Amazing III
The Church at Heber Springs
May 2,2010

Welcome this morning to the Church at Heber Springs. We are so glad that each of you are here with us this morning to worship our Lord. A couple of weeks ago we began a new teaching series entitled “Amazing”. Truly the things of God, his heart towards us, his passion for us, his favor that is poured out to us- all speak with one voice the “Amazing-ness” of our God. As we traveled this journey we have seen his Amazing Favor on us. Last week we discussed the importance of the amazing hope that is given to us. Hope that brings us through those tough times. Take your bibles and turn with me, once again, to I Corinthians 15:10.

10 But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.  I Corinthians 15:10

This morning, we come to the third stop on this journey. While I want to say it is the most important of all the stop I do not want to cut short what God would have to say to us during this series.  My God is AMAZING!!!!

Today I want you to see how Amazing he truly is, I wish for us to understand some of the depths of what he has, and is going to do for you. He IS AMAZING!!!!

A couple of weeks  ago God once again put on my heart a specific passage. The passage is one that many of us have looked at often, and probably one you have heard taught on time and time again. However, for us this morning, the Church at Heber Springs, it is being applied once again. Turn with me now to the book of Isaiah, chapter 61

Isaiah, this morning is speaking to us something that is awesome. It is a passage that our Savior repeated one day while standing in the temple.
 

1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,  because the LORD has anointed me  to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives  and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor  and the day of vengeance of our God,  to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—  to bestow on them a crown of beauty  instead of ashes,  the oil of gladness  instead of mourning,  and a garment of praise  instead of a spirit of despair.  They will be called oaks of righteousness,  a planting of the LORD  for the display of his splendor. Is. 61:1-3

Here we find one of the most Amazing Messages of the scriptures. In one swift sloop God pieced the universe with the most concise picture of the message of the Gospel. This message us spoken once again in the book of Luke when Jesus repeated Isaiah.

This morning I bring to you our Amazing Message.

Larry Norman, one of the first Contemporary Christian Artist wrote these lyrics.

Lyrics to Sweet Sweet Song Of Salvation :
When you know a pretty story you don't let it go unsaid you tell it to your children as you tuck them into bed
and when you know a wonderful secret you tell it to your friends because a lifetime filled with Jesus
is like a street that never ends

sing that sweet, sweet song of salvation and let your laughter fill the air
sing that sweet, sweet song of salvation and tell the people everywhere
sing that sweet, sweet song of salvation to every man and every nation
sing that sweet, sweet song of salvation and let the people know that Jesus cares

We have the most awesome message, folks. It is one that has eternal value.  It is a Amazing Message of the Good News.

 1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,  because the LORD has anointed me  to preach good news to the poor.

In a world where there is so much negative, so much judgment, so much stress, people are searching for hope, they are searching for someone with a glimmer of light in their darkened world. People, the message of Jesus is a message of good news. Good News!

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.  I Corinthian 1:17

We read over and over again of Paul reference to the Gospel. The direct meaning of the Gospel is “the Good News”. People, this is the essence of what we have to share. This is the message, this is the Amazing Message! However, this message has so much within it’s words. Let’s look at some of what this Gospel – this good news means to us.

1. It is a Amazing Message of the Healing

                                                              He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

A brokenhearted person is someone who has lost their hope of a future. It is a person who has dreamed, and those dreams have been dashed against the cliffs of life. Jesus proclaimed that a core product of his gospel was binding up those broken hearts. Healing those hurts- Jesus’ love for us reaches to the hurts that no one else knows about.

Are you here today with a broken heart? Are there areas of your life where your dreams have been dashed and crushed? Jesus wants you to know this morning he comes to bind up those broken hearts.

It is not only a message of healing. No, it is far more to us.

2. It is an Amazing Message of Freedom
                  to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, [a]

I spend a lot of time visiting with people who feel captive, bound up. Whether it is from substance addiction, or bad relationship, or even a never ending run of “bad luck” they all share the same feeling that nothing is getting better and there is no hope in site. People tell them that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, but their fear is that the light is the front of a freight train coming their way.

We have an amazing message for people. It is a message of freedom. Jesus proclaimed that one of the major messages he came to bring was to proclaim  “..freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners..” What a wonderful message!!!!!

Captives – prisoners can know in their heart that there is hope and there is freedom available to them.  To those very people, those who have said to me over and over again that they feel like life is closing in all around them Jesus proclaims to you, there is release – a letting go- from the darkness around you. We have been transferred from “darkness into his marvelous light”. (1 Peter 2:9)

There is another part of this message that we all need to understand. This is the time of God’s favor, that is what the Gospel is about. In our first teaching of this series we learned we have God’s Amazing Favor on us. My friend, God wants you to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you have available to you the favor of God. However, with everything it is a choice. Eternal life is a choice for us all- our destination for eternity is a choice we make. We either accept Christ Jesus as our Lord, or we reject him. Jesus said part of his message was to proclaim “the year of the Lord’s favor” but it was also “the day of vengeance of our God”

                         2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God,

As much as I hate this part of the message is it the truth. The scriptures tell us,

                           7Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, (Hebrews 9:27)

My friend this is the truth of life. We will stand before God to either see the completion of His mighty work in our life or to experience the judgment for our sin. It is your choice.  I pray that today you will choose life- choose Christ.

This brings us to the next part of our message- it is a message of hope.

3, The Amazing Message of Hope

                               to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
                                             to bestow on them a crown of beauty  instead of ashes,

I remember a time in my life when I felt that everything was crumbling around me. As I mentioned before, the light at the end of the tunnel had 20 tons of locomotion behind it, or so I felt at the time. There was no hope. I praise God for friends who stood beside me through these times. I thank him for friends who continued to speak to me comfort. Those words of comfort did something inside of me. The darkness that I referred to previously began to lighten, the weight began to lift. My heart begin to rise within me and I found myself beginning to sing again. Why? Because what was happening was the “ashes” of my circumstances were being replaced by his crown of beauty. That is right, me – a man- is talking about a crown of beauty, that is something that men have a difficult time understanding.

The next few passages will help us understand this a little more but for now it is sufficient to say, this is an amazing message of Hope.  But notice something in these passage – there is a changing of garments here.

Have you ever felt like the situation you were going through made you feel used up – tarnish and dented? I felt in my life that I was damaged goods. No one could ever look at me again the same- I was “UNCLEAN” (acting as ringing a bell to warn people of my presence).

The prodigal son found in Luke, came home to his father after spending time feeding the pigs. I am sure that he stank- smelling like his surroundings. As we approached people, perhaps they would cringe at his odiferous aura. It was obvious that he was messed up. People, when God shows up in your life, he gives you a change of clothes. That is an amazing message that brings joy and praise.

4. The Amazing Message of Joy & Praise

                  the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

I love this part of our scripture. Jesus said his coming brought oil of gladness instead of mourning. There is a time to stop mourning and start praising! There is a time to get up off that bed and start singing. I needed to hear this in my life. When your world comes crashing down around you, it is easy to just lay there, broken- crumbled. Then God comes and dumps a little of His oil on your head- the oil of His love- and you start to rise.

Now, don’t let the enemy trick you here. Don’t listen to the stupid lies he speaks to your heart! Stand UP! Lift your arms to Jesus and cry out! As you begin to move in the garment of praise, swimming in the sea of the oil of gladness, that despair and mourning drops off like a bad apple. Praise God!!!

I find the relationship to garments- clothing- is interesting for us all. Look at what Zechariah has to say,

1 Then he showed me Joshua [a] the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan [b] standing at his right side to accuse him. 2 The LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?"

3 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. 4 The angel said to those who were standing before him, "Take off his filthy clothes."    Then he said to Joshua, "See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put rich garments on you." Zech 3:1-3

Notice how Joshua was perceived. He was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before God. I know that feeling. But look at God’s reaction. He told that old devil to SHUT HIS MOUTH!!!!!! Then he commanded the angels to re-dress Joshua. God is ready to put on you that new outfit – that “go to town” suit. Amazing!!!!!

Why is all of this so important and how does it apply to us? As Jesus spoke those words in the temple that day, He was also granting to us a commission. “This mission, if you choose to accept it” (statement from Mission Impossible) is to take the Amazing Message Jesus spoke and share it with everyone we know. It is our message too.

Jesus told his followers,

          “21Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you!  As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." John 20:21

As God sent Jesus, so Jesus is sending us into the world around us. That is Amazing! Let’s all be quick to respond to this call.