Isaiah 50:4-11 - The Servant of Obedience
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Intro and Frame Sermon
Intro and Frame Sermon
How’s everyone doing? How is everyone truly doing? This is a chance for you to search your heart - Do you feel like you are being Obedient to the Lord? Or in a Spiritual battle where you might be on the verge of quitting.
When ever we start to be obedient to the Lord it seems like Spiritual Opposition shows up. We see it in the Bible.
Adam and Eve - Serpant
Moses - Pharoah
Nehemiah - Sambalat and his mates
Jesus - King herod, Pharisees, demons, devils, Pilot, His own people from Nazareeth.
Are you in a Spiritual Battle? How is our Obedience?
We are in the Servant songs, Isaiah was written over 700 years before the birth of Christ.
If you haven’t been with us: It is a series on God’s Saving Grace - his etermal purpose of redemption and how he works that eternal purpose in Histry. As we walk through this series, My hope is that we gain a deeper understanding of who Jesus was, and what that means for our lives.
Last week | Calling - You are called - Called to an eternal Call, Called to temprory assignment - Called to be different. And we are called to…obedience
How though, do you be obedient? | When opposition
Let’s start with Isaiah 50:4-6
The Lord God has given me
the tongue of those who are taught,
that I may know how to sustain with a word
him who is weary.
Morning by morning he awakens;
he awakens my ear
to hear as those who are taught.
The Lord God has opened my ear,
and I was not rebellious;
I turned not backward.
I gave my back to those who strike,
and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard;
I hid not my face
from disgrace and spitting.
Lord God | Remember this phrase.
Tongue of those taught | Disciple | This is why it’s important to have this posture |
Hebrew: limmûdïm, translated = Disciples
Why? What’s the result? that I may KNOW HOW to SUSTAIN. Discipleship by Jesus | Obedience leads to…ability to sustain others.
“To hear those who are taught” - This is referring to a characteristic, it means , those like me “Disciples” - God’s people | He waits, to talk to you | Isn’t that beautiful?
We learn about Jesus, we are discipled like Jesus and by Jesus, and it allows us to listen as a disciple.
We have to listen| Listen Church: Junk in, Junk out | Holy in, Holy out.
Ok verses 5 and 6
Ok verses 5 and 6
The Lord God has opened my ear,
and I was not rebellious;
I turned not backward.
I gave my back to those who strike,
and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard;
I hid not my face
from disgrace and spitting.
We get the first hint of Obedience | first time - Not rebelious | Jesus was chosen to go down, God the Son, and he did |
“Turn not backward” = Significant - it means: “ A request someone would usually turn away from = he knew there would be persection, not a surprise
In fact ,the very next verse. Gave back = Offered freely (Given all the flesh) - What did the NT say? Cat - nine tails | Roman ritual they would get stick and rip out the beard |
I will reserve no flesh to those that will strike.
And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him.
Thorns 3 inches long | Smack on the top of the crown |
Self control beyond human ability
Why would he do this?
For you. How awesome he would do this for you.
What ever your facing, Jesus knows about it. We can forget that - that he sees your pain and asking for your obedience.
Obedience
Obedience
Jesus was Chosen, to do a work | When ever you do this work, for God, when ever we are obedient…spiritual Opposition will show up.
Jesus knew what it was like to be tempted - yet he never succumbed to it. he was sinless.
What did he do? He turned to the Word of God and to the Father and then got on with it.
To say that I am Obedient is a declaration of three things:
My Reward is from God and not of this world
I have enough FAITH to TRUST God
I surrender the outcome
Moses and Red Sea
Joseph in the prison
Joshua around Jericho
- All Stupid Plans
All faced Opposition
Work for God, Spiritual Opposition. This will happen. Might be: I am going to get out of debt and be good steward of God’s money - your car breaks down. I am going to apply for that job that I feel God called me to do, someone says your not good enough. Start serving in your gifts and your insecurities start smashing you - that voice - not you. You’re not good enough.
Choice: Obedience the the Lord or Obedience to the Enemy and the things of this world
The moment you step out and do something for God - The enemy hates it.
Easy Life = Coast along, Do your comfortable thing. Safe Life. #blessed - Go to Church if you want. But WHAT EVER YOU DO, don’t ENGAGE!!!
When you step out, the devil tries to step in.
God is calling some of you to step up however - To STEP UP. To show love, to invite, to tithe, to be better husbands, to be better wives, to live the word of God, and the moment you do, you will have the neysayers, you’ll have the enemy step in, you’ll have a spiritual battle.
What do you do, when this spiritual attack comes?
What did Jesus do? He stepped up, stepped into his calling - He was…Obedient.
Let’s go to Verse 7
But the Lord God helps me;
therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like a flint,
and I know that I shall not be put to shame.
He who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me?
Let us stand up together.
Who is my adversary?
Let him come near to me.
Behold, the Lord God helps me;
who will declare me guilty?
Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment;
the moth will eat them up.
But…Jesus smighted them | No - What do you do with neysayers and people that will rise up and critisise you? Our goal is not to respond to the critics, it’s to do the will of God.
BUT the LORD GOD helps ME. (Lord God again) - The Same Lord who Equipped earlier, the same Lord God who taught earlier, the same Lord God who CALLED Jesus to Hardship because of his obedience NOW what? Now accompanies to help.
There is a relationship here: When you respond, he equips, he provides.
When you go into battle, God will give you the armour, but God is not going to provide the armour if you’re not going to battle for him. Cmon.
**Iron Man**
Providing Armour does not mean material things.
set face like a flint | Same as set my face toward jeruselum | Could not be swayed
the Servant is AWARE, of GOD near him, and fills him with FAITH, DETERMINATION, CONFIDENCE.
He who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me?
Let us stand up together.
Who is my adversary?
Let him come near to me.
He who vindicates, who clears me, who justifies me, GOD. Who will contend?
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Jesus is then saying “Who will date to bring charges against me if GOD calls me RIGHTEOUS”
Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?
Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree.
Behold, the Lord God helps me;
who will declare me guilty?
Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment;
the moth will eat them up.
Goes on about it again | They will what? Wear out. Back to Jesus in the Desert.
It’s not easy when you step out, and people critisise you…trust me…I know.
Pastor: Peoples Reactions, some close to me: Didn’t understand the call. Some not so close to me, didn’t understand the call. Some…really backed me.
This is what is going to happen though: You will feel called - You will have a choice to be obedient- You can control this | You can’t control what people will say.
You can say: I will not be Moved by Praise or Critisism. I try not to let Praise go to my head, and I try not to let critism enter my heart - I will not be moved by what People think, I will be moved by what GOD thinks. and GOD thought I should be here. Community | Truth | Generous | Faith Filled | Warriors
Remember: It’s not the neysayer who is the enemy;
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
I want to talk about a quick story from the OT to demonstrate obedience, and what we, can do, if we face the neysayers.
Nehemiah
Nehemiah
Nehamiah was a Cup Bearer, who was called to go rebuild the cwall of jerulusem in 52 days. everyone said crazy | Opposition: Samballat Tobiah who would MOCK HIM | Gossip about him | Belittle him and the work he was doing. Sound familiar?
One Day | Nehamiah had enough and he prayed to God - This may have been before “Pray for those that persecute you”
Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives. Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from your sight, for they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders.
So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
Point? He prayed, then got back to work. Roll up your sleeves.
And our enemies said, “They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work.” At that time the Jews who lived near them came from all directions and said to us ten times, “You must return to us.”
Someone here is listening to their own insecurities instead of who God says you are.
This is why we keep our eyes FIXED on JESUS
What did Jesus sayis in Gethsemene? He was DONE, it was OVER, NOT MY WILL YOUR WILL.
I am going to conclude with Nehemiah but before I do, I want to quickly go back to Isaiah and finish off;
Who among you fears the Lord
and obeys the voice of his servant?
Let him who walks in darkness
and has no light
trust in the name of the Lord
and rely on his God.
Behold, all you who kindle a fire,
who equip yourselves with burning torches!
Walk by the light of your fire,
and by the torches that you have kindled!
This you have from my hand:
you shall lie down in torment.
Some of you, are worshipping a false God. Some of you are in a spot, where your hand is not on the plough, some of you have a hand on that plough. I am here to encourage someone!!
Conclusion
Conclusion
What does Nehemiah do?
And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”
Lord God = Adonai = Master, in control
Remember the LORD, When you feel like you can’t be obedient, when you get neysayers, when you think its too hard to put your hand on that plow: Take focus off yourself, (like nehemiah) and ON THE LORD
DO YOU REMEMBER? who you ARE before CHRIST, DO YOU REMEMBER?
IF he has DONE it BEFORe, he can DO IT AGAIN, BE OBEDIENT.
FIGHT - Fight for your daughters - Fight for your wives, Fight for your families, - Remember the Lord your God.
Step into your Call. Be Obedient to your calling.
Greater is he who is in you - than he who is in the world - YOU HAVE THE POWER.
jesus was obedient for you so you could be obediemt to the father