Someone To Advise Me Series

SERIES: ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS…

“SOMEONE TO ADVISE ME”

(adapted from a sermon by Dave Stone)

ISAIAH 9:6-7

OPEN

When I was a child back in the 1960’s and 1970’s, there was one day better than almost all the rest. It was better than my birthday. It was better than visiting relatives in Georgia or Pennsylvania. It was almost better than Christmas day. It was the day the Christmas catalogs arrived at our house. Companies like Spalding and Montgomery-Ward would come to our house by mail. It provided long hours of fun.

But the most coveted catalog of all was the Sears & Roebuck catalog. My sister and I would fight over who would get to look at it first. We would take it and pour over every page – making detailed lists of all the things we wanted for Christmas.

In my day, it was bicycles, GI Joes, Rock ‘Em, Sock ‘Em Robots, Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars. For my sister it was Barbies, baby dolls, and Easy Bake Ovens.

In the 1980’s, the most desired gifts were Star Wars and He Man action figures, Rubik’s Cubes, Pound Puppies, Cabbage Patch Kids, My Little Pony, Teddy Ruxpin, and video game systems like Nintendo and Sega. In the 1990’s, when our two youngest children were young, the most desired gifts were Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Action Figures, Pogs, Barney the Purple Dinosaur dolls, Power Rangers. Beanie Babies, Tickle-Me Elmo,. Tamagotchi, Furby, and Pokemon.

Some of you may have sung a song that showed a desire at Christmas time. It goes like this: All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth, my two front teeth, my two front teeth. All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth, then I could wish you, “Merry Christmas!”

Over the years, what we wanted for Christmas may have changed but for the most part, there is always something desired at Christmas-time. Today, as we look back a little bit, we might have a good laugh because those things that seemed so important at that time of life is probably long gone – sold at a yard sale or thrown out with the trash. Some of you may have some of those things tucked away in a box or tote somewhere.

We looked at those things as what we really wanted – what we really had to have. It was all we wanted for Christmas. It would make us happy. And we thought that if we would just be fortunate enough to get it that we would never want for anything else again. But we grow older and more mature and our wish list changes. We realize our wants and needs go much deeper than something to play with.

Last week, we introduced some ideas from Is. 9:6-7 – “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. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.”

Today, and through the next several weeks, we’re going to expand on those ideas in a series called, “All I Want For Christmas…” God knew what would truly satisfy us. The first deep need that He provided through His Son, Jesus Christ, is my need for “Someone to Advise Me.”

The passage from Isaiah is called a “Messianic passage” because it tells us hundreds of years ahead of time what we could expect in God’s anointed and appointed one – the Messiah, the Christ – Jesus. Jesus fulfills each of the roles that were foretold. The first role we’ll consider today is that of “Wonderful Counselor.”

The word “Wonderful” in Hebrew literally translates as “beyond understanding.” It’s difficult for us to comprehend what a wonderful counselor God is. Some translate it that He is “miraculously marvelous.”

The term wonderful counselor was a reference to royalty. Therefore, “Wonderful Counselor” would be the one who miraculously lead; he was a King giving direction. We have a King named Jesus. He wants to direct your life and give you advice.

Since the late 1980’s the number of Christian counselors has more than quadrupled in America. The same has taken place with secular counselors as well. Stress, broken relationships, grief, and unbearable pressures are no respecter of persons. We all need someone to advise us. Whether we are willing to admit it or not, we all want godly counsel and advice and Jesus came to do just that.

It seems appropriate to talk about the concept of a counselor during this time of year. During the Holiday season is a time that many people reach for alcohol as a coping mechanism instead of reaching out to their Savior.