Summary: A message from the book of Isaiah that shows us how to see hope in the dark world we live in. This is a hope for you and I to share with those who are trying to get a new direction in life and need some hope for the future.

Isaiah 9 NO More Darkness!

Good Morning

Stand with me and lift your bible and repeat after me.

This is my Bible.

I am what it says I am.

I can do what it says I can do.

I am going to learn how to be what it says I can be.

Today I will learn more of the word of God.

The indestructible, never ending, living word Of God.

I will never be the same.

I will never be the same.

In Jesus Name

Amen?

Before you sit down, say good morning to your brothers and sisters.

Open your Bibles with me to Isaiah Chapter 9 and say, “Amen” when you are there.

Let’s start with verse 1;

Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future, he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond Jordan,

Verse 2; The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.

Have you ever watched the sunrise?

If you have been able to see it early in the morning as it rises over the land, the sea, or even when it comes from behind a mountain, it is a beautiful sight.

It definitely brings newness to the beginning of the day.

That is what we get when we awaken in the morning and greet the ones who are most important in our lives. Our loved ones, our pets, but most of all, the One who created us and all we see.

Ou day can start out either one way or the other.

With doubt, fear, anxiousness, worry, or all the things that life brings us in our day-to-day living.

Or we can devote our day to the one who gave us breath and join with Him to face the challenges and the victories that we will experience each moment.

I went to a church service at my local church and the pastor shared this outlook on life. It is by a man named Avery T. Willis Jr.

It goes like this;

I am a part of the fellowship of the unashamed.

The die has been cast; I’ve stepped over the line; the decision has been made;

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.

I will not look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.

My past is redeemed; my present makes sense; my future is secure.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits or popularity.

I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded.

I now live by faith, love by patience, live by prayer, and labor by power.

My pace is set; my gait is fast; my goal is heaven. My road is narrow;

My way is rough; my companions few; my Guide reliable; my mission clear!

I cannot be bought, compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed.

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity;

I will not negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, nor meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I will not give up, back up, let up, or shut up until I have prayed up, preached up, stored up, and stayed up the cause of Jesus Christ!

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.

I must go until He returns; give until I drop;

preach until all know; and work until He comes.

And when He comes to get His own, He will have no trouble recognizing me;

My colors are flying high, and they are clear for all to see.

That was written by a disciple.

Discipleship is developing a personal, lifelong, obedient relationship with Jesus Christ in which He transforms your character into the likeness of Christ.

1. He changes your values to Kingdom values

2. He involves you in His mission in the home, in the church, and in the world that we live in.

You and I have choices in our life each day that are all important but what is most important?

Our choice or what the Lord wants.

Our choice is to follow the light of the world and what He wants us to do.

We are not to follow the darkness.

We cannot change it, but we can enter the darkness of life and share the love of Christ as He guides us to provide light and hope to those who need it.

You and I are challenged every day, but we can head through the trials of daily living by walking forward giving the light of hope in our lives and the life of others.

I have seen people who live in the dark world of addiction take a step toward hope to overcome and not be dependent on drugs anymore.

They all have said something like this.

” I feel like the world seems brighter now. I notice the sun, the clouds, the plants and the animals that are all around me now.”

That is what someone I know told be after overcoming addiction through making a commitment to a new life in Jesus Christ.

I have seen people overcome hardships of life by putting trust in someone they have never seen but felt hope and then have seen their lives change because they established a true relationship with the One who loves you and I more than we will ever know.

Do you want to leave the dark world that may be hovering over you?

Are you overwhelmed with the trials of life?

Have you asked the Lord to help you through it by giving you some patience and light to overcome the darkness?

If you need prayer for any of these please come forward now and let our prayer team spend a time in prayer with you.

But first, please bow your head and I am going to ask a question with every head bowed down?

If you have never asked the Lord to be able become one with Him in your life and help you through your daily walk of life, would you raise your hand right now.

Let those of you who have made that commitment repeat after me as we ask the Lord to help you by making a true commitment to Him.