Wordless Wednesday

The Mission of the Savior

Last week we looked at God’s character and learned that Isaiah called Jesus the wonderful counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, and the Prince of peace.

As we prepare for Christmas this year, we celebrate something that is as old as eternity. On one hand, we celebrate the birth of the Savior, the Son of God, and the One that is able to redeem us from the penalty of sin that was prophesied in Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve sinned. On the other hand, even those that are farthest from God hear the sounds of the Savior through radio, TV, in our shopping malls, and family dinners. Even amid all the commercialism in our culture, the Christmas spirit is alive and well for most people you come into contact with. The influence of the Savior is so powerful because He came with a mission.

I hope you have your Bible. Turn to and read Isaiah 61:1-11. You can listen to the accompanying podcast here. In fact, why don’t you subscribe?

The first thing we want to look at is the work of Christ. The prophets of the O.T. and the Apostles of the N.T. clearly state that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the One that came into this world for a reason. Even before the world was formed, God had a job for Him to do. His objectives are stated throughout the Bible. That’s pretty deep stuff.

Christ came here to do at least three things. First, He came to do the will of God and qualify Himself as our substitute.  Heb. 10:5-7 says, “Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, ‘SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME; IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE. THEN I SAID, ‘BEHOLD, I HAVE COME (IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME) TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.’” V. 10 goes on to say, “By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

Second, He came to save His people from their sins. In Matt. 1:21the angel told Joseph in a dream that, “[Mary] will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Tit. 2:14 says Jesus, “Gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”

Finally, He came to gather all that have believed in Him.  In John 10:14 Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me.” V. 16, He goes on to say, “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.” So there will be one flock, one shepherd. Salvation through Christ is complete and 100% effective. There is no new and improved method, the biblical method is tried and true.

Christ came to do these things. Isaiah called Him the mighty God in 9:6 and He cannot fail. Do you think that anything can dissuade Christ from carrying out His mission? Is. 42:4 says, “He will not be disheartened or crushed until He has established justice in the earth.” The night Jesus was betrayed; He confidently said to God, “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.” (John 17:4) While dying on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin, Jesus declared, “It is finished!” (John 19:30)

Look how encouraging Isaiah’s is. When we try and describe Jesus, we often paint him as this very serious man with long brown hair, a beard, and a flowing robe. Isaiah paints a different picture. He sees a smiling face with joy that overflows to those around Him. Isaiah 61 describes the good news of Jesus the Messiah using words you can almost feel. Look back at Isaiah 61:1-3. Remember, Jesus won’t be born for another 700 years, but Isaiah speaks with such confidence as if he was watching a movie of the future. Isaiah speaks the words of the Messiah as if these are the very words Jesus will speak. You have got to turn to Luke 4:16-22 to read the prophecy as it comes true. The words recorded in Isaiah’s prophecy are in fact, the words of Messiah. Put yourself in the synagogue. Jesus reads from Isaiah 61 – what we read earlier, and sits down. There must have been stunned silence in that place. You would think that the people, the religious people in the synagogue would recognize Who was in their midst and rejoice at the arrival of the long awaited Messiah – the One that would save them from their sins. It couldn’t have been clearer than if Jesus had said, “Hey, that Messiah that Isaiah wrote about? That’s me.” Jesus knew who He was. He knew He was sent to deliver mankind from the bondage of sin. He knew He came to set captives free. You’d think the people would fall down and worship the One, but vs. 28-29 tell us that, “All the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; and they got up and drove Him out of the city.”

That brings us to Jesus’ first sermon. As we look at the mission of the Savior, I want you to see something back in Isaiah 61. V. 1 says, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted.” That is His overarching purpose.  Everything else is included in that statement. It’s also interesting to note the use of the words, Spirit, Lord, and God in this verse – a clear depiction of the Trinity. Christ has good news for those who are poor. The word means humble, lowly, the needy, the afflicted. Luke 19:10 tells us that, “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Jesus said Mark 2:17, “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” It’s very difficult for Jesus to save someone that doesn’t think they need saving. Christ comes for those who know they are sick, not for those who think they are well. “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” Jesus says.

There is good news for those who realize just how desperately they need a Savior. Look at how Isaiah says the Messiah would do this. He binds the brokenhearted. Remember the context of this prophecy. The people’s nation is about to come crashing down along with the temple of God. Everything that they hold near and dear is going to be destroyed. You might find yourself in the same situation, everything that you hold near and dear is crashing down around you. Jesus says, “I can help you, I understand, I can fix that.” Ps. 147:3 says, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Jesus came, “To proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners.” The reality of the situation is that Assyria would capture them which meant life as slaves to a Godless, pagan power. In Romans 6:6, Paul tells us that in Christ we are no longer slaves to sin. It is Christ that breaks the chains of slavery. Christ has been sent to, “proclaim the favorable year of the LORD and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn.” He will restore what has been taken away.      According to the Law, every 50^th year was the Year of Jubilee. It was during that year that all debts would be erased, all land that had been sold would be returned to the original owner, and all slaves would be set free. For us, it would be like all our mortgages paid off, all our car notes cancelled, all our consumer debt erased. This Year of Jubilee is a picture of what Christ does for us. Our sin debt is paid in full. Our transgressions forgotten and we are set free. John 8:36 says, “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” Christ sets us free from the power sin has over us.

Christmas is about the mission of Christ.  He came to make a way for everyone to enjoy the freedom found at the foot of the cross. In your current circumstances, you may find it difficult to believe that anything good can come your way, but I’ve got good news for you – Christ came to die just for you. For any of you that are sick and tired of this life Jesus says, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28)

Wordless Wednesday

Have a Word of Hope? Share It!

This is from my friend Kerry S. Doyal of Grace Bible Church in Kingsport, TN.

It’s one of our fantasies: someone asking us to share the gospel with them! The Jailer in Philippi asked Paul “what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16). Jealous? Who doesn’t want such an opening to tell the good news? We’re drooling. I wonder: do we in fact get occasional invitations like that but miss them? Another “please tell me” occasion happened in a Synagogue one Sabbath. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers asked their guests to bring a message. “Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak” (Acts 13:15).  And Paul did.

On the second stage of their first missionary journey, Paul, Barnabas and company traveled to Pisidian Antioch.  As had already become their custom, they went to the Jewish community and on the Sabbath went to Synagogue. True to the custom of the day, they were asked to bring a greeting or teaching for their fellow countrymen and the God-fearers who had gathered for worship that day. Thus the bodacious opportunity: “if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.” Paul had been prayerfully selected and sent off by the church to share the gospel (Acts 13:1-4). Much like we have been called in our “going” to tell others and make disciples (Acts 1:8, 9; Matthew 28:16-20).

With such an important commissioning, they prayerfully and carefully positioned themselves to talk about Jesus. Where? In a Synagogue on the Sabbath. Who? They were respected Jews, Paul was a trained Rabbi. They honored their Jewish customs. Do you behave strategically or spasmodically in your work for God? Do you realize you are and act like a person on a mission? “As the Father sent Me”, Jesus said, “so send I you” (John 20:21).

Connecting with his target audience – “Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen” (vs. 16) –  Paul steps up and speaks up. Nice! His message builds off their shared Jewish history found in the Biblical texts.  Paraphrasing Acts 13:17-41:

“Jesus, God’s sent Savior, was the next, final step in our history, Israel. God chose us, rescued us from Egypt, and gave us the land. He then appointed Judges, Prophets and Kings. From King David, He brought us the promised savior – Jesus! Believe in Him, God’s message of good news to us. In Him we can be forgiven – something the Law could never provide. We can be justified. Don’t make the same mistake our leaders in Jerusalem did by having Him crucified. God raised Him, now bow before Him.” That’s not bad for Paul’s first recorded sermon. His methods and message are instructive and inspiring.

Do you ever strategically position yourself to witness (see John 4; Acts 8)? Do you hang out in places and with people so that you can earn the privilege of being heard? Pay your dues, dish out genuine love, engage and be ready (see 1 Peter 2:9-12; 3:13-16). When you are asked what you think about a moral matter, a social situation, a religious question, do you find a way to weave in Jesus? It is Jesus that saves, not having a proper political or social position.

Are you so outspoken about secondary matters (politics, social agendas, minor doctrines) that you lose your chance to be heard concerning eternal matters (read Colossians 4:5-6)? Don’t lose your voice!

Do you have a word of encouragement – the gospel? Is Romans 1:16-17 your testimony too? “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”

“For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith’” (NIV). Charles Spurgeon wrote: “Never lose heart in the power of the gospel. Do not believe that there exists any man, much less any race of men, for whom the gospel is not fitted.” “Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak.” They did. Do we?

A Day that will Live in Infamy

The Character of the Savior

Last week we were introduced to a man named Ahaz, king of the southern kingdom of Judah. He was on the receiving end of an Assyrian army bent on advancing their country while destroying all that stood in their path. Not only was Judah threatened by this massive Assyrian army, they were threatened by the continuing moral degradation led by their king. They were a nation of God’s people, yet the people were far from God. In Isaiah 7, we saw that Isaiah was sent to remind Ahaz to rest in God with the words, “If you will not believe, you surely shall not last.” (Is. 7:9) God even provided a sign concerning a virgin conceiving a child. That was the sign of the Savior.  Today, we’ll look at the character of the Savior.

Take a look at  Isaiah 9:1-7. You can listen to the accompanying podcast here.

There are no guarantees when it comes to our children. You would think that Ahaz, who by all accounts was raised in a godly home, would seek refuge in the One that can help. Ahaz discarded wise counsel from Isaiah and had to face the music resulting from his disobedience. He went ahead with his alliance with Assyria. Romans 1:18 describes it this way: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” Ahaz and those that followed him suppressed the truth. Isaiah 8 details how this happened. Despair and gloom descended on Judah. Ahaz and the majority of the people of Judah had departed from God; so God handed them over to their sin and to their enemies. The northern-most part of Israel was feeling the Assyrian war machine coming down on them. As it became increasingly apparent that the godless plans of Ahaz were failing, the people began turning to superstition and the occult to find guidance. According to 2 Kings 16:3, King Ahaz even burned his son as an offering to the false gods of the Canaanites. It was a time of moral darkness, frustration, anger, and hopelessness under the judgment of God.

Is this all you can expect for those who depart from the Lord? Is judgment God’s only response to the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men? With the political climate of America and the anti-Christian sentiment, you might conclude that God is judging us and we ask ourselves as David did in Ps. 94:3, “How long shall the wicked, O LORD, How long shall the wicked exult?” We are in an age of hope. We are warned with judgment to flee from wickedness and immorality. But we are also drawn by the Holy Spirit with love and kindness to turn to God. God has a glorious plan that sufficiently and completely deals with wickedness and sin. It is the good news of grace.

Between Chapters 8 and 9, something happens to Isaiah. Isaiah is describing what’s going to happen to the people of Judah because of their rebellion, and all of a sudden, he’s talking about things to come for mankind. Instead of war, Isaiah sees the boots of soldiers burned in the fire and right in the middle of the war, there is something critical for us. V. 2 tells us, “The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them.” Light will come to those that are in the dark. There is hope. There is still an opportunity to turn to God. That opportunity is available to you as well. In 1741, it was this section of Scripture that moved a man to compose perhaps the greatest chorus of all time. Handel’s Messiah was born with the culmination of that great masterpiece being the Hallelujah Chorus.

Look at how Isaiah describes God’s character in vs. 6-7. “A child will be born to us.  A son will be given to us.” It is a real, physical birth. The child is a real baby. That child is given to us. Remember who Isaiah is talking to. He is a gift to us.

• John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
• 2 Cor. 9:15: “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”
• Eph. 2:8: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

“And the government will rest on His shoulders.” In Matt. 28:18 Jesus said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” Eph. 1:22 tells us that, “He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church.” He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

Finally, Isaiah gives us some names for Jesus. He is the wonderful Counselor. Wonderful means marvelous, extraordinary, beyond the normal capacity to perform. The counsel of God in the flesh transcends human wisdom. Romans 11:34 asks the question, “For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR?” His ways are unfathomably deep. He is in a category by Himself. He is the supernatural counselor. No matter the situation, no matter the circumstances, no matter the person, He is able to provide perfect counsel and guidance.  He knows exactly what needs to be done.  His course of action is perfect. If you are in need, look to the wonderful Counselor.

Second, He is mighty God.  Literally the heroic, strong God. This child is God’s Son, the second person of the Trinity and possessor of all the power of God. He is omnipotent. When you connect this name with wonderful Counselor, you get the idea that God in the flesh possesses the ability to carry out to completion all that His plans call for. He is able to say, “My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure.” (Is. 46:10) As we tend to grow weak and weary, God does not. He does not sleep.

He is the everlasting Father. He is eternal. This child would be father to you and to me. He is always loving; always planning the best for us.  Ps. 103:13-14: “Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.” God knows our limitations, He knows our time frames.

He is the Prince of Peace and according to v. 7, “There will be no end to the increase of His government.” He will conquer the hearts of His people, He will start something as a child that v. 7 says will never stop growing and He will do it not by force, but with gentleness, with peace. The Lord has all it takes to accomplish His plans and will always do what is right and best for us. He draws us with kindness and unending faithfulness and goodness. Our desire should be to do the God’s will.

Isaiah saw Him coming; the One who would be God’s answer for sinners like you and me. He saw Jesus, the wonderful Counselor; He came with wisdom and purpose, with a perfect plan.  Follow Him. As the Mighty God, He will accomplish all His plans.

Satan tried everything he could to thwart God’s plan through the baby Immanuel.  Trust in Him. Rest in Him. He loves us endlessly.  Enter into His presence.  He reconciles us while we are still his enemies. Trust Him and welcome His guidance in your life. Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” The greatest King; the King of all kings whose kingdom and peace will never stop expanding. He is the Rescuer and the Redeemer.

15 Signs the Church is in Trouble

This is from Perry Noble, Pastor of NewSpring Church in South Carolina.

#1 – When excuses are made about the way things are instead of embracing a willingness to roll up the sleeves and fix the problem.

#2 – When the church becomes content with merely receiving people that come rather than actually going out and finding them…in other words, they lose their passion for evangelism!

#3 – The focus of the church is to build a great church (complete with the pastors picture…and his wife’s…on everything) and not the Kingdom of God.

#4 – The leadership begins to settle for the natural rather than rely on the supernatural.

#5 – The church begins to view success/failure in regards to how they are viewed in the church world rather than whether or not they are actually fulfilling the Great Commission!

#6 – The leaders within the church cease to be coachable.

#7 – There is a loss of a sense of urgency!  (Hell is no longer hot, sin is no longer wrong and the cross is no longer important!)

#8 – Scripture isn’t central in every decision that is made!

#9 – The church is reactive rather than proactive.

#10 – The people in the church lose sight of the next generation and refuse to fund ministry simply because they don’t understand “those young people.”

#11 – The goal of the church is to simply maintain the way things are…to NOT rock the boat and/or upset anyone…especially the big givers!

#12 – The church is no longer willing to take steps of faith because “there is just too must to lose.”

#13 – The church simply does not care about the obvious and immediate needs that exist in the community.

#14 – The people learn how to depend on one man to minister to everyone rather than everyone embracing their role in the body, thus allowing the body to care for itself.

#15 – When the leaders/staff refuse to go the extra mile in leading and serving because of how “inconvenient” doing so would be.

Wordless Wednesday

The Sign of the Savior

He is considered one of the greatest men of God from the olden days. He was a counselor to kings and a writer whose O.T. book is quoted more often in the N.T. than any other except the book of Psalms. When Jesus preached His first sermon, He preached out of a passage from this man’s writings. His calling from God is one of the most beautiful pictures in Scripture. “In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.’ And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke.” (Is. 6:1-4). This man would be inspired to say things about the Lord so incredible that it boggles our mind. His name is Isaiah. He is a prophet.

We’re going to look at Isaiah 7:10-17 today. I hope you have your Bible and can turn there too. You can listen to the accompanying podcast here.

You’ve heard the saying desperate times call for desperate measures? This passage comes just after Isaiah answers the call of God in 6:1-4. Isaiah finds himself right in the middle of some pretty intense political action. Isaiah 7:1-2 sets the stage for us. Check it out. At some point in our lives, every one of us will face desperate times. All kinds of circumstances can occur that may bring us to the edge of despair where we see few options are and time is running out. In this passage I want you so see some things that put Ahaz, the King of Judah, on the edge of despair. Ahaz was an unstable man.  He had a godly father and grandfather, but he did not follow in their footsteps. Having godly relatives is no guarantee of godly children. Unless a child personally chooses to enter into a biblical relationship with God through Christ, he will leave that home one day without the tools necessary to face the world. I don’t know everything about Ahaz, but this much is clear. His life can be summed up as recorded in 2 Kings 16:2, “Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the sight of the LORD his God, as his father David had done.” It’s not that he is in a “wilderness” period as some would say or that he was “lukewarm.”

Ahaz is probably in his early twenties and he faces a very serious national crisis and he doesn’t possess the spiritual resources necessary to effectively handle it. To make a really long story short, Syria and the northern kingdom of Israel joined forces to invade the southern kingdom of Judah. Against the guidance of God’s prophets, Israel formed an alliance with Syria in an effort to defend against what they knew was coming from the war machine of Assyria. Assyria had this habit of invading and conquering surrounding countries and taking the people prisoner. The goal was to invade Judah and get rid of King Ahaz. Verse 2 tells us “His heart and the hearts of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake with the wind.”

So what’s a king to do? Well, Ahaz was foolish.  2 Kings 17 indicate that Ahaz is going to try and form his own alliance independent of Syria and Israel only his alliance won’t be against Assyria, it would be with Assyria. He’s thinking, “If I pay tribute to Assyria, I’ll be okay. Oh and Judah too.” Not a smart move. So it is with this information that we find the prophet Isaiah called to go talk to King Ahaz in v. 3. Look at vs. 3-9.

The actual reality is that God always comes through. How many times has God used seemingly incidental things to remind us that He is right there? He is involved in our lives even if we can’t see exactly what He is doing. Here is Ahaz looking over the water supply lines of Judah. Isaiah and his son Shear-jashub walk up to Ahaz. Remember Hebrew names carried a lot of significance. Isaiah means Jehovah has saved. Shear-jashub means a remnant shall return. Standing right in front of Ahaz are reminders of who God is and that He will preserve His people. Remember that Ahaz’s father and grandfather were godly men.

God is always bigger than your fear. In the face of certain defeat, look at what God says through Isaiah in v. 4, “Take care and be calm, have no fear and do not be fainthearted.” God is saying don’t look for a way out, but look for a way through your difficult situation. 1 Cor. 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” Do you believe that no situation is too hard for God? For Ahaz, God was trying to show him that his trust must be placed in the One that can handle the problem. V. 9 says, “If you will not believe, you surely shall not last.” Faith, that strong conviction in what you cannot see often stands in the way of God accomplishing what He will. If you do not stand firm, you will fall. God was trying to get Ahaz to believe. To walk by faith, not by sight. To be a follower of God first, then a King.

Finally, look at the miracle God provided. It is at this moment that something incredible takes place. Vs. 10-11 tell us what happened. Isaiah was there to speak to the king on behalf of God and Ahaz doesn’t listen, all he can see is the Assyrian army. Ask whatever you want – no limit. Ahaz tells Isaiah,“I will not ask, nor will I test the LORD.” Now Ahaz gets all religious on Isaiah. I suppose he is forgetting about his past. His idolatry, his human sacrifices (including those of his children), how he worshipped at the asheroth pole, oh yea, and he was a Baal worshipper. The real deal is that Ahaz had already made up his mind and nothing Isaiah said or did would convince him to trust God.

Here is the moment set apart for Isaiah. He turns from the king and begins to speak to the crowd that had gathered. Vs. 13-14 record what Isaiah says. It is God that gives the sign. He doesn’t send an angel or a prophet – God Himself sees to it. So what is the meaning of the sign? This sign is meant to get our attention. V. 13 starts with “Listen now.” Pay attention to what is coming. This sign proves that God can do whatever He wants to do. Sign means a signal or a distinguishing mark. It is something that is obvious, something that will stand out. This sign involves the birth of a son after an impossible pregnancy. A virgin will conceive. Isaiah tells everyone that at some point a woman will conceive a child that simply cannot be explained. When you see that, that is God’s handiwork. This sign means that God is coming in the flesh. His name is Immanuel meaning God with us. God will be with us in the flesh. He will dwell among us. We will see and experience His glory.

700 hundred years later, that sign was realized. A young woman named Mary was engaged to a guy named Joseph. An angel appeared and told her what to expect. Luke 1:31 records the words of the prophet, “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.”

If God can cause a woman to conceive in a miraculous manner, why do you doubt that He can take care of you?

Wordless Wednesday