Do you believe the report of the Lord?
Notes
Transcript
Who has believed what he has heard from us? (Who hath believed our Report KJV)
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? (Thats his power and his might)
For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?
And they made his grave with the wicked
and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.
Introduction
Introduction
Happy Easter..
Were glad that your here this morning, and have decided to celebrate the resurrection of christ with us.
Untraditional
I want us to spend some time this morning in this passage found in Isaiah 53.
The lord has really laid it on my heart over the last few weeks and I believe he wants to speak to us through it.
I know Traditionally we would be focusing solely on the story of the resurrection of Jesus
After all thats what we set this day aside every year to celebrate..
we would spend time in passages such Luke 24, or Matthew 28, or John 20…
Zoom instead
Instead i want to invite you to zoom out a little more
and look at the bigger picture of the passion event..
Not just the resurrection..
and not just the death…
Not just the scourging or the false accusations..
Rather, I want each of us to examine ourselves this morning..
and determine if we have chosen to really believe the entirety of the news that scripture claims of Jesus and the implications it has on us.
Evidence
Evidence that the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection took place in reality is more than sufficient..
Theologians and academics have gone to great lengths to examine every fact..
Countless books have been written to document the facts and support the Gospel witness accounts ..
Case studies have proofed over and over these events really happened..
Even Secular historians such as josephus correlate them..
The four synoptic gospels are not just bible stories.. they are literally eye witness accounts of what happened..
Suffice it to say, We have plenty of evidence, more than most stories from antiquity that are widely believed..
Belief
But at the end of the day..
no matter how much evidence we have
We have to choose to believe they took place..
Choose to believe Jesus is the son of god who died and rose again for us..
Choose to believe what Gods word says is true..
Choose to believe it was our sins he beared on that cross..
and live our lives according to that belief..
and when we do, the faith of our belief becomes the key to unlock the power and promise of God in our lives..
Today
So the question I want to ask you today is the question that Isaiah penned here in the opening of chapter 53…
Do you believe the report of the Lord?
ask your neighbor.. do you believe the report of the Lord?
Isaiah
Isaiah
Isaiah 53 is a well known messianic prophecy of Jesus
Most theologians believe it was written between 800-700 BC
that being 8-700 years BEFORE Christ experienced passion week..
It accurately foretells of many facets of passion week that Jesus would walk out and experience..
In precise detail..
Jesus in 53
Verse 2 tells of the humble upbringing of Christ as a child..
Verse 3 tells of his rejection by the masses and his many sorrows and griefs… Rejected by the very people he came to save..
Verse 5 says he was pierced.. we know he took the spear in his side.. , the thorns in his head.. and the nails in his hands..
It also says he was crushed.. The scourging took him to within limits of his life.. and the cross finished him off..
Verse 7 foretells he would be silent during his punishment..
Verse 8 Tells of his false accusation and condiment by the courts..
It also tells of his death..
Verse 9 Tells of his crucifixion among criminals..
And his burial in a rich mans tomb..
though he was innocent..
Verse 10 prophecies that he would rise again to eternity..
Verse 11 and 12 proclaims how he would carry our sins..
and we would be saved..
Isaiah 53 proclaims the coming of the messiah, Jesus christ..
and in 33 ad Jesus would ride into jerusalem and fulfill this prophecy as he was accused, beaten, crucified, buried, and rose again..
Isaiah 53, God is proclaiming the coming of christ and the passion event..
He is declaring the Gospel of Jesus, The Good News, Some 800 years before it would happen
Mouth Piece of God
Understand though Isaiah is the credited author here..
He is not the originator of this prophetic news..
As a prophet, like all the prophets, it was Isaiah's Job to be the mouth piece for god..
To hear the lord, and proclaim what he is saying..
So the words we read here..
are not just the words of Isaiah..
they are the words of god himself…
Proclaiming… There is coming a day when the man of many griefs and sorrows will come and give his life as a ransom for the many..
GOD IS DECLARING THE COMING OF JESUS AND HIS WORK ON THE CROSS..
God says this is the one I am sending..
but “who has believed our report?”
What is the report of the lord?
The Report of the Lord
The Report of the Lord
As Isaiah is penning the words of god has given to him..
he opens with this question..
Who has believed what he has heard from us?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
Who hath believed our report?
And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
hebrews word
the Hebrew word found here for report..
means news…
God is saying..
Who has believed the news I am sharing..
And then in the remaining verse of the chapter God goes on to share the news..
the news of the coming messiah, Jesus..
Gospel
interestingly enough..
When we get Into the new testament
we find the same report..
The news of Jesus Isaiah is writing about..
Thats what the synoptic gospels are..
Great detail about the life and work of Jesus on the earth..
Just as Isaiah proclaimed..
Different name for report..
BUT THE NEW TESTAMENT GIVES THE REPORT ANOTHER NAME..
BUT WITH A SIMILAR MEANING..
the new testament calls this report the gospel..
Meaning the good news..
Jesus even says this in Mark 1..
almost repeating the father..
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Jesus says the same thing God says in Isaiah 53:1..
Believe the news..
So what is the report of the lord?
So what is the report of the lord?
The report of the Lord is the good news of Jesus..
Its the gospel..
But it could be extended to mean, any news that God chooses to share with us..
And gods entire word, the bible, is the news that God has chosen to share with us..
Because all of scripture is God breathed and inspired and good for guiding us..
Simply put if god said it, we can believe it, and stand upon it..
Believe
but i want you to catch the action required from us here.
He doesnt just say.. heres the news..
he says.. WHO BELIEVES THE NEWS
Belief is an action..
Its a choice..
We have the report.. the facts.. the news..
BUT WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING WITH IT..
WE MUST CHOOSE TO BELIEVE IT..
both Isaiah 53 and the gospels..
Both The old and new testament,
including Jesus himself..
tell us we must believe them..
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”
Jesus in john implys that if we dont, we miss out on the benifets of believing the news..
BELIEF IS THE KEY THAT OPENS THE PROMISE..
Its not enough just to simply know the facts.. you must believe them and live by them..
Its not enough to simply know about god..
WE HAVE TO CHOOSE TO PUT OUR FAITH IN GOD AND BELIEVE THE FACTS..
BELIEF, FAITH, OPENS THE PROMISES THAT ARE IMDUED IN THE FACTS…
because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
We have to believe..
We have to choose to believe the report of God..
What he has shared with us..
His word..
His news..
His gospel..
and if we will it will change out lives..
WE HAVE TO BELIEVE THE REPORT..
Which report
Which report
We live in a time where we are constantly inodated with news..
Public news… like the tv and internet new..
real news..
fake news..
Personal news..
reports from our kids teachers..
or doctors..
or bill collectors..
WE ARE SURROUNDED BY NEWS..
AND MANY TIMES IT NOT POSSITIVE NEWS.
BUT EACH DAY WE HAVE TO CHOOSE WHAT NEWS WERE GONNA BELIEVE..
WE CAN BELIEVE THE CHAOS SURROUNDSING US..
OR WE CAN STAND FIRM ON THE REPORT OF THE LORD AND WHO HE IS..
WE CAN BELIVE THE DOCTOR..
OR WE CAN BELIEVE THE HEALER..
WE CAN BELEIVE THE BILL COLLECTOR..
OR WE CAN BELIEVE THE PROVIDER..
WE CAN BELIEVE THE CHAOS..
OR WE CAN BELIEVE THE ONE WHO BRINGS PEACE..
UNDERSTAND THE ONE WHO YOU CHOOSE TO BELIEVE WILL RULE YOUR LIFE IN THAT MOMENT..
SO WE HAVE TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE AND CHOOSE TO TRUST GOD IN ALL THINGS…
WE HAVE TO BELIEVE THE REPORT OF THE LORD..
so what does the report of the lord say?
What does the report promise us?
What does the report promise us?
I want to look at 4 promises real quick that the report of the lord, specifically here in Isaiah 53 tells us.. If we will believe..
Obviously the bible is full of many many more..
but this morning I want to stick to these four and I hope they will bring you hope..
1. Peace
1. Peace
Gods report promises peace
Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
he was stricken for our peace
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
What is peace?
Peace is the equilibrium of the soul..
Its the stilling of the heart…
its inner stillness, calm and tranquility
and the peace that jesus brings is inspire of the circumstances..
Paul describes peace in Philippians 4:7 as
…the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding…
Circumstances
The Peace christ offers is a peace that comes in-spite of the winds and waves of life..
It can be 20 foot swells..
and 100 mile an hour winds all around you..
and Christ can bring peace..
Because he is the ancor for peace..
Today
Maybe your hear today..
and your life is anything but peacefull..
I want to tell you..
Jesus offers peace if we will believe in him..
But you have to choose to believe in him..
We have to put our faith in him and believe the report..
when the storms of life come..
we have to put our faith in him..
WE CAN CHOOSE TO BELIEVE THE STORMS WILL DESTROY US..
OR WE CAN CHOOSE TO BELIEVE THE REPORT OF THE LORD THAT THE PEACE OF CHRIST WILL ANCHOR US!
\2. Healing
\2. Healing
Gods report promises healing..
Gods i our healer..
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
Jesus was broken, so we could be made whole
The Gospel accounts don’t just tell us healing is found in Jesus..
They describe many times where Jesus displays this news in action..
and heals the sick..
That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.
Many
The gospels are filled with miraculous healings..
Lame men walking..
blind man seeing..
mute people talking..
Dead people coming back to life..
GOD DOESN’T JUST PROMISE HEALING IN THE OLD TESTAMENT..
HE DISPLAYS IT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
AND I WANT TO TELL YOU TODAY..
JESUS IS STILL A HEALER
Dave
Late last year, Pastor dave went to the doctor and the doctor told him he had prostate cancer..
And he told him.. were gonna treat it..
so the beginning of this year..
He went through many weeks of radiation..
and in april, after his radiation was done..
He went back for testing..
and the doctors looked at him with great excitement..
and told him..
Listen..
Your PSA numbers went from 7 something.. to 3 something..
were happy if most people see a drop of 1.. but this is incredible..
GOD WORKED IN HIS LIFE..
YES HE USED DOCTORS..
BUT THE LORD WAS EVIDENT IN HIS LIFE…
Many
I could stand up here and tell you about many people who god has miraculously healed…
and HOW GODS HAS INTERVENED
Krista
in 2019 we had our forth child, ella..
and during the pregnancy Krista doctors discovered that krista had a kidney discease…
one that theres not a lot of knowledge about..
they didnt know how to treat it..
for 5 years.. shes went through many different things..
and nothing has really seemed to work..
here numbers went up..
stayed up..
and never seemed to fall again..
This year
But this year.. in january..
we decided to change the way we seek the lord..
and we started seeking him.. and praying everyday together..
and we changes some of our diet and how we lived..
and about a month ago she went and had a new test done..
and it showed that her numbers had drastically decreased..
and many of them were better than in 2020 when they discovered the illness..
why?
Because god intevened..
I DONT KNOW WHY GOD DOESNT HEAL EVERYONE EVERY TIME..
I know he uses the things we walk through in different ways..
BUT I KNOW THE REPORT OF THE LORD PROMISES THAT THERE IS HEALING IN THE BLOOD AND SUFFERING OF JESUS…
When sickness rears its ugly head..
we can choose to believe the report of sickness..
or we can choose to believe god is out healer..
Redemption, Cleansing and Salvation
Redemption, Cleansing and Salvation
The report of the lord says there is salvation through savior..
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.
he became sin, so we could be cleansed..
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
We have all sinned..
it began in our great great great great great many great grandpa adam…
and was passed down through the blood line of mankind..
and romans says that this sin, causes death..
spiritual death..
but THE REPORT OF THE LORD SAYS THAT JESUS IS OUT REMEDY
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
JESUS IS OUR SAVOIR..
OUR DELIVERER..
OUR REDEEMER AND CLEANSER
WHEN WE CHOOSE TO BELIEVE THE REPORT OF THE LORD
AND PUT OUR FAITH IN JESUS AS OUR SAVIOR..
HIS BLOOD COVERS OUR LIVES AND WE ARE FREE!
Eternal Life
Eternal Life
Finally, The report of the lord promises eternal life..
Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
Jesus Died so we could live
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
When we choose to believe the report of the lord..
and put our faith in him..
He brings savlation..
but that salvation is an eternal salvation..
Eternity
many in 2025 no longer believe there is anything after this life..
but the bible tells us there is an eternity after this life..
a never ending time..
and the way we live our lives here..
specifically, who is the lord of our heart when we leave this life..
will determine how we spend that eternity..
THIS IS WHY JESUS CAME..
THIS IS THE MAIN POINT IF YOU WILL OF THE REPORT!
THAT GOD HAS SENT HIS SON TO DIE SO WE MAY LIVE WITH HIM FOREVER..
Unfortunately.. there are many who have and will choose not to believe the good news..
and they will spend eternity seperated from god..
Why
They say.. why would a loving god send his creation to hell..
and the anwser is.. he doesnt..
creation chooses hell when they reject the redemption of the savior they have been given in JEsus..
You and I decide where our eternity will be..
by deciding if we will beleive and live by the report of the lord..
the good news of Jesus..
The Choice
The Choice
Have you made the choice to believe the report of the lord?
The good news and promises of Jesus?
Do you need God to interviene in your life?
because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Do you know him?
