The Determination of a Devout Servant

Thank you everyone and good morning. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Alistair.

I have the privilege of being the Assistant Pastor here at Brunsfield and really helpful if you keep that open in front of you this morning.

But I'd like to start us off by asking a question.

Have you ever thought that you were determined to do something, determined about something,

but then someone else showed up and they were far more determined than you were?

Have you ever been in that situation?

So a few years ago, I did my first ever five-kilometer run.

I was sitting at my desk one day in the previous church that I worked in and thought,

I'll just do it. I'll just go for it.

And so I did and it took me 33 minutes for my first time.

Now for those of you who know about running and jogging, that is atrocious.

And so it's really slow and it shows how unfit I am.

And so I decided that I was going to get my time down.

I was going to do better than 33 minutes.

I thought I was dedicated.

And so I was running and running and running regularly.

And I managed to get it down to 27 minutes.

I was very proud of myself.

But then I looked at two of my friends who started running at the same time.

And my determination was gone.

They managed to get down to 23 minutes for a 5K.

So their determination to get fit, their determination to get a better time,

made mine pale in comparison.

And what we're going to think about this morning is the determination of a devout servant

from this passage in Isaiah.

So in Isaiah this morning, we're looking at the third servant song.

And we see how this servant, this promised Messiah from the Old Testament,

was so determined to accomplish God's will.

And so devoted to God.

And spoiler alert, this servant is Jesus Christ.

Who would walk the face of this earth just hundreds of years after God spoke this message

to the people of Israel through his spokesman, Isaiah.

And the cry of God in Isaiah chapter 1 through to chapter 38 is,

Isaiah 1 · chapter mention

Israel, turn to me.

Do not turn to idols.

Come back to me and repent.

The God who made you.

The God who loves you.

But Israel are absolute in their disobedience.

Isaiah is warning Israel of the future events that are coming their way.

They will be carried off into captivity in Babylon

because of their rebellion and disobedience against God.

So they are being warned that they will be slaves in a foreign land.

They will not be treated with kindness.

They will not be rejoicing.

But they will be crying out with the words from Isaiah 49 verse 14.

Isaiah 49:14

If you look over the page, it says,

The Lord has forsaken me.

The Lord has forgotten me.

So when they look at the disaster in their lives,

they will say again in chapter 49 verse 21,

I was exiled and rejected.

Who has brought these up?

I was left alone.

Do you feel the pain in those words?

I was left alone.

And it is into that mess that God speaks and his message is,

Israel, wake up.

Listen to me.

Ten times in this section from chapter 50 to 54,

God says, listen to me.

And listen to my servant.

So God is calling them to listen.

But why should they listen to this servant?

What's so different about this guy

that they should listen to him?

Well, the difference, as we will see this morning,

is that this servant is determined in his devotion to God.

God tells us this by giving us three examples of who this servant is.

God points out the character,

the confidence,

and the call of his servant.

And all of these things point to the fact

that he is determined in his devotion to God.

So this morning, we're going to be presented with who Jesus is,

what he has done,

and we will be challenged by his determination to follow God's will,

and we will be challenged to ask ourselves the question,

do we even have a shadow of the character,

confidence, and call that Jesus had?

My prayer is that as we look at Jesus

and the determination of this devout servant,

that we would be challenged,

that we would be transformed to become better servants,

with more determination to follow God

and live for Jesus.

So the first thing that we see in these few verses in Isaiah

is character,

the character of God's servant in verses 4 to 6.

So two character traits that we see in these verses

are submission and obedience,

that stem from Jesus' determination

to act according to God's will.

Look with me at verse 4.

The servant speaks the word of God

as a well-instructed tongue.

He is in such a close relationship with God

that he knows his words,

and his words sustain the weary.

So those who are weak,

those who are downcast,

those who are mourning,

will listen to the words of this servant

and will be restored,

will be built up,

and will be encouraged.

Is this not an encouragement

as we think about the person of Jesus Christ?

When we are at our weakest,

when we are at our wits' end,

when we are a helpless case,

we can turn to him

and know that his words will not condemn us,

but they will sustain us.

They will not judge us,

but they will build us up.

But these are not the empty words

of a self-help author

or a well-known motivational speaker,

but these are the words of a servant

who is wholeheartedly dedicated

to God, to God's people,

and who is lovingly encouraging them

and us with his words.

And in verse 5,

we see the extent of Jesus' submission

and obedience to God

because unlike the nation of Israel,

he hasn't rebelled.

Verse 5, the servant says,

I have not been rebellious.

I have not turned away.

So do you see what this would mean

to the nation of Israel?

They will be sitting in captivity in Babylon,

distant from their land,

cut off from the temple,

surrounded by an army of pagan gods

and false deities

because of their rebellion

and because of their rejection of God.

And God provides them with a savior

who is perfectly innocent,

perfectly obedient to God's will

and perfectly submissive to him.

This servant is a fulfillment of Israel.

He did what they could not.

Israel sought after other gods.

They searched for truth outside of God.

They rejected him.

But God's servant,

the promised Messiah,

would come,

save the world,

speaking God's word,

and he will fulfill what Israel could not do.

He is perfect.

But how far does his submission and obedience go?

To what extent is this servant

really determined in his devotion to God?

Well, the answer is right there in verse 6.

Let that sink in.

God's servant is so determined,

so devoted to God

that he willingly,

willingly

chose to suffer

in accordance with God's will,

God's good will,

to save his people.

That means that he was ridiculed,

he was in pain,

and he died.

This is a perfect description

of what we will celebrate later on

in our service

as we take communion together.

how Jesus willingly went

to the pain and torment

of the cross

in perfect obedience

and submission to God.

And do you see how this is exactly

what Jesus did

as he was surrounded

by a garrison of Roman soldiers?

Beaten and mocked,

spat on,

and a crown of thorns

placed on his head.

The all-powerful Son of God

nailed to a tree.

Willingly suffering

so that a broken,

fallen world,

so that broken,

fallen people

like you and like me

can be made right with God.

This is the ultimate determination

and devotion.

Jesus sits in the Garden of Gethsemane

in Luke chapter 22

Luke 22 · chapter mention

and it says that he is in agony

as he prays.

His blood,

his sweat is turned to blood

and he knows that the cross

is on the horizon.

He knows that in just a few hours

the people who previously

followed him

and loved him

will be crying out

for his death.

But what does he pray?

Father,

not my will

but yours be done.

Jesus' determination

to accomplish God's will

resulted

in this perfect character

of obedience

and submission

even to the point

of being sentenced

to death on the cross.

this is the servant.

This is Jesus

and his call to us

this morning

is the same as God's was

to Isaiah.

Wake up,

Brunsfield Evangelical Church

and listen to me.

If this is all true,

if he willingly

suffered for me

and for you

as the Bible

says he did,

why would we not

listen to him?

Jesus willingly

suffered for you

and for me.

His character

is that of perfect

submission and obedience

to God's will

which results

in us being made

right with God.

There is no greater

blessing in this world

to be found.

Charles Spurgeon,

a preacher

from many years ago

put it this way,

Jesus has borne

the death penalty

on our behalf.

Behold the wonder,

there he hangs

upon the cross.

This is the greatest sight

you will ever see.

Son of God

and son of man,

there he hangs

bearing pains

unutterable.

The just

for the unjust

to bring us to God.

Oh the glory

of that sight.

So how should

the character

of Jesus,

the perfect servant

challenge us

this morning?

Well it makes us

ask the question,

does our character

reflect even

the faintest

degree of

submission and

obedience to the

will of God

that Jesus had?

Even the faintest?

seeing the perfect

determination of

Jesus to

willingly suffer

and take the

punishment that we

all deserve

should make us

listen to,

submit to

and obey him.

The second thing

that we see

in this passage

about the

determination

of a devout

servant is his

confidence.

In verses

seven to nine,

confidence.

So twice

in these

three verses

Jesus,

the servant

who's been

described in

this song

says that

the sovereign

Lord helps

him in

verses seven

and nine.

So he has

such a close

relationship

with God.

He is so

devoted to

him that

he knows

without a

shadow of a

doubt that

God is on

his side.

That God

is helping

him.

Even as

he suffers

and hangs

on a cross

he has

confidence

in God

and God's

plan.

And his

confidence

leads him

to say

in verse

seven,

I will

not be

disgraced.

Who will

bring charges

against me?

And in

verse eight,

who is my

accuser?

Verse nine,

who will

condemn me?

This is

courtroom

language.

Jesus

will stand

in a

courtroom

and people

will bring

accusation

after accusation

against him

and yet he

will be

proven

innocent.

Everyone

else will

be proven

wrong.

He is

innocent and

everyone will

see that the

great God of

this world is

on his side.

But even

though this

servant knows

that he's

innocent,

he will

still be

mocked,

he will

still be

spat at,

and he

will still

be killed,

as we saw

in verse

six.

But verse

seven says,

because the

sovereign Lord

helps me,

I will not

be disgraced.

therefore,

have I

set my

face like

flint,

and I

know I

will not

be put

to shame.

So the

servant's

confidence in

God leads

to absolute

determination.

That's what it

means when he

says, I set my

face like

flint.

Jesus'

confidence in

God is

absolute and

so he

willingly walks

to the

cross in

determination

to accomplish

the will

of God.

Jesus'

confidence in

God will

not be

shaken.

He will

not be

distracted,

he will

not be

taken off

course,

but he

is resolute

in his

confidence

and determination.

Earlier in

the book of

Isaiah,

God has

been calling

Israel to

trust in

him when

they face

attacks from

their enemies.

But they

had no

confidence in

God.

The servant

fulfills what

was lacking

in them.

The servant's

confidence in

God is just

as strong as

Israel's

stubborn

unwillingness to

repent.

He has a

supernatural

confidence in

God and is

determined to

accomplish his

will.

And is this

not what we

see in

Jesus in

Luke chapter

Luke 9:51

9 verse 51

where it says

this,

Jesus set

his face

to go to

Jerusalem.

Now this is

more than

Jesus just

looking towards

a city.

Because as

Jesus sets

his face

towards

Jerusalem,

he is

looking at

and anticipating

his own

death.

As he looks

to Jerusalem,

he knows that

the cross is

on the horizon.

He knows that

every step he

takes is

bringing him

closer to

agony.

Doesn't that

make us

thankful?

for Jesus

and his

confidence in

God.

If Jesus

wasn't

confident in

God and

didn't set

his face

like Flint,

he would

never have

willingly

suffered in

our place

on the

cross.

Forgiveness

would not

be made

possible and

we would

still be

in darkness.

We would

still be

lost.

So our

response to

this should

be Jesus,

thank you.

His

confidence

means that

we can be

forgiven.

We rely

solely on

his death

on the

cross as

he bore

the wrath

of God

for the

sins of

this world.

Jesus did

what we

could never

do.

We could

never even

dream of

doing.

He lived

the perfect

sinless

life.

He was

unfaltering

in his

confidence and

determination and

devotion to

God.

We should be

thankful because

Jesus did what

I couldn't even

dream of.

But what if we

don't have the

same confidence?

What if we

struggle?

What if we're

tired and

weary?

Well, Jesus

doesn't condemn

us when we

fail.

Look at verse

four again.

He knows the

words that

sustain the

weary.

When we are

weak, when we

are broken,

when our

confidence and

faith seems so

fragile that

they could

break any

second, Jesus

speaks and

he says, I

am enough.

Think of the

example of

Jesus'

disciple Peter

in Luke

Luke 22 · chapter mention

chapter 22.

Jesus told

Peter that he

would deny

him three

times and

Peter, quite

full of

himself, said,

Lord, I am

ready to go

with you to

prison and

to death.

But just a

few hours

later, Jesus

was arrested,

put on trial

in the house

of the high

priest and

Peter was

watching this

whole situation

unfold, resting

by a fire.

Three times

Peter denied

any knowledge

of who Jesus

was.

Three times

he denied

that he had

spent time

with Jesus.

And when the

rooster crowed,

Luke says

that Jesus

looked at

him and

he remembered

and he

ran away

ashamed because

Jesus was

right.

And so

what would we

expect of

Peter now?

Should he be

cut off for

good because

he was

ashamed and

feared for

his own

life?

Would we

expect Jesus

to cast him

off and

never speak

to him

again because

he didn't

have the

same confidence

and determination

to follow

God's will?

When Jesus

is raised

from the

dead and

Peter understands

fully without

a shadow

of a doubt

who Jesus

was, we

see a whole

new confidence

in God.

The man

who previously

cowered at the

thought of being

accused with

Jesus, some

40 days later

would stand

before the

people of

Israel and

the high

court of the

Jewish leaders

and say,

you crucified

the Messiah,

the one who

would come to

save you.

Peter's

confidence was

changed because

he understood

who Jesus

was.

Do you

know who

Jesus is

this morning?

This radical

change of

confidence and

change in

determination is

only brought

about when we

grasp the

fundamental truth

that Jesus is

our Savior and

that he is

determined in

his devotion to

God.

this change

happened because

Peter understood

who Jesus

was.

He saw

Jesus'

sacrifice, the

price that he

paid and

Peter said,

I'm giving

Jesus my

everything.

That is the

kind of

confidence that

I want and

that is the

kind of

confidence that

I pray that

we all would

have.

Once we

understand what

Jesus did on

the cross,

how he

reconciled us

to God,

once we

grasp the

greatness of

that news,

we will

have a

newfound

confidence in

God.

Are you

confident this

morning in

your faith?

Are you

determined in

your devotion to

follow Jesus?

If not,

then look at

Jesus' death on

the cross and

how he

willingly walk

to his

death for

you and

for me.

And ask

yourself the

question,

if he was

willing to

die in

my place,

shouldn't I

at least

consider who

he is?

Or if you

are a

Christian and

you're

struggling in

your confidence,

then remember

the words of

verse 4.

Jesus doesn't

stand there and

tell you to

do a better

job.

He doesn't

cast you off,

he doesn't

think your

efforts are

worthless, but

he knows the

words that

sustain the

weary.

Turn to

him in

prayer.

Call out for

him to

strengthen you.

Ask for

confidence and

read his

word because

you will be

built up,

you will be

encouraged,

and you

will be

sustained.

The third

thing that we

see about the

determination of

a devout

servant is

his call.

In verses

10 to

11,

the call.

So as the

nation of

Israel sit

in captivity

in Babylon

for their

rejection of

God, the

question that

this servant

asks in

verse 10

is,

who among

you fears

the Lord

and obeys

the word of

his servant?

And the

answer is

absolutely

nobody.

That is

precisely why

they're in

captivity in

the first

place.

They did

not fear

and obey

the Lord.

Notice

how fear,

fearing the

Lord and

obeying his

servant are

synonymous.

The words

of Jesus,

God's servant,

are the

words of

God.

God and

his servant

are one

and the

same.

So Jesus

is being

described as

a servant

here.

Does that

mean that

he is

inferior to

God?

Absolutely

not.

Jesus is

a servant

in the

sense that

he stoops

down and

steps into

our world

to take

the punishment

that we

deserve

according to

the will

of God.

Jesus is

not inferior

to God,

but Jesus

is God.

He is one

person of

the Trinity.

Verse 10

means that

you cannot

fear God

and not

obey Jesus.

You can't

obey Jesus

without fearing

God.

The two go

hand in

hand.

The only

way to be

made right

with God,

the only

way to be

forgiven of

our sin

and rebellion

against him,

something that

every single

one of us

in this world

is guilty

of,

is through

Jesus.

God in

the flesh

who is

calling us

to fear

and obedience.

But this

is not the

quivering kind

of fear in

the presence

of a tyrannical

ruler.

It doesn't

mean that we

are afraid

of God

because he

is not a

big man in

the sky

with a

stick ready

to strike

anyone who

disobeys him.

But to

fear God

means to

be in

awe of

him,

to be

reverent of

who he

is.

Those who

fear God

trust him

and have

faith in

him and

obey him.

Do you

fear God?

do you

live according

to his

word and

the teachings

of Jesus?

If you

don't,

then let me

be blunt

with you

this morning

and tell

you how

the Bible

explains your

situation.

Look at the

second half

of verse

10.

Let the

one who

walks in

the dark

who has

no light

trust in

the name

of the

Lord and

rely on

their God.

God.

This

passage says

that if

you are a

Christian,

if you do

fear God

and obey

Jesus,

then you

are trusting

and relying

on God.

But if

you don't,

then you're

in darkness.

Now this

might not

sound too

bad.

The majority

of people

today aren't

afraid of

the dark,

but the

Bible uses

light and

darkness to

describe a

person's

relationship

with God.

God.

If someone

is right

with God

and they

are living

according to

his will,

they have

been declared

forgiven by

Jesus,

then they

look forward

to eternal

peace in

the presence

of God.

A place

free from

pain,

a place

free from

sin,

a place

of perfect

communion with

our loving

God.

But for

those who

are in

darkness,

for those

who are

looking for

light in

all other

places,

as it

says in

verse 11,

for those

who are

trying to

make their

own way

to God,

trying to

be good

enough,

do and

say the

right

things,

then the

result is

very different.

The Bible

says,

if you do

not fear

the Lord

and obey

Jesus,

then verse

11,

you will

lie down

in torment.

If you

do not

know Jesus,

if you are

not a

Christian,

this passage

is a

warning to

you.

it is

Jesus

calling you

out of

the darkness

and into

the light,

out of

your rebellion

against

him and

into a

right

relationship

with him.

Friends,

this is the

reality of

eternal life.

You either

spend it in

the presence

of a loving

God who

willingly

suffered in

your place,

or you

spend it

in an

eternity

cut off

from God,

a place

of torment

and eternal

judgment,

a place we

call hell.

There is

no middle

ground.

You choose

to live

for Jesus

or you

choose to

reject him.

And that

is not a

decision that

we should

take lightly.

And that

is what

Jesus came

into this

world teaching.

warning the

people to

repent and

believe in

him because

the day is

coming where

time will

run out.

The

determination

of this

devout

servant was

to come

and proclaim

this message

so that

people could

be made

right with

God.

So that

people would

be saved

from the

judgmentless

to come.

This is

what Jesus

proclaimed.

This is the

message that

we are to

proclaim to

the world.

God is

telling Israel

wake up

listen to

me.

Jesus came

and told

people to

repent and

believe the

gospel.

Our message

to the

world is

exactly the

same.

Do not

come to

Brunsfield

Evangelical

Church but

come to

Jesus Christ

the Lord

and Savior

of this

world.

C.T.

Studd a

famous

cricketer

turned

missionary to

China said

this.

Some want

to live

within the

sound of a

church bell

but I want

to run a

rescue shop

within the

yard of

hell.

If we

see how

determined

Jesus was

to come

and willingly

suffer death

on the

cross for

us,

if we

see how

he constantly

called people

to be made

right with

God,

friends,

why aren't

we doing

the same?

God's

love.

If we

take Jesus

seriously,

if we

take the

call to

repent

seriously,

if we

take heaven

and hell

seriously,

then we

should take

evangelism

seriously.

Do we

share the

same call

of Jesus?

Do we

stand on

the road

that leads

to hell

and beg

people with

everything we

have to

repent and

be made

right with

God?

That is

what Jesus

did and

that is

what he

is calling

us to

do.

As I've

studied this

passage and

the determination

of Jesus

this week,

I have been

challenged,

convicted of

my own

comfortable

Christianity

and encouraged

to be

transformed

more into

his likeness.

As we

draw to a

close this

morning,

we have

seen the

determination

of a

devout

servant,

the one

whose

character

is that

of

submission

and

obedience

to the

will

of

God

to the

point

of

death

on a

cross.

And that

should

challenge

us to

submit

to

and

obey

him.

We've

seen the

confidence

of Jesus

who in

absolute

confidence

and

determination

went to

the cross,

was mocked,

beaten,

spat on

willingly,

so that

we can be

made right

with God.

And in

our times

of weakness,

in our

times of

doubt,

we can

be

confident

that

his

determination,

that his

confidence in

God means

that we

too can

be

confident

and that

we can

live

devoted

lives.

And we

have seen

the call

of Jesus,

the call

for those

who are in

darkness to

come into

the light,

those who

are in

rebellion

to trust

and rely

on God.

God.

Do you

trust and

rely on

God?

Are you

calling people

to do the

same thing?

Are we

declaring the

good news of

Jesus so

that the

world can

spend their

eternal life

in heaven

instead of

in hell?

This is the

determination of

a devout

servant that

should change

our lives,

that should

make us love

him and that

should make us

want to give

him everything

because he

gave everything

for us.

Let's pray

together.

Father,

as we

look at

Isaiah,

this passage

of your

son Jesus

Christ,

we realize

how far

we fall

from your

perfect

standards.

We realize

how weak

we are in

our

obedience and

submission to

you and we

ask that you

would forgive

us.

We ask that

you would

challenge us

and that you

would build

us up,

that you would

encourage us

to become more

like your

son Jesus

Christ,

that we would

have just a

sliver of the

determination

that he had

to be devoted

to you.

We ask this

in his holy

precious name.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

See you all.