Refreshed in Christ… Blessed!

Introduction

Good evening to everyone. We have a great crowd on Sunday night. Thank you for coming. You’re going to get a shorter version of me tonight. Don’t be too disappointed. As the elders have some things they want to say to you and address to you. So I’m looking at the clock right now to sort of put myself in the restraints I need to be in tonight. I told you that this morning I was going to expound upon Psalm 2 and the last verse how blessed are all those who trust in him. Psalm 2 and verse 12. I’m not sure that everyone sees it that way or feels blessed, who is in Christ. And I want to enhance your appreciation of that tonight. And I want to go to a place that might not typically we would go to, and that is the book of Isaiah.

In Isaiah 43, when the things that we’re involved in were anticipated long ago, hundreds of years before their fruition. Isaiah 43.

Judgment is coming. The people are ripe for judgment in the days of Isaiah. The northern tribes of Israel are going to be scattered to the winds, and the southern tribe of Judah is going to last a little bit longer. But Babylonian captivity is on the horizon. And yet there are passages of hope, passages that are brimming of hope that speak of the Lord’s anointed that would come and change the fortunes of God’s covenant people. And Psalm 2, the passage we looked at this morning is one of those passages. And so these words of hope in the midst of a message of judgment. Do not call to mind the former things or ponder things of the past. God says, Behold, I will do something new. Now it will spring forth.

Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness. I’m going to plow a path for you to get from one destination to another safely, successfully. The idea is a fertile and good destination. I will even make a roadway in the wilderness and what? Rivers in the desert. We’re going to be asking for that in Tombal if we don’t start getting more rain. Rivers in the desert. In Isaiah 35, this roadway has already been mentioned and spoken of. One of my favorite texts in Isaiah, where it says, Actually, the wilderness and the desert is going to be glad and rejoice and blossom. It will blossom profusely. Now, just hold that concept. Things are about to blossom profusely, like my rose bushes.

No, they’re not right now. They’re begging for some of that aforementioned water. They’re going to blossom profusely. The glory of Lebanon. That people thought about Lebanon and they had such wonderful thoughts. What a beautiful place, the cedars of Lebanon, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of the Lord and the majesty of our God. And he speaks in verse 8 of the highway of holiness that will be there. And I talk about that a lot. But I want to conclude at verse 10. The ransomed of the Lord will return and come with joyful shouting to Zion.

Does that describe us, the people of God in our day? Coming with joyful shouting, with everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy. Sorrow and sigh will flee away. Back in Isaiah 44, following on the heels of that quotation of Isaiah 43. He says, I will pour out water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground. Now, this might look a little familiar to you.

Hold that thought. How blessed are all those who take refuge in him. And my blessing on your descendants. And they will spring up among the grass like poplars by streams of water. What are these passages from Isaiah saying to us? Refreshing times are coming. The concept of refreshing, of being beside streams of water, rivers in deserts. God is going to provide refreshment. I guess, is that why people go to Schlitterbahn? I’ve never been.

Or borrowing one of our members’ pools on such a hot day. How refreshing it is to take the nesty plunge of years ago. Just fall back into that pond and be refreshed. That’s what these passages are talking about. Refreshing times, and it’s describing the ideal state or environment. Whenever you see the word blessed in Scripture, you need to pay attention to what follows.

Blessed are the poor in spirit. It begins. Oh, and there’s what, seven beatitudes in the book of Revelation as well. Shouldn’t be surprised that there’s seven in the book of Revelation. There’s the word blessed all over the Old Testament as well. We need to pay attention to what follows because this term is describing the ultimate state of being. And remember, in the promise to Abraham, and our kids know they can just, it rolls off the tongue, the threefold promise to Abraham. What was the third one?

As you all have you’re glazed over right now. Through your descendants. What? Teachers, what’s happening here? Dad, you’ve got a new concern. Through your, they just don’t want to talk tonight. I can’t talk in the auditorium. Through your descendants shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. Isaiah is envisioning for us by prophecy. The blessed times that are coming. So here are a few observations and a few applications. What seems so remote, way out there somewhere, and incredible to believe, almost too hard to believe. God had not forgotten his promise to Abraham. And I think if this is helpful to us in any way, I think sometimes when we go through trial and difficulty, we act as if God has forgotten about us. And for us, it’s a long time.

But the point Isaiah’s making is now remember what was promised to your ancestor a long time ago. It’s still real, it’s still on the table, it’s still going to happen. And beyond the dark days of exile, they would flourish again and flourish in a new way and an exalted way and become the blessing to the nations that they were always intended to be. Now, hold that thought when it comes to the applications we make of ourselves. The final word of encouragement rests on the bedrock of God’s faithfulness. What’s being said in these passages is as dark as it appears, God’s promises are true, they are reliable, and you can go to the bank on the character of God. God is faithful, reliable, and true. And that bedrock for his covenant people is always there.

There’s going to be many twists and turns in the road ahead, and a lot of it’s not going to make sense to us, but please be advised. It’s not a dead end. And all of God’s promises would eventually find a resounding yes. And amen. Truth. Amen. In Christ, in Christ, to the glory of God. And that’s from 2 Corinthians chapter 1, around verses 18 through 20. And so life’s present twists and turns do not nullify the bedrock of God’s faithfulness. And so we must not undervalue the provisions of forgiveness, fellowship, peace, and hope. It’s hard to appreciate being a citizen of the United States of America when you were born here. It’s hard to appreciate wealth and affluence when you’ve always had it. So I said, What are you talking about?

I haven’t always had that. Well, when you compare your circumstances to the rest of the people in the world, how’s that working out? As a comparison. I’ve made the observation before I didn’t have a lot of clothes when I was a kid. Dell has pointed out I have a lot of clothes in my closet these days. You accumulate stuff over the years. And I remember as a kid, I only had a couple pairs of jeans. So, you know, you wore them Monday, Tuesday, hope they got done in the wash, which I didn’t do. And hopefully, I don’t know how I did five days of school with two pairs of jeans. But I somehow, maybe I wore them dirty one day. So I didn’t have a lot of clothes, but you know what?

We never woke up at any day of the week wondering if there was going to be food to eat. Are you going to wake up tomorrow wondering if you’re going to get any nourishment that day or not? We don’t think about that. A lot of us don’t. And so it’s sort of hard to appreciate what has been provided for us and the nature of our families and the cars we ride in. I mean, I’ve always known air conditioning. Yeah, I’m not that old. I’ve always known air conditioning in my automobiles. Now we have air-conditioned seats in some of them. That’s cool. Especially here when it’s 105 degrees. It’s really hard to appreciate what you’ve always known. Now, where am I going with that? I’ve always been associated with these things.

From the time I was a little boy, I heard about the provisions of the gospel. I can be forgiven of my sins. I knew how that was obtained before I was even a sinner. I knew that before I was even close to the age of accountability. Fellowship with God, union with God, the peace and hope of going to heaven. I heard so many things about going to heaven when I was a kid, how awesome it was, and how we ought to live for that and lay up for ourselves treasures there. And I’ve been hearing about that all my life. And yet, somewhere along the way, because of the twists and turns of the road, people lose sight of the grandeur of all of that. I’m not going to let you do that unless you’re just determined.

1. Salvation Itself

A lot of the sermons I preach revolve around the possession of those things. We must not undervalue them or lose sight of them. The promise rewards will more than compensate for our disappointments and troubles. How long should I pause? Right there. Refreshed. This is what Isaiah was talking about. The blessed life, being refreshed in Christ. Do you feel refreshed just because you’re a Christian? Because you’re enjoying these things on a daily basis. They ought to be refreshing in and of themselves. And there are three areas of refreshment I want to share with you quickly in the last few minutes that we’re together here. First of all, salvation itself. What does Peter say about it in Acts 3 in verse 19 when he challenges the audience on that occasion, as he did in Acts 2, repent and be converted or turn.

Repent and be converted. That times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. Your sins will be wiped away, and times of refreshing will come from the presence of the Lord. Do you feel refreshed? What about when the burden of sin, when that when you realize you are undone in your sin and the burden of sin is lifted? As you rise to walk in newness of life. Boy, you talk about refreshing water.

2. Refreshing That Comes From Sharing With Each Other

Some of you, I think, have had some cold baptisms here when the heater wasn’t working for whatever reason. But I’ll tell you what, it may not be refreshing like that swimming pool in terms of the temp of the water, but in terms of what happens with the calm and the peace and the joy in the soul. There is refreshment. Refreshment there. It’s better than that tall glass of lemonade on a hot day when you’ve been working out in the flower beds or helping someone move or cooking all day, out on the grill. There’s another refreshing thing. I love the passage in First Corinthians chapter sixteen when Paul said, I rejoiced over the coming of Stephanus, Fortunatus, and Achaichus. I think I like the verse because I just like saying Stephanus, Fortunatus, and Achaichus.

And he says, They refreshed my spirit and yours. I don’t know anything about these guys. But Paul said, you know, when they came, it was like a breath of fresh air. You know they’re refreshing to you too. And he says that of Onociferis in 2 Timothy chapter 1, as we studied recently, when a lot of people had forsaken him, there was Onociphorus risking his own welfare and well-being so that he could refresh Paul. So many brethren, brothers and sisters were refreshing to the apostle.

By the Decker Prairie Church in the years that I’ve been here. And then what is so refreshing is when you see in the faces of the people the face of Christ. They are his representatives. They have come merely to help because they belong to the King. So may I ask you this? Do you see your role in this church as to be a person of refreshing to others? I know some of you do. Many of you do. But don’t lose sight of that. We’re here to refresh. I enjoyed talking to Brad Walker earlier this week on Thursday. We were at lunch with Brad and Lydia, and he was talking about how he enjoys Sunday night assemblies. And one of the things he said he just enjoys is just the interaction with all of you.

3. Worship Itself

This refreshing that comes from sharing with each other. What a refreshing part of being in Christ. And then there’s worship itself. Every time I come, and of course, you need to do this with as many brethren as possible, because it makes it even better. You ever notice how the singing has more impact if there’s 200 people who are really singing well and blending their voices together, or if you’re in a group of five to ten. Isn’t it wonderful that we can bring this many people into this building with such great acoustics? Thank you, Goth family, who decided designed this building way back when. Just ask Russ, he can tell you the whole story. They were really concerned about the sound, and we’re many years later enjoying the fruit of that forethought.

Conclusion

How refreshing it is to engage in devotion to God with people of a like precious faith. All of this is rivers in the desert. Sing a psalm in the desert of sorrow and sin. We live in a wicked world where the devil has his sway. But we are people who have been empowered to overcome, to be victors, to be victors by faith, and to pool our resources and abilities together to enjoy the refreshment in Christ. And this is but a part of what it means to be blessed. Are you living a blessed life? Can we assist you in the choice? Choose refreshing in Christ. Let’s stand a second.