The Spirit of Christmas
Sermon Recording
Sermon Outline
Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Advent
Isaiah 11:1-9 (ESV)
1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide disputes by what his ears hear,
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist,
and faithfulness the belt of his loins.
6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;
and a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze;
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,
and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.
9 They shall not hurt or destroy
in all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
Sermon Outline
True Christmas spirit is not an attitude or experience about a holiday but the fruit of God’s Spirit (v2) coming to us through Jesus, the child born, sent by God to transform everything:
1. Knowledge
v2 “the Spirit of the Lord shall rest on him… the Spirit of knowledge”
v9 “for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord”
2. Righteousness
vv3-4 “he shall not judge by… but with righteousness he shall judge”
v4 “the poor… the meek of the earth”
3. Fear
v2-3 “…the Spirit of… the fear of the Lord…his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord”
vv6-9 “they shall not hurt or destroy”
Questions for Reflection
What is the “Christmas spirit”? Do you have it this year?
What is the difference between knowing God and knowing about God? Can you “know” God personally?
What options are there to deal with our flaws? What are some problematic ways we deal with them?
How can faith in Jesus and walking with God help you become a genuinely better person? How do we become “righteous"?
Why is how vulnerable people are treated or effected an indicator of whether a person is exercising power in ways that are good?
Do you fear God, and if so, what is that fear like? Describe it.
What are the differences between healthy and unhealthy fear of God?
What are some ways Jesus makes true change possible? What do you currently need to do to connect more deeply with Jesus?
How can you cultivate real spiritual life? What do you need from God? How can your faith come more alive?
What will best help you thrive in this Christmas season? What do you want to ask God for this month?