Look to the New thing

One of the things that makes driving around Melbourne a bit interesting is the personalized number plates on cars. You see some clever ones, a person I worked with drove a mini. Alison had the plate LILCAR. Last week we bought some chutney from a stall at the Foster market. CURRY

I saw one this week ALADY

Some can be really frustrating when you can’t make sense of them and don’t know whether it is because you are thick or it onlt makes sense to the owner of the car.

Once I saw a plate that simply said ENOUGH. I remember it well because the urge at the time was to pull over the car and ask the driver what it meant. Was it

Enough …I’ve had enough. I can’t take any more ! or Enough…….I’ve got enough now . I’m quite content don’t need or want any more.

Or Enough…..I have not got enough ..I want more.

I invite you to consider this morning, at the start of a New Year which interpretation of the word ENOUGH best fits or characterizes your relationship with God and what that implies for the year ahead.

Is it enough. God I’ve had enough. There is enough happening in my life without you adding to it. I know you are there but just keep the distance…

Is it God I’ve got enough . I know you are great and good, but I’m quite comfortable with the way things are . Don’t upset the applecart..

Or is it God. You are great. I cannot get enough of your grace and goodness. Its exciting what you are doing making me more like Jesus but there is still an awfully long way to go. It is exciting what you doing in the people ,in the circumstances that daily surround me. I want to be part of it. John 3:27 He must become more important while I become less important. must decrease. I am weak but you are strong.

The people of Judah had had enough! More than enough. They were abject captives of the Babylonian Empire. Our bible reading from the book of Isaiah is set against the decades around 550 BC when they were abject captives in Babylon.

In fact the Babylonian empire is only one of a series of empires referred to in Isaiah. The book of is a fascinating Kaleidescope of God’s purpose being worked out in the rise and fall of empires, turmoil among nations. His purpose being worked out through the leaders of these nations whether they acknowledge him or not. The title “the Holy one of Isreal” is used 26 times in Isaiah as opposed to only 6 times in the rest of the OT. He exercises judgement and salvation. Every nation had their own Gods and idols. God points out the futility of trusting wealth, success idols make of gold,metal or wood.

Time shows God is the only one who can prophecy the future. There is an unfolding of God’s plan for his chosen people to be servants, a light to the nations. The major prophecy develops of Jesus as the suffering servant who will redeem and renew and ultimately bring about the era of absolute justice and peace. There is an fascinating interweaving of the past present and future with the words having meaning for the immediate situation but for future. The majestic God has planned history

You are part of that eternal history.

Do you ever stop to consider how God interweaves the things of your life with other people events places. The joy of friendship, That casual word that means so much, the difficult situation that teaches us, the beauty of nature that speaks to us. Bless the lord and forget not his benefits.

For the people formerly of Judah the situation seemed hopeless. Jerusalem had fallen after a siege of 18 months. They were demoralized even before the captivity. The Babylonians chose to make an example of the city and it had been totally destroyed. The temple had been totally sacked and all its treasures carted off. The Babylonian strategy to prevent uprising was to move populations en masse to foreign lands. Now they were nearly 1000 miles from home kept in abject slavery by a seemingly invincible conqueror. It went on year after year for 50 years. Our country in ruins, God’s place trashed. we here suffering powerless against this great country that enslaves.we are like worms. Our situation is hopeless.

A hopeless and helpless situation

Sure their God had done great things in the past had even made a covenant to bless them if the people followed him and kept his commands but now God was saying

I reared children j and brought them up, but they have rebelled k against me.

Isa 1:3 The ox knows l his master, the donkey his owner’s manger, m but Israel does not know, n my people do not understand. o ”

Isa 1:4 Ah, sinful nation, a people loaded with guilt, p a brood of evildoers, q children given to corruption! r They have forsaken s the LORD; they have spurned the Holy One t of Israel and turned their backs u on him.

Israel had taken God for granted. Their following had gradually eroded away, idol worship crept in and became rife, morality failed, greed and false trust in material things prevailed, exploitation and injustice marked the people of the holy one of isreael. The result was the destruction of their land and captivity.

It was clear that they had abjectly failed to keep their side of the covenant and now it seemed God had walked away from his side.

The frustration of God is evident in Isa 42:18.

Isa 42:18 “Hear, you deaf; d look, you blind, and see!

Isa 42:20 You have seen many things, but have paid no attention; your ears are open, but you hear nothing.” i

The Holy Bible, New International Version. Pradis CD-ROM:Isa 29:13.

YOU COULD EXPECT THAT FRUSTRATION TO GO ON. I v’e sent prophet after prophet Why don’t you just listen.

Turn to chap 43 and what do we read.

Isa 43:1 But now, this is what the LORD says—he who created y you, O Jacob, he who formed z you, O Israel: a “Fear not, for I have redeemed b you; I have summoned you by name; c you are mine. d

Isa 43:3 For I am the LORD, your God, i the Holy One j of Israel, your Savior; k Isa 43:4….. Since you are precious and honored p in my sight, and because I love q you, Isa 43:5

Do not be afraid, r for I am with you:

Isaiah is a book full of encouragement . That passage goes on to say that Babylon will be destroyed and the nation that has been scattered will be gathered together again. God goes on to tell.

There are promises for the future but help for the present

Isa 43:2 When you pass through the waters, e I will be with you; f and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, g you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. h Fear not for am with you

And this is backed up by the evidence of divine action in the past

Maker, when you were slaves in Egypt I redeemed you.

How much more will Gods regard us when he has redeemed through the blood of his son

Praise be to God that his grace is such that he is prepared to teach us lessons over and over again.

These verses are momentous and so are the later ones that Pat read.

V 18

The Niv reads Forget the former things. Do not dwell on the past.

(I think I forget enough without being told to )

Good news better captures the thought .

But the Lord says, “Do not cling to events of the past

or dwell on what happened long ago.

That is good advice

VV 16&17 preceeding verses remind us of God opening the Red Sea to let the Israelites through.

These are great and to be celebrated but don’t cling to them.

Some Christians cling to the past, keep talking about God at work in previous times, almost to the point of living in the past.

could be crossing of Red sea Passover thestart of making a nation Passover instituted things that cany forget and god is a complete god, past present future so the sentiment expressed here is don’t get hung up n the past , don’ be pre occupied by the past to the harm of the present Others can cling onto past hurts, disagreements or disappointments. They can become like hobbles on a horse restricting spiritual growth. Better to pray about it forgive. Reconciliation is one of God’s specialities

Others can be consumed by self condemnation from past sins, failures. I’m not good enough. None of us are. It is by grace you have been saved.

Others may have worked valiantly but are wearied by past obstacles, barriers. ‘its too hard’ My strength is made perfect in your weakness.

Don’t discourage you from trying again.

Do not cling to events of the past

or dwell on what happened long ago. Watch for the new thing I am going to do.

What is the new thing?

Vv19 I will make a road through the wilderness

and give you streams of water there.

The theme of a road, a highway through the wilderness

Is repeated many times in Isaiah. As is the idea of streams of living water in the parched dry barren desert. This could literally refer to the desert that separated them from their own country or the metaphorical desert of barren dry hopelessness barren with little or no life.

A lovely picture of God providing a way ahead where there was a barrier ,new life , newgrowth where there was drought. Hay bales

Vs 20 the wild animals will honour me;

jackals and ostriches will praise me

when I make rivers flow in the desert to give water to my chosen people

what about this road this pathway. THINK ABOUT EPH 2:10

God has made us what we are, and in our union with Christ Jesus he has created us for a life of good deeds, which he has already prepared for us to do.[1]

Note God says Watch for the new thing.

Are we watching ? Are we expecting to see God work? Do we expect to see him at work in our every day lives, in the people we meet and circumstances we come across, meet him in stranger unlikely places.

Are we going into this year expecting to be used be God ?

Life becomes vibrant, so meaningful when we make ourselves available to him when we tune in to the prompting of the Holy Spirit..

If the God we see is little he will do little.

Forget the former things; g do not dwell on the past.

Isa 43:19 See, I am doing a new thing! h Now it springs up; do you not perceive it

Do not cling to events of the past

or dwell on what happened long ago. Watch for the new thing I am going to do.

It is happening already….you can see it now

I am with you always .

God is a God of Now. No matter where what the now is. He intricately weaves the past present and future. Jesus said I am with you always.

Sometimes we can see we are called to do something, Sometimes we see God where we would not expect to see Him,

sometimes it is help what do I say next

sometimes we might say what does this mean

sometimes it is the loving arms surrounding in times of pain or distress

God is a god of now. The now which is enriched by the past with hope and promise for the future. A very present help in time of need.

God is an abundant provider who can do so much more than we can ever ask or dream of.

How good it is that God’s grace is such that he is prepared to teach us the same thing over and over again. I’m a slow learner.

God who commenceda good work will carry itthrough to completion.

Honour God and he will honour you

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[1]American Bible Society. (1992). The Holy Bible : The Good news Translation (2nd ed.) (Eph 2:10). New York: American Bible Society.