Key Verse Isaiah 53-54

Icebreaker question:

Q. How is Christmas different for you in light of this years circumstances?

Henry Wordsworth Longfellow penned this song in the midst of his own crisis:

“I heard the bells on Christmas Day

their old, familiar carols play,

and wild and sweet the words repeat

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

“Then from each black, accursed mouth

The cannon thundered in the South,

And with the sound The carols drowned

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;

“There is no peace on earth,” I said;

“For hate is strong, And mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”

Isaiah 9:2 (ESV)

Jesus is the Light world of the bringing hope to us all.  Our faith teaches us that God suffers with us.  Every crisis in our life needs its hope in the cross of Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 53;10-54:1-4 ESV

What do we do when Christmas arrives in a crisis?

Embrace the CROSS in every CRISIS of life:

1. My SALVATION is Jesus’ SATISFACTION in Suffering.

Isaiah 53:11 (ESV)

The suffering of Jesus was worth it to Jesus for us.  The Almighty God wants a relationship with us.  We can suffer when there is a point to our suffering.  God uses pain and heartache in 2020 to bring us 2020 vision about Christ and His suffering brings us back to Him.

Q. When have you been able to suffer through something because you understood the reason behind the suffering (i.e.giving birth, etc.)?

Hebrews 12:2 (NLT)

Jesus embraced the cross so He could have us.  This is good news for everyone who has been rejected.  Jesus loves the unlovely and the ones no one else thinks is lovely.  We are precious to God.

2. My STRENGTH comes through Jesus’ SUFFERING.

We serve a God who suffered and dealt with pain and hardship so we could have the power of the Holy Spirit.  Though the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus gives us strength inside of us.

Isaiah 53:12 (ESV)

Jesus won the battle and He will share the spoils of the battle with those He made strong.

Not only does Jesus save people from SIN – He gives people STRENGTH WITHIN.

This is the good news of Jesus.  We can embrace all things with the power of Jesus in us.

2 Corinthians 2:14 (ESV)

a. We have VICTORY over the DEVIL and DEMONIC SPIRITS.

Luke 10:19 (ESV)

Q. Even though you know you have been given authority over the power of the enemy, why do you sometimes still feel powerless?

Fear is a spirit that stops us and holds us back, but God gives us strength.

Q. How has fear held you back from growing spiritually?

b. We have VICTORY over LEGALISTIC RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Victory over rules is having no relationship which is just a religious practice.

Romans 7:6 (ESV)

Christianity is not about rules, it is loving God and doing what He w

Christianity is not about rules, it is loving God and doing what he wants because his lives in our hearts.

Q. What legalistic rituals have kept you from having a true relationship with Jesus?

c. We have VICTORY over the WORLD.

1 John 5:4–5 (ESV)

The world will come at us and try to suck the life out of us but we have strength to overcome.  Our faith in Jesus gives us victory over the problems of the world.

d. We have VICTORY in our TROUBLES.

John 16:33 (ESV)

We are to take heart, He is still in charge.

Q. What are some victories you have had this year even in your troubles?

e. We have VICTORY over HELL and DEATH.

1 Corinthians 15:51–54 (ESV)

Our death does not have the last word on our lives.

Q. How should/does Christ’s resurrection and the hope of your own bodily transformation affect your priorities?

3. My SUCCESS is achieved through Jesus’ SUFFERING.

Our success is rooted in His suffering.  God does not want his people suffering, hurting and poor but he wants us to be blessed.

Q. What is holding you back from succeeding in Gods purposes?Isaiah

54:1-3 (ESV)

The woman who has nothing sings.  Jesus bears the judgement so we can live judgment free and embrace the expectancy that He will do something good in our lives.  His suffering ( through a Jewish carpenter) opens up the doorway to the nations.

The Gift is us –

In the midst of 2020 we opened a campus in Guatemala, leased a permanent building in Woonsocket, and  bought property in Florida!

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

The Wrong shall fail,The Right prevail,

With peace on earth, good-will to men.”

The Cross is Christ’s SATISFACTION in saving you, Christ’s source for STRENGTHENING you, and Christ’s deposit of SUCCESS in you.

Q. What testimony can you share from this message series?

THE BEST IS YET TO COME IN TWENTY TWENTY-ONE