Scripture: Isaiah 64:1-9
As Advent 2022 begins, so does the celebration that
this season so richly deserves. The
unfortunate thing though, is that many people throughout the earth have no idea
as to what they should truly be rejoicing over!
As our Advent reading this morning reminds us, the world has chosen to
ignore the coming of Jesus throughout all of their grand preparations. And ostensibly, in forgetting to prepare to
celebrate the first coming of the Christ, they also forget to celebrate the
very reason that He came to us in the first place – and that is to prepare
us to rejoice in Him when He comes to this world the next time.
And that preparation involves change – a change that allows worthiness and righteousness to fill our lives. But what change is it that has to occur? It all hinges on how we see God in Jesus. It will no longer be a vision of choice. It will no longer be a vision based in human understanding. It can no longer be a mind-based faith – it must now become a heart-felt, spirit-filled, soul-changing, life-empowering discovery of what divine purpose and Godly passion should truly mean for us.
During the next several weeks, as successive candles are lit at the beginning of worship, think of them as reminders of the growth that each of us experiences in faith – that faith can never be seen as being stoic, but that it is a never-ending purification, an ongoing strengthening, a focusing that brings us ever closer to the truth of Jesus Christ in our lives.
It is, if you will, a cleansing of our soul, especially through the rejection of worldly ways, so that we might draw closer to Jesus in true faith, a faith that will only come from God Himself.
Read Isaiah 64:1-5
Throughout the Old Testament, we see God at work on Israel’s behalf. In 1Samuel 1:15-22, we read of Hannah’s faith and commitment to Jehovah God, that if she could just once give birth to a child, she would dedicate that child to service for her Lord. That child would become the prophet, Samuel.
When the people needed a new source of nourishment
during their wilderness years, God would send them manna and quail every day. (Exodus 16:6-12)
When they came up against enemies who were more
powerful than they were, God became their victory.
When a plot developed against the people while they
were in captivity, the Lord exposed the danger through the only person who
could be trusted by the King – his Queen Esther – and the people were saved (Esther 7).
And the examples continue throughout scripture, with
each and every time occurring when God opened the way to join them, and in every
time, the very foundation of the earth was shaken. And when the Lord God Jehovah came to earth
in the form of a Human Man, nothing would ever be the same again.
When Jesus gave His life for all who would believe
in Him, the curtain in the temple, the separation that divided God from the
people, would be torn from top to bottom, opening the way to the Lord for all
who would come to Him in faith. (Matthew 27:50-54).
Whenever the heavens open, and God comes down to our lives, the incredible will always happen, and nothing within the power of humanity will ever be able to hold it back. But the one problem that everyone will have to be aware of is the issue of sin. Sin is the dividing line that separates goodness from wickedness, and anyone who has not followed Jesus across that line will discover that there is nothing that they can do on their own to know the goodness of the one and perfect God.
On that day, will you know the gladness of our Lord? Or will you know His divine anger? This is the one decision in faith that we all have control over!
Read Isaiah 64:6-7
These two verses show the effect that sin will always have on our life. It makes us unclean in God’s sight; it makes us shrivel up and shrink before Almighty God, and remove all hope of life in Him; sin sweeps us away from the presence of God, which only goes to further our journey into the ways of death. Without the Lord’s mercy, there is no hope, and mercy comes by faith in Christ, which restores our ability to call on His holy name once again.
Jesus is the manna that nourishes us and strengthens us in faith. Jesus is the Guide for our existence in this life and place. Jesus is the life that will be our eternal blessing. Jesus is the gate that allows those who believe to enter into the divine presence of God, and keeps those who have not followed Him outside of that glory. Jesus is the light that exposes the difference between the truth of God and the lies of earth.
Could it get any easier? God has done it all, and by faith, the gates of heaven will open in glory. And it is Jesus who will make all the difference in our lives.
John 6:35, John 8:12, John10:9, John 10:11, John 11:25-26, John 14:6, John 15:5
Read Isaiah 64:8-9
My cousin’s husband is a potter, and he is one of the most creative people I have ever known. He not only makes dinnerware as well as distinctive single pieces, he is also known for the chess sets that he creates, with each piece contributing to a story that comes together through observing the entire set. He is an artist, a musician, and is, as far as I’m concerned, a creative genius.
But an interesting thing about a potter, is that each piece that comes from his hands seems to reflect the heart and inspiration of the creator who formed them. And the point that is most evident in a potter’s life is that He may spend many precious hours making, and remaking a piece until it perfectly represents the vision that he had for it when he began. And the final image will never resemble the original piece of clay that began to take on “life” in his hands.
So why all of this discussion regarding Bill Kirner? In no way am I suggesting that he is just like our Creator God, but it is true that the heart of a potter works in similar ways, no matter who he may be. In this passage, we read that we are like clay in the hands of our Creative God, who shapes us and reshapes us, and we will never have any say in the shaping, except to be malleable in the Hands who works us into the perfect image that reflects His desire for our life. And it will always be that unique reforming that allows each of us to be the Lord’s Church together.
Unfortunately, the difference between a hunk of clay, and the person who we are right now, is that we have the will to either allow God to remake and remold us into His precious Image, or to refuse His remolding to change us from a “sinful hunk” into a forgiven and eternal life who honors and rejoices in the One who is reforming us into a worthy life in Christ.
That is what faith in Jesus is all about, and how confession, obedience, and forgiveness can bring about a total change our lives. Are you willing to let God work His way in you today? Will this Advent season become a season of remaking and refocusing your life in Jesus?
May it be so for us all.
