God's Chosen Servant

Website Editor • November 25, 2020

There are hundreds of Old Testament prophecies that point directly to Jesus: Genesis foretold that Jesus would be born from the family of Abraham. Micah foretold that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. Isaiah foretold that Jesus would be born of a virgin.

In our passage this week (Matthew 12:15-21), after Jesus withdraws from conflict, Matthew points to another very specific prophecy from Isaiah:

“Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,

   my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.

I will put my Spirit upon him,

  and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
He will not quarrel or cry aloud,

  nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;

a bruised reed he will not break,

  and a smoldering wick he will not quench,

until he brings justice to victory;

  and in his name the Gentiles will hope.” 


- Matthew 12:18-21/ Isaiah 42:1-4

Matthew references Isaiah -- the longest OT quote in his gospel -- to show Jesus as God's chosen servant, the Promised One who would be loved by God; filled with the Spirit; and a beacon of hope to all nations.


This passage makes clear that Jesus is chosen and commended by the Father. He was eternally chosen and loved. It also tells us that Jesus is commissioned by the Spirit (a striking reference to the Trinity), and that He comes to bring Hope.


As Pastor Ryan said on Sunday, “this passage challenges us to think deeply about the sovereignty of God and His providence. Nothing in scripture or in life happens by accident, it is all according to His plan and purpose. This passage also reminds us of God’s great love and pursuit of the broken-hearted.”


With a tender heart for the bruised reeds and smoldering wicks of the world, Jesus is revealed as God of great mercy and compassion. (What great news this is for us!)


The truth is that we live in a broken world and we FEEL it. Like the man with the withered hand, the adulteress, the bleeding woman, or even Peter -- we are hurting, bruised, and aching emotionally and physically.


The good news is that Jesus meets us where we are and that He cares deeply for us. He relentlessly pursues us despite our shortcomings. He is tender and compassionate toward us, offering hope and comfort.


Psalm 34:18 tells us, "the Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit."


Those who have smoldering wicks are also in a vulnerable position. These are people who are spiritually tired, worn out, and barely hanging on. People like the woman who anointed Jesus' feet, or the man in Mark 9 who asks Jesus to help him with his unbelief.


Jesus assures us that "blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God." These are so often people who are barely hanging on, but recognize their complete dependency on God -- knowing that apart from Him they can do nothing.


Pastor Ryan said, "God so often uses His Word, His Spirit, and His people to fan the flame of His people. If your spiritual flame is barely hanging on… that’s ok! If you have a flame at all, it’s because God put it there. Draw close to Him. Keep going. He will give you what you need.”


The best news in all this is that Jesus is not only God’s chosen servant, He’s your servant.


Matthew 20:28 says, “For the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve.”


It would have been easy for Jesus to just toss us aside. But instead, He came to us as a servant and served us by living a perfect life; humbling Himself in obedience to death on a cross; and dying the death we deserved so that we might have life and relationship with Him.


When we put our faith and trust in Jesus, we give our lives to Him. And so:


   ...just as Jesus is chosen and commended by the Father: so are we.


   ...just as Jesus is commissioned by the Spirit: so are we.


   ...just as Jesus came to offer Hope: so are we.


As followers of Christ, let us remember what it's like to be bruised and broken so we can share our Hope with others.


Seeing Jesus as the fulfillment of this prophecy in Isaiah reminds us that God is in control. Nothing is random. Nothing is outside His plan and purpose. We can trust that no matter the circumstances, He is working things together for good. He will not toss us aside.


What great hope we have in Jesus.


..


Watch this sermon here. 

Freed to Serve

April 28, 2025
Notes from Scott Sutton's sermon on Sunday, April 27, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 2:11-17 This is the beginning of a section addressing how God's people now function in this world. It begins with aliens and exiles and continues with servants, wives, husbands, and finally, all of you. 1.) Our identity defines our actions. We are sojourners and exiles (temporary, passing through, not at home) We have a heavenly citizenship Actions We abstain from the passions of the flesh Keep conduct among the Gentiles honorable (our conduct is for the benefit of other people) Honorable conduct wins souls… sojourners, exiles, and soul winners “Peter’s point is that believers’ behavior creates a context in which people will listen to God’s word. He is not teaching that ‘good deeds’ in themselves convert unbelievers, but they establish an environment for the Gospel-word to do so.” -Barnett 2.) Our identity defines our expectations (Unbelievers will respond to honorable conduct in 1 of 2 ways) Some will speak evil against us as though we are evildoers Some will see our good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation 3.) Our identity defines our view of authority (Does anyone here ever just want to do whatever you want to do, whenever you want to do it? That’s why laws exist) Be subject to every human institution (for the Lord's sake) This includes governors and emperors (no distinction between good/bad) The will of God... by doing good, we silence the ignorance of foolish people 4.) Our identity defines our view of freedom Don't use freedom as a cover-up for evil We are freed to serve God Honor, Love, and Fear Discipleship Questions: 1.)Why is it so important to understand our identity before talking about our behavior? 2.) How might this reality impact your parenting? For real, what are 3 ways that you can apply that this week? 3.) How is good conduct a form of evangelism? 4.) What do these verses say that we can expect from others? 5.) How can we honor a government that isn't always honorable? Seriously, what are 5 things we should immediately stop doing and 5 things we should immediately start doing? 6.) What are some tangible ways to honor others? Love the brotherhood? Fear God? Honor the Emperor? 7.) Should we fear the Emperor?

Cornerstone

April 22, 2025
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, April 20, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 2:4-10 Everyone must accept or reject Jesus. He is the cornerstone. We choose to accept Him as the foundation of our lives or toss the truth aside. When we come to Jesus… We become part of His People 1 Pe 2:4-5 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. The cornerstone is The New Temple. From this we learn that following Christ entails joining his community, the church…The freelance Christian, who follows Jesus but is too good, too busy, or too self-sufficient for the church, is a walking contradiction. -Daniel M. Doriani We join a royal, holy, priesthood 1 Pet. 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Because of who Jesus makes us. We receive God’s mercy Fallen man is not simply an imperfect creature who needs improvement: he is a rebel who must lay down his arms….Now repentance is no fun at all. It is something much harder than merely eating humble pie. It means unlearning all the self-conceit and self-will that we have been training ourselves into for thousands of years. It means undergoing a kind of death. Acts 17:30-31 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” Discipleship Questions: Why is it impossible to be neutral about Jesus? Why do you believe that Jesus truly is the Son of God? Do you ever have doubts about this? If yes, what are they? According to 1 Peter 2:9, who are we after we come to Christ? Why does Paul say (in 1 Corinthians) that if Christ is not risen, our faith is in vain?

Born Again

April 16, 2025
Notes from Scott Sutton's sermon on Sunday, April 13, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 2:2-3 Why do our souls ache for certainty? We are so eager for certainty that we will look for it in all the wrong places. - Certainty in our Finances [show slide from news] - Certainty in our Jobs [Acts 17:24-27] - Certainty in our Health [Covid] - Certainty in our Abilities [Ecclesiastes 3:11 “God has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.”] “Things that have never happened before are happening every day.” -Morgan Housel In these verses, God gives us what our souls ache for! 1.) You must be born again of imperishable seed - We have all been born of perishable seed o Impure souls o Disobedient to truth o Unloving insincerity toward others o Lack of loving effort o Impure hearts - We are withering grass and falling flowers - The imperishable seed is the living and abiding Word of God o Does not wither o Does not fall o Does not let us down o It remains forever o It MUST BE PREACHED! But still, how can we be certain that we have been born again? 2.) If you are born again, hope will be seen in your relationships When your relationship with God changes, God changes your relationships! - Sincere brotherly love - Love earnestly - Put away… o Malice o Deceit o Hypocrisy o Envy o All Slander 3.) If you are born again, hope will be seen in your appetite for God’s Word - Like newborn infants - Long for the pure spiritual milk Discipleship Questions: 1.) Where are some unhealthy places where you look for certainty? 2.) Why do you do that? 3.) What were some evidences of your perishable seed before you came to Christ? Any of that still lingering that needs to be repented from? 4.) Why does Peter call the Word of God the imperishable seed? 5.) In light of the text, how would you describe being "born again" to a 5-year-old? 6.) How has imperishable hope proven itself in your relationships? OR How might it if you lean into loving others earnestly? 7.) Why does Peter tell us that hope will be seen in our appetite for God's Word?
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