Glimpses of Glory God's servant suffers

Series: Isaiah

Speaker: Aidan Kemp

Date: 18th June 2023

00:00:00 --> 00:00:06 Hey everyone, my name's Aidan. If you haven't met before, I would love to get to know you after the service.
00:00:06 --> 00:00:13 I'm a regular here at St Paul's. I also work in IT, but at the Sydney Opera House, and I'm married to the lovely Emma.
00:00:15 --> 00:00:22 What I did just there was an introduction. I mean, genuinely, if I haven't met you before, I would love to get to know you after the service.
00:00:22 --> 00:00:30 But have you ever thought about how you introduce yourself? Have you got a particular way you do it when you meet a new person?
00:00:30 --> 00:00:36 Have you got some important information they need to know about you, or some fun way of getting you to remember them?
00:00:37 --> 00:00:38 Or do you just vibe it every time?
00:00:41 --> 00:00:46 That is actually not a rhetorical question, sorry. I really believe that sermons are a group activity.
00:00:46 --> 00:00:53 So what I want you to do is find someone nearby and ask them, how do you introduce yourself?
00:00:54 --> 00:00:58 What's the first few things you tell someone when you meet someone new?
00:00:58 --> 00:01:03 There's going to be a second question to talk about later, so make sure you do introduce yourself to someone.
00:01:03 --> 00:01:08 And if you don't know the people around you, this is a great time to actually say those things.
00:01:08 --> 00:01:11 So I'll give you a minute, and then we'll come back in a sec.
00:01:14 --> 00:01:15 All right.
00:01:16 --> 00:01:18 Let's come back.
00:01:20 --> 00:01:23 If you're able to tear yourself away from introducing yourself.
00:01:27 --> 00:01:34 Now in case you're wondering, the way I used to introduce myself in high school was so consistent that a friend bought me this stamp,
00:01:35 --> 00:01:36 which has the words,
00:01:36 --> 00:01:40 Hi, my name is Aidan, nice to meet you, shakes hand written on it.
00:01:40 --> 00:01:43 Because every time I met someone, I would do the same three things.
00:01:43 --> 00:01:51 But the passage we're looking into today starts off with an introduction of one of the big names of the Old Testament of the Christian Bible,
00:01:51 --> 00:01:54 the suffering servant of Isaiah.
00:01:54 --> 00:02:03 And the picture we get from this suffering servant, from their introduction, paints a grand narrative of suffering, reward, and inevitability.
00:02:04 --> 00:02:10 So before we get stuck into analysing this intriguing figure of the Bible, it would be great if you can join with me in prayer for a moment.
00:02:10 --> 00:02:19 Heavenly Father, thank you for the chance to read your word and hear your voice through the Bible today.
00:02:19 --> 00:02:25 Please help us understand the passage before us and use your spirit to bring us closer to you as we do so.
00:02:26 --> 00:02:26 Amen.
00:02:26 --> 00:02:33 Now, as I said, Isaiah 49 opens with an introduction of the suffering servant.
00:02:34 --> 00:02:41 Now, to get you familiar with where we are in Isaiah, the last nine chapters have been a long conversation between three figures in the Bible.
00:02:42 --> 00:02:49 Got God up in heaven, his people, Israel slash Judah, here on earth, and this mysterious third person, the servant.
00:02:49 --> 00:02:57 And Isaiah 49 is actually the first time we get to hear the servant's voice, the first time we hear their input into the narrative of Isaiah.
00:02:58 --> 00:03:01 And at their first chance to speak, they give an introduction.
00:03:02 --> 00:03:09 As you might have noticed when talking to the people around you, an introduction is often a statement of who someone is from their own perspective.
00:03:10 --> 00:03:16 And as you hear the servant's introduction in Isaiah 49, you hear the same tune playing over and over again.
00:03:16 --> 00:03:19 Again, this servant is not called to a happy life.
00:03:20 --> 00:03:22 Have a look at verse 4.
00:03:22 --> 00:03:23 The servant says,
00:03:23 --> 00:03:25 I have laboured in vain.
00:03:25 --> 00:03:27 I've spent my strength for nothing at all.
00:03:28 --> 00:03:29 And then again in verse 7,
00:03:29 --> 00:03:34 God introduces the servant as him who was despised and abhorred by the nations.
00:03:35 --> 00:03:39 And even when it's a nicer comment, like the servant mentioning their sharp words in verse 2,
00:03:39 --> 00:03:42 sharp words that can cut through people like a sword,
00:03:42 --> 00:03:46 the servant is still prevented from using his great power.
00:03:46 --> 00:03:50 Hidden instead in the Lord's hand for a mysterious future purpose.
00:03:51 --> 00:03:56 And actually time and time again when the servant character is mentioned in Isaiah,
00:03:56 --> 00:03:59 they are constantly connected with suffering.
00:04:00 --> 00:04:01 Now this might be the first time we hear their perspective,
00:04:02 --> 00:04:05 but in any past times we've heard of the servant,
00:04:05 --> 00:04:07 or any future times the servant is referenced,
00:04:07 --> 00:04:13 their life is depicted as moments of just pure betrayal, rejection and pain.
00:04:13 --> 00:04:15 It's mentioned again in chapter 50 verse 6,
00:04:16 --> 00:04:19 the servant offered his back to those who beat him,
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 his cheeks to those who pulled out his beard.
00:04:22 --> 00:04:25 And in chapter 53, as we'll see next week,
00:04:25 --> 00:04:28 they are pierced and crushed,
00:04:28 --> 00:04:32 and oppressed and afflicted,
00:04:32 --> 00:04:34 a man of suffering,
00:04:34 --> 00:04:35 and one despised,
00:04:35 --> 00:04:37 ejected by mankind.
00:04:38 --> 00:04:39 Little wonder then,
00:04:39 --> 00:04:43 that this figure is known as the suffering servant of Isaiah.
00:04:43 --> 00:04:46 Now if you've been around church for a while,
00:04:46 --> 00:04:48 it might not surprise you to know that the New Testament
00:04:48 --> 00:04:52 reveals the identity of the suffering servant to be Jesus Christ,
00:04:53 --> 00:04:54 the Son of the one true living God,
00:04:55 --> 00:04:56 born on earth as a man.
00:04:56 --> 00:04:59 But I'd be keen to get you to think about,
00:05:00 --> 00:05:04 why does Jesus choose to introduce himself to the readers of Isaiah
00:05:04 --> 00:05:06 with such a focus on suffering?
00:05:07 --> 00:05:12 Why does the identity of Jesus' character always seem to be defined by pain?
00:05:13 --> 00:05:15 I mean, it's interesting that in the Christian life,
00:05:15 --> 00:05:18 we do often tend to associate Jesus with suffering.
00:05:19 --> 00:05:23 Christians like to make a big deal of the pain Christ felt on the cross,
00:05:23 --> 00:05:26 and the absolute, genuine brutality of crucifixion
00:05:26 --> 00:05:29 as just a barbaric form of death by torture.
00:05:32 --> 00:05:33 But the thing is,
00:05:33 --> 00:05:36 actually, other people have died in worse ways.
00:05:37 --> 00:05:40 Jesus' bodily death is not exclusively terrible,
00:05:40 --> 00:05:42 and in fact, it's probably been outdone.
00:05:43 --> 00:05:46 Jesus was not burnt slowly over a fire,
00:05:47 --> 00:05:51 he was not killed by having his skin peeled off piece by piece,
00:05:51 --> 00:05:55 or having his limbs removed finger by finger and toe by toe.
00:05:57 --> 00:05:59 All those words just made me feel incredibly squeamish.
00:06:00 --> 00:06:03 I think it's fair to say, though, that in terms of bodily pain,
00:06:03 --> 00:06:06 other women and men have suffered more than Jesus did on the cross.
00:06:08 --> 00:06:12 So then, what makes Jesus the suffering servant,
00:06:12 --> 00:06:15 the one defined by suffering?
00:06:15 --> 00:06:19 Well, it seems to be from Isaiah 49,
00:06:19 --> 00:06:23 that Jesus is the one who suffered infinitely,
00:06:23 --> 00:06:25 more so than any other human being.
00:06:27 --> 00:06:28 Now, you rightfully might be asking,
00:06:28 --> 00:06:30 how can you suffer infinitely?
00:06:32 --> 00:06:35 Well, consider what the Bible says about God.
00:06:36 --> 00:06:39 God is not constrained by pitiful human needs
00:06:39 --> 00:06:41 for things to have a length, or a weight,
00:06:41 --> 00:06:43 or, you know, an end.
00:06:43 --> 00:06:45 When Psalm 103, verse 11 says,
00:06:46 --> 00:06:48 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
00:06:48 --> 00:06:50 so great is his love for those who fear him.
00:06:51 --> 00:06:53 Remember that the heavens are infinite.
00:06:54 --> 00:06:56 The space between earth and space never ends.
00:06:57 --> 00:07:00 God's love never ends.
00:07:00 --> 00:07:03 His infinite kindness, infinite peace,
00:07:04 --> 00:07:05 infinite joy, that is God.
00:07:05 --> 00:07:09 But if God is truly an infinite God,
00:07:09 --> 00:07:11 then his anger against those who do evil
00:07:11 --> 00:07:12 is similarly infinite.
00:07:13 --> 00:07:16 His wrath burns against anyone and everyone
00:07:16 --> 00:07:18 who causes harm to the world
00:07:18 --> 00:07:20 and the people he created in it.
00:07:21 --> 00:07:23 And so the wrath burns for each one of us.
00:07:23 --> 00:07:25 As Isaiah 53, verse 6 says,
00:07:26 --> 00:07:27 each of us have gone astray from God.
00:07:28 --> 00:07:30 By rejecting the source of eternal life,
00:07:30 --> 00:07:34 we have condemned ourselves to never-ending suffering and death.
00:07:34 --> 00:07:37 We have earned an infinite debt.
00:07:38 --> 00:07:42 But what does that actually mean, an infinite debt?
00:07:43 --> 00:07:45 Infinity can be really hard to visualise.
00:07:45 --> 00:07:46 I tried to draw it on the PowerPoint,
00:07:46 --> 00:07:47 but it just kept going on and on.
00:07:49 --> 00:07:52 What does it mean for something not to have an end?
00:07:53 --> 00:07:56 Like, can you actually picture an infinite debt?
00:07:57 --> 00:08:01 Well, imagine you turn up to a special fancy hotel,
00:08:01 --> 00:08:02 one with infinite rooms.
00:08:02 --> 00:08:04 But when you rock up,
00:08:04 --> 00:08:07 unfortunately, all of them are full.
00:08:07 --> 00:08:08 All of them are booked.
00:08:08 --> 00:08:10 Every room just has somebody in it.
00:08:11 --> 00:08:13 But, you know, this is the fanciest hotel in town,
00:08:13 --> 00:08:14 so you really want to spend the night here.
00:08:15 --> 00:08:16 So you walk up and say,
00:08:16 --> 00:08:17 oh, please,
00:08:17 --> 00:08:19 is there anything you can do to get me in?
00:08:20 --> 00:08:21 And the guy at the desk says,
00:08:22 --> 00:08:23 oh, look, you seem lovely.
00:08:23 --> 00:08:24 Sure, we'll get you in.
00:08:24 --> 00:08:26 We'll just ask the guy in room one
00:08:26 --> 00:08:27 to move to room two,
00:08:28 --> 00:08:30 the person in room two to move to room three,
00:08:30 --> 00:08:32 and the person in room three to go to four,
00:08:33 --> 00:08:33 five to six,
00:08:33 --> 00:08:34 and seven to eight,
00:08:34 --> 00:08:35 and so on and so on and so on.
00:08:36 --> 00:08:37 But, you know,
00:08:37 --> 00:08:39 you upright standing citizen that you are
00:08:39 --> 00:08:40 might say,
00:08:40 --> 00:08:42 oh, that doesn't feel fair.
00:08:42 --> 00:08:43 What about the last guy?
00:08:43 --> 00:08:45 He's not going to have a room to go to.
00:08:45 --> 00:08:46 He's going to be kicked out.
00:08:46 --> 00:08:48 That doesn't seem right.
00:08:49 --> 00:08:51 The guy at the desk will just laugh and say,
00:08:51 --> 00:08:52 sir, man,
00:08:52 --> 00:08:54 this is the infinite hotel.
00:08:54 --> 00:08:56 We have no last guest
00:08:56 --> 00:08:58 and we have no last room.
00:08:59 --> 00:09:01 Even though all the rooms are booked,
00:09:02 --> 00:09:03 there is still more space
00:09:03 --> 00:09:04 in the infinite room
00:09:04 --> 00:09:05 of the infinite hotel.
00:09:06 --> 00:09:08 There is always more room in infinity
00:09:08 --> 00:09:10 and our debt to God
00:09:10 --> 00:09:13 also has always more space to fill,
00:09:13 --> 00:09:15 more sin that must be paid for
00:09:15 --> 00:09:17 before we can be made right with God again.
00:09:18 --> 00:09:20 Even if we try to do good tomorrow,
00:09:20 --> 00:09:21 even if we did enough right
00:09:21 --> 00:09:22 to cover a million,
00:09:23 --> 00:09:23 a billion,
00:09:23 --> 00:09:25 a trillion sins,
00:09:25 --> 00:09:28 that would only be a drop of sand in the bucket
00:09:28 --> 00:09:30 when we have a Himalayan mountain of wrath
00:09:30 --> 00:09:31 to make up for.
00:09:32 --> 00:09:34 Our infinite debt never ends.
00:09:36 --> 00:09:38 But the good news of the Bible
00:09:38 --> 00:09:40 is Jesus is not just a suffering servant,
00:09:40 --> 00:09:42 but the suffering servant.
00:09:42 --> 00:09:46 He's able to pay back our infinite debt.
00:09:46 --> 00:09:48 He endured infinite suffering.
00:09:48 --> 00:09:50 Philippians 2,
00:09:50 --> 00:09:51 verse 6 to 11 says that
00:09:51 --> 00:09:53 Jesus is in very nature
00:09:53 --> 00:09:54 the infinite God,
00:09:55 --> 00:09:57 the one true eternal creator.
00:09:58 --> 00:09:59 And by becoming a servant,
00:09:59 --> 00:10:00 He made Himself nothing,
00:10:00 --> 00:10:02 giving up all authority
00:10:02 --> 00:10:03 under heaven and earth
00:10:03 --> 00:10:04 to endure death,
00:10:04 --> 00:10:06 even death on a cross.
00:10:07 --> 00:10:09 As the creator died to His creation,
00:10:09 --> 00:10:11 the servant suffered on our behalf,
00:10:11 --> 00:10:13 paying back the unpaid backable
00:10:13 --> 00:10:15 and giving up infinite power in the process.
00:10:18 --> 00:10:20 If you think you know the extent of Jesus' suffering,
00:10:21 --> 00:10:22 think again.
00:10:23 --> 00:10:24 Like the infinite hotel,
00:10:24 --> 00:10:26 Jesus' suffering was full,
00:10:27 --> 00:10:29 but yet He took on more
00:10:29 --> 00:10:33 because our debt demanded more.
00:10:33 --> 00:10:36 And then He took on more
00:10:36 --> 00:10:38 because I lied yesterday.
00:10:39 --> 00:10:41 And then He took on more
00:10:41 --> 00:10:43 because I will resent my boss tomorrow.
00:10:44 --> 00:10:46 And then He took on more
00:10:46 --> 00:10:47 and more and more
00:10:47 --> 00:10:48 and more and more.
00:10:50 --> 00:10:51 And then He took on more.
00:10:51 --> 00:10:56 I don't know what that suffering looked like,
00:10:56 --> 00:10:58 but I know the wrongs I have done,
00:10:58 --> 00:11:00 the ways I have not lived up to my own standard,
00:11:01 --> 00:11:02 let alone God's.
00:11:03 --> 00:11:06 And I know that Jesus suffered even more
00:11:06 --> 00:11:08 because of each one of my sins.
00:11:10 --> 00:11:13 Please just remember that this week.
00:11:13 --> 00:11:14 Australia has a history
00:11:14 --> 00:11:17 of remembering those who suffered for us,
00:11:17 --> 00:11:18 for those who fought and died.
00:11:19 --> 00:11:21 Remember in whatever way works for you.
00:11:21 --> 00:11:23 Remember the man who suffered infinitely,
00:11:24 --> 00:11:25 more than you can comprehend,
00:11:25 --> 00:11:27 more than you can ever know,
00:11:28 --> 00:11:28 for you.
00:11:30 --> 00:11:32 And each time you choose yourself over God,
00:11:32 --> 00:11:34 Jesus has already suffered for that.
00:11:35 --> 00:11:38 The Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all,
00:11:38 --> 00:11:41 all punishment, all suffering,
00:11:41 --> 00:11:43 all the infinite wrath of God
00:11:43 --> 00:11:45 created by humanity in the past and the present
00:11:45 --> 00:11:46 and in the future placed on one man.
00:11:49 --> 00:11:50 Remember Him.
00:11:50 --> 00:11:52 The suffering servant of Isaiah.
00:11:56 --> 00:11:57 But the question remains,
00:11:58 --> 00:12:01 what is the result of Jesus' suffering?
00:12:01 --> 00:12:03 What is the point of it?
00:12:04 --> 00:12:06 Well, we find out in the rest of Isaiah 49
00:12:06 --> 00:12:08 that Jesus invites His people
00:12:08 --> 00:12:11 to share in the rewards of His suffering.
00:12:11 --> 00:12:14 That is the reconciliation of everything to Himself.
00:12:15 --> 00:12:17 Have a look with me back at verse 4.
00:12:17 --> 00:12:19 The first half we've already talked about
00:12:19 --> 00:12:21 discusses the vain labour Jesus has faced.
00:12:22 --> 00:12:23 But in the second half of verse 4,
00:12:23 --> 00:12:24 it says,
00:12:24 --> 00:12:27 yet what is due me is in the Lord's hand,
00:12:28 --> 00:12:30 and my reward is with God.
00:12:30 --> 00:12:35 What is Jesus' reward for suffering?
00:12:36 --> 00:12:40 Well, as a result of Jesus' suffering and death and vain labour,
00:12:41 --> 00:12:43 He is owed.
00:12:44 --> 00:12:46 Know the language of obligation here.
00:12:46 --> 00:12:49 Jesus' suffering means He is due a reward.
00:12:49 --> 00:12:51 Not merely waiting around for some gift,
00:12:52 --> 00:12:53 He has earned something.
00:12:54 --> 00:12:55 And what has He earned?
00:12:56 --> 00:12:58 Well, as verse 5 says,
00:12:59 --> 00:13:01 Jesus is honoured in the eyes of God.
00:13:01 --> 00:13:03 Because Jesus is honoured in the eyes of God,
00:13:03 --> 00:13:07 He is now asked to bring back God's ancient people,
00:13:08 --> 00:13:09 Israel slash Jacob,
00:13:09 --> 00:13:10 back to God's kingdom.
00:13:11 --> 00:13:15 This, in fact, is His reward in a beautiful piece of symmetry.
00:13:16 --> 00:13:19 Jesus' infinite suffering is the key that unlocks
00:13:19 --> 00:13:22 the reward for that same suffering.
00:13:23 --> 00:13:24 The return of His people.
00:13:25 --> 00:13:26 The prize for Jesus' suffering, it seems,
00:13:27 --> 00:13:29 is having the women and men He has specifically chosen,
00:13:29 --> 00:13:32 brought back from the distant corners of the earth
00:13:32 --> 00:13:33 they've been stranded in.
00:13:33 --> 00:13:35 It's the metaphor of a second exodus.
00:13:36 --> 00:13:39 The servant's special nation is taken out of suffering
00:13:39 --> 00:13:41 and goes on a journey back to their rightful home
00:13:41 --> 00:13:44 and any difference between the mended and reconciled.
00:13:45 --> 00:13:47 And this act of gathering Jesus' people together
00:13:47 --> 00:13:51 turns out to be a beautiful, joyous occasion.
00:13:52 --> 00:13:54 Listen to the metaphors and poetry on display.
00:13:55 --> 00:13:58 I will turn my mountains into roads
00:13:58 --> 00:14:00 and my highways will be raised up.
00:14:01 --> 00:14:02 See, they come from afar,
00:14:03 --> 00:14:04 some from the north, some from the west.
00:14:05 --> 00:14:06 And my favourite bit,
00:14:06 --> 00:14:09 shout for joy, you heavens.
00:14:10 --> 00:14:11 Rejoice, you earth.
00:14:11 --> 00:14:13 Burst into song, you mountains.
00:14:14 --> 00:14:17 The entirety of creation is rising up
00:14:17 --> 00:14:21 and awakening to hasten the return of the Lord's people
00:14:21 --> 00:14:24 and in doing so, returning to its rightful state
00:14:24 --> 00:14:27 of glorifying God and glorifying the servant
00:14:27 --> 00:14:29 who suffered to bring about this reconciliation.
00:14:31 --> 00:14:33 And creation is rejoicing even more so
00:14:33 --> 00:14:36 now that the definition of God's people has been expanded.
00:14:37 --> 00:14:38 You'll see in verse 5,
00:14:38 --> 00:14:42 it initially talks about Jacob being brought back to God
00:14:42 --> 00:14:44 by the ancient Jewish people.
00:14:45 --> 00:14:48 But God declares that it is too small a thing
00:14:48 --> 00:14:51 for Jesus just to bring back the ancient Jewish nation.
00:14:51 --> 00:14:53 The degree of Jesus' suffering is such
00:14:53 --> 00:14:55 that he deserves all things.
00:14:56 --> 00:14:59 So for him to bring reconciliation to the Jews
00:14:59 --> 00:15:01 would be too small a reward
00:15:01 --> 00:15:03 for one who gave up infinite power.
00:15:03 --> 00:15:05 Now instead, verse 6 says,
00:15:05 --> 00:15:07 that is the whole world Jesus is restoring.
00:15:07 --> 00:15:09 The servant is a light for the Gentiles,
00:15:09 --> 00:15:10 or in other words,
00:15:10 --> 00:15:12 all the non-Jewish people in the world,
00:15:13 --> 00:15:15 so that God's salvation may reach
00:15:15 --> 00:15:16 to the ends of the earth.
00:15:17 --> 00:15:20 Now the most exciting bit of Isaiah 49
00:15:20 --> 00:15:23 is the detail that's not even here.
00:15:23 --> 00:15:26 This joyful picture of God's people
00:15:26 --> 00:15:28 hastening back to their home
00:15:28 --> 00:15:29 is given even greater clarity
00:15:29 --> 00:15:31 in the second half of the Bible.
00:15:32 --> 00:15:33 At the end of Matthew,
00:15:33 --> 00:15:35 Jesus invites his people
00:15:35 --> 00:15:36 to be part of the reconciliation.
00:15:37 --> 00:15:39 As he says in the famous curly font verse
00:15:39 --> 00:15:41 of Matthew 28, 18-20,
00:15:42 --> 00:15:44 all authority on heaven and earth
00:15:44 --> 00:15:45 has been given to me.
00:15:46 --> 00:15:48 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,
00:15:48 --> 00:15:50 baptizing them in the name of the Father
00:15:50 --> 00:15:52 and of the Son of the Holy Spirit.
00:15:52 --> 00:15:56 This glorious readjustment of the world
00:15:56 --> 00:15:57 back to the way it should be,
00:15:57 --> 00:15:59 the gathering of God's people,
00:15:59 --> 00:16:01 the reward for Jesus' infinite suffering
00:16:01 --> 00:16:05 is opened up to us.
00:16:06 --> 00:16:08 Jesus calls us to be part
00:16:08 --> 00:16:09 of this divine readjustment.
00:16:09 --> 00:16:11 It's like the mountains lowering themselves
00:16:11 --> 00:16:12 and the highways being raised up.
00:16:12 --> 00:16:16 We are invited to help bring God's people home.
00:16:18 --> 00:16:20 Now it's about halfway through the sermon,
00:16:20 --> 00:16:22 so just in case you're falling asleep,
00:16:22 --> 00:16:23 I've got another question for you.
00:16:25 --> 00:16:27 Have you ever had two friends get into a fight?
00:16:29 --> 00:16:31 Or co-workers or family members maybe?
00:16:31 --> 00:16:33 You might be good at handling conflict for yourself,
00:16:33 --> 00:16:36 but how do you handle it when two other people
00:16:36 --> 00:16:38 get into a serious disagreement?
00:16:39 --> 00:16:39 More specifically,
00:16:40 --> 00:16:42 how do you help those two other people make up?
00:16:43 --> 00:16:44 If you haven't ever been in this situation,
00:16:44 --> 00:16:45 just imagine you were.
00:16:46 --> 00:16:47 Imagine your two friends,
00:16:47 --> 00:16:48 Bill and Alice,
00:16:48 --> 00:16:49 get into a massive disagreement,
00:16:49 --> 00:16:50 start yelling at each other
00:16:50 --> 00:16:52 and refuse to ever acknowledge each other
00:16:52 --> 00:16:54 when everyone else is hanging out.
00:16:56 --> 00:16:57 What would you do to help resolve the conflict?
00:16:58 --> 00:16:59 Have a chat with the person next to you
00:16:59 --> 00:17:01 and then we'll come back in a minute
00:17:01 --> 00:17:03 and hear some thoughts.
00:17:03 --> 00:17:04 Have a chat.
00:17:04 --> 00:17:07 All right.
00:17:08 --> 00:17:09 Let's come back.
00:17:11 --> 00:17:13 Now if you've ever been in that situation,
00:17:13 --> 00:17:15 I'm sure you know how painful and stressful it can be
00:17:15 --> 00:17:18 to see two people you care about start fighting.
00:17:18 --> 00:17:21 Whether it's parents or housemates or friends at work,
00:17:21 --> 00:17:23 it's a horrible thing to see those you love in conflict.
00:17:23 --> 00:17:26 And this is rarer,
00:17:26 --> 00:17:28 but if those two people in conflict make up
00:17:28 --> 00:17:29 and actually resolve the problem,
00:17:30 --> 00:17:33 there is a great sense of relief that washes over you
00:17:33 --> 00:17:36 once you realise that the tension is stopped.
00:17:38 --> 00:17:40 So how good then is Jesus' reward?
00:17:41 --> 00:17:44 Peace between his beloved people here on earth
00:17:44 --> 00:17:48 and the God he loves more than anything else.
00:17:48 --> 00:17:50 Because of infinite suffering,
00:17:50 --> 00:17:52 Jesus is given his due prize.
00:17:53 --> 00:17:54 Reconciliation, an end to the fighting,
00:17:55 --> 00:17:56 a resolution of the tension
00:17:56 --> 00:17:58 between those he cares most for,
00:17:59 --> 00:18:00 humanity and their creator.
00:18:01 --> 00:18:03 And by his incredible kindness and mercy,
00:18:04 --> 00:18:06 we get to enjoy that same reward.
00:18:06 --> 00:18:08 We get to see those we love the most
00:18:08 --> 00:18:10 end their fighting.
00:18:11 --> 00:18:14 How exciting is the prospect of reconciliation
00:18:14 --> 00:18:17 between the people here on earth we love the most
00:18:17 --> 00:18:20 and the God we worship the most.
00:18:21 --> 00:18:23 How great the joy of witnessing our friends
00:18:23 --> 00:18:25 make peace with God,
00:18:25 --> 00:18:27 ending the conflict between themselves
00:18:27 --> 00:18:30 and the one who loves them and maids them
00:18:30 --> 00:18:33 and knows them more deeply and intimately
00:18:33 --> 00:18:34 than anybody else.
00:18:35 --> 00:18:39 But enjoying this reward is not a passive action.
00:18:40 --> 00:18:42 Part of Jesus' prize is his opportunity
00:18:42 --> 00:18:45 to help God's people return to their home.
00:18:45 --> 00:18:49 Do you want to see this in your friends
00:18:49 --> 00:18:50 and family and co-workers?
00:18:51 --> 00:18:52 Do you want to bear witness
00:18:52 --> 00:18:56 to the reconciliation of everything under earth
00:18:56 --> 00:18:57 back to God?
00:18:58 --> 00:19:00 Do you want to enjoy the reward
00:19:00 --> 00:19:03 that Jesus has earned from infinite suffering
00:19:03 --> 00:19:04 and now shares with you?
00:19:05 --> 00:19:07 That reward is not something in the future.
00:19:07 --> 00:19:09 That is happening right now.
00:19:10 --> 00:19:11 This is an action point,
00:19:11 --> 00:19:12 a doing thing.
00:19:12 --> 00:19:14 And God is calling on each one of us
00:19:14 --> 00:19:16 to tell the people around us
00:19:16 --> 00:19:19 to be the messenger of this offer of reconciliation
00:19:19 --> 00:19:21 to everyone on the planet.
00:19:22 --> 00:19:24 Just as each one of us struggles to get through life
00:19:24 --> 00:19:26 and sometimes can struggle to get through the day,
00:19:27 --> 00:19:29 our friends and families and co-workers
00:19:29 --> 00:19:31 who do not know Jesus struggle more
00:19:31 --> 00:19:34 because they are still fighting against God.
00:19:34 --> 00:19:38 Jesus offers you a chance
00:19:38 --> 00:19:40 to witness an end to the conflict,
00:19:41 --> 00:19:43 to tell the people you care about
00:19:43 --> 00:19:45 of their infinite debt that has been paid,
00:19:45 --> 00:19:48 of the peace that has been earned,
00:19:48 --> 00:19:49 in the rest that can be found
00:19:49 --> 00:19:51 in the one whose burden is light.
00:19:52 --> 00:19:55 Let this be on your hearts and minds this week.
00:19:55 --> 00:19:57 You have an exclusive chance
00:19:57 --> 00:19:59 to enjoy Jesus' reward
00:19:59 --> 00:20:01 and bear witness
00:20:01 --> 00:20:04 to the gathering of God's people around him.
00:20:06 --> 00:20:09 But as great as this reconciliation is,
00:20:09 --> 00:20:13 as truly beautiful as Jesus' reward is,
00:20:14 --> 00:20:15 how can we trust that it will actually come to pass?
00:20:16 --> 00:20:18 What evidence, what proof,
00:20:18 --> 00:20:19 what faith can we have
00:20:19 --> 00:20:21 that Jesus really will get his reward?
00:20:22 --> 00:20:24 Well, the final part of Isaiah 49
00:20:24 --> 00:20:26 says that nothing will stand
00:20:26 --> 00:20:28 between Jesus and his people.
00:20:28 --> 00:20:29 And so in turn,
00:20:29 --> 00:20:32 let nothing stand between you and Jesus.
00:20:33 --> 00:20:35 Now, all of Isaiah 49
00:20:35 --> 00:20:37 has hung on Jesus' suffering
00:20:37 --> 00:20:40 being important and valuable enough
00:20:40 --> 00:20:43 to deserve the reconciliation of everything.
00:20:43 --> 00:20:46 If you see that Jesus' death deserves glory,
00:20:46 --> 00:20:48 if you see the infinite suffering
00:20:48 --> 00:20:49 he endured for our infinite debt,
00:20:49 --> 00:20:51 how can you not help
00:20:51 --> 00:20:53 but follow his commands?
00:20:53 --> 00:20:54 How could there be anything
00:20:54 --> 00:20:55 that stands in your way?
00:20:56 --> 00:20:58 Actually, that's a very fair question
00:20:58 --> 00:20:59 because there's lots of stuff
00:20:59 --> 00:21:00 which stands in our way.
00:21:01 --> 00:21:03 There's a bunch of different roadblocks
00:21:03 --> 00:21:05 or clouds
00:21:05 --> 00:21:07 that obscure our vision of Jesus' glory
00:21:07 --> 00:21:09 and stumbling blocks
00:21:09 --> 00:21:10 that hinder our ability
00:21:10 --> 00:21:11 to follow his commands.
00:21:12 --> 00:21:14 And Isaiah 49 looks at a bunch of them.
00:21:14 --> 00:21:15 To start off with,
00:21:15 --> 00:21:17 we can feel like Jesus did in verse 4.
00:21:17 --> 00:21:19 Labouring in vain for nothing,
00:21:19 --> 00:21:21 spending all of our strength for nothing,
00:21:21 --> 00:21:23 seeing no sign of the reconciliation
00:21:23 --> 00:21:26 that Jesus has promised in the here and now.
00:21:27 --> 00:21:28 And maybe we can ask the question
00:21:28 --> 00:21:30 that the writer of Isaiah does in verse 24.
00:21:31 --> 00:21:33 Can plunder be taken from warriors
00:21:33 --> 00:21:35 or captives be rescued from the fears?
00:21:36 --> 00:21:38 Can we really be brought back to Jesus?
00:21:38 --> 00:21:39 In this metaphor,
00:21:39 --> 00:21:40 we are the plunder,
00:21:40 --> 00:21:41 we are the captives.
00:21:42 --> 00:21:44 And the devil that holds us
00:21:44 --> 00:21:45 is fierce indeed.
00:21:45 --> 00:21:47 And finally,
00:21:47 --> 00:21:48 sometimes we can just forget
00:21:48 --> 00:21:50 the weight of Jesus' suffering.
00:21:51 --> 00:21:53 The modern world is very distracting,
00:21:53 --> 00:21:54 almost by design.
00:21:54 --> 00:21:55 There are big companies
00:21:55 --> 00:21:57 making big money off your attention,
00:21:57 --> 00:21:58 off taking your attention
00:21:58 --> 00:22:01 from the stuff that really matters.
00:22:01 --> 00:22:03 Other stuff can just seem
00:22:03 --> 00:22:04 so much more important in the moment.
00:22:06 --> 00:22:08 But our God has answers
00:22:08 --> 00:22:09 for literally everything.
00:22:10 --> 00:22:13 It might feel like we labour in vain,
00:22:13 --> 00:22:14 but as we've already talked about,
00:22:14 --> 00:22:18 Jesus' reward is not based on chance or luck.
00:22:18 --> 00:22:19 It is earned.
00:22:20 --> 00:22:22 The reward that Jesus shares with us
00:22:22 --> 00:22:23 lies in heaven
00:22:23 --> 00:22:25 and nothing on this earth can take it away.
00:22:27 --> 00:22:28 Can God really,
00:22:29 --> 00:22:30 I mean really,
00:22:30 --> 00:22:32 rescue us from the clutches of the devil,
00:22:32 --> 00:22:33 from the realm of sin and darkness
00:22:33 --> 00:22:34 and self-damnation?
00:22:36 --> 00:22:38 Verse 25 loudly shouts,
00:22:38 --> 00:22:38 Yes!
00:22:38 --> 00:22:40 God says,
00:22:40 --> 00:22:41 Yes!
00:22:42 --> 00:22:43 Captives will be taken from warriors
00:22:43 --> 00:22:46 and plunder will be retrieved from the fierce.
00:22:46 --> 00:22:48 I will contend with those who contend with you
00:22:48 --> 00:22:50 and your children I will save.
00:22:53 --> 00:22:53 And finally,
00:22:54 --> 00:22:54 we might forget God,
00:22:55 --> 00:22:56 but He does not forget us.
00:22:57 --> 00:22:59 If you open your Bibles
00:22:59 --> 00:23:00 and have a look at verse 14 and 15 with me,
00:23:00 --> 00:23:02 God's people in Zion say,
00:23:02 --> 00:23:04 The Lord has forsaken me,
00:23:04 --> 00:23:05 the Lord has forgotten me.
00:23:05 --> 00:23:08 How often do you feel alone
00:23:08 --> 00:23:10 and distant from the people around you,
00:23:10 --> 00:23:12 let alone the God who made you?
00:23:13 --> 00:23:15 Well, verse 15 follows up and says,
00:23:15 --> 00:23:18 Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
00:23:18 --> 00:23:22 and have no compassion on the child she has born?
00:23:22 --> 00:23:24 It's the metaphor of a mother
00:23:24 --> 00:23:26 holding her child while breastfeeding.
00:23:26 --> 00:23:29 How could she forget what she held in her hands?
00:23:30 --> 00:23:32 Not only because it's suckling at her breast,
00:23:32 --> 00:23:33 but because it is her own child,
00:23:33 --> 00:23:34 her own beloved.
00:23:34 --> 00:23:38 We might forget God like Zion,
00:23:38 --> 00:23:40 but He does not forget us.
00:23:41 --> 00:23:42 Now, each of those could have been
00:23:42 --> 00:23:43 a sermon in of themselves,
00:23:44 --> 00:23:45 but the best news from Isaiah 49
00:23:45 --> 00:23:49 is that even if we don't follow God's commands,
00:23:49 --> 00:23:50 even if we screw up,
00:23:51 --> 00:23:54 Jesus' glory is such that God's people
00:23:54 --> 00:23:55 will come to Him anyway.
00:23:56 --> 00:23:58 There's such a strong sense of inevitability
00:23:59 --> 00:24:01 in the relationships of this passage.
00:24:01 --> 00:24:03 No matter what we do,
00:24:04 --> 00:24:05 God's world will be put to right
00:24:05 --> 00:24:07 and God's people will be drawn to Him.
00:24:07 --> 00:24:09 The servant doesn't choose to be glorified for his suffering,
00:24:10 --> 00:24:11 it just happens as a natural,
00:24:12 --> 00:24:14 God-willed consequence of what he's given up.
00:24:15 --> 00:24:16 God can't help but remember His people
00:24:16 --> 00:24:18 any more than a mother can forget
00:24:18 --> 00:24:19 the child at her breast.
00:24:19 --> 00:24:21 It's just who He is to be loving.
00:24:22 --> 00:24:24 And God's people will inevitably
00:24:24 --> 00:24:26 be given to the servant and his due reward
00:24:26 --> 00:24:28 and be gathered back to their king.
00:24:30 --> 00:24:31 The way I think about it
00:24:31 --> 00:24:33 is that once a decision has been made,
00:24:33 --> 00:24:35 the consequences are inevitable.
00:24:36 --> 00:24:38 If I decide to drop this piece of paper,
00:24:39 --> 00:24:41 you can probably guess what's going to happen.
00:24:41 --> 00:24:42 It's going to fall to the ground.
00:24:43 --> 00:24:45 Neither me nor you nor anybody else
00:24:45 --> 00:24:46 can affect that force of gravity.
00:24:46 --> 00:24:51 Now, I've got a more vivid description of this.
00:24:51 --> 00:24:52 We need some help from Andy.
00:24:55 --> 00:24:56 So what I want you to do
00:24:56 --> 00:25:00 is imagine the distance between this ball and me
00:25:00 --> 00:25:03 is the distance between God and us.
00:25:06 --> 00:25:08 If Andy decides to let go,
00:25:08 --> 00:25:09 just as Christ...
00:25:09 --> 00:25:13 Just as Christ decides to die,
00:25:13 --> 00:25:15 there is nothing that any of us
00:25:15 --> 00:25:17 can do to stop it.
00:25:21 --> 00:25:22 Thank you, Andy.
00:25:25 --> 00:25:27 I wanted to pick a sort of fun one
00:25:27 --> 00:25:28 to finish off this sermon
00:25:28 --> 00:25:29 because I want you to remember that this week.
00:25:31 --> 00:25:33 Christ's reward is inevitable.
00:25:34 --> 00:25:36 The weight of His suffering
00:25:36 --> 00:25:39 is such that He was glorified
00:25:39 --> 00:25:40 and His reward
00:25:40 --> 00:25:43 is God's people coming back to Him.
00:25:44 --> 00:25:46 There is nothing anyone can do about it.
00:25:47 --> 00:25:48 This is not an action point.
00:25:48 --> 00:25:49 This isn't even a reflection point.
00:25:50 --> 00:25:52 This is just a fact I'm telling you.
00:25:53 --> 00:25:55 You can do with this fact what you'd like.
00:25:56 --> 00:25:58 But can I implore you, please,
00:25:59 --> 00:26:01 come to know the King
00:26:01 --> 00:26:02 who will rule the world.
00:26:03 --> 00:26:05 The servant of Isaiah 49
00:26:05 --> 00:26:06 suffered and died
00:26:06 --> 00:26:07 and this same servant
00:26:07 --> 00:26:09 is now ruler of all.
00:26:11 --> 00:26:12 Do you expect this to come true?
00:26:13 --> 00:26:15 Do you expect Christ
00:26:15 --> 00:26:16 to make a real difference
00:26:16 --> 00:26:17 in the world this week?
00:26:18 --> 00:26:19 Do you live knowing
00:26:19 --> 00:26:19 the inevitability,
00:26:22 --> 00:26:24 the complete reliability
00:26:24 --> 00:26:25 of Christ's return,
00:26:25 --> 00:26:27 His reign and His reward?
00:26:28 --> 00:26:30 Do you expect what you hear me
00:26:30 --> 00:26:31 talking about on a Sunday
00:26:31 --> 00:26:33 to be true for you on a Thursday?
00:26:33 --> 00:26:34 Can I implore you,
00:26:34 --> 00:26:36 live with the expectation
00:26:36 --> 00:26:39 that no matter what you do this week,
00:26:39 --> 00:26:41 Christ is returning,
00:26:41 --> 00:26:42 He is reigning
00:26:42 --> 00:26:45 and He will receive His reward
00:26:45 --> 00:26:47 of His people being reconciled to Him.
00:26:48 --> 00:26:51 Be part of that journey,
00:26:51 --> 00:26:52 be part of that reconciliation.
00:26:54 --> 00:26:56 Come be part of Christ's reward.
00:26:56 --> 00:27:26 Come be part of Christ's reward.