As Christians we have a responsibility to share the freedom of the Gospel message, but we also need to activate what we believe, by lifting others to a place of strength and liberty.
In John 13:34, Jesus gives us a new command -- 'Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.'
The question is... how do we activate love of this magnitude? To answer this question, we need to look at love, freedom and justice from God's perspective.
We all know the story of how God (through Moses) restored the Israelites freedom after 400 years of slavery in Egypt. The Israelites faced great oppression during their time in Egypt, yet after gaining freedom they too struggled to understand the mandate God gives each of us to seek freedom and justice for all.
As Christians we need to lead the way -- Christ laid down his life for us, and in response we should lay down our lives for others so that they too have the opportunity to receive 'true freedom' in Christ.
Text - Isaiah 1:18-20 NLT
"Come now, let's settle this,"
Says the Lord.
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
I will make them as white as snow.
Though they are red like crimson,
I will make them as white as wool.
If you will only obey me,
You will have plenty to eat.
But if you turn away and refuse to listen,
You will be devoured by the sword of your enemies.
I, the Lord, have spoken!"
This scripture is written to God's people 'Israel' and the book of Isaiah is about RESCUE and RESTORATION. In verse 18 the people of Israel are challenged to repent and connect again with God.
The same scripture in the NIV version of the Bible reads...
"Come now, let us reason together,"
says the Lord.
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red as crimson,
They shall be like wool.
If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the best from the land;
But if you resist and rebel,
You will be devoured by the sword."
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
God was passionate about restoring His relationship with Israel, even though they had distanced themselves from Him. God also passionately seeks relationship with us today -- right where we are at; despite our failings... He says 'Come...'
Let's look at the words that God used to seek reconciliation.
1. 'COME' - God calls Israel to himself.
Question - Why does the God of the universe say 'come'?
Answer - He wants the best for Israel. He's interested in Israel and has answers for them.
As humans we would be more likely to confront Israel and say 'Go away', but God loves His people and doesn't want to distance Himself. He wants to draw us near.
2. 'NOW' - God challenges Israel to be responsive to His call instead of responding only when it suited them.
Question -- how do we maintain a responsive attitude towards God?
Answer - We need to remain open and ready to hear the 'now' Word of the Lord and then respond.
If we only listen to what God said in the past we could kill our future. We need to 'have an ear to hear' at all times. Imagine what would have happened if Abram ignored God when He told him not to kill Isaac.
3. 'LET US' -- Instead of sending them away, God sought unity and relationship.
Question -- How do we grow in relationship with God?
Answer -- Through open and vulnerable communication (or dialogue) with God.
Notice that God doesn't say 'Come now, let ME sort you out!' He says 'Let us'... Let's share each-other's point of view.' God was interested in hearing Israel's side of the story -- God is not a bully or dictator, He wants dialogue -- a two-way relationship.
4. 'REASON TOGETHER' - Even after their bad behaviour God encouraged relationship and communication. The Message Bible says 'Come sit down, let's argue this out.'
Question -- Is it ok to 'reason' with God?
Answer - God is open to serious dialogue and He welcomes our communication. Many have argued with God. He wont destroy you -- He wants to grow you.
5. The remainder of the verse talks about the power of DRAMATIC CHANGE
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red as crimson,
They shall be like wool.
The Message version says 'If your sins are blood-red, they'll be like wool.' You can't get more contrasting than that! This is not just a little change, it's a dramatic change. No matter how much we are going in the wrong direction, God can change things and turn the situation around.
God gives us the same opportunity He gave Israel in Isaiah 1:18.
1. COME
2. NOW
3. LET US
4. REASON TOGETHER
Then if we believe nothing is impossible for God, He can bring...
5. DRAMATIC CHANGE
But there is an 'IF'... We must respond when He calls. Isaiah 1:19 says 'If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land;' (NIV)
There is no question that God is today saying to His Church 'COME...'
So how should we respond?
God makes this clear in verse 17 when he speaks to Israel.
'Learn to do good.
Seek justice.
Help the oppressed.
Defend the cause of orphans.
Fight for the rights of widows.' (NLT)
We can't ignore what God is saying to His Church. The purpose of the gospel is to feed the hungry and help the poor.
Isaiah 1:10-17 in The Message version puts it plainly...
"Listen to my Message,
you Sodom-schooled leaders.
Receive God's revelation,
you Gomorrah-schooled people.
"Why this frenzy of sacrifices?"
God's asking.
"Don't you think I've had my fill of burnt sacrifices,
rams and plump grain-fed calves?
Don't you think I've had my fill
of blood from bulls, lambs, and goats?
When you come before me,
whoever gave you the idea of acting like this,
Running here and there, doing this and that--
all this sheer commotion in the place provided for worship?
"Quit your worship charades.
I can't stand your trivial religious games:
Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings--
meetings, meetings, meetings--I can't stand one more!
Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them!
You've worn me out!
I'm sick of your religion, religion, religion,
while you go right on sinning.
When you put on your next prayer-performance,
I'll be looking the other way.
No matter how long or loud or often you pray,
I'll not be listening.
And do you know why? Because you've been tearing
people to pieces, and your hands are bloody.
Go home and wash up.
Clean up your act.
Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings
so I don't have to look at them any longer.
Say no to wrong.
Learn to do good.
Work for justice.
Help the down-and-out.
Stand up for the homeless.
Go to bat for the defenceless.
God is not impressed with our smoke and lights (if that's what it's all about). God says 'let's talk about the real issue'.
We also hear about the city of Sodom in Ezek 16:49 NIV
'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.'
God is saying to the Church 'Come now, let us argue this out, although your sins of indifference are as red as snow, I can turn things around!'
So what things did God challenge the people of Israel to avoid?
* Pride
* Laziness
* Gluttony
* Selfishness
Pride
Churches can become overly concerned about having the best or the biggest program -- competitiveness. Instead, we should celebrate what God is doing in ALL of His vineyard.
We need to build the Church in our city, not just our own Church -- WE are the Church. The Church is the Lord's and we need to build together and celebrate what He is doing in his vineyard.
We are called to complement each-other, not to compete with other Churches.
Laziness
We need to restore the passion of the Church -- we've become lazy. We all need to make prayer a personal priority -- avoiding spiritual laziness.
Romans 12:11 NLT challenges us all to...
'Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.'
Gluttony
God wants us to eat well, but not to over indulge. For so long it was 'spiritual' to be poor... but in this day and age we Western Christians experience great favour, and we sometimes want 'favour' more than we want the 'Father'.
We can sometimes seek only His 'hand' and not His 'face'. Right motives will flow if we seek His face.
Selfishness
Gluttony leads to selfishness as it stops us seeing the needs of others -- the result being that the poor and the needy suffer.
We need to change the situation -- it's no coincidence that God is restoring 'Bible basics' back to the Church at this time in history.
So, how do we respond to what God is saying?
And how do we avoid spiritual pride, laziness, gluttony and selfishness?
We must go on the 'Journey of Faith'.
The Journey of Faith helps us to identify stages of growth and assists us as we develop our faith.
These are the 7 stages of the Journey Of Faith...
1. Comfort
2. Connection
3. Cause
4. Commitment
5. Crisis
6. Convictions
7. Consistency
1. COMFORT
As an individual, the Journey of Faith begins when you experience the comfort of Christ and His Church. You hear about the love of Jesus and His heart for all people. As a Church it is important that we continue to create a welcoming environment where the Good News can be shared.
2. CONNECTION
Over time friendships circles expand and we also form close connections with others. Our connection with God also grows as we learn more about Him and His character.
3. CAUSE
God gives each of us the invitation to embrace the cause of Christ. Those that embrace the 'cause' move onto the next stage of growth, however if the cause is not embraced then that person will be easily offended and will find it difficult to establish roots.
4. COMMITMENT
After making a commitment to the cause, we begin to 'live out' our commitment to the revelation of Christ. Commitment in a Christian's life is not just about dedication -- it's about revelation and relationship. If we don't have a revelation of Jesus, we won't be able to serve Him.
3 things about Commitment
1. It's Personal
Someone else can't make this decision for you. Your personal revelation will lead to your personal commitment.
2. It's Permanent
Once you have had a revelation of Christ and His cause, no amount of opposition can stop you (unless you let it).
3. It's Purposeful
* Our commitment must not be to the wrong things. For example - Scriptures that won't change the world (the second coming), conjecture about the anti-christ.
* Our commitment must advance the cause of Christ and be of eternal value.
* As Christians, it's what do we do everyday that advances the kingdom of God & His purpose. How does our 'behaviour' / 'work' / 'relating to others' advance the Kingdom of God.
5. CRISIS
We all encounter crisis at some point in our lives -- and they come in all different shapes and forms. Each time you are confronted by crisis your commitment to the cause is tested, and out of that you establish convictions.
6. CONVICTIONS
Your convictions are your 'non-negotiables', those things that remain regardless of the situation, your feelings or outside influences.
7. CONSISTENCY
Consistency forms as you remain consistent to your commitment to the cause.
Conclusion
Today God is saying 'Come now let us reason together'. Let's respond by going on the Journey of Faith so that we can bring others to a place of strength and wholeness.
Let's be mobilized to fight the fight of faith - willing to serve and bless others because we've had a revelation of God's grace and mercy.
