Better Together: Journey to the Mountain of the Lord

Better Together: Journey to the Lord's Mountain

Isaiah 2:1-5 (ESV) - Back-to-Church Sunday Sermon

INTRODUCTION: THE VISION OF UNITY

[Opening Story/Illustration]Think about the last time you climbed a mountain or even just a steep hill. You probably didn't do it alone. There's something about the journey upward that makes us want companions—someone to encourage us when our legs burn, someone to share the view with at the top, someone to say "we made it" instead of "I made it."

The prophet Isaiah understood this. Around 700 years before Christ, Isaiah lived in uncertain times. The kingdom was divided, enemies threatened from every side, and God's people were often scattered and discouraged. Sound familiar? Yet in the midst of anxiety and division, God gave Isaiah a vision of hope—a picture of what could be, what would be, when people come together to seek the Lord.

Today, as we celebrate Back-to-Church Sunday, we're going to explore this ancient vision and discover that it's not just about a distant future—it's about us, right here, right now. The question before us is simple but profound: Will we make the journey to the Lord's mountain together?

Let me read our text for today, and then we'll pray for God's Spirit to illuminate His word to us.

SCRIPTURE READING: Isaiah 2:1-5 (ESV)

"The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

It shall come to pass in the latter daysthat the mountain of the house of the LORDshall be established as the highest of the mountains,and shall be lifted up above the hills;and all the nations shall flow to it,and many peoples shall come, and say:'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,to the house of the God of Jacob,that he may teach us his waysand that we may walk in his paths.'For out of Zion shall go forth the law,and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.He shall judge between the nations,and shall decide disputes for many peoples;and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,and their spears into pruning hooks;nation shall not lift up sword against nation,neither shall they learn war anymore.

O house of Jacob,come, let us walkin the light of the LORD."

This is the Word of the Lord. [Congregation responds: Thanks be to God]

PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION

Let us pray.

Holy Spirit, we need You. These are Your words, not just ancient text on a page, but living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword. Open our eyes that we may behold wonderful things from Your law. Open our ears that we may hear Your voice calling us to journey together up Your holy mountain. Open our hearts that we may receive Your truth and be transformed by it.

We confess that we often approach Your Word with dull hearts and distracted minds. Forgive us. Wake us up. Stir within us a hunger for Your presence and a passion for Your ways.

Speak to us today—to those who have been walking with You for years and to those just beginning the journey. Meet us where we are, but don't leave us there. Draw us closer to Christ, our mountain, our meeting place with You.

We ask this in the name of Jesus, the Light of the world, in whose light we walk. Amen.

[Transition to Sermon]

This vision that Isaiah saw is breathtaking: a mountain, God's mountain, and people from every nation streaming toward it together. This isn't just any message—it's a vision, something Isaiah saw with spiritual eyes, revealing the heart of God for His people.

And here's the truth that Isaiah reveals: We were never meant to walk alone. We are better together.

I. THE DESTINATION: GOD'S MOUNTAIN (verses 2-3a)

"It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob...'" (Isaiah 2:2-3a, ESV)

A. The Mountain is Established by God

Notice something crucial: this mountain isn't built by human effort—it's established by God and lifted up by Him. It's not the result of our strategic planning, our fundraising campaigns, or our slick marketing. God sets it up. God makes it visible. God draws people to it.

In the ancient world, mountains were places where heaven and earth met, where people encountered the divine. But here's the beautiful fulfillment: Jesus is that mountain. He is the true temple, the meeting place between God and humanity. As Jesus said in John 2:19, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up"—speaking of His body.

When we gather as the church, we're not gathering around a building or a program. We're gathering around Christ. He is the destination. He is the mountain we climb. And just as God established that mountain, God has established His Son as the cornerstone of our faith.

Application: This means we can stop trying to manufacture spiritual experiences or engineer church growth through human wisdom alone. Our job isn't to build the mountain—it's to point people to the mountain that God has already established in Jesus Christ.

B. The Mountain Attracts All Nations

Isaiah saw something revolutionary: "all the nations shall flow to it." Not just Israel. Not just the chosen people. But all nations—every tribe, tongue, and people group flowing like rivers toward God's mountain.

This is a picture of the church at its best—a preview of heaven's diversity united in worship of the one true God. In Revelation 7:9, John sees "a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb."

But here's the uncomfortable question: Is our church a welcoming mountain or an exclusive club? Do people from different backgrounds, different life stages, different struggles feel the pull toward our community? Or have we made the mountain accessible only to people who look like us, think like us, and vote like us?

God's vision is bigger than our comfort zones. The mountain attracts all nations because Jesus died for all people.

C. The Invitation is Compelling (verse 3a)

Listen to the language: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob."

Notice the word: "us." Not "you go" or "I'll go." But "let us go." There's power in that plural pronoun. The journey to God is meant to be shared. We invite others not just to attend church, but to journey with us toward knowing God more deeply.

This is the heart of Back-to-Church Sunday. It's not about filling pews—it's about saying to our friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers: "I'm on a journey toward God, and I don't want to make this journey alone. Come with me. Let's discover together what God has for us."

Challenge: Who has God been placing on your heart? Who needs an invitation to join you on this journey? The most powerful evangelism isn't a sales pitch—it's an invitation to travel together.

II. THE TRANSFORMATION: WHAT HAPPENS ON THE MOUNTAIN (verse 3b)

"...that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." (Isaiah 2:3b, ESV)

Here's what happens when we make the journey to God's mountain: we're transformed. This isn't about showing up to punch our spiritual time card. It's about becoming different people—people marked by God's character, God's ways, God's truth.

A. He Will Teach Us His Ways

First, notice who does the teaching: "that he may teach us." God Himself becomes our instructor. Jesus is our Rabbi, our Teacher, and when we gather as His church, we come as learners, not as consumers.

In our culture, we're used to being entertained, having our preferences catered to, and getting what we want when we want it. But the church isn't a theater or a shopping mall—it's a school where Jesus is the headmaster and we're all students, no matter how long we've been Christians.

This means committing ourselves to discipleship—to learning Scripture, to growing in prayer, to understanding how God's kingdom works. It means being teachable, humble, and hungry for more of God's wisdom.

Application: Are you approaching church as a place to learn and grow, or just as a place to attend? What would it look like for you to become an active learner in God's classroom this week?

B. We Will Walk in His Paths

But knowledge isn't the end goal—transformation is. "That we may walk in his paths." Biblical learning always leads to biblical living. We're called to become a people marked by Christlike character.

James 1:22 warns us: "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." The path God teaches us to walk is one of love, justice, mercy, humility, and holiness. It's the path Jesus walked—the way of the cross, the way of self-giving love, the way that chooses others over self.

When our church becomes known not just for what we believe but for how we live—when people say, "Those Christians really love like Jesus, serve like Jesus, forgive like Jesus"—that's when we know we're walking in His paths.

C. The Word Goes Out from God's House

Isaiah adds this detail: "For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem" (v. 3c). God's teaching doesn't stay confined to the mountain—it flows out to the world.

The church is meant to be a light to the world, a city on a hill that cannot be hidden. When we learn God's ways and walk in His paths together, our corporate witness becomes powerful. People see not just individual Christians trying to be good, but a community that embodies a different way of living—the way of the Kingdom.

Our witness isn't just personal; it's communal. The world needs to see what it looks like when people actually love their neighbors, care for the poor, pursue justice, practice forgiveness, and live in authentic community. That's what happens on God's mountain.

III. THE OUTCOME: PEACE THROUGH GOD'S AUTHORITY (verse 4)

"He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." (Isaiah 2:4, ESV)

This is the fruit of ascending to God's mountain together: genuine, lasting peace. But notice how this peace comes about.

A. God Judges Between Nations

The path to peace begins with submission to God's authority. "He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples." When we acknowledge Jesus as Lord—as the righteous judge and ultimate mediator—we're saying, "Your way is better than our way. Your truth supersedes our opinions. Your justice is higher than our revenge."

This has profound implications for the church. How often do our conflicts escalate because we refuse to let God be the judge? We take matters into our own hands, nurse grudges, build alliances, and dig in our heels. But when we come to God's mountain, we submit our disputes to His wisdom.

Internal application: Are there conflicts in our church that need God's judgment? Are there broken relationships that need His mediation? True unity doesn't mean everyone agrees on everything—it means we all agree to submit to Christ's lordship, even when it's costly.

B. Weapons Become Tools

Here's one of the most beautiful images in all of Scripture: "they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks."

Weapons of war—instruments designed to kill and destroy—are transformed into tools of cultivation—instruments designed to nurture and give life. The metal doesn't change, but the purpose does. The same resources that once fueled conflict now foster growth.

What would this look like for the church? It means redirecting our energy from competition to cooperation, from criticism to encouragement, from defending our turf to cultivating God's harvest. It means taking the passion we once poured into fighting each other and using it to build each other up.

Think about it: How much time, money, and energy do churches waste on internal conflicts, denominational squabbles, and defending their brand? What if all that resource was redirected toward the mission of making disciples and demonstrating God's love?

C. Training for Peace, Not War

"Neither shall they learn war anymore." This is about what we practice, what we rehearse, what we teach the next generation.

Are we training ourselves in the art of peace—in listening well, assuming the best, extending grace, seeking understanding, and pursuing reconciliation? Or are we still training for war—sharpening our arguments, fortifying our positions, and recruiting allies for the next conflict?

The church is called to be a counter-cultural community, a place where the weapons of this world—power, coercion, manipulation, and division—are laid down in favor of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

This is the "better together" reality. When we ascend to God's mountain and learn His ways, we discover that unity in diversity isn't just possible—it's the very heart of God's kingdom. We don't have to agree on every secondary issue to walk together in love. We can be better together because Christ makes us one.

IV. THE CALL: WALK IN THE LIGHT (verse 5)

"O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD." (Isaiah 2:5, ESV)

After painting this magnificent vision, Isaiah issues a call—an invitation that echoes across the centuries to us today.

A. "O House of Jacob"

This is personal. Isaiah is talking to God's people, to those who already have a covenant relationship with the Lord. He's saying, "You know who you are. You know whose you are. Now live like it."

For us on Back-to-Church Sunday, this might mean different things. Maybe you've been away from church for a while—life got busy, you got hurt, you drifted. This is your invitation to return. The mountain is still there. God is still calling. Your brothers and sisters are still on the journey.

Maybe you've been in church every Sunday but you've been going through the motions, your heart disengaged. This is your invitation to recommit, to rekindle that first love, to chase after God with renewed passion.

Or maybe you're here for the first time, and you're not sure you're part of the "house of Jacob." Here's the good news: through faith in Jesus Christ, anyone can be grafted into God's family. The invitation is for you too.

B. "Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the LORD"

Again, that beautiful word: "us." This is a corporate call, a community invitation. We walk together in the light of the Lord.

Jesus said in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." To walk in the light of the Lord is to follow Jesus—to pattern our lives after His, to live in transparency and truth, to let His light expose our darkness so we can be healed and transformed.

But we don't do this alone. We walk together, in community, encouraging one another, confessing our sins to one another, bearing one another's burdens. In 1 John 1:7, we read: "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin."

Walking in the light leads to fellowship. Fellowship leads to purification. Purification leads to transformation. This is the journey up the mountain.

C. The Journey Begins Today

Here's the crucial truth: this isn't just about a distant future when Christ returns and establishes perfect peace. Yes, Isaiah was looking forward to that day. But the journey to the mountain isn't something we wait to begin someday—it starts right now, today, this moment.

The mountain is accessible through Christ. He has torn down the barriers. He has opened the way. He invites us to come, to learn, to be transformed, to become His people.

Challenge: What step will you take this week to walk in His ways? How will you, personally, answer this call to ascend to the Lord's mountain?

Will you commit to being here regularly, making the gathered community a priority?

Will you join a small group where you can walk this journey with others more intimately?

Will you take a step of obedience in an area where God has been speaking to you?

Will you extend forgiveness to someone who's hurt you, beating your sword into a plowshare?

Will you invite someone to walk this journey with you?

The journey begins today. The invitation is before you. Will you answer?

CONCLUSION: ASCENDING TOGETHER

[Tie it all together]

Let me take you back to where we started—that image of climbing a mountain with companions.

Today, we've seen Isaiah's glorious vision:

—not a place we build, but the person of Jesus Christ, established by God as our meeting place with the divineWe're invited to God's mountain

—taught God's ways, learning to walk in His paths, becoming a light to the worldWe're transformed on that mountain

—not the absence of conflict, but the fruit of submitting to Christ's lordship, turning our weapons into tools, training for reconciliation instead of warWe experience real peace

—together, as a community, following Jesus today and every dayWe're called to walk in the light

But here's what makes this vision so powerful for us on Back-to-Church Sunday: we're not meant to make this journey alone.

Isaiah saw all nations streaming to the mountain. He heard people calling to one another, "Come, let us go up." This is a corporate pilgrimage, a communal ascent, a shared adventure. We are better together.

Some of you are here today because someone invited you. Someone said, "Come with me on this journey." Thank God for that person. They understood what Isaiah saw—that the path to God's mountain is meant to be walked in community.

Final Challenge:

So let me leave you with three questions:

First: Who will you invite to journey with you? Think of one person—a friend, family member, neighbor, or coworker—who needs to hear this invitation. Before this week is over, will you say to them, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD"?

Second: What step will you take this week to walk in His ways? What's one concrete action you can take to move from just knowing about God to actually following Jesus? Maybe it's joining a small group, maybe it's serving somewhere, maybe it's finally dealing with that area of your life you've been avoiding. What's your next step up the mountain?

Third: How will our church become known as God's people? Not just individually, but corporately—how will we together demonstrate what it looks like when swords become plowshares, when all nations stream together in worship, when the light of the Lord shines through a community that actually lives His ways?

[Closing Vision]

I want you to imagine something with me. Close your eyes if you're comfortable. Picture that mountain Isaiah saw—God's mountain, established and exalted, visible from every direction. Now picture streams of people flowing toward it from every corner of the earth—people of every color, every language, every background, every story. They're not coming alone. They're calling to one another, "Come, let us go up!"

And there at the summit is Jesus—the true temple, the meeting place between heaven and earth, arms open wide, saying, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

That's the vision. That's the destination. That's where we're headed.

And friends, we're headed there together.

Because when we journey to the Lord's mountain—when we learn His ways, walk in His paths, and reflect His light—we discover the beautiful truth that we are indeed better together.

The mountain is calling. Jesus is inviting. The journey begins today.

Will you come?

[Prayer]

Lord Jesus, You are our mountain, our meeting place with the Father, our teacher and our way. We thank You that You've invited us to come—not because we're worthy, but because You're gracious. Help us to answer that call, not just today but every day. Give us the courage to invite others to journey with us. Transform us by Your Word. Make us a people marked by Your ways, known for Your love, and committed to Your peace. We want to be better together—a community that shows the world what Your kingdom looks like. So teach us, lead us, and use us for Your glory. In Your name we pray, Amen.

[Final Word]

The journey up the mountain starts now. Let's take that first step—together.