Sunday 15th September – Awake and Listening – Pastor Adrian Kitson

It is hard to be confident in things at the moment. It is hard to be confident about lots of things – the world’s future, the Christian church’s future, the LCANZ future, this Lutheran community across the Barossa, my own future when it comes to health or career, or relationship wellness with everyone. It is tempting to switch off and lock out things – even ‘God-things’.

What can give us confidence in who God has created us to be, called us to be, directed us to do without fear or favour, in season and out of season trusting that our future is sure in him in matter what becomes of the world, the church, the Barossa the family the career the money or me?

Isaiah speaks of this mysterious figure he named as ‘The Suffering Servant’. In his weighty and emotive prophetic poetry made up of three distinct parts, there are four prophecies that centre on this ‘Suffering Servant. Out text is one of those words.

There are a few ideas on who this Suffering Servant is. Maybe he is the people of God themselves who are now in Babylon in exile, or maybe some general figure layered into Isaiah’s words, or a real person who was never named, or maybe Jesus himself.

However you read him, this Suffering Servant seems to be in Isaiah’s words to do one thing: give God’s people confidence in his presence with them now, in their really precarious situation in exile, and into their unknown future.

This person is blameless, even though he suffers much.

He was able to face suffering like this because:

Isaiah makes it abundantly clear that this faith in the Lord as close and protective to his people was the faith Israel failed to live in. It is why they have ended up in exile from their homeland, worshipping community, their faith, their way of life, their hope for any kind of God-blessed future, as far as they could see it.

I don’t blame them. Who wouldn’t have doubt in such strenuous and uncertain times?!

In this long prophetic word of Isaiah, God reminds his people that he had entered into a covenant relationship with this people he had created from endless slavery. He promised to use these chosen people in his mission for his world – that they be a light to all peoples. God even willingly entered into an everlasting covenant with the house of David to ensure this mission continued.

But, here they are now – in exile. The glory days of kingdom and temple are gone. No David, no house of the Lord, no celebrations, no family gathering, … no faith?

Isaiah hits the people between the eyes as to why they have ended up in the seemingly hope-less situation.

How have they broken this relationship?

Religious ‘going through the motions’:

Practicing injustice:

Godly morals gone:

Sounds like a running commentary on what can and does appear within our own our community!

A ‘religious’ life attached to the outward things of faith more than the relationship with our God of this new covenant signed in Jesus’ blood.

People partnering with how the world attempts ‘fix’ its problems through alliances to sure up control, political manoeuvring, more technological mastery, more grabbing for self-help and human ideas of life than living under God’s word of life gifted by his Spirit to anyone who would listen.

Moral failure? Oh boy! We know what that is in the community and in the church so often too!

It is hard to be confident in our faith and our life and church and future. I guess it always has been that way for Christians of all times. But in these times, both as a Western democracy and a little Lutheran Community in this country, the times seems tense and particularly unsettled.

Recently I was listening to a podcast that was an interview with probably one of the prime New Testament scholars of our time – NT Wright. He was saying that he does not think that the world situation has been so tense or unsure since those days of the Cuban missile crisis in the 60’s.

What is Isaiah saying to a people under the pump? They have lost it all. The country has been invaded, the capital city destroyed, most of the nation have been dragged off to another country …

What can help us in less frightening times? Where do we rest? What kind of God do we have and where is he at work in me and us in all we face?

Hear him speak to your anxious weary of bad news heart now:

That is the Suffering Servant’s goal for you – to awaken you each day and give you a word that encourages your weary body mid and spirit. the weary, not demands more of the weary. He awakens you and gets you into that posture of learning, being a follower; a disciple – learning his words of life…. His intention through it all is to enable you to be awake and listening to him.

Yes, he tells the ugly truth of you and us, but for the goal of encouraging not damaging you – for gifting you with good not demanding you be good all by yourself.

What is his good word?

Whatever happens in life, world and church, we people of grace by faith in this Suffering Servant can trust that ‘we will never be put to shame’ like he fully was on that cross. Yes, we may face disparaging words, hurtful words, even persecutions but even these are not things of shame for those who are in Christ – alive in his grace and love and under his authority being taught by his Word.

This means that we do not have to act in fear or revenge or competitiveness and control. We are already free from shame because he has taken our shame as he forgives us again and again be his word of Absolution and his wonderful healing meal of holiness we share.

There is no angry or dark or disruptive place that this Suffering Servant is not in. In any place you have a protector from all evil accusation and all the evil one’s evil accusations that have the goal of trying to shame you. You will never be put to shame because you have a constant protector who is close.

That last line is important. Accusations will wear thin like an old T-Shirt eventually wears out.

The Suffering Servant has taken the accusations for you into his own body as they hurled insults at him and pulled out his beard. The grace of Jesus will outlast the barbs of Satan.

So friends, I hear three good news things from Jesus, this Suffering Servant today.

He longs to give you daily words that encourage your weary soul. Today is another one of those encouraging words for your spirit.

Whatever happens in life and church, you have a protector of flaming arrows of accusation, and an advocate that will overcome them all with wonderful grace. You do not need to be anxious about being shamed. You have been named and claimed by this Servant Christ.

And as a result you can live free of revenge or controlling or relying on human things to fix things …

No, Paul says

And that is the hope.

Can you see?

This is the life God always longed for his people to enjoy and do. Living awake and listening each day is how we be the light we are always meant to be, in whatever conflict, difference, or sense of insecurity about world; church, relationships or self.

Is your confidence in Him rising?

We have a future and it is him.

Familiar words:

And that is the hope.

Can you see?

This is the life God always longed for his people to enjoy and do. Living awake and listening each day is how we be the light we are always meant to be, in whatever conflict, difference, or sense of insecurity about world; church, relationships or self.

Is your confidence in Him rising?

We have a future and it is him.

Familiar words:

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