Salvation: Extended (Dead Wood)
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
Illus:
What will you do with your Christmas tree when Christmas is over?
Real tree - you will throw it out. Why? It is DEAD. Useless.
You cannot plant it in the yard and expect it to grow and bear fruit.
When a tree is dead, it is dead and nothing can revive it.
That is the miracle of what God does by bringing something living out of a dead stump.
Isaiah:
The Branch of Jesse
Father of David
and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king.
And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah,
Matt
Stump
Dead tree - ISHI - short form of Isaiah (to help save)
shows us that man, even in reproduction, is dead and without hope
Illus: Dead stump in our back yard.
characteristics
hollow and will never grow and bear fruit
Hole in the middle that animal use to hide themselves in.
Ants usually come around in the summer
Yet, it is stubborn enough that it won’t totally decay and rot
It is dead, yet the decaying process is slow
Something miraculous must happen to bring life back to a decaying tree
How does dead wood come back to life?
God must miraculously accomplish this task.
How does he do this?
Principles of Faith
Principles of Faith
Stump of Jesse is a great illustration that Isaiah uses to describe the people of Israel
Dead, not bearing fruit - yet God does something miraculous: He brings life back into his people
He will send a Messiah, savior who is:
A Faithful Branch (1-5)
Spiritual
Baptism of Jesus
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Fear of God (3)
Jesus was faithful to what the Father sent him to do
I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
John 17
Righteousness
judgment (3)
Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”
Earthly ministry
Sits with sinners
talks with the woman at the well
Beatitudes (Matt 5)
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth
In His glory
Second Coming
Rev 19:
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
Faithful
In both his 1st and 2nd coming
A Peaceful Branch (6-9)
Second coming picture of peace
Animals that are usually the predator and prey are now living in peace
God’s righteous branch, Jesus brings peace
Spiritual peace between God and man
Physical and complete in His second coming
Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
How can God’s people live in peace? We do so by his work accomplished and his indwelling spirit.
An Extending Branch (10-16)
God extends his grace to a remnant of this stump
Illus: Dead stump in our back yard.
characteristics
hollow and will never grow and bear fruit
Hole in the middle that animal use to hide themselves in.
Ants usually come around in the summer
Yet, it is stubborn enough that it won’t totally decay and rot
It is dead, yet the decaying process is slow
God will draw his people and prepare them for the harvest
God’s church will grow
Governments and Cities may not remain (14-16)
Our government may not remain
No one promised that America will survive and endure until Christ returns
Yet, we do know his church will
They are called a remnant
small group
Because of Jesus, it will endure until the end
Conclusion
Conclusion
How should we view the work of God in the fact that he brought a people back to life through Jesus Christ?
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
John 15
Folks, the world is watching.
Today there is much talk and discussion about the absence of people in church. And, as your pastor it is something I study. And, we are not the only church with this concern.
In America the church is shrinking. Elsewhere in the world it is thriving. Why?
Are we bearing fruit? If not, then we will be cut off and removed form the vine.
A picture of life of the Christian as we await the return of Jesus. As we live in this time in between, what we celebrate this week, his 1st coming and the second:
As individual Christians we must be bearing fruit. It is obvious that the branch reference in Isaiah and in John show us that Jesus is the source of the Christian life. I am afraid for some of us Jesus has fallen down the list of favorite things in this life. We place him behind many things, even in our celebration of His first coming.
As ac church, body of believers, we must bear fruit. We must work together to shine forth Jesus Christ to the world. Everything we do should be to point people to the true vine, to Jesus Christ.
App: This can take many forms.
Bearing fruit here means being used by God to bring people into the kingdom, the church.
How?
Sharing Jesus with people in conversation - evangelism
Living like a Christian in our vocation - showing Jesus in our life
Loving the church and God’s people, serving them and bearing fruit with them - speak highly of others in the church
Love God and Love our neighbor -
Bearing fruit here means being used by God to bring people into the kingdom, the church.
How are you bearing fruit? How will you bear fruit? As you await the return of our Lord will you seek to be a witness to Jesus Christ?
I am afraid the reason the church of America struggles is we often point people to other things. Programs, ministries, service, etc . . .
What we need is to be a witness to the world, like Isaiah, about Jesus Christ.
Folks, until we start doing this, we will not bear fruit. And, the end result will be a casting out from the branch. Unless we abide in Jesus we will not be successful as a church. May we be found faithful when our Lord Jesus returns to gather his remnant.