Wake Up to a New Reality

Well, please take your Bibles and turn to Isaiah chapter 52. Isaiah chapter 52. We are going to read the first twelve verses.

! Verse 1. Awake, awake, O Zion, clothe yourself with strength.! Put on your garments of splendor, O Jerusalem, the holy city.

The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again. Shake off your dust. Rise up. Sit enthroned, O Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, O captive daughter of Zion.

For this is what the Lord says. You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed. For this is what the Lord, the sovereign Lord says.

At first my people went down to Egypt to live. Lately Assyria has oppressed them. And now, what do I have here? declares the Lord.

For my people have been taken away for nothing, and those who rule them mock, declares the Lord. And all day long my name is constantly blasphemed.

Therefore, my people will know my name. Therefore, in that day they will know that it is I who foretold it. Yes, it is I. How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, your God reigns.

Listen, your watchmen lift up their voices. Together they shout for joy. When the Lord returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes. Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem.

For the Lord has comforted his people. He has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations. And all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.

Depart. Depart. Go out from there. Touch no unclean thing. Come out from it and be pure, you who carry the vessels of the Lord. But you will not leave in haste or go in flight.

For the Lord will go before you. The God of Israel will be your rear guard. If you belong to the Lord, then he has done something for you.

It is to make a great difference in the way you live every day of your life. A joyful and encouraging difference. A liberating and sanctifying difference.

So that no day is to be the same because of what he's done. You live in a new reality. So there's Joseph and he's being held captive in a dark and dirty dungeon.

Year after year goes by and everything remains the same. A life of bondage going nowhere. A black hole with no end in sight. And then one day he wakes up to a new reality.

He's no longer in the prison. He's in the palace. Gone are the familiar sights and sounds and smells of the clanking chains, the darkness, the dirt, and the dank air.

He's in the king's palace. He's wearing royal robes of finest linen. He's got a golden chain around his neck.

Pharaoh's own signet ring on his finger, which gives him authority and power to rule over the whole land of Egypt. He's even got a chariot with men running out in front of him saying, Clear the boulevard.

Give way. Give way. And it's not just a dream. And it's not just for a day. It's the new reality.

The new reality that he will live in the rest of his life. Something happened that made a huge difference in the way he will live henceforth.

Now here we come to Isaiah 52. And God is calling the remnant of his people, Zion, to wake up to a new reality.

They're humiliated and mourning in the dust, in the captivity of Babylon with chains on their neck. And year after year goes by and nothing changes.

Only more of the same hopeless situation. And they begin doubting the character of God. His care. His power.

His sovereign control over all things. His love. And they're in a drunken stupor.

Not from wine. But as the end of chapter 51 told us, because they were made to drink from the cup of God's wrath. And so now they're spiritually asleep, trying to sleep off this horrible hangover of God's wrath.

And while Zion sleeps, a great wonder occurred. Their God, whom they charged with being asleep, was far from asleep. He was all the while very active.

And he has done something for them. He's changed everything for Zion. He's brought to her a new reality. A new day of grace was dawning for Zion.

Her bondage in Babylon is ending. She is free. And so she's to get up and leave Babylon and return to the promised land and live in the light of her privileges.

Now here in verses 1 and 2, we have God's wake-up call then to this new reality for His people. A wake-up call is given. Remember back in chapter 51 and verse 9, They told God, Awake!

Awake! Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of the Lord! And now God tells them, I'm not the one sleeping. You are! You wake up!

You awake! Awake! You clothe yourself with strength! you're waking up to a new day he's saying you sleep there in depressing weakness get up and clothe yourself with strength you lie there in your filth get up and put your your new garments of splendor on get dressed in the beauty of holiness oh holy city no more will you be occupied by the uncircumcised and the defiled whether that's a reference to the foreign soldiers in their streets or to those israelites who were uncircumcised in heart and defiled in their own spirit no longer you are now the holy city not the defiled city you lie there in the dust of the earth of death and humiliation shake off the dust he says rise up from your place of of lowness and sit enthroned with dignity no longer being ruled over but ruling over others shake off throw off your chains your time of bondage is over this is the new reality for you zion a new strength a new holiness a new freedom new dignity royal splendor and none of this was due to anything that she had done she was sleeping and she's to wake up to what god had done for her and she's to live in the light of that reality to enter into it to enjoy it to be what she is what if one morning joseph set aside his royal robes and the golden ring and chains and went back to his dungeon back to the prison food and prison work and prison air we'd say how foolish joseph your reality has changed that's not you anymore this is where you belong live up to your calling live up to your new position your new status be what you really are that free man with regal splendor ruling over all of egypt and so brothers and sisters lying around defeated in some habit of sin wake up to your new reality your new reality of holiness shake off your chains you're free sin shall not have dominion over you you died to reigning to its reigning power and therefore don't live in it any longer it no longer has the mastery over you you've died to its mastery you now have a new master live in that reality consider yourself to be dead indeed unto sin and alive unto god since that is indeed what you are you're all discouraged and hopeless and feeling ever so weak before some problem in your life god is saying wake up child of mine wake up and clothe yourself with strength with strength let the weak say i am strong because of what the lord has done for me he's done something for me that makes weakling strong so clothe yourself with strength oh zion make use of the strength that is yours in christ be strong and in the lord and in his mighty power so that's the new reality for zion for god's people and we are to live in it now there's a big question that begs to be answered how will this new reality be brought about i mean the old reality has been present so long for israel there were 70 years

in bondage to babylon how is this new reality going to happen well that second point tells us god is going to redeem his people god is going to redeem his people verse 3 for this is what the lord says you were sold for nothing and without money you will be redeemed how will this new reality come i'm i'm going to redeem you and you will become mine and all of this will become yours now when zion went into captivity they were not paid for their services wasn't like the babylonians says we'll hire you and paid money for them no they just came and took them and god says just as no money was given for you so no money will be given to buy you back you're mine and i'll have you back but it won't be money that will be given for you now there's a tension here because the very concept of redemption throughout the old testament means to purchase someone's freedom by the payment of a price redemption means someone is set free by the payment of a price and yet if not money then what and isaiah leaves us in suspense he doesn't tell us what at least not yet and we'll learn that the answer is coming as we come to chapter 53 next week god willing and we'll learn that isaiah is speaking about a redemption that is far more profound far greater than any redemption from people from israel down in babylon in 536 bc now he's talking about a spiritual redemption of his people from sin and it includes you and me who are his people we'll see that in chapter 53 but for now we're told i'm going to redeem you but not with money now to a demoralized defeated and depressed people in captivity under a strong babylon the promise of redemption sounded too good to be true so god seeks to reassure them it's going to be it's going to happen israel wake up this will be the new reality and so he's seeking to comfort them and strengthen their faith to believe the promise to lift up their head because their redemption really was drawing nigh and so he gives them four assurances and brothers and sisters all four of these assurances are meant to encourage us that god's full redemption will be completed in our lives the first assurance comes from who he is verse 4 for this is what the sovereign lord says the one promising redemption is sovereign that simply means he rules over all he does as he pleases among the armies of heaven the inhabitants of the earth he does what he pleases with israel he does what he pleases with babylon he's sovereign what he promises he has sovereign authority and power to fulfill you see the encouragement the assurance i'm going to redeem you without money how will it happen all you need to know is that i am the sovereign lord and that sovereignty stands behind every promise for you brother and sister that's why you're to be encouraged by who he is

and then secondly they're to be assured by what he's done for them in the past and he reviews their history the times that he had intervened to redeem them verse 4 for at first my people went down to egypt to live and they spent some 400 years there that's even hard to fathom that how many generations just rolled on and they're still in egypt and bondage and the bondage grew bitter and it seemed like they would never see liberation but oh how the sovereign lord intervened to set them free and redeem them from egypt and lately he says it's assyria that's been oppressing my people oh remember earlier in isaiah the steamroller the assyrians and they came into judah like a flood and just wreaked havoc on the land and they came right up to jerusalem and they threatened jerusalem they said don't get it don't believe your king when he says god's going to save you and hezekiah sought the lord and one night an angel of the lord went out into the camp of the assyrians and in the morning there were 185,000 dead soldiers they picked up their tents and headed back home with their tail between their legs first it was egypt then it was assyria and now what do i have here god says isn't that something god's saying now what do i got what he's got now is babylon oppressing his people for my people have been taken away for nothing babylon now is the present oppressor in view that's holding them captive and so here's what god is saying your past deliverances and redemptions from egypt and assyria are meant to assure you of your coming redemption from babylon and it's the same in your life dear christian you're to draw encouragement from what god has done for you in the past has god done anything for you in the past you're to remember that and rest and rejoice did he not spare his own son for you did he give up his own son for you to the death of the cross will he not now along with him freely give you all things that you need to be brought safely to heaven at last look back and remember and rest this god has not changed he who redeemed you in the past will redeem you remember how impossible it seemed that you would ever survive from egypt you would ever be redeemed out of egypt or survive the assyrians that's how you now feel about the babylonians just remember what god has done for you and saving you and all the deliverances in your life the next two assurances of their redemption come from knowing what god what moves god to act in redemption what is it that motivates god we might say what moves god to come and to redeem his people well there were two things concern for his people and concern for his name so here's another assurance that god will redeem them without money he's moved by the misery of his people he says in verse 5 for my people have been taken away for nothing and those who rule them mocked declares the lord remember how israel was mistreated by the egyptians when they were under their slavery and their taskmasters lorded it over them well god heard their groaning he saw their misery and he came

to their aid he powerfully intervened for their redemption and so now they're down in babylon and god sees their bondage and their humiliation under the mocking babylonians and that's meant to assure them that in affliction we do not have a god who stands by and looks unmoved when his people are afflicted his heart is moved he is touched with the feelings of our infirmities the scriptures say in all their distress he too was distressed and the angel of his presence saved them in his love and mercy he redeemed them so you're discouraged up here in bondage to babylon take heart I'm going to redeem you and one thing to encourage you to believe it is that I am moved by the misery of my people you've seen it before it will happen again he saw me plunged in deep distress he flew to my relief he's moved to see his people's distress and secondly he's moved for the honor of his name verse 5 finishes and all day long my name is constantly blasphemed the babylonians mocked his people and they blasphemed their god and the two usually go together because god's people bore his name who were they they are the people of yahweh they are god's people and so wherever they went they carried god's name now here they are in babylon they are just smashed there's nothing left and and mocking them they're mocking their god guess he does they don't have much of a god these people look at him and they blaspheme god all day long do you hear god's patience wearing thin all day long they constantly blaspheme me well his patience does wear thin there is an end to his patience and a beginning of his wrath that's why it's encouraging to the people of god when they see the enemies of god mocking their god because they know that moves god to do something for the honor of his own name so down in egypt pharaoh was told let my people go jehovah says let my people go and pharaoh says i don't know this jehovah and i will not let israel go who is jehovah that i should obey him and let israel go i don't answer to him well he's blaspheming god and god takes the honor of his name very he's jealous for the honor of his name and so that's what drove god to come down into egypt and pour out his plagues of wrath upon egypt he moves he acted for the sake of his own name it was the same when the assyrians were oppressing them and king sennacherib came and he had this blaspheming speech that he gave don't listen to king hezekiah when he says your lord will save you what other gods have been able to save their their countries from my hands how then can yahweh jehovah your god deliver jerusalem from my hands you see

the enemies of god overreach when they begin to blaspheme god treating god as a nobody despising him as a nothing and that moves god into action against the enemies of his people he cannot tolerate the abuse of his name all day long my name is constantly blasphemed i can't help but think that that could be said of our nation today in her halls at school on her television sets at home on her omg twitters and tweets and texts in the way that they speak of me i am blasphemed all day long you shall not misuse the name of the lord your god because the lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name well you see that's to be encouragement to the to zion in their discouragement god says i'm going to redeem you and one of the encouragements they have is they see the babylonians dissing their god and they know when god is going to do something for the sake of his name he will come and redeem us so god will do something for his own namesake verse 6 he says therefore because my name is being blasphemed all day long therefore my people will know my name therefore in that day they will know that it is i who foretold it yes it is i a day is coming when god will redeem his people and he will redeem them in a way that will reveal his name his name is being blasphemed he is being treated as a nobody but he says i am going to work in that day in such a way that my people will know my name all that my name stands for will be confirmed in that day and they will see that my name the very name that is now being blasphemed and trashed that name is great and when it happens they will know that i was the one who foretold it that's why he keeps telling them ahead of time i'm going to redeem you i'm going to redeem so that when it happens they will say yes this isn't just coincidence that we are released from babylon he said that he would he said he was going to do this he is the sovereign lord of history he is the one who determines nations uprising and down goings our bondage and our release has he put his name on you dear believer if you're one of his he has well you're to draw comfort from that you bear his name has he begun a good work in you has he begun that work of redemption in you has he put his name on you can be sure that for the sake of his name he is going to finish that work his name is at stake can he get john he home safely to glory with all the wicked machinations of the devil in this world and his own fleshly remains can god get the job done for the sake of his name he will and he'll do it for you too all of you who bear his name he acts out of concern for the misery of his people and for the sake of his own holy name so then

this is that great act of redemption that will secure the new reality for the people of god we said how will these this new reality be how will they shake off the dust and the chains and be raised up to such holiness and freedom and blessedness it will be because of what happens in that day when I redeem them but not for money the third point in our text is that god's salvation will cause joy to resound to the ends of the earth when god redeems his people joy will explode to the ends of the earth and so this next section verses 7 through 10 take us fast forward to when this day of god's redemption has already happened it's after god's day of redemption this is what's going to happen after god redeems his people without money now how he's going to redeem his people is not yet explained we're only told that when his great act has succeeded the news of his victory will come home to

Zion and will bring great joy wherever it's heard so this is that verse about the beautiful feet on the mountains it's a well-known verse isn't it but I fear that it's little understood it has nothing to do with pedicures these beautiful feet what does this mean how beautiful are the feet on the mountains well they're the feet of a messenger running with good news so Israel's army is off fighting they don't have war correspondence with television coverage to send the news back home a victory has been won on the battlefield then a messenger is dispatched from the scene of battle run home and spread the good news and so the runner takes off for home and runs as fast as he can go how beautiful is the sight of the running feet of the man who's bearing good news what a beautiful thing what a wonderful thing is this to see a man with spring in his step that we won victory is ours and he's going to spread the good news what makes his feet beautiful is what's in his mouth the message of victory salvation and so as he approaches

Zion he starts shouting and what does he say good news peace salvation your God reigns now in their situation of 70 years of bondage in Babylon Judah would begin to wonder does our God reign or are the gods of the Babylonians stronger and does our God really control the great such as Nebuchadnezzar and this world empire that is such a huge machine and that has us under its heel and they're doubting and they're fearing and then the messenger with beautiful feet is shouting your God reigns your God reigns oh Zion now perhaps on one level then this is to be understood as announcing the downfall of Babylon and the freeing of Israel from her clutches but I want us to see that the good news in the mouth of the man with beautiful feet surely points further than just redemption from Babylon and it points to the spiritual redemption of all

God's people their victory over sin and death and hell your victory brother and sister that's what we're talking about here not just something in 526 BC the apostle Paul quotes this very passage in Romans 10 15 where he's talking about how can they preach how can people believe on Christ if they've not heard and how can they hear if he is not preached and how can they preach if they're not sent as it is written how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news right out of Isaiah 52 in other words God has put a message in the mouth of his messengers and told them to run with it it's the good news of Jesus Christ it's the good news of peace with God through what Jesus has done it's the good news of salvation the forgiveness of sins it's the good news of the!

joy that our God reigns it looks like things were out of control and his saviors nailed up on a Roman cross executed and our hopes were gone no our God reigns is the message that the runners pronounce after his death and resurrection as they go into all the world proclaiming the gospel Cotton Mather a minister in New England over 300 years ago said the great design of a Christian preacher is to restore the throne and the dominion of God in the soul of men the souls of men our God reigns our God is the sovereign who reigns over all and if that's true your place dear friend your place sinner friend is at his feet in submission to him and so the gospel runs with the message that our God reigns and he reigns in grace for repentant sinners and so the messenger runs with this joyful spring in his step and he's got good news and as he approaches the gates of

Zion he starts shouting and the watchmen on the walls are the first to hear the shouts and rejoice verse 8 listen Zion listen your watchmen are lifting up their voices together they shout for joy and what thrills them is that the Lord himself is returning to Zion after it had seemed like he had left them he's returning he himself is coming with salvation and with peace!

And we see that it keeps extending even beyond Jerusalem. The song even reaches to all the nations and to the ends of the earth, bringing joy to the world. Verse 10, for the Lord will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations.

That's the victory that's being celebrated. Something far bigger than Israel's release from Babylon. And wherever the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ comes, it brings joy.

You read in Acts chapter 8 how Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. And so there was great joy in that city. The good news, it's spreading.

And wherever it spreads, joy spreads. As people rejoice in salvation, proclamation. So the message of the good news about the Lord's salvation is still bringing joy to the nations.

Here we are. We're a long, long shot off from Jerusalem. And we're rejoicing this morning in our redemption, not with money. We're rejoicing that our God reigns.

And so whatever the act of salvation is, he hasn't told us yet. It will be a bearing of the Lord's arm.

The Lord is going to roll up his sleeves, as we say, and get the job done himself. He's going to do the work himself. It will be his holy arm.

His holy arm. So it will be his holiness and it will be his arm, his strength that accomplishes this redemption. And he's going to do it in the sight of all the nations because they too must hear of his holy name and his saving power.

And again, the suspense is sustained by withholding information. Isaiah is making us wait to see exactly what is this great act of salvation, this great act of redemption that's coming.

But the certainty of it was to bring joy right into their present experience of sadness. And I say, if that was true of them, how much more of us living on this side of that redemption.

Should the remembrance of the victory that Christ has brought, his redemption, bring us joy right into our Babylonian captivity, our exile existence.

This is meant for our assurance, our comfort, our joy. There's enough in the gospel to flavor all of our days with joy, even when we're sorrowing, yet always rejoicing.

And then we surely ought to be those with beautiful feet running with this message, this joyful message of salvation, peace with God.

We have a story to tell to the nations, whether it's the sinner next door across the fence or the sinner across the ocean. Those who bring good news.

The last point we see in our text is that God's salvation comes with a call of separation from the world. Call of separation. First came the call to wake up to the new reality that is coming when God redeems his people.

Now at the end comes another call to depart from the world. Depart, depart. Verse 11. Go out from there. Touch no unclean thing. Come out from it and be pure, you who carry the vessels of the Lord.

But you'll not leave in haste or go in flight. For the Lord will go before you and the God of Israel will be your rear guard. Because of what God had done there to leave Babylon and go back home to the promised land.

But not in a hurried panic or fearful flight. Why not? Because the Lord will surround them. He'll go out in front of them and he'll be the one at their rear.

Front and behind. Protected. All the way home. So the Lord's redeemed people are called to walk in holiness.

Now it was that way concerning their redemption from Egypt. God came down to redeem them from Egypt. They were to leave Egypt. Where'd they go? They went out to Mount Sinai.

What'd they receive? The Ten Commandments. The law of God. The redeemed people of the Lord are to walk in holiness and obedience to his commandments. And so it is with their release from Babylon.

God comes to redeem them. And they're to come out from among them. And to touch no unclean thing. And Babylon is the age-long emblem of this godless world system.

So that we're reading in Revelation chapter 18 and verse 4. At the fall of Babylon comes the cry from heaven. Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins.

So that you will not receive any of her plagues. You see, this call to come out from her is a call to all of God's redeemed people of all ages.

Whether Old Testament or New Testament. This is not just some message for the Jews as the release from some literal Babylon. No, Babylon stands for this world system.

And when God comes to redeem us, we are to leave it behind. We're to not partake in her sins unless we want to partake in her plagues.

And that means we must separate ourselves from its philosophy, from its values, its morals, its priorities, its idols.

We're not to conform to its sinful ways. And yes, that will include its music when its music promotes sexual immorality and an agenda of lies.

Its programs on TV and movies that blaspheme the name of God and laugh at his laws. It includes separation from its dress when it is immodest and provocative.

It includes separation from its friendship, its romantic attaching relationships. You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is enmity against God?

Whoever, therefore, will be a friend of the world is an enemy of God, James says. Come out from the world. Do not touch its uncleanness. Keep yourself pure from the world.

Don't love the world, the things that are in the world. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. These things do not come from the Father, but from the world.

Don't defile yourself with its ways. Don't imbibe its message and its reason for living. Don't fiddle away your life with trivial, transient things that won't amount to a hill of beans in eternity.

That's the world you're to come out from and to not touch. Don't touch that stuff. Purify yourselves. Walk in holiness. Walk in obedience to God's laws.

I say all of this is not just for some Jews coming out of Babylon in the 6th century BC. It's for all of God's redeemed people. The Apostle Paul quotes this very verse as if it were binding upon Gentile Christians in Corinth.

I say as if. If Paul quotes it, it is binding, isn't it? It's in that passage in 2 Corinthians 6 where he's telling believers, Do not yoke yourselves with unbelievers.

No unequal yokes of a believer with an unbeliever. Why not? Because God has made us his temples. The holy God lives within us. And what communion and what fellowship does holy have with unholy?

Does the Christian have with the world? Therefore, come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing and I will receive you.

Paul is quoting Isaiah 52, 11. And he's saying, Christian, that's for you. Gentile Christian in Corinth.

Come out from that filthy world that I saved you out of. I came and redeemed you. Now get out of it. Don't touch it. Have nothing to do with its sin. And I will be a father to you and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.

Since we, we, we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Isaiah 52, 11 is for us to obey. Come out from the world and don't touch its sin. Don't follow and be conformed to its sinful ways.

What's contaminating you? You know what contamination is? It's just, it's in the water. It's in the air.

And we breathe it. And we're, we're, we're living in the world and the contaminants are all around us. What is it that we need to cleanse ourselves from anything that contaminates body or spirit?

Throwing off anything, everything that hinders in the sin that so easily entangles. Perfecting holiness in the fear of God. God's salvation always comes with a call to separation.

It always brings division. There's to be a line, a dividing line, a separating line between the world and the redeemed.

And God's salvation creates that line. In light of all God's mercies, don't be conformed to this present evil world, Paul says.

In light of your great salvation, don't be conformed. The fact that I've come and redeemed you, now don't touch it. Come out from it. There's no true salvation where there is no separation from the world.

And you know why? Because God's redemption includes this separation. This isn't just something we do. No, the grace of God has appeared to all men.

And it, the grace of God, that brings salvation, has appeared to all men. And that grace of God that brings salvation teaches us to say no to ungodliness and to worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age while we wait for the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

You see, Jesus' work of redemption always includes purification from wickedness. Saving grace always teaches its recipients to say no to worldliness.

And that's the new reality, you see. It's secured by God's redemption. This coming day of redemption, something great's going to happen. God's going to bear his arm and do something so great that it will change your reality forever.

And you will be the holy city. You will be undefiled. You will be the ones who are walking in God's ways. Set free from sin.

It's because of what God does. It's the new reality of the redeemed, of the Lord, whom he redeems not with gold or silver.

That's what Zachariah said as he prophesied the coming of Christ, that God rescues us from the hand of our enemies and enables us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life.

He rescues us from our enemies. And then he enables us to serve him in holiness and righteousness. The new reality, the new freedom from sin, the new holiness.

It's all purchased and won for us by the Lord Jesus Christ. So, what has God said to us this morning? He said, wake up, dear Christian, to this new reality that is yours because I have redeemed you.

And let it bring you to live up to your spiritual privileges as a holy city of God, as the holy people of God.

And rejoice in what the Lord has done to redeem you. Join the choir and sing his praises. Spread the joy by carrying the good news with your beautiful feet to sinners who need to hear salvation, peace with God through a mediating Savior.

And then rejoice that the Lord reigns. Nothing will show that fact more than that day when God does this great work of redemption.

It will prove that he reigns. So, God's spoken to us. Let's pause and reflect upon what he said privately and silently.

Talk to him in prayer and I'll conclude. Let us respond to God's word in silent prayer. Father, we thank you for your son.

We thank you that we live on this side of that great saving act. And we know it was not with silver and gold that we were redeemed from our empty way of life, received by tradition from our fathers, but with the precious blood of Jesus.

And that that blood has purchased a new reality for us. We're no longer slaves to sin. We're no longer in bondage to Satan. We have a new master, a gracious master with good and gracious laws.

We have a spirit in our hearts that teaches us to say no to worldliness. And so we thank you for what you've purchased for us.

We confess our sin, Lord, that there is so much of the world that has contaminated us even this week. The way that we think and the way that we spend our time and our money and the things we look at and all the rest, Lord, we confess.

Come and save us. Come and show your mighty saving power. Roll up your arm again and come into each of our hearts and powerfully put sin to death.

Give us that grace to do the same. And oh, then send us on our way rejoicing that we have a savior from sin. And we have a salvation that brings peace with God.

And so we have good news to declare to the world, the fact that our God reigns. May our very joy and our holiness and our trust profess to this world that we have a great God, a God with a great name and character.

And so we thank you for your word and ask that you work in us to will and to do all of your good pleasure. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.