Sermon 2/12/12 Isaiah 9: 1-7. God’s invitation
9 [a]Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the
past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of
the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.3 You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy;they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest,as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder.4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shatteredthe yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in bloodwill be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom,establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
So, to get us started, let's look at where this fit’s into the big story of the bible; I often find that helpful. What was going on when Isaiah spoke these words? Well, the king at the time was Ahaz. If you know your history of the Kingdom of Israel, you’ll know that there was a series of good and bad kings, often alternating, one after another. Good – Bad – Good – Bad etc.
So, which was Ahaz?
Yup, he was a BAD king. One of the worst, in fact. Have a look at it back in 2Kings 16 and 2Chronicles 28. He defiled the temple, taking out valuable artifacts for his own wealth and sacrificing to pagan Gods in the place the Israelites reserved for Lord himself. It is quite possible that he sacrificed his own son to these pagan gods in the fire.
Further than that, he knew Isaiah was God’s chosen prophet at the time, and he ignored him. That, I just can’t get my head around. I struggle to hear the word of God. I long to hear it written clearly and specifically for me. If I had my own personal prophet on hand I’d have him move in to my palace and spend as much time as I could hearing what God had to say to me. That’s not the approach Ahaz took.
So that was the situation the Jewish nation was in at the time. They were faced with one of the most ungodly, corrupt rulers in their history. I don’t know how holy the people were, whether they knew that Ahaz was bad and feared him, or whether they went along with him, but we can certainly judge Ahaz.
Into this situation, faced with this kind of ruler, Isaiah offers an invitation to hope, an invitation to a better way, a promise that things can and will be better, and a clear statement that Ahaz’s way is not God’s way.
If the first commandment that we looked at last week says “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind,” well, Ahaz didn’t just break it, he smashed it.
Look at the words describing the coming Messiah, look at the words to describe this new ruler we are invited to follow. In four short phrases we learn a lot about the nature of Jesus.
He will be called...
Wonderful counselor. A good counselor can take away worries and speak wisdom and speak comfort into our lives in times of trouble. Jesus was the ultimate at this, and still is!
Mighty God He is powerful beyond measure, our mighty God. He created you, me, the world, the universe. Oh to have such a ruler! Unlike Ahaz, he needs not send out for help. No one needs to help our God, he is the mightiest!
Everlasting Father. Never ending, eternal. Never to be overthrown, our powerful Abba-father. One who will look after you, and always be on your side with His might!
Prince of Peace. Gods way is not one of war. I just returned from Hiroshima, and I think He would be pleased with what has been wrought there in the peace-park and museum. That is God’s way, Peace. Enough wise men have tried to show us that way, and show us that it works, and we still don’t listen. That’s the Jesus I know, who, when faced with violence and betrayal, when his followers took up arms in the garden of Gethsemane for him, chose the path of peace, of submission, of healing and grace.
This, then, was God’s invitation to Israel, an invitation to a wonderful time in their future, a 'Save-the-date,' if you will.
When I think about God’s invitation to the world at Advent, I get a real sense of empathy. Let me tell you what I mean. Now, I’m no Jesus; Jesus loved everybody and I only love some people, although it seems like a quite a lot to me sometimes and is thankfully always growing. One way I’m like Jesus is that my birthday is a big deal. Perhaps not on the global scale that Jesus’ was, but a big deal in my life none-the-less. Every year I invite everyone I love to my birthday cocktail party.
What’s going on with that, what’s that all about? Is it that I want a lot of presents?
Sadly, a little, yes.
Is it that I like the attention and revel in there being an evening all about me?
Ah, you know me too well. Perhaps it is.
But absolutely the biggest reason is that I just want to spend quality time with the people I love, people who I just don’t get to spend enough time with. We start early and we go late. One of the best bits is sometimes just watching, seeing the people I love love each other. Enjoy each other. A couple of times recently someone has been having a hard time, and I have seen my friends gather round and support them in different ways; listening to them, distracting them, laughing with them, crying with them!
I know all this when I send out the invitations. I know it’s going to be brilliant. I know the people who come will have a great time. I know that a lot of the people I invite won’t be able to come, and when they hear about how great it was, they’ll regret it. More to the point, I’LL REGRET IT! Every person who doesn’t come gives me just a little pain. I really wanted to hang out with them, I really wanted them to have a good time.
I really think that that that’s how God sees the world every advent. I think he’s been seeing the world like since day one, or rather, day six!
He’s inviting us to the best party there is, life with Him. It will be tremendous fun! If we hurt, we will be comforted, by God, by the other guests. He just wants to spend time with us. Most importantly, if we don’t accept His fabulous invitation, we will regret it!
Now, here’s one way Jesus’ invitation is so much better than mine. I send mine once, that’s it. Sadly, I just don’t have the time to chase people every day, and I don’t handle the rejection that well. I get really sad when people don’t come. God’s a bit like that too, but he gets REALLY upset when people don’t come, so upset that he keeps sending out those invitations. He will chase you down and knock on your door. He won’t barge in, he’s not like that; I’ve often heard it said that God is a gentleman. It’s up to you to open the door, but God will keep on knocking.
Today, I want to think about God’s invitation to us at advent in two ways.
First of all, let’s look at the simplest invitation here, the invitation to know Jesus, the wonderful counselor described above. Back then, just as now, so many people missed the point of Christmas. Jesus came around and they were distracted. They’d had all the warning in the world. God’s invitation had been sat there in Isaiah for centuries. Good devout Jews of that time were familiar with the scriptures predicting a Messiah, they were looking hard for him. We know, sadly, that many people back then, both the Gentiles and even the Jews who were looking out for him, missed the point. They missed God's amazing invitation. That invitation is still there for you. God, the creator of the universe, invites you to share in eternity with Him. If you don’t yet know Jesus Christ as your savior, I believe you’re missing out on a better way. Jesus told us he came to give life, and life in all its fullness (John 1010). He made it clear that the way to that life was to believe in Him. He is the way, the truth and the life, he said (John 146). If you haven’t experienced the wonderful grace and peace that comes from walking each day with Him, I urge you to find out more. Ask a Christian what it's all about, why do they love and follow Jesus. Maybe do an Alpha course. This is just too important to let it slide by.
The journey of Christianity is often described beginning when we step though the door of faith. I know that’s how it felt to me, that the moment I gave my life to Jesus I’d walked through a doorway into a new, better world. Sadly, for me, I spent the next few years after then just stood in the doorway, not really making any progress in my faith, not experiencing it in the rich way some of by friends did. I just didn’t develop good holy habits, good spiritual discipline. It took a few years for me to really start that in earnest, and now I feel like I’m making progress. Looking at the lives of great Christian scholars and men of God, I know I have along way to go still, and that’s exciting.
I believe God wants to say to all of us, however far we have come in our journey with Him, however deeply in to Him we have moved, however closely we walk with God, that He is inviting us deeper and closer to Him this advent season.
So let me ask you, what’s the point of Christmas for you? What’s the point of advent?
What can you do to make the most of this season? It’s short, so much shorter than lent. That makes it a great time to try out some new habits.
I have some suggestions for you, four key disciplines to reflect on that complement and can strengthen your Christian life:
How are you doing with your bible reading? It’s a season about Jesus, so why not read the gospels? Try and get through all four in four weeks. Get to know your savior again. Let him surprise you. This trip to Japan I’ve been delighting in ‘the Jesus I never knew’ by Phillip Yancey, it’s been a real treat reading all about Jesus, and an easy way to expand my knowledge of my best friend. Why not read a good book about Jesus? I know from when we last looked at this in my small group that many Christians have some great suggestions of books they have loved, and most churches have a decent bookstall.
How’s your prayer life? Why not change it up a little, make it fun, exciting, different, new? Try to pray every day. Try saying grace before meals, if you don’t now. Try praying together with someone else, perhaps your family. You could try praying outside, or my recent favorite, a suggestion from the fabulous Mark Powley at St Georges, try having a day a week when the only prayers you say are of thanks. It’s quality time with God; you know you’ll benefit from it!Fasting; well, this is a challenge for me! Here’s a what Jesus had to say about fasting:
16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." (Matthew6)
He expects us to fast. I have to say this is one I find difficult, but I’m going to try it again this advent. I find it a useful sacrifice to make that brings me closer to God. If you can, why not try it this Christmas season?
Finally, think about your giving, in this season of presents. What can you give to God? What can you give to the church? Paul tells us in Romans that we are to offer our whole lives as sacrifices to God. In one way, we are to be Gods gift to the world.
Whatever you do, make sure you don’t miss the point this advent.
God bless you all.
So, to get us started, let's look at where this fit’s into the big story of the bible; I often find that helpful. What was going on when Isaiah spoke these words? Well, the king at the time was Ahaz. If you know your history of the Kingdom of Israel, you’ll know that there was a series of good and bad kings, often alternating, one after another. Good – Bad – Good – Bad etc.
So, which was Ahaz?
Yup, he was a BAD king. One of the worst, in fact. Have a look at it back in 2Kings 16 and 2Chronicles 28. He defiled the temple, taking out valuable artifacts for his own wealth and sacrificing to pagan Gods in the place the Israelites reserved for Lord himself. It is quite possible that he sacrificed his own son to these pagan gods in the fire.
Further than that, he knew Isaiah was God’s chosen prophet at the time, and he ignored him. That, I just can’t get my head around. I struggle to hear the word of God. I long to hear it written clearly and specifically for me. If I had my own personal prophet on hand I’d have him move in to my palace and spend as much time as I could hearing what God had to say to me. That’s not the approach Ahaz took.
So that was the situation the Jewish nation was in at the time. They were faced with one of the most ungodly, corrupt rulers in their history. I don’t know how holy the people were, whether they knew that Ahaz was bad and feared him, or whether they went along with him, but we can certainly judge Ahaz.
Into this situation, faced with this kind of ruler, Isaiah offers an invitation to hope, an invitation to a better way, a promise that things can and will be better, and a clear statement that Ahaz’s way is not God’s way.
If the first commandment that we looked at last week says “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind,” well, Ahaz didn’t just break it, he smashed it.
Look at the words describing the coming Messiah, look at the words to describe this new ruler we are invited to follow. In four short phrases we learn a lot about the nature of Jesus.
He will be called...
Wonderful counselor. A good counselor can take away worries and speak wisdom and speak comfort into our lives in times of trouble. Jesus was the ultimate at this, and still is!
Mighty God He is powerful beyond measure, our mighty God. He created you, me, the world, the universe. Oh to have such a ruler! Unlike Ahaz, he needs not send out for help. No one needs to help our God, he is the mightiest!
Everlasting Father. Never ending, eternal. Never to be overthrown, our powerful Abba-father. One who will look after you, and always be on your side with His might!
Prince of Peace. Gods way is not one of war. I just returned from Hiroshima, and I think He would be pleased with what has been wrought there in the peace-park and museum. That is God’s way, Peace. Enough wise men have tried to show us that way, and show us that it works, and we still don’t listen. That’s the Jesus I know, who, when faced with violence and betrayal, when his followers took up arms in the garden of Gethsemane for him, chose the path of peace, of submission, of healing and grace.
This, then, was God’s invitation to Israel, an invitation to a wonderful time in their future, a 'Save-the-date,' if you will.
When I think about God’s invitation to the world at Advent, I get a real sense of empathy. Let me tell you what I mean. Now, I’m no Jesus; Jesus loved everybody and I only love some people, although it seems like a quite a lot to me sometimes and is thankfully always growing. One way I’m like Jesus is that my birthday is a big deal. Perhaps not on the global scale that Jesus’ was, but a big deal in my life none-the-less. Every year I invite everyone I love to my birthday cocktail party.
What’s going on with that, what’s that all about? Is it that I want a lot of presents?
Sadly, a little, yes.
Is it that I like the attention and revel in there being an evening all about me?
Ah, you know me too well. Perhaps it is.
But absolutely the biggest reason is that I just want to spend quality time with the people I love, people who I just don’t get to spend enough time with. We start early and we go late. One of the best bits is sometimes just watching, seeing the people I love love each other. Enjoy each other. A couple of times recently someone has been having a hard time, and I have seen my friends gather round and support them in different ways; listening to them, distracting them, laughing with them, crying with them!
I know all this when I send out the invitations. I know it’s going to be brilliant. I know the people who come will have a great time. I know that a lot of the people I invite won’t be able to come, and when they hear about how great it was, they’ll regret it. More to the point, I’LL REGRET IT! Every person who doesn’t come gives me just a little pain. I really wanted to hang out with them, I really wanted them to have a good time.
I really think that that that’s how God sees the world every advent. I think he’s been seeing the world like since day one, or rather, day six!
He’s inviting us to the best party there is, life with Him. It will be tremendous fun! If we hurt, we will be comforted, by God, by the other guests. He just wants to spend time with us. Most importantly, if we don’t accept His fabulous invitation, we will regret it!
Now, here’s one way Jesus’ invitation is so much better than mine. I send mine once, that’s it. Sadly, I just don’t have the time to chase people every day, and I don’t handle the rejection that well. I get really sad when people don’t come. God’s a bit like that too, but he gets REALLY upset when people don’t come, so upset that he keeps sending out those invitations. He will chase you down and knock on your door. He won’t barge in, he’s not like that; I’ve often heard it said that God is a gentleman. It’s up to you to open the door, but God will keep on knocking.
Today, I want to think about God’s invitation to us at advent in two ways.
First of all, let’s look at the simplest invitation here, the invitation to know Jesus, the wonderful counselor described above. Back then, just as now, so many people missed the point of Christmas. Jesus came around and they were distracted. They’d had all the warning in the world. God’s invitation had been sat there in Isaiah for centuries. Good devout Jews of that time were familiar with the scriptures predicting a Messiah, they were looking hard for him. We know, sadly, that many people back then, both the Gentiles and even the Jews who were looking out for him, missed the point. They missed God's amazing invitation. That invitation is still there for you. God, the creator of the universe, invites you to share in eternity with Him. If you don’t yet know Jesus Christ as your savior, I believe you’re missing out on a better way. Jesus told us he came to give life, and life in all its fullness (John 1010). He made it clear that the way to that life was to believe in Him. He is the way, the truth and the life, he said (John 146). If you haven’t experienced the wonderful grace and peace that comes from walking each day with Him, I urge you to find out more. Ask a Christian what it's all about, why do they love and follow Jesus. Maybe do an Alpha course. This is just too important to let it slide by.
The journey of Christianity is often described beginning when we step though the door of faith. I know that’s how it felt to me, that the moment I gave my life to Jesus I’d walked through a doorway into a new, better world. Sadly, for me, I spent the next few years after then just stood in the doorway, not really making any progress in my faith, not experiencing it in the rich way some of by friends did. I just didn’t develop good holy habits, good spiritual discipline. It took a few years for me to really start that in earnest, and now I feel like I’m making progress. Looking at the lives of great Christian scholars and men of God, I know I have along way to go still, and that’s exciting.
I believe God wants to say to all of us, however far we have come in our journey with Him, however deeply in to Him we have moved, however closely we walk with God, that He is inviting us deeper and closer to Him this advent season.
So let me ask you, what’s the point of Christmas for you? What’s the point of advent?
What can you do to make the most of this season? It’s short, so much shorter than lent. That makes it a great time to try out some new habits.
I have some suggestions for you, four key disciplines to reflect on that complement and can strengthen your Christian life:
How are you doing with your bible reading? It’s a season about Jesus, so why not read the gospels? Try and get through all four in four weeks. Get to know your savior again. Let him surprise you. This trip to Japan I’ve been delighting in ‘the Jesus I never knew’ by Phillip Yancey, it’s been a real treat reading all about Jesus, and an easy way to expand my knowledge of my best friend. Why not read a good book about Jesus? I know from when we last looked at this in my small group that many Christians have some great suggestions of books they have loved, and most churches have a decent bookstall.
How’s your prayer life? Why not change it up a little, make it fun, exciting, different, new? Try to pray every day. Try saying grace before meals, if you don’t now. Try praying together with someone else, perhaps your family. You could try praying outside, or my recent favorite, a suggestion from the fabulous Mark Powley at St Georges, try having a day a week when the only prayers you say are of thanks. It’s quality time with God; you know you’ll benefit from it!Fasting; well, this is a challenge for me! Here’s a what Jesus had to say about fasting:
16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." (Matthew6)
He expects us to fast. I have to say this is one I find difficult, but I’m going to try it again this advent. I find it a useful sacrifice to make that brings me closer to God. If you can, why not try it this Christmas season?
Finally, think about your giving, in this season of presents. What can you give to God? What can you give to the church? Paul tells us in Romans that we are to offer our whole lives as sacrifices to God. In one way, we are to be Gods gift to the world.
Whatever you do, make sure you don’t miss the point this advent.
God bless you all.
No comments:
Post a Comment