A Light to the Gentiles

In one paragraph

This message came from Isaiah 49:1-13, the second of Isaiah's servant songs, read alongside the first servant song in Isaiah 42. Pastor Ray traced how these passages, written roughly seven hundred years before Christ, paint a detailed picture of Jesus as the servant of God, the one sent to be a light not just to Israel but to all nations. The sermon pressed on what it looks like to trust God when...

Read together

1. Psalm 150 mentioned as an encouraging word to lead into worship
2. John 14 Jesus speaking: 'my peace I leave with you and my peace I give to you, I don't give you as the world gives, don't let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid'
3. Psalm 139 quoted as 'search me, oh God, know my heart, test me, know my anxious thoughts, point out anything in me that offends you, lead me along the path of everlasting life'
4. Isaiah 42:1-10 the first servant song, introduced as the foundation before moving to the second servant song in chapter 49
5. Isaiah 49:1-13 the second servant song, the main text of the sermon
6. Revelation quoted: 'from his mouth comes a sharp sword so that with it he may strike down the nations, he will rule them with a rod of iron and he treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God'
7. Matthew 26 Jesus in Gethsemane, sorrowful and deeply distressed, praying 'my father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me, yet not as I will, but as you will'
8. Hebrews 5:7 quoted: 'he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission'
9. 1 Peter 2 quoted as example of following Christ's steps: 'while being reviled he did not revile in return, while suffering he uttered no threats, but kept on entrusting himself to him who judges righteously'
10. Psalm 67 quoted as Israel being a light to the nations: 'God be gracious to us and bless us, that your way may be known on the earth, your salvation among all the nations'
11. Psalm 96 quoted: 'sing to the Lord a new song, sing to the Lord all the earth, tell of his glory among the nations, for great is the Lord and greatly to be praised'
12. Psalm 117 quoted: 'praise the Lord all the nations, laud him all you peoples, for his loving kindness is great towards us and the truth of the Lord is everlasting'
13. Acts 13 Paul and Barnabas turning to the Gentiles after Jewish rejection, quoting Isaiah: 'I have placed you as a light for the Gentiles that you may bring salvation to the end of the earth'
14. 2 Corinthians 6:2 quoted as applying Isaiah 49 to anyone who follows Christ: 'at just the right time I heard you, on the day of salvation I helped you'
15. John 17 Jesus' high priestly prayer, praying for all who would believe through the disciples' word, that they may be unified
16. Psalm 133:1-3 used as benediction: 'how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to live together in unity, for there the Lord commanded the blessing, life everlasting'

Talk about it

1. Pastor Ray described living in Jackson as 'resort ministry,' saying we are surrounded by people who might be more open to hearing the gospel while they are away from their normal lives. What has your own experience been with that, and how does it change the way you think about your everyday interactions here?
2. Pastor Ray walked through Isaiah 42 and 49 and pointed to three ways the word 'Israel' is used: blind and rebellious Israel, believing Israel, and the ideal Israel who is Messiah Jesus. How does understanding those distinctions change the way you read the Old Testament?
3. The servant in Isaiah 49 says 'I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing,' and Pastor Ray connected that to Jesus in Gethsemane and on the cross. Have you ever felt that way while trying to follow God faithfully? What did that season look like?
4. First Peter 2 says that while Jesus was being reviled and suffering, 'he kept on entrusting himself to him who judges righteously.' Pastor Ray applied that to our own walks, saying it gets discouraging even when we are on the path God has set for us. What does it actually look like, in practice, to keep entrusting yourself to God in those moments?
5. Psalm 67 frames God's blessing on his people as something meant to spread outward so that his way would be known among all nations. Pastor Ray said Israel was supposed to be a light that drew people in. How do you think about your own life, and this church, in that same role?