AWAKE TO GOD’S LIGHT OF SALVATION (Outline)
March 11, 2007
LENT 3 - Isaiah 42:14-21
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INTRO: Not everyone likes the morning. It can take a while to get adjusted to the day’s activities after a good night’s sleep. BUT for the believer each day is another day of God’s grace. We are to rise and shine as the lights of God in a sin darkened world. Today’s text helps us to possess that shining attitude reflecting God’s grace. The apostle Paul agrees. "For it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: ’Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you’" (EPHESIANS 5:14). Our theme:
AWAKE TO GOD’S LIGHT OF SALVATION.
I. God uses alarming threats of the law to wake us, and: II. God uses the gospel for our glorious dawn.
I. GOD USES ALARMING THREATS OF THE LAW TO WAKE US
A. Isaiah chapter 42 opens with a description of the Servant of the Lord, God; Christ.
1. Our verses (14-21) record for us the words of the Servant of the Lord.
2. Verse 14a. God has been patient. He was withheld judgment upon God’s people.
B. This patience is nearing an end. Verse 14b describes the sudden pains of childbirth.
1. In the same God’s judgment will arrive, quickly and unstoppable. For some painful.
2. The Lord reminds his people of his great, almighty power in verse 15.
3. It is the Lord God and the Lord God alone who has power over nature.
C. God’s power over nature is to be a reminder of those who turn from him. Verse 17 idols = shame.
1. Pay attention is the message of verse 18. They have not been seeing or listening verse 20.
2. Verse 19 mentions the servant of the Lord. Who is this blind and deaf servant? God’s people.
a. This is NOT the Servant of the Lord.
b. God’s people were created to serve and proclaim
3. God uses threats of the law as an alarm clock to wake up his people to pay attention.
D. How many people today have fallen asleep in the comfortable living our blessed nation provides? Too many! We do not want to hear what God’s law says to us. God’s law threatens punishment and eternal destruction for all of our sins. God’s law reminds us that we sin daily and we sin much. Our evil thoughts condemn our hearts. Our wicked words bring judgment upon our souls. Our sinful actions destroy any chance of eternity. That is God’s law. Who wants to hear that? What happens? There are many today who are church shoppers and hoppers. It is a sign of the end. "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear"(2 TIMOTHY 4:3).
E. We need God’s law to remind that we can never, ever save ourselves. All too many today think that trying hard enough or praying hard enough is enough. Hardly. God reminds us that all our righteous acts are like sinful rags. Our works do not earn any forgiveness for one single sin. Too many are lead astray today by listening to the words and teaching of men rather than God. We are taught to be great confidence in ourselves. Eternal salvation does not work that way. "This is what the LORD says: ’Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD’"(JEREMIAH 17:5). Not trusting in God is to turn our hearts away from him.
F. God’s law cannot save us. That is not the purpose of God’s law. God’s law is reveal sin. God’s law is to remind us just how utterly helpless we are. Truly we are lost and condemned creatures. Again, this is not the message our itching ears may want to hear. This message of God is still the truth of God’s word. "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin"(ROMANS 3:20). We now have nowhere to turn but to God. God’s alarming law threats remind us we cannot trust ourselves to save ourselves.
AWAKE TO GOD’S LIGHT OF SALVATION. God’s alarming threats of the law wake us up.
II. GOD USES THE GOSPEL FOR OUR GLORIOUS DAWN
A. It is important to remember that Isaiah contrasts the Servant of the Lord with servants of the Lord.
1. There is a vast difference. THE Servant of the Lord sees all, hears all, and knows all things.
2. The servants of the Lord (God’s rebellious) are blind, deaf and not paying any attention at all.
B. Verse 20. This verse reminds us of the words of Jesus in the New Testament. People do not listen.
1. Verse 21 points to the Lord’s patience. God will make his law great and glorious??
2. God’s law is used here in the sense of the entirety of God’s teaching and instruction.
3. Torah, is the name of the first five books of the Bible. God’s Word is law and gospel.
C. Verse 16 tells the people that God will lead them, change their lives, and not forsake them.
1. God will lead the blind people on the path of his righteousness not their self-righteousness.
2. God’s people will not be in their dark because the light of the gospel will be their dawn.
3. God has spoken and it is true. God’s word is his sure promise to all of God’s people.
D. God’s word is our glorious dawn! We hear the alarm clock (God’s law). The alarming sound wakes us up. What do we see? We awake to the light of a new day. In our spiritual life the God’s alarm clock awakes to the light of God’s salvation. We awake each new day to the glorious dawn of God’s gospel in our heart. "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws"(PSALM 119:105,106). Here is another example of the use of the word laws to actually include and mean the entirety of God’s word. This was the common use by the believers during the time of the Old Testament and, at times even the New Testament believers.
E. God’s gospel light is the revelation of the Savior. It is God’s gospel that saves, nothing more and nothing less. The law shows us sins. God’s gospel shows us our Savior. No longer do we have to sit in the dark. God’s gracious gift of life, light and salvation is ours. Satan tempted Jesus. Jesus overcame those temptations and every temptation. Jesus returned to Capernaum. We have more prophecy of Isaiah fulfilled. "The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned"(MATTHEW 4:16). God’s gospel is our glorious dawn.
F. Now we may not always feel wide awake and alert to all of the promises God has made. At times we sleepily give in to the temptations of this world, our own sinful flesh, and Satan himself. What is our help? God’s gospel overcomes every temptation that we face. We are absolutely, positively blessed to be able to hear God’s word, read God’s word and study God’s word. "And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts"(2 PETER 1:19). God’s gospel is truly our strength, comfort, encouragement and glorious dawn!
CONC.: Our world is filled with alarms that warn us of coming danger or wake us up from slumber. We have fire and tornado warnings, sirens on emergency vehicles, and personal alarm clocks. Each alarm is designed make us wake up and pay attention. God’s alarming threats of the law also wake us up to pay attention. We are roused from the slumber of sin and made to see the God’s glorious dawn – his gospel of love, forgiveness and eternal salvation. Following are the words of Simeon as he waited every day in the temple to see the promised Savior. Seeing the infant Jesus, the gospel’s glorious dawn, Simeon responded. "Because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace"(LUKE 1:78,79). Each day may you awake to God’s light of salvation. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
Sunday radio broadcast @ 9:05am on KQNK 106.7FM or 1530AM + www.kqnk.com
LENT 3 readings:
EXODUS 3:1-8a, 10-15; 1 CORINTHIANS 10:1-13; LUKE 13:1-9
