Bible Text: Isaiah 9:1-7 | Preacher: Rev. Dr. Lou Saldiveri | Series: Sunday Morning Worship | Intro: Today is the first Sunday of Advent. Advent means “the arrival” or the “dawn”. This is quite significant because the Bible always contrasts darkness and light. Darkness is used in the Bible to describe all sorts of evil, sin, chaos, and godlessness. I would like to suggest that we are currently living in a very dark period in our country. We have seen the erosion of the traditional family, marriage, respect for all kinds of legitimate authority, and human life. We are calling good evil and evil good.
There are many people who think that they can change this situation by sheer will power, legislation, or new programs. These don’t work in the long term because the human heart is dark. What I mean is that our sin nature craves the things of darkness and doesn’t like the light. It has been this way ever since the fall in the Garden of Eden. You might recall that right after the fall, there was blame shifting, fear, jealously, murder, lying, cheating and steeling, and more.
I am sorry to say that no laws, programs, or any amount of will power can change a human heart. That change can only happen is through the intervention of the Light of God in the human heart. Even though it is our evil hearts that cause the darkness in this world, God promised long ago to provide the Light who is able the change hearts from the inside out.
The first Sunday of Advent is symbolic of the great promise of hope God made long ago to the human race who has chosen to live in the darkness it has produced in this world. In this passage from Isaiah 9, God reveals His promise of grace and mercy. Let’s look at this great promise of hope together.
The Light, Jesus, Will Bring Us Our of the Chaos Into Peace
Illus: A lighthouse in rough seas and weather or fog
Where there is peace, there is also joy
Where there is peace, there is the absence of conflict
This Light Will Be Born Into this Dark World in Very Humble Circumstance
Joseph and Mary
A Carpenter and a teen bride
The Light of the world was born by the light of a special star
The Light of Heaven Came With a Purpose
To Guide with perfect wisdom
To Rule in the power of love
He will rule for all eternity
He is the perfect and eternal Father
He is the author of true peace
He will at first rule in the hearts of men and women who trust Him in faith and repentance
When He physically returns again, he will rule during the millennium from the throne of David
He will right all the wrongs!
He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords!
Closing: So, when you see or light a candle, this is the symbol or the sure promise of God to send His son into this dark and sin sick world. He is the only hope for you and me. Let’s let the light of Christ shine through our hearts through loving obedience to the King of kings and Lord of Lords!
You will notice that there are candles on the Communion Table today. As we come around the table, let us remember that Jesus is the light of the world. He took on all the darkness, chaos, and shame of sin so that we are free to walk in His light in loving obedience.