Now, can you turn with me in your Bibles again, this time to the book of Isaiah, Isaiah chapter 41.
It's on page 726 if you're using a church Bible.
We're going to read Isaiah 41 from verse 21 into chapter 42.
We're going to focus our attention on the first nine verses of chapter 42,
but we'll read from verse 41 for a bit of context as we think about Jesus, the servant of the Lord.
So Isaiah 41 at verse 21.
Present your case, says the Lord.
Set forth your arguments, says Jacob's king.
Bring in your idols to tell us what's going to happen.
Tell us what the former things were so that we may consider them and know their final outcome.
Or declare to us the things to come.
Tell us what the future holds so that we may know you are God's.
Do something, whether good or bad, so that we will be dismayed and filled with fear.
But you are less than nothing, and your works are utterly worthless.
He who chooses you is detestable.
I have stirred up one from the north, and he comes, one from the rising sun who calls on my name.
He treads on rulers as if they were mortar, as if he were a potter treading the clay.
Who told of this from the beginning so that we could know, or beforehand so that we could say he was right?
No one told of this.
No one foretold it.
No one heard any words from you.
I was the first to tell Zion.
Look, here they are.
I gave to Jerusalem a messenger of good tidings.
I look, but there is no one.
No one among them to give counsel.
No one to give answer when I ask them.
See, they are all false.
Their deeds amount to nothing.
Their images are but wind and confusion.
Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight.
I will put my spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.
He will not shout or cry out or raise his voice in the streets.
A bruised reed he will not break.
In a smouldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice.
He will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth.
In his law the islands will put their hope.
This is what God the Lord says.
He who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spreads out the earth and all that comes out of it,
who gives breath to its people and life to those who walk on it.
I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness.
I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people
and a light for the Gentiles,
to open eyes that are blind,
to free captives from prison,
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
I am the Lord.
That is my name.
I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols.
See, the former things have taken place and new things I declare.
Before they spring into being,
I announce them to you.
Amen.
So sometimes people speak about the current generation
as the choice generation.
You may have heard of the acronym FOMO,
the fear of missing out.
I came across another one this week,
FOMO, the fear of better options.
And I wonder if some of us can identify with that.
When there's an endless choice in life for almost anything,
from toothbrushes to job opportunities,
from holidays to what to watch on the television,
the result can be choice paralysis.
If I make this choice,
if I go through this door,
that's going to close off these options.
And what if these are the better options?
What if there's something better out there for me?
And people can be paralyzed by too much choice.
And one of the reasons why it's so unhelpful for us
is because we can be so tied up
in thinking about these choices
that ultimately don't matter that much
that we can forget the one choice that really does.
And that brings us to God's message to Israel,
to the nations,
and to ourselves today in the book of Isaiah.
And it's all about worship.
It's all about what we choose to make most valuable,
most significant,
where we look to for meaning.
When it comes to worship,
God says,
choose me and choose my servant.
Don't choose an idol.
This section's actually part of a bigger section
that presents the choice before us.
Isaiah 41 to 46.
It repeatedly goes back to this idea
that the idols that people follow are hollow.
They fail to deliver on their promises.
They lack power to save.
They cannot know or control the future.
The idols in Isaiah's day
were statues made of wood or gold or silver.
But an idol can be anything that we worship
because we hope that it will protect us,
that in some way it will save us,
that it will grant us success,
it will give value to life.
So for us today,
we might not have statues,
but we might be pinning all our hopes
on a career perhaps,
or a relationship,
or a series of relationships.
We could place all our hopes
in political institutions
or financial security.
Here's our choice today.
God gives us a courtroom picture.
Present your case.
That's how our reading went.
On the one hand,
there are the idols.
You can choose to follow those idols,
or God says,
here is my servant.
Here is the servant of the Lord,
the one who the New Testament reveals to us
as Jesus.
Here is this figure
who will take the stage of history
to serve as a worldwide redeemer,
who is the answer to the darkness,
who provides light and truth.
So we're going to think about Jesus,
the servant of the Lord,
this morning,
thinking about why,
if we're Christians,
we are to keep on following
the servant of the Lord.
And if we're not Christians,
here's why we should consider,
why we should follow Jesus.
The first reason is connected
to his identity.
Even as we read verse 1,
it becomes very clear
that this servant is God's man
who will be on God's mission.
So Isaiah 42 verse 1,
here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight.
I will put my spirit on him
and he will bring justice to the nations.
God's servant who is upheld,
given power for his task.
But he's not just a servant,
he's also the chosen one.
He is one who is loved,
that God delights in him.
And we see that he acts for God.
God's spirit is on him
and he brings justice.
He brings the rule of God
to the nations.
An idea repeated in verse 1
and then again in verse 4.
And then in verses 5 and 6,
the same kind of idea
comes up again.
Here is God the Lord,
here is the creator of the world,
here is the sustainer of the world speaking.
And in verse 6,
we see God's purpose for his servant.
We see all the purpose language.
I have called you in righteousness.
I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you
and will make you to be a covenant
for the people.
What's the identity of this servant?
He is one who is loved of God
and who is sent by God
on a mission to establish
the kingdom of God,
to bring people into relationship
with God,
to be the hope of the nations.
And it's as if God is saying,
you need to decide
which you're going to choose.
Are you going to choose
the genuine article,
this servant,
or will you choose
what is fake?
Just as,
I guess nowadays,
if we shop on the internet,
we need to be careful
on Amazon
that we get the real deal
and not a counterfeit,
or we go to a market,
need to check what you're getting.
God is saying to us,
the idols cannot supply
what we need.
What we look to from them,
they will not be able
in the end to deliver,
though they might claim to.
Think for a minute
about the world of advertising.
Advertising exists
to persuade you
that life will be complete
when you have that thing
that they're trying to sell us.
The reality is that
staff and people,
they provide temporary happiness,
but God invites us
to think bigger
and to look bigger.
That the Christian message
provides solid joy
and lasting treasure
because it invites us
to know God himself.
Because we were created
in the image of God
to know and enjoy him.
We're created with
never-dying souls.
And so the idols
are not big enough
to satisfy.
But God is going to send
his servant,
he says,
in Isaiah's day.
And even the identity
of the servant
sparks hope.
And especially as we read
in light of Jesus coming,
do you remember
what's said of Jesus'
public arrival?
Jesus, God's king,
who's also God's servant,
very different arrival.
Then the arrival
of the royal wedding yesterday
with the fancy carriage
and all the pomp and ceremony.
Jesus came,
was placed in a manger.
And then when he began
his public ministry,
he came to John the Baptist
to be baptized
in the Jordan River.
And what happened?
The Spirit of God
came on him,
came on the servant.
The voice from heaven
spoke,
this is my son
whom I love.
Listen to him.
And what was the message
of Jesus
as he began moving around
preaching and teaching?
It was repent and believe
for the kingdom of God
is near.
Here is the servant
with the spirit on him
who's loved by God,
who's bringing in
the kingdom
through his life.
So Jesus
is no ordinary man.
He is God's man.
Indeed,
he is the God man
on God's
rescue mission.
So we follow Jesus,
we are called
to follow Jesus
because of who he is.
Because he is
God the Son
on God's mission.
Another reason
is presented to us
for following Jesus
in verses 2 and 3
and it's tied into
the character
of the servant.
So we've just been told
that this servant
will come
and he will establish
justice
in the nations
and that's
a powerful
role and responsibility
but then we're told
in verses 2 and 3
how he goes about
his work
and it's both
surprising
and also
attractive.
We've got this
combination
of
power
with
gentleness.
So he's come
to establish
to bring justice
to the nations
but look at verse 2.
He will not shout
or cry out
or raise his voice
in the streets.
He's not brash.
He's not harsh.
He doesn't seek
to dominate
or rule
by force.
Verse 3.
A bruised reed
he will not break.
He's gentle
with what seems
weak
what might be
considered
in other hands
worthless.
A smouldering
wick
he will not
snuff out
protecting
even that
which seems
so fragile
as to be
close
to
extinction.
Jesus
the servant
of the Lord
is powerful
but he's also
gentle.
this is the
kind of person
that we want
in our lives
that when we
find ourselves
with trouble
or with
questions
or in crisis
someone who we
can go to
who is able
to understand
and help
but more than
that
someone who
wants to
help
somebody who
wants to
draw near
to show us
love
and to show
us mercy
mercy.
And I think
we all know
this is not
a common
combination
to find the
people in the
places of power
who are
still gentle
with those
under them.
And so often
it's those who
are gentle
who lack
the power
to help
when they
would love
to help.
But here
is the servant
who is both
powerful
and gentle.
To give us
a picture
think of a
lion
a female
lion
out on
the hunt.
As that
lion
pounces
on her
prey
you have
those
huge
powerful
jaws
capable
of
tearing
an
animal
apart.
There is
power
in the
animal
and in
those
jaws
but those
same
jaws
will also
carry
her cubs
very tenderly
to safety.
Only
Jesus
demonstrates
ultimate
strength
and applies
that same
strength
in tender
gentle
ways.
When we
see Jesus
in the
gospels
we find
one who
has the
power to
drive away
demons.
We find
him
overturning
the tables
of money
changers
who are
oppressing
those who
would want
to worship
God.
We see
one who
is powerful
enough to
call the
dead
to life.
to offer
forgiveness
to those
who have
sinned.
But then
as we
read in
Matthew
chapter
12
we saw
that this
description
in verses
2 and 3
was also
applied to
Jesus and
we see
that in
his life
too.
We see
Jesus
very gentle
with those
in pain.
We see
Jesus
loving to
those who
have been
rejected.
We see
Jesus tender
to those
who found
themselves
in their
lowest places
in very
dark
spaces
because
Jesus
is
the
perfect
saviour.
He is
the saviour
we all
need.
One who
is stronger
than all
the forces
of darkness
that line up
against us
and that
lined up
against him.
Paul says
in Colossians
that Jesus
triumphed over
all the
forces of
darkness.
Satan,
sin,
death,
conquering
them
at the
cross.
Jesus
is the
one who
has dealt
with the
sin that
separates us
from God.
He has
taken the
judgment
that we
deserve
that separates
us and
would lead
us into
eternal
separation
from God.
Jesus
is the
one who
deals
gently
with his
people.
He knows
us,
he knows
our weakness
and still
he loves
us and
still he
cares for
us.
So you
and I
we can
trust him
and we
should
trust him.
Another
reason to
follow Jesus
is because
of the
mission
that he
has been
sent on.
Already
in this
section
the contrast
between the
idols and
the servant
is becoming
apparent
but God
goes still
further to
show Israel,
to show the
nations,
to show us
why we should
choose Jesus
and not
anyone else
to live
for.
In verses
6 and
7,
the Lord
capital letters,
the personal
God,
the promise
making God
goes further
to help us
choose wisely.
If we go
towards the
bottom half
of verse
6,
we see
this,
I will
keep you
and will
make you
to be a
covenant
for the
people
and a
light for
the Gentiles,
to open
eyes that
are blind,
to free
captives from
prison and
to release
from the
dungeon
those who
sit in
darkness.
What are
the mission
objectives of
the servant
of the Lord,
the one who
will be
sent?
He's sent
to bring
relationship,
a relationship
restored between
God and
people.
He comes
for restoration
from darkness
and misery
to light
and life.
Notice the
language in
verse 6,
I will
make you
to be
a covenant.
This
servant,
this Jesus
is God's
means through
whom people
will come
into a
covenant
relationship
with the
Lord God
himself.
There is
no other
way to
know God
except through
Jesus and
trusting what
he has done
for us.
In Isaiah's
day,
there were
many people,
although they
were God's
covenant
people,
they were
living without
reference to
God.
in trouble,
they didn't
pray to
God.
In trouble,
they were
looking to
foreign
alliances to
deliver them.
They were
faithless,
but here is
hope for them
despite that
lack of faith
because God
is faithful.
God keeps
his covenant
promises and
this servant
who will come
stands as
proof of
that.
Can I trust
that God
will love me,
that God
will save me?
Yes,
because he
sent Jesus
his servant
as he
promised.
And he
does it
as a
free
decision.
God
freely
decides out
of love
to take
and keep
a people
for himself.
Not based
on a
person's
goodness
or a
religious
performance,
but based
wholly on
God's
grace.
The servant
is the
basis for
a covenant
being established.
And we see
how this
works out.
In the
life of
Jesus.
Next week
here in
church as
the people
of God
we will
share
the Lord's
Supper.
Taking us
back to
the last
supper that
Jesus shared
with his
disciples before
the cross
where he
took the
bread and
the wine
as symbols
of his
body
broken
and his
blood
shed
for sin
and for
sinners.
A reminder
that at
the cross
Jesus dies
for our
sin.
Jesus dies
for us
choosing to
live without
reference
to him.
He dies
for that
sin of
choosing
false
saviors
for
ourselves.
He dies
for our
false
worship
where we
choose to
live for
other things
rather than
the glory
of God.
God.
And the
result of
that death
in our
place and
for our
sins is
that by
faith we
can be
reconciled
to the
living God.
That barrier
of sin
is broken.
That we
can be
welcomed
into the
family of
God.
We can
be adopted
as sons
and daughters
of the
king with
all the
promises
that comes
with that.
Here we
are reminded
that God
in the
Bible
offers us
the kind
of relationship
that we
all long
for and
perhaps spend
all of our
lives looking
for.
Here is
one who
will love
us.
Here is
one who
knows our
weaknesses,
knows everything
about us,
yet still
moves towards
us rather
than running
from us.
Here is
one who
promises
always to
be there
for us
in life
and in
death.
Here is
the kind
of love
that moves
us and
causes us
to be
better people
as he
puts his
spirit in
us.
So he
offers us a
covenant
relationship.
And who
is this
covenant
for?
Well in
verse 6
we're told
it's a
covenant
for the
people.
In
verse 1
there's a
reminder that
the servant
comes for
the nations.
In
verse 4
this servant
is the
one that
the islands
will put
their hope
in.
The islands
is a
picture of
the remote
places.
In other
words this
covenant,
this promise
of relationship
is for
anyone,
is for
everyone
who will
turn from
sin and
trust in
Jesus as
Savior.
So there's
this wonderful
picture of the
servant coming to
bring relationship
but also
coming to
bring restoration.
To pick up on
the language of
verses 6 and
7 that in
place of
darkness he
will bring
light.
In place of
blindness he
will bring
sight.
In place of
captivity and
misery the
servant of the
Lord will
bring freedom.
This powerful
Savior, this
gentle Savior
offers to
us hope and
healing beyond
our failures.
You know
yourself, I
know myself, you
know the stuff
that lurks in
our past that
causes us grief
and sorrow and
keeps us awake
at night.
There is hope
beyond that.
There is hope
beyond our bad
choices.
Those bad
choices do not
need to define
us.
we can be
defined by our
being in
Christ and
having hope
in him.
There is hope
beyond guilt and
shame through
this servant.
This was the
manifesto of
Jesus to come
and to restore
lives that were
broken and
hurting.
When Jesus as a
visiting preacher
came back to his
hometown in
Nazareth, he was
invited to pick up a
scroll and to read
and to teach.
In Luke 4, we are
told that he read
from Isaiah.
He read from Isaiah
61.
Let me read the
verses there.
The spirit of the
sovereign Lord is
on me because the
Lord has anointed me
to preach good
news to the poor.
He has sent me to
bind up the
brokenhearted, to
proclaim freedom
for the captives,
and release from
darkness for the
prisoners, to
proclaim the year
of the Lord's
favor.
Jesus said,
this is speaking
about me.
This is what I've
come to do.
I've come to
restore.
And his public
ministry, if you
read the Gospels,
and it's evidence
of that kind of
ministry.
And his death on
the cross serves as
the ultimate
demonstration of that
reality where Jesus
himself is broken
and he is crushed
so that we can be
made new.
His death is the
price of our
redemption and new
life.
last reason why we
should follow Jesus
or keep following
Jesus is connected
to his glory.
It takes us to
verses 8 and 9.
Why does God send
the servant of the
Lord?
Why does he send the
one that he loves?
Why does he send
this one who will
establish God's reign
of justice?
Why does he send
this one who gently
deals with people,
who establishes this
covenant of life and
peace and brings
restoration and healing?
And we discover
ultimately it's for
his glory.
I am the Lord.
That is my name.
I will not give my
glory to another or my
praise to idols.
The servant's coming is
connected to God having
the glory that is due
his name.
God's goal is that he
receive the praise that
he deserves as our
creator and as our
redeemer.
And that's why in this
section 41 to 46 so
often he's contrasting
his glory versus the
worthlessness of idols.
So in verse 9, another
example, God knows and
controls the future
unlike the idols.
Jesus will come as
promised just as other
deliverers had come as
promised.
Here is God calling the
people to recognize that
we can pin our hopes on
many things but
ultimately Jesus is our
only hope in life and
in death.
And what we discover in the
New Testament is that
Jesus comes to reveal, to
display the glory of God
to us.
We start looking midweek in
the book of Colossians and
we read that he is, Jesus is,
the image of the invisible
God.
That the fullness of God is
found in him.
So when it comes to the
servant, there is no
rivalry here because this
servant is the son of God.
So he deserves all praise
and glory.
When Jesus was contemplating
the cross, he prayed,
Father, glorify your name.
Bring glory to yourself
through the cross.
And the answer comes from
heaven.
I have glorified it and I
will glorify it again.
The cross is the revelation
of the glory of God that he
can satisfy justice against
sin and be loving and extend
grace to sinners like us.
The center of Christianity is
the loving kindness of God and
eternally planning to send his
son Jesus to rescue us from sin.
Not so that we would get praise,
but so that he would get praise
and glory.
We are called to follow Jesus
because when we look at him,
when we look into his face,
we see, as Paul says, the glory of
God in the face of Jesus.
And we also see the glory of God
in his nail-pierced hands as he
goes to the cross in love to
rescue us, to redeem us, to
restore us to relationship.
So here is God saying to us,
here is why you are to keep
following Jesus.
If you're not a Christian, to
begin following Jesus.
Jesus.
Thank you.