Unto Us Comes A Mighty GodLast week we learned that Jesus Christ is our Wonderful Counsellor. As such He has the wisdom to know how to bring His glory out of every situation of life. But knowledge must be applied to be useful. Are you growing weary and losing heart? Are you facing some seemingly insurmountable "mountain" of difficulty? Is there some "impossible situation" in a relationship with your spouse, a family member, a friend, a co-worker? Today we learn that Jesus Christ is our Mighty God. He has infinite power to apply His infinite knowledge to every aspect of life and bring victory.

Psalm 24:1-10 The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it

upon the rivers. Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Lift up your heads, O

gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle! Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may

come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory! Isaiah 9:6 …His name shall be called Mighty God…

When I was young, a poem we studied in school was "Invictus" by William Ernest Henley.

"Out of the night that covers me, black as a pit from pole to pole,I thank whatever gods may be for my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance, I have not winced nor cried aloud.Under the bludgeonings of chance, my head is bloody but unbowed.

Beyond this veil of wrath and tears clings but the harrow of the shading.Yet the menace of the years finds in self I meet unafraid;

matters not how straight the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll.I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul."

Those are brave words. Foolish bravery. Underscored by the fact that the man who wrote them took his own life in utter despair.

Mighty God = El Gibbor – God who is powerful; God who conquers; God our Champion.

This name is primarily used in the Bible to describe the one who will come in the lineage of David to establish His kingdom. David was and still is considered the Mighty Conqueror for Israel.

A shepherd who killed a lion and a bear Chosen by God and Anointed king Killed Goliath and defeated the Philistines Rescued the people of Ziklag, who had been captured by the Amalekites Captured Jerusalem and built a palace Brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem Conquered the Philistines, Moabites, and Syria Defeated the combined armies of the Ammonites and Syrians

David was Israel’s Mighty Conqueror,

David is a type of Christ What do we mean by “TYPE”?

o The word "type" is generally used to denote a resemblance between something present and something future.

o Psalm 89:18-24 For our shield belongs to the LORD, our king to the Holy One of Israel. Of old you spoke in a vision to your godly one and said: “I have granted help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one

chosen from the people. I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him, so that my hand shall be established with him; my arm also shall strengthen him. The enemy shall not outwit him; the wicked shall not humble him. I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him. My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him, and in my name shall his horn be exalted.

o Matthew 21:9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

Unto us comes our Mighty Conqueror. Jesus conquers our enemies

o Satan and the forces of evil Revelation 12:7-12 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his

angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

Revelation 19 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war…From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron…

Hebrews 2:14-15 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.

In Christ we are also able to conquer Satan the accuser Rev. 12 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,

“Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them!

o The World

John 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Romans 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

o The final enemy is death 1 Corinthians 15:21-26 For as by a man came death, by a

man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

1 Corinthians 15:50-57 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

A story from Robert Louis Stevenson: it’s about passengers who were on a ship in a severe storm and in imminent danger of sinking. The passengers were whispering "Are we going down? Are we safe?" One passenger said, "I've got to find out," so he made his way topside across the heaving decks, to the pilot house, where the pilot of the ship had his hand firmly on the wheel. The pilot turned and saw the fear in the passenger's face and just smiled at him, not even speaking a word. On arriving below the once fearful passenger exclaimed "We're going be all right. I've seen the face of the pilot, and he smiled at me."

What we need to do when we are crippled by fear caused by difficult circumstances is look away from the "stormy waves" and into the serene face of our Jesus, our MIGHTY GOD, the One Who is always mighty to save. We need to see the reassuring smile of our Savior Who alone is mighty to calm the storms. And our MIGHTY GOD who is able to calm the storm around us, will also calm the storm within us! He has sailed rougher seas than the one that you're in right now!Corrie ten Boom said "Look at the world—you'll be distressed. Look within—you'll be depressed. Look at Christ—you'll be at rest." 

Jesus Christ, our Wonderful Counselor who knows our need and has all the right answers, is our Mighty God who puts His wisdom into action and delivers us.

Zephaniah 3:14-20 Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The LORD has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil. On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival, so that you will no longer suffer reproach. Behold, at that time I will deal with all your oppressors. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. At that time I will bring you in, at the time when I gather you together; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,” says the LORD. The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save;

Someone wrote a Christian answer to "Invictus," and it goes like this."Out of the light that dazzles me, bright is the sun from pole to pole.I thank the God I know to be, for Christ the conqueror of my soul.Since he's the sway of circumstance, I would not wince nor cry aloud.Under that rule which men call chance, my head with joy is humbly bowed.Beyond this place of sin and tears, that life with him. And he's the aideThat spite diminished of the years keeps and shall keep me unafraid.It matters not, though straight the gate, He cleared from punishments the scroll.Christ is the master of my fate. Christ the captain of my soul."