An Unlikely Route To Glory Isaiah 53:10-12 Isaiah 61:1-7 Philippians 2:5-11 Mark 10:42-45 1 Peter 5:6-7 12.23.20

 

AN UNLIKEY ROUTE TO GLORY

BREAD

¹⁰ Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. ¹¹ After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. ¹² Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:10-12 (NIV)

 

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. ⁴ They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. ⁵ Aliens will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. ⁶ And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. ⁷ Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs.  Isaiah 61:1-7 (NIV)

⁵ Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: ⁶ Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, ⁷ but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross! ⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11 (NIV)

 

⁴² Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ⁴³ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴ and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”   Mark 10:42-45 (NIV)

 

⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.   1 Peter 5:6-7 (NIV)

BUTTER

 

“We are promised glory — if we will suffer with him as it says in Romans 8:17. The way up is down. The way forward is backward. The way to success is through divinely appointed setbacks. They will always look and feel like failure.”   John Piper

“When Naomi arrived in Bethlehem after her sorrowful sojourn in Moab, she could not see a harvest from her tears. It all looked like a tragedy; like ‘vanity and striving after wind’ (Ecclesiastes 1:14).  That’s how it looked. That’s how it felt. But that’s not how it was.  In reality, all of the ups and downs in Naomi’s life—the famine, the move to Moab, the deaths of Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion, Ruth’s loyalty, Naomi’s return at barley harvest, Boaz, and the kinsman who chose not to redeem Ruth—all of these events played parts in God’s plan to redeem millions and weave a Moabite into the royal, Messianic bloodline.  The bigger story of redemption was far bigger than they imagined. Even though they were in the middle of the story, none of them could see it from their vantage point.  We must remember this perspective in our times of desolation, grief and loss.  How things appear to us, and how they actually are, are rarely the same.  Sometimes it looks and feels like the Almighty is dealing “very bitterly” with us, when all the while He is doing us and many others more good than we could have imagined.  God’s purposes in the lives of His children are always gracious. Always.  If they don’t look like it, don’t trust your perceptions.  Trust God’s promises.  He is always fulfilling His promises.”   Jon Bloom

“All God’s ways are loving even if we cannot readily discern that with our eyes of flesh.  None of us can see the entire picture yet God makes known from the beginning from ancient times what is yet to come.  His purposes will stand and He will do all that He pleases.  He is a good and loving and faithful God Who only allows what is best for every heir of mercy.  We can trust Him with our lives.”   BHY

 

“‘Can you raise your voice to the clouds and cover yourself with a flood of water?  Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?  Do they report to you, ‘Here we are?’  And in that moment God met me with the comfort of His Word….Here in one verse of Scripture, God answers Job’s questions regarding suffering, with His own question. And not just one question. Three questions in two verses. In fact, reading Job 38:1-42:6, God actually asks Job more than seventy questions! The questions were given not to answer the mystery of Job's suffering nor to vindicate God Himself. They were intended to help Job realize that God's ways are higher than man’s ways and that He is worthy of complete trust even in the most desperate of circumstances.  Even Jesus when he was dying on the cross asked, ‘My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?’ We don't know why. But if you know the ‘Who,’ it makes the ‘What’ and the ‘Why’ less overwhelming.  When we don't know the ‘Why?’ go back to what we do know. We know God is sovereign; God is wise; and that He loves us. Trust Him.”  Donna Evans

“Even though we may be in a rush to see God's purposes fulfilled in our lives, He is not. We may feel like our current season of life is a waste, but God wastes nothing. God is certainly not the author of evil, but He is so gracious that He will transform dismal circumstances into opportunities for blessing. By the time Joseph was reunited with his brothers, he had realized this Truth: ‘You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives’ (Genesis 50:20).”   Michael Yousef

“When your perceptions tell you something different than God’s promises, always, always, always trust God’s promises over your perceptions.”  Jon Bloom

“We must not look at things in their confused state, but in the outcome.  Look upon Joseph in prison, and here is a horrible scandal.  Where is God’s providence watching over the poor your man?  O but now look at him next to Pharaoh!  Consider Lazarus at the rich man’s door, and there is a scandal, but then look at him in Abraham’s bosom.  Consider Christ arraigned before Pilate and crucified; here is a great scandal, but stay awhile.  See Him at the right hand of God ruling, and all principalities and powers subjected under His feet.  Thus the Word teaches us not to look upon things only in the present, but to see the outcome when God directs all things to a sweet end.”  Richard Sibbes   

HEART SAVOR 

·         God’s thoughts are not our thoughts nor His ways our ways – they are so far above them – as far as the heavens are above the earth.  His will for our lives is good and pleasing and perfect though often extraordinarily difficult.  Don’t kick against His best because you are blinded to what His hand is doing.  He is up to something good not the least of which is conforming us into the image of His Son.

·         The way up is down.   

·         We are to humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand that He may lift us up in due time.