SERMON OUTLINE
1. Look Back and Appreciate!
2. Look Ahead and Anticipate!
3. Look within and Evaluate!
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• Over 2,000 years ago a young Greek artist named Timanthes;
• Painted this picture - The Sacrifice of Iphigenia,
• What you see on the screen is a 1st Century AD Roman copy;
• Of a 4th Century BC painting by Timanthes,
• It was discovered at Pompeii, and now in the Museum at Naples
• Before he painted this masterpiece;
• When the artist Timanthes was a young man;
• He studied under a well-known and highly respected tutor.
• After several years, the young painter created a superb portrait.
• But unfortunately, he became so enraptured with the painting;
• That he spent days gazing at it.
• One morning when he arrived to admire his work,
• He was shocked to find it had been vandalised - blotted out with paint.
• Angry and in tears, Timanthes ran to his teacher,
• To report this tragic act of destruction.
• To his amazement, the teacher of Timanthes knew all about the defaced painting;
• Admitted that he had destroyed the painting.
• And he admitted that it was him who had damaged it!
"I did it for your own good. That painting was retarding your progress.
Start again and see if you can do better."
• Timanthes took his teacher's advice & produced ‘Sacrifice of I-phi-genia’
• Which is regarded as one of the finest paintings of antiquity.
AS YOU AND I FACE A BRAND NEW YEAR:
• Aren’t you glad that we do not have to just stare at and dwell in the past?
• We are able to press on to better things!
• As the hymn says; “We will praise him for all that is past……..”
• “………And trust him for all that’s to come!”
• Are you excited about the future?
• We should be!
• The encouraging thing about new year’s, new months, new weeks, new days;
• Is the word ‘new’.
• Webster’s dictionary:
• ‘Refreshed, different from one of the same that has existed previously, unfamiliar’.
• Best of all; new year’s, new months, new weeks, new days;
• It is a place to start over, to let God refresh, revitalize and to stimulate oneself.
We are starting a new series of teaching called ‘All Things New’
• A New Thing, A New Covenant, A New Morning, A New Song,
• A New Commandment, A New Creation, A New Future
• Tonight’s topic is called: ‘A New Thing’
• And is based on the verse from Isaiah 43:14-28
Background information:
The Book of Isaiah can be called "a Bible in miniature."
• Now the chapter and verse divisions are not inspired;
• For just over a 1,000 years the Christian Church had Bibles without chapter & verse numbers.
• They were added for our convenience to help us find our way around.
• Whoever added them did an interesting thing;
• They divided the book into 66 chapters;
• The same number as the books of the Bible.
• Furthermore, they divided Isaiah into two distinct parts of 39 & 27 chapters;
• Sound familiar – of course the Bible is divided into two parts of 39 & 27;
• 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament.
• Also the message of the thirty-nine chapters of the first part of Isaiah;
• Summarizes the message of the Old Testament.
• And the twenty-seven chapters of the second part of Isaiah;
• Summarizes the message of the New Testament.
Now the second part of Isaiah (chapters 40-66):
• Divide very clearly into three sections;
• Each of 9 chapters.
• Our verses fall into that first division (chapters 40-48):
• And the theme of these chapters is comforting God’s people.
Question: Why do these people need comforting?
Answer:
• Because for the people of God bad news is on the way;
• Isaiah’s message is always not a pleasant one!
• Isaiah looks through the telescope of prophecy;
• And he sees Babylon (ominous enemy) destroying Jerusalem;
• And taking the Jews going into Captivity.
• This is still 100-170 years in the future, (This would happen in 586 B.C.)
• Yet Isaiah also saw some good news;
• He tells the people of a forgiving God.
• Delivering them from Captivity,
• And taking them back to Jerusalem to rebuild their cities and restore the nation.
SPECIFIC BACKGROUND TO OUR VERSES:
• During the prophet Isaiah’s lifetime, Assyria was the world superpower.
• In 722 B.C., God allowed Assyria to capture the northern kingdom – Israel;
• Because of their idolatry and they were deported them from their land.
• Later Babylon replaced Assyria on the world stage;
• With a king called Nebuchadnezzar and he would destroy Judah (southern kingdom),
• He would destroy Jerusalem and the Temple in 586 B.C.,
• And haul off the Jews into Exile.
So God gives Isaiah a new vision for a new situation;
• This captivity, this slavery will not be the end of the nation;
• Though at the time it might seem that way.
• In due course Babylon itself will be overthrown by Cyrus the Persian;
• And he will return the exiles back to their homeland.
• So Isaiah is to comfort and encourage these hurting people;
• And reassure them in their bitter times ahead.
Now I want to pull out three thoughts from three verses (18-20):
(1). Look Back and Appreciate! (vs 18)
• N.I.V.: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past”.
• G.N.B.: “Do not cling to events of the past or dwell on what happened long ago”
Ill:
• One man said to his friend:
• "You really do look depressed. What are you thinking about?"
• The friends answer was short and quick:
• "My future,"
• So the friend asked him; "Well what makes it look so hopeless?"
• To which he replied: "My past."
Transition:
• Well the Hebrew people could not really use that argument with anyone;
• In many ways they had a remarkable past!
• And we see that illustrated for us in this chapter:
• In verses 1-17 of this chapter the people have been reminded of God’s faithfulness;
• Despite their many faults and failings God had remained faithful & true to them.
• We see in these verses a reminder of how:
• God rescued his people from their slavery in Egypt.
• The Old Testament calls this event ‘The Exodus’, meaning: "a way out";
• i.e. It's where we get our word "exit" from
• We see in these verses a reminder - aspects of God’s character (vs 14-15)
• He is referred to as ‘Redeemer…Holy One of Israel…Creator…King’.
Question: Why does God tell the people to ‘forget these things’?
Answer:
• Because you do not move ahead by constantly looking in a rear view mirror.
• The past is a rudder to guide you, not an anchor to drag you.
• We must learn from the past - not live in the past.
Ill:
• People who live in the past remind me of a toy I'm sure all of you have seen.
• The toy is a small wooden bird called the "Floogie Bird."
• Around the Floogie Bird's neck is a label reading,
• "I fly backwards, I don't care where I'm going. I just want to see where I've been."
So verse 18 is saying ‘appreciate the past but move on!’
• Now the “…the former things’ spoken of in verse 18 refer to the exodus;
• An event that Jewish people still celebrate to this day,
• In fact they were instructed by God to celebrate it.
• Yet in verse 18 Isaiah tells the people to forget about them!
• Here is the point – and remember context is everything!
• These “…former things’ are to be remembered;
• Only in the sense that they become a springboard for something NEW to happen.
• The principle here is to learn from the past and not be stuck in the past!
Ill:
• In your car I wonder if you have you ever been stuck in the mud?
• I have on numerous occasions been in a muddy camp field.
• It’s the day to go home and so you load up the car;
• You put the car in first-gear and expect to move forward but…
• You don’t move at all!
• In fact the more you accelerate and try to get out of the mud,
• The faster the wheels spin round and round;
• And the deeper you find yourself embedded in it.
When we spend our time trying to recapture the ‘good old days’:
• Like that car in the illustration we are going no-where fast
• So too, we will not make progress as an individual or as a Church!
• By trying to recapture the past.
• As a movement/Denomination we have had a great past – we have a great heritage!
• This Church has had a great past – it has had a great history.
• But at the start of 2013 to our generation;
• It does not matter what happened in the last 100 years – that’s all history!
• But it matters immensely to the people we encounter in this community;
• As to what happens in this next period of time!
(2). Look Ahead and Anticipate! (vs 19)
• N.I.V.: “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? ”
• G.N.B.: “Watch for the new thing I am going to do.”
• God gives Isaiah a new vision for a new situation;
• Jerusalem has been saved from Assyria;
• And in 100-170 years in the future, (586 B.C.) the city would fall to Babylon!
• And the Hebrew people will be taken in captivity.
• God says to this nation;
• You can still embrace the future because ‘captivity’ is not the end of the story!
• He will deliver them from Captivity,
• And he will take them back to Jerusalem;
• And he will make sure that the temple is rebuilt and the nation restored.
Ill:
• These words, this prophecy came true when:
• King Cyrus defeated the Babylonians in 541 B.C.
• He issued the decree;
• That permitted the Jews to return to their land to rebuild the city & the temple (Ezra 1:1-4).
Ill:
• Orange phone company have a slogan in their adverts:
• “The future is bright, the future is orange”.
• Well for the Christian:
• “The future is bright, because the future is God’s”.
I guess these verses encourage us to always see the big picture:
• Immediate circumstances may not be easy or pleasant;
• But they will not last forever!
• Even death itself is not the end for the Christian;
• Just part of a bigger, greater, eternal plan!
Ill:
• The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small uninhabited island.
• He cried out to God to save him,
• Every day he scanned the horizon for help,
• But it was all in vain.
• He built himself a hut for shelter and protection;
• The worked was exhausting but worth it.
• Into the hut, he carefully put his few precious possessions.
• It wasn’t much but it was a home to him.
• One day he went out hunting for food,
• When he arrived home, he found his little hut consumed in flames,
• The smoke was billowing up to the sky.
• It was a hopeless situation but he tried his hardest to change it!
• Sadly it was all a waste of time and energy;
• The man collapsed into the sand broken-hearted and exhausted he cried himself to sleep.
• Early the next day, to his amazement, a ship drew near the island and rescued him.
• He asked the crew; “How did you know I was here?”
• They replied:
• “We saw your smoke signal and responded accordingly!”
• Though it may not seem so now,
• Your present difficulty may actually be instrumental to your future happiness.
Note verse 20:
"I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland…
that they may proclaim my praise”
• Leaving Babylon would not be easy:
• For those who faced the journey it was a frightening prospect;
FIRST: IT WAS ACROSS UNKNOWN TERRITORY.
• Most of those who were young and fit enough to travel;
• Had been born in Babylon, born in captivity
• And although Babylon was not their home, it was all they knew.
• A long journey on foot across a hot desert;
• Represented a break with the only security they knew!
SECOND: JERUSALEM WAS A LONG WAY AWAY.
• Scholars suggest between 500 and 900 miles;
• Depending on the route they would take.
• These returnees would expect to be travelling for at least four months;
• Travelling through harsh terrain;
• They would be vulnerable not just to exhaustion;
• But also to attack by bandits
• The wilderness spoke of hardship and danger.
• And when they returned home remember:
• The land had been destroyed;
• Babylon operated a ‘scorched earth policy’ destroying everything behind them.
• They would not be returning to a hero’s welcome;
• And a comfortable lifestyle;
• They were coming back to a mass building site, destruction and loss everywhere!
Verse 19: Now into this bleak picture God brings hope:
• Isaiah reminds these Hebrew people;
• That the wilderness, the desert has been conquered before,
• And armed with that knowledge to go out in faith and conquer it again!
• God promises to make a way for them through the desert;
• He has promised to provided streams of water in the desert,
• God is promising a homeward journey full of divine provision.
• Verse 18 is promising sovereignty of people and affairs – i.e. providing freedom from the Babylonians.
• Verse 19: promises sovereignty over the natural order i.e. providing water in a desert.
• And he is inviting these people to go on a new adventure with him;
• To take a step of faith!
(3). Look Within and Evaluate! (vs 22-24):
(The Message):
“The LORD says,
“But you were tired of me, Israel;
you did not worship me.
23 You did not bring me your burnt offerings of sheep;
you did not honour me with your sacrifices.
I did not burden you by demanding offerings
or wear you out by asking for incense.
24 You didn't buy incense for me
or satisfy me with the fat of your animals.
Instead you burdened me with your sins;
you wore me out with the wrongs you have committed.”
• The Hebrew people had prayed half-heartedly;
• And served him listlessly!
• Now it is time for them to examine their hearts;
• And to put God back in the central of their lives once again.
Ill:
• Employment officials in one city posted an interesting sign over a full-length mirror.
• Directed to all job hunters, it read, “Would you hire this person?”
• In another office a mirror and sign posed this question:
• “Are you ready for a job?”
• Isaiah tells these people to; “Look at themselves. What a mess!”
• He tells them to “Get their lives straightened out!”
Transition:
• Imagine if we had a mirror on the entrance doors to this Church building:
• Saying: “Is this person worshiping God in Spirit and in truth?”
• How many of us would go red with embarrassment?
• Imagine if we had a mirror on the exit doors to this Church building:
• Saying: “Is this person able to effectively serve God this week?”
• How many of us would answer a hearty “Yes!”
In these verses the apostle Paul reminds us;
• That each time we meet together to ‘Break Bread’
• It is also a time of self-examination.
Ill:
• No of us, would take a meal withy filthy hands,
• We would wash first;
• And really none of us should take the bread & the wine;
• Without first examining our hearts.
• It is not a pleasant experience!
• I agree more & more with Jeremiah the prophet the older I get;
• “That the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked”
• It is not a pleasant experience! But Paul reminds us that it is an important one!
Ill:
• In a few moments we are about to break bread and drink wine;
• Take communion.
• This too is a time of examination;
• 1 Corinthian’s chapter 11 verse 28 says:
“That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup”.
• He did not say; “That is why we should all feel guilty”.
• He did not say; “That is why we should all feel like failures”.
• He did not even say; “That we should NOT take bread and wine”;
• In fact he says the opposite; “BEFORE you eat”.
The examination of the heart:
• Is that we might be restored in our relationship with Christ;
• That we might grow closer to him and be recommitted in our walk with him!
• And be better equipped to serve him in the week to come.
Conclusion:
• Look back and appreciate.
• We have a great God, a great heritage and many, many great memories!
• Look ahead and anticipate.
• Quote: Hymn:
I do not know what lies ahead,
the way I cannot see;
yet One stands near to be my guide,
He’ll show the way to me:
I know who holds the future,
and He’ll guide me with His hand;
with God things don’t just happen,
everything by Him is planned.
So as I face tomorrow,
with its problems large and small,
I’ll trust the God of miracles,
give to Him my all.
I do not know how many days
of life are mine to spend;
but One who knows and cares for me
will keep me to the end:
I do not know the course ahead,
what joys and grief’s are there;
but One is near who fully knows,
I’ll trust His loving care:
• Let us look within and evaluate.
• Let us admit our shortcomings;
• And allow God to forgive us our sins and transform us day by day.
