For Unto You...Righteousness

2018-12-09 
Pastor Jonathan Falwell 

Key Verse: Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Last week, we spoke of the Old Testament prophecies of the coming Messiah, Jesus. We focused on what the OT stated about what Christ would come to be…

1. The Coming Enemy of Satan
2. The Coming Blessing
3. The Coming Ruler
4. The Coming Presence
5. The Coming Hope

Today, I’d like to talk about how His coming should elicit a response from us in how we live…a call to righteousness.

Jeremiah 23:5-6 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. 6 In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

1. A Call to Righteousness

• “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.

• Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

• Righteousness is not possible on our own, only through Him

• Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. (God With Us!)

• To think that we live in the presence of God every day should lead us to live differently because of that presence.

2. A Call to a Higher Standard

• Colossians 3:5a (NLT) So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you.

• The verse doesn’t say, “let those things die…” It says “put them to death” • This indicates a proactive stance on moving away from the things of this world

• Colossians 3:17 (NLT) And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

3. A Call to Point The Way

• Malachi 3:1-2 (NLT) Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 2 “But who will be able to endure it when he comes? Who will be able to stand and face him when he appears? For he will be like a blazing fire that refines metal, or like a strong soap that bleaches clothes.

• The first part of this verse is a clear statement pointing to John the Baptist who would come some 400 years later.
• Then, the Messiah will come.
• This prophecy that finishes out the Old Testament points to the ultimate hope and life we find in Jesus.
• As a result, like John, we have a mandate to point people to Him.