WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.000 Hey everyone, my name's Aidan. If you haven't met before, I would love to get to know you after the service. 00:00:06.919 --> 00:00:13.839 I'm a regular here at St Paul's. I also work in IT, but at the Sydney Opera House, and I'm married to the lovely Emma. 00:00:15.620 --> 00:00:22.539 What I did just there was an introduction. I mean, genuinely, if I haven't met you before, I would love to get to know you after the service. 00:00:22.539 --> 00:00:30.299 But have you ever thought about how you introduce yourself? Have you got a particular way you do it when you meet a new person? 00:00:30.500 --> 00:00:36.399 Have you got some important information they need to know about you, or some fun way of getting you to remember them? 00:00:37.039 --> 00:00:38.679 Or do you just vibe it every time? 00:00:41.620 --> 00:00:46.399 That is actually not a rhetorical question, sorry. I really believe that sermons are a group activity. 00:00:46.399 --> 00:00:53.679 So what I want you to do is find someone nearby and ask them, how do you introduce yourself? 00:00:54.759 --> 00:00:58.600 What's the first few things you tell someone when you meet someone new? 00:00:58.820 --> 00:01:03.200 There's going to be a second question to talk about later, so make sure you do introduce yourself to someone. 00:01:03.840 --> 00:01:08.079 And if you don't know the people around you, this is a great time to actually say those things. 00:01:08.319 --> 00:01:11.599 So I'll give you a minute, and then we'll come back in a sec. 00:01:14.599 --> 00:01:15.439 All right. 00:01:16.400 --> 00:01:18.880 Let's come back. 00:01:20.100 --> 00:01:23.780 If you're able to tear yourself away from introducing yourself. 00:01:27.160 --> 00:01:34.800 Now in case you're wondering, the way I used to introduce myself in high school was so consistent that a friend bought me this stamp, 00:01:35.340 --> 00:01:36.560 which has the words, 00:01:36.939 --> 00:01:40.180 Hi, my name is Aidan, nice to meet you, shakes hand written on it. 00:01:40.320 --> 00:01:43.340 Because every time I met someone, I would do the same three things. 00:01:43.340 --> 00:01:51.460 But the passage we're looking into today starts off with an introduction of one of the big names of the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, 00:01:51.780 --> 00:01:54.300 the suffering servant of Isaiah. 00:01:54.299 --> 00:02:03.579 And the picture we get from this suffering servant, from their introduction, paints a grand narrative of suffering, reward, and inevitability. 00:02:04.140 --> 00:02:10.840 So before we get stuck into analysing this intriguing figure of the Bible, it would be great if you can join with me in prayer for a moment. 00:02:10.840 --> 00:02:19.240 Heavenly Father, thank you for the chance to read your word and hear your voice through the Bible today. 00:02:19.699 --> 00:02:25.659 Please help us understand the passage before us and use your spirit to bring us closer to you as we do so. 00:02:26.319 --> 00:02:26.520 Amen. 00:02:26.520 --> 00:02:33.760 Now, as I said, Isaiah 49 opens with an introduction of the suffering servant. 00:02:34.660 --> 00:02:41.480 Now, to get you familiar with where we are in Isaiah, the last nine chapters have been a long conversation between three figures in the Bible. 00:02:42.100 --> 00:02:49.219 Got God up in heaven, his people, Israel slash Judah, here on earth, and this mysterious third person, the servant. 00:02:49.219 --> 00:02:57.319 And Isaiah 49 is actually the first time we get to hear the servant's voice, the first time we hear their input into the narrative of Isaiah. 00:02:58.020 --> 00:03:01.219 And at their first chance to speak, they give an introduction. 00:03:02.159 --> 00:03:09.560 As you might have noticed when talking to the people around you, an introduction is often a statement of who someone is from their own perspective. 00:03:10.680 --> 00:03:16.400 And as you hear the servant's introduction in Isaiah 49, you hear the same tune playing over and over again. 00:03:16.400 --> 00:03:19.780 Again, this servant is not called to a happy life. 00:03:20.480 --> 00:03:22.039 Have a look at verse 4. 00:03:22.960 --> 00:03:23.540 The servant says, 00:03:23.719 --> 00:03:25.180 I have laboured in vain. 00:03:25.319 --> 00:03:27.480 I've spent my strength for nothing at all. 00:03:28.200 --> 00:03:29.599 And then again in verse 7, 00:03:29.800 --> 00:03:34.060 God introduces the servant as him who was despised and abhorred by the nations. 00:03:35.219 --> 00:03:39.360 And even when it's a nicer comment, like the servant mentioning their sharp words in verse 2, 00:03:39.800 --> 00:03:42.240 sharp words that can cut through people like a sword, 00:03:42.640 --> 00:03:46.319 the servant is still prevented from using his great power. 00:03:46.819 --> 00:03:50.400 Hidden instead in the Lord's hand for a mysterious future purpose. 00:03:51.960 --> 00:03:56.140 And actually time and time again when the servant character is mentioned in Isaiah, 00:03:56.259 --> 00:03:59.379 they are constantly connected with suffering. 00:04:00.040 --> 00:04:01.879 Now this might be the first time we hear their perspective, 00:04:02.180 --> 00:04:05.060 but in any past times we've heard of the servant, 00:04:05.280 --> 00:04:07.460 or any future times the servant is referenced, 00:04:07.640 --> 00:04:13.000 their life is depicted as moments of just pure betrayal, rejection and pain. 00:04:13.000 --> 00:04:15.979 It's mentioned again in chapter 50 verse 6, 00:04:16.459 --> 00:04:19.120 the servant offered his back to those who beat him, 00:04:19.300 --> 00:04:21.600 his cheeks to those who pulled out his beard. 00:04:22.860 --> 00:04:25.160 And in chapter 53, as we'll see next week, 00:04:25.160 --> 00:04:28.040 they are pierced and crushed, 00:04:28.040 --> 00:04:32.600 and oppressed and afflicted, 00:04:32.939 --> 00:04:34.060 a man of suffering, 00:04:34.660 --> 00:04:35.460 and one despised, 00:04:35.840 --> 00:04:37.160 ejected by mankind. 00:04:38.520 --> 00:04:39.380 Little wonder then, 00:04:39.880 --> 00:04:43.680 that this figure is known as the suffering servant of Isaiah. 00:04:43.680 --> 00:04:46.420 Now if you've been around church for a while, 00:04:46.480 --> 00:04:48.660 it might not surprise you to know that the New Testament 00:04:48.660 --> 00:04:52.819 reveals the identity of the suffering servant to be Jesus Christ, 00:04:53.060 --> 00:04:54.920 the Son of the one true living God, 00:04:55.079 --> 00:04:56.519 born on earth as a man. 00:04:56.519 --> 00:04:59.500 But I'd be keen to get you to think about, 00:05:00.060 --> 00:05:04.039 why does Jesus choose to introduce himself to the readers of Isaiah 00:05:04.039 --> 00:05:06.599 with such a focus on suffering? 00:05:07.479 --> 00:05:12.279 Why does the identity of Jesus' character always seem to be defined by pain? 00:05:13.719 --> 00:05:15.699 I mean, it's interesting that in the Christian life, 00:05:15.799 --> 00:05:18.359 we do often tend to associate Jesus with suffering. 00:05:19.639 --> 00:05:23.219 Christians like to make a big deal of the pain Christ felt on the cross, 00:05:23.220 --> 00:05:26.360 and the absolute, genuine brutality of crucifixion 00:05:26.360 --> 00:05:29.500 as just a barbaric form of death by torture. 00:05:32.100 --> 00:05:33.240 But the thing is, 00:05:33.600 --> 00:05:36.540 actually, other people have died in worse ways. 00:05:37.620 --> 00:05:40.300 Jesus' bodily death is not exclusively terrible, 00:05:40.480 --> 00:05:42.320 and in fact, it's probably been outdone. 00:05:43.620 --> 00:05:46.860 Jesus was not burnt slowly over a fire, 00:05:47.540 --> 00:05:51.680 he was not killed by having his skin peeled off piece by piece, 00:05:51.680 --> 00:05:55.819 or having his limbs removed finger by finger and toe by toe. 00:05:57.220 --> 00:05:59.639 All those words just made me feel incredibly squeamish. 00:06:00.019 --> 00:06:03.060 I think it's fair to say, though, that in terms of bodily pain, 00:06:03.400 --> 00:06:06.900 other women and men have suffered more than Jesus did on the cross. 00:06:08.340 --> 00:06:12.780 So then, what makes Jesus the suffering servant, 00:06:12.879 --> 00:06:15.180 the one defined by suffering? 00:06:15.180 --> 00:06:19.139 Well, it seems to be from Isaiah 49, 00:06:19.840 --> 00:06:23.079 that Jesus is the one who suffered infinitely, 00:06:23.579 --> 00:06:25.780 more so than any other human being. 00:06:27.120 --> 00:06:28.540 Now, you rightfully might be asking, 00:06:28.720 --> 00:06:30.980 how can you suffer infinitely? 00:06:32.920 --> 00:06:35.160 Well, consider what the Bible says about God. 00:06:36.160 --> 00:06:39.960 God is not constrained by pitiful human needs 00:06:39.960 --> 00:06:41.899 for things to have a length, or a weight, 00:06:41.899 --> 00:06:43.259 or, you know, an end. 00:06:43.959 --> 00:06:45.939 When Psalm 103, verse 11 says, 00:06:46.060 --> 00:06:48.139 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, 00:06:48.259 --> 00:06:50.679 so great is his love for those who fear him. 00:06:51.759 --> 00:06:53.879 Remember that the heavens are infinite. 00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:56.939 The space between earth and space never ends. 00:06:57.779 --> 00:07:00.399 God's love never ends. 00:07:00.939 --> 00:07:03.839 His infinite kindness, infinite peace, 00:07:04.039 --> 00:07:05.879 infinite joy, that is God. 00:07:05.879 --> 00:07:09.600 But if God is truly an infinite God, 00:07:09.680 --> 00:07:11.680 then his anger against those who do evil 00:07:11.680 --> 00:07:12.839 is similarly infinite. 00:07:13.899 --> 00:07:16.740 His wrath burns against anyone and everyone 00:07:16.740 --> 00:07:18.399 who causes harm to the world 00:07:18.399 --> 00:07:20.079 and the people he created in it. 00:07:21.100 --> 00:07:23.219 And so the wrath burns for each one of us. 00:07:23.360 --> 00:07:25.339 As Isaiah 53, verse 6 says, 00:07:26.139 --> 00:07:27.920 each of us have gone astray from God. 00:07:28.779 --> 00:07:30.920 By rejecting the source of eternal life, 00:07:30.980 --> 00:07:34.699 we have condemned ourselves to never-ending suffering and death. 00:07:34.699 --> 00:07:37.139 We have earned an infinite debt. 00:07:38.819 --> 00:07:42.500 But what does that actually mean, an infinite debt? 00:07:43.079 --> 00:07:45.180 Infinity can be really hard to visualise. 00:07:45.259 --> 00:07:46.680 I tried to draw it on the PowerPoint, 00:07:46.819 --> 00:07:47.980 but it just kept going on and on. 00:07:49.120 --> 00:07:52.419 What does it mean for something not to have an end? 00:07:53.279 --> 00:07:56.199 Like, can you actually picture an infinite debt? 00:07:57.639 --> 00:08:01.120 Well, imagine you turn up to a special fancy hotel, 00:08:01.319 --> 00:08:02.860 one with infinite rooms. 00:08:02.860 --> 00:08:04.800 But when you rock up, 00:08:04.920 --> 00:08:07.020 unfortunately, all of them are full. 00:08:07.620 --> 00:08:08.520 All of them are booked. 00:08:08.900 --> 00:08:10.379 Every room just has somebody in it. 00:08:11.180 --> 00:08:13.060 But, you know, this is the fanciest hotel in town, 00:08:13.100 --> 00:08:14.620 so you really want to spend the night here. 00:08:15.280 --> 00:08:16.319 So you walk up and say, 00:08:16.400 --> 00:08:17.220 oh, please, 00:08:17.340 --> 00:08:19.480 is there anything you can do to get me in? 00:08:20.360 --> 00:08:21.580 And the guy at the desk says, 00:08:22.040 --> 00:08:23.600 oh, look, you seem lovely. 00:08:23.819 --> 00:08:24.759 Sure, we'll get you in. 00:08:24.980 --> 00:08:26.920 We'll just ask the guy in room one 00:08:26.920 --> 00:08:27.960 to move to room two, 00:08:28.660 --> 00:08:30.500 the person in room two to move to room three, 00:08:30.580 --> 00:08:32.960 and the person in room three to go to four, 00:08:33.080 --> 00:08:33.720 five to six, 00:08:33.820 --> 00:08:34.680 and seven to eight, 00:08:34.720 --> 00:08:35.580 and so on and so on and so on. 00:08:36.639 --> 00:08:37.240 But, you know, 00:08:37.340 --> 00:08:39.440 you upright standing citizen that you are 00:08:39.440 --> 00:08:40.019 might say, 00:08:40.159 --> 00:08:42.060 oh, that doesn't feel fair. 00:08:42.259 --> 00:08:43.259 What about the last guy? 00:08:43.519 --> 00:08:45.200 He's not going to have a room to go to. 00:08:45.240 --> 00:08:46.220 He's going to be kicked out. 00:08:46.820 --> 00:08:48.000 That doesn't seem right. 00:08:49.300 --> 00:08:51.340 The guy at the desk will just laugh and say, 00:08:51.340 --> 00:08:52.540 sir, man, 00:08:52.639 --> 00:08:54.660 this is the infinite hotel. 00:08:54.980 --> 00:08:56.460 We have no last guest 00:08:56.460 --> 00:08:58.019 and we have no last room. 00:08:59.139 --> 00:09:01.639 Even though all the rooms are booked, 00:09:02.399 --> 00:09:03.600 there is still more space 00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:04.660 in the infinite room 00:09:04.660 --> 00:09:05.879 of the infinite hotel. 00:09:06.840 --> 00:09:08.519 There is always more room in infinity 00:09:08.519 --> 00:09:10.300 and our debt to God 00:09:10.300 --> 00:09:13.820 also has always more space to fill, 00:09:13.960 --> 00:09:15.700 more sin that must be paid for 00:09:15.700 --> 00:09:17.879 before we can be made right with God again. 00:09:18.480 --> 00:09:20.360 Even if we try to do good tomorrow, 00:09:20.360 --> 00:09:21.899 even if we did enough right 00:09:21.899 --> 00:09:22.899 to cover a million, 00:09:23.060 --> 00:09:23.519 a billion, 00:09:23.659 --> 00:09:25.159 a trillion sins, 00:09:25.460 --> 00:09:28.320 that would only be a drop of sand in the bucket 00:09:28.320 --> 00:09:30.639 when we have a Himalayan mountain of wrath 00:09:30.639 --> 00:09:31.560 to make up for. 00:09:32.480 --> 00:09:34.919 Our infinite debt never ends. 00:09:36.720 --> 00:09:38.019 But the good news of the Bible 00:09:38.019 --> 00:09:40.519 is Jesus is not just a suffering servant, 00:09:40.680 --> 00:09:42.240 but the suffering servant. 00:09:42.700 --> 00:09:46.200 He's able to pay back our infinite debt. 00:09:46.580 --> 00:09:48.740 He endured infinite suffering. 00:09:48.740 --> 00:09:50.440 Philippians 2, 00:09:50.519 --> 00:09:51.720 verse 6 to 11 says that 00:09:51.720 --> 00:09:53.460 Jesus is in very nature 00:09:53.460 --> 00:09:54.940 the infinite God, 00:09:55.080 --> 00:09:57.240 the one true eternal creator. 00:09:58.019 --> 00:09:59.200 And by becoming a servant, 00:09:59.340 --> 00:10:00.279 He made Himself nothing, 00:10:00.960 --> 00:10:02.620 giving up all authority 00:10:02.620 --> 00:10:03.560 under heaven and earth 00:10:03.560 --> 00:10:04.440 to endure death, 00:10:04.899 --> 00:10:06.240 even death on a cross. 00:10:07.240 --> 00:10:09.000 As the creator died to His creation, 00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:11.080 the servant suffered on our behalf, 00:10:11.720 --> 00:10:13.080 paying back the unpaid backable 00:10:13.080 --> 00:10:15.980 and giving up infinite power in the process. 00:10:18.540 --> 00:10:20.960 If you think you know the extent of Jesus' suffering, 00:10:21.800 --> 00:10:22.320 think again. 00:10:23.160 --> 00:10:24.620 Like the infinite hotel, 00:10:24.740 --> 00:10:26.320 Jesus' suffering was full, 00:10:27.820 --> 00:10:29.480 but yet He took on more 00:10:29.480 --> 00:10:33.259 because our debt demanded more. 00:10:33.259 --> 00:10:36.419 And then He took on more 00:10:36.419 --> 00:10:38.580 because I lied yesterday. 00:10:39.620 --> 00:10:41.240 And then He took on more 00:10:41.240 --> 00:10:43.720 because I will resent my boss tomorrow. 00:10:44.860 --> 00:10:46.460 And then He took on more 00:10:46.460 --> 00:10:47.720 and more and more 00:10:47.720 --> 00:10:48.919 and more and more. 00:10:50.039 --> 00:10:51.740 And then He took on more. 00:10:51.740 --> 00:10:56.220 I don't know what that suffering looked like, 00:10:56.320 --> 00:10:58.360 but I know the wrongs I have done, 00:10:58.480 --> 00:11:00.919 the ways I have not lived up to my own standard, 00:11:01.639 --> 00:11:02.860 let alone God's. 00:11:03.639 --> 00:11:06.120 And I know that Jesus suffered even more 00:11:06.120 --> 00:11:08.659 because of each one of my sins. 00:11:10.840 --> 00:11:13.000 Please just remember that this week. 00:11:13.639 --> 00:11:14.899 Australia has a history 00:11:14.899 --> 00:11:17.120 of remembering those who suffered for us, 00:11:17.180 --> 00:11:18.680 for those who fought and died. 00:11:19.360 --> 00:11:21.120 Remember in whatever way works for you. 00:11:21.120 --> 00:11:23.720 Remember the man who suffered infinitely, 00:11:24.139 --> 00:11:25.519 more than you can comprehend, 00:11:25.799 --> 00:11:27.360 more than you can ever know, 00:11:28.240 --> 00:11:28.799 for you. 00:11:30.360 --> 00:11:32.700 And each time you choose yourself over God, 00:11:32.820 --> 00:11:34.960 Jesus has already suffered for that. 00:11:35.399 --> 00:11:38.360 The Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all, 00:11:38.919 --> 00:11:41.259 all punishment, all suffering, 00:11:41.440 --> 00:11:43.159 all the infinite wrath of God 00:11:43.159 --> 00:11:45.259 created by humanity in the past and the present 00:11:45.259 --> 00:11:46.840 and in the future placed on one man. 00:11:49.240 --> 00:11:50.120 Remember Him. 00:11:50.120 --> 00:11:52.659 The suffering servant of Isaiah. 00:11:56.500 --> 00:11:57.899 But the question remains, 00:11:58.519 --> 00:12:01.419 what is the result of Jesus' suffering? 00:12:01.539 --> 00:12:03.080 What is the point of it? 00:12:04.379 --> 00:12:06.580 Well, we find out in the rest of Isaiah 49 00:12:06.580 --> 00:12:08.279 that Jesus invites His people 00:12:08.279 --> 00:12:11.639 to share in the rewards of His suffering. 00:12:11.639 --> 00:12:14.639 That is the reconciliation of everything to Himself. 00:12:15.220 --> 00:12:17.179 Have a look with me back at verse 4. 00:12:17.319 --> 00:12:19.100 The first half we've already talked about 00:12:19.100 --> 00:12:21.480 discusses the vain labour Jesus has faced. 00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:23.919 But in the second half of verse 4, 00:12:23.980 --> 00:12:24.360 it says, 00:12:24.819 --> 00:12:27.779 yet what is due me is in the Lord's hand, 00:12:28.199 --> 00:12:30.259 and my reward is with God. 00:12:30.259 --> 00:12:35.139 What is Jesus' reward for suffering? 00:12:36.379 --> 00:12:40.460 Well, as a result of Jesus' suffering and death and vain labour, 00:12:41.419 --> 00:12:43.779 He is owed. 00:12:44.539 --> 00:12:46.240 Know the language of obligation here. 00:12:46.480 --> 00:12:49.559 Jesus' suffering means He is due a reward. 00:12:49.559 --> 00:12:51.879 Not merely waiting around for some gift, 00:12:52.259 --> 00:12:53.719 He has earned something. 00:12:54.859 --> 00:12:55.759 And what has He earned? 00:12:56.979 --> 00:12:58.500 Well, as verse 5 says, 00:12:59.000 --> 00:13:01.379 Jesus is honoured in the eyes of God. 00:13:01.859 --> 00:13:03.519 Because Jesus is honoured in the eyes of God, 00:13:03.599 --> 00:13:07.559 He is now asked to bring back God's ancient people, 00:13:08.259 --> 00:13:09.339 Israel slash Jacob, 00:13:09.559 --> 00:13:10.759 back to God's kingdom. 00:13:11.679 --> 00:13:15.019 This, in fact, is His reward in a beautiful piece of symmetry. 00:13:16.080 --> 00:13:19.039 Jesus' infinite suffering is the key that unlocks 00:13:19.039 --> 00:13:22.200 the reward for that same suffering. 00:13:23.059 --> 00:13:24.620 The return of His people. 00:13:25.259 --> 00:13:26.960 The prize for Jesus' suffering, it seems, 00:13:27.000 --> 00:13:29.679 is having the women and men He has specifically chosen, 00:13:29.819 --> 00:13:32.019 brought back from the distant corners of the earth 00:13:32.019 --> 00:13:33.080 they've been stranded in. 00:13:33.679 --> 00:13:35.580 It's the metaphor of a second exodus. 00:13:36.200 --> 00:13:39.179 The servant's special nation is taken out of suffering 00:13:39.179 --> 00:13:41.719 and goes on a journey back to their rightful home 00:13:41.719 --> 00:13:44.519 and any difference between the mended and reconciled. 00:13:45.479 --> 00:13:47.679 And this act of gathering Jesus' people together 00:13:47.679 --> 00:13:51.159 turns out to be a beautiful, joyous occasion. 00:13:52.159 --> 00:13:54.979 Listen to the metaphors and poetry on display. 00:13:55.799 --> 00:13:58.459 I will turn my mountains into roads 00:13:58.459 --> 00:14:00.819 and my highways will be raised up. 00:14:01.359 --> 00:14:02.759 See, they come from afar, 00:14:03.120 --> 00:14:04.959 some from the north, some from the west. 00:14:05.819 --> 00:14:06.659 And my favourite bit, 00:14:06.659 --> 00:14:09.759 shout for joy, you heavens. 00:14:10.459 --> 00:14:11.419 Rejoice, you earth. 00:14:11.459 --> 00:14:13.399 Burst into song, you mountains. 00:14:14.559 --> 00:14:17.259 The entirety of creation is rising up 00:14:17.259 --> 00:14:21.299 and awakening to hasten the return of the Lord's people 00:14:21.299 --> 00:14:24.120 and in doing so, returning to its rightful state 00:14:24.120 --> 00:14:27.000 of glorifying God and glorifying the servant 00:14:27.000 --> 00:14:29.579 who suffered to bring about this reconciliation. 00:14:31.079 --> 00:14:33.720 And creation is rejoicing even more so 00:14:33.720 --> 00:14:36.379 now that the definition of God's people has been expanded. 00:14:37.060 --> 00:14:38.360 You'll see in verse 5, 00:14:38.440 --> 00:14:42.840 it initially talks about Jacob being brought back to God 00:14:42.840 --> 00:14:44.519 by the ancient Jewish people. 00:14:45.240 --> 00:14:48.379 But God declares that it is too small a thing 00:14:48.379 --> 00:14:51.379 for Jesus just to bring back the ancient Jewish nation. 00:14:51.519 --> 00:14:53.560 The degree of Jesus' suffering is such 00:14:53.560 --> 00:14:55.220 that he deserves all things. 00:14:56.160 --> 00:14:59.220 So for him to bring reconciliation to the Jews 00:14:59.220 --> 00:15:01.139 would be too small a reward 00:15:01.139 --> 00:15:03.180 for one who gave up infinite power. 00:15:03.899 --> 00:15:05.060 Now instead, verse 6 says, 00:15:05.139 --> 00:15:07.480 that is the whole world Jesus is restoring. 00:15:07.800 --> 00:15:09.779 The servant is a light for the Gentiles, 00:15:09.820 --> 00:15:10.279 or in other words, 00:15:10.680 --> 00:15:12.700 all the non-Jewish people in the world, 00:15:13.259 --> 00:15:15.060 so that God's salvation may reach 00:15:15.060 --> 00:15:16.399 to the ends of the earth. 00:15:17.779 --> 00:15:20.639 Now the most exciting bit of Isaiah 49 00:15:20.639 --> 00:15:23.920 is the detail that's not even here. 00:15:23.919 --> 00:15:26.559 This joyful picture of God's people 00:15:26.559 --> 00:15:28.319 hastening back to their home 00:15:28.319 --> 00:15:29.759 is given even greater clarity 00:15:29.759 --> 00:15:31.519 in the second half of the Bible. 00:15:32.379 --> 00:15:33.579 At the end of Matthew, 00:15:33.719 --> 00:15:35.000 Jesus invites his people 00:15:35.000 --> 00:15:36.779 to be part of the reconciliation. 00:15:37.459 --> 00:15:39.539 As he says in the famous curly font verse 00:15:39.539 --> 00:15:41.559 of Matthew 28, 18-20, 00:15:42.379 --> 00:15:44.679 all authority on heaven and earth 00:15:44.679 --> 00:15:45.639 has been given to me. 00:15:46.199 --> 00:15:48.439 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, 00:15:48.699 --> 00:15:50.500 baptizing them in the name of the Father 00:15:50.500 --> 00:15:52.419 and of the Son of the Holy Spirit. 00:15:52.419 --> 00:15:56.240 This glorious readjustment of the world 00:15:56.240 --> 00:15:57.559 back to the way it should be, 00:15:57.699 --> 00:15:59.079 the gathering of God's people, 00:15:59.179 --> 00:16:01.979 the reward for Jesus' infinite suffering 00:16:01.979 --> 00:16:05.000 is opened up to us. 00:16:06.719 --> 00:16:08.439 Jesus calls us to be part 00:16:08.439 --> 00:16:09.740 of this divine readjustment. 00:16:09.860 --> 00:16:11.379 It's like the mountains lowering themselves 00:16:11.379 --> 00:16:12.979 and the highways being raised up. 00:16:12.979 --> 00:16:16.919 We are invited to help bring God's people home. 00:16:18.819 --> 00:16:20.360 Now it's about halfway through the sermon, 00:16:20.679 --> 00:16:22.339 so just in case you're falling asleep, 00:16:22.500 --> 00:16:23.899 I've got another question for you. 00:16:25.719 --> 00:16:27.899 Have you ever had two friends get into a fight? 00:16:29.179 --> 00:16:31.399 Or co-workers or family members maybe? 00:16:31.479 --> 00:16:33.479 You might be good at handling conflict for yourself, 00:16:33.979 --> 00:16:36.479 but how do you handle it when two other people 00:16:36.479 --> 00:16:38.039 get into a serious disagreement? 00:16:39.079 --> 00:16:39.679 More specifically, 00:16:40.319 --> 00:16:42.219 how do you help those two other people make up? 00:16:43.259 --> 00:16:44.519 If you haven't ever been in this situation, 00:16:44.659 --> 00:16:45.799 just imagine you were. 00:16:46.279 --> 00:16:47.099 Imagine your two friends, 00:16:47.219 --> 00:16:48.000 Bill and Alice, 00:16:48.059 --> 00:16:49.459 get into a massive disagreement, 00:16:49.719 --> 00:16:50.699 start yelling at each other 00:16:50.700 --> 00:16:52.420 and refuse to ever acknowledge each other 00:16:52.420 --> 00:16:54.720 when everyone else is hanging out. 00:16:56.080 --> 00:16:57.560 What would you do to help resolve the conflict? 00:16:58.060 --> 00:16:59.379 Have a chat with the person next to you 00:16:59.379 --> 00:17:01.240 and then we'll come back in a minute 00:17:01.240 --> 00:17:03.020 and hear some thoughts. 00:17:03.980 --> 00:17:04.240 Have a chat. 00:17:04.240 --> 00:17:07.620 All right. 00:17:08.620 --> 00:17:09.940 Let's come back. 00:17:11.859 --> 00:17:13.440 Now if you've ever been in that situation, 00:17:13.539 --> 00:17:15.940 I'm sure you know how painful and stressful it can be 00:17:15.940 --> 00:17:18.039 to see two people you care about start fighting. 00:17:18.519 --> 00:17:21.299 Whether it's parents or housemates or friends at work, 00:17:21.380 --> 00:17:23.839 it's a horrible thing to see those you love in conflict. 00:17:23.839 --> 00:17:26.079 And this is rarer, 00:17:26.139 --> 00:17:28.359 but if those two people in conflict make up 00:17:28.359 --> 00:17:29.799 and actually resolve the problem, 00:17:30.599 --> 00:17:33.319 there is a great sense of relief that washes over you 00:17:33.319 --> 00:17:36.899 once you realise that the tension is stopped. 00:17:38.259 --> 00:17:40.539 So how good then is Jesus' reward? 00:17:41.059 --> 00:17:44.220 Peace between his beloved people here on earth 00:17:44.220 --> 00:17:48.000 and the God he loves more than anything else. 00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:50.339 Because of infinite suffering, 00:17:50.420 --> 00:17:52.279 Jesus is given his due prize. 00:17:53.140 --> 00:17:54.900 Reconciliation, an end to the fighting, 00:17:55.000 --> 00:17:56.299 a resolution of the tension 00:17:56.299 --> 00:17:58.619 between those he cares most for, 00:17:59.119 --> 00:18:00.859 humanity and their creator. 00:18:01.920 --> 00:18:03.920 And by his incredible kindness and mercy, 00:18:04.019 --> 00:18:06.259 we get to enjoy that same reward. 00:18:06.559 --> 00:18:08.720 We get to see those we love the most 00:18:08.720 --> 00:18:10.119 end their fighting. 00:18:11.319 --> 00:18:14.980 How exciting is the prospect of reconciliation 00:18:14.980 --> 00:18:17.700 between the people here on earth we love the most 00:18:17.700 --> 00:18:20.519 and the God we worship the most. 00:18:21.580 --> 00:18:23.960 How great the joy of witnessing our friends 00:18:23.960 --> 00:18:25.200 make peace with God, 00:18:25.580 --> 00:18:27.480 ending the conflict between themselves 00:18:27.480 --> 00:18:30.019 and the one who loves them and maids them 00:18:30.019 --> 00:18:33.380 and knows them more deeply and intimately 00:18:33.380 --> 00:18:34.460 than anybody else. 00:18:35.840 --> 00:18:39.799 But enjoying this reward is not a passive action. 00:18:40.440 --> 00:18:42.660 Part of Jesus' prize is his opportunity 00:18:42.660 --> 00:18:45.240 to help God's people return to their home. 00:18:45.240 --> 00:18:49.079 Do you want to see this in your friends 00:18:49.079 --> 00:18:50.420 and family and co-workers? 00:18:51.240 --> 00:18:52.420 Do you want to bear witness 00:18:52.420 --> 00:18:56.200 to the reconciliation of everything under earth 00:18:56.200 --> 00:18:57.240 back to God? 00:18:58.240 --> 00:19:00.180 Do you want to enjoy the reward 00:19:00.180 --> 00:19:03.259 that Jesus has earned from infinite suffering 00:19:03.259 --> 00:19:04.460 and now shares with you? 00:19:05.799 --> 00:19:07.319 That reward is not something in the future. 00:19:07.420 --> 00:19:09.480 That is happening right now. 00:19:10.000 --> 00:19:11.220 This is an action point, 00:19:11.299 --> 00:19:12.000 a doing thing. 00:19:12.000 --> 00:19:14.660 And God is calling on each one of us 00:19:14.660 --> 00:19:16.880 to tell the people around us 00:19:16.880 --> 00:19:19.680 to be the messenger of this offer of reconciliation 00:19:19.680 --> 00:19:21.220 to everyone on the planet. 00:19:22.039 --> 00:19:24.680 Just as each one of us struggles to get through life 00:19:24.680 --> 00:19:26.819 and sometimes can struggle to get through the day, 00:19:27.599 --> 00:19:29.480 our friends and families and co-workers 00:19:29.480 --> 00:19:31.880 who do not know Jesus struggle more 00:19:31.880 --> 00:19:34.839 because they are still fighting against God. 00:19:34.839 --> 00:19:38.099 Jesus offers you a chance 00:19:38.099 --> 00:19:40.419 to witness an end to the conflict, 00:19:41.299 --> 00:19:43.259 to tell the people you care about 00:19:43.259 --> 00:19:45.519 of their infinite debt that has been paid, 00:19:45.899 --> 00:19:48.039 of the peace that has been earned, 00:19:48.119 --> 00:19:49.819 in the rest that can be found 00:19:49.819 --> 00:19:51.559 in the one whose burden is light. 00:19:52.240 --> 00:19:55.199 Let this be on your hearts and minds this week. 00:19:55.699 --> 00:19:57.839 You have an exclusive chance 00:19:57.839 --> 00:19:59.779 to enjoy Jesus' reward 00:19:59.779 --> 00:20:01.000 and bear witness 00:20:01.000 --> 00:20:04.680 to the gathering of God's people around him. 00:20:06.960 --> 00:20:09.299 But as great as this reconciliation is, 00:20:09.980 --> 00:20:13.279 as truly beautiful as Jesus' reward is, 00:20:14.299 --> 00:20:15.940 how can we trust that it will actually come to pass? 00:20:16.359 --> 00:20:18.000 What evidence, what proof, 00:20:18.099 --> 00:20:19.299 what faith can we have 00:20:19.299 --> 00:20:21.359 that Jesus really will get his reward? 00:20:22.660 --> 00:20:24.259 Well, the final part of Isaiah 49 00:20:24.259 --> 00:20:26.319 says that nothing will stand 00:20:26.319 --> 00:20:28.019 between Jesus and his people. 00:20:28.460 --> 00:20:29.339 And so in turn, 00:20:29.640 --> 00:20:32.379 let nothing stand between you and Jesus. 00:20:33.759 --> 00:20:35.619 Now, all of Isaiah 49 00:20:35.619 --> 00:20:37.759 has hung on Jesus' suffering 00:20:37.759 --> 00:20:40.039 being important and valuable enough 00:20:40.039 --> 00:20:43.000 to deserve the reconciliation of everything. 00:20:43.799 --> 00:20:46.379 If you see that Jesus' death deserves glory, 00:20:46.740 --> 00:20:48.359 if you see the infinite suffering 00:20:48.359 --> 00:20:49.740 he endured for our infinite debt, 00:20:49.819 --> 00:20:51.400 how can you not help 00:20:51.400 --> 00:20:53.220 but follow his commands? 00:20:53.220 --> 00:20:54.319 How could there be anything 00:20:54.319 --> 00:20:55.480 that stands in your way? 00:20:56.940 --> 00:20:58.299 Actually, that's a very fair question 00:20:58.299 --> 00:20:59.680 because there's lots of stuff 00:20:59.680 --> 00:21:00.860 which stands in our way. 00:21:01.880 --> 00:21:03.759 There's a bunch of different roadblocks 00:21:03.759 --> 00:21:05.440 or clouds 00:21:05.440 --> 00:21:07.819 that obscure our vision of Jesus' glory 00:21:07.819 --> 00:21:09.200 and stumbling blocks 00:21:09.200 --> 00:21:10.180 that hinder our ability 00:21:10.180 --> 00:21:11.259 to follow his commands. 00:21:12.059 --> 00:21:14.019 And Isaiah 49 looks at a bunch of them. 00:21:14.759 --> 00:21:15.460 To start off with, 00:21:15.480 --> 00:21:17.220 we can feel like Jesus did in verse 4. 00:21:17.860 --> 00:21:19.579 Labouring in vain for nothing, 00:21:19.700 --> 00:21:21.259 spending all of our strength for nothing, 00:21:21.259 --> 00:21:23.680 seeing no sign of the reconciliation 00:21:23.680 --> 00:21:26.619 that Jesus has promised in the here and now. 00:21:27.960 --> 00:21:28.960 And maybe we can ask the question 00:21:28.960 --> 00:21:30.960 that the writer of Isaiah does in verse 24. 00:21:31.940 --> 00:21:33.559 Can plunder be taken from warriors 00:21:33.559 --> 00:21:35.599 or captives be rescued from the fears? 00:21:36.400 --> 00:21:38.740 Can we really be brought back to Jesus? 00:21:38.900 --> 00:21:39.660 In this metaphor, 00:21:39.940 --> 00:21:40.799 we are the plunder, 00:21:40.940 --> 00:21:41.900 we are the captives. 00:21:42.599 --> 00:21:44.339 And the devil that holds us 00:21:44.339 --> 00:21:45.720 is fierce indeed. 00:21:45.720 --> 00:21:47.579 And finally, 00:21:47.680 --> 00:21:48.860 sometimes we can just forget 00:21:48.860 --> 00:21:50.559 the weight of Jesus' suffering. 00:21:51.259 --> 00:21:53.180 The modern world is very distracting, 00:21:53.360 --> 00:21:54.319 almost by design. 00:21:54.660 --> 00:21:55.620 There are big companies 00:21:55.620 --> 00:21:57.700 making big money off your attention, 00:21:57.799 --> 00:21:58.839 off taking your attention 00:21:58.839 --> 00:22:01.160 from the stuff that really matters. 00:22:01.980 --> 00:22:03.279 Other stuff can just seem 00:22:03.279 --> 00:22:04.779 so much more important in the moment. 00:22:06.380 --> 00:22:08.039 But our God has answers 00:22:08.039 --> 00:22:09.880 for literally everything. 00:22:10.880 --> 00:22:13.100 It might feel like we labour in vain, 00:22:13.099 --> 00:22:14.579 but as we've already talked about, 00:22:14.759 --> 00:22:18.019 Jesus' reward is not based on chance or luck. 00:22:18.099 --> 00:22:19.339 It is earned. 00:22:20.399 --> 00:22:22.500 The reward that Jesus shares with us 00:22:22.500 --> 00:22:23.480 lies in heaven 00:22:23.480 --> 00:22:25.899 and nothing on this earth can take it away. 00:22:27.359 --> 00:22:28.779 Can God really, 00:22:29.079 --> 00:22:30.139 I mean really, 00:22:30.259 --> 00:22:32.000 rescue us from the clutches of the devil, 00:22:32.099 --> 00:22:33.899 from the realm of sin and darkness 00:22:33.899 --> 00:22:34.980 and self-damnation? 00:22:36.579 --> 00:22:38.240 Verse 25 loudly shouts, 00:22:38.359 --> 00:22:38.719 Yes! 00:22:38.720 --> 00:22:40.740 God says, 00:22:40.880 --> 00:22:41.259 Yes! 00:22:42.259 --> 00:22:43.980 Captives will be taken from warriors 00:22:43.980 --> 00:22:46.200 and plunder will be retrieved from the fierce. 00:22:46.420 --> 00:22:48.240 I will contend with those who contend with you 00:22:48.240 --> 00:22:50.100 and your children I will save. 00:22:53.140 --> 00:22:53.900 And finally, 00:22:54.000 --> 00:22:54.920 we might forget God, 00:22:55.000 --> 00:22:56.819 but He does not forget us. 00:22:57.799 --> 00:22:59.019 If you open your Bibles 00:22:59.019 --> 00:23:00.620 and have a look at verse 14 and 15 with me, 00:23:00.700 --> 00:23:02.299 God's people in Zion say, 00:23:02.799 --> 00:23:04.140 The Lord has forsaken me, 00:23:04.200 --> 00:23:05.539 the Lord has forgotten me. 00:23:05.539 --> 00:23:08.299 How often do you feel alone 00:23:08.299 --> 00:23:10.240 and distant from the people around you, 00:23:10.339 --> 00:23:12.139 let alone the God who made you? 00:23:13.519 --> 00:23:15.599 Well, verse 15 follows up and says, 00:23:15.759 --> 00:23:18.720 Can a mother forget the baby at her breast 00:23:18.720 --> 00:23:22.240 and have no compassion on the child she has born? 00:23:22.879 --> 00:23:24.379 It's the metaphor of a mother 00:23:24.379 --> 00:23:26.619 holding her child while breastfeeding. 00:23:26.740 --> 00:23:29.639 How could she forget what she held in her hands? 00:23:30.180 --> 00:23:32.119 Not only because it's suckling at her breast, 00:23:32.180 --> 00:23:33.599 but because it is her own child, 00:23:33.680 --> 00:23:34.399 her own beloved. 00:23:34.400 --> 00:23:38.100 We might forget God like Zion, 00:23:38.200 --> 00:23:40.040 but He does not forget us. 00:23:41.240 --> 00:23:42.780 Now, each of those could have been 00:23:42.780 --> 00:23:43.900 a sermon in of themselves, 00:23:44.019 --> 00:23:45.980 but the best news from Isaiah 49 00:23:45.980 --> 00:23:49.040 is that even if we don't follow God's commands, 00:23:49.160 --> 00:23:50.600 even if we screw up, 00:23:51.920 --> 00:23:54.060 Jesus' glory is such that God's people 00:23:54.060 --> 00:23:55.700 will come to Him anyway. 00:23:56.660 --> 00:23:58.400 There's such a strong sense of inevitability 00:23:59.300 --> 00:24:01.640 in the relationships of this passage. 00:24:01.640 --> 00:24:03.640 No matter what we do, 00:24:04.040 --> 00:24:05.560 God's world will be put to right 00:24:05.560 --> 00:24:07.220 and God's people will be drawn to Him. 00:24:07.780 --> 00:24:09.980 The servant doesn't choose to be glorified for his suffering, 00:24:10.060 --> 00:24:11.880 it just happens as a natural, 00:24:12.160 --> 00:24:14.380 God-willed consequence of what he's given up. 00:24:15.160 --> 00:24:16.860 God can't help but remember His people 00:24:16.860 --> 00:24:18.340 any more than a mother can forget 00:24:18.340 --> 00:24:19.680 the child at her breast. 00:24:19.900 --> 00:24:21.720 It's just who He is to be loving. 00:24:22.600 --> 00:24:24.040 And God's people will inevitably 00:24:24.039 --> 00:24:26.619 be given to the servant and his due reward 00:24:26.619 --> 00:24:28.359 and be gathered back to their king. 00:24:30.200 --> 00:24:31.700 The way I think about it 00:24:31.700 --> 00:24:33.619 is that once a decision has been made, 00:24:33.740 --> 00:24:35.359 the consequences are inevitable. 00:24:36.639 --> 00:24:38.480 If I decide to drop this piece of paper, 00:24:39.119 --> 00:24:41.259 you can probably guess what's going to happen. 00:24:41.319 --> 00:24:42.259 It's going to fall to the ground. 00:24:43.139 --> 00:24:45.139 Neither me nor you nor anybody else 00:24:45.139 --> 00:24:46.519 can affect that force of gravity. 00:24:46.519 --> 00:24:51.259 Now, I've got a more vivid description of this. 00:24:51.319 --> 00:24:52.480 We need some help from Andy. 00:24:55.259 --> 00:24:56.819 So what I want you to do 00:24:56.819 --> 00:25:00.500 is imagine the distance between this ball and me 00:25:00.500 --> 00:25:03.559 is the distance between God and us. 00:25:06.539 --> 00:25:08.500 If Andy decides to let go, 00:25:08.879 --> 00:25:09.720 just as Christ... 00:25:09.720 --> 00:25:13.380 Just as Christ decides to die, 00:25:13.480 --> 00:25:15.920 there is nothing that any of us 00:25:15.920 --> 00:25:17.460 can do to stop it. 00:25:21.380 --> 00:25:22.019 Thank you, Andy. 00:25:25.380 --> 00:25:27.220 I wanted to pick a sort of fun one 00:25:27.220 --> 00:25:28.160 to finish off this sermon 00:25:28.160 --> 00:25:29.660 because I want you to remember that this week. 00:25:31.259 --> 00:25:33.400 Christ's reward is inevitable. 00:25:34.819 --> 00:25:36.500 The weight of His suffering 00:25:36.500 --> 00:25:39.160 is such that He was glorified 00:25:39.160 --> 00:25:40.440 and His reward 00:25:40.440 --> 00:25:43.300 is God's people coming back to Him. 00:25:44.040 --> 00:25:46.580 There is nothing anyone can do about it. 00:25:47.200 --> 00:25:48.380 This is not an action point. 00:25:48.460 --> 00:25:49.940 This isn't even a reflection point. 00:25:50.320 --> 00:25:52.279 This is just a fact I'm telling you. 00:25:53.140 --> 00:25:55.100 You can do with this fact what you'd like. 00:25:56.980 --> 00:25:58.820 But can I implore you, please, 00:25:59.600 --> 00:26:01.279 come to know the King 00:26:01.279 --> 00:26:02.900 who will rule the world. 00:26:03.740 --> 00:26:05.320 The servant of Isaiah 49 00:26:05.320 --> 00:26:06.700 suffered and died 00:26:06.700 --> 00:26:07.680 and this same servant 00:26:07.680 --> 00:26:09.220 is now ruler of all. 00:26:11.059 --> 00:26:12.700 Do you expect this to come true? 00:26:13.779 --> 00:26:15.080 Do you expect Christ 00:26:15.080 --> 00:26:16.720 to make a real difference 00:26:16.720 --> 00:26:17.900 in the world this week? 00:26:18.299 --> 00:26:19.420 Do you live knowing 00:26:19.420 --> 00:26:19.980 the inevitability, 00:26:22.059 --> 00:26:24.039 the complete reliability 00:26:24.039 --> 00:26:25.740 of Christ's return, 00:26:25.900 --> 00:26:27.580 His reign and His reward? 00:26:28.660 --> 00:26:30.120 Do you expect what you hear me 00:26:30.120 --> 00:26:31.100 talking about on a Sunday 00:26:31.100 --> 00:26:33.240 to be true for you on a Thursday? 00:26:33.240 --> 00:26:34.640 Can I implore you, 00:26:34.819 --> 00:26:36.400 live with the expectation 00:26:36.400 --> 00:26:39.019 that no matter what you do this week, 00:26:39.920 --> 00:26:41.000 Christ is returning, 00:26:41.980 --> 00:26:42.859 He is reigning 00:26:42.859 --> 00:26:45.460 and He will receive His reward 00:26:45.460 --> 00:26:47.700 of His people being reconciled to Him. 00:26:48.900 --> 00:26:51.039 Be part of that journey, 00:26:51.200 --> 00:26:52.900 be part of that reconciliation. 00:26:54.039 --> 00:26:56.120 Come be part of Christ's reward. 00:26:56.119 --> 00:27:26.099 Come be part of Christ's reward.