"Walk In the Way of Love"
Isaiah 35:1-10
Third Sunday of Advent, 12/16/12

Introduction: Example- If you have ever gone to Hometown Buffet, you know that one of the things that makes it fun is that there are so many choices of food and drink! My children particularly like it, because they can get a little bit on the many foods that they like to eat. Whenever we go they have a great time! They were especially excited about the opportunity to get more than one dessert. They showed great zeal in both they choosing of the foods and the eating of them.

            There are many things in life that can get us excited. That is one of the blessings of life, is that there are so many wonderful choices of what to do. But we need to be careful in how we live, so that we don’t make choices that lead us away from God. This is important, because what gets God excited is when we receive His love and share His love. God is excited when we live the way He created us to live, according to the two great commandments: love God with all your being, and love your neighbor as yourself.

I.                   The Love of God Saves You- (2 Kings 10:15-16; Matthew 9:12; John 4:34-35; Isaiah 35:3-6)

a.      Jehu’s Zeal for the Lord- Let me introduce you to someone in the

Bible that you might not have heard of; his name is Jehu. Now Jehu was King of Israel. But he was a king who was reckless and wild. This recklessness was seen in his driving. On one occasion he sealed a friendship over a chariot ride. This is how it happened: “….he (Jehu) met Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him;

            and he greeted him and said to him, ‘Is your heart right, as my heart is

            with your heart?’ And Jehonadab answered, ‘It is.’ Jehu said, ‘If it is,

            give me your hand.’ And he gave him his hand, and he took him up to

            him into the chariot. And he said, ‘Come with me and see my zeal for

            the Lord.’ So he made him ride in his chariot.”(2 Kings 10:15-16)

Now if you think about it, this story should make you laugh. Here Jehonadab meets the king, and he gets a taste of the wild driving habits of the king. In fact, King Jehu’s driving was so well known, that when others drove wildly, they were said to have been driving ‘like the driving of Jehu, son of Nimshi.’ Or others versions say that he drove like a madman.

            Now those who have gone to one of our Alpha retreats tend to think that I drive a little wild. I disagree, but it has been said by others that I do. I know we all have times when we get a little wild behind the wheel. The other day I  came across some hymns for those who speed: When you are driving 45 mph, a good hymn would be: “God Will Take Care of You”;  for 55 mph- “Guide Me, O Thou

            Great Jehovah”;            for 65 mph- “Nearer, My God, To Thee”;            

For 75 mph- “Nearer, Still Nearer!”;             for 85 mph- “This World Is Not My Home”; for 95 mph- “Lord, I’m Coming Home”; and over for 100 mph- “Precious Memories.”

Now we laugh at this, but what is important is that Jehu had a zeal for life. And this zeal, this wildness, came out in His love for the Lord. It is important to not only feel God’s love, but to express God’s love in a visible, passionate way. A way that shows others that you have zeal for the Lord.

            Think about this idea of zeal. Didn’t Jesus show us great zeal? Didn’t Jesus express excitement in His love for us? Jesus lived His life on the edge. He didn’t shy away from situations, but put Himself into situations that gave Him the opportunity to share what He was passionate about; PEOPLE! EX. 1- Jesus went to eat at

Matthew’s house, a tax collector, a sinner. When He was confronted about this, His answer, which is seen in Matthew 9:12 was this: “…. ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor,

but the sick.” Jesus wasn’t concerned with what others might think of His actions. He ate with sinners because it was what He was there to do!

                        EX. 2- When Jesus had a discussion with a Samaritan woman, the

                                    disciples were quite surprised. They didn’t want to know why  

                                    Jesus was doing this. Instead of asking Jesus why He chose to  

                                    do this, they pretty much ignored this, and told Him He needed

                                    to get something to eat. His response, seen in John 4:34-35,

                                    “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish

his work. Do you not say. ‘Four months more and then the harvest?’ I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields!

They are ripe for harvest.” Again, zeal for people led Him to take time to care for the woman at the well!

b.      God will come and save you- STORY 1: Happinessce Jones (“God’s  

                                      Attention Getters,” Illus. Unlimited, p. 273, #6).

There is a renowned  concert organist named Happinessce Jones who taught at Baylor University. A number of years ago she played the first organ concert at the Crystal Cathedral (an organ that cost over $1 million dollars at the time. She didn’t start out being an organist, however. At the age of 16, while a piano major at the University of Texas, she sprained her wrist. The sprain was so severe that she couldn’t play the piano for six weeks. Not wanting to waste the time, she decided to learn to play the organ pedals with her feet, and a new career was born!

                                    STORY 2- “Building Character,” Illus. Unlimited, p. 9, #14.

Let me tell you a second story. In the northeastern United States codfish are a big commercial business. The demand for codfish all around the country is great. Because of this, there was a problem trying to ship the codfish without it going bad. At first they froze the cod to ship it, but then the freeze took away much of the flavor. Then they tried to ship them alive, in tanks of seawater, but that was far too expensive, and the cod still lost its flavor. Finally, some creative person came up with the most innovative idea. The codfish were placed in the tank of water along with their natural enemy—the catfish. From the time the cod left the East Coast until it arrived at is westernmost destination, the catfish chased the cod. When the cod arrived at the market they were as fresh as when they were first caught!

You may feel frustrated because you have had some hurt happen in your life; you may feel confused over a situation you cannot solve, and this might cause you to doubt is God loves you. Don’t ever doubt that God loves you, because God uses these situations in our lives to get our attention, to wake us up, to challenge us, and to help us grow. God is always coming to save us. It started with the baby, Jesus, coming to this earth to give us light, to give us hope, to bring to us God’s love. It continues when we accept Jesus as our savior, and say that we love Him. And it continues more when we see God’s active love in our lives.

            As the prophet Isaiah says in 35:5-6, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be

                        opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall

                        leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.”

When we give ourselves over to God, God is ever with us, ever coming to us to save us.

II.                The Love of God Guides Your Path- (Isaiah 35:7-10)

a.      The road for God’s people- My in-laws have some Christian friend

who are living in Jerusalem. Now think about this, Jerusalem is not an easy place to be right now. Well, these missionaries, Mack and Cathy McCoy have an e-mail newsletter that goes out and tells about what is going on and how God is working in and through them. I would like to read to you an excerpt from their newsletter: “This morning Cathy and I looked death in the face and only God know if we will ever be the same. At moments like these, ones mind rushes through many thoughts and the ordinary things we are usually concerned with just disappear. You ask why you are doing what you are doing; why are we living in Jerusalem. You begin to think about how you could have done more with your life.

            This morning Cathy and I were going to meet a friend downtown, so we were taking the same bus, and would separate near downtown. Shortly after we got on the bus a police car sped by, then the traffic stopped. As the bus inched around the corner, things still seemed normal, but down the street several cars were parked strange. The bus continued to creep forward. We could see 2 people lay in the middle of the street, about thirty feet apart with a couple of pedestrians bending over them. Just then the bus rounded the corner and in full view, maybe 20 feet away, was a blown apart bus.

            The emotions of the moment were many: sadness, anger, hopelessness, and if I, one who can jump on the next plane out of here, feel these, what about the ones who can’t leave. This madness is so rooted in history. And this is why I ask myself, can I do more? Should I yell and scream from the roof tops: Christians, wake up? There are almost 2 billion Christians worldwide, and with some effort we could make a great difference in the world!”

            How can you make a difference with your life? The love of God leads us down this path. The love of God causes us to ask this question. It is different for everyone, not necessarily being a missionary, not necessarily called to go to Jerusalem, but we are all called to make a difference. We are all called to travel that road of love that God puts us on; to share God’s love with others. As the prophet Isaiah says in Isaiah 35:8- “A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God’s people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray.”

b.      Sorrow and sighing shall flee away- No one will go astray. Not even

fools. What great words these are! The path of God leads us by His love. His love, which desires the best for us; His love, which desires for us to be safe in His arms; His love, which desires for us to not be confused.

             Sometimes, however, we are confused. How is it that we are confused? We are confused when we don’t think that God is with us, whatever we may be going through. We are confused when we think that we have to be successful. We are confused when we think that we have to have a lot of possessions to be happy. We are confused when we let our sorrow and grief paralyze us. As Isaiah 35:10 says, “….everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

            There isn’t anything that you have gone through, are going through, or will go through that God can’t handle. There isn’t anything that is greater than God’s power. There isn’t anything that stumps God. God knows how to deal with anything and everything that comes into your life. God’s love can break all barriers, and bring you to that place where all sorrow flees.

            And on top of that, if you would take the time to share the love of God that you have received with others, that too will be the most profound experience of your life. Every time I have seen someone struggling with their self-esteem, or overwhelming problems, when they share God’s love with another, and help another, their sorrow flees, and they catch a glimpse of heaven.

Conclusion: Do you know how much God loves you? Do you really understand God’s love? I think the honest answer for us would have to be no. There is no real way to understand the depth of God’s love. This was the apostle Paul’s hope, as he said in Ephesians 3:17-18, “…. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.”

            The closest thing for me that helps me to grasp this concept, is the love I have for my children. I often asked them, “Do you know how much I love you.” And their answer is: “Yes. You love me to heaven and back.” But they really can’t know what I feel for them.

            We really can’t know what God feels for us. But knowing that it is greater than my love for my children, then I know that it is incredible. And that is why God chose to come into this world, wrapped in human skin, and live among us. That is why God chose to leave heaven, and dwell on earth. That is why God so desires for us to love others. Because He loves us!

            What is Christmas all about? It is about understanding the love of God, and finding ways to reach beyond ourselves to love those around us. Not just those we like; not just those we feel comfortable with; but sharing love whenever we have the chance.           

May the love of God touch you today, and change your world,

so that you can change the world around you! Amen.