Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20040404.htm

ISAIAH: GOD'S DIRECTIVES TO THOSE TROUBLED AT GOVERNMENTAL APOSTASY
Part XXXVII: God's Salvation For Those From Apostate Backgrounds
(Isaiah 50:1-11)
  1. Introduction
    1. If one is raised in an upright background surrounded by people full of faith and godliness, we would assume it would be relatively easy for him to trust in Christ and heed God's Word for blessing.
    2. However, we might think one from a deeply apostate setting would not be as likely to respond to Christ's Gospel and heed Scripture! In some cases, we might wonder even if such a party could ever be discipled!
    3. Isaiah offers great hope for the discipling of those from apostate backgrounds in Isaiah 50:1-11 as follows:
  2. God's Salvation For Those From Apostate Backgrounds, Isaiah 50:1-11.
    1. Due to the Babylonian captivity, Isaiah foretold Israel would think God had deserted her, Isaiah 49:14.
    2. In response, God reveals it was not He, but Israel who had caused her troubling discipline to arise, 50:1-3:
      1. God figuratively challenged Israel to produce the bill of divorce by which He had sent Israel into captivity and the creditor to whom He had sold her to pay off debts, Isaiah 50:1a,b.
      2. The Lord reminded her that the cause for Israel's captivity was His judgment for Israel's sin against Him in her forsaking Him, Isaiah 50:1c.
      3. God reveals He had tried to communicate to Israel about her sin so she would repent and avoid such discipline, but no one was willing to heed God about the subject, Isaiah 50:2a.
      4. Because of Israel's sin, she had suffered a loss of blessing, for God was not weak and unable to help Israel out of her difficulties, Isaiah 50:2b, 3.
    3. Then, remarkably, God through Isaiah predicted just how He would disciple individuals in apostate Israel REGARDLESS of the nation's spiritual darkness, Isaiah 50:4-11:
      1. Through Isaiah, God predicted that Messiah, Who we know is Jesus Christ, would come to minister to apostate Israel with spiritual gifting and guidance from God the Father, Isaiah 50:4-5a:
        1. Messiah would be divinely enabled to teach apostate Israel God's truths, Isaiah 50:4a.
        2. In grace, He would be equipped to minister to the troubled and needy in apostasy, Isaiah 50:4b.
        3. Messiah would be awakened by the Father each morning in His earthly ministry to be told what to say and do to minister effectively to the people in apostate Israel, Isaiah 50:4c-5a with John 8:26-29.
      2. Messiah's heart, unlike the hearts of apostates in Israel, would be open and teachable to the Father so God could use Him to teach His truth and do His will in discipling people in apostasy, Isaiah 50:5b.
      3. Then, when those of Israel's apostates who reject and persecute the Messiah in their not accepting the Father's words through Him, Messiah would still act honorably in doing the Father's will, Isaiah 50:6.
      4. Messiah would trust the Father for help and vindication to be able to bear this abuse, Isaiah 50:7-9.
      5. Consequently, all of the weary who will TRUST in Messiah and His words would SPIRITUALLY SURVIVE though they were living in apostate Israel, Isaiah 50:10.
      6. However, those who sought their own methods of spiritual survival or insight without heeding or trusting in Messiah and His words from God the Father would have such godless spirituality backfire in bringing them into eternal damnation, Isaiah 50:11! (cf. 1 John 5:11-12; John 8:42-47)
Lesson: God has PROVED He can and WILL disciple people in an apostate background as He did this in reaching people in Christ's OWN EARTHLY ministry to apostate Israel! If we TODAY heed Christ, though we have come from apostate backgrounds, we can be discipled as were those whom Christ reached, and we in turn can be used by God like Christ to disciple others from apostate backgrounds!

Application: (1) If we have come from an apostate background, let us not think we are hopelessly doomed to be unreachable by God: as Christ made disciples of some in apostate Israel, He can disciple US! (2) If WE in turn depend on the Holy Spirit to disciple others as did Jesus, WE can ALSO be used by God to disciple those in apostate backgrounds, Mtt. 28:19-20: (a) we TOO can use our spiritual gift to minister to the needy, and (b) follow God's leading every day as to what to say and do to be effective; (c) we like Christ can act honorably if persecuted by those who reject the truth God would have us teach them, and those who believe the Gospel of Christ that WE teach WILL ALSO be saved from apostasy!