Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRO

For just a few moments would you open up your imagination with me?

Imagine that the year is 701 BC.

You are living in Jerusalem, and for the past few months you have been hearing stories about what has been happening in the regions to your north.

You have heard of a foreign army, the Assyrians, being led by a new king that is hungry for new lands, new people, and all of their stuff.

You have heard the stories of how your king has emptied the national treasury of all the gold and all the silver in an effort to “BUY PEACE.”

You have seen the temple and the missing adornments, the stripped gold, and the missing jewels.

You have heard the rumors that King Hezekiah sent King Sennacherib a huge ransom to spare the city.

You have heard the Gossip from those on the wall that overheard the threats the inhabitants of the city would eat their own dung and drink their own urine just to try and survive.

You know the strategies of siege warfare; that a lot of it is a waiting game: trap the inhabitants in the city, let them consume their supplies while they are cut off from restocking, feast on the game surrounding the city, prepare the weapons of war.

You know the strategies, you see the enemy camping outside the walls, you see the swords, spears, bows, and chariots, you see them cutting down trees and beginning to build battering rams.

FEAR IS BUZZING THROUGH THE CITY!!!

BUT GOD!!!

2 of the greatest words you, I, or anyone else could ever utter.

While the Jewish people may or may not have been worried or living in fear.

While King Hezekiah was sending a ransom.

WHile preparations for war were being made…GOD WAS AT WORK!!!

For the next several chapters Isaiah writes about promises of protection, provision, promotion, position, and purpose.

He writes that God is doing and is going to do amazing things not only for the Jewish people, but for ALL the people of the world.

In Isaiah 42:1-7

He says you have seen what I have done, but wait, and watch what I’m going to do.

YOUR VICTORY IS NOW, BUT WATCH THE VICTORY THAT’S AHEAD!

You can AND SHOULD live a victorious life now, BUT if you’ll hold true to the Word of God, believe and receive His promises, the VICTORY TO COME IS NEARLY UNIMAGINABLE!!!

You can read through Scripture and find promise after promise.

You will find that some of those promises were specific for a time or person, but there are lots of promises that are for us right here and right now.

In Isaiah 42, the prophet has started talking about a promise that is and will be for all people for all times.

God is talking about HIS Servant (SINGULAR) that would come for all people.

He was talking about the Messiah that would AND HAS taken away the sins of all that would receive what He did for us.

He was prophesying the VICTORY THAT WE CAN CHOOSE TO WALK IN AND LIVE IN NOW

In Isaiah 53 we see that the price or the cost of our Victory was His pain.

The SERVANT would have to pay a great price to overcome the extreme weight and shame of our sin.

By the time we get to this mornings passage of Scripture we have seen...

THE PAST (What God has done in the past) The Angel of the Lord came and killed 185,000 men, THEREBY DELIVERING THE INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM FROM SENNACHERIB

THE PROPHECY in chapter 42 that the Servant would come and reign.

THE PRICE He would pay in Isaiah 53 which we know talked about what Jesus would do and provide for us at the crucifixion.

And in Isaiah 54 we see PROMISE to both Israel and to us.

I. Protection

NO WEAPON

The Jewish people of the day may have thought back to the Assyrians.

They may have thought about the Babylonians.

They may have considered spears, swords, sling, charioteers, siege machines, armed cavalry.

They likely would have still considered neighboring nations that sought conquest and power.

regardless of the image that was sparked, regardless of the natural power those weapons may have possessed, God said those weapons would not Prosper.

Today when we hear, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper” we may think of natural weapons, such as guns, knives, or nuclear bombs, but I think that we (as the Jewish people then) should hear that statement metaphorically.

In stead of thinking about swords, spears and siege weapons; or guns, knives, and nuclear bombs, we should think about the desires of the enemy of our souls and the weapons he is constantly forming against us.

Ephesians 6:11–18 (ESV)

11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.

16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;

17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,

18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.

To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

II.

Power

He promises us protection, but He doesn’t leave us powerless.

Don’t leave here today and stare down the barrel of a bad guys gun quoting Isaiah 54:17.

In Ephesians 6:17

Ephesians 6:17 (ESV)

17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,

In the wilderness when Jesus was tempted by the devil this is exactly what He did.

The enemy came with temptation, he came sling arrows trying to get Jesus to fail, and Jesus blocked the blows, and fired right back with the Word of God.

You cant sit here today, hearing “no weapon formed against me shall prosper” and leave expecting to ride all week on Sunday’s sermon.

If you don’t wake up every morning and prepare yourself for the attack, if you aren’t putting on the whole armor of God, spending time training with your sword by reading and studying the Word of God, taking time to pray, if you don’t expect a battle, you will certainly not be ready when it comes.

He doesn’t leave us powerless, but He gives us the weapons, wisdom, and will to walk in Victory.

History tells us that as Hezekiah heard the news of Sennacherib’s attacks, he began to prepare.

As I said earlier, one of the strategies of siege warfare was to wait out the people that were trapped.

As Sennacherib’s delegates stood outside the walls of Jerusalem saying that the inhabitants would be forced to drink their own urine, they were unaware that Hezekiah had made provisions.

One of the things that made Jerusalem great was its water supply.

At the outer edge of the city was a natural spring that supplied the entire city with water.

However, the walls were in disrepair and the water was exposed.

He strengthened the walls, he armed the men, he setup a leadership structure for battle, and he rerouted the water.

HE PREPARED FOR BATTLE

AND

HE RECOGNIZED THE NEED TO EMPOWER HIS PEOPLE

Isaiah 54:17 (NKJV)

17 No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn.

This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord.

If I started around the room this morning asking each of you what battles you face, most of you would likely tell me it is a warfare of the mind.

It is words whether spoken against you or imagined within you, that lead to self-doubt, depression, anxiety, temptation, guilt, shame, fear, among who knows what else.

BUT God said, “YOU shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment.”

YOU!!!

Not me, Not Pastor Sam, Not Pastor Kim, Not a prayer team, or a Sunday School Teacher!

IT’S IN YOUR MIND THAT BATTLES OFTEN BEGIN AND HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO END...

IN YOUR MIND!

They have the potential to begin and end without every being given a proper birth!

We do that by realizing that We have the power to refute every tongue that rises against us in judgment.

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

2 Corinthians 10:3–5 (NKJV)

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.

4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,

5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

The next time you begin to doubt yourself, feel depression or fear rise up, the next time you feel guilt or shame start to rear its ugly head, SPEAK TO THE ENEMEY, TAKE BACK YOUR DESTINY, AND REMEMBER THAT YOU BELONG TO THE LORD!!!!

We sing it, we get excited about it, then we leave and find ourselves with our head hung low feeling defeated.

STOP IT!!!

JUST STOP IT!!!

You aren’t just supposed to Walk in Victory in eternity, BUT YOU ARE ALREADY MORE THAN CONQUERORS NOW!!!

HE HAS GIVEN YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED