SERIES: CHRISTmas Series; Isaiah season is supposed to be one of great joy and family times, there have

Message: No. 4; Isaiah 65 New Hope been or are times that we are feeling as such.
Text: Isaiah Chpt 65
Topic: God being faithful not to abandon us and gives The book of Isaiah summarizes a period of time when the people of
us Hope Israel were captured by their enemies, lost their homes, land, and
relocated to a far country. They reached out to God for a long time,
BIG IDEA: 400 yrs and heard nothing. Where is their God?

[This is the single most compelling idea that people will remember We don’t know why there was such a long period of silence; maybe
about this message when they walk away. You can bring it into the their unfaithfulness and disobedience, maybe God wanted them to
message in many ways and various places but it should be stated wait for the full answer, but He finally answered.
here to stay top of mind for the preacher. Each message is really one
Big Idea. The Main Points are supports to this Big Idea and must flow In Chpt 65 of Isaiah, God finally answers the people seeking Him for
out of it. Note: there is no right number of points but three is a helpful many prayer needs.
rule of thumb since we remember things in threes.]
(Slide 5: Read Isaiah 65:1-4)
INTRODUCTION :

(Slide 2 Boy in front of Tent in Refugee Camp) 1. God makes Himself known to All…

https://joynews.co.za/testimonies-of-god-at-work-in-muslim-world/ (Slide 6: Isiah 65:1)

We live in a world that is filled with hardship and disappointments. We We often associate God with the way that we would react to people or
may be far from this but the recent fighting in northern Syria between a situation. When we don’t like people or they do things that offend us,
the Kurds, Turkey, and the Syrian Government has displaced many we may ignore them.
including not only the Kurds but also many of the Christians who live In the same way, we may think that God is not hearing us but God is
amongst the Kurds where both groups are seen as outcasts to the still there and very involved in our lives.
Muslim society.
EXPLANATION :
Many of these refugees are asking where is God? Why is He not
answering our prayers? Just like the nation of Israel, who felt neglected and could not hear
from God. They turned from God and ignored Him. They thought that
(Slide 3, Lady Holding Her Head) they could do life on their own.

However, we may not look far to feel similar type of pain in our own The issue was not that God had ignored the people, but that they had
lives. We may be going through a period of time where we are grieving turned away from Him.
over the loss of a loved one, loss of a job, children who are going
through difficult time, being lonely, health issues, financial and God finally, on His own timing, responded to their request in the form
marriage issues. of their prayers.

(Slide 4; Where is God?) God never left them. He was there all along.

We often go through these period and even though the Christmas God is always there for us. He never leaves us or ignores us. He
knows us, He created us, He knew what we would be like, how we He does not leave us and He hears all of our prayers.
would react to situations, what actions we would take, and yet, with all We may not like the silence or the type of response to our
of that, He Still Created Us. prayers and needs but that does not mean that God is not all
loving and caring.
Our God, the True God, is not one who gets tired, bored, is confined
by space and time and has to be gone, He is always there and He Just like the nation of Israel, God was there all of the time and once
cares for us. He answered, they realized how good He was.

All of us are His creation. Of all creation, we were the only ones made 2. God Is There for the Faithful
in His Image. We are the only ones that can have a relationship with
Him. A relationship that He established first and continues even now. (Slide 8: Isaiah 65:10)
He reached out to mankind first and He does that in our own lives as
well. People may turn their backs on God and ignore Him.
However, God is there for those that search for Him and seek Him.
SUPPORT :
EXPLANATION :
 He wants none to parish but all to know Him (II Peter 3:9 The
Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, In section Isaiah 65:8-11, the Lord draws a picture of the people that
but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, have ignored Him and those that remain faithful.
but that all should reach repentance.)
Throughout the beginning of Time, people have rejected and ignored
ILLUSTRATION : (Slide No. 7; Parents playing with their child) God. But God promises that there will be faithful people who trust and
follow Him. Those that know Him as their true father, source of Hope
We can think of God as our Father; our true parent. and Salvation. Those that Trust the Lord.
Just like parents don’t leave their infant alone and they care for their
baby, our Lord cares for us. We know that God has promised these people to be there. These are
His true Children.
An toddler may walk away from the parents and play on their own but
the parents are still there. The toddler needs to receive the parents SUPPORT :
and play with them to receive the intimate love and care.
In the same way, Our Father, the Lord, He is there and yet, He gives God’s promises are dependable, and they never go void.
us room to grow and make decisions for ourselves. Isaiah 55:11 tells us that anything that comes out of the mouth
of God is true and is carried out.
In verse 10 of Isaiah 65, the Lord describes His people as sheep and
He, himself, as a Shepherd. Those who hear His voice, remain faithful, “so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to
me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall
succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
APPLICATION :
God has promised us that there will be a faithful people. Those that
We need to stop thinking of God being like us. call Him their God, their Father, their Saviour.
God is perfect, all caring, loving, and He wants the very best
for us.
ILLUSTRATION :
 God will bless them v16
(Slide 9: Shepherd with sheep)
3. We can have HOPE in God’s Promises
And just like a sheep are led by the shepherd to grazing land and to a
place of protection and food, the Lord is our Shepherd. (Slide 11: verses 17-25)

The sheep can ignore the shepherd and fend for themselves, but the [Read this passage with great enthusiasm and giving
shepherd remains true to His duties and calling. He will guide and care HOPE]
for the sheep. A place where the people (sheep) can lay down and
Rest. A place of safety where we, as His sheep, are seeking. We can EXPLANATION :
count on this because it is God’s Word and His Promise to us.
There is a Reset.
APPLICATION : Even when we have gone through a difficult time, the Lord
ignores it when we come to Him.
Just like the People of Israel that had gone to a different
direction and not sought the Lord, they realized at the end He promises us a New Beginning. He did this for the nation of
that they could not live without Him. Israel that walked away from Him for centuries. Who turned
their backs on Him and disobeyed Him.
We are no different. God designed us to be with Him. He
wants the very best for us. There are some of you now who He waited patiently for them and in verses 17-25, he does not
have ignored His voice. We have been trying to live our own mention the past but instead promises things to them that are
lives and have felt the harshness of life and realize that we beyond their wildest dreams.
could not live this life ourselves. We have been hurt by our
own decisions or the wrong doing of others. A place of freedom and new start for them.

Our Lord, wants the very best for us just like He did for His This was not the 1 s t time this had happened. As we read the
people as written in the book of Isaiah. Bible, we realize that the Lord did this with individuals and
people many many times and yet, He continues to do this.
He wanted them to be protected, cared for, to be filled with joy
and happiness. He could not force them to do this but just like The people of Israel, were surrounded by nations and people
Sheep who follow the voice of the shepherd, he wants the who did not trust the Lord but instead, depended on
same for us. To hear His voice and follow Him. To the green themselves and their false idols. Their hopes were in
pasture, filled with great happiness and joy. A place of manmade objects and in themselves.
protection in Him and His great Faithfulness.
Their realities and hope were in themselves and their self-
And as seen in verses 12-16, all who trust in the Lord have the made provisions which were shallow, unfulfilling and
following as His promises: sustainable. After all of these years and experiences, they
realized that they were in a worst place than before and
(Slide 10: Listing of things promised in verses 12-16) turned to God again.

We will be nourished v13 SUPPORT :

ILLUSTRATION : And just like God remains faithful and true forever, His
promises described in Isaiah 65 are fulfilled as we trust in
(Slide 12: Jews entering the Promised Land) Jesus Christ.

The Jews in Exodus, leaving Egypt, trusted their false gods and their We need not wait until the need for this. We can experience
own means of protection., For 40 years they wondered in the desert this now.
and depended on the Lord for care.
All we have to do is to trust in the saving power of Jesus
After the unbelieving generation was gone, a new generation was born Christ. As he was born, to us as a gift and completion of
who trusted the Lord. This generation saw the Lord as the true caring God’s promise of a redeemer, God in keeping with His
and loving Lord who provided and protected His people. promises, provided that salvation in His Son.

He fulfilled His promises to them and gave them a fertile land. One In trusting and placing our faith in Jesus Christ, we are can
filled with green and fertile pastures for their flocks. Protection from partake and enjoy the new heaven and new earth. All of our
their enemies. former hurts and loneliness will pass away.

APPLICATION : We can enjoy trusting our true Father and delight in His
incredible love and joy for us.
(Slide 13: Birth of Christ)
If you have tried to solve your life issues and realize now that
So just like the people of Israel had new hope as promised by there is no solution through our own means. That people’s
God, we also have the same hope in God through the giving comforts are not satisfying. That wealth and power will never
of His Son, Jesus Christ, as our saviour. fully fulfill us, then come and enjoy and celebrate in God’s
promises through His Son Jesus Christ.
God took something that was negative and He turned it
around and told His people, those that trusted in Him that He
was there for them and He would continue to be listen to their
needs and exceed everything they had ever wanted.

When we trust in Christ, what awaits us is a new earth, one

One where we are close to our true Father and we will

A place where all of our needs are fulfilled, no more hurts, no