LAST SUNDAY'S SERMON NOTES
Read Peter's preaching notes....
“Just Because He Wants To”
Isaiah 32:12-20
7/15/18
Something odd about passage Pete read: may not have picked up
points to key of Xn faith
reason why able to receive HS, whom we’re learning about this summer
Hundreds of years before, God established covenant w/ his people
covenant of law: laid out most clearly end of Deut: Ch 28
“If you obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands:” blessing
“However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands:” list of curses
broke commands at lightning speed: Lord put up w/ for generations until had enough
by time of Isaiah’s oracle of Ch 32, northern k’dom of Isr destroyed by Assr Emp
southern k’dom of Judah on chopping block
sent prophets like Isaiah & Micah: hoped would wake them up, repent & turn to God
unfortunately didn’t work: 120 yrs later destroyed by Baby Emp
Oracle of Ch 32 begins w/ message of hope & promise of blessing
“a king will reign in rtness:” one of 1st predictions of Messiah
divine being come to rule over Lord’s people
promise we Xns believe fulfilled in Jesus: why call him X (Gr for Messiah)
vv. 3-8 describe what life will be like under this ruler
wisdom respected & sought after
end to faithlessness, failure to care for poor & needy
Isaiah goes on: not what land is like now
fault lies not in the halls of power, but in the hearts of the people
easy to blame gov’t when, esp in democracy like ours, it is reflection of who we are
focuses not on kings & rulers, but on women: least influential in society at time
from top to bottom, nation has violated covenant
greatest crime? not terrible deeds of evil, although read about them elsewhere
but complacency: sitting back & thinking everything is fine, when it is not
fail to recognize problems around them, don’t realize doom awaiting them
Today’s passage begins partway through oracle: description of destruction to come
crops will fail, land will become overgrown, fields abandoned
towns & cities devastated, sounds of joy & festivity silenced
Lord would withdraw hand that had provided blessing: leave nothing but desolation
“Till:” hinge at beginning of v 15 that changes everything
all will be sorrow & loss until Spirit poured upon us from on high
until God comes upon us in power, all is loss
until HS fills the world, know nothing but emptiness & defeat
but when Spirit comes, all the devastation will be reversed
fields that had become overgrown wastelands? now fertile fields
what would happen to land would be reflection of what happens in society
in relationships between people, in how communities & nation will change
Marked by three words
Justice: מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat): more than deciding legal cases fairly
Tim Kellar: “It also means giving people their rights…. That is why… over and over again, mishpat describes taking up the care and cause of widows, orphans, immigrants and the poor”
Rtness: צְדָקָה (tsedeqah): more than living life properly: lived in relationship
when God (or we) fulfill our obligations and commitments to others
Peace: שָׁלוֹם (shalom): result of justice & rtness
completeness, safety, prosperity, contentment, tranquility, harmony, well-being
When have these attributes driving your life, externals don’t matter
storms can destroy forest & field, city can be completely leveled
even though these things happen, Isaiah can say “how blessed you will be”
Condition of nation & lives changes dramatically when Spirit poured on us
but why would God pour HS on us?
remember covenant: blessings if obey, curses if don’t
people didn’t suddenly have change of heart, become faithful & obedient
what changed wasn’t how well people kept covenant
what changed was covenant itself
HS to come upon land, and us, because God changed the rules
covenant no longer “do right thing & get rewarded”
but “I love you. I will bless you. Period. I put no expectations on you”
word for this kind of covenant: grace
God’s blessing poured upon us based not upon anything we do or are
based solely upon his love for us
receive his blessings just because he wants to give them
sealed new covenant w/ blood of Jesus on cross
means by which God chose to make his grace available to us
testimony & guarantee of his unconditional love
“I will offer very life for you, even as you do your very worst to me”
Problem for us: keep going back to old covenant thinking
continue to believe that God blesses good behavior, punishes evil deeds
completely understandable: exact opposite of everything else we know
get caught breaking law (speeding, Julie W shoplifting): get fine or jail time
hard worker, get promotion or raise (and if don’t, upset because think deserve)
treat friend like scum, friendship will end
do nice things for spouse, relationship blossoms
different w/ God under covenant of grace: extends justice, rtness, peace freely
There’s no “if” attached to the “till”
no human reason to have HS poured upon us, blessings that come from him
only reason is greatest reason of all: God’s eternal love for us
Isaiah 32:12-20
7/15/18
Something odd about passage Pete read: may not have picked up
points to key of Xn faith
reason why able to receive HS, whom we’re learning about this summer
Hundreds of years before, God established covenant w/ his people
covenant of law: laid out most clearly end of Deut: Ch 28
“If you obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands:” blessing
“However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands:” list of curses
broke commands at lightning speed: Lord put up w/ for generations until had enough
by time of Isaiah’s oracle of Ch 32, northern k’dom of Isr destroyed by Assr Emp
southern k’dom of Judah on chopping block
sent prophets like Isaiah & Micah: hoped would wake them up, repent & turn to God
unfortunately didn’t work: 120 yrs later destroyed by Baby Emp
Oracle of Ch 32 begins w/ message of hope & promise of blessing
“a king will reign in rtness:” one of 1st predictions of Messiah
divine being come to rule over Lord’s people
promise we Xns believe fulfilled in Jesus: why call him X (Gr for Messiah)
vv. 3-8 describe what life will be like under this ruler
wisdom respected & sought after
end to faithlessness, failure to care for poor & needy
Isaiah goes on: not what land is like now
fault lies not in the halls of power, but in the hearts of the people
easy to blame gov’t when, esp in democracy like ours, it is reflection of who we are
focuses not on kings & rulers, but on women: least influential in society at time
from top to bottom, nation has violated covenant
greatest crime? not terrible deeds of evil, although read about them elsewhere
but complacency: sitting back & thinking everything is fine, when it is not
fail to recognize problems around them, don’t realize doom awaiting them
Today’s passage begins partway through oracle: description of destruction to come
crops will fail, land will become overgrown, fields abandoned
towns & cities devastated, sounds of joy & festivity silenced
Lord would withdraw hand that had provided blessing: leave nothing but desolation
“Till:” hinge at beginning of v 15 that changes everything
all will be sorrow & loss until Spirit poured upon us from on high
until God comes upon us in power, all is loss
until HS fills the world, know nothing but emptiness & defeat
but when Spirit comes, all the devastation will be reversed
fields that had become overgrown wastelands? now fertile fields
what would happen to land would be reflection of what happens in society
in relationships between people, in how communities & nation will change
Marked by three words
Justice: מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat): more than deciding legal cases fairly
Tim Kellar: “It also means giving people their rights…. That is why… over and over again, mishpat describes taking up the care and cause of widows, orphans, immigrants and the poor”
Rtness: צְדָקָה (tsedeqah): more than living life properly: lived in relationship
when God (or we) fulfill our obligations and commitments to others
Peace: שָׁלוֹם (shalom): result of justice & rtness
completeness, safety, prosperity, contentment, tranquility, harmony, well-being
When have these attributes driving your life, externals don’t matter
storms can destroy forest & field, city can be completely leveled
even though these things happen, Isaiah can say “how blessed you will be”
Condition of nation & lives changes dramatically when Spirit poured on us
but why would God pour HS on us?
remember covenant: blessings if obey, curses if don’t
people didn’t suddenly have change of heart, become faithful & obedient
what changed wasn’t how well people kept covenant
what changed was covenant itself
HS to come upon land, and us, because God changed the rules
covenant no longer “do right thing & get rewarded”
but “I love you. I will bless you. Period. I put no expectations on you”
word for this kind of covenant: grace
God’s blessing poured upon us based not upon anything we do or are
based solely upon his love for us
receive his blessings just because he wants to give them
sealed new covenant w/ blood of Jesus on cross
means by which God chose to make his grace available to us
testimony & guarantee of his unconditional love
“I will offer very life for you, even as you do your very worst to me”
Problem for us: keep going back to old covenant thinking
continue to believe that God blesses good behavior, punishes evil deeds
completely understandable: exact opposite of everything else we know
get caught breaking law (speeding, Julie W shoplifting): get fine or jail time
hard worker, get promotion or raise (and if don’t, upset because think deserve)
treat friend like scum, friendship will end
do nice things for spouse, relationship blossoms
different w/ God under covenant of grace: extends justice, rtness, peace freely
There’s no “if” attached to the “till”
no human reason to have HS poured upon us, blessings that come from him
only reason is greatest reason of all: God’s eternal love for us
Old Union Presbyterian Church | 200 Union Church Road, Mars, PA 16046
724-538-8672 | OldUnionChurch@gmail.com
724-538-8672 | OldUnionChurch@gmail.com