God's Holy City - Actual and Future

Isaiah 3-4

Sermon Notes:

1) Leaders Exiled, 3:1-15

2) Beauty Taken Away, 3:16-4:1

3) Home at Last, 4:2-6

Reflection questions:

1) God’s judgment upon Israel is her leaders being taken away. Are you preparing yourself to be leader? If you are a leader or a mature Christian, are you preparing others to lead and become more like Christ? See 1 Tim 3:1; 2 Tim. 2:1-2; Titus 2:1-8

2) Read Proverbs 31:30. Also read 1 Samuel 16:1-13 (especially vv.6-7, 12). Is beauty (or a good external appearance) a good thing or a bad thing? Or is it merely something that we overemphasize, something does not qualify or disqualify?

3) Read Isaiah 4:2-6, then read Revelation 19:6-9; 21:1-5. What images of Isaiah’s do you see John use in Revelation?

God's Holy City - Ideal and Real

Isaiah 2:1-22

Sermon Notes:

1) The Glorious Future of God’s Holy City, 1-5

2) The Ugly Pride of Man’s Downfall, 6-19

3) The Terrible Dread of God’s Majesty, 10, 19-22

Reflection questions:

1) Is 2:1-5 seems to be a vision of what could be for God’s people. How much of this is possible on this side of heaven? Also see Matthew 5:13-16. What does Jesus call us to do in these verses? What does he want the end result to be (see v.16, especially)?

2) What can you learn about pride from this passage? What about these passages: James 4:6; Philippians 2:3-8 (esp vv.3-4); I Cor. 10:12; Rom. 12:3.

3) Many believe that Isaiah’s audience wanted the day of the Lord (so he would destroy their enemies) to come and that many of them were in for an unpleasant surprise, based on Isaiah’s prophecy. See Amos 5:18-20 for another example of this. What should Amos’s “be careful what you wish for” message teach us?

Court is in Session

Isaiah 1:1-31

Sermon Notes:

1) God’s Rebellious Children Need a Bath, 1-17

  • Title and setting of the book, 1

  • Israel’s rebellion and ruin, 2-9

  • Israel’s ruined worship, 10-17

2) God’s Rebellious Children Have an Opportunity, 18-20

3) God’s Repentant Children Will See Justice Restored, 21-31

  • Justice (Paradise) Lost, 21-23

  • Justice = Restoration for the Weary, 24-27

  • Justice = Vengeance upon the Wicked, 28-31

Reflection question:

1. What is the Bible’s idea of justice? Read Leviticus 19:9-18 and try to see the following points/illustrations/applications (especially the 4th one) of the “Love your neighbor as yourself” principle:

  1. Vv. 9-10 – Loving others with our possessions

  2. Vv. 11-12 – Loving others with our words

  3. Vv. 13-14 – Loving others with our actions

  4. Vv. 15-16 – Loving others with our judgments

  5. Vv. 17-18 – Loving others with our attitude (Taken from DeYoung and Gilbert, What is the Mission of the Church?, pp. 142-147.)

My Servant Who Brings Justice

Isaiah 42:1-9

Sermon Notes

1) The Lord’s Servant who is Gentle, 1-3

2) The Lord’s Servant who Brings Justice, 1-4

3) The Lord of History who Empowers His Servant, 5-9 (cf. v1)

Reflection questions:

1. Why is the gentleness of God’s servant good news? Read Isaiah 42:1-3 and Psalm 22:24 (and v.26).

2. Why is it good news that the Lord’s Servant can bring forth justice (Is 42:1, 3, 4)? Can the idols that many Israelites wrongly served do the same? cf. Isaiah 41:28-29; 42:8-9. Do God’s people need such justice? (cf. Psalm 13)

3. Ponder this quote regarding the Lord of History, revealed in vv. 5-9: “Can such a God, who originates, maintains, controls, and directs all things (37:16) forget his people or renege on his promises?” – J. Alec Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah, p. 321.

Have Hope

Isaiah 9:1-7

Sermon Notes

1) We're afraid to hope when circumstances are dire

2) We're afraid to hope when we can't control the outcome

3) We're afraid to hope because it might not come true

Reflection Questions:

1. When have you struggled to have hope? What was the situation?

2. In that situation, did you wrestle with hope more because the situation seemed so dire or with the fact that you were helpless to do anything about it?

3. How might you still have hope despite those challenges to the situation you face?

4. What do you wish was different in your life right now? How do you wish it changed? Are you afraid that it might never happen?

The Virgin Shall Conceive: Immanuel

Isaiah 7:1-17

Sermon Notes

1) The Call to Trust, vv. 1-10

2) The Refusal to Trust, vv. 10-13

3) The Consequences of Distrust, vv. 12-17

4) The Comfort amidst Distress, v.14 and Matthew 1

Reflection questions:

1. Why does Isaiah bring his son (Shear-jashub, or “a remnant shall return”) when he speaks to Ahaz? Is the idea of the remnant an encouragement, a discouragement, or a call for realism? Also see Isaiah 6:8-13.

2. Read 2 Kings 16:1-8. What kind of king was Ahaz before this moment in Isaiah 7? How does 2 Kings 16:7-8 help you understand why Ahaz declines God’s offer of a sign (Isaiah 7:10-13)? Where was Ahaz’s trust? Would that trust pay off? See 2 Kings 16:9 and Isaiah 7:17ff.

3. Would it be hard for you to believe that a virgin could get pregnant? Do you think it was hard for Mary and Joseph to believe? (Matthew 1:18-20; Luke 1:26-38, especially vv. 34, 37-38)

My Eyes Have Seen The King

Isaiah 6

Sermon Notes

What did Isaiah see? And what should you see?

1) Seeing the Fullness of God’s Glory, 1-4

2) Seeing the Foul-ness of Man’s Sin, 5

3) Seeing the Forgiveness of God’s Atonement, 6-7

4) Seeing the Forecast for God’s Prophet: Sobering, yet Sure, 8-13

Reflection questions:

1. What are the first words you think of when you think of Christmas? What about sin, forgiveness, and holiness? Should we associate those with Christmas? (See Matthew 1:20-21)

2. How would you describe the scene in Isaiah 6:1-4? How would you have felt if you had been standing there? (Also, ask the same question of Revelation 1:12-18) Do you think Isaiah’s response (Is. 6:5) is understandable?

3. Reflect on (or discuss) the following quotes:

“The more we know of God, the more sinful by comparison we feel ourselves to be.” (Derek Thomas, God Delivers: Isaiah Simply Explained, p.64)

“Until our sin be bitter, Christ will never be sweet.” (Thomas Watson, The Doctrine of Repentance, p.63)