Totally ripping off my pastor today…<3
I am at that place where I may be ready to take down the last of the evergreen/pine/red berry type stuff and that one lone snowman that is perched on the mantle and the whisper of spring is starting to stir in my heart….which, here in the Midwest means…we must have at least six more weeks of winter left…sigh.
I love that you have stopped by and I have a couple of thoughts I had already jotted down to share this week, but this morning I was thumbing through one of my older Bibles (one that is so worn and torn that it actually has lost its back cover) and in it I found this treasure from notes taken during a sermon at FCC on December 13, 2015.
It must have been Pastor Wayne because I think he did most of the preaching back in those years. So if it was one of our others…my apologies <3
The text is from Isaiah 42:1-4
“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles (nations).He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice in the earth; and the coastlands (islands) shall wait for His law.”
Here are my notes:
My Servant – God’s title for Jesus
Characteristics we can use of Jesus as a model for our own behavior from this passage:
1. Often Jesus was silent/quiet…He knew when to speak and when to be quiet. Verse 1 – He had God’s Spirit and so He knew the source and vision of His ministry. We cannot serve from our own strength and knowledge.
2. Bring Justice … that is the goal of a servant of God. Biblical Justice is NOT human fairness. Let me state that again…Biblical JUSTICE is not the equivalent of our idea of human fairness. Biblical justice is about what is RIGHT and “right” is what God calls RIGHT.
Serving is never about “Fair”. It’s about S.E.R.V.I.N.G.
Serving is about upending the Status Quo.
As we continue to move through Lent and examine the life of Jesus on earth, we must determine to evaluate our own life and pray to model the characteristics of the One we say we follow.
I can certainly see where I need God’s strength and guidance to know when to speak and when to keep silent.
I also well understand the challenge of seeking “Justice” in light of what God calls RIGHT.
There is much to ponder in this short passage from Isaiah and powerful to apply it as a framework of study as we dive into the book of Mark during the season of Lent at my church.
If you are looking for a way to draw nearer to Jesus during the next few weeks leading up to Easter, I invite you to journey with us as we explore this Gospel through sermons and study. Local people…come on in…too far to make the trip? You can find all the sermons and studies on line at http://www.firstdecatur.org/sermons/
Also…as a special bonus…if you text this magic number 24587 and enter this phrase FIRSTDECATUR (all caps…no spaces) in the conversation and send it…you will receive the sweetest little audio that includes some beautiful praise music from our worship department and a devotional reading/prompt.
You can have “church” right there in the middle of a most ordinary day….win win <3
So there are some options to grow and ….you know I will be sharing off and on here as well…
whatever you do this season taking us up to Resurrection Sunday…do it all with an open heart that doesn’t just listen….but applies! the Word of God spoken to Y.O.U.
Hugs all around…have a great Tuesday <3