Iliff and Saltillo UM Church
December 12, 2004
3rd Sunday of Advent
“Traffic Jams and Jangled Nerves”
Isaiah 35:1-10
James 5:7-11
INTRODUCTION: Today is the third Sunday of Advent, and the rose Advent Candle symbolizes “Joy.” The title for today’s message is “Traffic Jams and Jangled Nerves” which sounds like the exact opposite of joy. However, that is where we are living a lot of the time. Did anyone experience traffic jams this week or jangled nerves? I imagine more than we want to admit. I think the people down through history experienced the same frustrations with their lives as we sometimes do. Isaiah chapters 1-34 gave a message of judgment on all nations including Israel and Judah for rejecting God. There was a general climate of the wrath of God and the consequences. People were agitated inwardly by fear. Their nerves were on edge because they didn’t know what was going to happen in their country or in their personal lives. But something began to change. In just 10 short verses in chapter 35, there is a breakthrough. These verses applied not only to the people of Isaiah’s day, 600 years before Jesus came to earth, but it speaks of the New Testament times and to the church age in which we live. The chapter looks ahead to the end of the age when all things will be made right in the final kingdom.
Isaiah begins by speaking of a desert land that will begin to burst into bloom with plants like the crocus in early spring. There would be a new sense of excitement and joy. People who had felt their lives were a tangled mess would be able to shout for joy once again. The depression and heaviness would begin to lift from their lives. It didn’t mean that the present world would be perfect for them, but there would be a new sense of God’s presence among them. In spite of imperfect conditions, they would see a new joy spring up. They would make progress in returning to their homeland from exile. They would begin to see various improvements in the land. The term the “Glory of Lebanon” will be given to it and the “Splendor of Carmel and Sharon” which spoke of regions that were productive and fertile ground. These areas were symbols of productivity and plenty. Isaiah is giving them a glimmer of hope and a REASON TO REJOICE even in an imperfect world.
1. Traffic Jams and Jangled Nerves: As we live out our lives in an imperfect world, we, too, will have our share of traffic jams. There will always be something that tries to rob us of our joy. It doesn’t have to be actual traffic jams although at this time of the year we get in plenty of them too. It is anything that causes us to become agitated and upset causing us to lose the peace and joy that Jesus came to bring us in the first place.
STORY: Sandy and her mother went shopping. As they were driving to the store the horn blew. The little girl asked, “Was that an accident or did you do it on purpose?”
“Oh, it was an accident,” assured the mother.
The little girl said, “I thought it was because you didn’t say “JERK!”
When our lives become drained of joy, it is easy to become impatient and aggravated by situations and by others around us. How can our live become joyful again?
2. Refocus: Having joy is pretty important to us. Nehemiah 8:10 says, “...the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Many scriptures point to how we can recover the joy of the Lord in our lives. One of the best known is Psalm 51 where David PRAYED. We must turn aside from the traffic jams of our life and REFOCUS on God. A good way is to pray as David did in this chapter. He asks for forgiveness and mercy and that God would create in him a clean heart and renew a right spirit within him. Verse 12 goes on to say, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation.”
Not only at this advent season but as a regular part of our weeks throughout the year, let us pray about the things that steal the joy right out of our lives--it’s an ongoing process--not just once in awhile.
STORY: A businessman walked into the New York airport, carrying his
briefcase and two suitcases. He went up to the checkin window
to - naturally - check in. The cashier asked, "And where will
you and your luggage be flying today, sir?"
He replied, "Well, I’m flying to Denver, but," pointing at each
item of luggage in sequence, "I want this sent to Seattle, this
sent to Los Angeles, and this sent to Miami."
The cashier blinked, somewhat taken aback, and eventually managed
to say, "I’m afraid we can’t do that for you, sir."
To which the businessman replied, "Why not? You did the last
time."
God can do what looks impossible to us. "This is the benefit of taking time to pray and of coming to church on a regular basis. “RESTORE to me the JOY of your salvation.” Have you asked the Lord to not only forgive and cleanse but to RESTORE your JOY? Too often we forget that part.
Another scripture that speaks of Joy is in Acts 8:8. When Christ was preached in Samaria there was great joy in that city. Hearing the encouragement of SCRIPTURE is another way that brings us out of the confusion and frustration of our traffic jams. We’ve got to not only pray about our problems but hear the encouragement from the words of SCRIPTURE--we do this through consistent Bible study, holding on to the promises in the Word, hearing it preached and shared in many ways. Don’t become isolated from hearing the Word that will give you LIFE AND JOY. When you begin to hear and receive the Word into your spirit, you will begin to recover from your struggles. Then share it with someone else. Isaiah says in verse 3, “Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way, say to those with fearful (agitated) hearts--be strong, do not fear.”
What pressures are causing your hands and knees to tremble now? Our church should be a place where we strengthen and encourage one another--a place where we can build each other up. Today, you can help someone recover their joy--by simply being friendly, interested in one another’s life. Encourage each other.
Another way shown to recover our joy is in SINGING--sing whether you can sing or not. Sing in the car, sing as you go through the week, sing in the middle of your traffic jams. Psalm 67:3 says, “May the people praise you, O God...may the nations be glad and SING FOR JOY.” Singing raises your eyes from the things around you--the depressing news, the jangled nerves--and brings calmness to your spirit. This week when things are not going too well for you, pick a song that you know and just sing it. For example sing, “Jesus loves me, this I know.” Begin to let this knowledge sink in--”Hey, Jesus loves ME.”
Isaiah 55:12 says, “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you...”
Have you been singing this week?
3. God Doesn’t Just Point the Way--He Goes With Us: When you have given up trying to reach God, how has He come to you?
At the First Advent Jesus came into the world to not only point the way but to live among us and walk with us. God never simply points out the way--He is always beside us as we go. Jesus knew all about the “traffic jams.” and “jangled nerves of the people and was able to touch their lives. He knows all about our “traffic jams” today as well. As the gospel opened up to the Gentiles in the New Testament we see many examples of how people were healed. Sight returned to their eyes and hearing to their ears. The lame leaped for JOY as new life returned to their bodies.
When you feel that you are alone in a joyless day, remember that God is not just giving you advice or pointing the way--He is walking with you. He is right there beside you all the time. Because He is traveling the entire distance with us, the chapter closes by reminding us in verse 10, “They will enter Zion with singing and EVERLASTING JOY will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them and sorrow and sighing will flee away.” We have a measure of joy in this life, but at His Second Advent He will bring EVERLASTING JOY.
Jude 24 says, “to him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with GREAT JOY--”
God is fully able to keep you steadfast in all of life’s traffic jams and jangled nerves. He’s walking right beside you.
CONCLUSION: In conclusion, James 5:7 tells us “Knowing this, let us be PATIENT and STAND FIRM until the Lord’s coming.”
Matthew Henry said that “Our joyful hope and prospect of eternal life should swallow up both all the sorrows and all the joys of this present time.” We will one day be able to obtain the full measure of JOY and GLADNESS that Isaiah referred to in verse 10.
Shall we Pray:
