ISAIAH 61:1-11 FREEDOM

INTRODUCTION

WHEN WE LOOK THEOLOGICALLY AT THESE VERSES, ISAIAH CENTERED AROUND THE THEMES OF SALVATION AND MISSION

WHENEVER WE SPEAK OF SALVATION, WE NEED TO ASK THE QUESTION, WHAT ARE WE BEING SAVED FROM?

GOD’S PUNISHMENT? THE DEVIL?FROM OUR OWN SINS, FROM DEATH

IN SOME WAYS EACH OF THESE HAD TO BE A PART IN THEOLOGICAL TRADITIONS, BUT IN DIFFERENT TIMES AND PLACES, CERTAIN ONES WERE EMPHASIZED

FOR MANY CHRISTIANS TODAY SALVATION MEANS GETTING INTO HEAVEN, WHICH IS A WAY OF SAYING, HUMAN BEINGS ARE BEING SAVED FROM GOD’S PUNISHMENT, FROM DEATH, FROM SIN, AND THE LIFE OF THE SINNER

WHAT IS SALVATION ACCORDING TO ?

IS IT GOOD NEWS, HEALING, LIBERTY, RELEASE, AND COMFORT

IT IS THE YEAR OF THE LORD’S FAVOR WHICH, A REFERENCE FOR THE YEAR OF JUBILEE, IN WHICH DEBTS ARE WIPED AWAY, SLAVES ARE FREED, FIELDS ARE ALLOWED TO REST, AND LAND IS RETURNED BACK TO THE ORIGINAL OWNER

SALVATION IS BOTH IMAGED BOTH AS A RESTORED CITY, AND AS AN ABUNDANT GARDEN

THE NATIONS WILL SEE WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR HIS PEOPLE AND THEY ARE THE PEOPLE THAT GOD HAS BLESSED

GOD’S DELIVERANCE IS REAL, AND TANGIBLE

IT CAN BE SEEN BY OTHERS.

CHRISTIANS ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS SALVIFIC LIVING, EVEN IN A WORLD WHO ARE NOT FULLY REDEEMED

IF ISAIAH REVEALS WHAT SALVATION IS ABOUT, THEN WHAT IS THE PROPER FORM OF MISSION THAT CORRESPONDS TO GOD’S SALVIFIC INTENTIONS?

IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN GOD’S MISSION OF RESTORATION.

FIRST, CHRISTIANS TO THOSE WHO ARE NAMED BY AS RECIPIENTS OF THE GOOD NEWS: THE OPPRESSED, THE BROKEN HEARTED, THE CAPTIVE, THE PRISONERS, THE MOURNFUL, , THE FAINT OF SPIRIT.

THE TEXT REVEALS GOD’S PROPER CONCERN FOR THE LOWEST AND THE WEAKEST

IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN GOD’S ORDER OF RESTORATION, THE PEOPLE OF GOD ARE ARE SENT FIRST TO THOSE WHO MOST NEED TO HEAR THAT GOD WILL PROVIDE FOR THEM AND REDEEM THEIR LOSSES

MISSION IS NOT SOMETHING THAT GOES OUT FROM GOD’S PEOPLE-BY SENDING MONEY OR SENDING MISSIONARIES- BUT SOMETHING THAT DEFINES GOD’S PEOPLE, AS EXISTING FOR THE SAKE OF THE OPPRESSED, BROKEN HEARTED, IMPRISONED, AND MOURNFUL

MISSIONS HAPPENS WHEN THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD NOTICE THAT THE PEOPLE OF GOD LIVE DIFFERENTLY

A RESTORED PEOPLE OF GOD, LIVING AS A JUBILEE COMMUNITY, WILL STAND AT A SIGN OF GOD’S BLESSINGS TO THE NATIONS AROUND IT

TO BE MISSIONAL IS TO LIVE AS A PEOPLE OF GOOD NEWS-LIBERATION, JUSTICE, AND COMFORT IN A WAY THE WORLD WILL BE DRAWN TOWARDS IT

SO LONG CHRISTIANS HAVE LIVED AS DIVIDED PEOPLE IT WON’T WORK

BUT, TO THE ONE WHO BRINGS GOOD NEWS, HEALING AND RELEASE WILL TAKE PLACE

WE NEED TO REMEMBER NOT THAT JUST JESUS CAME BUT WHY JESUS CAME-TO USHER IN A JUBILEE CELEBRATION THAT WILL HAVE NO END.

BODY

THESE ARE THE VERSES THAT JESUS SPOKE DURING A TIME IN THE SYNAGOGUE AND INCLUDED THAT THIS PASSAGE IN THE BIBLE WAS BEING FULFILLED THAT DAY IN THEIR MIDST

THIS WOULD MEAN THAT GOD HAS A NEW TIME AND A NEW SEASON THAT WILL SOON BE COMING TO PASS

IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT YOU DID YESTERDAY, LAST WEEK, OR EVEN THIS MORNING

THERE IS A NEW TIME AND A NEW SITUATION COMING UPON YOU

IT IS NOT LIKE ANY OTHER SEASONS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN THROUGH

THIS IS THE SEASON WHERE YOUR EXPECTATIONS WILL BE FULFILLED

CHRIST HAS BEEN SENT FROM GOD TO GIVE YOU GOOD NEWS

MOST OF THE TIME WHEN YOU READ THE NEWS, ALL THAT YOU FIND BAD NEWS

BAD NEWS IS EVERYWHERE

BUT, WHEN YOU ARE IN CHRIST JESUS, IT IS GOOD NEWS THAT YOU MAINLY HEAR

HE SAYS THAT IT IS A NEW TIME, WHICH MEANS YOU ARE NOT GOING TO EXPERIENCE TODAY WHAT YOU EXPERIENCED YESTERDAY

THAT IS GOOD NEWS

GOOD NEWS FOR THE BLIND, BROKEN HEARTED, IMPRISONED, DISAPPOINTED, DISCOURAGED, AND FOR THE DESPAIRING

THE MESSAGE TO YOU TODAY IS LIKE THE MESSAGE FOR THOSE BACK THEN

THE MESSAGE IS ONE OF RELEASE AND LIBERTY, AND A YEAR OF THE LORD’S FAVOR

RELEASE FROM TORMENT, CONDEMNATION, UNBELIEF, SICKNESS, CONFUSION, NEGATIVE ATTITUDE, DISCOURAGEMENT

AND LIBERTY FROM BITTERNESS, LIBERTY FROM UNFORGIVENESS, LIBERTY FROM GOSSIP, LIBERTY TO BECOME ALL YOU CAN BE IN CHRIST .

IT CANNOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY

SINCE CHRIST WAS A LAMB FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, HE WAS ALREADY DESTINED TO DIE

BUT BEFORE HE DIED, HE CAST OUT DEMONS, HEALED THE SICK, OPEN BLIND EYES, OPEN DEAF EARS, AND RAISE THE DEAD

IT WAS AN ACTIVE LIVING DEMONSTRATION OF HIS MISSION

BUT THE FIRST TIME THAT HE CAME, HE CAME TO DEFEAT MAN’S WORST ENEMY AND THAT IS SIN

THERE IS ONLY ONE CURE FOR SIN AND THAT IS THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST

NO MAN WAS SPOTLESS, WITHOUT BLEMISH AND COMPLETELY PURE, EXCEPT FOR JESUS CHRIST

THEREFORE, HE DIED FOR A SIN THAT HE DID NOT COMMIT SO THAT YOU COULD HAVE THE BENEFITS OF LIVING WITH HIM FOREVER IN A RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT MANKIND COULD NOT MASTER

THESE VERSES ARE GOD’S INTENSIONS AND THEY ARE FULL OF PROMISE AND FULL OF ASSURANCE

FOR HIS WORD WILL NOT RETURN UNTO HIM VOID

BUT WILL ACCOMPLISH HIS PURPOSE

JUSTICE, HOPE, ANTICIPATION, AND DELIVERANCE ARE SPOKEN TO THE PEOPLE AS A REMINDER THAT GOD HAS NOT FORGOTTEN THEN, NEITHER HAS HE FORGOTTEN YOU

MANY, TODAY, ARE FEELING OPPRESSED, BROKENHEARTED, CAPTIVE, OR IMPRISONED BY SOMETHING IN SOME WAY OR ANOTHER

HOWEVER, HE WHO CONQUERED THE GRAVE AND TOOK THE KEYS OF HELL AND DEATH

THUS, YOU HAVE A SURE PROMISE BY BELIEVING AND RECEIVING CHRIST TODAY

WHAT I NEED TO KNOW IS THAT HOW IS CHRIST’S COMING TRYING TRYING TO COME INTO MY LIFE TODAY AND WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO ALLOW CHRIST’S COMING, HOW DO I NEED TO PREPARE FOR CHRIST COMING INTO MY LIFE TODAY

THIS IS WHERE MOST DO NOT UNDERSTAND THAT THE ONLY WAY THAT YOU CAN HAVE A NEW SEASON AND A NEW SITUATION IS BY RECEIVING THE GOOD NEWS THAT CHRIST CAME TO BRING TO YOU-A TRANSACTION

COMFORT FOR MOURNING, BEAUTY FOR ASHES, THE OIL OF JOY FOR MOURNING, THE GARMENT OF PRAISE INSTEAD OF THE SPIRIT OF HEAVINESS