The Obedient Servant Isaiah 50 Englewood Baptist Church Sunday morning, December 18, 2011 Open your Bible to Isaiah 50 and also mark Hebrews 5. In February, Lynley and I are going to lead a marriage enrichment course on Wednesday nights. The class will be based off the book, Our Secret Paradise, by Jimmy Evans. She and I have been reading this book together and we both believe that the opening section is riveting. Evans presents early an unconventional idea. He says, I would like to make a proposal to start having reality weddings in keeping with today s reality TV.Here is how it would work: every engaged couple would be required to go through intense marriage counseling, and the purpose of the counseling would not be to fix the couple but to diagnose each person s true emotional condition. The session would be well-documented by a professional and the couple would be dressed for their wedding according to their diagnosis. Let me read to you what he says next. He is using hyperbole but I find it very effective:.. Obviously Evans isn t being serious. Nobody wants to walk their daughter down the aisle with an IV in hand. The author exaggerates for effect but the truth presented is effective! Most people enter into a covenant believing that the marriage will be as beautiful as the wedding. Everything is prepared and pristine on the wedding day! We look our very best. We say the kindest things. The room smells like fresh flowers, looks like a garden, the in-laws appear to be normal, the environment has heavenly traces. But that day, while it worthy of celebration, is not true to reality. Marriage is not all sunshine and rainbows. There are many hard days ahead for any promise making people. In the gospels, Jesus comes enlisting followers who would make a commitment to stay with him at all times. Have you noticed? He did not try to attract his followers with flowery speech. He laid it out realistically in Luke 14:33, Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:33 What did Jesus do? Rather than paint the best possible outcome, he forced his followers to consider the worst case scenario. They should hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst. Without a doubt, suffering is a skilled teacher and all followers should be ready to endure some tough times. That s a proper expectation of discipleship.
In Isaiah 50, we find ourselves staring at a Servant s Song. There are 4 Servant Songs in the book of Isaiah and each one reveals a critical component of the Messiah s ministry. This particular Song speaks to the importance of sticking it out and trusting the Lord even when times are tough. Jesus came to the earth PREPARED to suffer. He knew what he was signing up for. And he saw it through, setting an example for each of us. And what I want you to feel today is the challenge of obedience. Jesus is not only our Savior, HE is our Mentor. He shows us what it means to follow. Let s read Isaiah 50:4-11. Demonstration is the most effective form of instruction. It s one thing to read a recipe. It s another thing to have the dough in your hands and be shown how to bake it! It s one thing to read instructions on the assembly of a large toy. It s another to watch somebody do it and build yours in accordance with his. We are all helped by the power of demonstration. Jesus was born on Christmas day, but he was not immediately sacrificed at the temple. God could have sent the perfect child to be put on the altar at once, but no, the plan was for a prolonged life of obedience. 33 years of demonstration, particularly the last three, Jesus defined what it means to follow God. Early on, he said this: Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. Jn 5:19 ESV Jesus came to show us a picture of submission. He demonstrated discipleship. And here, in Isaiah 50, the Steadfast Servant is described. It s prophetic, foreshadowing of Christ. He shows us how to be an ideal servant. The Obedient Servant 1. He has gained an instructed tongue. (v.4) This ideal servant has applied himself to listen to the words of God. Notice v.4 says, Day by day or morning by morning my ears were inclined to heaven. This means that Jesus had to apply himself to wisdom. One of the famous verses, of course, is Luke 2:52 which says that Jesus grew in wisdom as he grew in stature. He learned as he disciplined himself to study. Leaning on God means learning how to listen to His Words. Wake up your ears in the morning! As I survery at this modern technological age an age inundated with YouTube videos and a barrage of images, what I see is a mass exodus from the printed page. People simply don t take up and read like they used to. Not only has this had an impact on
attention span, but it has also impacted a child s ability to focus on words. Isn t it true that one of the greatest skills we can impart to our kids is the ability to sit and listen! It s a basic skill of discipleship. Recently I read a book that is going to be added to my Favorites list. The book is not new, but the message needs to be renewed. It s called Honey for a Child s Heart. This book has profoundly shaped me as a parent. The importance of helping a little child listen to words. Author Gladys Hunt presents her argument: A good book is a magic gateway into a wider world of wonder, beauty, delight, and adventure. Books are experiences that make us grow, that add something to our inner stature. Children and books go together in a special way. I can t imagine any pleasure greater than bringing to the uncluttered supple mind of a child the delight of knowing God and the many rich things He has given us to enjoy. This is every parent s privilege, and books are his keenest tools. Children don t stumble onto good books by themselves; they must be introduced to the wonder of words put together in such a way that they spin out pure joy and magic Oh, the beauty and mystery of words! --Gladys Hunt, Honey for a Child s Heart God has preserved a manual for discipleship and he did this in a particular form of media. He has preserved His will in words on parchment. And part of pursuing God in obedience is to apply your mind to His Words. You have to work hard for wisdom. You have to introduce yourself. You know that one of the titles given to Jesus in Isaiah is Wonderful Counselor. He was a wonderful counselor. V.4 hints at this when it says that he was able to sustain the weary with a word. That s what counseling does. It sustains people by bringing to bear the right word. Isaiah says that Jesus devoted himself to the words of God and so he had something to offer to others. How much are you interacting with the Words of God? Now, take notice of what comes next. Vv.5-6 What attribute of obedience do we see modeled here? The ideal servant is one who.. 2. He has a determined heart. (vv.5-6) It says that the servant was not rebellious. What that means is, he would not run when the heat was turned to high. He expected suffering and he took it willingly. Notice v.6 says, I gave my back to those who beat me. I gave my cheeks to those who tore out my hair. I did not hide my face when they spat upon me.
The servant saw suffering as a significant part of his assignment. Now, of course, we as New Testament Christians can see how these verses were fulfilled at Calvary as Jesus was brutally flogged, publicly humiliated, inhumanely shamed. Not one time did he attempt to flee. Not one time did he fight. He endured suffering like a good soldier. And what do you think the Lord says to us today when we resort to whining? What did you expect? I told you upfront that the path would probably produce pain? I told you from the get-go that the goal was attainable but filled with danger and toil. I never told you it would be easy. To live for God is to invite abuse. J. Oswalt says: WE TODAY HARDLY THINK of persecution as a sign of blessedness. We think we are blessed when all people speak well of us. But in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus says that such a thing is not a good sign, for it means we are no longer salt and light --J. Oswalt, The NIV Application Commentary Discipleship will require determination if you are going about it right! I want you to take a moment and turn with me to Hebrews 5. There is a most interesting passage of Scripture that pertains to Christ and his obedience. Hebrews 5:8 During the days of Jesus life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him What does this passage teach us? It reminds us that some things can only be learned by experience. Pre-incarnate Jesus, before he took on skin, he understood suffering because he was omniscient. But only as the incarnate, fully human son, did he grasp it experientially. Suffering was a skilled teacher as he grew as a man. God s great aim for you on this earth is to grow you in Christlikeness. Since Jesus graduated from the school of suffering, do you not think that he will provide you with a similar education? At this point in the sermon, without a doubt, you are feeling uneasy. As if God created you for the sole purpose of putting pain and disgrace upon you. I can assure you that this is not the case. Vv.7-9 provide the fuller picture There is a great God-confidence that is found in this servant s heart! 3. He has full confidence in the Sovereign Father.
He knows that He will not be ashamed, but instead, exalted. The path to greatness goes by way of a cross but the end will justifies the means. The pain is not as significant as it seems, according to Scripture. Did you pay attention to the picture of v.9? This illustrates the temporary nature of abuse. Let s consider this. How many of us have had the experience of buying a new article of clothing, only to realize that it has worn out much faster than we had hoped. I just bought these shoes and they re already busted! I just paid 50 bucks for this shirt and it already looks old. Generally speaking, our clothing doesn t last long. In the same way, our pains on earth might feel like forever but in view of eternity, the time of suffering is so small especially when compared to the time of celebration. Our perspective is warped as human beings and we should not live in fear of tests. Vv.7-9 show us a servant who has no fear of the future. Where is my accuser, v.8 says? Bring him on. I have no fear of Him! I have greater fear of the Lord and I have full confidence that the Sovereign will vindicate me. And this leads us into a moment of decision. God s word always demands a decision. At this point in the text, Isaiah now presses his audience to choose a side. There is no such thing as neutral ground. Notice the diagnostic questions: V.10 Who will follow the example of the servant? Will you do what Jesus did? Will you serve the Lord in submission? Will you be most concerned with his plan over and above your short-sighted plans? Sometimes we have to walk through darkness as we seek the road of a disciple, but we can be sure that just as Jesus was exalted, those who listen to God and do what He says they too will experience the trill of victory. But what about all those who refuse? What about all those who serve the god of their own stomach? Pursuing their own pleasures and ignoring the words of God? V.11 This is a description of the self-sufficient person. He is a trail-blazer and he will not be told what to do. He is not leaning on God, but leaning on His own understanding. He doesn t know it, but he is a road that leads one off a steep cliff. Which one are you? Are you v.10, or are you v.11? Let me wrap this up with three considerations for you. Qualifications for Ministry (Service)
Are you willing to learn? Being a follower of God means being willing to learn. There is a cost involved. You have to dig up some ground to get to deeper truths. You have to be shoveling a little dirt each day. That means growing in knowledge of truth. This requires concentration. In his book, The Gospel and the Mind, our own Brad Green puts it poignantly: All persons, in some way, are wordish creatures. We speak on words, write in words, type out words on our computers, and perhaps peck them out on Blackberry or iphone. The world is more than a collection of letters and words, of course. Visual arts, for example capture dimensions of the created order in images and pictures. But humans are manifestly wordish folk.we are wordish creatures because we were created by a wordish God --Bradley C. Green, The Gospel and the Mind To be a disciple means to seek a greater understanding of words, of truths to grow in wisdom. Right now is the time to think what will I study in 2012? Are you willing to focus on the Word and with the Psalmist say, Your Words are sweeter than honey to my mouth. (119:103) Keep challenging yourself to learn. Are you willing to endure a setback? I like the word setback because there is no suffering that can crush the Christian. God will not let us fall, but he does let us face struggle. The same Spirit that raised Jesus will also raise you from the depths. Most of can become angry with God when life deals us a cruel card. There is a purpose for every pain and when trials come, we must not rebel. Moses ran to the desert. Jeremiah objected to God s will. Jonah looked for the first boat bound for the opposite way. Each of these servants ran from the hard road. When we run from God-ordained hardship, we are refusing to rely upon God. Can you sing, Have thine own way, Lord. Have thine own way? Even if it s a hard way. Are you willing to walk in darkness? V.10 makes it abundantly clear that leaning on God means lonely seasons. There will be times when life seems more like a maze than a map. There is uncertainty, confusion, and lack of clarity. Yet, through it all, the servant learns to trust in the name of the Lord. He will never leave you or forsake you. You keep following, He will never forsake. May God help us all to live in obedience to His will.