Untitled Sermon (2)

Background and Scripture

Isaiah 43 is one of my favorite texts and I think you will see why today. The tension and movement in the book of Isaiah is so rich. If you have never spent time in the book, I encourage you to do so. For the first 39 chapters of the book, Isaiah, the prophet, is warning the people of the looming threat of Babylon. They are comfortable, complacent, even complicit in their downfall and Isaiah is jumping up and down like a madman trying to get their attention. They come around much too late and exile happens. I mean the worst wilderness you can imagine.

Then, the book takes this turn in Is 40. The promises of God from the wilderness emerge. They are coming out of the wilderness to promises of hope, blessing, restoration, etc. I know yall are ready to come out of the wilderness, right?

This Isaiah 43 is one of the promises that God is putting before them. He is going to make strong statements about himself, the promises before them, and what is to come....

Isaiah 43:1–3 NIV

But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead.

Isaiah 43:16–21 NIV

This is what the Lord says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.

Pray

God’s Children Protected from the Elements

Is 43:1-3 is a life verse of mine. And as I thought of the last 5 years this is the text that God put on my heart....I didn’t realize how timely the whole chapter would be for our season of life and what is to come. The reason why this text came to me is because I believe KUMC understands this well. We have learned the hard way that the elements will not get us. We have learned that God will continue to bring us through the “waters” even quite literally.

What a ride we have been on:

Pastoral Transitions

losing a loved Sr. Pastor way too soon

Harvey, w/100s of our own losing homes and business

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I led teams out of the church to muck homes for 2 months straight. This was before kids so I had some more flexibility in my life. That is where I learned about boundaries and burn-out. I remember crying after every home visit, because I was carrying every burden with me. Thankful for the lessons God taught me there

How resourceful our church was and committed

The Imelda, flooded some of the same homes!

Our own stuff in the family:

Lauren and I have had family storms to endure

my brother in prison

(Picture) our journey with kids…goodness that can be a wilderness at times. This will be forever the church that nurtured us in this time

The T1D diagnosis

The most formative and challenging moments of our marriage

School, ordination, school again

Cleaning out my office I have found so many notes and cards that you have written me at different times....reminding me that God has called me by name.

But God was not just protecting us from the elements, was he? No, he was forming us along the way.

James 1:2 has always been a difficult scripture, but this season with many different factors is teaching me the meaning....

James 1:2–4 NIV

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

God was not just protecting us from the elements, but helping us to build perseverance and when that perseverance works....it brings about fruit. It has been when we trust fully that we belong to God and that we can survive the elements, that some amazing things have happened:

Vital Prayer Movement:

Small Groups, MTL Group movement:

Vine Worship:

Incredible growth in 5 years, but not just about number of people…

volunteers

prayer team

band

home team

More than even that though, and really this growth is indicative of this… The spiritual growth of our community. I could go person by person and tell you about incredible break throughs....God leading folks towards that “Profound love of God and Profound love of people” in the movements of grace.

It has been such a joy of my life to be a part of baptisms, weddings, celebrations of life, struggles, heartbreak, victories,

but dang the greatest privilege has been to see Jesus change your life.

Coming out of the Wilderness

Here is the thing though… there is more. There is more than our own endurance, there is more than just survival…there is something on the otherside.

Look what God says to Israel in verse 16:

Isaiah 43:16–17 NIV

This is what the Lord says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:

He says, remember…I am the one who carried you through the sea. I am the one who defeated your enemies…I am the one who rescued you…Then God says the most powerfully ironic thing:

Isaiah 43:18 NIV

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

Do not dwell on the past, look forward. check out the next verse....

Isaiah 43:19 NIV

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

Check out this juxtaposition...

The God who brought Israel through the sea is now about to bring water to the wilderness. He isnt just going to carry them through the wilderness, he is going to transform it.

In the past God has helped you get through the obstacle. Now God is going to turn the obstacle into a garden of abundance. “I am making a way in the wilderness!

That’s our God. That’s the one who has called you by name, Kingwood.

The past can teach and illustrate but it must not bind you...

Welcoming Jeremy and Erika into the family is welcoming another way for God to move. A new way for God to move.

Neutral Zone:

What a ride this has been. From capital campaigns to Middle school retreats....don’t know which one was a bigger challenge for me.

UM Armies, Served in Haiti several times, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico.

Our experience through Harvey led to an invitation for me to preach on hope at the Billy Graham center in North Carolina.

Graduation, Ordination.

Closing Exhortation:

Do not settle for an imitation

Know Christ, do not settle for any imitation. Do not settle for mediocrity. This is my hope from our time together, that in some small ways we have walked with Jesus together. But this is my hope moving forward that you will not settle for the form of religion and not know the power and the transformative work of Jesus in your life.

In Kentucky we were really close with this family. They were basically our youth group and so Lauren and I just hung out with them and their family every week. Well one time we were talking about ice cream and of course blue bell came up....much to our astonishment, they had never tried blue bell…ever.

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It was amazing to see them try it for the first time. Like they have had ice cream before but all of that stuff is just a shadow of blue bell, can I get an amen?

This was my story. I only knew the imitation. I only knew church, did not know Jesus. And my faith was dead. This is what drives me, and I hope you see that now, my passion and eagerness for the gospel is not emotionalism, it is a conviction and motivation that more would know Jesus.

Do not settle for the imitation. You can know Christ, personally, and you can know the work of Christ in your life and through your life. And this is what we will offer to all that we encounter.

2. Humility and Repentance

My prayer for you is that this congregation would be marked by humility and repentance. This may feel random but I assure you it is not. It is probably the most important of the three things I share for you. I pray that you, individually, and corporately would continue to humbled yourself and yield to Christ.

From Nijay Gupta’s commentary on Colossians....

Seeking an “upside-down kingdom,” so to speak, reminds me of the poignant poem by G. K. Chesterton titled “Gloria in Profundis” (“Glory [to God] in the Lowest”). In this poem Chesterton sets up a vertical dichotomy. Mortals presume that life is about gaining power and renown by ascending. The incarnation instructs us, however, that true glory is revealed in Christ’s own descent and “lowness.” The first lines read:

There has fallen on earth for a token

A God too great for the sky

What a paradox this is. An infinitely massive God who cannot even be contained in the heavens decides to come to this little place called earth. Later Chesterton’s choral voice scoffs at the proud:

Who rears up his head for a crown,

Who holds up his will for a warrant,

Who strives with the starry torrent

When all that is good goes down?

Just before the last stanza of the poem, Chesterton compares Christ to the evil fallen angels. They wanted so badly to overthrow their master that they fell all the harder. In their insolence, confused with hunger for power, they have spent their energy only digging themselves deeper into rebellion and depravity. Alternatively, God the Son has led the way by humbling himself instead of exalting himself.

But unmeasured of plummet and rod

Too deep for their sign to scan,

Outrushing the fall of man

Is the height of the fall of God.

New Testament theology is quite consistent with Chesterton’s. All that is good goes down. One cannot boast of their religion while also trying to care deeply for fellow believers. A life choice must be made. There is a great blessing and benefit from being hidden with Christ, but there is also responsibility for believers to become like Christ, especially in his lowness for the sake of others. There is a double meaning to Chesterton’s poetic title: Gloria in Profundis. It is obviously a reversal of the familiar Gloria in Excelsis—“Glory in the highest.”True believers give glory to a Christ who descended. But Gloria in Profundis could also be translated “Glory [to God] in the Depths.”That is, there is a bottomless richness to God’s glory because of the work of Christ in the incarnation and crucifixion.

Marked by humility and repentance so that you will be hidden with Christ and become like Christ.

3. Dream big and go out in faith