Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20030525.htm

JESUS CHRIST IN OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY
Part XXXIX: Sampling NOW The Blessings Of Christ's Future Kingdom
(Isaiah 11:10 with Romans 15:12)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

Many people have pressing needs that must be met NOW, but whose solutions seem to be practically unreachable:

(1) Last week, our government raised the terror alert from the third to the second highest level due to recent terrorist activity.

CAN the terrorist problem that NEEDS to be solved NOW to save many lives EVER be solved, or ARE we going to have to live with it from now on?

(2) In the May 21st Investor's Business Daily paper, Thomas F. Siems, a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas warned in an article the government must NOW let "workers redirect some of their payroll taxes into individually owned, privately invested retirement accounts" or the Social Security Trust Fund in 39 years will "be exhausted, with expenditures exceeding tax income by 27%."

Yet, even with such a high-ranking Federal Reserve Bank official warning for immediate action, congress is practically inactive on the matter. With such inaction by lawmakers, CAN there be a solution for the NEXT generation's retirement challenges?

(4) Even in "reality TV" shows about young adults who are SEEKING marital partners, unmet goals are the norm! Well, all but one of these prospective spouses are eliminated by the selecting bachelor or bachelorette, making these shows full of pain!

Last Sunday night, May 18th, the last woman eliminated by the bachelor in one such program was shown riding away from her rejection in the stretch limo, bitterly claiming she was "sick" at considering the bachelor was now proposing to the other girl!

IS it POSSIBLE for one TODAY to MEET a REALLY QUALITY partner for marriage without taking a HUGE chance at pain and tears? IF so, HOW?



In a world where our economic, emotional, mental and spiritual shortages NEED to be MET, CAN they ever REALLY be MET?! IF so, WHERE and HOW?



(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )



Need: "Some people I know have very PRESSING but seemingly INSURMOUNTABLE economic, legal, mental, emotional, physical or spiritual needs! IS there any way these URGENT but OVERWHELMING needs can be met in a meaningful way? How?"
  1. The RISEN Jesus told His disciples on the road to Emmaus how He fulfilled Old Testament Messianic prophecies, Luke 24:25-27.
  2. As these men were edified by Christ's teaching of those passages (Luke 24:32), we also view them, following the list of prophecies named in the Ryrie Study Bible, KJV , s. v. "Messianic Prophecies."
  3. Where Isaiah 11:10 with Romans 15:12 predict the FUTURE and MESSIANIC KINGDOM BLESSINGS of Christ's reign, and as we know from other New Testament passages how we can taste much of its fulness TODAY, we discern HOW we may DO so as follows:
    1. We know from Isaiah 11:10 and its context Jesus Christ will be worshiped in the Messianic Kingdom as "God-come-in-the-flesh:"
      1. Isaiah 11:10a tells us of the Root of king David's father, Jesse.
      2. This Root is Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God in Revelation 5:5-6: as such, Christ is the divine CAUSE of David's line as GOD.
      3. Well, this Jesus is also portrayed in Isaiah 11:1 as the Rod which grows up out of the stump of Jesse, meaning He is the offspring of the man, Jesse Who will reign on David's throne, Luke 1:31-32: as such, Christ is the human SON of David as MAN.
      4. Since Jesus as the God-man will stand "in that day," the day of the Messianic Kingdom blessings described in Isaiah 11:3-9, Christ's Incarnate identity will be well-understood in the Messianic reign.
      5. Well, the Gentiles will "seek" Him, a "seek" (yidroshu, cf. Kittel, Biblia Hebraica, p. 625) that refers to one's seeking GOD and His insight when one worships Him, cf. Isa. 9:13 (T.W.O.T., p. 198).
      6. Thus, the nations in the Millennial Kingdom will worship Jesus Christ as God Incarnate, or "God-come-in-the-flesh"!
    2. We know from Isaiah 11:10 that Christ will be seen as Savior -- the One Who delivers the soul from hell and the world from antichrist:
      1. Isaiah 11:10b predicts Jesus will stand up as a rallying banner of hope and help (lenaym, T.W.O.T., p. 583; Ibid., Kittel, p. 624).
      2. As Jesus will have saved these people from the antichrist's reign (cf. Rev. 4-20) because their souls will have been saved from hell through faith in Christ as Savior from sin (Rev. 7:14; 20:4), this rally will be one of joy over His spiritual and physical salvations!
    3. We know from Isaiah 11:10 and its context Christ's infinite insight will be sought by the nations: as we found the term, "seek" is used of seeking insight from God, we know the nations will clamber to hear the words of Jesus Christ for guidance and insight in their lives.
    4. We know from Isaiah 11:10 and its context that Jesus Christ will provide such a great rest from man's long-term, historically nagging problems that the depth of that rest will bring Him enormous glory:
      1. The word for "rest," minuchah pictures either a "resting place" or the state of rest, Ibid., Kittel, p. 625; Ibid., T.W.O.T. , p. 563.
      2. In this context, BOTH meanings are applicable as, at His throne in Jerusalem, Jesus Christ will offer great rest that is described not with the regular adjective, "glorious," but with the noun, "glory" for emphasis, cf. E. J. Young, Isaiah, vol. I, p. 394; Ibid., Kittel.
      3. Accordingly, Jesus will offer such a COMPLETE REST of soul to the nations that it will bring enormous glory to God Himself!
  4. Well, we know from New Testament passages many of these future Messianic blessings are COMPREHENSIVE in scope, and that they can be SAMPLED by CHRISTIANS TODAY as FOLLOWS:
    1. When one believes in Christ as His personal Savior from sin, he is forever justified and given eternal life, John 3:16; 5:24.
    2. Thus, the saved person is indwelt by the Holy Spirit and confesses by the His power Jesus is God-in-the-flesh, 1 Cor. 12:3 with 1 Jn. 4:1-4.
    3. As such, he "seeks" the guidance of Christ in His written Word, the Bible, cf. 1 Timothy 4:12-16. In so doing, God rewards the believer with rich personal encouragement and guidance, John 14:18, 21, 23.
    4. Then, heeding Hebrews 4:9-10 with its context, opposite the restless, efforts of Israel's wilderness generation to find livelihood, guidance and direction needs met on their own (Hebrews 3:7-4:9 with Exodus 2:24-Deuteronomy 34:12), the believer obeys God's Word, and GOD causes the believer REST from his own works by meeting all of the livelihood or insight needs the believer may have so he can do God's will in his earthly life, cf. also Philippians 4:19. This rest greatly glorifies God, cf. Philippians 4:10 with Isaiah 11:10c!
Lesson Application: Though our NEEDY world AWAITS the blessed world reign of Jesus Christ, INDIVIDUALS may NOW TASTE many of the NEED-MEETING BLESSINGS of that reign by (1) believing on Christ for salvation from sin (John 3:16). (2) Then, we can heed Scripture, and (3) Jesus guides and supplies all we need to live and serve Him in the process!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

 A number of us tasted of the blessings of our coming Messianic King, the Lord Jesus Christ in abundance on Saturday, May 17, 2003:

(1) May 17th was our Church Work Day, and those who could turn out to serve the Lord by cleaning the Church saw His blessings. Here are just a few of the ones I saw:

(a) At first, I had started to work in the garden in front of the Church, but lacked the tools and proficiency to clean well the flower bushes by the Church sign. So, the Lord brought along Hillary True who I later discovered works with plants in malls for a living. With her tools and experience, she did an excellent job of sprucing up those plants that I had not been able to address well!

(b) When Pete Himan removed the warped planter boxes out front, he asked if he could leave the dirt in a hollow by the big tree. I had found it difficult to negotiate that hollow while mowing the lawn, so I agreed. The dirt precisely filled up that hollow!

(c) Then, while working in the Church yard, Mike Terwilliger stopped by with a FREE, almost new queen size bed for my wife and me. So, to fill a need we had to replace our sagging king size bed, while being busy doing the Lord's will at the Church Work Day, God came through with a queen-sized bed (that also gives us more needed room in our bedroom)!

(3) Later that day, we attended Christina Orie's seminar on the family in Harwinton that she had organized to gain her Gold Award. Though Christina had originally tried to schedule other speakers, the words by the speaker who gave the Bible's truth stood out in sharp contrast to those spoken before and after that speaker by the less- or non-biblical spokespersons. This equipped spiritually needy friends of Christians present to discern that difference, opening doors to speak about God's truth! God had arranged for the details of who would speak, and when and how to meet His own discipling purposes!

So, by merely DOING the will of GOD on May 17th, ALL we NEEDED in the SPIRITUAL as well as MATERIAL realms were MET by GOD so we could ACCOMPLISH His will FOR us!

If we have not yet done so, may we BELIEVE in Christ as Savior from sin, and HEED His Word's expressed will in our LIVES. Then we will see GOD HIMSELF get involved in helping, supplying and guiding us to address all our NEEDS in the process!