Delight In The Lord
Audio Recording
Sermon Outline
Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord
Isaiah 58:1-14 (ESV)
1 “Cry aloud; do not hold back;
lift up your voice like a trumpet;
declare to my people their transgression,
to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet they seek me daily
and delight to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that did righteousness
and did not forsake the judgment of their God;
they ask of me righteous judgments;
they delight to draw near to God.
3 ‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not?
Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’
Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure,
and oppress all your workers.
4 Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
and to hit with a wicked fist.
Fasting like yours this day
will not make your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is such the fast that I choose,
a day for a person to humble himself?
Is it to bow down his head like a reed,
and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him?
Will you call this a fast,
and a day acceptable to the Lord?
6 “Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him,
and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
8 Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up speedily;
your righteousness shall go before you;
the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you take away the yoke from your midst,
the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
10 if you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
and your gloom be as the noonday.
11 And the Lord will guide you continually
and satisfy your desire in scorched places
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters do not fail.
12 And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of streets to dwell in.
13 “If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath,
from doing your pleasure on my holy day,
and call the Sabbath a delight
and the holy day of the Lord honorable;
if you honor it, not going your own ways,
or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly;
14 then you shall take delight in the Lord,
and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Sermon Outline
Is God a source of delight or a means to it?
1. Fasting
v3 “why have we fasted, and you see it not?”
vv3-4 “seek your own pleasure… oppress your workers… quarrel… fight”
v5 “is such the fast that I choose?”
2. The Vulnerable
vv6-7 “bonds of wickedness… oppressed… hungry… homeless… naked…”
v7 “share… bring into your homes”
3. Sabbath
v13 “call the sabbath a delight”
v13 “your pleasure… your own ways”
v14 “then shall you take delight in the Lord”
Prayer of Confession
Our amazing God, you are the source of light, healing, righteousness and glory. We confess our guilt and confusion. We have turned from you and devoted ourselves to things that cannot satisfy. We have presumed we could earn your favor, failing to recognize that our frustrations and accusations are evidence of our own sin. We have looked at the poor and needy with arrogant, hard hearts, not discerning our own poverty and need. We return to you, exchanging our false humility and corrupt practices for the life you give in Christ. Forgive us, heal us, and continue to draw us into the delight of life with you. Amen.
Questions for Reflection
What brings you delight? What do you value that you willingly make sacrifices for?
Does following Jesus require sacrifice? What are problematic ways we make sacrifices as part of a religious life? What are healthy or wise ways to make sacrifices as part of life with God?
Why is it problematic to think you can earn God’s favor? How can striving to earn God’s favor lead to resentment?
What attitudes towards the vulnerable, the materially poor, or people with needs do you see in yourself?
Why does our attitude towards the materially poor expose us? What deficiencies can we expect to see?
What does the gospel of Jesus reveal about God? If we make sacrifices for what we delight in, what can we infer from Jesus sacrificing his life for us?
How does insight into the depth of the goodness of God bring deep transformation to us? What kind of connection with God brings light, healing, righteousness and glory into our lives?
What practices help us walk with God? How can God and life with Him become more of a source of delight for you?
What roles can fasting and keeping the Lord’s Day (sabbath) play in living a God-centered life?
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