(161) 2011-06-26 Inscription 56 (Heaven)
Messages of Comfort in Isaiah (Inscription 53)
Hope in God
Isaiah 8:11-15; 30:1-26
April 10, 2011
Think/Pray/Act/Feel differently
A sermon should be Scripture opened up for personal situations (cf. Driscoll)
You suck, but God is good
What part of the mission statement is this?
Give them breathing space
Prep:
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Resources:
· Fasting “Homesick”
Facebook:
Main Point(s) of sermon:
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Objectives of sermon:
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Intro/Communication card:
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Prayer
Scripture reading:
· PPT: Please text Janna, her service is almost over: 333-4505
Q & A
Communication Card/Application
Notes:
Isaiah 65:17-25 17 "Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. 18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. 19 I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. 20 "Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed. 21 They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 22 No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. 23 They will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the LORD, they and their descendants with them. 24 Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. 25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent's food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain," says the LORD.
The problem comes when we examine Isaiah 65:20–25 in light of what John had to say in the Apocalypse about the new heavens and the new earth. In Isaiah 65:20 death is possible, but in Revelation 21:4 death is no longer a feature of that new estate. John assures us that God “will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”[1]
18 The new creation is intended to be enjoyed. This contrasts with the sadness of chaps. 1–39. The building of Jerusalem, the focal point of God’s creative action is intended to be a rejoicing. Her people are to become a joy in themselves and for Yahweh’s scattered people everywhere.
19 God himself will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in his people. Undoubtedly God’s tears had flowed for both the city and his people many times during the previous four centuries. Finally this can be reversed.[2]
Isaiah 25:6-8 6 ¶ On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine-- the best of meats and the finest of wines. 7 On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken.
Remember the “Jesus is coming on May 21st” thing? Prior to that I did not feel fear or anything like it, more like a wishing, I wish it were true, though I know it is not (like wishing to win the Monopoly mortgage paid off – the odds are about the same).
I just finished reading “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” to Grace and Sarah, and they asked how Lewis talked about God in that book – VDT is all about a longing for Heaven.
Rest – dear God I need it! The promise of Heaven is that the exile doesn’t last forever, there will be rest from the weariness of meaningless and unending toil.
The answer is because there are better days ahead for those who are in God’s grace. Beginning in verse 16, the prophet says “the past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my eyes.” Then God says “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.”
· In other words, God’s new world will be so wonderful that none of the problems of the past will be remembered! And none of the problems of the past will be repeated!
· Those of you who are suffering and smarting from the loss of a loved one will never feel the pangs of loneliness ever again.
· Those of you who are ravaged with arthritis and osteoporosis will never feel the pain of disease ever again.
· Those of you who are worried whether or not God accepts you as you are will never feel insecure ever again.
· In God’s new world, there will be no more sleepless nights, no more sluggish days, and no more sickness.
· In God’s new world, there will be no more guilt. No more greed. No more gut-wrenching worries. And no more goodbyes.
· In God’s new world, there will be no more heartaches. No more heartburn. And no more heart attacks.
· In God’s new world, the wrongs of the past will be rectified! In God’s new world, everything will be set right!
How do I know that? Because Revelation chapter 21:4 says that God “will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. 5He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!"
Instead of a world characterized by grief and gloom, God is preparing for us a world characterized by gladness! Isaiah 65:18 says “But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create.”
How many of you have seen a football team moments after they’ve won the Super Bowl? You have grown men jumping up and down. Spraying bottles of champagne all over the locker room. Doing funny little dances. Shouting “We did it! We won! We are the champions, my friends!”
And in that hour of triumph, no one’s upset about how hard the season was. No one’s crying over the fumbles and the interceptions of the past. They are basking in the glow of victory! It’s party time!
My friends, that’s what it will be like when God sets up His kingdom on earth. We won’t be thinking about the things that hurt us or harm us today. We won’t be dwelling on the heartaches of the past.
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[1] Hard sayings of the Bible (308).
[2] Watts, J. D. W. (2002). Vol. 25: Word Biblical Commentary : Isaiah 34-66. Word Biblical Commentary (354). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.