Our Frustration and God’s Plans
Audio Recording
Sermon Outline
Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord
Isaiah 45:18-25 (ESV)
18 For thus says the Lord,
who created the heavens
(he is God!),
who formed the earth and made it
(he established it;
he did not create it empty,
he formed it to be inhabited!):
“I am the Lord, and there is no other.
19 I did not speak in secret,
in a land of darkness;
I did not say to the offspring of Jacob,
‘Seek me in vain.’
I the Lord speak the truth;
I declare what is right.
20 “Assemble yourselves and come;
draw near together,
you survivors of the nations!
They have no knowledge
who carry about their wooden idols,
and keep on praying to a god
that cannot save.
21 Declare and present your case;
let them take counsel together!
Who told this long ago?
Who declared it of old?
Was it not I, the Lord?
And there is no other god besides me,
a righteous God and a Savior;
there is none besides me.
22 “Turn to me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.
23 By myself I have sworn;
from my mouth has gone out in righteousness
a word that shall not return:
‘To me every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear allegiance.’
24 “Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me,
are righteousness and strength;
to him shall come and be ashamed
all who were incensed against him.
25 In the Lord all the offspring of Israel
shall be justified and shall glory.”
Sermon Outline
Are you living in the wrong story?
1. Faithfulness of God to His Plans
v18 “For thus says the Lord, who created… he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!”
v19 “I did not speak in secret, I did not say… ‘Seek me in vain.’ I the Lord speak the truth”
2. Frustration Because of Our Plans
v20 “…you survivors of the nations! …who carry about their wooden idols, and keep on praying to a god that cannot save.”
v23 “… word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow...”
v24 “…all who were incensed against him”
3. Freedom In the Plans of Jesus
v22 “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth!”
v24 “only in the Lord shall it be said of me, are righteousness and strength”
v25 “In the Lord all the offspring of Israel shall be justified and shall glory.”
Prayer of Confession
Sovereign Lord, You alone are wise, powerful, and good. You are perfect in all Your ways, and yet, we confess that we are not. We have often thought too highly of ourselves. When our sense of entitlement clashes with reality, we fail to learn and grow. Instead of humbling ourselves, we become angry—angry at You, angry at others—desperate to maintain control. In our pride, we have harbored contempt in our hearts and allowed it to shape our actions. Our sins are many, and they have made us unrighteous.
But You, O God, are righteous and merciful. We are humbled and grateful that Your plan includes saving sinners like us. We thank You for the gift of Jesus, our righteousness and our strength. We pray for forgiveness in His name. Amen.
Questions for Reflection
If you were to give a synopsis of the human story, what would it be? Where are things going, and how do you know?
Do you think God should stay focused on his original plans, or should he pivot to make his focus destroying evil? Why or why not?
Is it ever appropriate to be angry with God?
How can you tell if you are angry because you have a sense of entitlement?
What can you do when you experience the frustration of having trusted in things that are failing you? What are your options?
God said that everyone will come and bow before Him. How does that make you feel?
What does it say about God that in the days of Isaiah he sent out a message calling everyone (“all the ends of the earth”) to turn to him and be saved?
How does the humility of Jesus help dissolve people’s pride? What do we need to see or understand to experience change and healing?
What do you look to for righteousness and strength? Why is Jesus the only source of righteousness and strength?
What keeps you from regularly bowing down in worship and rejoicing at the greatness of God? What can you do to enable this to be a more regular experience?
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