Isaiah is an important part of Christmas. Isaiah writes more about the promised Saviorthan any other Old Testament prophet. Itis for this reason that Isaiah is sometimes called “The Fifth Evangelist,”right along with Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

As we enter the seasonof Advent, we do so with Isaiah. Today,Isaiah tells us of the coming kingdom that Jesus would bring. It is a kingdom greater than all others,which is for all people, and which brings peace. Listen now to the words of the prophet ofGod, Isaiah, chapter two, verses 1 through 5: (Isa. 2:1-5 ESV) "The word that Isaiah the son ofAmoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountainof the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains,and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow toit, 3 and many peoples shallcome, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to thehouse of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walkin his paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of theLORD from Jerusalem. 4 Heshall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples;and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learnwar anymore. 5 O house ofJacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD."

2 Corinthians 5:16-21 16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Gratitude is a concept so very important for us in our Christianlives! It is important, for its presence or absence affects every one of our relationships either positively or negatively. This is true whether we are talking about our relationship with God or with one another. Gratitude is that feeling of appreciation and thankfulness which arises within our hearts when we recognize that someone has been kind to us. Such feelings motivate us to offer thanksgiving both to God and to other people. Let us, therefore, consider this morning how GRATITUDE IS BORN IN HEARTS THAT TAKE TIME TO COUNT UP PAST MERCIES! Let us do just that—count up past mercies bestowed upon us by God. For then our hearts will be filled with gratitude towards God as well as towards others through whom many of those mercies come. Based on Jeremiah’s words in our text, we will recognize that the mercies we receive are mercies we do not deserve, but which just keep on coming, and that all our blessings are in fact mercies proceeding from the LORD!