The Divorce that Never Happened

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon Notes:

1) An Unexpected Pregnancy, 18-19

2) An Angelic Proclamation, 20-21

3) A Prophetic Explanation, 22-23

4) An Obedient Conclusion, 24-25

Reflection questions:

1. How was “just” Joseph (v19) planning to deal with the unexpected circumstances in his life? What does this show us about the limits of human wisdom, and how we should approach God with our plans? See Proverbs 3:5-6; 14:12; 16:9; Matthew 6:33.

2. Isaiah 7:14 was probably written about 700 years before Christ was born. What does the 700-year 1 -plan of God tell you about His wisdom and His care for you? See Romans 8:27-39; Romans 12:33-36.

3. What does this story teach us about obedience in the face of difficulty circumstances? Consider: 1 Cor. 15:58.

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 Letter to Smyrna

Revelation 2:8-11

Sermon Notes:

Suffering is Standard:

1) The Background

2) The Cause

3) Their Expectations

4) Our Implications

Reflection Questions:

1) What areas of life are most tempting to have guaranteed peace with the world? Politics, culture, school friends, co-workers, classmates, teammates, children, spouse…?

2) How might the contemporary church be failing or succeeding in hearing and keeping the words written to Smyrna?

3) What parts of being a disciple of Christ might need the most support and encouragement in order to be able to be faithful and keep the words of our Lord?

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.

For A Little While

Hebrews 2

Sermon Notes:

1) From Subjection to Supremacy vv. 1-9

2) Sanctification Through Suffering vv. 9-13

3) Salvation Through Suffering vv. 1-4, 14-18

Reflection Questions:

1) How can we be sure that God will make all things new even though we do not yet see all things in subjection to Jesus?

2) Sin tears us away from God, but sanctification brings us closer to God. How has suffering you have experienced in the past drawn you closer to God through your sanctification?

3) How does God's justice give us hope in our suffering? How does Christ, our faithful high priest, give us lasting hope?

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?

By His Son

Hebrews 1

Sermon Notes:

1) The Ultimate Word

2) The Ultimate Character

3) The Ultimate Victory

Reflection Questions:

1. If Jesus is the fullness of God's revelation to us, why do our hearts so often seek direction and value apart from him? What are some ways that you can recenter your focus on the Word of God today and this week?

2. Jesus is the center of God's story because he is the only one who had all the qualifications to fulfill the great gospel story. How do you try to bend your story so that it's focused on you? How does seeing who Jesus is help us to see him as the center of the story?

3. What gets in the way of our sharing in the victory that Jesus has won?