Divine Sovereignty and Assyrian Responsibility

Isaiah 10:5-34

Sermon Notes:

1) God uses evil instruments to judge His unfaithful people, 5-11

2) God sees the evil of His evil instruments, 12-19

3) As God judges His unfaithful people, God preserves a faithful remnant, 20-27

4) As God judges His unfaithful people, God also judges His evil instruments, 24-34

Reflection questions:

1. Read Habkkuk 1 (especially v.13) and Ps 73 (especially vv. 3-4, 13, 16-17). What question did Habakkuk and Asaph, the author of Ps 73, struggle with? What was their comfort?

2. Read Acts 2:23. Who killed Jesus? Whose plan was it? Who is held responsible or guilty for it? What is the solution or atonement for that guilt? (See Acts 2:36- 41.)

3. One of Isaiah’s sons (see Is 7:3) had a funny name, which meant, “A remnant shall return.” Some have pointed out that the word “return” could also be translated “repent.” Where is the comfort in knowing “a remnant shall return”? Where is the call for action in “a remnant shall repent”?

Judgment on Jerusalem

Isaiah 9:8-10:4

Sermon Notes:

What does this fire and brimstone passage teach us about God?

1) The Lord wants repentance and rest more than rebuilding, 9:8-12

  • Because He gives rest – Isaiah 30:18

2) The Lord wants us to seek Him more than experts, 9:13-17

  • Because He gives wisdom to those who ask – James 1:5

3) The Lord wants compassion more than contention, 9:18-21

  • Because He is patient with us and wants us to reflect His patience – 2 Timothy 2:24-25

4) The Lord wants philanthropists rather than parasites, 10:1-4

  • Because He lavishly gave to us – 2 Cor 8:9

State of the Church: Meditating, Rooted, and Prospering

Psalm 1

Sermon Notes:

1) The Blessed Man’s Don’t’s, v1

  • Titus 2:11-12

2) The Blessed Man’s Delight, v2

3) The Blessed Man’s Expectation, vv.3-4

4) The Blessed Man’s Destiny, vv. 4-6

5) The Blessed Man’s Secret

  • Psalm 32:1-2

  • 2 Corinthians 5:21

6) The Blessed Man’s Lesson for Us:

  • Being a Psalm 1 pastor

  • Being a Psalm 1 church with Psalm 1 Ministry Teams

    • Faithful with what God provides, hopeful in God’s prospering, confident in God’s ultimate protection.

  • Psalm 1 Generosity

  • Psalm 1 Service

Reflection questions:

1. How can Psalm 1 help you with your doubts, fears, or tendencies to despair?

2. How can Psalm 1 help you with your expectations – expectations for your growth in Christ, your future, your fruitfulness?

3. How can “Psalm 1 expectations” help you achieve what someone once called “the rare jewel of Christian contentment”? See 1 Timothy 6:6.

A Tale of Two Sons and Two Prophecies

Isaiah 8:1-9:7

Sermon Notes:

1) Immanuel can be your hope, even in hard times, 8:1-10.

2) Immanuel can be your hope, even in lonely times, 8:11-22.

3) Immanuel can be your hope forevermore, 9:1-7.

Reflection questions:

1) Read Psalm 103:1-5. How can you “forget not all [the Lord’s] benefits?” During hard times, lonely times, and all times?

2) How has the Lord forgiven your iniquity?

3) How has He healed your diseases?

4) How has He shown you steadfast love and mercy?

Why Did Isaiah Name His Son ‘Shear-Jashub’?

Isaiah 7

Sermon Notes:

1) The Call to Believe, 1-9.

2) The Cowardice that Looks Like Belief, 10-14.

3) The Consequences of Unbelief, 13-25.

4) The Colossal Good News out of Ahaz’s Bad Unbelief, v14; Matthew 1.

Reflection questions:

1. Should Ahaz have trusted God’s Word (1, the promise to David in 2 Sam 7:16; 2, the name of Isaiah’s son; 3, the Word to stand firm from Isaiah’s mouth)? Is God’s Word reliable? See Hebrews 6:13-20, “the certainty of God’s promise,” according to the ESV editors.

2. Why did Ahaz not believe? How did he try to make his unbelief sound like a good thing? Have you ever tried to fool others or yourself by using similar words?

3. Read Matthew 1:18-25. Why would believing Gabriel and taking Mary as his wife have been an act of costly obedience (or costly faith) for Joseph?

Isaiah's Prophetic Calling and Prognosis

Isaiah 6

Sermon Notes

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.     From Oswald Chambers: “Our soul’s personal history with God is often an account of the death of our heroes. Over and over again God has to remove our friends to put Himself in their place. … When the person died who represented for me all that God was, did I give up on everything in life? Did I become ill or disheartened or did I do as Isaiah did and see the Lord?” (Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, July 13).

2.     What do you think of when you hear the phrases “remnant,” “holy seed,” “stump”? See the following passages in Isaiah to understand the promises that God, through Isaiah, gives to his holy seed or holy offspring: Isaiah 41:8; 43:5; 45:25; 53:10; 59:21; 65:9, 23; 66:22.

3.     Can the Sovereign, infinite God be known truly, accurately, and reliably, if He has revealed Himself to us in His word? If He has stooped down to our level and used “baby talk” (a la John Calvin) to communicate with us, His creations? Can the infinite God be FULLY known by finite creatures such as us? See Romans 11:33-36.

A Light to the Nations

Acts 13:44-49; Isaiah 49:6

Sermon Notes:

1) The "religious" disrupted (v.44-45)

2) The "religious" thrust aside (v.46-47)

3) The mission continues (v.48-49)

Reflection Questions:

1. How might being on mission for God disrupt our life?

2. What does it mean to be the people of God?

3. How can be we salt and light in our lives?

4. How does God's sovereignty spur us on toward mission?