Amen, thank you for tuning us in this Sunday afternoon. Merry Christmas to each and every one of you. Here this morning as we get into our series, The Greatest Gifts of Christmas. I thank God that every one of us, this Christmas, that we can get into one of the greatest times because the greatest gifts that we'll ever receive is the gift right here this time of year from our Savior Jesus Christ. And so, if you would, go ahead and take your Bibles with us over to Isaiah chapter 9, verses 6 and 7, and in the New Testament, Romans chapter 15, verse 13. The first of our series, The Greatest Gifts of Christmas, is a gift wrapped in prophecy. I'm glad that as we get into the Word of God in just a minute, we look and we see that these are some very powerful scriptures, but I'm glad that here we can discover that the coming of Christ fulfilled ancient prophecies that offers a hope in a world that is filled with so much despair. And I'm glad that Christmas is a season of giving, celebrating the joy of sharing the gifts that we all love. And so, but during all of the times of traditions, and festivities, we tend to overlook the greatest gift that's ever been given, the ones God provided through the birth of his son, Jesus Christ. And so in this series, we'll be talking about the gifts that are far more valuable than anything found under a tree. They're the gifts that transform hearts, restore relationships, provide eternal assurance, and so that will unwrap a gift that has treasures that we can reflect on its profound impact, both in our personal lives and in the world that is around us. And so as we journey together through the greatest gifts of Christmas, we're reminded of the true meaning of the holy season that inspires all of these gifts that we share with others. Let's open up with a time of prayer. And let's ask the Lord to bless what a wonderful service that we had at Bethel Crossroads this morning with the choir and Pastor Keith Dempsey and all that made a special service for those that were there this morning. And so let's open up and give thanks for all that the Lord does. Heavenly Father, thank you so much, Lord, as we want to come together to show your love and your mercy. Lord, as we confess our sins, we're faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Lord, I pray that through this time of Christmas, Lord, that you will cleanse us and Lord, help us to go forward to give the greatest gift, to pass on that gift of the great commission of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Take this Old Testament of Isaiah and this New Testament of Romans and bring it together and let it tell a gift that is wrapped in prophecy from way back that you had a plan that would rescue us. That would be the greatest gift that we would ever receive. And that would be this gift of a young babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger that was born to die on the cross of Calvary for all of our sins. Thank you for saving us by your marvelous grace. Thank you for this great privilege to speak on the Word of God. And Lord, I pray that as we read this scripture, may it find a lodging place in the hearts of your people. And Lord, may we apply it to our own lives. In Jesus' marvelous mighty name, amen. All right, I'm glad, a gift that is wrapped in prophecy. Each and every one of us, you know, many years ago, there was a story of a man that was stranded on a desolate island for weeks with nothing but his wits and a very, very small notebook. And he began writing letters to his loved ones, letters that he feared would never be delivered. And so, his hope remained, but one day, a passing ship rescued him. And when asked what kept him going, he said, it was the hope that someone would eventually hear my voice. Well, I'm glad that here with this gift that's wrapped in prophecy, it is a hope that has been restored. Because hope is a very powerful force. And yet in our world and society today, it often feels fragile because we got wars that are raging, families that are struggling, news that seems to be never ending with tales of despair. But Christmas reminds us of a hope that can be shaken, a hope that is fulfilled in the prophecy of Isaiah and the arrival of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Now, I'll admit, sometimes hope feels like assembling Christmas toys without instructions, trying to put them toys together, and you don't even follow step one to step five to step 10. And so anyone, if you know what I'm talking about, It's 2 a.m. You're starting at 37 leftover screws in the packet. And you're wondering why you don't just buy a goldfish instead. But God's hope isn't like that. It's complete. It's perfect. It's wrapped up in the gift of His Son. And so, when we look and realize that we have a gift that has been wrapped in prophecy, we look at our scripture and we're reminded For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this and then Romans 15 13 now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace and believing that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost. And so, I'm glad when we look at a gift that is wrapped in prophecy, we see the Hebrew of the wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, and the zeal On the other side of the New Testament are Romans, that we look and we see the hope, the joy, the peace, the believing, they abound in the Holy Spirit. And all in their Greek, all in their Hebrew, that when we begin to look back at all of these things, we're reminded that a child is born and a son is given. That to all humanity, the son, to his divinity that highlights the dual nature of Christ, fully God and fully man. And the government shall be upon his shoulders, the authority and the responsibility. Because in ancient times, rulers carried symbols of power. There was a key. There was a scepter. on their shoulders, Jesus is foretold as the ultimate ruler. His name shall be called wonderful, the extraordinary, the marvelous, hallelujah, beyond comprehension, hallelujah, the counselor, amen. I'm glad that the one who gives wise advice and perfect guide, the mighty God, amen, that we see literally God the warrior, God the champion, Referring to his divine strength and power the everlasting father hallelujah, because the father of all eternity signifying christ his role as the eternal source of life and care for his people and then the Prince of Peace that we see, because I'm glad that the one that brings the ultimate peace and reconciliation with God, then it takes us on to verse 7, not only of Isaiah 6, verse 6, but verse 7, that he talks about the increase of his government, amen, and it deals with Christ is eternal and ever-growing and marked by peace that transcends human understanding, the increase of his government and peace, the throne of David, the Davidic covenant of 2 Samuel chapter 7, the eternal king from David's lineage, the judgment and the justice, his rule by perfect fairness and righteousness that's missing in all of the human governments across the land today, the zeal of the Lord and the host that performs this because the intense passion of jealousy, that God's passionate commitment ensures the fulfillment of these promises. And then the New Testament of that gift that's wrapped in prophecy. that in Romans chapter 15 verse 13, he's the God of hope, amen. That highlights the source and the sustainer, that he fills us with all joy, amen. And peace in believing, that inner gladness based on God's grace, amen. And I'm glad that he gives us not only that joy, but he gives us that peace, praise God. peace, that tranquility of heart that comes from being reconciled with God and then believing, praise God, because I'm glad that we can trust in Christ, the act of faith that enables us to experience the joy and the peace, hallelujah. And so he says we are bound because that we may abound in hope And so the overflow, the exceeding full that believers can live with an overflow of confident trust in God this time of year with this gift that's wrapped in prophecy, hallelujah. And through the power of the Holy Spirit, Paul said in Romans 15, 13, amen, the Holy Spirit itself. And so it empowers believers to experience this Christmas, the hope, the joy, and the peace, transforming our lives from within. And so, Isaiah 9, verses 6 and 7, it points to the coming of Christ as the Messiah, describing His divine title, His eternal reign, marked by justice and peace. Romans 15, 13, talking about it encouraged all believers this Christmas to trust in God as the source of joy, peace, and overflowing hope made possible. through the power of the Holy Spirit. And so, we discover how the coming of Christ fulfilled these ancient prophecies and offers hope in a world often filled with despair. Praise God. And so, the first thing that we see is the promise of hope. Because that's what we read, for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. The government shall be upon his shoulders, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. You see, the prophecy was fulfilled. The birth of Christ was foretold hundreds of years before it ever happened. proven that God's promises are trustworthy. And so, imagine waiting for Christmas presents, only to be told that, you know what? I get them around here about 700 years from now. Oh, that ain't gonna do it. And so, that's patience. But the people of Israel clung to this prophecy through dark times. The Messiah is coming. The Messiah is coming. A gift that was wrapped in prophecy. And so, every one of us, Charles Spurgeon said one time, the hinge of history is on the door of a Bethlehem stable, unquote. And so, a prophecy that is fulfilled with a promise of hope. Secondly, a child with many names. Because each name, the Wonderful, the Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, that reflects all of the different facets of Christ's identity. He isn't just a gift. Listen to me. Uh-uh. He's every gift that you'll ever need. Hallelujah. And so, a prophecy that is fulfilled, a child with many names, and a government of peace. Because the promise of hope of Isaiah, chapter 9, verses 6 and 7, amen, that here Jesus has reigned is marked by peace, contrasting the chaos of all the other earthly rulers that are ever come and that are coming. And so, we see the promise of hope in Isaiah, chapter 9, verses 6 and 7. Also, we see the power of hope because in Romans 15, 13, now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace and believing that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost. And so, first of all, the power of that hope is a hope that sustains us this Christmas. This hope doesn't depend on circumstances. It comes from the Holy Spirit itself. And I'm, you know, it's like trying to have hope in Your relative's fruitcake is probably better off in the trash, but real hope is enduring. But I'm glad that there's some folks that can really cook. And I'm glad that we have a lot of hope in some things from other memories that we can hold on to. A hope that sustains us, that Paul is talking about, but also a hope that brings joy. Joy and peace are the byproducts of believing in God's promises. Paul Harvey once told of a man who donated all of his lottery winnings to a building of a homeless shelter. because he believed everyone deserved a second chance. That's the joy of hope in action. And so it is a hope that sustains, a hope that brings joy, the power of hope. But thirdly, it's a hope that overflows. And so when we're filled with hope, it spills over to others like a Christmas light that is brightening the dark streets out across the country. And so we see of Isaiah chapter 9 verses 6 and 7, the promise of hope. In Romans chapter 15 verse 13 of Paul's writing, the power of hope. But as I close out, we see the person of hope himself. In John chapter 1 verse 14, And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Hope took on flesh, praise God, that person of hope. And so Jesus wasn't some kind of a distant promise. He came to walk among us. Max Licato said once, Jesus entered our world, not like a human, but as a human, and he experienced life fully so that we might fully experience life, unquote. And so hope took on flesh, that person of hope, but also hope was made visible. And I'm glad through the little baby in the manger and swaddling clothes, through his miracles, through his teachings, through his love, Jesus showed what hope looks like in action. And then thirdly, hope triumphed. Because through the cross and the empty tomb, Jesus proved that no darkness can extinguish the light of hope. And so, when we look, we see the promise of hope in Isaiah 9, verses 6 and 7. the power of hope in Romans chapter 15 verse 13. And then we see the person of hope. Amen. In John chapter 1 verse 14. And so, hope isn't wishful thinking, it's confidence that's rooted in God's promises. Isaiah's prophecy, Paul's words of encouragement, and John's declaration of Christ's incarnation, all of them point, are outlined to the same truth. Hope was born in Bethlehem, He lived among us, and He secured our future through the cross. Listen, can you cling to God's promises when life feels uncertain? What are the practical ways to share hope with others this Christmas? And I wonder, how does the birth of Christ inspire you to trust God's plan for your life? Amen. that Paul Harvey told a story about the man and the birds. Paul Harvey, he tells the story of a kind of man who couldn't understand the incarnation. One snowy Christmas Eve, he saw a flock of birds and they were shivering in the cold and he tried to lead them to warmth, but the birds scattered in fear. He thought, if I could only become a bird, I could lead them to safety. In that moment, he realized why Jesus, the Son of God, became man, to lead us to eternal safety. You see, Isaiah chapter 9, verses 6 and 7, tells us of a Savior who entered our broken world as both man and God, a gift wrapped in prophecy. bringing eternal peace and safety. And so I'm glad. that when we look and we see that here, back in 1914, there was a Christmas of truce. During the First World War, soldiers on both sides of the battlefield laid down their arms on Christmas Eve to sing carols and share small gifts. And for one night, peace prevailed amidst the chaos of war. And what we were reading about in Paul's Romans chapter 15 verse 13 speaks of that Prince of Peace. That's the God of hope and the joy and peace in believing because Jesus, the Prince of Peace, offers a greater and an eternal peace, reconciling us to God and to one another. And so in today's world of division and unrest, Christ calls us to be peacemakers. We gotta start with our family. then our workplace, our community, and then we seek reconciliation and we live out that peace that comes from Christ, amen. You know, I'm glad that the best Christmas gift ever, a child once gave her father a gift wrapped in a shoebox. Inside there was nothing but a note that read, I give you all my love, And the Father said, it's the greatest gift that I could ever receive. You see, in Jesus, God gave us his love wrapped in flesh. And this gift is greater than anything that we could ever imagine or ever deserve. And so, as we get ready to close out, I hope and pray that you have one of the greatest Christmases. And I hope and pray that you got something out of our message. as well. Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of your son Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of prophecy, and the hope of our lives. May we receive him with open hearts, trust him as our wonderful counselor, and live in the peace that he brings. Fill us with joy, hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit, that we share the gift when the world in need. In Jesus's marvelous mighty name, amen. God bless you.