The Lord Saves • 01.21.24
Book Overview – Isaiah
The Lord Saves
Trusting in the God who judges and saves
- Acknowledge the certainty of judgment
- Forsake the folly of idolatry
- Embrace the promised hope
Book Overview – Isaiah
The Lord Saves
If you’re new here, I want to welcome you. You picked a great Sunday to join us, as we’re kicking off a brand-new sermon series in Isaiah called The Lord Saves. Today we’ll be doing an overview of the entire book, and then over the course of the next two years we’ll go through it in smaller segments. Yes, you heard that right, the next two years… Don’t worry, we’ll take breaks along the way to study other parts of Scripture too!
My hope for our time together this morning is that you would grasp the big picture of this particular book of the Bible, and you would leave here with a sense of anticipation of the life-changing truth we’ll get to study in the weeks ahead. Perhaps this would even lead you to invite someone else to come and hear these truths next Sunday!
Dismiss 4th + 5th graders
Mention Isaiah Scripture Journals if they want them
Ushers + Bibles (Isaiah; page 672)
As we begin our study today, I’d like to pose a question to you… What is it that you’re trusting in this morning? (repeat)
In some manner of speaking, we all put our trust in many things. You trusted that your car would start this morning. You trust that your family members will be ready on time. You trust that people will be warm and welcoming when you come in.
But, upon closer investigation, any of these objects of trust can break down. Your car may not start in the extremely cold temperature. Your spouse or kids may take much longer than anticipated to get ready. You may even find that you weren’t welcomed like you had hoped. Nothing guarantees that these objects of trust will not fail you…
How many of you have had a trusted friend let you down? Or perhaps your employer made promises of a raise or improved work conditions, but they never came? Or a doctor promised to help you with your medical condition, but they didn’t/couldn’t? This is not limited to adults; kids, how many of you have invested into a friendship only to have it end painfully? Certainly, we have all experienced the pain of misplaced or broken trust over the course of our lives. People are fickle and unsteady. Circumstances are ever-changing. Possessions break down, are lost, or stolen.
If people and possessions and circumstances can let us down, what or who is left? Is there a stable, unchanging, worthy object of our trust? …
Let us consult our currency. What does it say on our US bills and coins? “In God We Trust”…
Fascinating! Perhaps our forefathers were on to something here! “In God We Trust” – could it be that the unchanging, holy Creator of the Universe is the best possible object of our trust? Isaiah is going to reveal to us that the answer is a resounding YES! People will let you down. Possessions were never meant to satisfy your soul. In fact, turning to these rather than the One, True God always results in disaster and judgment! But there is a better way. There is a God who saves, who has a grand plan of redemption for those who would be humbled and trust in Him!
Let me set the context for this book we’re about to study. Isaiah was a prophet to the southern kingdom of Judah during the reigns of four different kings. We see this in 1:1.
Isaiah 1:1 (ESV)
The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
These kings reigned from roughly 767-686 BC (Chart). It is believed that Isaiah’s prophetic ministry took place during 740-681 BC, but, as we’ll soon see, the prophecy that God gave him went beyond his lifetime.
I mentioned that Isaiah was a prophet to the southern kingdom of Judah. (Map of Judah & Israel) At this point in history, the Israelites had divided into two kingdoms as shown on the map. Israel was the northern kingdom and Judah the southern kingdom. Unfortunately, by this point, Israel had been running headlong into spiritual idolatry and adultery, exchanging faith in Yahweh, the One, True God for the pagan religions of the neighboring countries around them. They trusted in their wealth and relative prosperity and assumed that their blessings indicated that Yahweh was not really God. Judah was not far behind them in this pursuit of idols and ungodliness. And God is about to call them to give an account for their spiritual idolatry and adultery too. Listen to just a portion of the first few chapters of Isaiah.
Isaiah 1:2–4 (ESV)
2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth;
for the Lord has spoken:
“Children have I reared and brought up,
but they have rebelled against me.
3 The ox knows its owner,
and the donkey its master’s crib,
but Israel does not know,
my people do not understand.”
4 Ah, sinful nation,
a people laden with iniquity,
offspring of evildoers,
children who deal corruptly!
They have forsaken the Lord,
they have despised the Holy One of Israel,
they are utterly estranged.
Isaiah 1:10–15 (ESV)
10 Hear the word of the Lord,
you rulers of Sodom!
Give ear to the teaching of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!
11 “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
says the Lord;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of well-fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
or of lambs, or of goats.
12 “When you come to appear before me,
who has required of you
this trampling of my courts?
13 Bring no more vain offerings;
incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—
I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts
my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
I will not listen;
your hands are full of blood.
Isaiah 2:6–8 (ESV)
6 For you have rejected your people,
the house of Jacob,
because they are full of things from the east
and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines,
and they strike hands with the children of foreigners.
7 Their land is filled with silver and gold,
and there is no end to their treasures;
their land is filled with horses,
and there is no end to their chariots.
8 Their land is filled with idols;
they bow down to the work of their hands,
to what their own fingers have made.
Isaiah 3:1–5 (ESV)
3 For behold, the Lord God of hosts
is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah
support and supply,
all support of bread,
and all support of water;
2 the mighty man and the soldier,
the judge and the prophet,
the diviner and the elder,
3 the captain of fifty
and the man of rank,
the counselor and the skillful magician
and the expert in charms.
4 And I will make boys their princes,
and infants shall rule over them.
5 And the people will oppress one another,
every one his fellow
and every one his neighbor;
the youth will be insolent to the elder,
and the despised to the honorable.
Hard words! They are being held accountable and found lacking! They have abandoned the One, True God for worthless idols and trusted in foreign kings/nations who cannot save them.
This is why God called Isaiah into ministry. God appointed Isaiah to be his messenger to the rebellious kingdom. To warn them of the coming judgment and to call them to repentance! In Isaiah 6, he records the incredible vision he had of the throne room of God. As Isaiah is witnessing the staggering holiness of God in that vision, he is beside himself as he realizes how unholy he and all the people of Judah are before God. You’ve likely heard this passage before:
Isaiah 6:5 (ESV)
5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
Isaiah is rightly fearful that he is about to be struck down and die. Yet that is not what happens. Listen to what comes next. This is Isaiah’s commissioning by God.
Isaiah 6:6–13 (ESV)
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people:
“ ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’
10 Make the heart of this people dull,
and their ears heavy,
and blind their eyes;
lest they see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears,
and understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed.”
11 Then I said, “How long, O Lord?”
And he said:
“Until cities lie waste
without inhabitant,
and houses without people,
and the land is a desolate waste,
12 and the Lord removes people far away,
and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.
13 And though a tenth remain in it,
it will be burned again,
like a terebinth or an oak,
whose stump remains
when it is felled.”
The holy seed is its stump.
Isaiah’s calling as a prophet is an incredibly hard one. You’re being sent to a people who will not hear or respond obediently to you. They will continue to be spiritually blind, deaf, and dumb. They will continue in their sin until they are judged, and the land is desolate. What a hard calling! And what an ominous foreshadowing of what was coming… God knew that the people would not turn from their wicked ways. So, he was going to do what was necessary to discipline them and point them back to Him as the only source of life and salvation. *pause*
Now, during Isaiah’s lifetime, the nation of Assyria was the dominant world power. (Assyria Map) They had successfully conquered and spread their rule over many nations. This put incredible pressure on the kings of Judah to choose whom they would trust. Would they trust in political alliances with Egypt or other surrounding nations to protect themselves from Assyria? Would they make an alliance with Assyria directly? Or would they trust in the Lord to save them?
Unfortunately, King Ahaz, who was ruling in Judah at that time, chose to trust in an alliance with Assyria rather than the Lord. This would be a terrible choice which brought God’s judgment upon Judah.
Isaiah 7:17–20 (ESV)
17 The Lord will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father’s house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!”
18 In that day the Lord will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.
20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also.
This is a prophecy of judgment and is the historical setting for the beginning of the book of Isaiah. Ahaz inviting the judgment of the Lord upon Judah. However, as the book develops, in chapters 7-12, we see Isaiah contrasting King Ahaz’s ungodly reign with a future Davidic leader who would be a godly ruler. Throughout the messages of judgment in this prophecy is the thread of hope in a future deliverer – One who would obey and live righteously.
If we pause and zoom out for a moment, let’s consider the larger picture of the Bible. The Old Testament records for us the work of God to create a people for Himself, who would be His people and He their God. It started in the Garden with Adam & Eve, but they chose sin and rebellion. But God did not give up on His plan. He eventually called a man by the name of Abram and promised that through Him he would make a great nation and that in him all the families of the earth would be blessed. As time went on, God worked through Abraham’s descendants to produce the nation of Israel. Unfortunately, if you’re familiar with the Old Testament, you know that the nation of Israel struggled to obey God as His chosen people. They frequently turned aside to worship idols and committed spiritual adultery against God. This is exactly what is continuing to occur in the time of Isaiah’s prophetic ministry.
Yet now, through Isaiah, God is going to give a much fuller picture of what He is doing in His grand redemption plan. Throughout the book, Isaiah is going to share of a promised seed of Jesse, a branch from the line of David, a ruler who would fulfill the calling of God where Israel had fallen short. Isaiah reveals Him to be the Suffering Servant who, though he was righteous, suffers unjustly for his people.
The book of Isaiah holds up for us the contrast between the futility of man who resists and opposes God and the righteous, humble Servant who perfectly obeys and fulfills God’s plan. Throughout the book, we will see nations who are opposed to God being humbled, yet foreshadowing of a future city and kingdom where salvation is found. A city where all the nations enter to find safety and refuge. A city where God is exalted, and the people are righteous.
While Jerusalem will rise and fall in Isaiah’s prophecy, the underlying message is all about God’s love for His people, even when they fail to love Him! Above everything else that Isaiah teaches, it holds up a high view of the incomparably great God who loves His people and goes to incredible lengths to purify and save them. God reveals, through Isaiah, His plan to restore His people through the Servant who would be rejected, killed, and then live again! This Servant would bring the people back to God by bearing their sins!
Isaiah’s prophecies extended far beyond his lifetime. The book is divided up into 3 main segments: (Simplified Overview graphic)
- 1-39 – Occurring during Isaiah’s lifetime addressing the current Assyrian threat and telling them that they will be exiled into Babylon
- 40-55 – Written ~150+ years ahead of time explaining that the Babylonian exile will not last forever; God will rescue them more immediately through Cyrus of Persia (predicted way before it happened!) and ultimately through the Suffering Servant (the Messiah)
- 56-66 – Also written way ahead of time, speaking into the far future when the Lord’s Servant would put an end to their oppressors and execute a great work of redemption. Speaks to the New Heavens and New Earth as well.
Over the course of the next two years, we’ll get to unpack this amazing book! There is so much rich truth to discover and dig into here. Our pastor team is excited for you to see how beautifully the Old and New Testaments connect with one another. To continue to grow in your confidence in the one, unified grand redemption plan of God that the Bible reveals from start to finish. And to recognize the severe danger of trusting in anything other than the One, True God. We need to see the futility of our idols and of putting our trust in anything other than Him.
Now, with all that being said, I know some of you are really stressing over those blanks on your bulletin… Let me help you with that. If you haven’t caught on by now, we’re talking about…
Trusting in the God who judges and saves
In whom shall we trust? God. The judge of all the earth and the savior of his people. And one of the ways we do this is when we…
- Acknowledge the certainty of judgment
As I’ve already sought to make clear, as we preach through Isaiah, we will be unable to escape the conclusion that judgment is a reality. It’s a reality because God exists and has revealed his standard of righteousness. And he holds humanity accountable for failing to follow it.
This is not limited to Israel/Judah. All nations answer to the Most High. We will see this very clearly in chapters 13-23, where God holds many of the nations surrounding Israel accountable. Or perhaps most clearly in chapter 24, when the whole world will come under his judgment.
Isaiah 24:1 (ESV)
Behold, the Lord will empty the earth and make it desolate,
and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants.
Isaiah 24:5 (ESV)
5 The earth lies defiled
under its inhabitants;
for they have transgressed the laws,
violated the statutes,
broken the everlasting covenant.
Judgment is incurred when we break God’s laws, violate his statutes, and break his covenant. This is an all-encompassing judgment. None escape it.
And yet, God’s stated desire is a righteous people and holy nation who will represent and reflect Him well! This is held out as early as chapter 2.
Isaiah 2:1–3 (ESV)
The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2 It shall come to pass in the latter days
that the mountain of the house of the Lord
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be lifted up above the hills;
and all the nations shall flow to it,
3 and many peoples shall come, and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
God would not hold out this desire and hope if it were not possible. The question is… how does a sinful people obtain it? Which leads us to a second takeaway from this book…
- Forsake the folly of idolatry
Throughout Isaiah, God is going to call his people to turn away from their idols and back to Him. It is the worship of created things that have led to the downfall of the people. They have exchanged the glory of the incomparably great God for things made with their own hands! What utter nonsense.
In an utterly beautiful and poetic display of God’s greatness compared to the futility of idols, Isaiah writes the following in chapter 40:
Isaiah 40:9–26 (ESV)
9 Go on up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good news;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good news;
lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
“Behold your God!”
10 Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.
12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand
and marked off the heavens with a span,
enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure
and weighed the mountains in scales
and the hills in a balance?
13 Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord,
or what man shows him his counsel?
14 Whom did he consult,
and who made him understand?
Who taught him the path of justice,
and taught him knowledge,
and showed him the way of understanding?
15 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,
and are accounted as the dust on the scales;
behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust.
16 Lebanon would not suffice for fuel,
nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering.
17 All the nations are as nothing before him,
they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.
18 To whom then will you liken God,
or what likeness compare with him?
19 An idol! A craftsman casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays it with gold
and casts for it silver chains.
20 He who is too impoverished for an offering
chooses wood that will not rot;
he seeks out a skillful craftsman
to set up an idol that will not move.
21 Do you not know? Do you not hear?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
23 who brings princes to nothing,
and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.
24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows on them, and they wither,
and the tempest carries them off like stubble.
25 To whom then will you compare me,
that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes on high and see:
who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
calling them all by name;
by the greatness of his might
and because he is strong in power,
not one is missing.
God is the one who created us. He is the one who made all things. He has no counselor. He answers to no one. The entirety of the nations are like a drop in the bucket compared to him. Idols are fashioned from wood and overlaid with silver and gold; they are created and they can create nothing!
Isaiah will later go on to say that those who worship idols become like them… blind, deaf, and dumb. (Spiritually ignorant) They become unable to comprehend the truth. This is an incredibly dangerous position to be in! ONLY GOD CAN SAVE. Idols will lead you astray and deliver you over to death EVERY SINGLE TIME.
In Isaiah’s day, they were tempted to trust in nations/man rather than God… this is what led to their nations’ destruction. They also copied the pagan nations around them and carved out handmade idols to bow down to and pray to… But they could not hear or answer them…
All the while they had the God of Heaven and Earth making Himself known to them! They had the opportunity to trust in Him and enjoy His provision and protection. Yet they exchanged His glory for the futility of idols! *pause*
Before you look down your noses at the Israelites, please realize that idolatry is still alive and strong in our day. Our modern-day idols may not be carved out of wood and overlaid with precious metals… (At least in Western culture) but they are just as present and just as offensive to God. Our idols can look like the approval of others, the demands of personal autonomy (I can do whatever I want and no one has the right to tell me otherwise), the pursuit of sexual liberation, the indulgence of whatever hedonistic passions suit your fancy. Modern man/woman trusts in all sorts of things… puts their hopes in all sorts of things… Seeks to drink from many different cups that never satisfy the soul.
The longer you’ve lived the more likely you know this to be true. Many of us have spent enough of our days pursuing such passions and pleasures. We have sought to fulfill ourselves in whatever we thought might be the answer in that season of life. A relationship. A new hobby. A career. Making money and buying nice things. Pleasure. Insert whatever it was for you here…
But, at the end of the day… the outcome was the same. A vast emptiness of soul. A realization that despite all of the energy and effort expended we were still searching for purpose and hope. Because idols never satisfy. They are not worthy of your trust and hope.
So, what are we to do? Yes, we must forsake the folly of idolatry, but in exchange for what? Forsake the folly of idolatry so that you may…
- Embrace the promised hope
Isaiah is not simply a book of judgment. It is also a book of great hope! As I mentioned earlier, the thread of humanity’s great hope is constantly held out in the coming Deliverer. The future Messiah. The Suffering Servant who would make a way for His people. Listen to these beautiful promises of hope:
Isaiah 42:1–4 (ESV)
Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
3 a bruised reed he will not break,
and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged
till he has established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his law.
Isaiah 52:13 (ESV)
13 Behold, my servant shall act wisely;
he shall be high and lifted up,
and shall be exalted…
Isaiah 53:3-6 (ESV)
3 He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:11–12 (ESV)
11 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.
12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.
Isaiah speaks of the promised hope of the Messiah who would serve God in perfect righteousness and then suffer for it, so that he could save His people from their sin. This was the hope, not only for Jews but also for Gentiles!
Isaiah 56:1–5 (ESV)
Thus says the Lord:
“Keep justice, and do righteousness,
for soon my salvation will come,
and my righteousness be revealed.
2 Blessed is the man who does this,
and the son of man who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it,
and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
3 Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say,
“The Lord will surely separate me from his people”;
and let not the eunuch say,
“Behold, I am a dry tree.”
4 For thus says the Lord:
“To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose the things that please me
and hold fast my covenant,
5 I will give in my house and within my walls
a monument and a name
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name
that shall not be cut off.
This is our hope. That, through the Messiah, we might have salvation and the hope of an inheritance in the people of God! What an incredible promise.
Isaiah gives us the certainty of hope in the One who would accomplish all of this… And we know that this One is Jesus. After all, Jesus claimed it about himself:
Luke 4:16–21 (ESV)
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Jesus is the Suffering Servant. The Messiah. The One who would suffer and die for the sake of His people, to rescue them from their Sin. He is revealed as the One worthy of your worship and trust! *pause*
The solution to the coming judgment against sin is trust in the One who can deliver you from your sin and give you new life!
You see, while Isaiah holds out the incredible folly of idolatry and the inevitable judgment for those who reject/oppose God, he also holds out the promise of salvation for those who are humbled and repent of sin. The humble and contrite inherit God’s kingdom!
Isaiah 66:1–2 (ESV)
Thus says the Lord:
“Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool;
what is the house that you would build for me,
and what is the place of my rest?
2 All these things my hand has made,
and so all these things came to be,
declares the Lord.
But this is the one to whom I will look:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit
and trembles at my word.
The end of Isaiah reveals people from all nations joining the servants of God’s family. It’s a grand vision of the fulfillment of all of God’s promises. Through the Suffering-Servant King, God creates a covenant family of all nations who are awaiting the hope of God’s justice and a renewed creation where God’s kingdom finally comes here on earth as it is in heaven.
Isaiah reveals to us the incomparably great God who loves his people even when they are unworthy. As Pastor Mark Dever said, “This book is all about God’s love for his people, not our love for him. This is where our hope is found! That he loves us.”
So, in the words of Jesus:
Matthew 11:28–30 (ESV)
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
The Lord Saves. Come to Him. Acknowledge the certainty of judgment. Forsake the folly of idolatry. Embrace the promised hope of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. You do not have to search for purpose and fulfillment in the things of the world any longer. You can find rest for your soul in Him. I invite you to do that today by confessing Him as Savior and Lord and walking by faith in Him in 2024. *pause*
Before we close out with communion, I want to point out one more time the resources we’ve made available to help you with spiritual growth this year. This is the last Sunday they’ll be on display in the back of the room. (Bible Reading Plan; Prayer Journal; FighterVerses; Online Resources page; etc.,)
Communion
Today we are going to end our services by worshiping the Lord through the celebration of communion or the Lord’s table.
Communion is an opportunity for Christians to remember all that the Lord has done for us through his death, burial, and resurrection. This is an opportunity for Christians to remember that we have embraced the promised hope of the Messiah!
We will celebrate by partaking of both the bread and the cup as a symbol and reminder of Jesus’ body broken in our place and his blood shed for the forgiveness of our sins. Communion is an opportunity to remember how great a price was paid so that we could be saved from our sin. It is a sobering, yet joyful celebration for Christians. Sobering that the Son of God would give himself for us as a ransom. Joyful that he did, and the result was a living hope that cannot be taken from us! Jesus is victorious; therefore, we have the hope of heaven with Him!
At this time, I’d like to invite the ushers forward with the elements.
Before we pass them, I want to share the biblical requirements for joining in this celebration.
This celebration was given by Jesus to his followers. We invite anyone who has trusted in Jesus Christ alone for salvation to join us in this celebration today. If your faith is not in Jesus Christ alone, then we would encourage you to let the elements pass by you and simply consider what you’ve heard so far during the service this morning and reflect on what is keeping you from trusting him.
The second requirement we see in Scripture is a call to examine ourselves. This is the idea of making sure that you’ve confessed any known sins and sought to turn away from it. It would not be wise to partake of the table if you have sin in your life for which you are not repentant. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 11 that taking the table while living in sin is eating and drinking judgment on yourself. I would ask you not to do that, for your sake and the sake of God’s glory. Instead, I would encourage you to use this time to confess that sin and make a plan to address it right away. If you know you need to be reconciled to someone else in this church, please take care of that during this time. The table is time to protect the unity of the church.
The ushers are going to pass the elements now as we have a time of silent reflection and prayer to prepare for the table. Please use this time to reflect on all that we’ve talked about today and to prepare yourself to take communion by confessing and repenting of any known sin. After the elements have been passed, I’ll lead us in prayer and taking communion together.
Ushers pass elements
Silent prayer. Corporate prayer.
1 Corinthians 11:23–26 (ESV)
23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
Take bread.
25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Take cup
Hallelujah, thank you, Jesus!