Taking the Limits Off

Introduction

Isaiah 58:9–11 ESV

9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 10 if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. 11 And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Scorched Places

What is a Scorched Place?

Scorched places are typical of dry hot , climates. The distinguishing characteristics of a scorched place is its absence of life. In life these are places of pain, disappointment, and discouragement. Believers in Christ are not immune to the discomfort of life. There is more in scripture that reminds us of this difficulty than not. But God has promised that even in the scorched places the He is at work in our life. It is up to us to embrace what He has promised and “Take the Limits Off.”

What are some scorched places in my life?

Hebrews 12:1–2 ESV

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

The Privilege of Fellowship with God

What are the major privileges spoken of in Isaiah 58:9-11?

You will

++Call on God

++Cry out to God

God will

++Answer

++Say I am here

What two things does God promise in Isaiah 58:9-11?

God promises

His Power

His Presences

This will help you take the limits off

Isaiah 58:9–10 ESV

9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 10 if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.

Don’t limit your Light

What does Matthew 5:16 say about our light?

Matthew 5:16 ESV

16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

We have a responsibility

++To let our light shine

++To glorify God

You must

++Take away the yoke

++Remove accusations

++Speak righteously

Isaiah 58:2 ESV

2 Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God.

We must be before we can do

What does 2 Corinthians 5:17 , 1 John 3:2 tell us about who we are?

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

1 John 3:2 ESV

2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

Don’t be guilty of

++Going through the motions

++ Pretending to be

God has called us to be not just do.

Matthew 25:31–34 ESV

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

What we do for God is connected to who we are.

How did God separate the animals?

God looked at all that came before him

He separated them

++Sheep

++Goats

++Based upon identity

It is an inside Job

Why is God’s work on the inside so important?

Who we are is connected

++Expression of compassion

Matthew 25:35–36 ESV

35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

Who we are is connected

++Expression of compassion

++Our love for others

1 John 4:7–8 ESV

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

In Scorched Places

How does God reveal his presence in the Scorched places in my life?

Isaiah 58:11 ESV

11 And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

God promises work

++When times are difficult

++When the situation is hard

++In Scorched Places

We have

++A continual guide

++Complete satisfaction in Him

1 Corinthians 2:12 ESV

12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.

2 Corinthians 1:21–22 ESV

21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, 22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

God does not have to wait.

++Until the sun is shining

++For blue skies

God is at work in scorched places

Isaiah 58:11 ESV

11 And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Even in scorched places God will

++Strengthen us

++ Make us flourish

We cannot be

++Stopped

++Hindered

++Held up

Notes:

The Fellowship of the Unashamed

The Author of this work is a Rwandan man in 1980 who was forced by his tribe to either renounce Christ or face certain death. He refused to renounce Christ, and was killed on the spot. The night before he had written the commitment "The Fellowship of the Unashamed" which was found in his room. Bob Moorehead had written this in his book "Words Aptly Spoken" c. 1995

I am part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed." The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.

I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure.

I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I now live by presence, lean by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

My pace is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed.

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until Heaven returns, give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes. And when He comes to get His own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My colors will be clear.