Dave Johnson
Sermon: “God Has Chosen You” (Isaiah 49:7)
January 19, 2014
In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
When I was a kid I used to enjoy watching Chuck Norris movies. Chuck always played an invincible hero who was victorious, no matter what. During the past several years many legendary “facts” have emerged about the one and only Chuck Norris, and since it’s been a year since I opened a sermon with Chuck Norris “facts” I thought I’d rectify that today:
“Chuck Norris doesn’t sleep. He waits.”
“If you spell ‘Chuck Norris’ in Scrabble, you win—forever.”
“Chuck Norris’ computer has neither a ‘Backspace’ key nor a ‘ctrl’ key, because Chuck Norris never makes mistakes and is always in control.”
And finally…“Chuck Norris can do a wheelie on a unicycle.”
Today I’m preaching from Isaiah 49:7 in which the great Old Testament prophet speaks the following words of comfort to the nation of Israel:
“Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations, the slave of rulers, ‘Kings shall see and stand up, princes, and they shall prostrate themselves, because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you’” (Isaiah 49:7).
Isaiah’s ministry to Israel lasted over half a century, during which Israel was continuously harassed by other nations. Isaiah describes Israel as “one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations, the slave of rulers.” In other words, Israel bore no resemblance whatsoever to the invincible Chuck Norris.
But even though Israel was “deeply despised, abhorred by the nations, the slave of rulers” God chose Israel anyway.
Maybe some of you are like Chuck Norris—you’re always in control and you never make mistakes—but for those of you like me, who are not always in control and who make plenty of mistakes, there is good news in Isaiah 49:7—God has chosen you.
In life people often feel like they have to earn the right to be chosen. From picking kickball teams at recess in elementary school to college and job applications to rushing for fraternities and sororities, we experience scenario after scenario of trying to measure up.
Sometimes this happens with one’s relationship with their parents—they are always trying to earn their parents’ approval, always trying to earn the right to be chosen—only to fall short.
Last week I watched a documentary about legendary Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi, arguably the greatest football coach ever. He had two children: Vincent and Susan, and the documentary included interviews with both of them. Listen to how Lombardi’s son Vincent described his relationship with his father:
“My dad and I didn’t communicate too well. I’m sure it was both of our faults. I never had any doubts that he loved me but he was hard. I had to probably grow up to his level, and I was probably getting there, but didn’t have time.”
God doesn’t expect us to come up to his level, but instead comes down to our level, as we see in both Jesus’ incarnation and baptism, and when it comes to whether or not God loves you it is never “probably” but insteadit is always “definitely.”
In the 2004 movie SpanglishJohn Clasky (played by Adam Sandler)is married to Deborah (Tea Leoni). They have a twelve year old daughter, Bernice (Sarah Steele), who struggles with low self-image issues. In one scene John is helping his daughter with her history homework:
“And (President) Hoover is followed in office by…”
Bernice can’t remember: “I’m just drawing blanks! I’m embarrassed. It’s my own fault. I spent all my time on math. I’m lucky if I don’t flunk anyway.”
Her dad gives her a hint…“The man you are looking for is not a ruse.”
“What does ruse mean?”
“Phony…Ruuuuse…”
“Roosevelt! Haha!” Dad and daughter give each other a high five.
Then Deborah walks in the room with bags of new clothes for Bernice—“Hey surprise! New clothes!”
“What did I do right?” Bernice asks.
Her mom gives her a big kiss on the forehead, “Warehouse sale! I went nuts and got so much stuff!”
“Great!” John chimes in, “She needed a boost!”
Everyone’s laughing. Bernice begins pulling the new clothes out of the bags…and she notices something…they are all a size too small. She begins to turn red.
Her mother tells her, “Come on, listen! Bernice, you’re going to do it and you’re going to look beautiful. Oh honey, you are going to lose that weight.”
Bernice is devastated. She takes a moment and then, choking up, looks at her mom and says, “You know what mom? I’m glad you didn’t get here earlier, because then I wouldn’t be able to tell you that your gift to me is a ruse.”
Many people in the church have been wounded by a false gospel that says God will love you if—ifyou “grow up to his level”…if you “lose that wait”—if…you can fill in the blank.
In two decades of ministry in the church I have noticed a couple things—many of the best-looking and most-accomplished people I have met are actually riddled with self-doubt and a low view of themselves. In other words, the church is full of people like Vincent and Bernice, people who do not feel like they measure up, people who, similar to Israel, see themselves as “deeply despised.”
The true gospel is that you are not “deeply despised” by God but deeply loved by God. When it comes to thetrue gospel there is no if—there is only because—God loves you because God is love.
And God’s love for you is not a ruse.
The brilliant 2012 film Silver Linings Playbook features two people who see themselves as “deeply despised.” Pat (played by Bradley Cooper) is bipolar and his wife Nikki has left him for another man—and Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) suffers from depression and lost her husband Tommy in a tragic accident.
Pat finds himself in the office of Dr. Patel, his therapist, who urges him to take his medication. Listen to how Pat responds:
“Nikki’s waiting for me to get in shape and get my life in order and then she’s gonna be with me—and that’s better than any medication.”
Dr. Patel continues, “That is a possibility and I want you to be prepared for it but she may not return. True love is about letting her go and seeing if she returns…so get a strategy, okay? You need one.”
And Pat counters, “Let me just say something, okay? I’m going to say something. This is what I believe to be true. This is what I learned in the hospital. You have to do everything you can. You have to work your hardest and if you do, if you stay positive, you have a shot at a silver lining.”
Later in the film Pat and Tiffany, who have become friends, are rehearsing a dance for a competition they’ve entered, and Tiffany pauses and asks Pat,
“Has anyone ever told you how Tommy died?”
Pat responds, “No.”
Tiffany continues, “We were married for three years and five days and I loved him, but for the last couple months I just wasn’t into sex at all. I just felt like we were so different and I was depressed—some of that is just me—some of it was he wanted me to have kids and I have a hard enough time taking care of myself—I don’t think that makes me a criminal. Anyway, one night after dinner he drove to Victoria’s Secret at King of Prussia Mall and got some lingerie to get something going and on the way back he stopped on 76 to help a guy with a flat tire and he got hit by a car and killed. And the Victoria’s Secret box was still in the front seat.”
When it comes to the love of God, maybe you relate to Pat, maybe you think you need to do everything you can and try your hardest and stay positive, get in shape and get your life in order…and then God will love you.
Or maybe you relate to Tiffany, stuck in a state of paralyzing grief because of a tragedy you never saw coming.
Back to Isaiah 49:7 for a moment…what did Isaiah tell Israel, people who saw themselves as “deeply despised, abhorred by the nations, the slave of rulers”?
This is what Isaiah told them: “Kings shall see and stand up, princes, and they shall prostrate themselves, because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
For seven centuries Israel interpreted these words as pointing to a time when a messiah would come—someone even more powerful than Chuck Norris --and that this messiah would lead them to conquer the kings and princes who despised them.
But Isaiah was talking about a different kind of messiah—the King of Kings who would stand not against Israel but with them—the Prince of Peace whom Isaiah later prophesied would be “despised and rejected by men” (53:3), abhorred by the very nation he came to save, and a who would himself become a slave who humbled himself even to death on a cross.
And when Jesus Christ died on the cross he proved once and for all that no matter what, you are not “deeply despised” but deeply loved…and God has chosen you.
In his book The Word of God and the Word of Man the prolific twentieth century scholar Karl Barth puts it this way:
“The last word concerning God is not ‘Draw not nigh hither!’ but, ‘God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son!’ The last word concerning the world of (human beings) is not ‘Dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return!’ but, ‘Because I live, ye shall live also’” (297).
And this deep love of God in Jesus Christ gives life that is ever new, and can meet you right in the place where you feel the most “deeply despised.”
A couple weeks ago an elderly friend of mine, who is an Episcopal priestand does a lot of prayer ministry, shared a story with me about a young man named Brian. Brian’s fatherleft when Brian was very young, and was rarely present for Brian as he was growing up. Brian played football in high school and during his senior year he begged his dad to come watch him play. His father promised he’d be at one particular game when Brian’s team was to play their archrival.
Brian played his heart out that night, the game of his life, and he was hoping his father could see it. All during the game he kept glancing again and again at the stands, looking for his father—“Where is he? Where’s my father? He promised he’d be here. Where is he?” But as you guessed his father never came, and Brian never forgot that hurt.
Years later Brian, now in his late twenties, was receiving prayer ministry and in his mind the Holy Spirit led him right back to that game. Brian found himself once again glancing at the stands. His father was not there, but Brian saw Someone Else in the stands…Jesus—who was standing and clapping and yelling, “Go Brian, go! You’re the man, Brian, you’re the man!” True story.
In the moments of your life during which you have felt the most deeply despised Jesus has been there with deep love for you.
Back to Silver Linings Playbook for a moment…toward the end of the film Pat and Tiffany, broken as they are, fall in love and together begin a new chapter in their life. As a montage of images of this new life flash on the screen, Pat says:
“The world will break your heart ten ways to Sunday—that’s guaranteed. And I can’t begin to explain that or the craziness inside myself and everyone else, but guess what? Sunday is my favorite day again.”
On this Sunday the good news of the gospel—especially for those of you who may feel deeply despised—is that you are actually deeply loved by God—who has chosen you.
Amen.
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