Longing: Longing for Wholeness

Longing for Wholeness

: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it... 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

: 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

Background:

Background:

Chapters 28-34: Leaders should trust Egypt

Chapter 36: Assyrian officer mocks idea of trusting God.

Death Valley given life:

New Life gives hope to the weak: God is coming to save you!

Transformation comes to the weak

More recreation happens

Highway of Holiness created for the Ransomed

Parade of Hope!!

v. 2: Carmel= ‘garden-land’, Sharon (): beauty

v.3: : 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.

v.7: Thirsty Ground= Mirage.

v. 9: Redeemed: First time mentioned in Isaiah!

Avenger: “The one whose right it is to pursue the murderer of his next-of-kin.” Motyer

God can redeem his people: “It is his inalienable right; it is he who identifies with them as their Next-of-Kin, taking their needs as if his own, the Mighty in the place of the helpless, paying their price.” Motyer

Lion: : Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

v. 10: Ransomed: Assumed they are a purchased people (most associated with Exodus and consecration of all the firstborn of man and beast ().

‘they will overtake gladness’ “The people of the Lord and the joy of the Lord are united.” Alex Motyer

Conclusion:

Conclusion:

Head to the Highway!

Trust in the Lord that he’s going to do this!

Strengthen the weak hands

Make firm the feeble knees

Say to those who have an anxious heart: Be Strong: Fear not! God will come! He will come and save you!

Longing for Joy

Progression:

Garden

Glory

Command

Miracles

Highway

Holy

Unclean can’t

Foolish can’t get lost

Road for Redeemed and Ransomed

Glory Road!

vv.1-2: Desert Joy

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;

the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus;

The Lord’s Actions:

2  it shall blossom abundantly

and rejoice with joy and singing.

The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,

the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.

the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.

the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.

What’s Happened?

v.5 THEN miraculous healing will come

Crocus: “march-plant” reed. Blossom

: Assyria has destroyed Everything!

: “Ah, you destroyer”: Assyrian Kingdom to the North

8  The highways lie waste;

the traveler ceases.

Covenants are broken;

cities are despised;

there is no regard for man.

9  The land mourns and languishes;

Lebanon is confounded and withers away;

Sharon is like a desert,

and Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves.

Isaiah 35

: Everything Comes back to Life!

Wilderness, dry land, desert shall become a garden

Highway: We’ll get to that highway...

Highway: We’ll get to that highway...

LAND TRANSFORMS FROM SAD TO GLAD!

Wilderness, dry land, desert: Rejoice

Crocus: “march-plant” reed. Blossom

Lebanon will experience it’s prior glory- before it withered

Lebanon will experience it’s prior glory

Sharon rather than a desert, will return to her majestic status! She will return to her name sake: Beauty

Carmel will return to her name sake, which is Garden.

That which the enemy destroyed, God will resurrect!

How?

v. 2: They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God!

Glory Def: ESV: “God’s manifest presence with His covenant people.”

Glory: Def: ESV: “God’s manifest presence with His covenant people.”

God glory, presence comes and everything comes to life!

Just by seeing God’s glory, things change

His face, his presence, his very being just brings life to the place! The destruction human armies brought back in can hold up a candle against God. No matter how decimated a place can be, no matter how much we can torch something, God enters the scene and everything comes to life! His presence comes and lightness and life is the natural result.

The desolation that Assyria brought will

Powerful picture

vv. 3-4: Call to Courage

While creation goes through a regeneration, the people in that decimated place need courage now to step up and experience God’s presence.

And so we read this rally cry:

3  Strengthen the weak hands,

and make firm the feeble knees.

4  Say to those who have an anxious heart,

“Be strong; fear not!

Behold, your God

will come with vengeance,

with the recompense of God.

He will come and save you.”

5  Then the eyes of the blind shall be

“Strengthen weak hands! Make firm the feeble knees”

Make firm the feeble knees”

People are weak, exhausted, depleted in energy

Anxious Heart:

heart, racing heart mind, ongoing, unresting, fearful

“Be encouraged, have courage, don’t fear: God is coming to make it all right! He’s coming with vengeance.”

Tired bodies and racing minds

“Be encouraged, have courage, don’t fear: God is coming to make it all right! He’s coming with vengeance.”

Anxious heart (hastened heart: unrested, constantly going, fearful

“Be encouraged, have courage, don’t fear: God is coming to make it all right! He’s coming with vengeance.

HE WILL COME AND SAVE YOU!”

Significance of vv. 3-4: Tension: Anxiety within Surety

Ties well into today:

God’s Glory has Come

The King has Come:

: And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

God’s Glory has come

Theme #3: Creation Regeneration:

Creation Regeneration has Arrived

: Feeding of the 5,000

Jesus is teaching 5,000 in the wilderness. Mark repeats this like 3 times- going out of his way to say that Jesus is in the wilderness with all these people. But then Jesus tells them all to sit on the green grass… And then the 5 loaves and 2 fish multiply and fee all the people!

And yet, God’s people still struggle with anxiety.

v. 4: God is coming to save!

Call: He will come and save!

: Jesus with Zacchaeus:

9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Victory in Jesus is here!!

Theme #1: New Creation!

Application: Tension between God’s Coming Presence and the Fear of the People

Make firm the feeble knees

Theme #1: New Creation!

God’s here. He’s got this. Do you see the Garden?

: In the beginning was the Word

Step Outside the Text:

ohn= Glory

Theme #2: Glory

: And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Rally Cry of Advent: “God’s coming to save you!”

: And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Theme #3: Creation Regeneration:

: Feeding of the 5,000

: Feeding of the 5,000

Jesus is teaching 5,000 in the wilderness. Mark repeats this like 3 times- going out of his way to say that Jesus is in the wilderness with all these people. But then Jesus tells them all to sit on the green grass… And then the 5 loaves and 2 fish multiply and fee all the people!

Theme #4: God’s Come to Rescue us!

Jesus Feeding of the 5 Thousand: Grass is growing!

: Jesus with Zacchaeus:

Mark is pointing us to Jesus as this guy who is making all things New!

9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Jesus with Zacheues: “I have come to seek and save the lost.”

Why do we need to hear this rally cry?

Because, if much of these prophetic words from came true in the arrival of God’s son,

Trusting in God to come within the desert!

if Jesus himself introduced a new creation,

If God’s glory was fully manifested within Jesus,

If Jesus was making all things new already during his ministry,

if God’s rescue plan is revealed to us fully through God’s Word

If God’s rescue plan is revealed to us fully through God’s Word

Fear still permeated the early church!

If Jesus took human destruction and flipped it on it’s head,

then why do so many of us struggle with racing hearts?

Like, why is anxiety part of so many of our lives if we have Victory in Jesus?

Why do we worry in light of the Gospel?

Why do we worry in light of the Gospel?

It’s a question we need to ask because:

Prevalent Problem: Many Christians wrestle with anxiety. Some of us need to take anti-anxiety or anti-depression meds to alleviate the anxiety.

The Gospel has something to say about our anxiety that won’t like, fix it, but it will at least help us cope with anxiety better than most...

Why can’t we just let Jesus take the wheel?! Why can’t we let go of our control?! Why can’t we just feel totally protected, safe, and secure?!

JESUS, Take the wheel!

Here’s why we’re still anxious in light of the Gospel:

Why can’t we let go of our control?! Why can’t we just feel totally protected, safe, and secure?!

Human destruction, desolation, and isolation are still very much a reality:

Well, because we still see human destruction and desolation still. This vision Isaiah presents to us, it’s a total eradication of desolation. It’s a complete garden, like a full restoration of Eden. It’s the re-establishement of humanity’s vulnerable and translucent relationship with God. But we don’t see a garden covering everything, do we? Crime is on the rise in Durham. How many times does Feyetteville end up on the news for another murder.

This vision Isaiah presents to us, it’s a total eradication of wilderness life. It’s a complete garden, like a full restoration of Eden. It’s the re-establishment of humanity’s vulnerable and translucent relationship with God. But we don’t see a garden covering everything, do we?

Why do you worry in light of the Gospel?

Isaiah’s vision comes true through Jesus, but we’re still waiting for that Garden, aren’t we? We still live in this tension filled era where we sense our frailty, faults, failures, and fears.

Do not fear remains the Advent Call!

Some of us have been victims of human destruction!

Well, because we still see human destruction and desolation still. This vision Isaiah presents to us, it’s a total iradication of desolation. It’s a complete garden, like a full restoration of Eden. It’s the re-establishement of humanity’s vulnerable and translucent relationship with God. But we don’t see a garden covering everything, do we? Crime is on the rise in Durham. How many times does Feyetteville end up on the news for another murder.

Fears just don’t pop up out of no where. Fears have a story to them. A history. An event. A decision.

But more close to home, we have our own personal worries that have nothing to do with the 6 o’clock news. We have our pasts that often times forms within us a mutated garden of weeds. This mutated garden creates the knots of worry and the chronic anxiety that follows.

We have our pasts that often times forms within us a mutated garden of weeds. This mutated garden creates the knots of worry and the chronic anxiety that follows.

Our pasts forms within us a mutated garden of weeds. This mutated garden creates the knots of worry or the chronic anxiety, or fears.

Human destruction is all around us, and some of you have felt it’s poisonous effect:

But more close to home, we have our own personal worries that have nothing to do with the 6 o’clock news. We have our pasts that often times forms within us a mutated garden of weeds. This mutated garden creates the knots of worry and the chronic anxiety that follows.

Death of a loved one

Disease

We still live in this time of weak hands, knocking knees, and overheating hearts. And when you dig beyond what you’re afraid of, you’ll often times unearth a bad experience, an overbearing relationship, a really bad decision, or some form of abuse.

Failure

Abuse

Narcissistic parents

Wayward children

Human destruction is all around us, it has personally shaped us, it has been something we have participated in, and that destruction has given shape to wariness and weariness.

Job loss

In this advent season, how do achieve peace of mind when we’re still surrounded by more human destruction and desolation.

Shaky hands, knocking knees, and racing mind.

Financial struggle

So this morning, I want you to do a bit of a mental exercise:

Divorce

Car accident

Vulnerability, personal harm

Cultural Pressures:

Worry:

Cultural Pressures:

Pressure on kids to be successful

Divorse

Why? Because as much as Jesus has done for us, we’re still surrounded by the results of human destruction and desolation.

Strengthen hands, Feeble Knees, Anxious Heart

Well, because we still see

vv.5-7: Healing is on the Horizon

Human destruction is all around us still.

Christians with Anxiety

What do you fear? What causes anxiety?

Trust that Jesus can heal you in this

5  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,

and the ears of the deaf unstopped;

6  then shall the lame man leap like a deer,

and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.

For waters break forth in the wilderness,

and streams in the desert;

7  the burning sand shall become a pool,

and the thirsty ground springs of water;

in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down,

the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

Just as Jesus fulfills the Glory of God, Jesus also promises to bring healing!

Unhelpful Healing:

‘Don’t worry so much.’ Oh yeah? I forgot that was an option! How silly of me that I missed it!

LET GO and LET GOD! I don’t want to let go, or I don’t know how to let go, so thanks for the reminder that I don’t have enough faith for God to take this from me...

‘Jesus take the wheel’: Right, I’ll just sit and do nothing then. I’ll binge watch another show to keep me distracted…

‘Jesus take the wheel’: Right, I’ll just sit and do nothing then. I’ll binge watch another show to keep me distracted…

Helpful Healing:

Helpful Healing: ABC’S Accept, Believe, Confess

LET GO and LET GOD!

Accept that Worrying is Part and Parcel of a World with Human Destruction

Give yourself permission to worry.

Worry can’t condemn you. Worry isn’t a faith issue. We are saved by grace, and we can’t be unsaved by our worry.

Believe the Gospel:

Jesus is more powerful than your worry

Someday Jesus will fully heal you from this worry

Jesus has victory even over your past!

Jesus loves you.

‘Don’t worry so much.’ Oh yeah? I fogot that was an option! How silly of me that I missed it!

“LOVE CASTES OUT ALL FEAR”

God uses therapists and meds to help us on our journeys of worry.

Confess Christ

Church People struggle less with Anxiety:

CNN, NPR,

We have a time each week to confess our sin, to invite Christ into our deepest parts.

To die and rise with him!

GOAL: JOY!

Conclusion: Pursuit of Joy

‘God’s got this.’ I trust in God’s power, I know he has a plan, but I can’t stop my racing heart.

8  And a highway shall be there,

‘Jesus take the wheel’: Right, I’ll just sit and do nothing then.

LET GO and LET GOD!

JESUS, Take the wheel!

and it shall be called the Way of Holiness;

the unclean shall not pass over it.

It shall belong to those who walk on the way;

even if they are fools, they shall not go astray.

9  No lion shall be there,

nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;

they shall not be found there,

but the redeemed shall walk there.

10  And the ransomed of the Lord shall return

and come to Zion with singing;

everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;

they shall obtain gladness and joy,

and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Vision of God’s Highway

Join creation’s transformation from mad to glad!

Train of healed walking on a Highway!

My Chemical Romance:

Train of healed walking on a Highway!

Future:

Healing: Eyes of the blind, ears of the dead, lame man to leap, mute to sing

John the Baptist: Stuck in jail, quotes

Signs of this Day is here and now!

Highway Home: Not there yet

Jesus as the Coming of God

Theme #1: New Creation!

: In the beginning was the Word

Theme #2: Glory

: And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Theme #3: Creation Regeneration:

: Feeding of the 5,000

Jesus is teaching 5,000 in the wilderness. Mark repeats this like 3 times- going out of his way to say that Jesus is in the wilderness with all these people. But then Jesus tells them all to sit on the green grass… And then the 5 loaves and 2 fish multiply and fee all the people!

Theme #4: God’s Come to Rescue us!

9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”