SERMON TITLE “A Pattern of Mercy” TEXT PREACHED AT ...

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SERMONTITLE:"APatternofMercy" TEXT:Isaiah65:17-25 PREACHEDAT:NeighbourhoodChurch BY:RyanDueck DATE:July5,2009/5thSundayAfterPentecost

Today'smessageisgoingtobethelastsermononIsaiahforawhile.Nextweek,my brotherGilisgoingtobehereandtheweekafterthatKathleenBusch,thepastor fromoursisterMBchurchinVictoria,isgoingtobebringingthemessage(Kathleen wasactuallybornandraisedinNanaimo,sothiswillbeakindofhomecomingfor her).Sobecausewe'regoingtobeleavingIsaiahforashorttime,IthoughtIwould gototheendofthebookandlookatakindof"bigpicture"passage. Today,we'regoingtotalkabitaboutpatterns.

CAVEMANLOGIC Thisweek,therewasanarticleinoneofournationalnewspapersthatcaughtmy attention.Thearticlewasreviewingabookcalled"CavemanLogic"byaprofessorat theUniversityofGuelph.Thisbookanalyzesourtendencytousephrasessuchas"it wasmygoodluck"or"Iguesseverythinghappensforareason"or"itwasmeantto be."Or"thankGod."Weallhearthesekindsofphrasesandmanyofususethem, whetherconsciouslyorsubconsciously(JustlastnightonSportscentre,thejournalist endedherstoryoftheBCLionslosswiththewords,"theycamebackhardbutitjust wasn'tmeanttobe"). Theauthorofthebookbeingreviewedinthearticlearguedthattheseareexamples of"thepersistenceofprimitivethinkinginthemodernworld."Justasourancestors usedtoattributethunderstorms,earthquakes,andhurricanestothedispleasureof Godorthegods,sotheyalsotendedtoseereasonsforthelessspectacularthings thathappenedindailylife.Sotheychalkedeverythinguptoeithersomeformof "superstition"ordivinereason.Nothingcouldbeconsideredrandombecausethat wouldbetoopenthedoortochaosandourbrainsdon'tlikechaos.Accordingtothe article,thisaccountsforourpropensitytoidentify"patternsor"streaks"that,in reality,donotexist."

Whatweneedtorealizeinordertocomeoutofthecave(accordingtotheauthor)is thatthereisnopurposeorreasonbehindtheeventsofourordinarylives.Weknow thatrandomthingshappenallthetime--bothgoodandbad.Allsmart,rational peopleknowthatlifeonthisplanetisjustthemoreorlesshaphazardresultofa wholebunchofmoleculesbumpingintoeachotherwithnopatternorreasonor meaningor"luck"behinditall.Notsurprisingly,Harrisisanatheist,andheoffers thisratherbleakassessmentofourpredicament:

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"Iwouldbemoreoptimisticaboutourspecies'chancesforsurvivalif pseudoscience,organizedreligion,andahostofotherdelusionswerevoluntarily takenoffthetable,"saysProf.Davis...WeneedtoseeourdefectiveStoneAge mindsforwhattheyareifweeverhopetodragourselves,kickingand screaming,intothe21stcentury. Well,that'snotaveryprettypictureisit?I'vereadalotofthesekindsofarguments overthelastfewyearsbutIhavetosay,IstillbristlewhenIcomeacrosstheclaim thatreligiouspeopleare"cavemen"whoprefersuperstitiontoreason.Theterm "caveman"isnotexactlyaflatteringone! Afterall,asChristianswearefairlycommittedtothebeliefthattheauthorinthis articleisfundamentallyinerror--thatwhenwesay"itwasmeanttobe"or"thank God"weactuallybelievethatGodisworkingbehindthescenesforaspecific purpose,andthattheeventsofourworldandtheeventsofourlivesarepartofa fairlysignificantpattern. Nowtherearesomeverygood(andobvious)reasonswhyIthinkthatMr.Harrisis simplymistakenhere.Butthisisnottheplaceforalectureonapologeticsora detailedrationalcritiqueofatheism(muchasIwouldbehappytotalkaboutthiswith you). Butevenifyou'renotinterestedindebatingatheistsorruthlesslyanalyzingeveryday phrases,Ithinkthatmostofuscanthinkofsomeone--whetherasibling,aparent,a co-worker,orafriend--whothinksthatChristianityorreligioningeneralisa superstitiouswasteoftime.Weneedtobeopentohavingconversationsaboutthis. Arewecrazytolookforpatternsinlife?Arewesuperstitiousandirrationaltotryto findpurposeandmeaningineverydayevents?

PATTERN-SEEKERS Ashumanbeings,wearepattern-seekers.Wedothisontwolevels:

1. patternasinregularity Kidslearntoidentifypatternsinschool.It'sneattowatchthelightbulbsgooff whentheylearntocountby2's,5's,10's,andhowmathworksaccordingtoregular, predictablerules. Wealsoteachourkidsproperbehaviourthisway.Theylearn,forexample,that shootingahockeyballagainstawindowordestroyingyoursibling'stoyswill produceonekindofareaction.Sayingpleaseandthankyouandbeingrespectful andconsiderateofotherswillproduceanotherreaction(atleastitshould!).Kids learnthatcertaincausesproducecertaineffects.Thereisapatterntohowthings

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workintheirlifethattheyneedtoliveaccordingtoinordertogetthedesirable effects. Thisisn'tjustthecaseforkids.Wealsotrainourselvesaccordingtopatterns.Naomi worksforWeightWatchersparttimeandsheseesthisallthetime.Thepatternis veryobvious:eatsmallerportions,recordhowmuchyoueat,andbecomemore activeandtheweightcomesoff.Don'tdothesethings,andtheweightstayson. Thesameistrueofawidevarietyofactivitiesinourlives.Thereisawaythingswork thatispredictable,orderlyandrule-boundandwehavetorecognizethisandact accordinglyifwewanttoobtainourgoals.

2. patternasanoverallpurposeorgoaloflife Thisunderstandingofpatternsisabitdifferent,andabitsubtlerbutIthinkitisstill veryreal.Welookformeaningandpurposeintheeventsofourlives.Wetryto connectthedotsinrelationships--wewonderifso-and-sois"rightforus";wepick careersaccordingtowhetherornotthisjobmatchesmyskillsandgifts;westructure our"freetime"inwaysthatpreservebalanceinourlives;wetrytobecomeinvolved inourcommunitiesbecauseweunderstandthatourwell-beingistiedupinthewell- beingofothers. Whenthingsaregoingwellforuswetrytounderstandwhatwe'redoingrightto keepthingsgoingaswewantthemto.Whenthingsaregoingpoorlyforus,we wonderwhatneedstochange,whatwe'redoingwrong,ifwe'resinningor displeasingGodsomehow.Welookfornewtechniques,newinsightsandstrategies toimplementinordertoturnthingsaround. Inallthisweassumethatthereisageneralpatternforhowourlivesshouldbegoing. Itmightnotbeaspredictableandrule-boundascountingby5's,butwetendtolook atthechoiceswemake--fromeverydaystruggleswithourjobsandourkidsto majorhealthproblemsorfinancialcrises--intermsofanoverallblueprintorpicture ofwhatmakesagoodlife. Weoperateasifthereisawaythatlifeoughttobelivedinordertoproducethe desiredresults.Weunderstandthattherearewaysoflivingthat"work"betterthan others,forusandforthosearoundus,evenifwedon'talwaysliveaccordingly. Weneedpatterns,andweseepatternsinIsaiah.

GOD'SPATTERNFORLIVING Oneofthethingsthatwe'vediscoveredthroughoutourseriesonthiscomplexbook isthatIsaiahisabsolutelyconvincedtherearepatternsandreasonsforthingsthat

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happen--whetheronacosmicscaleorinthelifeofthenationofIsraelorinourown individuallives. Onethingthattheprophetsconsistentlydoislaythingsoutintheirstarkestform: disobedienceleadstojudgment;obedienceleadstoblessing.Simpleasthat. Rightatthebeginningofthissermonseries,Jamesdrewourattentiontothephrase: "Come,letusreasontogether."ItisapictureofGodpleadingwithhispeopleto thinkcarefullyabouthowtheyareliving,thepatternstheyareseeing(orfailingto see)intheworldhehasmade. Godisappealingtohispeopletothinkaboutwhattheyaredoingbecauseitisn't fittingthepatternthathehasinmind!Thepatternwasinitiatedwaybackinthe bookofGenesis,chapter12:GodblessedIsraeltobeablessingtothenations. Partofwhatitmeansto"beablessing"isspelledoutinIsaiah.In58:6-8hesaysthis:

"IsnotthisthekindoffastingIhavechosen: toloosethechainsofinjustice anduntiethecordsoftheyoke, tosettheoppressedfree andbreakeveryyoke? 7Isitnottoshareyourfoodwiththehungry andtoprovidethepoorwandererwithshelter-- whenyouseethenaked,toclothethem, andnottoturnawayfromyourownfleshandblood? 8Thenyourlightwillbreakforthlikethedawn, andyourhealingwillquicklyappear; thenyourrighteousnesswillgobeforeyou, andthegloryoftheLORDwillbeyourrearguard. ThispatternechoesthroughouttheOTandbecomesevenmorefocusedinthelife andteachingofJesus.InMatthew22:35-39weread: 35Oneofthem,anexpertinthelaw,testedhimwiththisquestion: 36"Teacher,whichisthegreatestcommandmentintheLaw?"37Jesusreplied:" 'LovetheLordyourGodwithallyourheartandwithallyoursoulandwithall yourmind.'38Thisisthefirstandgreatestcommandment.39Andthesecondis likeit:'Loveyourneighborasyourself.'40AlltheLawandtheProphetshangon thesetwocommandments."

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Lateron,inthewritingsofPaul,weseeanotherexpressionofthepatternin Galatians5:22-23:

22ButthefruitoftheSpiritislove,joy,peace,patience,kindness,goodness, faithfulness,23gentlenessandself-control.Againstsuchthingsthereisnolaw. AllofthesepassagespointtoGod'spatternforlife,butinIsaiah'sday,itwasnot happening.OverandoveragainGodusesIsaiahtoshowhispeoplethatcalamityis comingbecauseoftheirfailuretofollowGod'scommands;theirfailuretopursue justiceandmercy,theiridolatryandrebelliondespiteGod'srepeatedattemptstocall themback.WesawthisinJames'messageaboutthevineyard:Godexpectedfruit, buthispeoplewerenotproducingwhathedesired.Theyweren'tlivingaccordingto thepattern.

GOD'SPATTERNOFMERCY Justlikekidslearnthatcertaincausesproducecertaineffectsand,ideally,adjust theirbehaviouraccordingly,soIsraelwasmeanttoseethattherewere consequencestodisobeyingGod.Thepatternforlifewasthereforareason. ButthereisalsoanotherpatterninScripture.Andthisisthepatternthat(finally!) bringsustothismorning'stext.Isaiah:65:17-25:

17"See,Iwillcreate newheavensandanewearth. Theformerthingswillnotberemembered, norwilltheycometomind. 18Butbegladandrejoiceforever inwhatIwillcreate, forIwillcreateJerusalemtobeadelight anditspeopleajoy. 19IwillrejoiceoverJerusalem andtakedelightinmypeople; thesoundofweepingandofcrying willbeheardinitnomore. 20"Neveragainwilltherebeinit infantswholivebutafewdays, orolderpeoplewhodonotliveouttheiryears; thosewhodieatahundred willbethoughtmereyouths; thosewhofailtoreachahundred willbeconsideredaccursed.

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