Isaiah chapter 9. I've entitled this message, The
Child Born, The Son Given. We attach no significance to
December 25th as the birth of Christ. He was not born on that
day. nor are we instructed in scriptures
to observe a day as his birthday." I got one of my letters this
week from someone who failed to sign it. I hate it when I
get those letters like that. I think, come on. Rebuking me of something about
this time of year, using, talking about Christmas or something
like that. Well, If you're going to write me a
letter, sign it. If we believe, we celebrate the
birth, the life, the death, the resurrection, the ascension,
the intercession, and the return of our Lord in our hearts every
day. And it's not just cliche. We're
not just saying that to be saying it. We really celebrate Him. Now, there are things I like
about what is called Christmas. I like a day off. I love working people having
this day off. I love families getting together
and enjoying one another. I love this attitude of goodwill
that seems to prevail. But most of all, I love to think
about the birth of Christ my Savior. I love the fact that men are
reminded that Jesus Christ came into flesh. And I want to read
one of the most awe-inspiring passages of Scripture regarding
Him in all the Word of God. Let's read it once again in Isaiah
chapter 9, verse 6. For unto us a child is born, unto us A son is given. Notice the child was born, but
the son wasn't. The son was given. And the government
shall be upon his shoulder. And his name shall be called,
who calls his name this? Well, his father, God the Spirit,
and certainly His people. This is how we address Him. His name shall be called Wonderful,
Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince
of Peace. The child was born But the Son
was not born. The Son was given. He never began to exist. He is
the eternal Son. And the child born speaks of
the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn back to Isaiah
chapter 7, verse 14. The Lord Himself shall give you
a sign. I want a sign from the Lord,
don't you? Now, I don't want a sign from me and I'm not even
interested in it. But I do want a sign from the Lord. And here
it is. Behold, a virgin shall conceive
and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel. God with us. Now He was, the Son was before
this birth. In the beginning was the Word.
And the Word was with God, and the Word was God. I love this, the same was in
the beginning with God. Now, a lot of times men read
like the same was in the beginning with God. I like this better,
the same was in the beginning with God. He never began to exist. He is the eternal Son of God. This was prophesied in Micah
chapter 5 verse 2 that this child would be born in Bethlehem. Do
you remember how the scripture points out that Joseph lived
in Nazareth, he had to go to Bethlehem to be taxed? And that's
where Christ was prophesied to be born. God's adorable providence
caused it to where although Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth,
they had to go to Bethlehem to be taxed. Caesar decreed that
all the world would be taxed. Everybody had to go to their
own, where their lineage was. He went there, and that's where
the baby was born. Listen to this scripture, Micah
5, verse 2. Out of thee shall come to me,
talking about Bethlehem, that is to be ruler in Israel, whose
goings forth have been from old, from everlasting. Do you believe
that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin? Yes, I do. If he was born of a man, he'd
have a sinful nature like me or you. And he couldn't do anybody
any good at all. But he was born of a virgin. Hold your finger there now, Isaiah,
and turn to Matthew 1. Verse 18. Now the birth. of Jesus Christ
was on this wise. When as his mother Mary was espoused
to Joseph before they came together, she was found with child of the
Holy Ghost." Now put yourself in Joseph's place. Mary comes
up to him and says, I know that we've never been together intimately,
but I'm pregnant. And I promise you it hadn't been
with a man. I'm a child with the Holy Ghost. You reckon he
believed her? You know he didn't. He didn't
believe her for a second. But he was a kind man. He was
a good man. He was a just man. And he was
going to divorce her and put her away privately. Not in a
way to expose her to ridicule. He didn't want to do that. He
was a good man. He didn't want problems to occur. Then Joseph, her husband, being
a just man, not willing to make her a public example, even though
he thought, look what she's done. He was minded. He was thinking
to put her away. That means divorce her. Finally,
where no one would find out about it. But while he thought on these
things, I'm sure he was trying to figure out what he was going
to do. Boy, my whole life has changed now. Behold, the angel
of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou
son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for
that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a Son,
and thou shalt call His name Jesus, Savior. For He shall save His people
from their sins." Isn't that wonderful? Now all this was done. that it might be fulfilled which
was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, I just
read it, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth
a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted
is God with us. Not God against us, God not far
away from us, but God with us. Then Joseph, being raised from
the sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and
he took unto him his wife, and knew her not till she had brought
forth her firstborn son, and called his name Jesus. Now, He is the Son who was given. Unto us a child is born, but
unto us a son is given. God so loved the world that He
gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should
not perish, but have eternal life. Now, the question that
comes to my mind is, who is the us? Unto us a child is born. Unto us a son is given." Who
is the us? Well, it's the same us that Paul
referred to when he said, if God be for us, who can be against
us? And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are called
according to His purpose. If God be for these people, who
can be against them? That's the us. It's talking about
God's people. Talking about God's elect. Ephesians
1, 4, "...according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
Him." That's the us. I heard a preacher recently preaching
on Ephesians 1, 4. And he said, "...according as
He hath chosen us Not just me, but us. He wouldn't say the elect. He wouldn't say those the father
chose before the foundation of the world. He said us. He chose
us. He didn't just choose me. He chose us. Now, he managed
to keep from offending men when he said that, no doubt. But he
offended God. Who's he us? God's elect, those
who believe. Those who bow the knee to the
Lord Jesus Christ. Now, if He's given you His Son,
let me tell you what you've done, you've received Him. And if you
haven't received Him, He never gave Him. Unto us this Child
is born. Unto us this Son is given. And whatever God gives, we receive. He doesn't have any gifts out
there that are just kind of floating, waiting to see whether we'll
accept them or reject them. No! When God gives, you receive. And if you don't receive, He
never gave. Unto us, us, this Child is born. Unto us, this Son is given. The second person of the blessed
trinity, the one who said, let us make man in our own image. That's the one. Unto us a child
is born, unto us a son is given. Now look at this next description
of Him in our text. It says concerning Him that the
government shall be upon His shoulder. There is so much debate as to
what role government should play in our lives. All kinds of debate,
isn't there? I mean, there's some people that
think government ought to have more control. There's some people
that think government ought not have near the control they have,
and more ought to be delivered to private enterprise and so
on, and we'd be better. All these different debates over
how much control government ought to have. Now, I'm not entering
into that. I got my opinions, and you ought to know what they
are. Not from here, anyway. The preacher has no business
pushing political views. But I know this, this government
is a government that has complete control. The government is upon
his shoulder. This government has complete,
absolute, autocratic control. The government shall be upon
his shoulder." Now, this word government comes out of the word
power, which is a reference to the absolute omnipotent sovereignty
of Jesus Christ. And there isn't anything that
makes me happier to talk about than that. I just love the sovereignty
of the Lord Jesus Christ. This isn't just a doctrine I
espouse. This is who He is. The government
shall be upon His shoulder. Sovereignty. You know, you can't
have two sovereigns of anything. You know, every country claims
to be a sovereign country. The United States is a sovereign
country. That means we don't have to answer to anybody else. And St. Lucia, I remember I went there
to preach once. A little island, I think maybe 50,000 people,
it called itself a sovereign nation. And I thought, oh, no
more sovereign than we are. I mean, we use that term. But
there's only one sovereign. All answers to Him. He's the
absolute sovereign of the universe and the government is upon His
shoulder. He is absolutely independent
and everybody and everyone and everything is utterly dependent
upon Him. He has a will. I love that Scripture. Father, I will. If they you've given me, be with
me where I am." Can you imagine speaking to God that way? Saying,
Lord, I will that you do this. Why, no, we're on a vote. Lord, if you will. But oh, the
dignity of the Son, that He can say to the Father, Father, I
will. He speaks as equal to the Father,
because He is equal to the Father. You see, the Son has a will. Not only does the Son have a
will, the Son has the power to make His will come to pass. He said, all power is given unto
me in heaven and in earth. All power. I think it, well I
said this, A couple of weeks ago I was listening to the radio
and it was about Forbes magazine and it talked about the five
most powerful men in the world. And I just, I just, I just want
to spit. You know, I mean, men don't have
any power. He's a powerful man. No, he's not. He doesn't have
any power. God has all power. And that man
is a pawn in God's hand just like me and you. And he can do
whatever he's pleased to do with it. That's who God is. Power
belongeth unto the Lord, not the powerful man. Ain't no such
thing. God has all power. I love it when Pilate says to
the Lord, He said, speakest thou not to me? Don't you know that
I have power to release you? And I have power to crucify you?
And the Lord looked at him and said, you could have no power
at all over me, except it be given thee from above. He has
all power. He has the power. He has the
ability. He has the might to make his
will come to pass. And he has the right to make
his will come to pass. This is very important. You know,
if the Lord gives a man power, it's borrowed power, what does
that man do with it? Corrupts it. Corrupts it. The
more power you give a man, the more corrupt he'll be. That's
just the way we are. That's our nature. But here is
one who has the right to exercise power. He said, can I not do
what I will with my own? He has the right. But not only
does he have a will, not only does he have the power to make
his will come to pass, not only does he have the right to make
his will come to pass as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the
one who the government's upon his shoulder, he does make his
will come to pass all the time. He doeth. according to His will,
in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth.
And none can stay His hand, none can stop Him, or say unto Him,
What doest Thou? He is in control." He's sovereign,
don't you love it? He's sovereign. He's sovereign
in creation. He spake the world into existence. You think of
that. What has been more wretched than what happened up in Connecticut?
It just kills me to think about it. It pains me to think about
it. And people say, why? Why? I don't know, but He does. He does. And I rest in that.
He's in control of that. It's horrible. It's evil. It's
wicked. Go on. There's no way of describing
it in any other way. But who's in control? God is. I don't understand why He permitted
that to happen, and I don't need to understand. I trust Him. I
really do. Shall not the judge of the earth do right? He's in
control. We rest there, don't we? We rest
there. Most especially He suffered in
salvation. The Son quickens. The Son gives
life to whom He will. And I love this. My salvation
is in His hand. And your salvation is in His
hand. You don't have any control in this thing. I don't have any
control. He has all control. The government shall be upon
His shoulder. What a mighty shoulder He has! His name shall be called. This
One who is the Child born, this One who is the Son given, this
One who the government is upon His shoulder, and He controls
everything. His name shall be called. Now
this is what His Father calls Him, and this is what His people
call Him. And He gives five names. Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the
everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. What a name! What names for our Redeemer. His name shall be called Wonderful. Here's one of those words that
we use kind of loosely. How is the meal wonderful? We
had a wonderful time. I realize that we got to make
things look good. We use terms like that, but this
word wonderful means miracle, marvelous, separated, distinguished. His name is wonderful. The Lord Jesus Christ is wonderful. I'm filled with awe at the greatness
of His person. He's wonderful. The utter uniqueness
of His person. He's the God-man. There's nobody
you can compare Him to. There's nobody that's like Him.
He is the God-man. Fully God. Fully man. God. Man. Nobody you can compare
him to. Wonderful. No. I have to have
him as God-man for me to be saved. I can't be saved without this.
Man sinned. Man must die. But man cannot
satisfy. Man can't satisfy God's justice.
That's why hell is eternal. Only God can satisfy God. But God can't die. The God-man
did both. The God-man died. To me, that's one of the... Explain
that to me. How can the God-man die? I don't
understand how... But he did. He did. That's all
I... He did. And He's satisfied. And that is why God raised Him
from the dead. Oh, He's so utterly unique in
the glory of His person. He's wonderful in His person,
isn't He? We bow down before Him. In spirit,
we lay down at His feet and we hear His Word. He's wonderful
in His person. He's wonderful in His character.
I guess that's one and the same thing, but I love to think of
his character. Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners,
made higher than the heavens. He's utterly holy. Yet he's meek
and lowly in heart. And no one ever feels threatened
or condemned when they're truly in his presence. Oh, the Pharisees
were condemned by him. But any sinner who comes near
him, he was the friend of publicans and sinners. Meek and lowly in
heart. Approachable. Oh, what a glorious
Savior in his character. All that God is, He is. He was
glorious in His birth. Don't you love the way that He
was born in a stable? A barn. With the smell of manure
in the air. Not in a palace, separate from
the people, but in a barn. There was no place for Him in
the end. No room for Him in the end. I love the way He was born.
I love thinking of his life. I love the fact, you know, we
read of his circumcision, then you go 12 years, and then you
hear of him being in the temple with the doctors of the law,
asking them questions and answering questions. And they were amazed
by him. And his parents had left, and they supposed that he's with
them. And they find out he's not, they come back. And he said,
when they come back to him, he says, with she not that I must
be about my father's business. Isn't He glorious? He must be
about His Father's business. Oh, how wonderful He is in His
life! I love the next 18 years of obscurity. Don't know a thing about him,
except that he kept God's law perfectly. And he never sinned. He never had a sinful thought,
motive, or action. He kept God's law perfect. I love his public ministry. I
love his words. I love his life. You see, his
life... His life is wonderful. When Christ,
our life shall appear. Colossians 3, 4. When Christ,
our life shall appear, then shall we appear with Him in glory. Don't you love His life as your
very life before God? I have such confidence. Oh Lord,
I'm ready to go. I'm ready to go because His life
is my life before God. What else you need? His righteousness
is my righteousness before God. He's wonderful in His life, and
how wonderful He is in His death. You see, when a human being dies,
they die in weakness. It's kind of like the final defeat.
You know, I mean, you try, you succumb to death, you get nothing
you can do about it. You're just a weak... But his
death was unlike anybody else's. You see, his death was an accomplishment.
He gave death permission. Death couldn't come to him. He
willingly laid down his life. He's the only one to ever do
that. Somebody says, well, if you commit suicide, then you
willingly took your life. Not really. He's the only one
who gave up the ghost. He's the only one to ever do
that. He said, death, you can come, take me. And by His death,
He accomplished the salvation of everybody He died for. He
actually put away sin. Now you think of, is His death
wonderful? His death is wonderful! Oh, His resurrection is wonderful. When he died, he died like nobody
else. When we die, when any man dies, what you do, he begins
to decay immediately, doesn't he? But do you know Jesus Christ
never went through the process of decay? You know why? Because
the moment He died, the second He died, complete satisfaction
was made. God was satisfied with everybody
He died for, and God raised Him from the dead. I don't know of
anything I like thinking about more now. I love thinking about
my Lord laying in that dark tomb, dead, and He opened His eyes. He takes the grave clothes off.
He walks out of the tomb raised from the dead. Why did God raise
him from the dead? Because sin was put away and
everybody he represented was justified. We love to think of
him in his intercession. Therefore, He's able to save
them to the uttermost that come to God by Him. You know, when
the Lord said, Father, forgive them. Was there anybody He prayed
for the Father didn't forgive? When He said, Peter, I prayed
for you. What else needs to be said? If
the Lord's praying for me, wherefore He is able to save them to the
uttermost that come to God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to
make intercession for them. Isn't He wonderful in His intercession? Here's another thing that's wonderful
about His intercession. Everything's wonderful about Him, but it's
not like I sinned." And he says, Father, forgive him. I know he
did it again. Forgive him again. I sinned.
May commit the same sin 5,000 times and 5,000 times. Don't
let him get by again. No. He just stands before the
Father and shows his hands and feet. And nothing else needs
to be said. What a mighty intercessor He
is. Oh, how wonderful He is in His return. Every eye is going
to see Him. Next He's called, the counselor. I'm going to speed up here. His
people call him the counselor, the wonderful counselor or advisor. Now, going to a counselor is
pretty much in vogue in our day. Why do men go to counselors?
Well, sometimes it's because they need someone to listen to
them. in a non-judgmental, non-threatening way, and I understand that. I
mean, people need someone to listen to them. Sometimes, some
people need counsel. They don't know how to handle
their problems and they need advice. Some people have had
such difficult situations that their thinking is messed up.
I've had people come to me before and I said, I can't help you.
I mean, you need, I'm not equipped to be able to give you the proper
counsel you need. Some people have been helped
in some ways, others have not been helped because they've received
the wrong counsel. Now, let me say this personally.
I want him as my counselor. He is the wonderful Counselor. And what counsel He gives. Here's His counsel. Come to Me, all ye that are weary and heavy
laden, and I will give you rest. Isn't that good counsel? It's perfect counsel. I counsel thee, he says, to buy
of me gold tried in the fire. Remember the church at Laodicea?
Turn there. He uses this word. I want us
to look at this. Revelation chapter 3. And unto the angel of the church
of the Laodiceans write, Revelation 3 verse 14, These things saith
the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the
creation of God. Now, I want counsel from him,
don't you? He says, I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor
hot. You know what it is to be cold?
You can't feel. You feel like you've got a block
of ice for a heart. You're not moved by the Gospel.
You're not moved by the preaching of the Gospel. You're not moved
by the Word of God. You just feel cold and dead and
lifeless. And you know what it is, too? I know what it is to feel hot.
You feel a zeal for His glory. You feel a zeal for His honor.
You want His gospel to be preached. You want to love Him with all
your heart and all. Hot. Hot. It's a lot more enjoyable
to be hot than it is to be cold, isn't it? I want to be red hot
for His glory. I want to be red hot for His
honor. Oh, I want to believe Him. But
what does the Lord say to this group of people? You're neither
one. I know your works, that thou
art neither cold nor hot." Now, I would that thou were cold or
hot. The Lord's saying this. I want
you to be one of the two. So then, because thou art lukewarm
and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because you say, I'm rich and
increased with goods and have need of nothing. I'm just fine.
and you don't know that you're wretched, and miserable, and
poor, and blind, and naked. Now, I counsel thee to buy of
me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich, and white
raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of
thy nakedness do not appear, and anoint thine eyes with ices,
so that thou mayest see as many as I love. I rebuke and I chasten. Be zealous, therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and
knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come
to him. and will sup with him, and he
with me. To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in
my throne, even as I also overcame and sat down with my Father in
His throne. He that hath heard ear, let him
hear what the Spirit saith to the churches." Now, that's the
counsel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, when you think about counsel, you know, there's nothing as
therapeutic as believing the impossible. Nothing is it. We read of the
joy and the peace of believing. He truly is the wonderful Counselor. I want His counsel. You know,
I mean, that's the counsel I want. I want His counsel. And His people call Him the Counselor.
Don't we come to Him? Lord, teach me. Lord, show me. Lord, reveal Yourself to me.
Don't leave me to myself. Reveal Your Gospel to me. Have
Your hand. Teach me. He is the Counselor. And what else do we call Him?
The Mighty God. The Mighty God. I love His name
as the Mighty God. Jesus Christ. This is one of
my favorite things to say. Isaiah 9, we'll call His name
the Mighty God. Jesus Christ is God. Makes me
smile to say it. Jesus Christ is God. The wonderful Counselor is the
mighty God. The Father said to the Son, Thy
throne, O God, is forever. Only God is eternal. Well, the
same was in the beginning with God. Only God is immutable. Jesus
Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever. Only God is omnipresent. The Lord said, where two or three
are gathered together in my name. Wherever they are, there I am
in the midst of them. You know, there are people in
other countries and other sides of the world right now gathered
in His name. We're here gathered in His name. He's right here.
He's over there too, because He's everywhere. He's omnipresent. He did what only God can do.
He created. He brought matter into existence.
He raised the dead. He controlled the weather. And
He forgave sin. He forgives sin, but God only.
Only God can. And He forgave sin. And His name
shall be called the Everlasting Father. Somebody says, explain
that to me. I can't. But what did the Lord say to
Philip? Philip said, Lord, show us the
Father, and it sufficeth us, Jesus saith unto him, have I
been so long time with thee, and yet hast thou not known me,
Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. How sayest
thou then, show us the Father? His name shall be called the
Everlasting Father. That's not understood, just believed. Just believed. And finally, his
name should be called the Prince of Peace. The Prince. He's the Prince. He's the King. He's the author.
He's the Prince of Peace. Now, what is peace? Peace is
a harmonious relationship. No turmoil. Peace. It's peace between nations,
peace between men, peace in homes. But here's the peace that is
so much more important than any of those other pieces. Peace
with God. Peace with God, to where God is at peace with me. Now, the Lord Jesus Christ is
called the Prince of Peace. There's so many scriptures we
could go to, but Romans 14, 17 says the kingdom of God is not
meat and drink. It's not do's and don'ts. It's not if you eat
this, you'll be better off, and if you drink this, you'll be
better off, and if you don't, you'll be worse. No. Kingdom of God
is not in meat and drink. It's righteousness. Righteousness. For God to accept me, I have
to be perfectly righteous. I am perfectly righteous in Christ.
What comes next? The kingdom of God is not meat
and drink, but righteousness and peace. I have such peace
knowing that all that God requires of me, I have. He looks at me
and says, I can ask for no more. He's perfect. I can accept no
less. He's perfect. What peace we get
from that. The kingdom of God is not meat
and drink, but it's righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy
Ghost. What joy we receive from that. Therefore, having been justified.
Now, when Jesus Christ died, listen real carefully. Justification
is not something you accept. God doesn't say, well, here's
justification or here's condemnation. Which one do you accept? That's
ridiculous, isn't it? That's just ridiculous. Justification
isn't something you accept or reject. Justification is something
God declares you to be. When Jesus Christ died, everybody
he died for was justified. Are you going to accept that? That's not something I accept,
that's something I believe. Yes. Therefore, having been justified
by faith, we have peace with God. No turmoil. You see, the reason for God's
anger has been removed. Sin has been removed. God looks
at me and says, I'm pleased with it. He's pleased with everybody
in the Lord Jesus Christ. And what peace we have from that. Now that's peace, isn't it? If you tell me that there's anything
I need to do to get God to be at peace with me, I have no peace.
None. I mean none! But if you tell
me that He accomplished my peace with God, you know what I have?
Peace. He is the Prince of Peace. And
I'm not going to comment on this, but the last verse 7, of the
increase, that means the greatness. The greatness of His government
and peace, there should be no end, no limitations. And upon
the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it and
to establish it with judgment and justice from henceforth even
forever. That's His kingdom. A kingdom
of justice and judgment. And the zeal, and that's the
jealousy. You know, the Lord's name is
jealousy. The jealousy of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
It's going to be performed because this is God's purpose. Now, is
this the name I call Him? His name should be called Wonderful
Counselor. the mighty God, the everlasting
Father, the Prince of Peace. Let's pray.