Pastor Terry had planned what she anticipated would be an excellent children's message for the fourth Sunday of Advent. Using today's text, she intended to illustrate for the children and for the congregation the vital importance of paying attention to the signs of the coming Christ Child that God gives us. Her key verse was Isaiah 7:14a: "Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign." She had painstakingly constructed a "stop" sign, using red construction paper, a white marker, and a wooden dowel.

When the children gathered around her on the front of the chancel steps, Pastor Terry held up the sign and asked, "What is this?" And even the youngest of the children obligingly exclaimed, "A stop sign!" Pastor Terry thought to herself, "Oh, yes; it's going according to my plan."

She continued, "In your school the teacher always tells you what comes next after stop, right?" Well, Pastor Terry's carefully planned message was based on the expectation that the children's response would be "look and listen." Unfortunately, the children must have been attending a different nursery school, because, as one, they all loudly proclaimed, "Stop, drop, cover, and roll!"

"Let us pray," said Pastor Terry, still a bit startled by this abrupt change to her well-crafted message.

The point here is that we do not always get what we expect or even want from our carefully constructed plans for our children, our lives, our families, even for our congregations. We are not always in control. God is. Life is not about what we want and desire. Rather it is about what God wants and promises. Perhaps you have heard this statement before: "If you want to make God laugh, tell God your future plans." Pastor Terry and her congregation certainly experienced this lesson on that fourth Sunday in Advent.

In our Old Testament text, King Ahaz didn't even want to ask God for help with his plans. God invited Ahaz to "ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be as deep as Sheol or high as heaven" (Isaiah 7:11). But Ahaz was in control, or so he imagined. He couldn't be bothered. He replied, "I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test" (Isaiah 7:12). Hmmm ... if God invited you to ask for any sign of God's presence and guidance, even for a major miracle, your response would likely be to stop everything; drop to your knees; cover your face in humility, and roll with pleasure in God's glory! Amen! Bring it on Lord! Show me your sign!

Sadly, this wasn't for poor Ahaz. Let's look at his situation. Ahaz had been crowned King of Judah at the young age of twenty during the late eighth century before the birth of Christ. Surrounding nations of Aram, Ephraim, and Moab were threatening to conquer a Judah weakened by political infighting, religious turmoil, and social injustice. Huge and powerful Assyria, under Sennacherib and Tiglath-pileser III loomed on the horizon as a clear and present danger to the entire region. Wars and rumors of war were a daily part of life.

In the verse before today's lesson begins, the Lord warned Ahaz: "If you do not stand firm in faith, you shall not stand at all" (Isaiah 7:9). Ahaz stood firm on the quicksand of his own plans and efforts to keep power and control.

Early in chapter 7, Isaiah describes the first part of this meeting with Ahaz. Ahaz is at a water conduit on the highway to Fuller's field. He was inspecting Jerusalem's water supply in case of a long enemy siege. God had instructed Isaiah to bring his son, named Shear-Jashub, with him. Perhaps you already know that this name, Shear-Jashub, is translated "a remnant shall return" (Isaiah 7:3). Was the presence of Isaiah's son also a sign of God's promise to Ahaz? If so, Ahaz certainly did not or would not see it. Speaking the word of the Lord, Isaiah is even more specific: "Take heed, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint" because of the "smoldering stumps of firebrands ... who have plotted evil against you" (Isaiah 7:4-5). Speaking even more directly, the Lord God promises, "It shall not stand, and it shall not come to pass" (Isaiah 7:7).

Ahaz just wasn't able to give up control. He stood firm in his faith, all right; his faith in himself and his own need to be in control of events. In fact, he even allowed himself to be persuaded to seek aid from mighty Assyria. He did this by recognizing Assyrian supremacy over Judah and by paying enormous "protection" tribute to Assyria. Judah became a vassal state and Ahaz, a puppet of the Assyrian king.

No wonder Isaiah urged Ahaz to listen to the Lord! No wonder God continued to urge Ahaz to ask for a sign of God's presence and guidance.

Poor, wimpy, wishy-washy Ahaz the deal maker. He did whatever he could to keep power and maintain control. He even tried to "bow out" on God's promise of protection from a bunch of burned-out dolts who couldn't successfully attack an army of fleas.

There are lots of whimsical phrases in the English language that describe people like Ahaz, people who simply refuse to accept the obvious help that they desperately need. Maybe you know some of the following: 1) "His elevator doesn't quite make it to the top floor"; 2) "His porch light's on, but nobody's home"; 3) "He is a couple of fruit loops short of a bowl"; and 4) "His wheel is still spinning, but the gerbil fell off." My favorite is: "There's a sign on his bedroom mirror that states: ‘Warning! Objects in mirror are dumber than they first appear.' "

Perhaps you can add even more Ahaz descriptions. Be careful, however, when it comes to recognizing and responding faithfully to many signs of God's promise and guidance. We can easily and often fit those same descriptions. The refusal of Ahaz to even ask God for a sign frustrates Isaiah, who responds; "Hear then, O house of David! It is too little for you to weary mortals that you weary my God also?" (Isaiah 7:13).

In spite of Ahaz' stubborn refusal, God persists and provides a sign that we all are ready to affirm and to celebrate. Look again at verse 14 in our text. "Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel."

Now, that's a sign that can't be ignored. That's an offer from God that can't be refused: Immanuel ... God is with us, now. That is God's Advent promise! Christ has come! Christ is coming! Christ will come again!

Regardless of the destructive plans of Assyria and the surrounding nations, Isaiah proclaims that they will not prevail because of God's own "Immanuel plan." God is in control; not Ahaz. God's plan of salvation does not depend on stubborn Ahaz. Neither does it depend on us. God's "Immanuel plan" is to be with us and for us — forever.

Now, granted, it's often bewildering and confusing for us to recognize God's presence as Immanuel, and God's guidance as king and Lord of all. This is certainly true as we hear the news of tragedies throughout the world. In just one recent newscast, we heard of wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Lebanon; elevated terrorist threat levels; floods in the midwest; raging fires in the west; gang violence in our cities; and family violence in our community. And then, of course, our own family and personal stress levels are often elevated into the red zone the closer we get to Christmas day.

For God's people during the reign of Ahaz and for us today, this is a time of uncertainty, confusion, anger, and even fear. During this fourth week of Advent, the signs of the season can also bring us closer to one another and also closer to God. Advent is a specific season that draws us closer to the baby, the promised Immanuel, about to be born into a troubled and strife-torn world. Anxious families and fearful hearts are, indeed, part of our daily experience. However, friends, God's Advent is God's promised presence ... Immanuel — God with us.

World events and personal crises are daily reminders that we are not in control. Our best-laid plans and expectations may never come to pass, just like those of Pastor Terry. However, God's plan, "God's Immanuel plan" is sure and certain.

God surprised Pastor Terry, through the children, with some faithful ways for Immanuel living:

1.    Stop all the "busy-ness" and pre-occupation with our own plans. Just stop it ... if even for five minutes.

2.    Drop to your knees at the foot of Immanuel's manger. Remember, God is with us as you taste God's sign of promise in the bread and wine of holy communion and as you pass by the font of God's splash of belonging to God's people.

3.    Cover your very souls with the "security blanket" of God's forever loving presence. And finally ...

4.    Roll with joy and thanksgiving that God is in control, in the world and in your life. Roll with the contagious enthusiasm that God has given you. Sing the song of Immanuel, who was born into your life; who died for your life, and who rose again for your eternal salvation.

Christ has come! Christ is coming! Christ will come again!

Now that's a plan and a promise, for sure! Amen.