Sermon Synopsis for December 09, 2007

“Take Heart in God” Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-13

Do you ever give up? Did you ever “write-off” someone or something as hopeless?

We had a visit from Isaiah. Isaiah reminds me of the time, when I was in high school, I asked a girl to go out with me. She said, “In your dreams!”

I gave up; it was hopeless. That was a dream that was probably not going to happen.

Isaiah had a dream; God gave it to him. It was about a coming time when God was going to set things straight. The world of Isaiah’s day told him (sarcasm noted), “In your dreams.”

Was it really possible that a beaten down people of God would rise again? Is a world of true peace possible? Isaiah thought so.

About 800 years later, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome. They were a mixed bunch of Jews and non-Jews. The thing they had in common was their faith in Jesus. The world around them was a mess; Paul wanted the Christians in Rome to have hope.

Where do we find hope? Where do we look for hope?

God wants us to be people of endurance and encouragement: The OT message was written so that we might have endurance and encouragement.

Romans 15:4 “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

WE LIVE IN A WORLD FULL OF TROUBLES

There’s plenty of war & conflict – Iraq, Afghanistan, Darfur, Wazirstan (Pakistan), Thailand, Somalia, Palestine/ Israel – just to name a few.

There are natural disasters: earthquakes, tidal waves, fires, hurricanes, etc.

How about Hunger, poverty, sickness (AIDS, Cancer, etc.)

There are Families breaking up; divorce is up; illegitimate child bearing and teenage pregnancy is up this year – first time in 14 years we’re told.

Even Churches have fights, divisions, splits, etc.

Are you depressed yet?

BUT WE ARE A PEOPLE OF HOPE

Isaiah told the people that a day was coming when:
11:1 – There will be a return of God’s Kingdom (A shoot will return out of the stump of Jesse)

A stump is nothing more than the remains of a tree that has been cut down. It’s usually been cut down because you want to get rid of the tree. You need to get the roots out, to keep them from growing.

Once we tried to remove a stump with a quarter stick of dynamite. We had a pretty good hole to fill in. (Kids: don’t try this at home.) The next spring a shoot grew up from a root we missed.

Israel, time and time again, was cut down, but God gave new growth.

Isaiah tells us, that it will not only grow new shoots, but it will grow into a mighty tree, a tree that will bear fruit. Isaiah tells God’s people, “Don’t give up. Take heart! Have hope.” God’s people are a people of hope.

Hope comes through endurance and encouragement.

WE ARE A PEOPLE OF ENDURANCE
For all that the world does to get rid of God and his people, to get rid of Christ and the church, it will never go away.

There is a crèche on the Courthouse lawn in West Chester. It reminds me of the legal battles going on in many communities. In many ways we live in a culture that seeks to rid itself of its Christian heritage.

I don’t care so much about nativity scenes, 10 commandment plaques or even prayer in public meeting. These issues are symptoms of a much deeper crisis that the American culture is experiencing.

I do care about a living and breathing faith in a people who will take Christianity seriously in all aspects of their lives.

We shouldn’t be content to have a crèche scene on the courthouse lawn – we should seek to change this world for Christ. How can we do that?

1. Pray. Real prayer centers on God and God’s will. I had to learn not to think about myself when I prayed. Prayer isn’t self-centered; it’s to be Christ-centered. Maybe I can’t change things, but I can take them to the one who can.

2. Live our lives according to God’s will.
I’ve had a number of interesting counseling situations when I worked for Contact Clinic on Wilshire Blvd in LA. People expected me to change things for them.

I can’t change your life. I can’t make decisions for you. I can’t make you live according to God’s plan for humanity.

I can suggest, I can encourage, I can help. But in the end – you are responsible for your own life, your own decisions.

But I can do something – I can live my life according to God’s will. I can’t change your life – God has to do that, but I can change my own life.

Even if our culture wants to take Christ out of Christmas – I don’t have to, my family doesn’t have to, my church doesn’t have to.

Sometimes we care more about having a nativity scene in the town square, than we do about having our neighbors know that the living Christ has been born into our lives.

Isaiah’s message was that you can cut Christianity down (Jesse Tree), but it will keep going: we are a people of endurance.

Apostle Paul says that this is something the church needs.
Colossians 1:11 “Be strengthened with all power according to His (God’s) glorious might, so that you might have great endurance and patience.”

This old world may seem hopeless, but Take Heart! God is in control. I know this, because he’s in control of my life.

WE ARE A PEOPLE OF ENCOURAGEMENT

Paul said that our attitude should be that of Christ.
How’s that? It’s not condemning, but encouraging.
John 3:17 – “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

Too often we think that it’s our Christian duty to condemn the world. WWJD.

I don’t think you can change the world by force – the history of the world is full of dictators and regimes that have sought to impose a political ideology.

Bolivia is notable in the history books. It’s had more governments than it has had years of existence as a country. One day there were six government changes, a series of coups, and just as one president established himself and started to set up his government, another group came in and conquered them.

Don’t forget our violent Mennonite History (I talked about this before). Jan van Battenburg tried to establish the Kingdom of God in Münster (The Münster Rebellion of 1535) … by force (It was Liberation Theology at its worst). It didn’t last long.

We can bring change in our culture simply by living our faith, by encouragement not by force.

We are a people of endurance, a people of encouragement.

OUR HOPE IS IN THE LORD

Isaiah was either right or part of the lunatic fringe.

Isaiah had a vision, a dream: God will bring a leader that will lead with justice and fairness.
The World told Isaiah, “Get real Isaiah. Welcome to the real world.”

Isaiah had a vision that dangerous animals will live together with defenseless animals (reminiscent of Noah’s Ark – Remember our visit from Mrs. Noah last week!)
Wolfs and lambs mixing together, leopards and goats, lions and calves, cows and bears.
The world responds, “Isaiah, you are out of touch with reality. The world doesn’t function that way.”

Isaiah said that a baby will play where snakes live.
The world responds, “Isaiah, don’t you know about child safety laws?” Nobody is going to send their kids to Isaiah’s preschool!

Isaiah tells us (11:9) that it will be that kind of world because “the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord (as the waters cover the sea).”

In the face of the world – Isaiah is a crazy man.
Why? Because of his faith in the Lord; because of the message that the Lord has given to him.

How about the Christmas story: Mary – pregnant out of wedlock, with a wild story about God making her pregnant …God tells her this will be the savior of the world.
The world responds … “you’re nuts” Christmas is a lot easier when it’s about trees, snow, presents, and Santa.

Near the end of his time on earth, Jesus was gathered with his closest disciples, in an upper room in Jerusalem. There was a lot of political tension; there was a lot of religious tension. He had told them he was going away – he would be killed – they would scatter – they were about to face the worst situation of their lives.

Then he said (John 16:33), “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But Take Heart! I have overcome the world.”

It starts with us – a group of disciples in a world of trouble.
We are a people of endurance in a world of trouble.
We are a people of encouragement in a world of trouble.
We are a people filled with the Spirit of the living God, the one who has overcome the world.

Take Heart! Our Lord Jesus has overcome the world.
We don’t need to try to overcome the world by ourselves; we need to have our lives firmly grounded in the one who has overcome the world.

My wish for you today is the same one that the Apostle Paul had for the church in Rome.

Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”