Isaiah 12:1-6 | Joy

Sometimes things happen in life in such a way that it just causes us to overflow with praise or celebration to use the word. Praise seems reserved for church. Sometimes with our church lingo, but you might equate it to going to a stadium and watching your favorite team play their Sports and when something great happens the entire crowd just jumped to their feet. Rises to their feet and claps and Hoots and hollers and gives praise to the team. Rite Aid, they say by there, they're standing on their feet. They say by the Clapping they saved by there. They're yelling and they're screaming and their smiles and they're high fives. That was an awesome play. What's underneath is we love our team? Our team brings us together.

They praised. For the glory. The recognition of their team. Is similarly, God's people come together in a contest like this, or in seasons of life, and things are Bleak and, and confusing and challenging.

And we praise God, not, not because of a touchdown was scored in that moment. Not because of a good play happened in that moment. Not because one of us here in the church, family did something wonderful and we want that person to get the credit.

No, but because something much more wonderful has happened. And we're celebrating that.

What we're celebrating that. But not only in times when things are going well, when things are easy, we might say, we all know, life is not easy. So, we're not just looking for the easy way out, when life seems particularly dark.

Maybe it's in the timer. There's a loss of a loved one.

Maybe it's in a season where your career is seeming to be a dismal failure. Circumstances happen that are beyond your control and you've lost your job.

You're a follower of Jesus maybe and and in your following of Christ. We don't always do things. Well, in fact, the reason we worship Jesus because he is our savior. But as it one who is striving to follow Christ you sin.

You may send grievously.

I'll never forget the first sermon, I preached. Wasn't that good?

I was in college and I served as a part of a church. That was that that was very particularly striving to build up college students, and it was a big huge college town, or an Everest College in town, but it was a big eras of Church of about 6075 with about 85 college students. They did not know what to do with us. And our pastor was a faithful preacher of God's word. It was in the same town and we all located there and we stayed because the Lord has brought us that church. It was very clear, but they engaged with us and build a relationship with us and they they trained Us in the ministry of the word. And we don't friendships and Community as you heard some sharing their testimony this morning. They're actively engaged in the body of Christ, cuz they're a part of a smaller Community than what meets here on Sunday morning. That encourages them, challenges them in these things. The Lord calls us to do that. With that was me in college. And and so the time would come after I've been there for A couple years and a couple of us were going to preach in succession. And and so I went to preach and I did the best I could with what I knew then and receive that, you know, a couple of encouraging words here and there and met with my college leader and pastor and they told me the truth.

But how I can grow in it, and things like that. But I'll tell you after I preached that message Man. I mean my adrenaline was pumping and I was you might just cause just like you do on a high. So to speak in the clouds because I loved this ministry of proclaiming God's word. It was in the season where the Lord was calling into Ministry. Calling me in the ministry and I wasn't surrender to the ministry yet, but I thought that the Lord might be leading me that way and I was like, yes, I could do this for the rest of my life and that turned into, I have to do this for the rest of my life.

But not long after I preached that message.

Succumb to, I willfully chose some Temptation in my life.

And I fell. I was a believer in Jesus Christ. I was not trusting in my own good works. I was trusting in the Lord alone for my salvation and I was surrendered to if you will following the Lord and living my life for him and studying the word with a group of men that I still have relationship with today that we live in different locations.

and I mean, I was excited about the Lord. And I fell. Made some selfish decisions. I chose temporary pleasure over long lasting pleasure.

and I, felt like, A worm. Crawling in the dirt. So Unworthy to recognize that I could proverbially if you will walk into the throne room of our King, Of my God and savior.

And the Lord. Broke me.

I thought I can't serve the Lord. I can't do any of these things.

I was so discouraged and really disgusted with myself.

And through some friends.

That encourage me. I didn't say. Oh, it's no big deal. They didn't say. Oh, don't worry about it.

In fact, they told me that what I was feeling was all true. I send.

I spit in the face of my savior. End. I was thinking the right thing. I'm not worthy. All of these things were true, but when said with a, a sweet Spirit of kindness of a brother in Christ who says we're not worthy. With his arm around you.

And often when we send in this life, it comes with the consequences that come from that. It also comes with the discipline of the Lord in our lives.

Discipline means to be trained and righteousness. If if if you're a parent or grandparent you probably have this. Hopefully have discipline your children. At some point when we train people with discipline. Our desire is that they would grow to be better to take to grow up a little bit to put into practice the things that they know that they ought to put into practice. And so, out of love, we discipline them. What? We're it would bring a consequence. That brings us a modicum of appropriate pain.

Write me to the words. This hurts me more than it hurts you.

We take us to take away something that. That they really want. That seems like that's the worst thing in the world for them to lose that.

In the Old Testament, we read stories about God's people Israel.

And there were Seasons when the nation of Israel walked with God, that they follow the lord, and they obeyed his decrees, but then from generation to generation. At times. Well, they followed well after the Lord at other times, they totally went the other way from the Lord that they, they little, they looked at the Nations around them and they said, oh, we want what they have. They said our joy, our success our stature is going to be found in being more like them, Indian adopting more of their practices.

And the Lord discipline his people. Out of love for their spiritual long-term well-being as a people. And this is the end of that judgment that we read about in Isaiah 12 this morning, that Larry read for us a few minutes ago. And, and all I wish I had the time to just delve into two more of it together. But, but the earlier chapters in Isaiah Tell of a God who is judging his people that we might think. I thought God was nice. I thought guide was kind of thought. I thought God did everything to bring us joy in the dark joy and satisfaction in and fulfillment is in him. Will all of these things are true. But when we choose to find our joy, our satisfaction our pleasure, in other gods, lowercase G. Other Idols is we also heard about on one of our baptism testimony this morning.

We try to find purpose and meaning in anything other than God.

As God's people, God will judge us, he will discipline us. And in fact, the very people that that that, that the Israelites wanted to be like, where the very people that God used to bring judgment on them. In fact that they took over

And the Israelite Nation at this point where they're their slaves, their functional slaves.

Nose, part of God's judgment, and so we come to chapter 4:12. The Judgment has subsided. And God gives another promise of hope. The beautiful thing about about how God works with his people is that even in the midst of judgment and darkness, God offers. Hope God, reminds them of who he is, what he's promised to do for them, how he's going to do it for them and encourage them. Like my buddy, who came alongside of me and said, you're right. We're not.

But we are made Worthy.

God died for us on the cross. He sent his son to die for us on the cross. Not but because we're wonderful but because Where were they were made in His image? And we need a savior?

And rather than sending someone along the way to be the savior, he himself became man to be the only one who could be our savior.

What we read here in Isaiah 12 when when, when Isaiah prophesize and he says, you will say in that day. I will give thanks to you. Oh, lord. For although, although you were angry with me at night, when, when I send, after a great moment in my relationship with the Lord.

In a way that's hard for us to comprehend. God was angry with me for my sin.

But in his anger, he didn't push me aside. Because we're on this side of the Cross. He he met me through Christ and rather than pouring out his anger on me. He poured his anger out on Christ.

And this of course is written. Before Jesus came on the scene, but God still he discipline them, but there's a difference between discipline. Andres or or Vengeance. When we discipline someone, or when someone disciplines us, it's for our good and it's for the purpose of training us. It's important to remember that vengeance is Payback.

Vengeance is wanting to, to pay someone back to get them back for what they've done and there will come a day when that payback will happen for those who who do not submit their lives or surrender to Jesus.

But here they read about this, having undergone the discipline of the Lord having been taken over by other surrounding Nations. And and he says for though, you were angry at me your anger turned away that you might come for me.

If we're angry towards someone, it often, you know, sort of goes down in the sense that we're angry with them until we're sort of just done being angry. That's not the case here. There's a purpose for God's anger and discipline. And there's a purpose for it. Subsiding. Not just because he's done with it. But because he turns to comfort, I've disciplined you because I love you. And now I'm comforting you that that word comforting. I should mention even say my first point yet. When we trust God. This is a song of Thanksgiving and trust trust in God brings salvation and it writes a song of Thanksgiving on our hearts. Personal salvation, write the song of Salvation on our hearts and discomfort that we received from the Lord is like a, a long, exhale after a stressful. And time you ever been in a time where maybe it's a when you're driving or maybe my wife, when she's riding in the car with me and are there a certain time periods, where you kind of hold your breath? You just do that. And then at some point.

Different time. You know, I want you hold your breath, but a different point. There Comes This. Exhale.

When were being disciplined by the Lord, there's a sense in which we feel the stress. We feel the the

For the clamps of Life clamping down on us and we feel this tension is pain the stress that's uncomfortable to us.

We sort of hold our breath and discomfort is a

I know God's presents that they'll he was angry with me. He is comforting me.

He goes on and he says God behold. Look, God is my salvation. I will trust and I will not be afraid for the Lord. God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation. So rather than looking to other or other nations or other people groups, are there, outlets other other aspects of Life of finances. Economy, status prestige.

Rather than looking to these things to dwell securely to live with confidence. We look to the Lord and we rest in him, we trust in God because he's the one who cares for He is the one who provides for us and and there's a trust a strength that leads to singing sort of in a metaphorical sense. And we can stay like, oh my heart's alive.

but very literally Whatever is happening in our life, when we trust in the Lord, we can sing through the night.

Everything may seem to be breaking loose in your life. Nothing seems to be confident. Nothing seems to be in a sense where you can understand what's happening or, or seems like it's has any modicum of control in it. And yet, we sing. Because we are loved by God because we submitted Our Lives to the Lord. Which is essentially a way of saying, God. I'm not in control. Even when I like to think I am.

I will look to you for salvation. I don't think that my good works a good things I do. Will be enough. To work my way into heaven. For the time I did, I no longer.

Cuz I know that Jesus Paid It All. And so as the old him wonderfully, says all to him, I owe. This song of Thanksgiving and praise a sort of Echo. The song that Moses thing. When they were delivered from Egypt, Exodus 15:2 to says, the Lord is my strength and my song and he has become my salvation noticed that the salvation is an invalid being delivered from Israel alone, but it's it's found in in the higher sense of Salvation that God is my salvation. This is my God and I will praise him. My father's got and I will exalt him Psalm 27:1. Similarly says the light is my thoughts are the Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom Shall, I Fear? There's no one that stronger than God. I will fear him and him alone was just to say I will look to him with worship and love and reverence and honor. The Lord is the stronghold of my life of whom. Shall I be afraid?

As we trust the Lord God, we we joyfully draw from the gracious supply of wisdom and instruction, and comfort as a lot of language in the Old Testament about being near water. Right. It's on 23 which we love so much. Write. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me lie down in Green Pastures. He leads me beside Still Waters.

He restores my soul. Has my cup runneth over.

Inversor, he says with joy, you will draw. You will draw water from the wells of salvation.

You will drop, you will draw water, He will draw that, which brings life and refreshment and and spiritual energy in a sense. What we need for life and vitality in God, through the ways that God shows us his wisdom which at that point where the older the first five books in in the Bible. Now we get to hold all of these 66 books in the Bible together as God's inspired work. So we look to God's word for his wisdom. And with joy, we draw water wisdom life nourishment from his words and then it changes the picture. And you will you will say in that day in other words. Our Song of Salvation is an Evangelistic exhortation to a world, to call on God, for salvation. Another word when you love the team that you support, when you when you love to support that team, you wear the T-shirt. Right. Where the gear? If you're a musician is a certain maker of guitars or drums and you, you know, you've got the hat and you wear it, you love to to to let other people know that this is the the band. This is a, this is a brand that you love to support. This is the team that you love to support and essentially, it's our way of saying, this is my God. I told his story and said he's got a friend that I was with over the weekend. And, and he was going through a drive-thru and, and he's a big Star Wars guy. And so the drive-thru was just sort of like asking a question about Star Wars you like this or that, she like that for that. So I have some kind of I need to question him sort of like to give him an answer and question the next question. And finally the guy goes motivates you even though that's easy Jesus.

I mean, Jesus is where it's at Jesus, in Jesus, there's life and the stuff we talked about Jesus that's easy because I'm a guy that deserve to die death for my own sin. But Jesus came and he lived on this Earth which were celebrating this month. He was born on this Earth and he lived a perfect life died on the cross. He didn't have to die in the cross. He chose to give his life on the cross, and he paid the penalty for my unrighteousness, my vile. Filthy. It, does all seem violent filthy, but because God is perfect, and he said his vile and filthy to God, and rather than cast, me, aside and kick me to the curb. He gave his life on the cross. For me. That's what we're talking about. What Star Wars to talk about Star Wars. I'm telling you. Like I'm at the drive-thru, we got 30 seconds. Jesus is life. Evangelistic exhortation to call to the world to this man at the drive-thru working, a job Faithfully to call on God for salvation. How do we call upon his name? Well, through prayer, we call upon God's name through prayer. And you will say in that day that remember, this is before Jesus comes on the newest thing to a people. A people Bound in a specific time to a future day that is coming. He's saying in that day. Now that word in that day off and refers to judgment. It's often that day, judgment will come in this way, and I'm sorry in this particular text. He's saying ends at day in a positive way. You will give thanks to the Lord and you will call upon his name through prayer. You will make known his deeds among the people like talking about your team and the athlete that you love to support and what this coach did that was great. You will, you will make known his deeds. You will tell people Wonderful things God has done.

Your Proclaim. You will shout out or speak freely that his name is exalted. And in the last couple versus hear, Sing, praise to the Lord. That's what he's telling. He's what he's saying to God's people who will be saying that to other. sharing with You see the third generation there if you will. The prophet is telling God's people.

I'm singing ass new song to the Lord and you will say in that day in the future. You will say make make known his deeds to the people. So they will both make known his deeds and they will tell others to make known his deeds. Let it let this be made known in all the Earth. There's not a boundary that that blocks off where we get to God's wonderful phrases, right? So we pray, we call on his name. We give glory to him. So, what do I give? Praise to him? For? Well, briefly, we praise him because God's glorified himself. You see when we love God, we realize we want him to be the, the one of their the king of the hill. Right now. He is the King of the Hill. But when we love God, we want him to be the king until we want him to get all the glory. We want him to be the one. That is praised above everybody else. And so we praise the fact that God glorify himself. We praise him because he's done. Wonderful work. Sweetie, the word Zion here and sing for Joy of inhabitants of Zion was built on Mount Zion. And it was a it was a sort of like just what he spoke about Oak Grove Church or the church on the corner. Send a similar way of speaking about that. Allan Myers, a commentator says the Holy One of Israel is afraid it occurs 31 times in the Bible and six of them are in Isaiah. So this is the Holiness of the Lord, the Holiness of of of Yahoo. They would call him sets him apart. As God would call himself. It said, depart from all of us, sinful humans. The Holiness of God is shown in the visible, Perfection of who he is, which we see in Jesus. Someone said Jesus hanging on the cross and living the life that he did is his way of taking a selfie for us to know him. Jesus Is God, In the Flesh, god with a belly button up, they sometimes

Shout and sing for joy. For great, in your midst. Is this Holy One of Israel?

And for all who trust in the Lord, he is in your midst, bringing comfort for those who don't trust in the Lord. He he may be working in your life to bring you understanding to help you see how much he is filled with love for you. Enough that he would send his only begotten son so that whoever might believe in him will be saved and have everlasting life.

And he may be making you aware of that out of love for you. You may be one. That says, Nope. I never believed it.

A pretty good person.

I try not to do harm to others. And I'm not trusting myself. I don't usually say that last part, but her actions show that we're just trusting our self. and in that day, what God brings won't be Comfort. It'll be the really the penalty. We do the ticket, the ticket that were due for our sin. I will tell you this story.

I think I have to. Around Thanksgiving. We went to Oklahoma. To visit my sister in. We had a headlight out and we bought the headlight for and just hadn't gotten to put in yet. Well, actually, I tried it one point, but I couldn't get my hand and, you know, the grab it and push the button and fly just getting it all. I just, it's just a little thicker than needed to be to get in there. So I called one of my friends with them. Bit her arm in a longer arms again and he'll get it done on this trip. I got to go down there till the end of the trip. You don't happen when you're driving on a trip. Like that. Right? What you do? You're a faster cuz you're like, let's just get that, you don't even always realize you're doing it. When I got pulled over. Right.

the officer came up and Is there any reason you're going so fast? I might go. Yeah.

I'm ready to be done that. You have a headlight. That's out.

Any life, like how many people to drive around with a headlight in their car? Here it is. But he went back to his car and it came back up and, you know, you did. Let me ask a different question. What I deserved. I take it.

I deserve to take it and it came up and then is that am I going to give you a ticket going to give you a warning? Thank you. I know I deserve it. Thank you. That's kind. He went back to his car. Well, of course, went down there and I thought about changing the headlight when I was down there and I forgot. So we're driving home.

Can I do this while I'm preaching?

Or driving home and I'm going through cuz there is construction zone. Guess what?

I just love blue and red.

Well, I got a ticket. No, wait, I got pulled over. So, same story. I mean the most liked called each other. I'm glad I was in a different state so I didn't like register in the system just yet.

Any particular reason you're going so fast. Oh, yeah. Try to be home. That's what I'm sorry. I just wasn't paying attention. Bert, a b got back on. I just I just wasn't Zoom back into paying attention. OK. Google.

So, funny story. And he laughed. It's okay. I'll be back, goes back to his car comes back. He's back there for a while. I was like, oh, I'm done.

He comes back up. I'm going to give you a warning.

Thank you. Oh, no problem. I like know you. You don't know how I mean. Thank you.

My kids are like that.

It is in discipline when God allows and or brings hard circumstances into our life.

He's like an officer who would be right to give us judgement a tickets. Except instead of a ticket and a fine and points. The Bible says that the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.

It's a rather than that. He says I'm going to, I'm going to let you off with a warning. I'm going to bring judgment judgments. The warning difficulty in life is not always, sometimes difficult is just part of living in life. But sometimes difficult difficulty is God's specific way of saying.

I'm giving you a warning cuz there will be a day when the warnings cease. No, more warnings will come. Tell your kids. This is the last time. maybe you ever heard of another preacher before and they say, In conclusion. In conclusion, in conclusion.

God says, out of love. I'm going to give you a warning. I'm going to judge you. I'm going to bring discipline hardness hard, difficulty hard circumstances into your life, to cause you to look away from the other things and yourself to me.

Will you accept the message? I'm bringing to you.

Don't find Salvation or what you think will be salvation and all of these other things, but find it in me.

You may be a Christian who striving to follow the lord and, you know, there is some ways in your life when you're going against what God wants you to do. The Lord says I'm judging you because I love you, but the penalty has been fully paid when Jesus Christ, gave his life on Calvary.

But I still want better for you. So I'm bringing judgment into your life. You may not be a child of God. You may not be a Christian and God says, I'm judging you. I'm bringing conviction. I'm warning. You. There will be a day when the warnings will stop. So, while it's today? Call on me for salvation.

And not just I will come but I'm here. To bring comfort.

And to do for you what you cannot do for yourself.

I don't know where you fall on that. Very small. Continuum of child of God. We're not a child of God.

It's, it's an on and off switch, switch in a sense that there are there two positions. There's no in the middle. The Lord is is beckoning you this morning. Would you respond and say Yes, Lord by I cast off trusting myself and other devices and I will look to you like these who share their testimony of the time when the Lord powerfully worked in their life and they came to trust in him. We're going to celebrate the Lord's supper right now, which is another one of the ways that we worship. God. I mentioned before the baptism. We worship in a variety of different ways. This is another way that we worship the Lord. And Paul said that in the same way that that, that as a is telling the Israelites that they are going to Proclaim his salvation, Jesus, or Paul tells us that when we celebrate the Lord's Supper. We also continue to Proclaim his death burial and Resurrection for salvation until he comes again. So we do this every week. Every week here to Oak, Grove. Nothing, magical happens, or mystical happens when we take the Lord's Supper, nothing changes with the body and start with the bread and with a cut. But we drink it as a representation of what Jesus did by giving his physical life on the cross. And his wife draining from him in a real sense where he died. Just like this baptism. Nothing happens. Mystically in the water. But it's a picture of what's happened. It's okay. If you are one who trust in Jesus, as your salvation, we encourage you to come and share communion with us. If you're not sure, if you're not a Christian, this is a good opportunity to hold off on taking the Lord's supper and asking. God God, where am I at with you?

And he'll help you by helping you understand your own heart in that way. Let's pray together. Heavenly Father. We thank you for the Glorious ways that we get to celebrate your salvation. Thank you, Lord. That you saved a Wretch like Me.

Lord, as we Eat this bread and we drink this juice. I pray that it would be a reminder to all of us that Because of Jesus's life on this Earth and work on the cross. None of us get what we deserve.

You got what? You didn't deserve. In order that we might get what we haven't earned. and that is, Life and peace through salvation.

And so, we worship you even now in Jesus name, we pray. Amen, you're welcome to take a moment and and sit in your seats and pray or stand and seeing even now. And just move will have two stations up front and two in the back.