The prophesied Kingdom

• WELL, IT IS SO GOOD TO HAVE ALL OUR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE SERVICE TODAY, AND ESPECIALLY ALL THOSE CONNECTED WITH GIRLS BRIGADE AND BOYS BRIGADE. • I WAS IN THE SHOPS THE OTHER DAY, I THINK IT WAS DOBBIES, AND CAN YOU GUESS WHAT THEY WERE BEGINNING TO SELL? (CHRISTMAS STUFF)… • CAN YOU GUESS HOW MANY DAYS IT IS UNTIL CHRISTMAS? (**94!!) • NOW, DOES THAT SEEM LIKE A VERY LONG TIME TO YOU, OR A VERY SHORT TIME? (HANDS UP)… • THE WORDS WE READ TODAY FROM THE BIBLE ARE OFTEN READ AT CHRISTMAS TIME. • THEY WERE SAID BY A MAN CALLED ISAIAH, AND HE WAS A PROPHET. • CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHAT A PROPHET IS? (SOMEONE WHO HEARS FROM GOD) • ISAIAH HAD A MESSAGE TO PASS ON FROM GOD, AND IN WHAT WE READ TODAY, ISAIAH TOLD GOD’S PEOPLE SOME IMPORTANT THINGS. • I’VE PICKED OUT SOME THINGS FROM HIS MESSAGE, AND I’VE HIDDEN SOME WORDS, CAN YOU GUESS THEM? V6: “to us a _ _ _ is given” V7: “He will reign on _ _ _ _ _’_ throne” V6: “he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty _ _ _, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Father” • CAN YOU HELP FILL IN THE MISSING WORDS? (WRITE IN) • V6A – A (SON) WOULD BE BORN • **V7B – HE WOULD REIGN ON (DAVID’)S THRONE: HE WOULD BE A KING, PART OF THE DAVID’S FAMILY TREE • **V6C – HE WOULD BE CALLED WONDERFUL COUNSELLOR, MIGHTY (GOD), (EVERLASTING) FATHER, PRINCE OF (PEACE). • SO, THIS WOULD BE NO ORDINARY KING, BECAUSE HE WOULD BE GOD IN THE FLESH. • BUT WHY DID GOD GIVE ISAIAH THIS MESSAGE?... • WELL, HAVE YOU EVER HOPED OR WISHED FOR SOMETHING, BUT YOU NEVER GOT IT THE FIRST TIME AND SO YOU HAD TO KEEP ON WAITING FOR IT? • MAYBE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE TEAM TO WIN THE TROPHY, OR FOR A BUS HOME, EVEN THOUGH YOU ARRIVE AT THE RIGHT TIME FOR THE BUS AND THEN IT DIDN’T SHOW UP? • WELL, GOD’S PEOPLE HAD HOPED FOR SOMETHING TOO, AND THEY HAD BEEN WAITING FOR A VERY LONG TIME… • THEY WERE WAITING FOR A KING TO COME WHO WOULD MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE, AND THERE HAD BEEN MANY KINGS, BUT NONE OF THEM HAD BEEN THE PERFECT KING, FOR THEY ALL MADE MISTAKES. • SO, GOD WAS NOW SENDING A MESSAGE TO SAY THAT ONE DAY A SON WOULD BE BORN AND HE WOULD BE THIS AMAZING KING. • CAN YOU GUESS WHO IT WAS? (JESUS)… • THAT’S RIGHT, IT WAS JESUS. • GOD WAS FAITHFUL TO HIS PROMISE AND HE SENT HIS SON TO BE THIS WONDERFUL KING • AND BECAUSE CHRISTIANS BELIEVE JESUS IS THIS AMAZING KING, WE GATHER TO WORSHIP HIM HERE IN CHURCH • AND AS PART OF OUR WORSHIP, WE GIVE AN OFFERING TO CARE FOR HIS WORLD AND FURTHER HIS PURPOSES, AND SO WE’RE NOW GOING TO TAKE UP THE OFFERING, AS WE REMAIN SEATED TO SING… • EARLIER WE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT MESSAGE FROM ISAIAH AND WE SAID THAT JESUS WAS THE KING THE PEOPLE OF GOD WERE WAITING FOR. • BUT HOW DO WE KNOW THAT JESUS IS THAT WONDERFUL KING? HOW DO WE KNOW THAT HE REALLY IS THAT KING? (THE GOSPELS)… • FOUR BOOKS OF THE BIBLE ABOUT JESUS: MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE AND JOHN • BUT HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED IF YOU CAN TRUST WHAT YOU READ IN THE BIBLE ABOUT JESUS? • SAY YOU WENT DOWN TO TESCO… • …AND AT THE CHECK OUTS YOU SAW SOME MAGAZINES AND NEWSPAPERS… • AND SAY THOSE MAGAZINES AND NEWSPAPERS SAID THAT ALIENS** HAD ABDUCTED THE PRIME MINISTER (WHICH WOULD EXPLAIN A LOT BY THE WAY), OR THAT A REAL-LIFE DRAGON** HAD BEEN FOUND IN BRIGHTONS – • YOU’D BE THINKING, WOW, THAT’S AMAZING!?! I WANT TO GO SEE THAT DRAGON, AND I WANT A NEW PRIME MINISTER. • BUT YOUR MUM OR DAD, WOULD BE SAYING TO YOU, “DON’T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ, IT’S NOT ALWAYS TRUE.” • AND YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES PEOPLE FEEL THAT WAY ABOUT THE BIBLE, THAT WE CAN’T TRUST IT. • WE MIGHT WONDER, ARE THE STORIES ABOUT JESUS JUST MADE UP?... • WELL, SOME OF THE BOOKS THAT TEACH US ABOUT JESUS WERE WRITTEN BY EYE WITNESSES**, BY PEOPLE WHO WERE ACTUALLY WITH JESUS, AND OTHERS WERE WRITTEN BY PEOPLE WHO SEARCHED OUT THE FACTS FROM PEOPLE WHO WERE ALSO THERE. SO, WHAT WE HAVE IS WHAT PEOPLE SAID ACTUALLY HAPPENED. • WE SHOULD ALSO REMEMBER THAT THE PEOPLE WHO WROTE ABOUT JESUS DIDN’T GET RICH, OR POWERFUL, OR POPULAR BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY WROTE** – OFTEN THEY WERE PUT IN PRISON OR WORSE, BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY WROTE. AND, WHY WOULD THEY MAKE UP A STORY THAT GETS THEM INTO TROUBLE, OR WHICH PEOPLE THINK IS FOOLISH? • FINALLY, WE CAN TRUST THE STORIES ABOUT JESUS BECAUSE THEY WERE WRITTEN DOWN WHILST PEOPLE, WHO HAD SEEN JESUS, WERE STILL ALIVE**. SO, IF THESE AMAZING STORIES WERE LIES, THEN PEOPLE COULD HAVE COME FORWARD AND PUT THE RECORD STRAIGHT… • BUT FOR 2000 YEARS, NO ONE HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN DISPROVING THE CLAIMS ABOUT JESUS, BECAUSE THE EVIDENCE IS VERY STRONG. • SMART PEOPLE BELIEVED IN HIM WHEN HE WAS HERE ON EARTH, AND SMART PEOPLE STILL BELIEVE IN HIM TODAY. • AND BECAUSE WE CAN TRUST THE FOUR RECORDS ABOUT JESUS, THEN… • THEN…WE CAN ALSO TRUST THE REST OF THE BIBLE TOO, AND WE CAN BE CONFIDENT THAT JESUS REALLY IS THE KING WHO GOD PROMISED. • AND THAT’S WHY WE TEACH ABOUT JESUS IN CHURCH, IN SUNDAY SCHOOL, IN GB & BB, BECAUSE WE HOPE MANY PEOPLE WILL CHOOSE TO FOLLOW JESUS AS THEIR KING, AND THAT’S WHY THE BIBLE IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO US. • YOU’LL SEE THE NEW BIBLES ON OUR PEWS, WHICH WERE A GIFT FROM SOMEONE IN THE CHURCH, AND WE HAVE A NEW PULPIT BIBLE AS WELL, WHICH SOMEONE ALSO GIFTED. • THE NEW PULPIT BIBLE IS THE SAME VERSION AS THE NEW PEW BIBLES, AND IT’S BEEN BOUND IN LEATHER AND WITH AN INSCRIPTION ON THE FRONT AND INSIDE. • TODAY, WE DEDICATED OURSELVES TO OUR WORK AMONGST CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE, BUT ALL OF IT IS DEPENDENT ON US BEING A PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER AND TEACH THE SCRIPTURES, AND SO WE ARE NOW GOING TO DEDICATE OUR NEW BIBLES AND ASK FOR GOD’S HELP AS WE SEEK TO TEACH HIS WORD AND LIVE BY IT. • LET US PRAY.