This morning, we continue our Advent sermon series, in which we are studying the names of Christ found in the prophecy of Isaiah chapter nine:
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." -- Isaiah 9:6
As we mentioned last week, these names are descriptions of the Messiah. Seven centuries before the birth of Jesus, they foretold the kind of king, and teacher, and savior who was to come.
This morning, we take the second name in this passage, "Mighty God". This name tells us two important things about Christ. First, that He was, and is, God. Fully God. God in all his wisdom, and power, and might. God in all his infinite goodness, and grace, and mercy. The God who has neither beginning or end of days; who existed from eternity past, and who will exist into eternity future. The God who created the universe, with all its billions of galaxies, each containing billions of stars, and who even now sustains all of Creation by His power. Jesus Christ is that God.
This fact, that Jesus Christ was God in the flesh, is familiar to most Christians. But the Jews didn’t understand it -- not in the time of Isaiah, nor in the time of Christ. They had no concept of a Trinity; a Triune God of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God in three persons. And so, when Jesus came, and he began to teach with authority, and do miracles, and even spoke of Himself as being one with God, they reacted violently. They even tried to kill him for committing the sin of blasphemy.
[Jesus said] "I and the Father are one." Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?" "We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God." -- John 10:30-33
We’ll speak more about this next week, when we look at the name, "Everlasting Father". But for today, the key thing to understand about the divinity of Christ is that he has all the power of God. All of God’s strength, all of God’s ability, all of God’s might. Whatever God can do, he can do, because He is God. It’s important to remind ourselves of this. Because although intellectually we may understand that the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit all have the same attributes, that each one of them is equally omniscient, and omnipotent, and omnipresent, and all the other "omni’s" -- yet, in practice, because of their different roles in salvation, we tend to think of them as being different from one another.
We think of God the Father as being the strong, forceful one; the Creator; the Warrior; the Judge. We think of Christ as being the kind, gentle, compassionate one; the good shepherd; the savior. And we think of the Holy Spirit as being the mysterious, mystical one; the inner voice; the counselor and guide. But in fact, each one of them is all of those things. God the Father is loving and caring. Jesus Christ is powerful and mighty. They are all One in being and essence, and so they all possess equally each of the divine attributes.
Let me give you some examples, specifically with regard to God’s might. Let’s start with these broad affirmation of God’s unlimited power.
"Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you." -- Jeremiah 32:17
"All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: ’What have you done?’" -- Daniel 4:35
Or this verse, one of my favorites:
"Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all." -- 1 Chronicles 29:11
Listen to those verses: "Nothing is too hard for you". "You do whatever you please." "You are exalted as head over all." In other words, "God, your power is unlimited. When you want to do something, you simply do it. There is no force which can resist you, no enemy which can succeed in opposing your will. Nothing can stand in your way. Your purposes are always accomplished. You are sovereign over all."
[Sing "My God is so Great", with motions]
"My God is so great, so strong, and so mighty, there’s nothing my God cannot do.
My God is so great, so strong, and so mighty, there’s nothing my God cannot do.
The mountains are His, the rivers are his, the stars are His handiwork too.
My God is so great, so strong, and so mighty, there’s nothing my God cannot do."
Now, those passages we read were all from the Old Testament. They were written to, and about, God the Father. And yet, the same is true of the Son; Jesus Christ; the Messiah. He also possesses unlimited power and sovereignty, because He also is fully God. Listen to these verses from the New Testament, verses which speak of Christ’s power:
"And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." -- Matthew 28:18-20
How much authority does Jesus have? "All authority". "All authority in heaven and earth." In other words, Jesus is saying, "Go and make disciples. Tell people about me, teach them to follow me. Invite them to be baptized and join together with you in fellowship. And keep doing this, year after year, in city after city, and country after country, all over the world, until the day I return. I promise that nothing will be able to stop you, because all authority has been given to me, authority over the earth and all its people, authority over all spiritual powers -- angels, and demons, and spirits -- all authority has been given to me. I have absolute power to make certain this work succeeds."
Let me pause here a moment and ask a question: does that change your attitude toward witnessing? Does that change how you feel about sharing the gospel, the good news about Christ? It should. Because the power to convince, the power to persuade, the power to gain acceptance of the message, is not ours. It doesn’t come from us. We don’t have the ability to draw people to Christ. We can’t enable anyone to believe. But we don’t have to. Because He can. And if we are simply obedient to his command, and tell others about Him, He will. Because Jesus Christ is mighty to save. He has the power to save, and the authority to save. We can’t give anyone faith, but He can, and He will.
Listen to these affirmations of Jesus’ absolute power and authority:
"[God] raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come." -- Ephesians 1:20-21
"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." -- Philippians 3:20-21
In the same way that God the Father possesses all power and authority, so also Jesus Christ, God the Son, possesses all power and authority. Do you believe that? Then let’s sing "My God is So Mighty" again, but this time, think of Christ when you sing it; make it a song of praise to Him.
"My God is so great, so strong, and so mighty, there’s nothing that Christ cannot do.
My God is so great, so strong, and so mighty, there’s nothing that Christ cannot do.
The mountains are His, the rivers are his, the stars are His handiwork too.
My God is so great, so strong, and so mighty, there’s nothing that Christ cannot do."
One arena in which Christ’s power is seen is in the created world; the physical universe. Listen to this passage from Matthew’s gospel:
"Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, ’Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!’ He replied, ’You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, ’What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!’" -- Matthew 8:23-27
What kind of man is this? The kind of man who can be addressed as "Mighty God." His power is absolute and comprehensive. It includes everything from global weather systems, to political movements in the Near East, to the growth and the decline of cultures; all the way down to my relationships with my wife and children.
And that’s where I’d like us to focus our thoughts for the remainder of our time this morning. Not on Christ’s global power, his power over nations and governments. But on his power in our lives, and in our church. And the thing I want you to leave with this morning is the knowledge and conviction that his power is available to us. That the power which brought the world into existence, and which now upholds and sustains it; the power that raises up kings and Presidents and brings them down again; the power that conquered death and brought Christ up from the dead; that same unlimited power is available to us, to work in and through our lives through Holy Spirit.
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." -- Acts 1:8
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." -- Romans 15:13
"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith." -- Ephesians 3:16-17
If you are a Christian, if you are a believer and follower of Christ, then His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, lives in you. And His Spirit is a spirit of power. Power to love. Power to forgive. Power to trust. Power over fear, and addiction, and anger, and worry, and lust, and depression, and guilt. Power to persevere in the midst of suffering and mistreatment. Power to overcome discouragement and disappointment. Power that can restore and strengthen relationships, even when it seems the hurt is too deep ever to heal. Power that can cleanse us from sin, even when it seems that the sin has such a grip on our hearts we can never break free. Power to give us hope and joy even in the midst of difficult, heartbreaking circumstances. Power to change our attitude; to replace grumbling and complaining with gratitude and thanksgiving. In short, power to accomplish real, lasting change in our lives, to make us more like Christ and give us the abundant life he promised.
Does that sound good? Do you want that kind of power? Don’t answer too fast. Because when God enters our lives in power, it sometimes doesn’t look like what we expected. Listen again to Matthew’s gospel:
"When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. ’What do you want with us, Son of God?’ they shouted. ’Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?’ Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. The demons begged Jesus, ’If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.’ He said to them, ’Go!’ So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region." -- Matthew 8:28-34
Jesus had just performed a great miracle. He cast demons out of two violent men; he released them from their torment. And how did the people react? Were they amazed, and happy, and thrilled? Did they ask Jesus stay longer and teach them, perhaps do some more miracles? No. Not at all. They were terrified. They requested that he leave town, immediately. But why? Jesus was obviously a powerful prophet. Why the fear, the desire to be rid of him as quickly as possible? Because they didn’t know what he would do next. A predictable Messiah they could live with. A wise teacher. Even a healer, someone who would cure the occasional epileptic or open the eyes of the blind. But this -- someone who had power over demons! Someone whose word could send a herd of pigs stampeding into the ocean? They weren’t prepared for that. It didn’t match their expectations.
Let me ask you a question. When God starts working in your life, how do you respond? Do you say, "Yes, Lord, do with me whatever you want." Or do you say, "Jesus, no offense, but I’d appreciate it if you’d leave. Now." You see, when we invite God into our lives, He doesn’t always follow our plan. We may say, "God, I’d really like you to work on my fear of intimacy. Help me to trust people more." And God may say, "I agree. That is something we need to work on. But first, let’s take a look at your critical, judgmental spirit." And you say, "no, wait a minute!" I LIKE my critical, judgmental spirit. It makes me feel good to look down on other people." And God responds, "Well, I wasn’t really asking permission." And away you go. On a journey toward greater holiness, and obedience, and ultimately greater joy and peace. But not necessarily the journey you had planned. Not the route you had mapped out. When you invite God into your life and your heart, sometimes it’s a bit scary. Or a lot scary. Sometimes it’s painful. Sometimes we don’t understand what’s happening, what God is doing. Well, what’s happening is that God’s power is changing us. And God is working in our lives to make us more like Christ.
In "The Silver Chair," one of the books in the Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis, a girl named Jill walks into an opening in the forest. She’s very thirsty, and not far away she sees a stream of cool, clear water. But instead of rushing forward to drink, she hesitates in fear. Because lying there on the ground, next to the stream, is a huge lion; Aslan, the Christ figure. As she ponders what to do, he speaks:
"Are you not thirsty?" said the lion.
"I’m dying of thirst," said Jill.
"Then drink," said the Lion.
"May I -- could I -- would you mind going away while I do?" said Jill.
The lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl. And as Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realized that she might as well have asked the whole mountain to move aside for her convenience. The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic.
"Will you promise not to -- do anything to me, if I do come? Said Jill.
"I make no promise," said the Lion.
Jill was so thirsty now that, without noticing it, she had come a step nearer.
"Do you eat girls? she said.
"I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms," said the Lion. It didn’t say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.
"I daren’t come and drink," said Jill.
"Then you will die of thirst," said the Lion.
"Oh dear!" said Jill, coming another step nearer. "I suppose I must go and look for another stream then."
"There is no other stream," said the Lion.
Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. There is no other stream. There is no other source of life. There is no other way to God than through Him. But here’s the catch: when we give ourselves to Him, he makes no promise not to "do things" to us. In fact, we can be sure that He will. Yes, he will soothe our thirst. But what else he may do no one can tell, because He will do in us what He deems best. He is not a tame lion. We cannot control Him. But he is good; very, very good. And He can be trusted. In fact, we must trust Him; we must allow him free reign in our lives. Or we will never know the kind of joyful, abundant life that he promised.
Will you put your trust in Christ this morning? Perhaps you’ve already believed in Christ for salvation, but you still haven’t opened up your life for him to change. Perhaps you’re still holding back, fearful of what He might do if you yield yourself completely do him. If that’s the case, then I urge you, turn your life over to Christ. Trust in his power and love. Open yourself up to whatever he wants to do in and through your life. No, he makes no promises to stay away from those areas you’d rather not deal with. In fact, it’s almost certain that he will. But he is good. He is loving. He can be trusted. Won’t you pray now, and invite him into your life, to do whatever He deems best, no matter what? It’s the only way to joy, and peace, and a life beyond anything you’ve ever dreamed of.
[prayer]
Finally, let me ask you one more question: do you want to see this kind of unlimited power operating in our church? Do you want to see the power of Christ, and the power of the His Spirit, changing and transforming lives; calling lost people to himself; building community; reconciling relationships; making this church a refuge, and a lighthouse, and a witness? Do you want to see us growing in numbers, and spiritual depth, and influence for Christ? Do you want to see the presence and power of the Holy Spirit; in our worship, and our fellowship, and our witness? Do you want to see families strengthened; children’s hearts united with parents, and husbands united to wives? Do you want to see our church filled with a spirit of joy, and fellowship, and devotion to Christ, and joyful anticipation, and eager expectancy?
Then pray. Pray that Christ would pour out his spirit on this church, that his spirit would bring revival, and conviction of sin, and repentance, and a seeking after God. Pray that God would bless us with a spirit of unity and love. Pray that God would do things in our midst that go beyond anything we could have asked for or even imagined -- wonderful, exciting, amazing things. I hope you will pray; I hope you desire that God would work in a great and mighty way through this church. Because otherwise, what’s the point? If we don’t want to see God work, then we might as well stay home and read the paper on Sunday mornings. But as you pray, please remember. Christ is not a tame lion. And so we must be prepared to let him do his work in his way. We must be willing to be led by the Spirit, and not try to control him or determine in advance how he is going to work. And if we will do that; if we will open ourselves up to whatever God wants to do in this church; if we will pray for His Spirit to be poured out, and his power displayed among us, then I’m convinced that the results will be absolutely glorious.
(For an .rtf file of this and other sermons, see www.journeychurchonline.org/messages.htm)
