The Triumph of Grace

Isaiah 56:9-57:21

Sermon Notes:

1. The Wrong Leaders | 56:9-12

2. The Wrong gODS | 57:1-13

3. The Right-er of All Wrongs | 57:14-21; cf 57:1-2, 13

Reflection questions:

1. How would you describe Israel’s leaders in Is 56:9-12? (Compare to Ezekiel 34:1-16.) How would Jesus be a better shepherd? See Psalm 23 and John 10:1-16.

2. What are the some of the ways that Israel’s worship in Is 57 had gone astray? Was Israel’s main problem laziness (lack of effort) or misguided effort? Consider Isaiah 30:15-18, as well.

3. What was God asking Israel to do in order to be healed? Consider Isaiah 57:15, 18-19; Psalm 51:16-17.

Israel Restored and Regathered

Isaiah 56:1-8

Sermon Notes:

1) Justice Commanded, Blessings Promised, v 1-2

6 Reasons keeping the Sabbath (v2, 4, 6) is emblematic of the justice (v1) God commands:

1. The Sabbath is about rest for you, and rest for those who serve you.

2. The Sabbath proves we believe that God is Lord over our time. (Thomas, Isaiah, 354.)

3. “The Sabbath is … not an end in itself, but … a sign that the whole of life was to be lived in submission to God.”2

4. “True Sabbath observance is to refrain from evil, not just work.” (Webb, The Message of Isaiah, 221)

5. The Sabbath looks forward to the final rest that God promised.

6. The Sabbath proves that His people are other-worldly.

2) Legacy Promised, Pessimism Prohibited, v 3-5

3) Outcasts and Prodigals, Gathered and Accepted, v 6-8

Reflection questions:

1) Read v1. Is God promising salvation to those who obey? Or is God’s salvation a motivation for His people to obey? Which one gives you greater assurance of His love? How can remembering that help you in your daily life?

2) God promised acceptance to foreigners and eunuchs despite their outsider status with the people of God in Isaiah’s day. One author says of this, “They [God’s people] were to be an open community, warmly embracing all who genuinely bound themselves to the Lord (3, 6).” (Webb, The Message of Isaiah, 222) How can we live out that exhortation today?

3) Meditate on this verse: “All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.” Ps 25:10

The Pleading Servant: Come to the Waters!

Isaiah 55

Sermon Notes:

1) A Generous Invitation, 1-5

2) A Mysterious Invitation, 6-9

3) A Sovereign Invitation, 10-11

4) A Joyful Invitation, 12-13

Reflection Questions:

1. How can offer us such lavish blessings for free? See Isaiah 53; 1 Cor. 6:19-20; Acts 20:28

2. Are there things about God’s mercy and grace that you don’t understand? Are there things about God’s nature and plans that you don’t understand? When is the last time you thought about those things so that you could remember how much “higher” God’s thoughts are than your thoughts? See Is 55:8-9; Romans 12:33-36.

3. Is the certainty and sovereignty of God’s plans and purposes (Is 55:10-11) comforting or troubling to you? Why? What about the certainty of His promise of future joy (Is 55:12-13)?

The Victorious Servant

Isaiah 54

Sermon Notes:

1) The Joy of Peace for the Barren, 1-6

2) The Covenant of Peace for the Unfaithful, 4-10, 13

3) The Security of Peace for the Shaken, 11-17

Reflection Questions:

1. Can you think of examples (beyond Isaiah 54) where God provided or gave hope to those who were barren? Barren women who gave birth? Or other barren, seemingly-empty situations where He provided? Have you experienced His hope in your barrenness, as well?

2. Can you think of any other religion or any other supposed god who makes covenants and promises to His people? What effect are God’s covenants supposed to have on His people? See Hebrews 6:13-20.

3. How do we live in between the giving of God’s promise and the attainment of the promised reality? See Hebrews 11:8-16.

The Suffering Servant

Isaiah 52:13-53:12

Sermon Notes:

1) The Surprising Servant, 52:13-15

2) The Sorrowful Servant, 53:1-3

3) The Suffering Servant, 53:4-6

4) The Silent Servant, 7-9

5) The Substitutionary Servant, 53:10-12

Reflection Questions:

1) Was Jesus the kind of Savior that Israel expected? Why or why not? Consider what I Corinthians 1:17-31 says about our Savior and about His people.

2) Isaiah 53:6 says that we are all like wayward, stubborn sheep going our own way. Think of the last sin that you had to repent of. Can you see an element of lawlessness and rebellion that led to it? See also I John 3:4.

3) Consider the meaning of vv.10-11. How will the Servant make many to be righteous? Compare 2 Corinthians 5:21.

Salvation for the Faithful

Isaiah 52:1-12

Sermon Notes:

1) The Clothing of Redemption, 1-2

2) The Cost of Redemption, 3-6

3) The Cryer of Redemption, 7-10

4) The Cleansing of Redemption, 11-12

Reflection Questions:

1. What does the Bible say about shame and nakedness, clothing and salvation? Some passages to consider: Genesis 3; Isaiah 52; Isaiah 61:10; Revelation 19:6-9.

2. Did God pay any money to save us? Was our salvation cheap, or was it costly? See Acts 20:28.

3. Do we clean ourselves up to get saved? Does God’s grace clean us up before and/or after we get saved? See Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-8.

Comfort for the Faithful

Isaiah 51

Sermon Notes:

1) The Righteousness that Comforts, vv. 1-8

2) The Redemption that Cries Out, vv. 9-11

3) The Remembrance that Casts Out Fear, vv. 12-16

4) The Reversal that Consoles, vv. 17-23

Reflection Questions:

1) Why is their comfort, knowing that God will make all things right? Cf Galatians 1:3-4 and the “present evil age.”

2) Have you ever thought, “Surely, Godly people don’t complain when life gets hard”? How might vv.9-10 or certain Psalms challenge that point of view? How does Philippians 4:6 inform the way we should pray to God in hard circumstances, as well?

3) 2 Corinthians 5:21 shows us not so much a reversal as an exchange. (‘The Great Exchange’ many have called it.) What is being exchanged? What transfers from us to Christ, and what transfers from Christ to us?

The Steadfast Servant

Isaiah 50

Sermon Notes:

1) The Suffering of God’s People, 1-3

2) The Steadfastness of God’s Servant, 4-9

3) The Separation the Servant Causes, 10-11

Reflection Questions:

1. Is our sin the cause of some of our suffering in this life? Is it always the cause of our suffering in this life? See Isaiah 50:1-3 and John 9:1-3.

2. Is the Servant an example of how God’s people should have obeyed? Is he merely an example, or is he something more? Compare Isaiah 50 with 1 Peter 2:21- 25.

3. Read verse 4 and the following commentary: “Nothing indicates a tongue befitting the disciples of God, so much as the gift of administering consolation.” 1 How can you give the gift of consolation to someone today?

The Servant's Mission

Isaiah 49

Sermon Notes:

1) The Servant is Israel, 3

2) The Servant has a divine mission, 1-2

3) The Servant has a worldwide mission, 1, 6-8, 11-12, 22

4) The Servant’s mission is to restore Israel, 2-3, 5-7, 19-21

5) The Servant’s success is secured by a covenant, 8-9

6) The Servant’s mercy will release prisoners and captives, 9-13, 22-26

7) The Servant’s people may feel forgotten, but they certainly are not, 13-16

8) The Servant will be served by kings, 7, 17-18, 22-23

9) The Servant will provide life out of barrenness, 19-21

10) The Servant’s Strength will bind the strongman and rescue the captives, 23-26

Reflection Questions:

1) When is the “time of favor” and “the day of salvation” that Isaiah talks about in v.8. See 2 Cor. 6:1-2 (and consider reading 2 Cor. 5 for context).

2) Does Jesus have a bride? See Isaiah 49:18 and compare to Revelation 19:6-9.

3) Is the Servant willing to get blood on His hands and clothes to save His people? See Is 49:26; 53:3-10; 63:1-6.

God Saves His Stubborn People

Isaiah 48

Sermon Notes:

I. A Rebellious People: Good company doesn’t ensure good choices, 1-8

II. A Regret-filled People: Second chances don’t ensure good choices, 12-22

III. A Refined People: God’s choice and discipline leads to good character, 6-11

Reflection Questions:

1. Romans 9:6 says that not everyone who was born an Israelite is truly an Israelite from the heart; they’re not true worshippers of God. So should we be friends with good people or bad people? Christians or non-Christians? Who should we live like and imitate? Consider the following verses: 1 Cor. 15:33; Psalm 1; James 4:4; Romans 12:1-2.

2. What does 2 Corinthians 7:10 say about regret and grief? Can grief ever be good? What outcome did Paul want to see from their grief? Was he pleased, and why (in what way)? See 2 Cor 7:5-11 for context.

3. Why did God refine His people, Israel? What reason is given in Isaiah 48:9-11?