“Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this” (Isaiah 9:7).
The governments of this world wax and wane. But the government of Jesus Christ is always on the rise. His kingdom of justice and righteousness must be ever-increasing because it is bound to the most powerful force in the Universe, the zeal of the Lord of hosts!
We’ve all seen zealous people accomplish great things through the sheer force of their enthusiasm. The gift of human zeal accomplishes wonders when aimed at the good. But our
zeal is also the cause of unspeakable atrocities. What a comfort to know, then, that the kingdom of God does not depend on our zeal. The kingdom of God is energized by the engine of God’s enthusiasm!
Through faith in Jesus Christ, we have been swept up into a movement that cannot fail because Jesus cannot fail. At the cross, the zeal of Jesus overcame the world. And His government has been increasing ever since. In the first century, the cross of Christ was barely a footnote in the gospel of Roman glory. Today, the distant memory of Roman glory is widely preserved as the background to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The zeal of the Lord of hosts has done this! And so it will be for everyone who takes up their cross and follows Jesus. To lose with Jesus is never-ending gain.
Then learn to scorn the praise of man,
And learn to lose with God;
For Jesus won the world through shame,
And beckons thee His road.
December 28, 2022 - Immanuel At a Glance
Celebration
YEAR-END GIVING - As the year comes to a close, we want to take a moment to thank you for your generosity. Our 2022 yearly giving goal is 2,150,000. Back in November, we were 330k away from hitting that goal. Through your sacrificial giving, as of December 25, we are currently less than 150k away from hitting our goal! Praise God, let’s keep going! As we look towards the future, please consider making a year-end gift to help us close the gap and continue making the real Jesus non-ignorable in our city and far beyond. Follow this link to give.
Sunday Resources
SUNDAY SERMON - You can view this past week’s Christmas sermon online here!
NEW YEAR PRAYER SERVICE - Join us on Sunday, January 1st, at 10:45 am for a combined prayer service. Who doesn’t need to re-center their lives on Jesus going into 2023? This will be a great opportunity to have our hearts and hopes renewed as we pray together.
Wednesday Updates
WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN THE CAFE - We will continue our time in the book of Acts as the adults gather in the cafe for teaching and community.
Just a reminder, there will be no iKids or Student Ministry tonight.
If you would like to serve coffee on future Wednesday nights, please email us here!
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