My Grownup Christmas List: A Second Chance
Where are you? (Ge 3:9b)
Who told you that you were naked? … Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat? (Ge 3:11)
I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel. (Ge 3:15)
during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. (Isa 1:1)
35 That night, the angel of the Lord went out and struck down one hundred eighty-five thousand men in the camp of Assyria. When it was time to wake up in the morning, there they were—all the dead bodies! 36 Then Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and returned and lived in Nineveh. (2 Ki 19:35–36)
In the preceding chapters, the prophet Isaiah has foretold the coming of the church of the New Testament. This church will be glorious and composed of many nations (Isaiah ____). It will proclaim freedom to those enslaved by sin (Isaiah ____). It will be called by a new name throughout the world (Isaiah ____).
2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he ruled for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi daughter of Zechariah. 3 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, like everything that his father David had done. (2 Ki 18:2–3)
With the eye of a prophet, Isaiah saw the total destruction of Jerusalem and the people of Judah carried away into captivity (Isaiah ____).
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Your awesome ___________ makes us _______________.
1 Oh, that you would rip open the heavens and come down. Mountains then would quake because of your presence. 2 As fire ignites stubble and as fire makes water boil, make your name known to your adversaries. Then nations would quake in your presence. (Is 64:1–2)
But you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us, though Israel does not acknowledge us. You, the LORD, are our Father. Our Redeemer from everlasting is your name. (Is 63:16)
You did amazing things that we did not expect. You came down. Mountains quaked because of your presence. (Is 64:3)
18 All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. Its smoke went up like the smoke from a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled violently. 19 When the sound of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in the thunder. 20 The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, at the top of the mountain. (Ex 19:18–20a)
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Your absolute _______________ makes us _______________.
From ancient times no one has heard. No ear has understood. No eye has seen any god except you, who goes into action for the one who waits for him. (Is 64:4)
Every good act of giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the lights, who does not change or shift like a shadow. (Jas 1:17)
You meet anyone who joyfully practices righteousness, who remembers you by walking in your ways! (Is 64:5a)
Abram believed in the Lord, and the Lord credited it to him as righteousness. (Ge 15:6)
But you were angry because we sinned. We have remained in our sins for a long time. Can we still be saved? (Is 64:5b)
9 The Lord said to Moses, “I have seen these people, and they certainly are a stiff-necked people. 10 So now leave me alone, so that my anger can burn hot against them, so that I may consume them and make you into a great nation.” (Ex 32:9–10)
This process of ____________________ their hearts had become a way of _________ with Israel.
6 All of us have become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like a filthy cloth [a menstrual rag from a women’s period]. All of us have withered like a leaf, and our guilt carries us away like the wind. 7 There is no one who calls on your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you. So you hid your face from us. You made us melt by the power of our guilt. (Is 64:6–7)
No, it is your guilt that has separated you from your God, and your sins have hidden God’s face from you, so that he does not hear. (Is 59:2)
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Your mercy ___________ gives us _____________________.
8 But now, Lord, you are our father. We are the clay, and you are our potter. All of us are the work of your hand. 9 Do not be angry, Lord, without limit. Do not remember our guilt forever. Please look closely. All of us are your people. (Is 64:8–9)
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance so that we would walk in them. (Eph 2:10)
You were dead in your trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1)
Points to Ponder
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What is one thing that stood out for you from this week’s message?
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Have you ever thought about how similar our situation today is to that of Isaiah? How does this change your view of Isaiah’s message?
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Are you praying specifically for people God has put in your life who don’t know Jesus as their Savior? What will you do to share Jesus with them?
