Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. At the mall, we're assailed by lights, trees, tinsel ornaments, and all sorts of holiday cheer. What you won't find there is much reference to the Christ whose coming is the reason for the season. Today, we're set to rectify that imbalance. Please stay with us.
From the Moody Church in Chicago, this is Running to Win with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Pastor Lutzer, tell us about your series on Christ before Bethlehem. Dave, I'll do that, but first of all, I have to comment on what you just said. I totally agree that all of the activity of Christmas, the parties, The trees, the gifts.
really frequently do detract from Jesus Christ. And you know, even as families, we need to keep in mind that we may gather together, and certainly my family will. But at the same time, we have to remember the reason for the season, as you put it.
Well, this series of messages emphasizes the fact that Jesus Christ existed before Bethlehem. He was not in the flesh.
Now in Bethlehem Jesus Christ becomes a man. deity and humanity joined together in one person? But the point to be made is that Jesus existed from all eternity as a member of the Trinity, and we need to keep that in mind. And we here at Running to Win are deeply grateful for the many of you who support this ministry. At the end of this broadcast, I'm going to be giving you some contact info because we do have a special resource for you.
But for now, let us go to the pulpit of Moody Church and let us listen.
Okay. You know that there's a war against Christmas out there, and I think that the war is very real. The question is whether or not the capital tree can still be called the Christmas tree. Question of whether or not stores can say to their customers Merry Christmas or if they have to say happy holidays. I'm not going to comment on that more particularly, though it is interesting.
You know, I think the time might come when if you tell someone Merry Christmas, someone might File a lawsuit because they were insulted or offended that you used the word. Be interesting to see where we end up sometime. But I'm more concerned today about something else, and that is another war against Christmas, and that is the misunderstanding on the part of the people of God as to why we celebrate Christmas. That's more serious. Is Christmas simply a time when we can get together and we can have parties and we can give gifts and we're with relatives and friends and make a few comments about Jesus and read the Christmas story and be done with it for another year?
Oh, to Christians. Christmas is something much more profound than that. It is the intervention of God on a world that has gone amok. That's what Christmas is. Imagine these words being applied to any city in America.
or any city in Rwanda. Or any city in the world, how about these words: distress, darkness, gloom, and thick darkness? Those are the words that describe the situation with two tribes by the name of Zebulun and Naphthalai. The text today is the ninth chapter of the Gospel of Isaiah, or the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah chapter 9, and he is talking about gloom and darkness and difficulty.
Let me give you the background to Isaiah 9. There was a king reigning by the name of Ahaz who reigned for. Sixteen years. He was an evil king. And Isaiah said to him, Now, you're having problems because two nations are getting together to war against you.
Trust God and everything will be okay. But Ahaz said to himself, I'm not going to trust God. Would you mark it down that when we choose to not trust God and we choose to trust someone else or something else, usually we trust someone or something that is a disappointment to us? And Ahaz said, I'm going to call in Assyria, and Assyria is going to help me. Assyria?
Those days, very wicked people, untrustworthy, deceitful.
So he actually reaches out to Assyria for help, and when Assyria comes to help him, Assyria begins to take over, and Assyria begins to demand tribute. And soon the latter end of Ahaz is worse than his beginning. What happens to people when they are in a situation where leaders have made political decisions that have impacted them? where the strong have taken advantage over the weak. Where a wicked king makes a decision that impacts his subjects.
Zebulun and Naphthali were two of the tribes that were greatly affected. They're the ones who existed near the Sea of Galilee. And when uh Invaders would come, they would come from the north, right past the Sea of Galilee, and they were the ones that were being overrun, taken advantage of. And that's the description I read just a few moments ago. They were in a situation of gloom and darkness and distress.
But when the ninth chapter opens of Isaiah, it's a word of hope. It says, for example, that the gloom that existed in Naphtalai. and Zebulun was going to be taken away. Verse 2, the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Verse 3, you have multiplied the nation, you have increased the joy.
Verse 4, the yoke of the oppressor is going to be lifted. Verse 5, all of the implements of war are going to be burned because peace is going to come. And the question is: who is it that's going to bring about this miracle? Who is it that is going to bring about this reversal of fortune so that things are going to be different in Zebulun and Naphthali? Who's going to do it?
And the answer is there in verse 6: for unto us a child is born. That's a strange answer to a difficult political problem. But the answer is that it's a child that is born. God says, I have an answer.
Now, Jesus Christ's birth was still a ways off. But when Jesus Christ comes to the earth in Matthew chapter 4, he spends a lot of time in Galilee, in that area. Why? To fulfill a part of this prophecy. Not the entire prophecy by any means, but a part of it, that there is some light beginning to shine and the gloom is dissipating.
Not permanently, but at least for a time. But God does have a permanent solution. to a very difficult problem.
Well, that's the introduction. Who is then this one who's going to change? the political fortune. Of a country ravaged by war and distress and injustice and hatred and massacre. Who is it?
A child. Let's look at his characteristics. First of all, we notice something about his origin. It is special. For unto us a child is born, a son is given.
Verse 6. Notice that the text is very accurate in terms of its terminology. The child being born is the humanness of Jesus and the Son being given is the eternality, the sonship of Jesus that is an eternal sonship. It is the divinity of Jesus, if you please. That's what it is.
Notice that Isaiah does not say, For unto us a son is born and a child is given. No, no, it is the child that is born, but the son is given, because his goings forth have been from of old and from everlasting, and he is the one you see who is eternal. Jesus was born as the son of David, that's the child that was given, but he was also born as the son of God, and that's why the text says that it is the child that is born, but it is the son that is given. Jesus is both God and man. He is both human And he is also Divine.
And it's right here in the text. When Jesus came to this earth in Bethlehem, it wasn't his first visit to this planet by any means. In our series on the life of Abraham, we noticed that Jesus was coming in various theophanies in the Old Testament, but even more than that, Even more than that, Jesus also was here. As God, his goings forth have been from of old and from everlasting. He has a special origin, he also has special names.
What a verse this is, verse 6. Contains more names than any other verse in all the Bible. Four names are given to Jesus, and names in those days were very descriptive, and in this case they are in couplets of two. Therefore, its meaning is very, very plain. Who is this one with these marvelous names?
He's the wonderful counselor. That word wonderful in Hebrew. Pele actually means supernatural. means the supernatural counselor. It means the one who has miraculous power.
Gideon, when he saw the angel, he said, Who are you? And the angel said, My name is Wonderful. And Gideon said to his wife, We have seen God. Ah yeah, we have seen God. He is a wonderful counselor.
He is a counselor who can help us. He is the one who comes to us in our need. He can be touched with the feelings of our infirmities. That's what kind of a counselor he is. Want to take a moment to contrast him today with human counselors.
Jesus Christ is one who has all knowledge. When you go to a human counselor, you have to sit there a long time and explain everything. And then, if it's marriage counseling, your wife comes along and she explains everything, and at the end of the day, he doesn't know what in the world to believe. Isn't that right? Everybody has his different spin.
Jesus has all knowledge. Every single detail is known. You say, well, is it okay for me to spill out my soul to Jesus? And the answer is yes. But you're doing it for your benefit, not for his.
It's not to teach him anything, not that he's going to learn finally what your real problem is. Because he has all knowledge, he has all power. Four. All power is given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore.
He has all authority. And then, here's something: all of his advice and all that he does for us is free. Isn't that good news?
Now, if you're here today as a psychoanalyst or a psychologist, I am banking on the hope that you have a sense of humor. because I'm going to tell a story. A man was walking along and he saw two doors. One said psychologist, and the other said psychoanalyst. And he didn't know which one to go into, so he counted the letters.
and discovered that psychoanalyst has more letters than psychologist or psychiatrist.
So he decided to go in through the one that said psychoanalyst. And when he walked in that door, he noticed two other doors: one said with a couch or without a couch. He said, Well, since I've come this far, he said, I might as well choose the one with a couch.
So he went through that door, and then he came to two other doors: $200,000 a year income or less than $200,000 a year income. He thought, well, I don't make $200,000 a year, so he went through that door and discovered that he was back out on the street. Yeah.
Some of you aren't laughing. That's troubling. I'm not saying it's wrong to pay for some good advice and some counseling, but what you come to Jesus when you come to Him. Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters. He that hath no money, come ye by milk and meat without price.
To whomever believes, I will give to him of the water of life freely. And remember this. He has no office hours. He has no office hours. A story just is coming to me even as I'm speaking that I didn't intend because it hadn't come to me until this moment, so I'll go ahead and tell it and then wonder later whether it was profitable.
There is a story about two psychiatrists, one old man and the other a young man, and they were one next to each other in this office. The young man would be weary at the end of the day. He was just wrung out. He was just wrung out. And the older man was always very relaxed and very jovial.
And so the young guy said, How do you do it? You listen to all these people's problems, and it's so wearing. And the older man said, Oh, he said, just relax. He says, I've learned a secret. The younger guy said, What's the secret?
The old man said, You know, I just don't listen. Once again, I'm banking on the hope that you have a sense of humor. But Jesus is the wonderful counselor. You can spill out your heart to Him, and you're actually in the presence of One who can take away the division between you and God. He's the one, you see, to whom we come and He grants us strength.
And he grants us ability, and as we study his promises, he gives us the grace to go through trials and to manage them by his grace and by his power. He is a wonderful counselor. I commend him to you. I commend them to you. Doesn't mean that we don't go to others for counsel because sometimes God does that so that we might see the unity of the body and the humility that has to exist between us, the recognition that not a one of us has all the answers, and so we go to those who have more wisdom than we do.
But at the end of the day, we always go to Jesus. The Wonderful Counselor. You'll notice also in the text, 2ndly. He is spoken of as the mighty God. the mighty God.
Now, sometimes it is said that nowhere in the Bible is Jesus expressly called God. Really? Here he's the mighty God. And then you get to Hebrews chapter 1, verse 8, and it says there that thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. He's speaking to the Son, and he says, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever.
As you know, there are people who go door to door. And they knock on your door, and after they've done that, they want to convince you that Jesus isn't God. Heard a man say one time that he invited the people in, those folks who knock on your door, and he brought them into past the kitchen, into the den. And he sat them down and said, What do you have to say? And they said, We don't know, we've never gotten this far before.
I was standing at O'Hare Field. In a line waiting for a teller with one of those people standing behind me. And I struck up a conversation, as I frequently do, and discovered that that's what they believe. And I said, Do you worship Jesus? He said, Oh, yeah, we worship Jesus.
I said, You're guilty of idolatry. Because if Jesus isn't God, You're worshiping someone who isn't God. That's idolatry. I hope I was smiling when I told him that. But he was so glad that At that moment, one of us had to go to a teller and the other went the other way.
Of course, he's God. Listen, it depends on what your problem is as to what kind of a savior you need. If all that you need to do is to be rescued because you're drowning, maybe a lifeguard could do it. If you're sick, maybe a prescription from the drugstore would make you well. But if you're dead, you've got a God-sized problem.
And the Bible says that we have a God-sized problem because we are dead in trespasses and sins. We need a Savior who is the mighty God to come along and to save us.
Well, my friend, this is Pastor Lutzer, and I want to tell you that I have in my hand a devotional written. and it's written by Dwight L. Moody and myself. And it just so happens that I am open to one of the devotions. in which we talk about the deadness of humanity.
And Moody writes that man lost his spiritual life and is dead in trespasses and sins. And then I come along and point out that when I used to teach preaching at one of our local seminaries, I would actually take students to a graveyard and teach them to preach to the dead so that they would get used to knowing the tremendous power of the gospel because it is only the gospel that can give life to the dead.
Well, I mention that because this devotional, which can be yours, We are making it available. and this is one of the last days that you can receive your copy. The devotional is entitled Running to Win. And here's what you do. you go to rtwoffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337.
Now because the end of the year is so near, I'm going to be giving you that contact info again. but from my heart to yours. I want to express my deep gratitude to our many partners. You know, during this Christmas season, when there is a spirit of generosity oftentimes throughout the entire country, we ask ourselves, where shall we invest our money? And so many of you.
have been willing to partner with us so that the Gospel of Jesus Christ can go to fifty different countries, in seven different languages, and even in the new year it is our desire To expand this ministry. Thank you in advance for helping us. And that contact info, by the way, for that devotional. is rtwoffer.com. That's rtwoffer.com or pick up the phone and call us at 1-888-218-9337.
Imagine beginning every single day with a verse of scripture, with commentary from D.L. Moody paired with what I have written. I think it's going to be a great blessing. But meanwhile, let me give you that contact info again. Go to rtwoffer.com.
Or pick up the phone and call us at 1-888-218-1. 9337. We want to ask God to bless you during this very special season and thanks in advance for helping us. Once again, go to rtwoffer.com. or pick up the phone and call us at 1-888-218-9337.
It's time again for you to ask Pastor Lutzer a question you may have about the Bible or the Christian life. What do you do when you discover a relative's infidelity? This issue was very pressing for Carol. Here's her story I got a call from my older brother two weeks ago telling me that my father, who was a retired missionary, has been involved with various women. My mother discovered this when she came across some emails on his computer.
This is such a shock because my Dad was always very righteous, holding us to a high standard. my mother arranged for my pastor to confront him. He admitted to most of it, but still thinks that all this isn't as serious as we've made it out to be. I told my sister to hide our guns, because Dad was untrustworthy and always had a big temper.
Now a lot of things make sense. My dad's constant judging us as kids, being spanked harder until we quit crying and all kinds of other abuse. He spoke to us about spiritual things, but never his relationship with God.
Well at this point, mom and dad want to rebuild their marriage, and I'm glad for that. But I'm away at college, and my dad hasn't called me. I just get my news through my brother. Here's my question What do I do when I go home? he probably won't say anything to me about his sin, nor will he ask forgiveness for his mistreatment of me and my brother.
Do I just ignore everything, and pretend that everything is just like it always was?
Well, Carol, you are in a real difficult predicament. I also see some hope here, however. It is wonderful that your parents are trying to get their marriage together after the truth about your father has come to light. that most assuredly would have been a great shock to your mother but on the other hand, maybe your mother had her suspicions. Who knows?
But when you go home from college I think it's very important for you to talk to your mother. and get some wisdom from her as to how to handle this very difficult situation. You know, you don't want to confront your dad unless your mother thinks it should happen. You should talk through what your own approach to this is going to be. Because if she is trying to reconcile, that part of the relationship should be encouraged.
Maybe your Dad isn't at a point yet where he can really face his sin in your presence. But then I hope that the time comes. When, with your mother's permission, you can sit down with your dad and say, Dad, I now know about your past, and I do hope and pray that he will be humble. That he will beg your forgiveness, that you will see in his life the real evidence and the fruit of repentance, because that would be a glorious moment for you and for your family. If that doesn't happen, then of course it's like a relationship that is never really fully closed.
and you'll have to simply go on with your own life. You are an adult. and you'll have to continue to pray and to support your parents and their ability to do the best they can. The world is fallen, and all that we can do is the best with what we have been given. God bless you.
Take courage. Take hope. Thank you, Carol, for sharing your story with us. If you'd like to have your question answered, go to our website at rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor Lutzer or call us at 1-888-218-9337. That's one eight eight eight two one eight ninety three thirty seven.
You can write to us at RunningTowin 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois, 60614. Running to Win is all about helping you understand God's roadmap for your race of life. Like a diamond, the purity of Jesus radiates in many facets as we behold His great glory. Isaiah gave us many names describing these characteristics in the ninth chapter of his prophecy.
Next time on Running to Win, we'll take a further look at the names ascribed to Christ and what they mean. plan to join us. Thanks for listening. For Pastor Erwin Lutzer, this is Dave McAllister. Running to Win is sponsored by the Moody Church.
