Sermon Title: Need of a Savior.
Scriptures Text: Isaiah 64:1-9
Advent is a period of spiritual preparation in which many Christians make themselves ready for the coming, or birth of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Celebrating Advent typically involves a season of prayer, fasting, and repentance, followed by anticipation, hope, and joy.
ILLUSTRATION:
Rabbi David A. Nelson likes to tell the story of two brothers who went to their rabbi to settle a longstanding feud. The rabbi got the two to reconcile their differences and shake hands. As they were about to leave, he asked each one to make a wish for the other in honor of the Jewish New Year. The first brother turned to the other and said, "I wish you what you wish me." At that, the second brother threw up his hands and said, "See, Rabbi, he's starting up again!" Rabbi David A. Nelson.
Explanation: Our text today can be seen in two different ways. Most of the prophets in the Old Testament/Hebrew Text were like them standing on a giant Mountain. As they looked out they were looking for the end time when Christ would come back with all of his angles. But others saw the smaller mountains and they saw Jesus coming as we would say Christmas time.
Isaiah 64:1-9 (NLT)
64 Oh, that you would burst from the heavens and come down!
How the mountains would quake in your presence!
2 As fire causes wood to burn
and water to boil,
your coming would make the nations tremble.
Then your enemies would learn the reason for your fame!
• When Jesus, born of a virgin, came he had enemy's from before his birth.
• Rulers/Kings, the religious hierarchy, most of the people in power because they were afraid Jesus would bring the Roman's to kill and take over.
• --------BUT HE SHOWED THEM ALL AND THEY LOST EVERY BATTLE BUT THE ONE HE CAME TO DO. DIE FOR OUR SINS.
3 When you came down long ago,
you did awesome deeds beyond our highest expectations.
And oh, how the mountains quaked!
*Rescued them from Egypt slavery.
*Parted the red sea.
*The mountains shake and smoke roared when we received your Laws.
*40 years in the wilderness and their clothes didn't wear out.
*They were provided food from heaven.
*He provided water out of a Rock.
*He went before them into the Promised Land.
4 For since the world began,
no ear has heard
and no eye has seen a God like you,
who works for those who wait for him!
5 You welcome those who gladly do good,
who follow godly ways.
But you have been very angry with us,
for we are not godly.
We are constant sinners;
how can people like us be saved?
6 We are all infected and impure with sin.
When we display our righteous deeds,
they are nothing but filthy rags.
Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall,
and our sins sweep us away like the wind.
7 Yet no one calls on your name
or pleads with you for mercy.
Therefore, you have turned away from us
and turned us over[c] to our sins.
• Adam and Eve didn't follow God's direction.
? -And it was only one thing they were told not to do.
- Eph 2: 8&9 --8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
8 And yet, O Lord, you are our Father.
We are the clay, and you are the potter.
We all are formed by your hand.
9 Don’t be so angry with us, Lord.
Please don’t remember our sins forever.
Look at us, we pray,
and see that we are all your people.
*-* The Bible says, “I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” (Jeremiah 31:34).
*-* Because Christ died for all our sins (1 Cor. 15:3), God promises to forgive us and never bring up our sin again (Ps. 103:12).
*-* "I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins. Jeremiah 31:34
-THIS BABY BORN THAT WAS FROM GOD CALLED JESUS
-BORN OF A VIRGIN CALLED MARY
-LOVED US SO MUCH THAT HE DIED SO OUR SINS CAN BE FORGIVEN.
--*--ROMANS 10:10
For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.
