Light for the Weary
Audio Recording
Sermon Outline
Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord
Isaiah 42:1-9 (ESV)
1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
3 a bruised reed he will not break,
and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged
till he has established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his law.
5 Thus says God, the Lord,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people on it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
6 “I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;
I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you as a covenant for the people,
a light for the nations,
7 to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
8 I am the Lord; that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to carved idols.
9 Behold, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth
I tell you of them.”
Sermon Outline
Where do we get help for our weariness? “Behold my servant” (v1,4)
1. Watch where God directs you.
v1 “Behold my servant…in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice...”
v9 “before they spring forth I tell you of them”
v2 “He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street”
vv6-7 “open the eyes that are blind”
v8 “…nor my praise to carved idols”
2. Don’t withdraw.
v3-4 “a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench”
v5 “who gives breath… and spirit…”
3. Go with God into the world.
v5 Thus says God… who created…”
v4 “and the coastlands wait for his law”
v6 “I will give you as… light for the nations”
Prayer of Confession
Our Lord and our God: You have sent Your Son, Jesus, into the world to establish true justice and to bring healing to our brokenness. We come before You in humility, admitting our confusion and the darkness that clouds our hearts and minds. We have allowed sin to stain our thoughts, words, and actions, and we have often turned to false idols instead of worshiping You, the one true and living God.
We confess our failures and ask for Your forgiveness. Cleanse us from all unrighteousness and restore us to Yourself. In our weakness, we cry out to You for strength. Have mercy on us and shine the light of Christ upon us. Amen..
Questions for Reflection
What is currently causing weariness in your life? What are you making sacrifices for? What are you hoping to get in return?
What has your attention? What occupies your mind? What do you notice or seek out?
Why are people drawn toward appearances? What problems or challenges does that create?
If Jesus walked the earth today what would people expect of him or want him to do? What would you want to see to help you be more firmly convinced?
Why is the gentleness of Jesus crucial for what he came to do?
How are you still trying to earn salvation? Why is the gospel of grace through faith so hard for us to grasp and implement?
How can looking to Jesus in periods of weakness be a means of finding strength?
What is needed to actively serve God in the world without burning out?
What can you be doing so that the light of Christ shines from you to bring a witness to God into the world?
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