Seasons Church (Prattville, AL)

Isaiah demonstrates a very unique position in chapters 63 and 64 as he pleads with God to hear, forgive, and rescue His people.  Why?  Because he knew that there is no way we (as a creation) could be forgiven without God’s (the Creator's) direct intervention.  This is the message and hope that Gospel brings, and Isaiah knew this truth and shared it with the nation of Israel. 

God's promises of protection, provision, and upholding a covenant with His people are a wonderful focal point for us today. However, these ALL come with a catch and that catch is: The only way to benefit from any of this is to receive the promise of rescue, through Jesus, yourself! 

The words of Isaiah offer hope because it shows us that we don’t have to suffer sin’s consequences!  However, God is prepared to judge if we are unwilling to repent and come to Him, through Jesus, for the forgiveness of our sins.  God's love outshines the deadly effects of sin, if only we would choose to give up our sinful behavior and seek Him for everything we need. 

Our invitation to follow God is simple:  Come to Him, turn from our wicked ways, repent of our sin, and receive His invitation to come and be found faithful.  The challenge of this world is, and always will be this:  Will we continue to try to be the ones in charge?

What kind of a Heavenly Father would delight in the suffering of His children?  A God who knew the only way to save His creation would be through the sacrifice demonstrated and carried out by His Son, the Messiah, the Christ!  Praise the Lord for giving us a Messiah who would willingly lay down His life for us!  

The person who is self-reliant – who trusts in their own ability – will face God’s judgment!  We must understand that this is the challenge of every person on the Earth, and why God is so CLEAR on this requirement.  We needed a Messiah (Savior) to be given to rescue us, and these two chapters of Isaiah (49 and 50) offer incredible HOPE to the believer (and even to the non-believer) that there is something better to come. 

God has made a way to come to Him, provided an escape from sin, delivered hope to His people, and gave us a redeemer, Jesus, who brings redemption to all who will receive it.  It is truly a gift, and one that we must accept and receive! 

God gives us a very clear, very distinct picture of the Messiah's purpose, relationship to Him, and what He will be responsible for doing.  The challenge for us today is:  will we receive this completed work to restore our relationship with a God who has never stopped loving us? 

God is not fooled by our selfish offerings of holiness.  Isaiah encourages us to reach out to God for everything that we need, including making the path to our heart clear by removing sinful and disobedient things.  This sermon demonstrates why knowing Him is so important - because it forces us to see who He is!  

Pride is a terrible snare – it is a destructor with no limits.  As soon as pride takes root in your heart, it will absolutely exalt you over others because it gives you a false sense of worthiness.  Hezekiah demonstrates this clearly for us, and we would be wise to heed the warning in Isaiah 38 and 39 on it. 

Deliverance, or protection from an enemy, is the joy of the Lord to give!  God delights in having His children come and find comfort, because He wants us to find a place of safety within Him.  This is what brings us true hope, and what we see in Hezekiah's prayer and God's response to Him.  

Today's big question is: "What does the Good News that He is (truly) alive mean to YOU?"  It is something we all have to grapple with, and there is no better time to explore this than on Easter Sunday!