seen a great light, and they that dwell in
the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath light shined." There can be no question about
this either. No question of the awful state
of man. and especially at the appearing
of our Savior. They dwelt in the land of the
shadow of death. I don't know if you've ever given
that any thought, but that's talking about this world. This
world's not in limbo. This world is accursed of God. It's under the judgment of God.
By one man, sin entered into the world, and death by sin,
and so death passed upon all men. We're living in the land
of the shadow of death. Death hangs over us. Death awaits
us. In Adam all die. That's what
he's talking about here. This is the people that he appeared
to. They dwelt, dwelt in the land
of the shadow of death. And they walked in darkness. In darkness. They dwelt in the land of the
shadow of death and walked therein in darkness. And it is the same
today as Christ appears in the minds and hearts of God's people.
They are called, what did Peter say? Out of darkness. Isn't that
what he said? Made meek to be partakers of
the inheritance of enlightened saints and translated. He delivered them from the power
of darkness and translated them into the kingdom of His dear
Son. Every time He talks about it,
He talks about this darkness. This darkness. Well, how shall
this come to be? We know that it came to be. We know that. But how is it going
to come to be? How will the Lord call out His
people? He tells us in this chapter.
It's through the person of his glorious son, the one mediator
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. These several things written
in these seven verses of scripture, each one could individually warrant
a message of their own. I started out to do a verse by
verse commentary through the verse seven. It didn't work.
I didn't get past verse two. And so I rewrote it. Well, this time I got down to
verse six and I couldn't get out of verse six and I had very
little to say about verses one and two. Each one of these things could
warrant a message of its own. Each one of these things could
stand individually concerning the declaration of Christ. But I want to try to concentrate
this morning on verses six and seven, which is what struck my
heart as I read through it and began this study. In verse six,
we're told that unto us a child is born. Well, there's been a
lot of children born, haven't there? Since Adam and Eve dwelt
on the earth, there's a lot of children been born. Lot of sons
and daughters. But he says, unto us a child
is born. A particular child. An individual
child. A child foretold in the scriptures. A child about which all of the
word of God is written. To him give all the prophets
witness. Unto us a child is born. unto
us a son is given. He's talking there about the
Son of God. And the government, what government? All government. All government. There is no power but that of
the Lord. Isn't that what it says? All powers be of him. There's no power out here. Well,
I'm the president. You might be, but you ain't in
control. There is no power but of God. The government should be upon
his shoulder. And there's no one else in all
eternity that could fit this description but Christ, is there? He's a man in every sense of
the word. He laid nine months in the virgin's
womb. He was born exactly the same
way that you and I were born. Scripture said he was made of
a woman. Now what's this? He was made
of a woman, same as I was, same as you were. Made of a woman. Made under the law. Being made
of a woman now He's made under the law, that is, He's responsible. He's responsible, He's accountable. Bone of our bone, flesh of our
flesh. And yet He is the Son given,
the Son of God, given to redeem His people. He tells us earlier,
I think in chapter 7 of Isaiah, He said, God himself will give
you a sign. A virgin shall conceive and bring
forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Immanuel, God with us. God with us. And then the very next thing
we're told is that his name, well what's so important about
his name? Well, whosoever shall call upon
the name of the Lord will be saved. But how are you going to call
on Him in whom you have not believed, and how are you going to believe
in Him of whom you have not heard, and how are you going to hear
that preacher? His name shall be called Wonderful. Wonderful. And indeed His name is that. If you'll take time to read it,
you'll find that name declared throughout the Word of God. And
everything, everything in association with it is also called wonderful. Wonderful. You remember at the
end of God's dealings with Job and his friends, Job come to
this place and he said, I've said things I didn't understand.
I'm guilty of it. And I've talked about things
too wonderful for me. You ever think about that? Oh,
my soul. Wonderful. Wonderful thing. I don't have time this morning
to go through all the references, but I've chosen a few, and I'll
give those to you as we go through Isaiah chapter nine. And I'm
not a linguist. I don't pretend to be. If I can
find in a dictionary a definition of a term and I think it applies
to you, I'll use it. But I didn't come up with it
on my own. And I don't pretend to be an expert on the Hebrew
and Chaldean text. I don't have any kind of degree
in any of those things. But I'm told by those that are,
those who have. studied these things, those who
are experts in these areas. But in the original, these words
wonderful and counselor are not separate. It's not wonderful
comma counselor. It's wonderful counselor. Wonderful counselor. So that
the text might be understood this way. His name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor. Now in its immediate context,
this word counselor has to do with two things. First of all,
as one who is the representative of true Israel, the elect of
God. He ever liveth, the scripture
said, to make intercession for us. He is the way, the truth,
and the life, and therefore no man cometh unto the Father but
by him. As a lawyer in one sense of the
word, defending us before God. Defending us before that holy
law and strict justice. And he's the wonderful counselor
in that he not only represents us but has fully become one with
us. And by that divine union stands
before God in a full and complete union with his people. When he
ascended up into glory and sat down in Ephesians 2, it said
we sat there with him. With him. We was raised up together
with him. We ascended with him and we sat
with him in heavenly places. That's where we're seated right
now, in him. You'll find out if you study
this Bible That it is the union of Christ and his people, that
salvation in its purest form. And that's what you'll, every
text eventually will lead to that. We're one with him. One
with him. Old Roland Hill, preacher from
many, many hundreds of years ago. He had a dream one night. And he dreamed he was carried
by the spirit into this high mountain overlooking this great
valley. You know, one time I went to
Los Angeles and we came in there at night. And when we pulled
up on that last mountain, overlooking as far as you could see in either
direction was nothing but lights. And that's kind of how I visioned
this great valley that he talks about here. And all across, all
around, as far as you could see, there was people standing and
sitting and talking to one another all around him. And above the valley, there was
a thick mist, and there was lightning and thunder in the midst of this
mist, so that it appeared to almost glow within by fire, when
you looked at it. And so he found a place nearby
and he sat down and he just looked in wonder at everything that
he was seeing. And pretty soon a voice thundered
out of the cloud as God called out a man's name. And that man stood up and the
voice, as though it were reading a book, brought forth a multitude
of things, a multitude of charges, a multitude of declarations,
toward this man. And when that man was, when that
voice had ended, and the man had nothing to say, nothing whatsoever,
he just stood there silent, he had nothing to say, the voice
said, guilty. Bind him hand and foot and cast
him into outer darkness. Old Roland Hill stood there just
shivering. And all of a sudden he realized,
this is judgment. This is judgment. What a horror began to fill his
mind. And then, so another man was
called. And likewise, he was judged.
And the voice thundered again, bind him hand and foot, and cast
him into the lake of fire. And over and over, men and women
were called up before God, and each time the sentence was the
same. But he said, as I sat there and
my name wasn't called, he said, I began to think, well, I've
devoted my life to the ministry. And I've never saw anybody in
need that if I was able, I gave to them and helped them. And
I've been a firm supporter of the church, and I've I've given
of my living to the church, given of myself. And so he said I began
to feel a little bit better about myself. And so I sat there and
just watched the things that was going on. And after a little
while that voice said, Roland Hill. And he said all the blood
just drained from my face. He said I was White as powder,
just looking on this valley and hearing that voice. And he said,
I struggled to get up to my feet. No doubt a look of terror on
his face. And he stepped up toward that
mist. And he said, as I stood there
weeping, waiting for the judgment of God, he said, I heard a voice
behind me. This is before any charge was
made. And he said, I'm rolling hill. I'm rolling hill. I was rolling hill when you appointed
me his surety and representative. I was rolling hill before the
foundation of the world when you chose him in me and appointed
me his surety. I was rolling hill when I took
his flesh to myself and lived as him under your holy law. And I was rolling hill when I
was nailed to the cross and bore his sins in my own body on the
tree. And I was rolling hill when you
raised me from the dead and seated me fully justified at your right
hand. And he said there was a long
silence. And everybody on the mountain
had their eyes fashioned on him. And a voice said, well done, my good and faithful
servant. Enter thou into a kingdom prepared
for you before the foundation of the world. You see what I'm
talking about? Wonderful council. Wonderful
counselor. Who else but Christ could present
you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in the sight of
God? And this through the blood of
his cross. And then secondly, that word
counselor means that one that manifests the eternal counsels
of God. In Hebrews chapter 10, Paul's showing to us the Christ
of holy scriptures is set forth in the types and figures and
shadows of the Old Testament prophecies. And this is what
his coming into the world declared. Lo, he said, in the volume of
the book it's written of me, I come to do thy will, O God. Wonderful counselor. Here's one
in all eternity. worthy to take that book. You
can read about it over in Revelation chapter 5. They searched heaven
and earth. There was none worthy to take
that book and open those seals, neither to even look on the pages
of it. But one was found worthy, the
Lion of the tribe of Judah. And he came, and the Father willingly
handed him the book, and he took it, and he unloosed the seal.
This is that wonderful counselor who from the beginning of time
has manifested, brought to pass the eternal counsels of God.
All of them. All of them. He's the lamb slain
before the foundation of the world. Oh, when I think about such things,
I can say with joy, these things are too wonderful for me. What
am I? I've written and written and
rewritten. I was writing back there just before Sunday school
started. These things are too wonderful. You can't put them
into words. The best I can do is quote to you what God said
and try to make some application. And then secondly, and you can
just continue on with this, is one word. He's the wonderful
counselor, the mighty God. Our counselor is God. Oh, the mighty God. According
to these wonderful counsels of God, the Lord Jesus Christ created
all things that are in heaven, that are on earth, visible and
invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities,
all things were made by him, now listen, and for him. He is the mighty God. And he
ordered the providence by which they all be preserved. By him
all things consist. They have a continuance. And
they do so for his glory and to fulfill the purpose of God. By the word of his power our
Savior spoke and it was done. He commanded and it stood fast.
Does that sound like the Jesus you're hearing down here at the
First Baptist Church? Down here at the Nazarene Church,
the Methodist Church, does that sound like the same Jesus to
you? Paul said they'll come preaching another Jesus, and that's what
they're doing. That Jesus they're preaching,
poor, defeated reformer, he's doing the best he can, but he
can't get the job done, he needs your help. You gotta hold his
hand. You gotta help him. Gotta help him. Oh, my soul. You don't have to help this Jesus.
He's the mighty God. He doesn't try to do anything. Oh, religion talks about a Jesus
with his hands tied. The only tie I read about in
the scripture, he come down with a chain and put it on Satan's
neck. You're not gonna tie his hands. My hands aren't shortened,
that I cannot say. They talk about a Jesus whose
hands is tied, his eternal work hanging on a thread, and you
alone can make effectual that which he's done if you'll just
make a decision for Jesus. But the scriptures paint a different
picture. Paul said, in him dwelleth all
the fullness of the God, his bodily and your complete in him.
You don't need anything. You don't need anything in Christ.
You got Christ, you have everything God has for sinners. Paul said, who is first given
to him and it shall be recompensed unto him again. For of him and
through him and to him are all things to whom be glory forever
and ever. Amen. He's the wonderful counselor. being the mighty God, and then
watch this, this wonderful counselor, the mighty God is the everlasting
Father. Oh, think on this. If you're
a believer, if you're here today and you're a believer, and you
believe in this Christ of whom God has testified, of whom God
gave witness, if you believe in Him, God Almighty is your
Father. Uh-huh. Isn't that wonderful? God is your father. As your father, he's the source
of your existence. I don't have any kids that I didn't give an existence
to. Do you? They call me father because I'm
their father. If you're a father, he's the
source of your existence. Not one of my children would
have ever been born or care given or provision made or life without
me. I'm their father. But how much
truer is this of the believer He said, blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant
mercy has begotten us again unto a lively hope. By the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible,
undefiled, that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you. Oh
God, he's your Father. Oh my soul. Paul said, we have obtained an
inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of him
that worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. He's the wonderful counselor,
the mighty God, the everlasting father. Paul speaks of this, he said
in Ephesians 1, to the praise of his glory, That we should
be to the praise of His glory who first trusted in Christ.
Who first trusted in Him? The Father. The Father. Handed Him that book. Handed
Him that book. And He opened those seals and
fulfilled all of God's redemptive purpose. They said, show us the Father
and we'll be satisfied. He said, have you been so long
time with me, have you not seen the Father? But you say, God's the Father
of all men. Oh, I beg your pardon. I beg
your pardon. He told those Pharisees, they
said, we'd be not born of fornication, we have one Father, even God.
He said, if God were your Father, You'd love me. For I proceeded
forth and came from God. You'd love me. You'd do the Father's
works, but you're of your father the devil, and the works of your
father you will do. Paul said, you're all the children
of God by faith in Christ Jesus. And this is how our sonship is
known. In Galatians 4.6, he tells us,
because your sons, because God has predestinated you under the
adoption of children, because of this unchangeable, unalterable
gift that God has determined to give you, for no reason found
in you, only in him, by the grace of God. Because your sons, God
has sent forth the spirit of his son into your heart, crying
what? Abba, Father. Oh, that's what
the believer sees. He sees God as his Father. His
Father. I remember old Charlie Payne,
a deacon up in Ashton, said he was riding on a train going out
west one time and they were crossing up Great Plains and this guy
said, man, he said, some of these ranches out here, he said, They
go on for miles and miles and miles. He said, we started back
there on one man's land, and he said, we ain't off of it yet.
He said, when we got on this train, you was on my father's
land, and we ain't likely to get off of it at the end. It
all belongs to him, don't it? Paul said, you're out here fighting
and fussing about whose ministry you was saved under. He said,
don't you know? that the world is yours? How
can that be? Because God is your father. God
is your father. And then fourthly, his name is
wonderful. It's the wonderful counselor,
the mighty God, the everlasting father. Now listen, the prince
of peace. Now you don't hear anything else
I've said today, you hear this. There can be no peace apart from
Christ. I don't care what you know, I
don't care what you read, I don't care what you done, there can
be no peace with God apart from Christ. And there's three things that
stand between the sinner and his God. Talking about natural
man. Three things stand between him
and his God. The first thing is his person.
His person, by nature a child of wrath, even as others. He
got no heart for God, no heart for worship, no heart for submission. How repulsive the sinner must
appear before God. In his self-glory, in his self-righteousness,
in his ungodly independence and rebellious attitude, the scripture
said the carnal mind is enmity against God. It's hostile toward
God. He hears truth. Here's a man
who hadn't studied this book at all. He's heard a few people
talk about it. He may have went to church on
occasion and he knows a little bit about it. He can quote a
few pieces of scripture out of it. But you tell that man some
truth and he'll, man, he'll fly up in your face. That's not what
the Bible teaches. Well, tell me everything you
know about the Bible. I bet you can do it in about
30 seconds. Huh? The carnal mind is enmity,
it's hostile toward God. Now if I wanna talk about theories
and I wanna talk about my opinion, well they'll be as calm and as
cool as they can be. But don't say anything dogmatic.
And I'm gonna tell you something, you can't preach anything unless
it's dogmatic. Huh? You might as well go spit
on the sidewalk. You didn't accomplish anything.
Either a thing is so or it's not. No in between or no gray
areas. Oh, man, and this person drinks
iniquity, Job said, like water. Goes astray as soon as he'd be
born, speaking lies, David said. No fear of God before his eyes,
Paul said. If there's going to be a reconciliation
to God, he must be given a new heart. God must come to. And here's what he says, they
shall come thither and shall take away all of the detestable
things thereof, and all the abominations thereof. Talking about this coming
Redeemer. And I'll give them one heart.
And I'll put a new spirit within you and I'll take that stony
heart out of their flesh and I'll give them a heart of flesh.
And they'll walk in my statutes and keep mine ordinances and
do them. And they'll be my people and
I'll be their God. They'll be willing in the day
of His power. We must be, Christ said, born
again. made new creatures in Christ.
And then secondly, there can be no peace so long as our sins
stand between us and our God. Sin has to be paid for. Now you
better get it out of your head. You people that's raised in Armenian
religion better get this idea of God and his racer erasing
things up there and calling that forgiveness. That's not forgiveness.
The only way sin can be forgiven is for sin to be paid for. Justice
has to be satisfied and righteousness has to be fulfilled. The Prince of Peace made peace,
Colossians 1.20, through the blood of his cross to reconcile
all things to himself. Justified, Paul writes in Romans
3.24, freely by his grace through the redemption that's in Christ
Jesus. His name shall be called and
is called by all who know it, the wonderful Counselor, the
mighty God, the everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace. And
as such, he shall and now is sitting upon the throne of David,
the throne of his kingdom, to order it. Boy, I look around, I don't see
much order. That's because I'm not looking
in the right place. He's not ordering things in this
world for your comfort in this world. He's ordering things in
this world for His glory and for the good of His sheep, the
eternal good of His sheep. Leprosy might be the blessing
of God on you. It was on one, more than one. He talks about cleansing the
lepers, not a leper, Might just be a blessing. Oh,
there was a fellow up in Henry's church. He held a big station
for one of the major aviation plants out in Washington. And got MS. Brought him down. He lost his
job. Went on disability. Was living up in Ohio. with his
daughter and she was trying to make arrangements for him to
be put in a special home because she couldn't handle that disease
and what it was doing to her daddy. Old John Howson got up
one morning and turned the TV on and Henry Mayhem was preaching. Saved his God saved his soul. He heard the gospel. He packed
up and left and moved to Ashland. And I was working in the church
at that time, going out with Henry to preach and different
things. I was living right in his parking lot. And when I wasn't
going out with him, people from the church would hire me to come
and do little things around their house. And I completely redid
old John Housen's house so he could run that little electric
scooter around in it. I'll never forget him standing
and telling Henry back in the men's study, he said, I thank
God for MS. You see what I'm saying? He's
sitting on the throne and he's ordering everything in his kingdom. There's nothing out of order
out here. It's out of order to the president.
It's out of order to the cabinet and all this kind of stuff. It's not out of order in the
kingdom of God. It's ordered perfectly for God's
glory and for your good, your eternal good. Nothing in his kingdom's out
of order or even contrary to order. And he's gonna establish
his kingdom in judgment and justice. He's gonna punish sin. He's gonna
honor the law and exalt it. And you can't honor the law of
God any more than you do when you believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ because he honored and exalted it to its maximum. You believe on him, you kept
the law. You kept the law. Oh, with all this chaos and all
this ungodliness and all this confusion of Antichrist's religion,
how in the world can this be? Well, he says in Isaiah 9, 7,
the last sentence of the verse, the zeal of the Lord shall accomplish
this. Wonderful. His name is wonderful. And old Job, at the end of his
time, he said, who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge?
Therefore I have uttered that I understood not. Things too
wonderful for me. And oh, so they are. And yet
God has purposed to show them to me. And at least in a little
part, I'm able to show them to you. And may his spirit make
them come alive in your hearts and minds for Christ's sake.
Amen.