Sermon on Isaiah 49 – Let Your Light Shine!

It’s agame that was created by Milton Bradley in 1860 known as the Game of Life. A game that supposedly takes players down the road of life. One of the first decisions a player needs to make is whether to go to college or head right out into the business world. If a player chooses the college route, their career is decided by the spin of the wheel with adoctor or lawyer having the highest salary and a journalist or teacher having the lowest. Marriage, having children, buying a house, and investing for the future are all a part of the Game of Life. A game that ends with retirement, whether that be at Millionaire Estates for the rich or Countryside Acres for the poor. The winner is decided bythe player with the most money going along with the popular notion that,“he who dies with the most toys wins.”

Could you imagine if your life was decided by chance and the spin of the wheel? What you would do for a living. Whether or not you would marry. How many kids you would have.Where you would end up in the end.Thankfully our lives aren’t decided by chance as the psalmist David writes, “all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”Through the prophet JeremiahGod tells us,“I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” How comforting to know that no matter where life might take us, no matter what twists and turns our lives might take, we have a God who is guiding and directing and blessing our lives for our good and to his glory.

Whether or not you’ve ever played the Game of Life created by Milton Bradley, did you know what you wanted to be in life from little on? Most children have some ideas, but how many grow up to actually fulfill them? Jesus did. In our text for today we once again take a look at this Servant of the Lord as recorded by the prophet Isaiah. We see that Jesus knew exactly what he wanted to be and do when he grew up. It wasn’t something he had to think about or grow into. No, as Paul tells, “this grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.”Isaiah tells us,“Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the Lord called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name. He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver” Before time began, Jesus was chosen to be the Savior of the world. Yes, as God laid the foundations of the earth, he knew it would cost him the life of his Son, and yet he did it anyway.How great is God’s love for us! May God’s love for you in Christ continue to be your motivation to, Let Your Light Shine! I. Following your Savior’s example. II. Trusting your Savior’s promise.

There was never any doubt in Jesus’ mind when it came to his mission and purpose in life. Even as a twelve year old boy we see him in his Father’s house faithfully carrying out his Father’s business, telling his worried sick parents,“Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”Jesus was always about his Father’s business as he once told his disciples,“As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world….Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

A lot of time, a lot of hours, a lot of work, a lot of walking to get that message out.It’s believed that the average American walks about 3 to 4 thousand steps a day. Some experts believe that if we increased that amount to 10,000, we’d be a whole lot happier and healthier.A Bible scholar once added up all the miles Jesus walked while here on earth based on the places and distances recorded for us in Scripture. The distance he came up with was about 25,000 miles,roughly the equivalent of walking around the world. Fitting when you think about the truth that it was the world he came to save. But even this Bible scholar admitted that this was a very conservative figure, because as John writes, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”

Scripture records the great lengths to which Jesus was willing to go to save sinners like you and me. Sinners who often find it difficult to go to the “great lengths” of picking up Scripture to read it for a few minutes a day. Sinners who often find it difficult to go out of our way to lend a hand when it’s needed because it might inconvenience us or involve sacrifices we really don’t feel like making. Sinners who get excited if a football game goes into overtime, but get upset when church goes longer than an hour. Sinners who often find it easy to criticize but difficult to compliment. Sinners who grumble and complain when life takes its negative twists and turns but fail to give praise and thanks to God when life takes its positive twists and turns. Sinners who often fail to realize that without Jesus and the great lengths and great sacrifice he made for us, the game of life should rightfully end in hell,not Millionaire Estates or Countryside Acres.

Was there ever a more faithful and dedicated Servant of the Lord than Jesus? No. And if we’ve ever thought that things we do must bring us pretty close, the prophet Isaiah reminds us, “even our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” Thankfully the Servant of the Lord comes to us again and again to remind us what he’s done to save us and make us righteous. In our text he says,“And now the Lord says – he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord and my God has been my strength – he says: It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” One of the great truths of the season of Epiphany is that Jesus is the Savior of all people. Even people whose lives have traveled along some rather sinful and unpleasant paths. Even people whose lives find them living with shame and guilt for what they have or haven’t done in life. People like you and me of whom the Lord says, “I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more.”As John the Baptist told us in our gospel lesson for today,“Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”Through Christ’s death and resurrection all of our sins have been forgiven, eternal life in heaven is ours, and our names have been written in God’s book of life, the who’s who list of who will be in heaven.

Your reason and motivation to continue to let your light shine no matter how dark it might get in the world around you. From the mouth of the Light of the World comes the reminder that,“you are the light of the world…let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Through faith in Jesus, we are not only children of God, we have the privilege of being part of God’s work! Even though we might feel that our labor in the Lord is sometimes in vain. Even Jesus, the Servant of the Lord,was tempted to despair. In our text he tells us, “I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing.” Jesus worked day after day, week after week, month after month doing his Heavenly Father’s work. Preaching, teaching, going without food, without sleep, without rest and relaxation. Thankfully, many repented and turned back to God. Unfortunately, many more didn’t. The first year of his ministry found very few people knowing who he was. The second year of his ministry found a popularity explosion as many more sought him out, even though it might have been more for the miracles than the message. The third year of his ministry found many people rejecting him because he hadn’t lived up to their expectations. After telling people he was the Bread of Life and the only way to heaven, John tells us,“many of his disciples said, ‘This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?’ From this time on many turned back and no longer followed him.” When Jesus asked the Twelve if they wanted to leave too, it was Simon Peter who answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Ever feel frustrated and disappointed because people didn’t seem to be listening to you? Ever feel that your labor in the Lord seems to be in vain? Jesus knows how you feel. But what Jesus experienced at times didn’t lead him to quit or throw in the towel, rather it strengthened him to say,“what is due me is in the Lord’s hand, and my reward is with God.”Whether it’s sharing God’s Word with family, friends, neighbors, coworkers and the like. Whether it’s doing the work God calls us to do here at Good Shepherd or in life, the apostle Paul reminds us, “our labor in the Lord is not in vain.”Our labor in the Lord won’t always bring immediate results. How God blesses our labor is ultimately up to him, but he promises that he will bless our labor according to his will and his will is always best.

At times we might have the tendency to criticize others for what they are or aren’t doing, but God doesn’t ask us to evaluate what he requires of others.No, through the prophet Micah he asks,“what does the Lord require of you?” His answer?“To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”The kind of humility that puts the needs of others before my own, following the example of my Savior and trusting my Savior’s promise to bless. If Jesus walked in here and asked for something to eat, I’m guessing we’d have the whole church running down 63rd street to get something for him. If Jesus walked in here and asked for volunteers to serve on a committee he’d like to form, I’m guessing we’d have the whole church lining up to be first on that list.If only we had opportunities like that! We do, for as Jesus himself tells us, “whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

Do these words sound familiar? “The Lord seeks faithfulness from all who serve, as Scripture says, ‘It is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.’ The Lord does not seek from us what he has not given to us. But when he does give a gift, his will is that we use it faithfully to his glory and for the benefit of his people.” Those are the words by which we install the members of our Ministry Coordinating Council. The same words that could be applied to each and every one of us as together we do the work our Lord calls us to do. Dear friends in Christ, let your light shine, following your Savior’s example, trusting your Savior’s promise to bless.

Amen.