A Transformative Vision
Audio Recording
Sermon Outline
Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord
Isaiah 2:1-5 (ESV)
1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2 It shall come to pass in the latter days
that the mountain of the house of the Lord
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be lifted up above the hills;
and all the nations shall flow to it,
3 and many peoples shall come, and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 He shall judge between the nations,
and shall decide disputes for many peoples;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore.
5 O house of Jacob,
come, let us walk
in the light of the Lord.
Sermon Outline
What is God showing us that will completely change how we live?
v1 “The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw...”
v2 “It shall come to pass in the latter days…”
1. Reimagining Greatness
v2 “the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains”
2. Revisiting What Is Possible
v3 “For out of Zion shall go forth… the word of the Lord…”
vv2-3 “… many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord… that we may walk in his paths.”
v4 “they shall beat their swords into plowshares… nation shall not lift up sword against nation...”
3. The End of the Path We Walk
v5 “O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.”
Prayer of Confession
Sovereign Lord: have mercy on us. We have sinned in thought, word and deed. We have magnified insignificant things, coveting and fighting over what is of little value. We have not trusted you because we have let our imaginations define what is possible. We have grasped weapons and ways that produce death. We confess our fears, resentment, pride, greed, and every other force for destruction within us. We long for real peace. Forgive us. Light the way before us and lead us forward. Amen.
Questions for Reflection
Have you ever seen a picture and thought “I want to be there?” Reflect on that experience. What did you do, what could you have done, or what should you have done?
What are the biggest, most important things in your life? What are you working towards? What will you make sacrifices for? What do you think will satisfy you if you attain it?
Why are the things Jesus talks about and directs us towards not attractive to most people (or are they)?
What promises of the Bible do you have the most trouble believing? What seems most impossible? Why do you have trouble with those things?
How can a picture of where things are headed help you make choices in the present? What in the picture Isaiah presents of future days can make a difference in what you are doing now?
Is it ever too late to get yourself on the path of God? What keeps you from going even if you have the sense that God is inviting?
Why is Jesus essential to making it possible for people to get to this place Isaiah is showing us?
Do you think this future heavenly vision will inspire greater engagement with the world for those who believe it, or less engagement? Why?
In the current climate (what is happening in the world right now) what does it look like to walk with God? What ways of Christ do we need to take hold of?
How can the light of God shine from you into the world? How can our church be more of a city on a hill?
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