The Unmitigable Power, Glory, and Wonder of the Kingdom of Our Lord and of His Christ

Isaiah chapter 9 as we actually go back and do the final installment of the Manuel child prophecy called it unto us a child is born.

Actually, a lot of the work for this message was done during my break and then I tried to get in before Christmas. I actually don't know what happened. It came into many parts and I'm just now getting to it. But I want to talk about the unmitigated willpower, wonder and glory of the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. Revelation 11. That's the what the way the Bible words that the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ kingdoms of this world expert says are become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and this is what is prophesied here as a means of encouraging Ahaz and the ancient remnant of Judah as they are facing impending doom from their enemies. So as a part of all that got God's giving them to encourage them and assure them that they're securing him. Here's what he writes. Isaiah chapter 9 verses six and seven for a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us and the government will rest on his shoulders and he will be called wonderful Counselor, mighty God, eternal Father, Prince of peace and there will be no end to the increase of his government or of peace on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore.

Don't miss the/very the seal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this, the unmitigated will power, wonder and glory of the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ unmitigated bull is a word. Not all dictionaries agree with that but I found one that did and the reason I want to say that is because to mitigate means to hold back to reduce to squelch this kingdom has no holdback in it there be no squelching of its there's no reducing of it, it's unmitigated power and wondering glory.

Another remnant of Judah is terrified. King Ahaz is 13 this immediate enemy, the northern kingdom and Syria have formed an alliance and while they've lived in the threats forever now Lederle their enemies are kept at the gate so tiny remnant Judah which represents God's remnant church.

The treater is threatened with extinction if you will, and the Bible tells us in Isaiah 72 when it was reported to the house of David saying the Aramaeans of Capt. Ephraim, and his heart and the hearts of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake with the win, that's how terrified they are is security there wondering is this got there like it and God get past the child will be born to you son will begin government will rest on his shoulders and on and on, will go so God's strongest words of encouragement to them. As we see in Isaiah chapter 9. Here is a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us. Not a mighty warrior and not a powerful king, but a child, a son. See, God makes his strength and power known in what appears to us to be weakness.

For example, when Jesus goes to the cross command that appeared week.

He was humiliated he was shamed, but in the cross both his and our enemies are defeated.

His weakness was actually strength yet in the promise of a child here.

The promise of the sun.

There is a great and powerful note of assurance. I grade empowered note of security because a child speaks of that D suite familial love. There's just nothing like that. I think that's why the Holy Spirit inspired the prophet to write it that way. He wants you to get the note of.

There's a deep sway. Love for you and your heavenly father child evokes that the deep sweet love child and what that stirs up in us is really beyond words is not as to what God is saying to ancient Judah and what he saying to King Ahaz and what he saying to his church today is this, I want you know I have a deep sweet love for you and that deep sweet love. You know I'm going to protect you security I'm going to bring you the victory you can rest securely knowing that I love you.

In this way. Jeremiah 31 three has just increasingly become such a powerful encouragement to me with the prophet says I have loved you with an everlasting love. Let me say that again. Perhaps the greatest assurance we have that God will never stop loving us is that God never started loving us have always loved you and not just loved US the image of the child evokes in a sob loved you with the deed suite. Love think too often we separate God often an austere way and impersonal way and we forget that God so loved the world that deep sweet love God has for you my friend for his church in general is a God sized love. It has a God -sized depth today has a God size height to it has a God size a witness to it, and it's all fueled with that God empowered seal to protect us to preserve us to secure us to keep us here we see the child child will be born to us as a non-sick son will be given to us. This is Jesus, but in this text. It shows him as indeed a mighty king.

It shows him as the world's ruler and his kingdom will bring him glory and will bring eternal security protection and blessedness to his children so in Isaiah chapter 9 verses six and seven. Let's look afresh at the unmitigated bull power, wonder and glory of the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. Let's unpack these two verses together this morning.

All right, first of all, verse six he says, and the government shall be upon his shoulders. The divine sovereign will ascend the throne and become heaven and earth's divine monarch. He is both the unopposed and unmovable King of heaven and earth, and he rules both the scene and the unseen world and all authority rest in him forevermore.

Psalm chapter 2 verses one through three tells us why the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing. The kings of the ark take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, let us tear their fetters apart and cast the records away from us. The first phrase there while the nations in uproar the point there is that there's no reason for the natures to rage. I haven't uproar are to revolt because it's futility. When the king takes the throw libido raging against him is really a figure speech. I think because there's no raging or resisting his authority is complete futility since the government will rest on his shoulders. One of the points I'm convinced this is is that the prophet is saying this is where the Immanuel child ends up. This is what will become of him and this is what will become of us, his children.

Revelation 21 335 also summarizes the culmination of the Immanuel child theme.

Revelation 21 335 and heard a loud voice from the throne saying, behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and he will dwell among them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be among them, and he will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there were no longer be any death no longer be any mourning or crying or pain. The first things passed away and he sits on the throne said, behold, I am making all things new.

And he said right for these words are faithful and true.

One other powerful implication of the government resting on the shoulders is that unlike all others who have come before him. He's actually up to the task.

He can handle it.

You can put it on his shoulders because he can bear. He and he alone is the one who is able to establish a just and righteous government and to maintain it for perpetuity. The kings of the great empires of history are vivid illustrations that he's the only one we can go back to the pharaohs of Egypt. The kings of ancient Assyria and Babylon, the Caesars of the great Roman Empire.

The kings of the Islamic empires, the kings of the mobile empire. The kings of the British Empire.

The Emperor of Japan, Stalin, Lyndon Mayo of communist dictatorship Hitler of Nazi Germany in any president of the United States and all compared to Christ failed at the pass. All of them did not and could not establish lasting justice and peace in the earth all of their empires or kingdoms crumbled or will crumble, but the opposite of truth of Christ and his future kingdom just as he put the massive cross upon his shoulders and secured our redemption, proving he was up to the task, so Christ will take the pillars of earth government upon himself and he will truth be is up to the task, the government will be on his shoulders. What a sweet wonderful and blessed day that will be for us child of God cannot just leave my notes and exhort you for second. That's your hope what's going to happen in this world.

This is the world that's coming for us.

This is what ends up being the reality of our this is where the child comes to when we come to it with him. Now we come to the rest of the two verses and we come to several descriptive titles that amplify the superiority of his coming rule. First of all, the Bible says here he's a wonderful counselor are scholars point out, it means a wonder of a counselor gives you wisdom in leading his kingdom will be immensely wonderful people manage the world with wisdom like the world has ever known, never known if you were to ask the man on the street in that day what you think of Christ's reign words would actually fail him. He would just say it's wonderful is wonderful. Colossians 23 reminds us that in him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. See his wisdom is God's wisdom is divine wisdom is so superior to those who only know the world's wisdom that they cannot comprehend it.

Think about his wisdom. Wisdom is what taught us that weakness and strength. The baby is born weakness but that was God strength he goes to across weakness that was God strength that starts with this wisdom told us that surrender his victory. He surrendered to the cross.

Following the will of his heavenly father.

And there he brought the victory we surrender the Lordship of Christ, so that's weakness.

Be your own man, but your own strength and saw your own rights but in surrender, we find victory or what wisdom he says his wisdom is true wisdom is God's wisdom and his kingdom will prosper in blessedness under his wisdom. But not only that.

Secondly, the text says he's mighty God, mighty God notice it doesn't say in the text just God, but mighty God. This is another biblical proclamation that Christ is in effect, God himself. This asserts the deity of Jesus Christ is not just kinda like God are similar to God's mighty God. Think about the fact that we as children have so many formidable enemies as enemies everywhere sickness and sorrow and loss heartache seem to abound in Satan opposes us in death threatens us in the hell and the grave look us in the face to intimidate us in here, we stand and where whereby guilt and were aware of our CNN the condemnation and yet the judgment that ought to come to us, yet your room were reminded that our security and eternal blessedness rest in one who is the mighty God.

Think about that. Our problems are so much that we must have a God sized solution and we have one God is our Savior as well.

The writer said in Romans 831 what then shall we say to these things of God's forces against us. The point being, if God has come as your Savior can call Park RRR avoid that art negate that in any way shape or five. He is the mighty God he can handle all of our enemies and keep us safe for eternity than the text says in verse six look at their he's the everlasting father or the eternal father. This speaks to the endless secession of the ages know the words lesson. He's our father forever. Love that these are father forever.

The kings and the rulers of the ages, generally speaking, set themselves up at the father of their people know we don't think that way in America so much about our leadership but the old world still thinks that way. I was in South Africa many years ago with Harold peacefully are missionary there and he was driving me out to my tribal church to preach and Bill Clinton had just been elected president and Harold said something never thought it say something like this. He said can you believe that you traded Barbara Bush for Hillary Clinton as the mother country, while never thought of that way.

But he sees of English dissent. They still thinks that what he did mean and power authority look the cleaners I think that's the figurehead that's that's with the president is he's the father of your country and his wife is like the mother of your country will that's the way it was viewed in the old days.

That's why this is companies called the everlasting or the eternal father.

All of the kings of all of the peoples of all of the ages failed to be the faithful fathers of the people they're supposed to be at even the best of routers were flawed and lacks sufficient wisdom and power to keep the people in perpetual security and increase in far too many kings throughout the ages are whatever rumor that not be succumb to the temptations of power and wealth and would oppress their people for their own selfish indulgence see little of that in our world that we not the people therefore lived in constant dread if they had a good king. They knew that one day he would die and who knows what his assessor will be like.

But that's not this king, this is the king who has divine wisdom and he is always good and he cannot die. He's the everlasting father. He is of such uprightness and goodness that everything he does is for his own glory and that is exactly what brings his people. The most genuine good and ever increasing joy Jesus will be the ruling king of earth, and Israel will be such that we will enjoy unmitigated security and peace and will flourish under his wisdom and with great gladness that will never end because he is the everlasting Revelation 1115. Again, the kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever. The everlasting father was a prophet goes on and you give us the next phrase, the Prince of peace. Peace.

The Prince of peace.

Now don't forget the context he hears a hazardous people who are shaking locked away in the Bible says. I shakes the tree's terrified, but there getting assurance the prophecies of what Christ will do for them.

One day, what a powerful encouragement. This must've been you see, not only did Judah live under the anxiety of threats. Most of her existence. Now again, the enemy is right at her gait. War is imminent captivity. Our lease occupation awaits them and in their dread.

God gives this powerful message of babies coming son will be born to you and this one will grow up and usher in an era of peace, but not just any error of peace but eternal peace, for he is in the, the Prince of peace becomes in peace and he establishes peace and this not by human terms of squashing all that oppose him but he comes in this transparent vulnerability.

This child is born a transparent vulnerability which which makes defiance pointless the will first reconcile man with God, and that will enable men to be reconciled with man in this kingdom and his peace is not like the peace accords of men. Peace accords, which are not as enduring as the paper they're written upon his pieces of such truth, and of such enduring nature that he is rightly called the Prince of peace. I don't want us to miss the practical implication force in the here and now and that is that these are Prince of peace. Now these are Prince of peace.

Now peace the means of our inner peace he dwells within us as we yield to his government in our hearts and experience. Philippians 478 teach peace rather, which surpasses comprehension. How can you child of God, face what this world is becoming. Look at what is going on around us and yet have a settled case only one way so hearts range. The Prince thinks gives us that inner peace were assaulted on every side failure CN's accusations denunciations condemnations. All of these and many more. Assail us and try to rob us of our peace.

But as we surrender to the Almighty Christ. He brings peace. Peace. The great forgive her of CN where sin abounds. His grace does much more abound your CNS dark and ugly and violent as it is, is no match for his grace grace that is greater than all our sins. The Bible says that one day in the future.

Listen to me one day in the future.

The outward condition will finally match and be balanced with our inward condition and the entire world will rest on his shoulders and there will be peace true inner and outer peace that includes peace in the world of 19 oh Romans tells us that all creation groans rate, waiting for the revealing of the sons of God.

There's a sense in which creation itself knows that things will not be made right until God perfects his church and glorifies her and then there be a glorification in all the created order and the Bible says in those days the lion will lay down with the lamb. The Bible tells us that men will hammer their swords and their spears into plowshares and listen. The Bible says and they will learn war, no sees the Prince of peace.

The prophet continues on verse seven there be no end to the increase of his government or peace. It's it's it's it's like to get any better in the profits is all you dissuade it just will get a lot better because of all the wonders in the goodness is of his reign is its kingdom.

There's another factor that you gotta take it and that is that it never diminishes. It always increases. Not only is it unmitigated bullets always increasing knowingly into the increase. You know, every government of man that ever existed.

Had foundations made of unstable materials and they were founded on unsound cornerstone. So from the moment these nations came into existence. They begin to fail, the government of our Lord and our Messiah is exactly the opposite. The foundation of his kingdom is righteousness in Christ Jesus himself is the cornerstone and from the moment of its founding. It does not begin to fail, but the opposite is true. It continuously strengthens and increases for all of perpetuity.

All the kingdoms of this world are fickle and changing but not he is he is is unchangeable and eternal. I believe this increase includes the church age that were presently in that all over the world. God is building his local churches and their growing and souls are saved in their being built such increasing and increasing and this will continue into the glorified state when you bring all those local churches together and obey perfected church of the Lord Jesus Christ and then from that moment all work. We will continue to increase in the glories in the waters and the wisdom that make up that kingdom that we will be in it will never decline it always is, increasing powerful thing prophet continues on in chapter 9 verse seven he says also upon the throne of David upon the throne of David now once again will we get to chapter 9 verses six and seven were constant reminder to remember what I told you about Old Testament prophecies concerning Christ is almost always a temporal limited fulfillment of the prophecy.

Then there's a final full fulfillment in Christ will we know Isaiah had a couple little boys and they were statements of of truth to the people.

But here we see a child is born and is his descriptions of this child unfold. We realize this can't be.

Isaiah's bull. This is someone else there is a higher fulfillment here and we see that because of this statement again that he's on the throne of David someone greater than Isaiah's children are in mind here. This points to another child, another son and this points to another king. He will be upon the throne of David, but he's unlike David this speaks someone who is not just a king among kings and Israel is the King of King. He's the final King. He's the king and all kings. He's a victorious effective king like David yet infinitely better. He's the descendent of David and establish the throne of David in a final way is throne would be based upon holiness and righteousness, not violence and coercion. As David was. He will be God with us and God ruling over us in eternal justice, righteousness and peace and that's what he continues to say in verse seven.

Notice that is there and establish it and uphold it. No notice with justice and righteousness with a different kind of kingdom the justice and righteousness that he's brought to exist in the hearts of his church is regenerate ones you see justice and righteousness was accounted to us in regeneration.

It was credited to us. We stand just and right just when were born again when we believe on Christ. But all of a sudden, he'll take he began in a hard to see the kingdom of God in all of our hearts is the justices righteousness and righteousness is there but once it is perfected in this new kingdom is established then in glorification this justice and righteousness that was realized in us will be realized through us and establish in all of the kingdom are standing before God, which Christ purchased within be realized in the totality of our being and then justice and righteousness that is in us, will also be coming out of us and all around us here so finally, when we get with our Lord in that kingdom from our inner motives to our outward behavior will finally serve our Lord perfectly.

So that's what heaven is. That's with the new kingdom is you'll finally serve the Lord.

Perfect. Can you imagine I don't I don't know if you get up in the morning. I don't know but it's an anthropomorphic statement. All we can relate to is our human experience. When you get up in the morning and eternal kingdom every moment of every day. Every desire ambition emotion of the inner man will be to serve your Lord perfectly because justice and righteousness that you be God's will come to fruition in our strength allow us to fill the kingdom and it will make us immensely happy. Establish with justice and righteousness and it can never reverse it will always be increasing it can never deteriorate.

This is part of what Zechariah meant when he beheld Christ right after his birth and Zechariah wrote in the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Luke 174 and 75. This one is to grant us that we being rescued from the head of our enemies, might serve him without fear to think about that and that kingdom will serve him without fear will have to wonder you have earlier today, I wouldn't thinking Roger's thoughts will be that will be no fear will fully holy, serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all of our days success of this is pretty amazing as I don't come about. We look the last phrase.

There were seven. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this. Oh my goodness. Great great frustration great great humiliation of my preaching ministry is to not contain the vocabulary to preach the wonders in the glories of our Lord and his kingdom.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this. This kingdom will be established by God's might not man's mind. The word seal here is very akin to the word jealousy meant that we see that word used in the Old Testament got a jealous God, but not the petty jealousies that we know in fallen man can't visit Mississippi. This is God who has a jealous action that will be established in contradiction to all other wheels may be seen for what it is probably and true and right here is a passion to say that if done finished hallelujah to his name. His zeal to see this accomplish includes as a core part listen to me that you and are there perfected blessed and with him for eternity is zeal is to see if that happens. So God's jealousy God's passion to accomplish the advancing of his own will and his own glory and to advancing the good of his children utilizing the depth of wealth and length of his power and wisdom. God is consumed with this in God the father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit are filling the totality of your being into saying that this is accomplished when you think that when you think about these truths and you think about somebody could possibly even utter the possibility that you and I have a part of achieving our salvation. What in heaven's name are you going to add to God the father, God the son God the Holy Spirit going the totality of their being in the making sure you get there and they are glorified and you are preserved forever.

Can anything God would not God will not allow his people to drift from one false lover to another with holy sale.

He will pursue his church redeem her plans. Her restore her to himself and establish her in his government that she finds her all in him so much as it got to the put the hard on you from eternity past know it is as if God says that and I'm going to work on you until one day you love me with every part of your pre-on the court.

You are going to woo you going to draw you. I'm going to impress you. I will let these imperfect preachers preach my glories to you so that slowly your heart is more and more one and then one day when I perfect you Google left me with the totality of your pre-massage zeal is to see that that happens. Making route to stuff this this could only be a divine book the sale of the Lord of host say that this is done.

Calvin said God is aflame with an uncommon and extraordinary desire to promote the salvation of the church novel.

It said God is aflame with white-hot zeal to say secure glorified and establish his church in both time and eternity in all of this is going to be accomplish through God's appointed anointed one, Jesus Christ, the child born to them, the son given for them do the kingdom that he will establish for them where he will reign with them in justice and righteousness forever. How was had a movie recommended to me some years ago and neither I nor the brother that recommended the maid would say it's a recommended movie necessarily, but did have a very good point in this movie a father I don't like the movie spells it out, but he was something of a retired CIA specially trained assassin bad guy tough guy and he's sort of in this retirement years are just entering upon the men. His teenage daughter goes on a trip to Europe and while she's in Europe. She is abducted by human traffickers through his contacts in his bass past experience. He finds out who the immediate human traffickers are who have have his daughter and in their custody and he gets one of them on the phone, and here's what he says I don't know who you are.

I don't know what you want.

If you're looking for ransom I can tell you I don't have money, but what I do have are very particular set of skills skills I have acquired over a very long career skills that make me a nightmare to people like you if you let my daughter go now.

That will be the end of it I will not look for you. I will not pursue you but if you don't I will look for you and I will find you and I will kill you.

As the movie unfolds.

This guy kills one after another after another the human traffickers that he leaves a trail of carnage and bloodshed behind CM until he finally finds his daughter and rescues her and brings her home. That's a father's love. That's unrelenting love that's courageous love, but as they get together in the and you know what you, since no that's a deep sweet he is. Zeal drove him to do whatever it took past with the prophet me when a system zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this. Anyone or anything that gets in the way of our Christ, securing his children will be done away with it will come to pass, driven by the passion of the deep, sweet love of God for his children.

The unmitigated power wonder and glory of the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. One other real quick thought. The reason why you have to be there is that if you're not there and he's failed in some way of securing the kingdom.

What he meant. He's not going to consider zeal will bring it to pass