Rise, Shine

Summary of sermon by Dietmar Joosten, 10 Aug 2014

Isaiah 60
1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.

2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

The previous Sunday we heard that we should wake up and obey, do what God commands us, and be clothed with Christ. We must be radiant with the glory of God. The light shines the brightest where it is darkest.

Some people awake but go to sleep again. God has to shake that life. When God has woken you up be clothed with Christ and do what He says. Maybe God is shaking your life but you don’t even notice it. You don’t take it seriously what He is doing. That is frightening that your life might be shaken but you don’t even realise it.

God’s abundant life won’t just come on a platter.

We all want our children to follow Christ, but we cannot change a child’s heart. Only God can do that. But we must arise and do what God commands. Then He will work. God won’t work in your life if you’re asleep spiritually.

There are people that suffer from depression. But there are those that are depressed because Christ depress them. They don’t want to part from their evil ways and are therefore depressed.

Are you only interested in your own things while God’s work gets left behind? Where are those that say I want to dedicate my life to the work of the Lord? Some have many excuses why they cannot work in God’s vineyard. They are full of doubt that they are not good enough. But Jesus could use a little boy with five loaves and two fish (Mark 6:30-44).

Joshua fell prostrate before the Lord when they lost to Ai, but God told him to get up and remove the evil from the camp (Joshua 7:10-13).

If you want to grow spiritually get up and do what God commands.

It’s wonderful when God’s light shines. Things will change at home. Where there’s light there is growth.

A certain Rev Morgan had a member of his congregation, Tim, who had been on fire for God. But Tim had lost his fire for God and rev Morgan was worried about him and prayed for him. One day Tim came tearfully to Rev Morgan confessing that he had departed from God. He spoke a long time about many things, but also mentioned that he had watched pornography. Rev Morgan was sharp spiritually and pointed out to Tim that that was the reason he was blunt spiritually and lost his fire for God. Unless he got rid of that evil, his spiritual vitality won’t return.

Don’t cry when the devil rides you while you don’t obey God when He speaks to you.

Our time is unique in history with free access to information, but also easy access to pornography and all manner of filth that is so freely available on the internet on your phone.

3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

Don’t you want that?

Isaiah 58:6

6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

Maybe your light don’t shine because of laziness. Ask the Lord what you must do. If you seek Him with all your heart He will reveal Himself to you.

8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.

9 Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;

In 1871 DL Moody asked his congregation to evaluate their souls before the Lord and report back to him the following week. That night the Chicago fire started and destroyed a large part of Chicago as well as the church. That congregation never gathered the following week and most of those people he never saw again.

Today when you hear His word, obey. God doesn’t need your money. He needs you.

 

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