Sheltering With Jesus Series

The year was 1777. A British army of 13,000 men marched on Philadelphia, and the American Congress had fled the city. The Continental army fought valiantly to hold back their enemy, but they were outflanked and outfought and eventually the English took the city. But before the Philadelphia was abandoned, Congress ordered every bell in the city to be removed and hidden to prevent the English from melting them down to make more cannons.

In all, eleven bells were moved, one of which was the Liberty Bell. Not only did they have to get the bells down from some very high steeples, but they also had to move them to safety under the cover of night. And then they had to hide them, but where could they hide that many massive bells? Well, believe it or not, The Liberty Bell and most of the other bells were hidden in the basement of a church building in nearby Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Now think about that - the Liberty Bell found shelter in a house dedicated to God. And you could literally say the symbol of our liberty was sheltered with God. (http://www.wnd.com/2013/06/the-mystery-of-americas-liberty-bell)

Our text today is a prophecy from Isaiah that talks about God’s people finding their shelter in something called “the branch of the LORD”: “In that day the branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel. And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem…The LORD will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day; and the shining of a flaming fire by night; For over all the glory there will be a canopy. There will be a booth for shade from the heat of the day, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain.” Isaiah 4:2-3 & 5-6

Everything in that prophecy foretold of the BRANCH of the LORD who would be OUR refuge thru from the heat of the day and who would be a shelter in the time of storms.

Now, the first question is WHO is this branch that God promises? Well, that would be the MESSIAH (pause) that would be JESUS. Later in the book of Isaiah we’re told that “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots A BRANCH will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him. The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.” Isaiah 11:1,2

Every commentary tells us that’s the Messiah, that’s Jesus.

Now, the prophet JEREMIAH ALSO wrote almost the exactly the same thing about that Branch. He described the branch as being the coming King - the promised Messiah. “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will raise up to David a RIGHTEOUS BRANCH, A KING WHO WILL REIGN WISELY and do what is just and right in the land.” Jeremiah 23:5

Did you catch that? Jesus is our Messiah. He is our King. Jesus reigns NOW – with wisdom/ understanding/ counsel/ and might, and He IS your REFUGE… Jesus IS your SHELTER.

Now, the theme of our sermon series (this month) is “Camping With Jesus”. Now I love camping… I love spending time in “the great outdoors.” (PAUSE) But as much as I love spending time in the great outdoors, I really don’t enjoy it that much when I’m caught in a storm. When lightning and thunder fill the sky, and when rain comes down in torrents - I really don’t want to be in the great outdoors - I want to be great indoors – I want to be in a shelter! A tent might work; A picnic shelter would be even better because tents tend to leak. But even more than that (in a storm) I’d much prefer to be inside a cozy trailer or cabin. I want a shelter in a time of storm. And so God promises us that “(The BRANCH - Jesus) will be our “shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain.” Isaiah 4:6

JESUS IS OUR REFUGE AND OUR SHELTER

(PAUSE) Someone once said: Life is hard. But life without Jesus is harder. (James Nichols)

Someone else put it this way “Life is hard. But life without Jesus isn’t just hard. It’s empty… it’s exhausting… it’s almost unbearable.”

Now WHY is life without Jesus empty, exhausting and unbearable? Because (without Jesus) folks choose a refuge that is poorly built. They choose a shelter that will collapse when they face… storms.