Pasin bilong i stap long Haus bilong God Wait, I will redo Pasin bilong belong No, I will redo I gat: The = Pasin Peace = stilim of = bilong Belonging = stilim no wail I no gat "stilim" na "wail" 2 tok. I gat: Pasin Bilong stilim No The Peace of Belonging = Pasin bilong stilim stilim = belong Pasin bilong belong

Pasin bilong i stap

Isaia 43:1-7

Ol seman bilong Billy Dempsey

Storim tok bilong moning i kam long prophet Isaia, kapitulo 43, vers 1 long 7. Na yupela go lukim long pes – sapos yupela i usim bible bilong ben – pes 603. Kontes long storim tok Isaia i tambu long kapitulo 43 – kapitulo 42 i kontekst bilong olgeta; song bilong man i servim i dai – kapitulo 40 long 55 bilong buk bilong Isaia. Kapitulo 42, kapitulo long we God i tok long kam bilong man i servim God, nupela samting i preparem long en, laik bilong en long narapela i lukim lait bilong en. Tasol kapitulo 42 i klos long sori long ol man bilong en. Ol i no lukim na ol i no harim. Kapitulo i end long tok long God i rausim anga bilong en. I tambu long en, na i redim long kapitulo 43 long wanem i kol “Pasin bilong i stap”.

Yumi prai, na yumi go read kapitulo 43, vers 1 long 7.

Papa, dispela i Word bilong Yu; yumi i ol man bilong Yu. Tok. Lausim yumi harim. Gim yumi klarim mind. Planim dispela tok i go long yumi long het. Feidem yumi soul. Equipim yumi. Papa, yu kam narapela. Harim yumi long yumi mekim prai long nem bilong Jisas na long en, amen.

Isaia kapitulo 43, stat long vers 1:

But nau, olsem dispela God i tok, Yu, em i mekim yu, O Jacob, em i formim yu, O Israel: "No fear, long yu, mi yet i redim yu; mi i kolim yu long nem, yu i bilong mi. Long taim yu go long wata, mi i stap wantaim yu; na long rivers, ol i no wailim yu; long taim yu wokabaut long paia, yu i no bum, na em i no consume yu. Long yu, mi i God bilong yu, em i Holim Wan bilong Israel, em i Savior bilong yu. Mi i givim Ajipt long ransom bilong yu, Kusi (em i Ethiopia), na Seba long exchenj bilong yu. Long yu i no wail long ai bilong mi, na yu i onor, na mi i lavim yu. Mi i givim man long exchenj bilong yu, pipel long exchenj bilong laif bilong yu. No fear, long yu, mi i stap wantaim yu; mi i bringim ol pikinini bilong yu long ist, na long west, mi i gatherim yu. Mi i tok long nart, Givim, na long saut, No holim; bringim ol pikinini bilong mi longwe na ol doka bilong mi long en bilong erth, ol man i kolim long nem bilong mi, olsem mi i mekim ol long glori bilong mi, olsem mi i formim na mekim."

Ol man i olsem gras na ol glori bilong ol i olsem flaurs bilong field. Gras i wetha na flaur i perei, tasol Wod bilong God i stap forever.

Watin i "The Peace of Belonging"? Wail, maybe mipela i start long define, "Watin i belonging?" Let me tell yu we i go long dispela sermon tede. Mipela i wantim tok about watin i belonging, mipela i wantim tok about watin belonging i lukim, na then mipela i finish long askim kestin, “Wai i mater?”

Watin i Belonging?

Watin belong? Yumi lukim tokples we Isaiah i use long verse 1. “But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.’” Yu recognize bigin theme bilong Bible long narapla – created you; formed you; redeemed you. Yumi thinkim long stori bilong Israel i go ausait long Egypt – God i saveim pipel bilong en long slaveri na i putim long graun we en i promis long Abraham. “Redeemed you” – dat hebrew word, “gaal,” em i “redeemer” – tingim long “deliverer, protector,” olsem Boaz i saveim, protektim Ruth na mama bilong en, Naomi; kinsman redeemer we i makim sure long futur bilong ol long en i doim saveim akshan. Dat em i pikcha bilong watin God i descrim long en yet; en i saveim yu. En i makim sure long futur bilong pipel bilong en long en i doim saveim akshan long ol.

“Yu no mi go we” – nap, moningim long ston bilong I tambu long Abraham; moningim long ston bilong I tambu long Sarah, meri bilong en. Olsem I noim ol man; I noim ol long nem. Moningim Noa. I noim Noa long nem. I save long ol man we I noim long nem, ol man we I save long ol. Olsem papa na pikinini, God i opim dua bilong adopisim, ol manmeri bilong en i no longer tambu ol man, i tambu ol pikinini. “Mi noim yu long nem.” Long kontrast, harim tok we I save long Psalm 1, we i read tu wik i go. “God i save long ol man we i wail, tasol ol man we i no wail,” I save, “ bai i no stap.” I bai i no stap; i bai i go we. Orait, harim tok we I tambu long Mathew 7, stat long verse 21. “No ol man we i save long mi, ‘Lord, Lord’ bai i enter long kingdom bilong heaven. Tasol ol man we i no wail bilong Papa bilong mi we i stap long heaven.” Long ol man we i save, “Lord, Lord,” tasol i no wail bilong Papa bilong en long heaven, I tambu long ol, “Mi no save long yu. Mi no save long yu. Go we.” God i save long ol manmeri bilong en, “Mi noim yu long nem. Mi save long yu. Mi save long yu gut.”

Na i tambu i finishim olgeta wantaim “yu bilong mi.” Think again long dat bikpela scene we God i gatherim ol manmeri bilong i kam long i yet long Sinai, long behin long ol klimaktik event long exodus. I gatherim ol long i yet long Sinai. I say, “Yu yet i lukim wat i mekim long ol Isrel, olsem i karim yu long wing bilong aigel na bringim yu kam long mi. Nau, long wanem, sapos yu harim tok bilong mi na kisim kovinan bilong mi, yu wail bilong mi long ol pipul. Long wanem, olgeta graun bilong mi. Yu wail long mi olsem kingdom bilong preist na nesen bilong hol. Yu wail long mi olsem bilong mi.” Dat’s ol bagich; dat’s ol freight we i karim long i say, “Yu bilong mi. Yu bilong mi olsem bilong mi.” A bilong mi olsem. Dat i tok, God i say, “Mi i gat spesel klaim long yu na long promis, yu i gat spesel klaim long mi.” Not how God i identifikim ol – “Mi i kolim yu long nem; yu bilong mi.”

Mi tokim yu long disapointing en long kap 42. God i no identifikim ol manmeri bilong i long ol disapointing stil, long i diskrim long en long kap 42, i identifikim ol manmeri bilong i long dat fraz, “Yu bilong mi.” Dat’s olsem i identifikim ol manmeri bilong i. No i stap long unbelif, even long wanem ol i stap. Yu na mi i struggle long sin. Yu na mi i lusim fight long sin long reguler basis. I God i deklarim long yu, “Yu bilong mi. Mi i kolim yu long nem. Mi i statim wanpela klosap relationship long yu. Yu wail long mi olsem bilong mi.”

Wat I Lukim Long Bilong?

Wail, em i go wail olsem wail? Mekim mi go kisim sampela prinsip long pasis. Na wanpela prinsip mipela laik lukim em i olsem wail i go wail long kisim help long, enjoyim presens bilong God. Lukim verse 2 na 5. Verse 2, “Taim yu go long wata, Mi wail wail long yu.” Verse 5, “No fear, long wanem, Mi wail wail long yu.” Em i olsem Emmanuel Prinsip – olmighty, iternal God wail wail long piple bilong E. God wail wail long yu; God wail wail long yu! I stap long taim bilong stres long mipela. Aktively wail wail long mekim gut long mipela olsem E promis. Sustaining; helping; empowering; enabling mipela. I stap long taim bilong joys tu. Helping mipela long remember olsem gut mipela enjoyim i kam long han bilong E.

Protection

Wailik stil haus long God i look olsem wanem? I look olsem yu no wailik stil long presens bilong God long de, long nait. I look olsem protekshan. Lukim verse 2. “Taim yu go long wata, mi wailik stil haus long yu; na long rivers, ol no wailik stil haus long yu. Taim yu wok long paia yu no wailik stil haus long paia na em i no wailik stil haus long yu.” Isaiah i allowim tupela danjer, tupela danjer nogut, i toktok long ol danjer. Lukim promis. Danjer i wailik stil haus long yu. Em i no se, “Sapos yu go long wata” na “Sapos yu wok long paia.” Taim yu wok – danjer i wailik stil haus long yu. Probabeli ol manmeri bilong yumi tudei i findim yumi stil haus long middle bilong wanem threat, wanem danjer, maybe even rait nau stil haus long dispela sanctuary long moning. Wanem trial, wanem suffering, wanem uncertainty, wanem doubt, despair, depression, pain o loss o grif. Ol noun i wailik stil haus long long time even rait nau. Tasol, manmeri bilong Jisas, yu stil haus long God i Papa almighty, i Maker bilong heaven na earth. I wanem i kreatim yu, i wanem i formim yu, na i wanem i redim yu. Long danjer bilong yumi, yumi i gat attention bilong em i no wailik stil haus long yumi na ol power bilong em i bent towards yumi bilong protection. Yumi i wailik stil haus long pain, tasol yumi i safe. Yumi i wailik stil haus long sori tried, tasol yumi i safe. Yumi i wailik stil haus long yumi i wailik stil haus long go ananit, tasol yumi i safe. Em i se long yumi, “Yu i bilong mi. Ol earth i bilong mi na yu i treasured possession bilong mi.”

Preferens

Em i tambu olsem? Em i tambu olsem, antap long presence na protection, em i tambu olsem, preference. Harim verse 3 na 4. “For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush” (em i tambu olsem, Ethiopia), “and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you. I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life." Sapos yu lukim ol verse ia, mi wantim yu nois long samting. Yu gotim wanpela Hebru rhetorical device i wok ia. Yu gotim repetition. Yu gotim repetition long ransom concept. "I give Egypt as your ransom." Na long murmur, long verse 4, "I give men in return for you." Dat i emphasim concept, long dispela case, ransom concept. Na rait i stap long namel long ol ia, long wanpela position long prominens, "Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you." Yu no save missim; yu no save missim. Yu gotim dat powerful repetition long ransom concept na rait long namel long en God i declarim, “Mi lavim yu! Yu i tambu long ai bilong mi!” Calvin i say, “The Lord i takim care long ol man i biliv, olsem i valuim ol man i biliv i go we pas long narapela man long wail.” I i interesting.

Em i tambu historia tok. Wan em i olsem. King Hezekiah – yumi listen! Em i historia bilong Israel; ino go long dry. No slip away! King Hezekiah bilong Yuda mekim paktia wantaim Ijipt long kontrak bilong em i go long Sennacherib, em i narapela man. Nau stop wan minit. Mi sit long planti klas bilong save long nem bilong Sennacherib! Na mi learn narapela nem, “Tiglath-Pileser." Yumi mas i gat impreshion long mi, long olgeta yia mi spendim long yumi! Na em i mekim paktia wantaim Farao bilong Ijipt na king bilong Ethiopia. Na yumi findim long 2 Kings 18 na Isaiah kapitul 30 na 31. Long stabilim em i rait na eksakt punishment, Sennacherib i go long Yuda wantaim em i bikini armi. Long taim em i bikini pait i kam na Yuda i go long dai, Sennacherib i mas breakim armi bilong em i go long lukautim narapela armi bilong Ethiopia na Ijipt. Ol i go long ruit na Sennacherib i go long bak long Ijipt. Yuda i save, long taim ol Ijipt na ol Ethiopia i get gobelim long armi bilong Sennacherib. Em i poin. Yuda i save long God i givim narapela man long em i enemis. Yuda i save long God i givim em i enemis, long kasis, Sennacherib, narapela man.

Nota istorikal dua. Long taim bilong Pasova, olsem long yia 30 AD, gavana Roma bilong provins Judea i autorise crucifixion bilong Jisu bilong Nazaret, man i go long staloa na wokim mirakel, laif na wok bilong en i givim evidens planti long em i tru Son bilong God na Mesia we ol man i w8 long en. Tripela dei lida, em i raise long ded, God i deklarim strong long em i tru Son bilong God na Savior bilong sinman. God i sendim Son bilong en olsem ransom long rausim pipul bilong en we i laik na sinful. God i sendim Son bilong en olsem ransom long yu na mi, man i biliv long Jisu. Em i givim moa long Egypt. Em i givim moa long Ethiopia. Em i givim moa long Seba. Em i givim Son bilong en we i wan wan. Mi na yu i gat token bilong em i submis long em, long ransom bilong en, rait ia long Tebul bilong mi na yu. Mi na yu i go enjoyim long fau minit. Sain bilong bodi bilong en we i bruk na blut bilong en we i shed. Waimem i look olsem? I look olsem God i laikim save pipul bilong en even long kos bilong laif bilong Son bilong en we i wan wan.

Restorisen

Yu no save long narapla samting long stalo we ol man i save. I tambu olsem restoresen. Lukim verse 5, 6, na 7 long pasis we Isaiah i tok, “No fear, long yu no save;” – i tok long narapla long Lord. “Mi go bringim ol pikinini bilong yu long arcing, na long west mi go gathaim yu. Mi go tok long not, Yu no save; na long saut, Yu no ken holdim; bringim ol pikinini bilong mi longwe na ol doka bilong mi long arcing long graun, ol man we i karim nem bilong mi, we mi kretem long glori bilong mi, we mi fomin na mekim." Pricheming minisri bilong Isaiah i stat long kingdom bilong Juda long saut, na i las long 50 yia. Bifo minisri bilong en i no reach 20 yia, ten tribu long not we i no save olsem Israel i karim go long kaptiviti long ol Asi. Mi tok long tribu we i no save long Israel. Olsem i ol! Long taim we ol i no save long narapla hap long populasen bilong Asi, ol i no save gathaim gen long graun. Ol man we i save kaim long saut long taim we trabol i kam long kingdom bilong Juda. Ol i no save; ol i go long historia. I tambu; i event we i no save. I kamap long taim we ol man i no biliv, i no save long het, na i no save long kovenant, serial kovenant no biliv. God, long narapla jenreasen, i givim ol i go long enem bilong ol long taim we ol i no hearim Wod bilong en.

Em i go long stanim ol Juda. Bai i kamap long 150 yia after Isaiah i dai. Long wanem reason – no bilip, no softenim het, no laikim ol paktin. Tasol, yah, harim promis bilong God. Wanem i look laik belong? I look laik restorisen after judmen i kam long sin. Sin, ol sin, ino inap long storibuk bilong ol. Tasol long ol i bilong God, em i lukim ol laik em i treasure bilong en, em i saveim ol. Em i restorisim ol. Sin bilong mipela ino inap long storibuk bilong mipela; restorisen i! Even long mipela i gohed, even long mipela i hatnim het bilong mipela tasol i gohed long sin, long mipela i bilip long Jisas, Jisas i save bilong mipela na i Lord, em i go long mipela. Em i go brukim hatnim het. Em i go brukim dependens long sin. Em i restorisim mipela. Sin bilong mipela ino inap long storibuk bilong mipela. Restorisen i! Long mipela i bilong, na long em i givim laif bilong Pikinini bilong en long mipela, em i restorisim wanem sin i no good. Dat’s wanem belong i look laik. I look laik restorisen.

Why Does it Matter?

Well, why does it matter? We’ll have to be brief. Why does it matter? Look at verse 7. Who is He restoring? Who is He gathering from the east and from the west and from the north and from the south? “Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory.” God makes an intimate connection between His glory and our salvation. God makes an intimate connection between His glory and our salvation. He ties His reputation to it. He ties His reputation to us and our eventual gaining of the promised land, in our case heaven, in His presence. He ties His reputation to the salvation of His people.

Trophies of God’s Grace

Harim em i go long Efesus kapitulo 2. “Even when we were dead in our trespasses, God made us alive together with Christ, by grace you have been saved, and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus so that, in the coming ages, he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.” God proves Himself to be gloriously gracious as He points to the trophies of His mercy, the trophies of His grace – His people! Yu na mi na ol i go bifo yumi na ol i kam after yumi! He points to us as trophies of His glorious grace. Every knee has to bow and every tongue has to confess that Jesus is Lord. He ties His glory to the salvation of His people.

Wanpela yia i go, long kindness bilong sampela man i tambu, mi go long first sailing trip bilong mi. Mi na ol man i fly i go long Tortola, British Virgin Islands, na dispela taim i no gat air conditioning i stap olsem, na airport na customs house i stap olsem bigfela apin building; no gat walo i stap. Ol i no wantim i tambu long wind. Mi remember i stap long ol long lain i go bek long wanpela sign i rait, “Visitors.” Dat i mekim sense long mi; dat i olsem mi. Mi i stap long ol lain, i feelim wind na lukim di date palms i sway, sometimes i hearim wail i go long di shore i tambu yard i stap behain mi, i feelim stres i go we na i taste relaxation i kam. Na mi notis long lain i stap long right. I i short. I i go fas long lain i stap, na sign i rait i go, “Belongers.” Mi heart, mi think i must i sigh. Long mind i i go, “Mi wantim i belong i stap! Mi wantim i be belonger i stap! Olsem i get i belonger i stap! Dispela ples i go stap!

Yu Ken I Be Belonger

Yu no ken sit long yumi today, o yu no belong; o yu i visitor long famil i God. Yu no save yu i ken belong? Na ol gutpela promis i God i bin mekim i yumi i bin tok about, i ken olsem i go long yu. Yu no save yu i sinner i no ken save yu yet? Yu i biliv yu nidim Savior? Yu i ken trust long Jisu i Nazareth, i Pikin i God na Savior i sinners? Yu i ken confident i He i man i sanap long ples i yu, olsem i ransom i yu, i kisim i God i bel i long yu na i dress yu long i righteousness i He? Olsem i yumi i kam belongers. I yumi i lukim i need i yumi; i yumi i lukim i sin. I yumi i turn from i sin na i turn from i abilib i yumi, i efort i yumi i mekim i yumi i gutpela long ai i God, na i yumi i throw i yumi long i man i i substitute i yumi. I yumi i throw i yumi long i mercy i God i express long Krais. Olsem i yu i kam belonger.

Mi hop i yu i lukim i hat i yu today. Long i yumi i ready i go kontinu i servis long Tebul i Lord, mi hop i yu i lukim i hat i yu na i determin i olsem i visitor o belonger. I yumi i go long i Lord long praea.

Father, Yu i mekim i man i no bin i man i God, i man i God. Yu i mekim i man i no bin i kisim i mercy i kisim i mercy. I God i olsem i Yu i forgiv i sin na i pardon i iniquity? I God i olsem i Yu i delait i save i sinners? Tenkyu long i promis i yumi i bin tok na i think about. I drive i ol deep long i hat i yumi na i let i ol i givim i shape long i laif i yumi na i shape long i understanding i Yu, i shape long i choices i yumi i mekim na i olsem i yumi i lukim i future i yumi. Na mostly, help i ol i givim i shape long i olsem i yumi i understand i Yu. I hear i yumi, long i yumi i mekim i praea, Father, long i nem i Jisu na long i sake i He. Amen.