God Wants To Make Things Right (5)

God Wants To Make Things Right

I have a question that I need to ask and you have to think about this.Which of the following is more true?In the 1800s Friedrich Nietzsche said: “That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.” Or Ice Cream solves almost all problems?Which is more true?See we often hear things that we just kind of believe.Like That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.Is that really true?Ask the the parent that has lost a child if that makes them stronger.Ask the woman whose husband left her with a houseful of children if she is stronger.Ask me if when I fell a few years ago and hurt my back if I am stronger. Addiction. Abuse.We survive but we don’t always come out stronger.Ice cream on the other hand.It really does solve a lot of problems.Next time your kids act up, just say who wants to go have Ice cream? All of a sudden everyone is happy.When your wife is mad at you for some reason you can’t figure out? Happens right? Either go get a bowl of Ice cream or offer her some ice cream and all is ok. Bond notes fall - Let’s eat ice cream.Here is the reality of the troubles of life. which would you rather be toldThey may not kill us because we are designed to survive a lot.But the truth is many times they leave us wounded, broken, scared.Actually to use Bible language, sometimes the challenges of life can blind us, they can wound us and they can make us prisoners.We will learn today as we continue our study in the second half of the book of Isaiah.God understands this.He understands the problems that we face in this life and that the world is not what He created it to be.His creation was perfect. The garden of eden.If Eve would have just offered Ice Cream and not the Fruit, all ok.We will see today how God wants to bring restoration to us and help. Our take home is: LET GOD HELP YOU.

Isaiah 42:1–9 ESV

Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: “I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.”

Ok I have a confession.Although Ice Cream is like my favorite food, it really doesn’t solve all of our problems. It can’t always help us.This passage we just read does teach us what can and does always help us. It’s the servant that God mentions.So far in our study we have learned that this section of Scripture was written to people that were trying to follow God but were going through very difficult times.Right away we see in the beginning of chapter 40 God calling out to them to say I am here and I want to help you.That is God’s heart for His people. He wants to help.Honestly I think He is more willing to help that we are to receive in many cases.Now when we come to this part we just read God tell us HOW He wants to help us and what to expect.In verse 1 God starts speaking again. It’s not Isaiah but God.He says Behold My servant.You all know I love words. Behold is a great word. It’s a command to sit up and take notice.God is saying, sit up and pay attention because this is how I am going to help you.There are not a lot of times that God talks like that.But to God what He is about to say is so important that He tells us to sit up and listen.Behold my servant, I have chosen Him and given Him power.So who is this servant. What chosen for and power for what?He is referring to the Messiah who we now know is Jesus.He is saying Jesus is the one that I have chosen.He is my servant. Meaning He is the one that I have chosen to helpThis is where it gets really good.It’s called the gospel. The good news.What is He going to help with?Three times He points out that He will bring about Justice. It’s gone.This needs explaining so you don’t get the wrong idea.There are two types of justice.There is the type of justice where people finally get what is coming to them.We all love that kind of justice and want to see it happen. bad guys punishedThat’s not the type of justice this is talking about.This type is of justice means TO PUT THINGS RIGHT. TO MAKE THINGS BE WHAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE. Very importantHe is saying that things in this world are not what they are supposed to be. It’s messed up. They need to be put right.He talks about doing that for the nations but He is also meaning it for us.He wants to put things right in our life. Make them what they are supposed to be.Meaning, life takes it toll on us. The pressures of living life hurt.This is where I have the problem with Nietzsche comes in.That which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.Not always. We may survive it but we may survive a little broken and with a few scares. God is saying that His servant, Jesus will be the one that puts things right.But He is not gong to force it.In poetic language in verse 2 He says He will not force this message or help on anyone it is offered.Then in verse 3 where He mentions the bruised reed He will not break and the faintly burning wick He will not extinguish.He is talking about us there actually proving the theory of Nietzsche wrong.He is saying that living in an unjust broken world we can become like a broken reed, or living in a broken world we can become like a wick with the tiniest bit of flame. AND SO HANDLE WITH CARE.God says, My servant, He won’t break us when He tries to help us, He won’t take more life away from us when He offers to help us.But will gently come and bring justice or put things right.It’s a great picture of almighty God coming down and helping us in just the right way TO PUT THINGS RIGHT IN OUR LIFE.Do you realize that is what God offers in Jesus? It’s not about a religionSee I think we can easily get the wrong idea.Many think He comes to burden us with rules and regulations, give us more laws and do’s and don’ts.That isn’t God’s plan. This is.God saying, sit up and listen.My servant Jesus that I will send, He can help make things right in your life. Restore and fix what I want in your life.The wounds, He can heal them.Where you feel like a prisoner in your own self, He can set you free.Where you are lost and feeling a little blind, He can show you the way.You just need to accept His help.He won’t make you but He is offering to help.Actually He goes beyond offering to help you, He wants to make a contract with you to help you.I hope this gets your attention. It’s something I never noticed until this week and where our real application comes in.

Isaiah 42:6 ESV

“I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations,

This verse is talking about Jesus. Not the nation of Israel if thinking that.Look at the middle part.I will give you as a covenant for the people.We can’t miss this point.Do you know what a covenant is?It’s not just a promise but it is a contract.Like this week, Tammy and I celebrated 38 years of marriage.Long time right? We didn’t just promise we were married.Right here in my hands I have a marriage certificate.It’s a contract.The moment we signed it we were legally married.Which meant from that day forward we were in a covenant relationship.If anyone came to question it, I just show them the contract.Unlike most contracts there are not a lot of details on it, I just knew that from the moment I signed I am required to say: “YES DEAR.”God in this passage is saying Jesus is the contract with us to help us.Not a piece of paper but a personIt’s a contract That He wants to make things right in our life.Because we still face challenging times we start to question this.But because God is trustworthy as long as we have Jesus we have the contract.This is where our real application comes in.What are you supposed to do when a contract is given to you?You don’t just sign it, you read it, you get people that may have to help you understand it, but you read and study it so that you know what you are getting yourself into.What you can expect.Well since Jesus is your contract, you need to study Jesus.See what it is He offers. What He wants to do with your life and in your life.The more you study Him and understand Him the more you will experience what He offers. Function within the terms of the contractLet me give you two big ones.

Luke 5:31–32 ESV

And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

This is not talking about those that are physically sick.It’s talking about those that are spiritually sick.That know they are not right with God.I am the one that helps you get back into a right relationship with God.Like in Isaiah, He will not come and force Himself on your He comes and says, I am here to help you get well.Lots of things may have caused you trouble but I want to help make it right.What I like about it, He doesn’t say so go get well and come to me, He says come as you are and I will help you.If you don’t study the contract you wouldn’t know that.You would probably think He wants you to get you act together, be good and then come to Him. Just the opposite.It’s to see you have trouble and then come to Him. He restores.Then one more that is my favorite.

Matthew 11:28–29 ESV

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

I want to start by saying I think I have a really great life.Seriously I wouldn’t trade it.However no matter how much you love your life this passage tells us living life is like a job. It’s labor. It’s work.What does work do? It makes you tired. It takes it’s toll on you.Jesus says, if you feel like that, if you feel like your are caring a burden, just come to me.I am not going to make you come but invite you to come and I am gentle, I know you are like that reed or the candle that at times has very little light and I know what to do with you and for you.I will give you rest for your soul.Maybe not for your body but for your soul.It’s those pressures of life, that’s where I want to give you rest.Do you realize that’s what our contract says as you study it.I want to help you get put back together and I know how to do it.I want to help you get rest for your soul and I know how to do it.I won’t add to your pressure, I won’t break you, I want to help.That amazes me.That’s the gospel.In the same way this piece of paper tells me that I am the husband of Tammy and she is my wife.When I have Jesus I have the contract.The more I understand Him the more I experienceNo wonder God started this chapter with:Sit up and pay attention to what I want to tell you about my Servant Jesus. He has so much to offer us if we just listen and respond to His invitation to help put things right.Put things right between us and God and put things right between all the areas that just living life has done to us.If ever there was a time we needed this it is now.