Sunday, December 11, 2011 - Mighty God
Naming our children was a really fun thing. In our house, we both come from Irish heritage, so we looked at a lot of
Irish names. You may have done the same kinds of things we did – make lists, talk to people, write it out to see what it
looks like. And many of us try to make connections with people in the family who came before us – middle names the
same as Great Grandma’s name and things like that. In our family we have a tradition – the first son’s middle name is
his mother’s maiden name. Brian’s is Medlin, mine is Jordan.
This Christmas season we are looking at Isaiah 9 where the promised Messiah and King is said to be a Child born for
us and a Son given to us. And God includes in these promises about Him four names He would be known by. Last
Sunday we saw that He is the Wonderful Counselor. He is also known as Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince
of Peace. But He is not just KNOWN by those names – He IS those names. Today we continue in our December
Christmas series – “His Name.” Before we go any farther, let’s PRAY.
A child is born for us and a son is given to us whose name is “Mighty God.” Having taken about 10 mission trips to
Mexico, I have noticed that many Hispanic families name sons “Jesus.” I don’t think they are being presumptuous. I
think they are seeking to honor the Lord Jesus, as much as they know Him. I don’t know if I have ever met an Anglo
family who named a son Jesus – and I don’t know why.
Lots of families use Bible names, though – in our own church family we have:
Joshua Caleb John Aaron Asher Thomas
Michael Daniel Jonah Silas Elijah
Zachary Hannah Mary Timothy and many others
And even names like Paula could be considered biblically based, from Paul.
Lots of people use Bible names, but I don’t remember meeting anyone YET (weird things are happening in our world)
– anyone YET who has pulled the names from Isaiah 9:6 out for their sons. The names in Isaiah 9:6 are referred to as
“names” and they are names of the promised Child King God would send as Savior. They are NAMES, but they are
also descriptions of His character.
By the way, for you Joshuas or Joshua families – that is the name the Lord Jesus would have been called in His home.
Actually “Yeshua” is the Hebrew name for “salvation” and, unless the Josephs were speaking Greek, they would have
called their oldest Son, Yeshua. So, I guess, in a way, we have a number of Anglo families who name their children
after the Savior – some maybe without realizing it.
This Child born for us – this Son given to us will have the name “Mighty God.” That is the name we are going to
investigate today. There are significant things we can learn about HIM from that name. And there are vital things we
can learn and apply to OUR lives knowing this name – Mighty God.
Isaiah 9:2-7. READ. “Mighty God.” “Mighty” – powerful, strong. “God” – the eternal Creator and Sustainer. In
fact, “God” is hard to quickly define. “God” is hard to define at all. Let’s list just a few of the synonyms for “God.”
He omniscient – He knows everything. He is omnipotent – He is all-powerful. He is omnipresent – He is everywhere
all the time. Creator, Healer, Judge, Light, Life, Provider, Destroyer, Consuming Fire – these are names we find for
God in His Word. There are more – wisdom, love, grace, mercy, righteousness, Savior, triumphant, reconciler, Spirit,
Glorious, Bread of Life, Living Water, Shepherd, Master, Servant, Conqueror – we could go on and on. In fact, you
can in your further study notes. As you contemplate each description and name, you will understand more what it
means that He is called “Mighty God.”
In fact, just to help us remember this name, which isn’t hard – but to emphasize the importance of it in another way, do
something with me that is kind of cheesy, but I think really helps. Say this outloud:
MIGHTY GOD
MIGHTY God
Mighty GOD
This Mighty God – if that’s who He really is, and if that’s who He really was when He came to Bethlehem – do we
have permission to “allow” Him to have only part of us, but not all of us? Do we really have any right to withhold
ourselves from Him in any way?
And let’s reject talking about “free will.” Well, I know He wants all of me, but He gave human beings “free will.” First,
I encourage you to FIND that concept in the Bible. The words “free will” never appear together, and I don’t think we
can really find it in other words anywhere either. But this does not mean we are puppets and have no choice. Here’s
the choice we have – we either BELIEVE God and obey Him or we do NOT believe God and disobey Him. And that’
s maybe what you mean if you depend on “free will.”
That is a dangerous way to interact with “Mighty God.” He made you – He provides for you – He sustains you – He
came to free you from sin and death. He can easily – with a thought – take you out. To give ourselves “permission” to
disregard Him in any way is insane. We talk about this idea of “free will” – again, a topic and a term that the Bible
never uses – to make room for ourselves to NOT respond in total submission to Mighty God.
Turn to Romans 12:1. READ. I do not like the HCSB’s and many other versions’ renderings of the last words of
verse 1. Those translations that get it closest are the ones that use the words “rational” or “reasonable” or “intelligent.”
The Greek word is “logicon.” It is the word “logical.” To excuse ourselves from obedience is not logical – it makes no
sense. To consider and proclaim that we follow and serve “Mighty God,” but ignore what He tells us to do, is illogical.
The only logical response is to obey Him.
This Child that was born for us and this Son that was given to us – why did He come to Bethlehem? And why did He
come with the name “Mighty God?” Was it merely to –
- give us a nice break from school and work at the beginning of the winter?
- to make is possible for us to get the latest toys, gear or goodies without paying for them?
- to give us a warm fuzzy feeling about humanity and family?
- to give us a chance to get a temporary nostalgic feeling to push away the winter-time blues?
Didn’t the Mighty God break into human history for more significant reasons that those? What if He ACTUALLY
came to do the following:
- transform your existence?
- engage you in His miraculous activities?
- give you eternal purpose and meaning as you follow Him and do what He says?
- allow you to see “book of Acts” and “Old Testament” experiences in and around your life right now today for His
glory?
Here at Plattsmouth Bible Church in our brief 13 year history, we have seen some amazing things. But, as Jason
reminded us a few weeks ago, we run the risk of forgetting those things. Our young people run the risk of not seeing
God do amazing things now in their own lives because we have gotten comfortable existing without direct connection to
God. Remember last Sunday, our question that you should not answer out loud – If God disappeared, would your
daily life change at all?
With every ounce of my strength, as one who gets a forum to speak to you and encourage you and challenge you often,
I will BE challenging ALL of us to pursue MORE than comfortable, milk-toast, American-centered Christianity. Some
of you remember when our friend Dave Newell was in Africa within the past couple of years and he was involved in a
person being healed of blindness. God still does His God-sized stuff, but we have nudged God out and let Him know
that we’ll call if we need Him.
Listen to this story. RADICAL pp. 43,44
How do you respond to the work of the Mighty God you just heard about? Is your tendency to begin to explain it
away? Why? Is your tendency to credit foreign people as being more open to spiritual things? Why? Don’t you wish
that YOU would see things like that happen? This Mighty God who was promised back in Isaiah 9 is the same today
and is the same in the USA as He was in the Old Testament and in the book of Acts – and in Indonesia today and
Africa and everywhere else.
But we in America – in the Western World – do not expect or need a Mighty God. We have well-paying jobs and
college educations and the internet and all the comforts of home. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law just got a new
bed – and it is GREAT! It is a Tempur Pedic bed. This is the sister-in-law that had 2 open-heart surgeries within 2
days. I don’t begrudge them this new bed at all. But it cost $3400. There are people – perhaps in this room today –
who have beds like that. I am NOT judging you or anyone. I am reminding us that we have brothers and sisters
around the world who sleep on the ground or in filthy damp and rodent infested prison cells. And God seems more
evident in many of those places.
RADICAL pp. 15-17
We ourselves just spent several thousand dollars upgrading our building – mostly in an effort to stop the water leakage
that had been happening in the basement for years. I am glad we did what we did. But now it is time to turn our
attention outward. The percentage of funds devoted to internal ministry and to external ministry is an area we need to
look at seriously – and then, after looking, we need to make major adjustments. But if we don’t care what the Mighty
God thinks of it, why would we?
You know that we rarely talk about finances here at Plattsmouth Bible Church. Today is an exception – but it won’t be
in the way you might expect. The Kingdom of God is what we ought to be involved in. Thank about this.
Our yearly budget for the church is a little over $120,000 a year. I am terrified to bring this up, but I have to – and I
bring it up to let you know that I am serious about this, too. Over HALF of that $120K/year goes to ME. I don’t
think that’s right. I don’t think the funds the Lord brings in and through Plattsmouth Bible Church should be directed
toward one person at that percentage – over half. This includes salary and benefits.
The elders have led the church family to take 1 Timothy 5:17 seriously – those who work hard at preaching and
teaching are worthy of double honor – and we have appreciated the generosity and care the church family gives us. But
is it right that over half of the funds that come through our church books go to only one person? Should we not devote
significantly more of those funds to bringing the Good News of forgiveness of sins and restoration to God and eternal
life to many more people?
There are several ways we can make that kind of adjustment, but it CANNOT merely be a budgeting adjustment. This
has to be an adjustment of our hearts. This has to be an adjustment of our obedience. The Mighty God wants to do
things that show His might and character through us.
We could cut the pay of the staff – all of these suggestions are on the table. I am serious about this – I don’t know how
Jason would feel, sorry, Jason. But I don’t care how it would change my lifestyle. The Kingdom of God is the issue,
not my comfort.
We could go to a completely volunteer staff. We could sell the building and meet in rented space. We could rent out
space for other church plants or groups. We could close down and join with other believers in other churches.
We could each GIVE more and devote that giving to outreach. Kind of makes us nervous to talk this way, doesn’t it?
But if we REALLY believe in and follow a “Mighty God,” should we not do whatever He says to do? If we ignore –
or worse, refuse – to do what the Mighty God says, we demonstrate that we do not actually believe in a Mighty God.
What if we increased our giving by 25% - so instead of aiming at $120K, we aimed at $150K each year – and ALL
the extra funds went to Gospel-sharing, church planting, poor helping, need reaching ministry? That would be $30,000
more dollars worth of God doing His God stuff in and through and around us. WOW! We would be impressive for
that kind of giving! WRONG! We would only be obedient and GOD would be impressive.
Yeah, but where are we going to come up with that money? Taxes are going up, cost of living is going up all the time.
There is no way we can afford to give more. … “Mighty God” … Is He or isn’t He? Does He own the cattle on
a thousand hills or doesn’t He (Psalm 50:10)? Is He the God of the Universe or isn’t He? Is God really restricted by
our view of life?
Plus, if we KNOW He wants us to do something and we don’t do it, what ARE we doing? James 4:17 says we are
sinning! Plus another thing – if God wants us to do something, is it not up to God to work out the details? We should
not wait around until we can do it without Him – we can step out and do it when He says to do it and exactly how He
says to do it. This relates to the question, what would happen if God disappeared – how would your life change?
We need a serious review of our understanding of who God is and who He desires to be IN us. “Mighty God” – is
everything we read in God’s Word only for us to see how God USED to be? Is there any possibility that who God
was then He still is NOW? I don’t see anything in God’s Word that suggests that He will no longer do His God stuff –
ever. So what stops Him? OUR UNBELIEF.
“Mike, this is a bad time financially to increase the budget and giving.” Do we think Mighty God is restricted by bad
financial times in the United States? Do we think He sets aside His desires to build His Kingdom when we can’t afford
to buy that new big screen TV or upgrade to a different kind of iPhone? If we don’t think that, why do we act like it?
Why is the church and God’s Kingdom flourishing in countries where believers have NOTHING and PERSECUTION
is their way of life? God is not restricted by bad financial times in the United States – we do not believe Him.
And speaking of persecution, I wonder how those brothers and sisters feel about the Wonderful Counselor we talked
about last Sunday? When life or reputation or comfort is threatened, I wonder if we may have a greater appreciation
for the Wonderful Counselor. In those times, it is the Wonderful Counselor who IS the Mighty God who meets us in
those situations and helps us and comforts us.
This Child who came was the promised King and the Savior. He was and is the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace. If He really is all those things, we do not have the luxury of partially following
Him or sometimes obeying Him or halfway believing Him. God came into this “all or nothing.” He desires us to be “all
in.” Are you? Am I? This Christmas, let’s go for broke in our faith – step off the safety bandwagon and into the raging
river of the power and love of Jesus Christ – His name is Mighty God.