None Like This God | Isaiah 45-47
Sermon Discussion | Isaiah 45-47
1 - Brian described Isaiah 45:1-2 as God sending King Cyrus of Persia to take down Babylon for the sake of Israel, he will use this pagan king to accomplish his plan. God has married himself to Israel his desire is to pour his blessing on them, they will worship YHWY and he will be thier God - so that they can perpetuate blessing to the nations, and the nations would be drawn to God. Israel was chosen by God to bring salvation to the nations. Do we think of being chosen in the same way? What is the difference/likeness of this definition of chosen? Brian said, chosen = anointed for a purpose. What do you think this means for us today?
2 - The nations surrounding Israel saw their enslavement and therefor their God as a joke. What kind of powerful god has people in slavery? However, God had allowed Israel to be taken captive in order to use suffering to transform his people. He desires to get the idolatry out of them so that they can be the people he has called them to be. Do you think this is true of the world today?...that the perception of suffering means God is a joke or doesn't actually care about his people? If you've gone through suffering, how has that shaped your view of God?
3 - Read Isaiah 45:5-8. When God shows up there are 2 responses. If you have wrapped your life around Christ and the promise of his word when He shows up - rejoicing! A restored earth! Righteousness and justice! On the other hand the ones that have ignored, rejected or mocked him; they sit as potsherds. (45:9-10). They question goodness, make for themselves a false god to worship. When God shows up, they will be disgraced. When God comes, you want to be one of his children. Are you? Have you set up for yourself a god other than the one of the Bible? Does your god always agree with you? Does your god challenge you? Does your god love the people you love and dislike the people you dislike?
4 - Isaiah 46:1-2 The Bel’s (statues/gods) bow down, the idols are coming down and the people are straining under the weight of their gods. God is showing Israel, look and see how these gods are a burden to the people. Brian went on to explain that in our modern day, America is the super power. And, there are some that have wrapped their lives around and put complete hope in the American ideal, stock market, freedom, liberty, etc. (These things are not bad/invaluable, but are not meant to hold your hope!) The call is to place your hope in the God of the Bible!...When he shows up, all the idols of our country will bow to him. These idols are failing, we don't have to struggle under their weight! Have you found unrest in putting hope in the wrong place? How have you seen our culture struggling? Have you taken the invitation of Jesus to his easy yoke? What would it mean for you to do so?
5 - Jesus is the one who has beaten death! He is the one who offers salvation and sustains you. He loves you. Take a few minutes to pray this verse over one another, Matt 11:28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
*Weekly Practice*
We believe that it is good to not only know the word of God but also let it shape the way we behave in the world. This week invite an unbeliever to coffee and listen for the places they're looking for hope. Ask lots of questions, really listen to them, not with an agenda to have all the answers but rather to be able to share what would be good news for them. Pray that the Spirit would give you words of help/encouragement/love.