Today's Old Testament lesson comes from the book of Isaiah, chapter 30, verses 1 through 18.
Stubborn children, declares the Lord, who carry out a plan but not mine,
and who make an alliance but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin,
who set out to go down to Egypt without asking for my direction,
to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt,
therefore shall the protection of Pharaoh turn to your shame,
and the shelter in the shadow of Egypt to your humiliation.
For though his officials are at Zoan and his envoys reach Hames,
everyone comes to shame through a people that cannot profit them,
that brings neither help nor profit, but shame and disgrace.
An oracle on the beasts of Negev, through a land of trouble and anguish,
from where come the lioness and the lion, the adder and the flying fiery serpent,
they carry their riches on the backs of donkeys, and their treasures on the humps of camels,
to a people that cannot profit them.
Egypt's help is worthless and empty, therefore I have called her Rahab who sits still.
And now go, write it before them on a tablet and ascribe it in a book,
that it may be for the time to come as a witness forever.
For they are rebellious people, lying children,
children unwilling to hear the instruction of the Lord,
who say to the seers, do not see,
and to the prophets, do not prophesy to us what is right.
Speak to us smooth things, prophecy illusions.
Leave the way, turn aside from the path.
Let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.
Therefore, thus says the Holy One of Israel,
because you despise this word and trust in the oppression and perverseness and rely on them,
therefore this iniquity shall be to you like a breach in a high wall,
bulging out and about to collapse,
whose breaking comes suddenly in an instant,
and its breaking is like that of a potter's vessel that is smashed so ruthlessly
that among its fragments not a shard is found,
with which to take fire from the hearth or dip up water out of the cistern.
For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel,
in returning and rest you shall be saved,
in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.
But you were unwilling, and you said,
no, we will flee upon horses.
Therefore you shall flee away,
and we will ride upon swift steeds.
Therefore your pursuers shall be swift.
A thousand shall flee at the threat of one.
At the threat of five you shall flee
till you are left like a flagstaff on the top of a mountain,
like a signal on a hill.
Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you.
And therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.
For the Lord is a God of justice.
Blessed are all those who wait for him.
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
About a month ago, many of us in this room saw a film
at the National Gallery of Art by Laura Hinson
called Many Beautiful Things.
And it's a documentary about Lilius Trotter,
a 19th century British painter
who left a career that would have brought fame and fortune
in order to follow God's calling on our life
to be a missionary to the poor and downtrodden in North Africa.
In that departure to Africa,
she says that holiness, not safety,
is the end of our calling.
Holiness, not safety,
is the end of our calling.
That's been a refrain for us
these last few weeks in this season of Lent.
Holiness.
This sermon series is called
The Habits of Holiness.
We're looking at practices
that would build and nurture holiness and virtue within us.
The first week, we looked at submission.
What does it mean to live under the authority of Christ's lordship?
The second sermon we heard
was about scripture.
And what does it mean that the Bible is God-breathed?
Last week, we looked at contentment
and Paul's statement.
How he has learned in whatever situation to be content.
This week, these three themes
come together quite beautifully
in this 30th chapter of Isaiah
that we heard Megan read earlier.
We're going to see two problems that Judah had.
Self-reliance
and a refusal to listen to God's voice.
Self-reliance
or really failure to rely on God.
And a refusal to listen to God's voice.
We're going to see how those two faults are shared by us.
We have those same faults and sin tendencies.
And then lastly, we're going to look at two practices
to help us overcome those problems.
It would be kind of a black comedy
if we're going to talk about listening to God's voice
and we weren't to pray to ask God to help us with that.
So let's do that right now.
Amen.
God, thank you for bringing us here.
Thank you for guiding us.
Thank you that you don't leave us
without a knowledge of yourself
or how to relate to you as our Father
or to submit to you as our Lord.
So we would ask your guidance today.
Help us to hear your word.
Help us to lay aside all of our pride and arrogance
and our presuppositions
and help us to really, truly hear
what you have to say to us tonight.
And not just tonight, Lord,
but every day of our lives.
And in hearing you, trust you
with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
We pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.
So here in Isaiah 30,
we find ourselves towards the end of the 8th century BC.
And many years earlier, before this account,
Israel had split into two kingdoms.
The northern kingdom, which had kept the name Israel,
has already been conquered by Assyria,
and the Israelites have been hauled off into exile.
The southern kingdom, now called Judah,
finds itself a vassal state of Assyria
because of the actions and decisions
of the previous king Ahaz.
Ahaz's son, the current king, Hezekiah,
and by all accounts, a pretty good guy,
he wishes to be free of Assyria,
and so he seeks protection from Egypt
to the south.
Egypt, as we heard,
was a worthless ally.
In battle with Assyria,
they would be routed just 100 miles from their home,
while Assyria, 600 miles from their home,
just completely routed them.
God even mocks Egypt in verse 7.
It's pretty funny.
He calls her Rahab who sits still.
In other words,
Judah wasn't relying on Egypt,
the glorious, beautiful, powerful queen of ages past.
Judah was relying on Egypt,
the invalid grandmother who sits at home
watching Judge Judy and Fox News all day.
I'm pretty sure.
Ironically, and foolishly,
Judah is going back to her old slave master
to ensure her freedom.
But that isn't what made Egypt the poor choice.
Egypt was a poor choice
because Judah was to rely on God,
and God only for her protection,
and safety,
and salvation.
Judah was to seek God's guidance
instead of weaving her own web,
as the language here
could be literally translated in verse 1.
Here in verses 1 and 2,
we find the biblical insistence
that God's people be guided by God's revelation.
Ah, stubborn children
who carry out a plan,
but not mine.
Who make an alliance,
but not with my spirit.
Who set out to go down to Egypt
without asking for my direction.
The last bit here in verse 2
could be translated literally,
you did not inquire for my mouth.
You did not inquire for my mouth.
This might lead some of you
to recall the sermon from two weeks ago.
Tommy preached from 1 Timothy,
chapter 3, verse 16,
which says,
all scripture is God-breathed.
Well, I mean, that idea wasn't new to Paul.
God here is affirming it
many hundreds of years earlier.
God's revelation isn't static or dead.
His revelation is his mouth.
And it comes to us by his Holy Spirit.
And in that sermon we heard two weeks ago,
we heard also 1 Peter, chapter 1, verse 21,
which says,
for no prophecy was ever produced
by the will of man,
but men spoke from God
as they were carried along
by the Holy Spirit.
And here in Isaiah 30,
it's the prophet Isaiah
that is being carried along,
delivering God's message.
But Judah wouldn't receive it.
They would refuse it.
As a matter of fact,
in verses 9 and 10,
God notes how not only is Judah
unwilling to hear the instruction of the Lord,
but they were telling Isaiah
to say something else.
The people had wanted Isaiah
to change his message.
They wanted him to lead them astray
from the Holy One of Israel.
In chapter 6 of Isaiah,
the prophet Isaiah has a vision.
A vision of God and his temple.
Glorious.
Breathtaking.
Indescribable.
So holy and indescribable
that Isaiah could only describe
the hem of his robe.
And Isaiah had devoted his whole career
to communicating this message
of God's holiness.
This beautiful, amazing vision.
But Judah wouldn't see it.
They didn't want to see it.
They wanted Isaiah
to just shut up about it.
And instead,
communicate smooth,
affirming things.
And not of a God
whose splendor
demanded
the impossible things of them.
Does that sound familiar?
Yes.
It does.
Right?
That's us.
2,700 years later.
That's us.
I know, because it's me.
It's me.
Now, if Judah were to listen
to this strange man,
they would have to alter
their view of God
and their way
of responding to him.
But as Flannery O'Connor wrote,
the truth does not change
according to our ability
to stomach it.
The truth does not change
according to our ability
to stomach it.
So let's summarize
Judah's problems
and see how they apply to us.
Okay?
The first,
in the face of trial and danger,
Judah devises their own plan
to get help
instead of seeking God.
And that's us.
Right?
I mean, just think back
this week,
this month,
when an issue arose
at work
or at home
or in your relationships
and you had to figure out
a solution.
Did you ask God for help?
Was he the first person
you asked?
Well,
you might say,
I'm a surgeon
and should I ask God
for a magical air
to show me where to cut?
You know,
where the patient
is dying on the table?
Or like,
I'm a musician
and should I just
wait for God
to show me every note
on the page to play?
Is that the kind of reliance
you're talking about?
No, no.
That's not what I'm talking about.
But this is an air trombone,
by the way,
if you're wondering.
So,
what scripture teaches,
cover to cover,
is that God's children
live in utter dependence
on their father.
Throughout a day,
God's children
have a spiritual posture
of kneeling.
Not physical,
but a spiritual posture
of kneeling,
hands up,
palms up,
in need of God's provision.
The posture simply says,
help.
Help me.
Have mercy on me.
Personally,
when I get into a bind,
if I remember to do this,
I say what's called
a Jesus prayer,
an ancient prayer
that helps us focus on God
and his helping us,
which says,
Jesus,
Son of God,
have mercy on me,
a sinner.
And I say it a lot.
But often,
I don't go to that.
You know,
I get nervous pretty much
every time I play music
in front of people.
That would mean on Sundays
when I lead worship.
And this is,
I've always had this problem.
And I remember once
being asked by a friend,
like,
what do you do
when you get nervous?
How do you get through that?
My response was,
well,
I just,
hmm,
what do I do?
I just rely on the things
that I've practiced,
things that I've learned
in my training.
And then he asked,
do you pray?
And I realized I,
I didn't most of the time.
I realized that I'm much more
of an orphan
than a son of the Father.
At least that's how I behave.
An orphan who relies
on his instinct,
the strategies,
strategies and coping measures
he's learned on the streets,
never fully trusts anyone,
even after being received
into a loving family
and given parents
who truly love him.
We see overtones of this
in verse one,
right?
God says,
aha,
stubborn children.
So that's Judah's
first problem,
self-reliance.
And Judah's other problem
is that they don't listen
to their father's voice.
We've touched on this.
They either ignore God's voice
or because of their pride
and arrogance,
they twist his words
to support their own agenda,
to support their own
systems of belief,
or to prevent God
from interfering
with the things
that they desire.
So what should have Israel done?
Verse 15 says,
For thus said the Lord God,
the Holy One of Israel,
in returning and rest
you shall be saved.
In quietness and in trust
shall be your strength.
Again,
he's addressing
posture.
Returning
means repentance.
And once we've
returned
to the Father's presence,
we become quiet
and still.
And in that silence,
God gives
to us
of himself.
We find strength.
faith.
So what does that mean
for us today?
Does it mean we literally
need to find times
of silence
and solitude?
Well, yes.
Yep, of course.
And I think that's
exactly what it means.
And Jesus knew
how critical it was, too.
He knew how critical
it was to find times
of silence
and solitude.
And if the Son of God,
the Son,
who had known
intimacy
with the Father
in a perfect
dance
of never-ending love,
if he
needed to
find time
alone
with the Father
to be intimate,
in silence
and solitude,
how much more
do we?
Right?
The world is
so noisy.
You know this.
It's noisier
than it's ever been.
Audio,
visually,
informationally,
we're drowning
in information.
We seek it
on our smartphones
as soon as we wake up
and just before
we go to sleep.
As we walk on the street
or wait in a line,
a ubiquitous
din of words
resulting
in an epidemic
of numbness.
And I think
you've felt that.
I have.
And for whatever reason,
we prefer the noise
because it's so much
more preferable
to the alternatives
the hard work
of recognizing
the true
aesthetic beauty
that surrounds us,
the hard work
of empathy,
recognizing that
every human soul
we encounter
is both made
in the image of God
and suffers the weight
of a broken humanity,
the hard work
of living with
our own thoughts
and feelings
and neuroses
and hurt.
And there's
an alternative
that's more frightening
than the three
of those.
and that's
plain old silence.
Silence is frightening.
I know this
because I watch
science fiction.
I really don't
reference science fiction
in every sermon.
I know this
because I remember
cutting the science fiction
reference from my last sermon.
Anyway, bear with me.
Science fiction
has a way
of tapping
into our fears
through the enemies
it projects.
Now some of you
may remember
the Borg
from Star Trek
Next Generation.
If you remember
when the Borg
was created
it was at the end
of the Cold War, right?
The Borg was an enemy
that was likened
to the communist state
in which
individuality
and self-identity
is eradicated
and all members
are in complete service
to the collective, right?
It's a very
Cold War fear.
Now one thing
that was supposed
to be frightening
about that enemy
is that if you
were assimilated
you could never
keep the voices
and thoughts
of the other
individuals
out of your head.
Nowadays
that's so much
more preferable
than the alternative.
And the alternative
is the antagonist
in season six
of Doctor Who.
Anybody know
who that is?
The silence!
Right?
The silence.
Frightening.
And the members
of the silence
look like that guy
from The Scream
you know that
expressionist painting
that guy?
Like that's what's frightening.
It's just silence.
It's tapped into our fear
and silence represents
our deepest fears.
Who knows what monsters
and devils
we would find
in a vacuum
of sound waves
in the space
of our own
minds and hearts.
But silence
is exactly
what God prescribes
for his people.
For this reason
we need
to hear from God.
We need to hear
from God.
Jesus often said
he who has ears
to hear
let him hear.
Our minister
of care
and community
Melissa Litwiller
met with our
core group leaders
this past Wednesday night
and she made
this profound point.
If our God
is a God who speaks
and we truly believe that
then in order
to hear that voice
we need to offer God
the hospitality
of silence.
Isn't that beautiful?
The hospitality
of silence.
Silence is the space
in which we welcome
God to speak.
Soren Kierkegaard
said the first thing
the unconditional condition
the very first thing
that must be done
is create silence.
Bring about silence.
God's word
cannot be heard
in the hullabaloo.
Create silence.
The kind of silence
we need for listening
is not that momentary silence
of turning your attention
to someone.
It's much more than that.
It's the act
of self-emptying
and bringing our
whole selves
before God.
It's not a stupid silence.
It's more a question
of mobilizing
our knowledge
and our experience
and making them
fluid
and lively
so that they will
serve the attention.
So that they will
serve the attention
instead of replacing it.
Now many of us
can be good
at reading the Bible
but silence
is the space
in which the Bible
reads me.
It's the place
where we put to death
our pride
and we truly listen.
One author writes this,
reading these pages
that form the Bible
written and transmitted
by men of the past
thus becomes
listening to the voice
of God in them.
A process
that requires
a particular attention,
vigilance,
and availability.
This attention,
this vigilance,
this availability
are contrary
to the hardened
pride
in which I presume
to know better
than others
what they're saying
and what they mean
and better than God
how he may act
and how he may
reveal himself.
Right?
Just an issue
of pride
and humility.
Silence
is a posture
of humility
before a God
who speaks.
and we've talked
about
Judah's two problems.
Self-reliance
and failing
to hear
God's voice.
And we've explored
how we wrestle
with the same things.
And I hope
I've made a compelling
case for the need
to rely on God
and for the need
to seek silence
but I've prayed
a lot about this sermon.
I walked down
the streets
of Mount Pleasant
actually saying
Jesus,
Son of God,
have mercy on me,
a sinner.
And I feel like
I need to
present
real concrete
applications
on how to rely
on God
and how to hear
his voice.
Habits of holiness
that would deepen
our trust in God
by remembering
God's works
of provision
for us
and that would
create a space
to hear God's voice.
So let's start
with a habit
that would deepen
our trust in God.
We see all
throughout the Bible
God exhorts us
to remember
God's works
for us.
And as a matter of fact,
Jesus gave us
this table,
a sacred memorial
where we remember
and enact
Jesus' death,
life,
and resurrection.
Over the course
of hundreds of years,
the church has given
us practices
to help us remember
God's active presence
in our lives.
One of those
is called
the Daily Examen,
E-X-A-M-E-N.
It is to be done
at the end of a day.
A really great time
of day to do it
is just before
you fall asleep.
The things we
think about
right before
we fall asleep
are often the things
that are close
to our hearts,
aren't they?
They're the idols
that we covet,
the things we desire,
things that we think
would bring us happiness.
or there are
deepest fears.
And the examine
pushes those things
out of our minds
and brings God
to the forefront.
There's basically
five steps
to an examine.
The first is
to become aware
of God's presence.
Become aware
of God's presence.
It's helpful to remember
that God is a Father
who is always
waiting for us,
always ready
to welcome us,
no matter
what we've done.
The second step
is to review
the day with gratitude.
Now there's
four different things
that will come to mind
as you review the day.
All right?
The first is
ways that you
have obeyed God.
And when that
comes to mind,
give God thanks
for the strength
to be able to obey.
The second is
ways that you've
failed God,
ways that you've
sinned.
So confess those things,
ask for forgiveness,
and move on.
The third thing
is a way God
has shown
his faithfulness
to you,
how he's provided
for you,
a way that
God has shown up
and it's been obvious.
And a fourth thing
that will come to mind
is a time when
God didn't seem
to be there.
A difficult time
in trial.
And you didn't
notice his presence.
And then
you look to see
ways that God
was present
even in that
difficult situation.
Like, wow,
this,
even despite
like the pain
or the sadness
of the situation,
this person
really cared for me.
Right?
Or I,
my prayers
became more passionate,
maybe more angry,
and God
seemed really
much more real
to me
than he ever has.
So,
beware of God's presence,
review the day
with gratitude.
Third is pay attention
to your emotions.
The fourth is
choose one feature
of the day
and pray from it.
And the fifth
is to look
toward tomorrow.
Now,
if you fall asleep
while you're doing this,
like,
if you don't finish
and you fall asleep,
don't feel bad.
What
father or mother
would feel hurt
or offended
if in talking
to the child
in their arms,
the child falls asleep?
What a gift
to be able
to fall asleep
during the examine.
Now,
the examine
is a practice
you can do
as a family.
I know that
not every one
of us here
has children,
but I think
this will still
be helpful for you
if you can't
remember five steps,
you can remember this.
The fact that
we go throughout
the day
and we experience
God in both
positive and
negative moments
in our lives,
that's a paradox,
right?
And paradox
sounds like
a pair of ducks.
And this is a,
this duck is dirty
and this is a,
this is a clean duck.
And our,
our family does
the examine
every day,
every time we sit
down for dinner
together
and we say,
okay,
what were your
yay ducks?
And what were
your yuck ducks?
And the kids love it.
They love to talk
about the positive
things that happen
in the day
and then we talk
about the negative
things that have
happened in the day
and then we help
the children to see,
well,
okay,
that might have
happened,
but did you see
how like,
mommy really cared
for you in that
situation?
Isn't it great
that God has
provided you a mommy
that's like really
loving,
generous,
compassionate,
like,
or,
or in that situation
you had to stay
at your friend's
house.
Isn't it nice
to have a friend?
See what we do?
Now,
with all of the change
our family has gone
through the last six
years,
this has been a helpful
practice in keeping
God's goodness
at the center
of our thoughts.
As a family,
we've seen God's
presence and faithfulness
every day
in all situations.
It's been a practice
that's helped us
to know contentment.
All right,
so that's the first
practice,
the examine,
or yay ducks,
yak ducks,
however you choose
to remember it.
And the second practice
that we're going
to talk about
is a practice
to help us hear
and listen to
the word of God,
and that's called
the Lectio Divina.
There are many
variations on this
practice.
The one I like to use
is produced by the
Irish Jesuits,
and it's called
Sacred Space.
You can find it
at sacredspace.ie,
and they frame it
as a structured way
of entering into
a disciplined,
fruitful silence.
Let me review
the second steps.
If you forget it,
just go to
sacredspace.ie.
It's that,
because it's produced
by the Irish Jesuits.
So the first step
is entering into silence.
Relax,
slow down,
and become centered
in Jesus.
Let the thoughts
and the stresses
of the day go.
Be still.
The second step,
encounter the
presence of God.
Jesus says,
Behold,
I stand at the door
and knock.
If anyone hears
my voice
and opens the door,
I will come into him
and eat with him
and he with me.
Jesus always arrives
before me,
desiring to connect
with me,
even before,
even more than
my most intimate friend.
The third step
is freedom.
I remind myself
that there are things
God has yet to teach me
and I ask for the grace
to hear them
and to be changed
by them.
The fourth is consciousness,
which is really
the examine,
which we've just discussed.
The fifth
is scripture.
So I take time
to read a scripture passage
slowly,
a few times.
Now,
what word,
a phrase,
captures my attention?
So like,
enjoying a piece
of hard candy,
I slowly let
that word
or phrase
slowly circulate
in my mouth
as my tongue
explores
and savors its surface.
I allow myself
to dwell
on anything
that strikes me.
The sixth
is conversation.
What feelings
rise up in me
as I pray
and reflect
on this passage?
I imagine
Jesus himself
sitting in a chair
opposite me
and I open
my heart to him
and share with him
my thoughts,
feelings,
and reflections.
And then I conclude.
It's the seventh step.
With this,
now may the God
have peace
through the blood
of the eternal covenant
brought back
from the dead,
our Lord Jesus Christ,
that great shepherd
of the sheep.
May he equip you
with everything good
for doing his will
and may he work in us
what is pleasing to him
through Jesus Christ
to whom be glory
forever and ever.
Amen.
The idea of listening
may be nerve-wracking
for many of us.
I don't know about you,
but to sit down
and to be silent
by myself
causes anxiety.
The staff
has been doing
the Lectio Divina
now
for a while
and still,
like,
every time I sit down
to do this,
my heart rate goes up.
Ah,
this is so quiet.
I need to be doing something
or looking at something
or hearing something
or what have you.
But over time,
I've really looked forward
to this time
because I know
it's going to be a time
where I'm really
richly fed.
It also might be
nerve-wracking
because it begs
the question,
if I listen to God,
what am I going to hear?
Is it going to be
the sound of my voice?
Is it going to be
the voice of Morgan Freeman?
The exhortation
to listen to God
is very much the same
as listening to a spouse
or friend, okay?
So we go to Scripture
and we listen
the same way
we're to listen
to a friend,
discerning
what is my friend
really trying to say
in the things
that he's telling me?
Does that make sense?
Like, what's really
at the source
and core
of what he's trying
to communicate?
That's listening to God.
Offering to God
the hospitality
of listening
is the opposite
of giving God
the pitiful offering
of an instant
of our attention.
It's relinquishing
our arrogance,
inclining toward God,
and offering to Him
our whole being.
Speaking of anxiety,
you might feel
some anxiety
as we talk about this
because you feel
guilty or ashamed.
Because you know
you should do this
and you haven't done it.
Or you don't do this enough.
Or you don't see
how you could ever
possibly do it
because life
and circumstances
seem to prevent
even a moment
of silent reflection.
I totally get you.
Okay?
I feel this too.
And here's what you
and I both need
to remember.
These practices
have never bought
anyone favor with God.
Because Christianity
is not about
what we do for God.
It's about what God
has done for us.
The Father
is always waiting
for us,
ready to give
Himself to us.
Isaiah chapter 30
verse 18,
what we heard earlier,
says this,
Therefore,
the Lord waits
to be gracious
to you
and therefore
He exalts Himself
to show mercy
to you.
For the Lord
is a God of justice.
Blessed are all
those who wait
for Him.
God shows us
His justice
in that everything
we could feel
shamed about
or guilty over
He's taken care
of on the cross.
There's no judgment
or wrath
or disapproval
that awaits
God's children.
There's nothing
left of that.
We go to Him
in silence
not to give
but to receive,
to receive a work
that's already
been done for us,
accomplished for us,
the work of Christ's
life,
death,
and resurrection
which has brought us
into God's family
and into the relationship
with the Father.
Coming to Him
in silence
is not climbing
a high chair
and hoping to receive
one or two
small spoonfuls
of God's grace.
Coming to Him
in silence
is jumping
into an ocean
of God's grace.
That grace
is what awaits us
in returning
and rest,
in quietness
and trust.
In the name
of the Father
and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Let's pray.
Amen.
Lord, we would want
to be holy.
We recognize that
as your calling
in our lives.
So we first
thank you
for making us holy,
for declaring us
forgiven,
for declaring us
justified,
for declaring us
to be righteous
because of what
your Son did for us.
Give us faith
to receive that.
And then give us faith
to pursue you
in silence
and then to be
pursued
by your word,
to be read by it,
changed by it,
and transformed
by it.
God,
thank you
for speaking to us
through your word
and for
speaking to us
and transforming us
by your sacrament.
We look forward
to that even now.
We pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.