Sermon Tone Analysis

Most of us probably don’t get our Christmas trees like the Griswald family.

In fact, most of you are probably like me… and your tree was made in a factory instead of in nature.

I don’t know… does anyone in here use a REAL tree?

Has anyone in here EVER used a real tree?

My guess is… that even if you use a real tree, you still don’t get it like the Griswald family… You bring a saw instead of pulling it up roots and all.

And the result to that is this.

*SHOW PICTURE*

How many of you have ever had one of these in your yard?

These are the most annoying things in the world.

I remember growing up, I had one of these in our yard… and I’d be outside playing football with friends… and I think that tree stump put me on the ground more than getting tackled.

I mean… what good are tree stumps?

Stumps are nothing but grave markers of trees.

Stumps remind us that there used to be something living here, and now it’s gone.

They are worthless.

Nobody wants stumps in their yard.

Do you have a stump?

Or maybe even stumps… plural?

You might have some in your yard… but do you have stumps in your life?

Perhaps the stump of a broken relationship… something that reminds you of that failed relationship.

Or maybe it’s a season in your life where you made a series of bad choices and the consequences that came because of that time left a stump in your life… and it’s a painful reminder of your brokenness.

Perhaps some of you would say… I don’t have any stumps… my whole life is a stump!

It’s a broken mess.

If you have your Bible this morning, and I hope that you do, turn with me to Isaiah chapter 11.

Isaiah chapter 11.

This morning we’re going to see in Scripture a man who is characterized by a stump.

I get that agricultural references may be lost on us a little bit because most of us are so removed from farming… but with the description of stumps that I’ve just given you… that they’re a grave marker… that they are a reminder that there used to be life here, but now there’s death… how would you like it if you were characterized by a stump.

***** the stump.

What would that say about you?

Isaiah chapter 11 we’ll see a stump named Jesse… and I think you’ll find that you may relate to Jesse the stump.

As we read this morning, we’ll be asking two questions… Who is this stump?

And why in the world is he called the stump?

What did he do to deserve that?

Isaiah chapter 11, verse 1…

Who is Jesse.

Do you remember a story about a teenage boy that killed a giant with a slingshot and some smooth stones?

Do you remember the story about a runt son, who became a shepherd boy… who became King of Israel, but was late to his own anointing?

The writer of most of the Psalms?

David… The great King of Israel?

Well Jesse is his dad.

And so… “the stump of Jesse” refers to David… but not just specifically to David… but to the entire kingly line of Israel.

It’s the king program of Israel that is represented in this phrase… “the stump of Jesse”.

So we know who it is now… but what happened that this name, the stump of Jesse, came about?

Let’s just take a brief run through of Israel’s history.

The book of Exodus tells us about a time when the people of Israel were slaves in Egypt.

Yet God raises up a leader to take them out of Egypt… out of slavery.

But because of their disobedience, Israel ends up wandering in the wilderness for 40 years.

Eventually, though, they finally get to the land that God had promised Abraham so many years ago.

And when they finally get to the land, the 12 tribes settle down and begin their new lives.

Israel had Judges in that day.

The Judges were liaisons between God and the people and they helped navigate life in the new land.

After some time though, Israel began to see all the other nations around them… and how they were governed by kings.

And so, they said, we want a king!

God said… I don’t think you know what you’re asking… this is not a good idea.

Yes it is!

We want a king!!!

And so God gave them a king.

Saul became the first king of Israel.

But he doesn’t really do so well.

There were a few fairly good moments for Saul… but, generally speaking, he’s a pretty bad king.

David is then anointed king.

And David becomes known as THE King.

He’s the king that all other kings aspire to be.

He’s the man.

But even David still blows it quite a bit.

Throughout Israel’s history, there are a total of 39 total kings.

And of those 39 kings, only 8 of them did anything worthwhile.

And even those 8 were a mixed bag of good and bad.

So, we have all these kings who are rebellious against God… who did things their own way… who wanted to call their own shots… who didn’t really follow God’s leading.

They knew what was expected of them, yet they were rebellious.

And as the king goes… so goes the people.

So, the people were a mess too.

Sure… there were moments of good… there were bright spots along the way… there were people that truly wanted to follow God… but generally speaking, as a whole, the people of God were rebellious… they wanted to worship other gods… they wanted to call their own shots.

They weren’t loving their neighbors… they weren’t living up to the Old Testament laws… they were a rebellious bunch of people.

So… God raises up prophets to basically come in and say… listen people… if you don’t turn back to God… this is what’s going to happen.

We looked at 12 of them earlier this year.

And that’s where we find Isaiah writing this morning.

Isaiah is also a prophet.

And in his book, Isaiah is pointing out the ugly of Israel.

Isaiah is saying… you guys are blowing it and God’s really ticked… and if you don’t turn back to God… trouble is a coming!

In chapters 1 through 10, Isaiah basically says that God is going to *WHISTLE*… you know that dog whistle that some people can do?

I can’t do it.

But he says… God’s gonna whistle and call in the Assyrians like mad dogs.

They will kill the king… take people into captivity… the holy city will be left barren… the Temple will be destroyed…

And all that will be left is a stump.

The stump of Jesse.

A reminder of their brokenness.

A reminder that there used to be something living here… now there’s only death and destruction.

So now we know why he’s called the stump.

The King program didn’t work.

But, let’s keep reading… Look at verse 1 again…

In other words… Isaiah says… in this thing that symbolizes death… God is going to bring some life out of it.

Isaiah then goes on to paint a very poetic picture of the perfect King.

But before we jump into that, I just want to remind you that whether you have stumps all over the landscape of your life… or you feel like your life is one big stump… God can still give you life.

No matter how bad it may seem… God can bring you life.

I love that God doesn’t leave us in the darkness of our brokenness.

And so even as Isaiah predicts that the Assyrians will come and they will destruction and there will only be a stump left, he says a shoot will come out of that stump.

Whatever’s going on in your life… whatever brokenness that you feel… however bad things are… if you turn to God, He WILL NOT leave you in your brokenness.

You will find grace and hope when you submit yourself to God.

Let’s look at verse 2…

Let’s look at those 3 things real quickly.