Wisdom and the Hope of Christmas
Audio Recording
Sermon Outline
Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord
Isaiah 11:1-10 (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.
10 In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.
Sermon Outline
In a hope destroying world, what can we know that will lead to wise living?
1. Foolish Humanity
v3 “And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see…”
2. The Wise Human
v2 “the Spirit of the Lord… of wisdom…”
v5 “righteousness… faithfulness the belt…”
3. Humankind Called to Wisdom
v10 “the root of Jesse… a signal… the nations inquire” (v1 “stump of Jesse”)
v8 “the nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra”
v2 “the Spirit of knowledge”, v9 “the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord”
Prayer of Confession
Our wise and faithful God, forgive us for our foolishness. We have all sinned. We have looked with our eyes, desired in our hearts, and done what we know we should not. We have been unrighteous and unfaithful. Through Jesus, the only righteous and faithful one, we ask that you forgive all our sins. Cleanse us from all unrighteousness and fill us with the Spirit of wisdom. Amen.
Questions for Reflection
Does the Christmas story feel like a fantasy? What are the important elements of the story? What is true and helpful? Differentiate the story as the Bible tells it and as our culture celebrates it.
How are people foolish? What patterns are true of all of us? What are some ways we are we fooled?
What evidence in our world displays how foolish humanity is?
How was Jesus wise? What about his life or teachings show that he lived how people should live? What in his teaches helps people to have deeper discernment?
How does Jesus image God? What can we see of God when we look at Jesus?
Why is the birth of Jesus significant? In what ways is his arrival a signal to all people?
How does following Jesus make a person wise?
What does it mean to “know God”? Why does wisdom require more than facts and information?
How does delighting in reverence for God produce wisdom in us? How does it protect us? What sources of delight typically rank higher in your life?
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