Turn with me in your Bibles to Isaiah chapter 50.
I want to welcome you if you're visiting in town for the holiday or here with family members or friends.
Glad that you've joined us this morning.
This month, the month that we anticipate and celebrate the coming of Jesus into the world.
We've been doing a sermon series in the prophet Isaiah on messianic prophecies from the book of Isaiah.
How the prophecy of Isaiah points to the person of Christ.
Isaiah lived about 700 years before the coming of Jesus in the late 8th century BC.
And yet the New Testament quotes from the book of Isaiah more than almost any other book.
Over 75 times.
And it refers and alludes to it even more than that.
But what we're doing this month is looking at five of these texts that are used in the New Testament to help us understand the significance of Jesus.
So as we look at these texts that were written hundreds of years before Jesus.
And were studied for hundreds of years in anticipation of someone who would come.
We are looking at how they shed light on the significance of Jesus coming into the world.
So this morning we're looking at Isaiah chapter 50.
And I'm going to read the entire chapter.
Isaiah 50.
And if you're looking in the pew Bibles, the page number is in your bulletin if you're looking for that.
Isaiah 50.
Thus says the Lord.
These are God's words to the people of Israel.
Where is your mother's certificate of divorce with which I sent her away?
Or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you?
Behold, for your iniquities you were sold.
And for your transgressions your mother was sent away.
Why when I came was there no man?
Why when I called was there no one to answer?
Is my hand shortened that it cannot redeem?
Or have I no power to deliver?
Behold, by my rebuke I dry up the sea.
I make the rivers a desert.
Their fish stink for lack of water and die of thirst.
I clothe the heavens with blackness and make sackcloth their covering.
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.
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.
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 for my hand.
You shall lie down in torment.
Let's pray.
God, we thank you for assembling us together this morning.
We thank you for this text which has been preserved for us for literally thousands of years.
We pray that you would speak to us by the power of your spirit through it.
We pray that you would speak the message that each of us needs to hear this morning.
And we commit this time to you in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Have you ever felt like you were walking in the darkness?
Maybe you've walked or maybe you are walking through the darkness of trouble.
Perhaps you're battling sickness or chronic pain.
Maybe it seems like you can barely make it physically from one day to the next.
Perhaps you're in a season of loneliness or loss.
Maybe it feels like nobody else really understands.
Nobody else really knows.
Perhaps nobody else really cares what you're going through.
Perhaps you're dealing with disappointment as you look into the past.
And as you look into the future, the future only seems bleak.
Maybe you're walking in the darkness of trouble.
But perhaps you're also...
Another kind of darkness.
Maybe you're walking in the darkness of sin.
Perhaps you're caught in habitual sin.
One of those things that you've said over and over.
I'll never do it again.
And yet you still go back to it.
The Bible says that sin darkens our minds.
In other words, it confuses and distorts our perception of reality.
Maybe you've been living in the darkness of deception.
And half-truths and avoidance.
You tell lies because you feel ashamed.
You feel powerless to deal with reality so you run away from it.
Maybe you've said to yourself, my sin is so great.
How could God ever rescue me from it?
Or even if he can, would God even want to rescue me?
Maybe your sin and your trouble are tangled up together.
Your trouble reminds you of your sin.
And it's like a knot that you can't untie.
And it just gets more and more tangled up.
Well, this section of Isaiah was written for a group of people who were in a lot of trouble.
Because they had sinned a lot.
It was written for a group of people who felt like they were walking in the darkness and had no light.
They couldn't see any hope.
Any way forward.
This morning I want to look at this passage in three parts.
Verse 1 to 3 speaks about the people's sin.
Verses 4 to the darkness that they were walking in.
Verses 4 to 9 speaks about a servant's obedience.
And verses 10 and 11 speak about our hope.
The people's sin, the servant's obedience, and our hope.
So let's jump into the first part.
Verse 1 begins rather abruptly.
Where is your mother's certificate of divorce with which I sent her away?
Or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you?
Behold, for your iniquities you were sold.
And for your transgressions your mother was sent away.
You might say, what in the world is Isaiah talking about here?
Well, he's speaking to the people of Israel.
And he's speaking to them.
He's speaking about the time of the Babylonian exile when they were removed from their homeland.
When the temple was destroyed.
The kingdom was abolished.
The cities were ruined.
Everything was gone.
They were given into the hands of their enemies.
They were taken hundreds of miles away.
It was a terrible disaster.
And that's why Isaiah compares it to a divorce or to a bankruptcy proceeding.
Except in the ancient world, a bankruptcy proceeding meant you basically became the slave of your creditor.
It was even worse than bankruptcy today.
It's something that leaves you reeling and trying to recover for not just days, not just months, but for years to come.
And the section of Isaiah is speaking to the people who are in this situation.
And if you look back at chapter 49, because chapter 50 doesn't come out of nowhere.
It's in a longer section.
Chapter 49, verse 14.
This is what the people were saying.
In other words, the people were saying our sin and our trouble is just too much.
God must have given up on us.
God must have left us behind and gone on to someone else for good.
Now, if you read the rest of chapter 49, which we're not going to look at in detail this morning,
God basically says two things.
First, he says, I want to help you.
Verses 15 to 21.
God says, I love you even more than a mother loves her baby.
I have not forgotten you.
And then God says, in verse 22 to 26, I can help you.
I don't just want to help you.
I can.
I have the power to help you.
I am your redeemer, the mighty one of Jacob.
I have not forsaken you.
And I have not forgotten you.
Even in the middle of all your trouble, and even though all this trouble is your own fault,
I am with you.
And then we come to the beginning of chapter 50.
Now, these first three verses of chapter 50 are a bit of a hard word.
Basically, God is getting in the people's face a little bit.
He's saying, let's be real about why you're in all this trouble that you're in.
For your iniquities, you were sold.
For your transgressions, your mother.
So the mother is referring to the prior generation of Israel.
Okay?
For your transgressions, your mother was sent away.
In other words, Isaiah is saying, the trouble you're in is your own fault.
And it wasn't just because of a mistake you made or even a failure.
No, he uses a far more serious word.
Your iniquities.
That is your transgressions.
Your flagrant, ongoing, serious violations of my covenant.
And then verse 2 he says.
He says, I didn't just leave you alone.
I came calling.
I came knocking at your door.
And no one answered.
God is saying, don't act like your trouble came out of nowhere.
Don't say that I didn't want to help you.
And don't say that I can't help you.
The second half of 2 and first half of the rest of verse 3.
Is my hand shortened that it cannot redeem?
Or have I no power to deliver?
God is saying, remember who I am.
I'm the Lord of the universe.
I'm the God who holds all things together.
And I'm also the Lord who brought judgment on the land of Egypt.
Who turned the river to blood and made the sky dark so that I could redeem you.
And set you free from your slavery there.
In other words, God is saying, don't say that I don't want to help you.
Don't say that I can't help you.
God is saying to his people, we need to get real.
Now let me be very clear here.
In this fallen world, sometimes trouble comes upon us through no direct fault of our own.
The Bible acknowledges that in many places.
The book of Job is an entire book all about that theme.
When all kinds of trouble comes upon someone and it wasn't a direct result of anything he did.
So if you're dealing with all kinds of trouble, sickness, loss, disappointment, or even worse,
if other people are attacking you or falsely accusing you or trying to take advantage of you,
that does not necessarily mean that you are on the wrong path or that God is disciplining you.
Sometimes people blame themselves for things that they never had any control over
and that were never their responsibility in the first place.
And if that's you, you might need to be reminded today
the specific trouble you're walking through is not your fault.
On the other hand,
many times we are the cause of our own troubles.
At least in part.
And many times we don't want to face up to our own part.
Instead, we want to pity ourselves and say,
I deserve better.
Why is the world so unfair?
Or we blame God and say that if we ran the universe,
we would do so slightly differently.
Or we want to blame everybody and everything else in the world before we look at ourselves.
We're not willing to acknowledge that we have dug the pit that we now find ourselves in.
When I was a boy in second grade,
I was always looking for ways to correct my teacher.
It's probably my lowest point in that regard.
Because I was clever and I had a technical mind,
sometimes I succeeded.
It was a hard year for my teacher.
And I think a year or two later,
I don't remember exactly the chronology,
but at one point I finally went back and apologized.
But sometimes God is trying to teach us something
and we don't want to listen to him.
Sometimes God is knocking at our door
and we are not answering.
And sometimes God lets us experience some of the consequences of our own sin.
He gives us over
to the idols that we have worshipped.
He gives us over to the masters of our own making
and the result is not pretty.
Our sin can get us into a whole lot of trouble.
Sometimes we need to get real about our sin and its consequences.
We need to get real with ourselves,
with others,
and with God.
That's the first part of this passage.
God confronting the people
with the reality of their sin
and its consequences.
But then,
in the second part of this chapter,
the tone abruptly and unexpectedly changes.
It's no longer God confronting the people with their sin,
but in verses 4 to 9,
we hear the voice of a servant,
a human being,
declaring his faithful obedience.
It's as if you're listening to an orchestra
and you hear the crashing cymbals
and blaring horns of God
confronting his guilty people
and suddenly they give way
to the voice of a solo violin,
a haunting but beautiful melody
of faithfulness
in the midst of chaos
and disaster and darkness.
It's a bit like
if you're walking through a neighborhood
with broken windows
and bullet holes
and boarded up houses
and vacant lots
and trash everywhere
and then you come upon a block
where the houses are freshly painted
and the sidewalks are swept clean
and children play freely
in each other's backyards
and neighbors look out for one another.
It's not what you'd expect.
It's an oasis of hope
in the midst of darkness.
So far we've heard God
declaring his people's guilt
but now we hear the voice
of a human being
proclaiming his innocence.
The Lord God has given me
the tongue of those who are taught,
verse 4,
that I may know
how to sustain with a word
him who is weary.
Not only is this servant obedient
but he gives help
and sustaining grace
to people who are weary.
Now you might be wondering
who exactly is speaking
in these verses,
verses 4 to 9.
Now if you read
the book of Isaiah,
in the second part of Isaiah
which is chapters 40 to 55,
the prophet introduces us
to this figure
who is called
the servant of the Lord.
And the servant
speaks and is spoken about,
the servant speaks
basically four times.
Or there's sort of four passages
that are particularly focused
on this figure
but there's even other references
throughout these chapters.
It's sort of a major emphasis
of these chapters.
And at first it's sort of mysterious,
who is this servant?
The first reference
to the servant
is back in chapter 41,
verse 8.
But you, Israel,
my servant,
Jacob whom I have chosen,
the offspring of Abraham,
my friend,
you whom I took
from the ends of the earth
and called from its farthest corners
saying to you,
you are my servant,
I have chosen you
and not cast you off.
So at first,
it seems like
the people of Israel
as a whole
they are
the servant of the Lord.
So the figure of the servant
represents the whole people.
But then here's the problem.
Throughout these chapters,
not only in chapter 50,
verses 1 through 3,
but in several other places,
Isaiah,
he castigates the people.
He says,
you failed to live up
to your calling
to be the servant of God.
You've turned to idols.
You've been unfaithful.
You're in all this trouble
because you've transgressed
God's covenant.
You've seriously violated,
you've messed it all up.
Now, other people say
Isaiah was speaking
about himself
as God's servant.
Especially if you read here
in chapter 50.
The servant,
one who listens to God,
who speaks for God,
perhaps that could be true
of Isaiah.
But chapter 50,
verse 5,
the servant says,
I was not rebellious.
I turned not backward.
Now, if you go back
to the beginning of Isaiah
in chapter 6,
Isaiah has a vision
of the Lord.
And you know what he says
when he sees the Lord
on his holy throne?
He doesn't say,
I have not been rebellious.
He says,
woe is me.
I am ruined.
Because I am a man
of unclean lips
and I live among a people
of unclean lips
and my eyes have seen
the Lord God Almighty.
Isaiah had a very clear sense
that he was not,
that he was in the mess
along with the people.
And yes,
he was speaking for God
and yes,
God had set him apart.
But the servant
can't just be
the people of Israel
even though some of it
applies to them
and the servant
can't just be Isaiah
even though some
of the description
could apply to Isaiah.
Beginning in chapter 49,
the figure of the servant
begins to emerge
more and more clearly
where the servant
is both identified
with the people
but also stands out
from the people.
Now, let's look at chapter 50.
As we,
let me put pause
on the question
of who the servant is
and let's look at what 50,
chapter 50,
how chapter 50
describes the servant
and then I'll get back
to who actually
fits the description.
Chapter 50,
verses 4 to 9
basically show us
three things
about this servant.
First,
he obeys.
Verse 4 to 5.
Unlike the people
who were sent into exile
for their iniquities
and transgressions,
this one says,
I was not rebellious.
He's different
from all the rest
of the people.
Unlike the people
whose ears had been closed,
this one says,
verse 5,
the Lord God
has opened my ear.
The servant here is,
you might say,
a model disciple,
excuse me,
of the Lord God himself.
What's a disciple?
A student.
A student who's closely
associated with his master
and who takes into himself
all that his master knows
and then gradually
becomes like his master.
like a student
of a great artist
or who closely observes
his master teacher.
And yet this servant's teacher
is the Lord himself.
So the servant obeys.
He speaks for God
because he listens to God
and he speaks words of hope
and encouragement
to people who are weary.
But second,
the servant not only obeys.
In verse 6,
we see that the servant suffers.
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.
Rather than being rewarded
for his obedience,
the servant suffers
for his obedience.
And he endures public humiliation
and physical abuse
and he does not run away.
And he does not retaliate.
But in verse 7 to 9,
we see the third thing.
The servant obeys,
the servant suffers,
and the servant triumphs.
He can stand up in court
confident of his innocence.
He can withstand public humiliation,
confident that one day
he will be vindicated
and he can challenge
his adversaries
because he knows,
as he says
in verse 7 and verse 9,
the Lord God helps me.
Who is this servant
who obeys
and suffers
and triumphs?
In all of human history,
there's only one person
who completely fulfills
the whole description.
And that is Jesus Christ.
He obeyed.
Morning by morning,
Jesus listened
to the voice of his father.
He would often rise early
and go to solitary places
to pray
and be alone with God.
And day by day,
he sustained
the weary with his word.
People hung on his words.
Not just because he was intelligent,
but because his words fed them.
Because people found life
in his words.
And because he spoke
with authority.
His words carried weight.
And his words made a difference.
But he not only obeyed,
he also suffered.
He set his face
like flint
with resolute determination
to go to Jerusalem.
Despite knowing
that opposition
awaited him there,
when he arrived,
he was betrayed,
he was falsely accused,
he was arrested,
and he was condemned to die.
You know,
if you think of it,
almost every other
religious leader
in the world
lived a long life
and their life
ended in honor
and victory.
They were recognized
by their followers.
they were praised
by others.
And they lived
a long life.
Only Jesus died
at the young age
of 33
in humiliation.
Strung up
on a cross.
Executed
as a criminal.
And before he was killed,
he was publicly mocked,
beaten,
spat upon,
struck on the head.
Sometimes the
humiliation
is even worse
than the pain.
And yet,
through it all,
he triumphed.
Like this servant,
when he stood
before his accusers,
he calmly
and confidently
maintained his innocence.
When he hung
on the cross
and took his last breath,
he cried out
in a loud voice,
it is finished.
And three days later,
his followers testified
that God raised him
from the dead.
And the world
has never been the same
ever since.
Jesus obeyed,
Jesus suffered,
and finally,
Jesus triumphed.
You know,
maybe you're here,
maybe you're not a Christian.
Maybe you're just
visiting today.
Let me challenge you.
What do you make
of a passage
like this?
Isaiah wrote
these words
hundreds of years
before Jesus lived.
We have manuscripts
of the book of Isaiah
from the Dead Sea Scrolls,
from 100 or 200 years
before the birth of Jesus.
These words
were not doctored up
by Christians
after the fact.
And if this passage
by itself
is not compelling,
go on to chapter 53.
The climax
of the servant songs,
which describes
the servant's suffering
in even greater detail.
Here's some of what
chapter 53 says.
He was despised
and rejected
by men.
A man of sorrows
and acquainted
with grief.
As one from whom
men hide their faces,
he was despised
and we esteemed
him not.
Surely he has
borne our griefs
and carried
our sorrows.
Yet we esteemed
him stricken,
smitten by God
and afflicted,
but he was pierced
for our transgressions.
He was crushed
for our iniquities.
Upon him was
the chastisement
that brought us peace
and by his wounds
we are healed.
All we like sheep
have gone astray.
We have turned
everyone to his own way.
And the Lord
has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed,
he was afflicted,
yet he opened
not his mouth
like a lamb
that is led
to the slaughter
and like a sheep
that before its shearers
is silent,
so he opened
not his mouth.
By oppression
and judgment
he was taken away.
And as for his generation,
who considered
that he was cut off
out of the land
of the living,
stricken for the transgression
of my people,
and they made his grave
with the wicked
and with a rich man
in his death,
although he had done
no violence
and there was no deceit
in his mouth.
Yet it was the will
of the Lord
to crush him.
He has put him
to grief.
When his soul
makes an offering
for guilt,
he shall see
his offspring,
he shall prolong
his days.
The will of the Lord
shall prosper
in his hand.
Out of the anguish
of his soul
he shall see
and be satisfied.
By his knowledge
shall the righteous one,
my servant,
make many
to be accounted righteous
and he shall bear
their iniquities.
How does a man
living hundreds of years
before Jesus
in a society
where crucifixion
had not even
been invented yet,
how does he describe
Jesus' crucifixion
and its meaning
so powerfully
and poetically?
Some people might
want to dismiss
these passages
as mere coincidence
or Christians
seeing whatever
they want to see
in the Old Testament
but I think that's
a very superficial judgment.
The more I read
these passages,
the more compelling
I find them.
they're uncanny,
strange,
mysterious,
eerie
and yet real
and powerful messages
from God himself
that point
to his ultimate work
in the person
of his son Jesus.
What do you make
of passages like these?
For those of us
who are Christians
let me say
two additional things.
And if you're not
a Christian
these are really
about the meaning
of these passages
and the difference
they make.
First,
the way this passage
speaks about
the servant's suffering,
the servant suffers
and triumphs
all alone.
One of the commentators,
John Oswalt,
who I found very helpful
in Isaiah,
says one aspect
of what is being said here
that should not be overlooked
is this,
the aloneness of God
in the work of redemption.
What do I mean by that?
Read through verses four to nine
and notice all the pronouns.
They're all first person singular.
I,
me.
Now many times
you can read
lots of passages
in Isaiah
and the prophets
like to go back and forth.
I,
we,
he,
they,
singular you,
plural you.
That doesn't even come through
in the English
but sometimes there's a note
that makes you see that.
But here it's
one lone individual
speaking.
The suffering,
the obedience,
the suffering
and the triumph
is the accomplishment
of one person
who did it
without the help
of any other
human being.
With only
the help
of the Lord
God.
The servant
accomplished,
in other words,
the servant
accomplishes something
that nobody else
can
and nobody else
will do.
All right,
if you go back
to verse 2,
God says,
why when I came?
Why when I came
knocking at your door
did no one answer?
Only one answered
with perfectly
faithful obedience,
this servant.
Chapter 59,
verse 16,
Isaiah picks up
this same theme.
He says,
the Lord saw
that there was no man
and he wondered
that there was no one
to intercede.
There was no one
to stand in the gap
between God
and his people.
So,
his own arm
brought him salvation
and his righteousness
upheld him.
And chapter 53
speaks of the servant
as the arm
of the Lord.
The power
of the Lord
himself
in this
human being.
Working
deliverance.
Working
salvation.
You see,
when God decided
to redeem his people,
he sent his one
and only son
to do the work
that nobody else
could
and nobody else
would do.
To bear our sins
on the cross
and to triumph
over them
in his resurrection.
That's why
Christians call it
the finished
work
of Christ.
He did it
without our help
and he doesn't
need you
to add
something on
to his saving
work either.
You can't.
Because it's
complete.
He accomplished
the work
of redemption
alone
so that we
might enjoy
the fruits
of his labor
with him.
Second,
Jesus knows
how to sustain
the weary
with his word.
Just as the servant
does in verse 4.
Jesus has a word
to sustain you
today
if you are
wearied
by your troubles.
A bruised
reed
he will not
break
and a smoldering
wick
he will not
snuff out.
Matthew says
when Jesus
saw the crowds
he had compassion
for them
because they
were harassed
and helpless
like sheep
without a shepherd.
Jesus has
compassion
for those
who are
weary
and troubled.
And Jesus
said to his
disciples
do not
fear
those
who
can
kill
the
body
but
cannot
kill
the soul.
Rather
fear God
who can
destroy
both soul
and body
in hell.
Are not
two sparrows
sold for a
penny
and not
one of them
will fall
to the ground
apart from
your father?
But even
the hairs
of your
head
are all
numbered
therefore
fear
not.
You
are of
more
value
than
many
sparrows.
Jesus
has a
word to
sustain
you
today
if you
are
wearied
by your
troubles.
And Jesus
has a
word to
sustain
you
today
if you
are
wearied
by
your
sins.
I
am
the
Lord
and
besides
me
there
is
no
savior.
I
am
he
who
blots
out
your
transgressions
for my
own
sake
and
I
will
not
remember
your
sins.
Return
to
me
for
I
have
redeemed
you.
Jesus
said
come
to
me
all
who
are
weary
and
burdened
and
I
will
give
you
rest.
Jesus
also
has a
word
to
sustain
you
today
if
you
have
become
weary
in
doing
good
for
his
name's
sake.
He
says
take
my
yoke
upon
you.
Learn
from
me.
I
am
gentle
and
lowly
in
heart
and
you
will
find
rest
for
your
souls
for
my
yoke
is
easy
and
my
burden
is
light.
Jesus
knows
how to
sustain
the
weary
with
his
word.
And
if you're
weary
today
he
has
a
word
for
you.
Finally
that
brings
us
to
our
third
point
we've
seen
the
people
sin
we've
seen
the
servants
obedience
and
finally
we
see
our
hope
when
we're
walking
in
the
darkness
verse
10
and
11
when
we
feel
like
we're
walking
in
the
darkness
verses
10
and
11
say
that
we
basically
have
two
options
verse
10
says
that
we
can
trust
God's
character
even
though
we
might
not
understand
his
ways
and
verse
11
says
we
can
instead
of
doing
that
attempt
to
create
our
own
light
that
will
save
us
from
the
darkness
that
we're
in
verse
10
Isaiah
paints
a
picture
of
someone
who's
walking
in
the
darkness
without
any
light
and
yet
this
person
relies
on
God's
character
the
name
of
the
Lord
that
is
God's
character
and
follows
God's
word
obeys
the
voice
of
his
servant
verse
11
is a
contrast
picture
Isaiah
says
behold
all you
who
kindle
a
fire
who
equip
yourselves
with
burning
torches
now
that
second
line
equip
yourselves
with
burning
torches
is hard
to
translate
because
literally
it
could
be
translated
who
gird
on
flames
so
most
likely
I
think
the
picture
is
of
someone
who
instead
of
walking
through
the
darkness
without
any
light
lights
a torch
and
straps
it
to
their
belt
so
as
to
walk
by
the
light
of
their
fire
as
it
says
in
verse
11
and
to
keep
their
hands
free
while
they're
walking
through
the
darkness
now
the
problem
is
strapping
a
flaming
torch
to
your
belt
is
a
dangerous
way
to
operate
okay
Isaiah
gives
this
picture
because
he
says
you're
going
to
get
burned
by
the
fire
you've
kindled
if
you
refuse
to
obey
the
voice
of
God's
servant
if
you
refuse
to
rely
on
God
and
instead
think
I'm
going
to
light
my
own
fire
and
find
my
way
out
of
this
and
save
myself
God
says
the
very
thing
you
think
will
save
you
will
burn
you
up
in
the
end
and
it
will
wear
out
like
a
garment
that
gets
more
and
more
old
and
full
of
holes
and
ruined
so
here's
the
question
who
will
you
trust
when
you're
walking
in
the
darkness
who
are
you
trusting
or
what
are
you
trusting
what
are
you
looking
to
bring
you
through
the
darkness
to
give
you
hope
to
rescue
you
to
go
with
you
who
will
you
trust
in
the
darkness
of
your
trouble
remember
that
the
servant
whose
voice
you
are
called
to
obey
has
gone
ahead
of
you
through
the
darkness
you
are
not
blazing
a
trail
on
a
lonely
road
you
are
following
a
path
that
has
been
beaten
by
the
servant
himself
he
has
obeyed
and
he
suffered
for
his
obedience
and
he
triumphed
in
the
end
and
because
he
has
done
all
this
you
can
trust
his
voice
you
can
trust
Jesus
voice
even
when
your
depression
won't
lift
even
when
the
loneliness
seems
unbearable
even
when
the
pain
seems
relentless
and
overwhelming
even
if the
future
seems
completely
dark
and
from
a
worldly
point
of
view
life
seems
no
longer
worth
living
even
when
the
path
of
obedience
might
lead
to
public
humiliation
salvation
Jesus
has
walked
that
path
ahead
of
you
and
he
has
sent
his
spirit
to
abide
with
you
will
you
trust
him
in
the
darkness
of
your
trouble
will
you
trust
him
in
the
darkness
of
your
sin
or
will
you
try
to
make
your
own
way
out
to
light
your
own
fire
to
do
all
the
things
that
human
beings
do
to
minimize
and
hide
and
deny
and
blame
and
manipulate
and
control
and
distract
and
attack
or
will
you
trust
the
one
who
has
taken
all
your
sin
on
the
cross
for
you
will
you
say
I
will
fix
up
my
life
first
and
then
come
to
Jesus
later
but
if
you
say
that
you
will
never
come
at
all
or
are
you
tempted
to
despair
and
conclude
that
there
is
no
way
out
that
your
sin
is
far
too
great
Christ
is
willing
to
save
you
and
Christ
is
mighty
to
save
you
rest
on
him
today
if
you're
trusting
in
Jesus
what
is
true
of
him
will
become
true
of
you
as
well
he
obeyed
and
suffered
and
triumphed
and
in
him
he
will
give
you
the
strength
to
obey
and
he
will
enable
you
to
endure
suffering
and
he
promises
that
the
end
is
a
triumph
in
verses
7
and
8
the
servant
challenges
his
accusers
with
three
questions
who
will
contend
with
me
who
is
my
adversary
who
will
declare
me
guilty
and
in
Romans
chapter
8
in
the
new
testament
the
apostle
Paul
asks
three
very
similar
rhetorical
questions
who
shall
bring
any
charge
against
God's
chosen
people
it
is
God
who
justifies
who
is
to
condemn
Christ
Jesus
is
the
one
who
died
more
than
that
who
was
raised
who
is
at
the
right
hand
of
God
who
is
indeed
interceding
for
us
who
shall
separate
us
from
the
love
of
Christ
shall
tribulation
or
distress
or
persecution
or
famine
or
nakedness
or
danger
or
sword
no
in
all
these
things
we
are
more
than
conquerors
through
him
who
loved
us
for
I
am
sure
that
neither
life
nor
death
nor
angels
nor
rulers
nor
things
present
nor
things
to
come
nor
powers
nor
height
nor
depth
nor
anything
else
in all
creation
will be able to
separate us
from
from the love
of God
in Christ
Jesus
our
Lord
see if
you're
trusting
that
servant
Jesus
who's
gone
ahead
of
you
can
have
that
same
confidence
because
you are
in him
and he
is in
you
and he
has
promised
never
to
leave
you
and
never
to
forsake
you
even
when
you
are
walking
through
the
darkness
and
there
seems
to
be
no
light
at
all
you
can
trust
his
words
because
he's
gone
ahead
of
us
there
is
no
darkness
that
he
has
not
walked
through
he
came
to
fill
the
darkness
with
his
presence
that's
what
we
celebrate
at
Christmas
that
Jesus
Christ
came
into
a
dark
world
yeah
you
might
have
been
wondering
where
does
this
get
to
Christmas
but
that's
what
we
celebrate
the
people
walking
in
darkness
have
seen
a
great
light
Jesus
comes
to
meet
us
in
our
darkness
in
our
trouble
in
our
sin
in
all
the
mess
we've
made
of
ourselves
and
of
the
world
and
he
comes
to
lead
us
onward
and
lead
us
to
glory
trust
him
today
let's
pray
father
we
thank you
for the
faithfulness
of
Jesus
your
son
we
thank you
for
your
words
we
thank you
that you
do not
hesitate
to
speak
the
truth
to
us
about
our
situation
because
you
don't
want
us
to
live
in
illusions
but
we
thank
you
lord
that
with
that
word
of
confrontation
and
truth
we
thank
you
that
you
have
also
given
us
a
word
of
mercy
and
hope
we
thank
you
for
Jesus
and
his
obedience
his
suffering
and
his
triumph
we
pray
that
you
would
strengthen
us
to
trust
and
rely
on
him
and
walk
with
him
on
all
the
paths
that
you
lead
us
pray
these
things
in
Jesus
name
amen
well
this
morning
we
have
the
joy
of
celebrating
baptism
Jesus
told
his
disciples
to
go
into
all
the
world
to
make
disciples
of
all
nations
baptizing
them
in
the
name
of
the
father
and
the
son
and
the
holy
spirit
and
so
we're
just
doing
what
Jesus
told
his
followers
to
do
and
what
the
church
has
done
throughout
the
ages
baptism
is
an
outward
sign
of
an
inward
reality
that
Jesus
has
cleansed
us
from
our
sin
that
he
has
set
us
apart
to
belong
to
him
and
filled
to
God
by
his
grace
and
he
promises
never
to
leave
us
nor
forsake
us
so
baptism
is
a
sign
and
a
seal
of
God's
promises
to
us
and
this
morning
Sam
Stevens
is
going
to
be
baptized
so
Sam
if
you
would
come
to
the
front
here
if
you've
been
baptized
consider
this
a
reminder
of
your
own
baptism
of
God's
promises
to
you
and
yours
to
him
if
you
haven't
been
baptized
consider
this
an
invitation
first
to
trust
in
Jesus
and
second
to
be
baptized
if
you
haven't
already
so
for
anyone
who's
being
baptized
we
give
them
an
opportunity
to
share
how
God
has
worked
in
their
lives
and
brought
them
to
this
day
so
Sam
go
right
ahead
good
morning
I'm
Sam
Stevens
I'm
12
years
old
and
I
started
going
to
Trinity
about
four
years
ago
I
was
born
and
raised
into
a
Christian
family
and
I'm
pretty
familiar
with
Christianity
but
I
just
haven't
really
understood
what
it
is
until
now
and
so
during
our
Sunday
school
classes
at
Trinity
when
I
was
younger
I
was
always
taught
that
Jesus
loved
me
and
that
he
gave
up
his
life
for
me
and
that
he
was
resurrected
from
the
dead
but
I
never
really
understood
exactly
why
that
was
so
special
when
I
started
middle
school
I
was
put
into
a
new
Sunday
school
class
where
we
studied
a
book
called
the
New
City
Catechism
my
teachers
Josh
Chang
and
Amy
Bush
would
talk
to
us
a
little
bit
and
ask
us
a
question
from
the
book
and
we
would
learn
a
little
bit
more
in
depth
about
God
and
what
he
did
questions
and
answers
helped
me
get a
better
understanding
of
why
Jesus'
death
was
so
special
as
he
was
perfect
and
we
were
horrible
sinners
that
didn't
deserve
to
be
saved
by
his
sacrifice
last
year
I
also
started
going
to
youth
group
on
Wednesdays
as
well
as
going
to
Sunday
school
it
was
here
that
I
learned
just
how
sinful
I
really
am
as
we
read
the
books
of
the
Bible
telling
me
that
basically
things
I
do
all
the
time
are
sins
my
sister's
baptism
I
finally
found
out
what
baptism
symbolizes
and
I
wanted
to
be
baptized
as
well
I'm
very
excited
that
today
is
finally
the day
I
get to
publicly
profess
my
faith
in
Christ
and
get
baptized
thank
you
I
need
to
ask
you
a
couple
questions
thank
you
Sam
we
always
ask
a
couple
of
questions
to
people
who
are
being
baptized
so
Sam
let
me
ask
you
these
questions
now
why don't
you
come
here
so you
can
speak
your
answers
into
the
microphone
Sam
do
you
affirm
your
faith
in
Jesus
Christ
as
your
and
the
only
Lord
and
Savior
yes
and
do
you
commit
yourself
to
serve
Christ
and the
fellowship
of his
church
for the
rest
of your
life
yes
and
as
you're
becoming
a
member
of
Trinity
Baptist
Church
today
do
you
commit
yourself
to
this
local
body
of
believers
Trinity
Baptist
Church
to
give
and
receive
your
love
and
service
yes
to
those
who
are
members
do
we
as
members
commit
to
love
and
serve
Sam
even
as
we
receive
the
gifts
that
God
has
given
him
among
us
and
to
welcome
him
among
us
today
if
so
say
we
do
all
right
let's
pray
father
thank
you
for
reaching
out
in
your
love
to
Sam
Lord
thank
you
for
sending
your
son
to
be
his
savior
for
sending
your
Holy
spirit
to
live
in
him
as
his
comforter
and
advocate
we
pray
that
as
Sam
is
baptized
today
that
you
would
assure
him
of
your
deep
love
for
him
that
you
remind
him
that
he's
a
new
creation
in
Jesus
Christ
and
fill
him
every
day
with
your
spirit
that
he
would
become
more
and
more
like
Jesus
and
be
strengthened
to
do
the
good
works
you've
prepared
for
him
to
do
we
pray
that
he
would
always
remember
this
day
as
just
a
reminder
of
your
grace
and
your
faithfulness
in
his
life
preserve
him
through
every
temptation
and
trial
that
he
will
face
in
the
future
that
he
would
always
remain
close
to
you
for
the
rest
of
his
life
and
for
all
eternity
we
pray
this
in
Jesus
name
amen
all
right
so you
can
go get
changed
he
does
stand
for
this
song
come
behold
the
wondrous
mystery
in
the
dawning
of
the
king
he
the
theme
of
heaven's
praises
broken
through
humanity
in
our
longing
in
our
darkness
now
the
light
of
life
has
come
look
to
Christ
to
come
descend
it
took
on
flesh
to
ransom
us
come
behold
the
wondrous
mystery
be
the
perfect
son
of
man
and
in
his
living
in
his
suffering
never
trace
nor
stain
of
sin
see
the
true
and
better
Adam
come
to
save
the
hell
bound
man
Christ
the
great
and
sure
fulfillments
of
the
law
in
him
we
stand
come
behold
the
wondrous
mystery
Christ
the
Lord
upon
the
tree
in
the
stead
of
ruined
sinners
hangs
the
lamb
in
victory
see
the
price
of
our
redemption
see
the
father's
plan
unfold
bringing
many
sons
to
glory
race
of
measure
love
untold
come
behold
the
wondrous
mystery
slain
by death
the
God
of
life
but
no
grave
could
ever
strain
him
praise
the
Lord
he
is
alive
what a
foretaste
of
deliverance
how
unwavering
our
hope
Christ
in
power
resurrected
as we
will be
when he
comes
what a
foretaste
of
deliverance
how
unwavering
our
hope
Christ
in
power
resurrected
as we
will be
when
he
comes
to
know
everybody
will be
who
Let's stand and praise God together.
Amen.