WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.700 --> 00:00:04.000 May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts, be 2 00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:05.400 pleasing in your sight. 3 00:00:05.800 --> 00:00:08.300 O Lord, our Rock and Our Redeemer. 4 00:00:09.300 --> 00:00:09.700 Amen. 5 00:00:11.800 --> 00:00:15.700 You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. 6 00:00:16.700 --> 00:00:18.200 That's the conventional wisdom 7 00:00:18.200 --> 00:00:19.000 at least. 8 00:00:19.900 --> 00:00:24.700 I wonder if there's some displaying of that in our crowd today, but 9 00:00:24.700 --> 00:00:26.000 that's beside the point. 10 00:00:26.100 --> 00:00:27.400 That's the conventional wisdom. 11 00:00:27.800 --> 00:00:32.700 And even though we know it, it doesn't stop us from trying. 12 00:00:33.700 --> 00:00:35.000 Carl tried to do it. 13 00:00:35.500 --> 00:00:40.100 Carl was teaching confirmation class, you know, a bunch of 7th and 8th 14 00:00:40.100 --> 00:00:43.800 graders, the most stubborn group of horses 15 00:00:43.800 --> 00:00:45.100 if there ever was one. 16 00:00:46.200 --> 00:00:50.900 Well, the kids, they were not paying any attention to him. 17 00:00:51.400 --> 00:00:52.700 They weren't answering his questions. 18 00:00:52.700 --> 00:00:57.300 They didn't even want to be there, sound familiar? But Carl, 19 00:00:57.800 --> 00:01:02.100 he knew that he had what these kids needed. 20 00:01:03.000 --> 00:01:06.300 So he went on about as if nothing was wrong. 21 00:01:06.700 --> 00:01:09.300 He had them do the memory work. 22 00:01:09.300 --> 00:01:13.000 He went through the worksheets and he stood over them. 23 00:01:13.300 --> 00:01:17.200 He was figuratively pointing and shouting drink. 24 00:01:19.500 --> 00:01:25.000 But their questions they would make Carl his face 25 00:01:25.000 --> 00:01:26.200 turn bright red. 26 00:01:26.300 --> 00:01:27.900 He'd break out in sweat. 27 00:01:30.600 --> 00:01:34.800 My friend said, she feels like a boy, but my mom said that's not 28 00:01:34.800 --> 00:01:35.300 right. 29 00:01:36.000 --> 00:01:38.000 Why doesn't my mom care about my friend? 30 00:01:40.800 --> 00:01:43.300 Just learn the sixth commandment and its explanation. 31 00:01:44.600 --> 00:01:47.600 Yeah, my science teacher said God isn't real. 32 00:01:49.700 --> 00:01:52.000 Just go learn the First Article of the Creed. 33 00:01:53.400 --> 00:01:56.200 Yeah, my dad said going to church is a waste of time. 34 00:01:56.800 --> 00:01:58.900 Well, your dad's going to hell. 35 00:02:02.800 --> 00:02:08.800 Carl just did not know what to do with these stubborn horses who were 36 00:02:08.800 --> 00:02:10.400 not eager to drink. 37 00:02:11.100 --> 00:02:16.200 He grabbed their neck, figuratively, and held them down to the water. 38 00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:21.700 Trying to force them to drink. He didn't know how to respond to them. 39 00:02:22.500 --> 00:02:24.600 Force them or leave them. 40 00:02:25.300 --> 00:02:26.400 He couldn't decide. 41 00:02:27.900 --> 00:02:32.300 Now, you probably haven't been as crass as Carl has, but I imagine 42 00:02:32.300 --> 00:02:37.900 that many of you me, myself, included have fallen into the same 43 00:02:37.900 --> 00:02:40.000 temptation as Carl. 44 00:02:41.000 --> 00:02:44.600 Maybe it's that subtle or not-so-subtle 45 00:02:44.600 --> 00:02:48.500 comment on social media, where you push an argument 46 00:02:48.500 --> 00:02:53.200 that didn't really need to happen. Or complaining every day about that 47 00:02:53.200 --> 00:02:54.000 government official 48 00:02:54.000 --> 00:02:56.800 that you disagree with how they just don't get. 49 00:02:56.900 --> 00:02:59.800 Or maybe it's stirring the 50 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:05.100 pot with that co-worker who you just don't see eye-to-eye with. You 51 00:03:05.100 --> 00:03:07.600 know, you have the solution to their ultimate problem. 52 00:03:07.800 --> 00:03:09.900 If only they would listen to you. 53 00:03:10.400 --> 00:03:15.400 If only they would drink from the water that you have brought them to 54 00:03:17.100 --> 00:03:18.200 but they won't do it. 55 00:03:18.800 --> 00:03:26.700 And so do you hold their head down and force them or do you walk away 56 00:03:27.400 --> 00:03:29.300 leaving them to die of thirst? 57 00:03:30.400 --> 00:03:32.200 Or is there a better way? 58 00:03:33.400 --> 00:03:38.200 Now, as preachers future preachers, teachers of the faith, witnessing 59 00:03:38.200 --> 00:03:39.500 Christians, all of you. 60 00:03:40.300 --> 00:03:44.300 You have what these people need. 61 00:03:51.700 --> 00:03:58.000 You have the Water of Life. And these people that are before you they 62 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:04.900 have been wallowing in the muddy waters of Gnosticism, nihilism 63 00:04:05.400 --> 00:04:10.800 gospel, reductionism, radical liberalism, and I would be remiss if I 64 00:04:10.800 --> 00:04:11.500 left out. 65 00:04:11.600 --> 00:04:12.000 Dr. 66 00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:12.700 Schmidt's 67 00:04:13.200 --> 00:04:16.200 favorite moralistic, therapeutic deism. 68 00:04:16.399 --> 00:04:20.500 These people have been wallowing in these mud pits of the world, all 69 00:04:20.500 --> 00:04:21.200 their lives. 70 00:04:22.900 --> 00:04:26.300 They don't see the Water of Life when it's right in front of them. 71 00:04:27.700 --> 00:04:29.200 So what do you do? 72 00:04:29.400 --> 00:04:33.200 How will you react when you see them running after the walk, the mud 73 00:04:33.200 --> 00:04:36.600 pits of the world, rather than God's water? 74 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:43.200 How can you stop them from digging into the thick mire of false 75 00:04:43.200 --> 00:04:45.200 teaching, let alone 76 00:04:45.200 --> 00:04:46.200 pull them out of it? 77 00:04:48.000 --> 00:04:52.900 Now, I'm sure Isaiah and the prophets of God's people could relate in 78 00:04:52.900 --> 00:04:53.800 many ways. 79 00:04:54.500 --> 00:04:55.900 See our text this morning 80 00:04:56.200 --> 00:05:01.700 it begins with a wonderful invitation to a free feast. 81 00:05:02.100 --> 00:05:11.300 Abundant gift this thing that is full of rich, food, milk, wine, the 82 00:05:11.300 --> 00:05:13.200 things that satisfy. 83 00:05:14.200 --> 00:05:19.000 Wouldn't it be nice, if we had wine at the food bank because this is like 84 00:05:19.000 --> 00:05:21.800 the food bank, except you don't have to write 85 00:05:21.800 --> 00:05:24.800 thank you notes. It's free. 86 00:05:26.200 --> 00:05:30.800 But the problem here, the problem in our text is that the Israelites 87 00:05:31.000 --> 00:05:37.000 don't recognize the invitation, the feast, the invitation that gift 88 00:05:37.400 --> 00:05:38.400 for what it is. 89 00:05:39.700 --> 00:05:44.100 They've been blind and deaf to the words and ways of Yahweh. 90 00:05:44.100 --> 00:05:45.900 They've despised them. 91 00:05:45.900 --> 00:05:50.600 They've gone after their own ways and they weren't drinking the water 92 00:05:50.600 --> 00:05:52.300 that Isaiah put before them. 93 00:05:53.500 --> 00:05:59.500 I imagine Isaiah was just ready and willing to grab their heads and 94 00:05:59.500 --> 00:05:59.800 push them 95 00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:02.000 into the water and say drink it's. 96 00:06:02.000 --> 00:06:03.000 what's good for you. 97 00:06:04.600 --> 00:06:05.800 But he doesn't do that. 98 00:06:06.900 --> 00:06:08.800 He sits there in front of them. 99 00:06:08.800 --> 00:06:13.400 He sees their empty stares as they're unwilling 100 00:06:14.600 --> 00:06:21.100 maybe even incapable of letting go of their comfortable ways. 101 00:06:21.500 --> 00:06:26.700 Their pretensions their formation in the ways of Babylon. 102 00:06:28.500 --> 00:06:32.900 So Isaiah has the option, force them 103 00:06:34.300 --> 00:06:35.100 or leave them. 104 00:06:37.100 --> 00:06:41.700 But he does neither, he doesn't force them into the water and he 105 00:06:41.700 --> 00:06:47.300 doesn't walk away because that is not what Yahweh does. 106 00:06:48.200 --> 00:06:54.400 You see, Yahweh gives us what we need and Isaiah points to that. 107 00:06:54.400 --> 00:07:01.000 He points to the Holy One of Israel, the suffering servant of Yahweh. 108 00:07:01.300 --> 00:07:06.400 The one who glorified Yahweh and glorified His people Israel. 109 00:07:08.200 --> 00:07:09.200 Or better yet. 110 00:07:09.900 --> 00:07:14.800 He displayed the beauty of Yahweh and made Israel 111 00:07:14.900 --> 00:07:15.700 beautiful. 112 00:07:16.600 --> 00:07:22.000 It's because of him that the nations would come to Israel to find them 113 00:07:22.000 --> 00:07:23.300 to seek them out. 114 00:07:23.400 --> 00:07:26.700 It's not because of the beauty and greatness, that's inherent to the 115 00:07:26.700 --> 00:07:27.800 people of Israel. 116 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:30.700 No, it's because of him. 117 00:07:33.200 --> 00:07:36.900 You see ever since the fall, people have been looking for a way to 118 00:07:36.900 --> 00:07:39.400 make themselves beautiful. 119 00:07:40.400 --> 00:07:42.800 Lovable, acceptable. 120 00:07:43.700 --> 00:07:48.900 We wallow in all sorts of mud trying to convince ourselves that we're 121 00:07:49.300 --> 00:07:57.600 free and happy. We choke down the mud from the pits of the world 122 00:07:58.000 --> 00:08:04.400 telling ourselves that it will satisfy, but it's like mud makes a sick 123 00:08:05.000 --> 00:08:06.200 leaves us empty. 124 00:08:08.700 --> 00:08:15.300 But the thoughts and the ways of Yahweh are not bound like ours. 125 00:08:16.900 --> 00:08:21.000 Yahweh is not overwhelmed or even intimidated by the presence of 126 00:08:21.000 --> 00:08:22.300 these muddy 127 00:08:22.300 --> 00:08:30.300 puddles, that pedal themselves as pure wells. As he does not give up 128 00:08:30.600 --> 00:08:34.700 on the people who seek after these wells and he doesn't have to even 129 00:08:34.700 --> 00:08:36.900 force them into the water. 130 00:08:40.100 --> 00:08:41.900 That includes you and me 131 00:08:43.299 --> 00:08:47.900 dear brothers and sisters who have been found trying to draw water 132 00:08:48.700 --> 00:08:52.700 from the mud pits of this world. Pits that teach us to rely on 133 00:08:52.700 --> 00:08:57.900 ourselves. Pits that teach us that we will either force or abandon 134 00:08:57.900 --> 00:08:59.800 those who do not 135 00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:01.000 follow us. 136 00:09:02.700 --> 00:09:10.800 Instead, Yahweh responds by calling forth, a beautiful deep well of 137 00:09:10.800 --> 00:09:17.300 cool refreshing pure water water that satisfies where the dirty 138 00:09:17.600 --> 00:09:21.700 diseased puddles of mud of this world fail. 139 00:09:23.300 --> 00:09:25.100 According to his higher ways 140 00:09:25.700 --> 00:09:33.500 Yahweh sends the Water of Life, from above. Into this mess of muddy 141 00:09:33.500 --> 00:09:34.600 mastication 142 00:09:34.800 --> 00:09:41.300 Christ comes to bring the beauty of God's love in his life and death. 143 00:09:41.300 --> 00:09:43.900 He emptied himself out for you 144 00:09:43.900 --> 00:09:51.900 and for me. He took on all of your violence, your filth your fear and 145 00:09:51.900 --> 00:09:52.800 your emptiness. 146 00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:58.200 As the source of Living Water, He fills you with his word and his 147 00:09:58.200 --> 00:10:00.900 Spirit 148 00:10:00.900 --> 00:10:05.800 satisfying, you with his love and making you beautiful. 149 00:10:07.400 --> 00:10:14.000 Now when people see that God makes you beautiful in Christ, then they 150 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:21.500 see something someone worth seeking. Through the witness of his 151 00:10:21.500 --> 00:10:24.400 beautiful steadfast love in Christ 152 00:10:24.700 --> 00:10:25.100 Yahweh 153 00:10:25.100 --> 00:10:31.100 both satisfies his witnesses you and he extends his call into the 154 00:10:31.100 --> 00:10:33.200 world that enters ears. 155 00:10:33.200 --> 00:10:36.900 That opens eyes and grabs hearts and gently draws 156 00:10:37.200 --> 00:10:42.300 stubborn horses to his life giving water. His deep 157 00:10:42.300 --> 00:10:46.600 well of compassion of abundant 158 00:10:46.600 --> 00:10:49.000 pardon that satisfies. 159 00:10:50.600 --> 00:10:56.200 By the beautiful and beautifying work of his steadfast Love In Christ 160 00:10:56.800 --> 00:11:03.400 seen in the life of Isaiah and in Carl, and yes in you dear brothers 161 00:11:03.400 --> 00:11:04.200 and sisters. 162 00:11:05.000 --> 00:11:09.700 He draws others to his Feast of life and love. 163 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:18.600 So Isaiah points to Christ and lets him draw the horses to the water. 164 00:11:19.800 --> 00:11:24.500 That's what you and I do too dear brothers and sisters. And according 165 00:11:24.500 --> 00:11:28.800 to his will, our pointing will do the same 166 00:11:28.800 --> 00:11:33.900 for those other horses that are just as stubborn as you and me. 167 00:11:35.000 --> 00:11:38.300 Yahweh does not leave you alone in the midst of the muddy 168 00:11:38.500 --> 00:11:43.200 puddles of the philosophical, free-for-all that you find yourself in, 169 00:11:43.200 --> 00:11:44.400 in this world. 170 00:11:45.000 --> 00:11:47.400 He comes, he joins you. 171 00:11:48.500 --> 00:11:54.900 Our Lord draws you out of your despair, and confusion out of your fear 172 00:11:55.300 --> 00:11:56.600 and your faithless. 173 00:11:57.000 --> 00:11:59.800 That's formed by this filling up 174 00:12:00.300 --> 00:12:01.200 of mud. 175 00:12:02.500 --> 00:12:10.700 He gives you his water to drink and as you drink, you were filled, 176 00:12:11.600 --> 00:12:13.700 you're renewed, you're refreshed your cleansed. 177 00:12:13.700 --> 00:12:14.600 You're healed 178 00:12:15.700 --> 00:12:17.000 and you're made beautiful. 179 00:12:18.400 --> 00:12:24.400 As you receive his gifts as you joyfully draw from the wells of 180 00:12:24.400 --> 00:12:25.400 salvation. 181 00:12:26.600 --> 00:12:31.200 He will draw others to you who need that water as well. 182 00:12:33.500 --> 00:12:36.800 So, you may not be able to make horses drink? 183 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:42.600 But you can show them how by drinking deeply. 184 00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:46.500 Yahweh will lead horses to his water. 185 00:12:47.200 --> 00:12:54.000 And when he does, he will make them drink not by force, but by the 186 00:12:54.000 --> 00:13:00.700 power and beauty of his steadfast love in Christ. For it 187 00:13:00.700 --> 00:13:06.800 is by this, love, that heaven has come down to earth that we would be 188 00:13:06.800 --> 00:13:07.600 saved. 189 00:13:08.700 --> 00:13:13.100 In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.