Sermon Tone Analysis

*Messages of Hope, Part I (Inscription 53)*

*/Trust God’s Plans/*

*Isaiah 8:11-14; 30:1-16*

*/May 29, 2011/*

 

* *

*Prep: *

·         Read Isaiah passages

·         151

 

* *

Intro~/Communication card:

·         Bookkeeping help

·         Cleaning

 

*/Don’t forget that you can ask questions!/*

 

 

Prayer

 

*Scripture reading: Isaiah 6:1-8 (Michel)*

 

A Word of Encouragement

 

Q   Have you ever been *discouraged*?

That’s a dumb question; of course you have!

Q   But do you remember a time that you were discouraged and someone *said* just the *right* *thing* to pull you out of the rut?

Sometimes all we need is *sympathy*, “It’s okay, tell me how you feel.”

Women are better at this, *men* want to *fix* *it*.

But sometime we need *hope*.

Hope isn’t *wishful* *thinking* (“The sun will come out, tomorrow...”), but a reason to believe the pain has a *purpose*, there is *meaning*, good things are happening, that there is a *reason* to believe things will get better.

A couple of weeks ago I had a pretty *tough* *week* (more on that later) and the sermon felt like my worst in years.

Cecil and Micah said it wasn’t that bad, just my worst in 6 months.

I was *discouraged* and *frustrated*; feeling like the church wasn’t making headway.

That *afternoon*, Marilyn told me about a family in the church who shared the impact the church and our family had made and I just started crying, which doesn’t happen often.

·         It was just what I needed to remember that even if I *flub* a *sermon*, God is still *working* in the church.

The following day I began to *read* Isaiah for this series.

I was expecting to find a book full of *doom* and *gloom*, “Woe to you,” and all that, but I was surprised to find it filled with *hope*.

Many of the prophets are “Woe to you,” addressing various moral problems, and Isaiah certainly has its share of that, but its *basic* *message* is “put your *hope* *in* *God*.”

·         Reading Isaiah has been a *strong* *reminder* that no matter what *you* or *I* or this *church* is up against, we can *trust* *God*.

That is the message I want you to come away with: If you are *discouraged* *today*, you can put your *hope* in *God*.

He is a firm foundation that never fails.

New series

 

As I said, we are starting a *new* *series* today looking at messages of hope in Isaiah, learning to trust his *plans*, his *correction*, and his *future*.

·         This is part of a *larger* *project* of reading through the Bible as a church; I encourage you to read through it with us.

Isaiah basically is a *collection* of *sermons* and *prophecies* by Isaiah c. 750 BC.

At the time he is preaching, Judah and Israel have split into two nations and Isaiah is preaching to Judah.

·         Judah was in its *golden* *days*, prosperous, free, and godless, but trouble was on the horizon (like today!).

Most of us are in far *better* *shape* than Judah.

We try to follow God, we are not worshiping *idols*, and we aren’t in the habit of *stealing* *land* from little old ladies.

·         I think we are more like *Isaiah*, charged with preaching to the world, but we go *back* and *forth* between them.

Radically normal

 

Shortly after his *commission*, God spoke to Isaiah:

 

*Isaiah 8:11-12 * 11 ¶ The LORD spoke to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people.

He said:  12 “Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it.”

God says to us, as he said to Isaiah, you are a light to these people, you are an *example*, don’t you dare act like them.

“Don’t *follow* their way,” you are called to be *different*.

·         There are a lot of *bad* *ideas* about how Christians are to be *different*.

It’s like we are supposed to be *weird* and if “they” can’t tell you are a Christian at first *glance* at *you* or *your* *car*, then you are failing Jesus.

·         That’s not true; whole *passages* are written in the NT telling Christians how to be *normal*, functioning members of society.

I am developing this idea that we are called to be “*radically* *normal*,” that in so many ways we look normal to the world around us, and I look forward to preaching on it in the fall.

·         We may *look* *normal* enough on the outside, but scratch *below* the *surface* and the world sees something radically different.

Between a rock and a hard place

 

This passage shows one of the ways we are called to be radical.

In *Isaiah’s* *day*, everyone was freaking out because of a very real *military* *threat*:

 

On one side, Assyria was the up and coming political power, and they were going a rampage.

It was a superpower, and Judah was a small player politically, it was like the *US* verses *Spain*.

·         They had *good* *reason* to fear; they didn’t have a chance.

On the other side, their neighbors *Israel* and *Syria* were putting together an *alliance*, and asked Judah to join them.

It wasn’t really an offer, it was a threat, join us or we’ll wipe you out.

And God says, “Do not call *conspiracy* everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it.”

In other words, *don’t* *freak* *out*.

·         We’re called to be *radically* *calm* in a world that is *freaking* out.

(EG: *Nancy* *Drew* trailer.)

Our world is freaking out because of the *economy*, because of the *deficit*, because of who is in the *White* *House* or in *congress*, because of the *environment*, or whatever.

Our neighbors and friends are freaking out because they might get *laid* *off*, because *Social* *Services* funding is being cut, because a *sex* *offender* is moving into the neighborhood.

·         “Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; *do* *not* *fear* what they fear, and do not dread it.”

What do you fear?

 

Q   Let’s look at this: Do *you* fear what they fear?

·         This is right where my life is at right now.

This last month has been interesting; tough would be more honest.

As many of you know, about a month ago, Peter informed me that the church’s savings had dropped to a critical level, which meant that we had to implement an *emergency* *plan*:

 

·         We basically had to cut my salary in half.

I can look at this *rationally*: This was something we *saw* *coming* because of losing a renter, things are actually *going* *well*, we are growing in *attendance* and *giving*, God is working in lives.

*More* *importantly*, I know that God is *in* *control*, that this is his church; he will not let it go.

But still I feel the *fear* *raising* up in me, the temptation to *freak* *out*.

Q   What do I fear?

I fear my *daughters* not having enough and the loss of *reputation* from being bi-vocational.

I fear not being able to *find* a *second* *job*.

I fear not being able to *lead* the church well *part*-*time*.

·         These are the things the *world* *fears*; these are not the things a child of God should fear.

facing your Fears

 

Q   What do *you* *fear* right now?

What is going on that keeps you up at night? 

 

\\ ·         Not having enough?

·         Your marriage?

·         Not being married?

·         Your kids?

·         Losing your job?

·         Not being able to find one?

·         How your friends and family view you?

\\  

Get that fear that just kind of rumbles around in the *pit* of your *stomach* out of your stomach and *into* your *head*, and let’s talk about it.

Fear of God

 

This is what God says in response to Isaiah temptation to fear:

 

*Isaiah 8:13-14 *13 The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread,  14 and he will be a sanctuary; but for both houses of Israel he will be a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.

And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare.

So the *remedy* for *fear* is *more* *fear*?

Brilliant.

Now I have the world’s fears plus I’m afraid of God.

Here is what God means:

 

Q   Who are you more afraid of, Chuck Norris or Rick Moranis?