The Lord Rebuilds Broken Lives (Isaiah 61:4)
Sermon Summary
Pastor David Yan
2 May 2021
The Christchurch Cathedral was hit by an earthquake. The Notre-Dame Cathedral was partially destroyed by fire. The rebuilding of these ruins is underway.
Our lives, like these cathedrals, can be struck by the earthquakes and fires of life. Broken lives need rebuilding.
The prophet Isaiah speaks of the rebuilding of old ruins (Isaiah 61:4). This should encourage people whose lives are broken for the Lord is in the work of rebuilding old ruins. He restores broken lives.
Israel was to be brought to ruin because of disobedience. The church can also fall into a state of ruin. But the Lord encourages Israel (and the church) by promising to rebuild old ruins. God sees value in broken things. He is the Creator and what he creates will not be totally destroyed. He created human life and sees value in humanity — even though it is damaged.
The author of rebuilding is the Anointed One (61:1) who would come to preach good news to the poor and to heal, liberate and comfort people (61:1-2).
Jesus Christ boldly claimed to fulfil this prophecy (Luke 4:16-21). His claim was quite astonishing. He spoke either delusively or truthfully. There is no halfway ground here. Either Jesus is the Anointed One or he is not. In recognising this we see the importance of continuity and discontinuity. Some things are continued; some are discontinued. The claims of Jesus established the continuity of Isaiah's prophecy.
The old ruins of Israel were the temple and everything associated with Israel such as its laws, teachings and covenants. Israel would become a ruin and in a state of disrepair.
The ruins of the Christian church are the breaking down of its doctrines and practices which have been ravaged by liberalism within and atheism without.
It was time for Israel to rebuild the old ruins. It is time for the evangelical church to recover what it is meant to be.
The Lord is the Master Builder (Isaiah 40:1-3) but his people play a part. In this rebuilding process God is the first cause and his people the second cause. Rebuilding is a partnership.
Let us be diligent in rebuilding the old ruins. As a result of this rebuilding the Gentile world, which is instrumental in causing ruin, will acknowledge the work of God (61:5-9) and there will be great rejoicing in the church (61:10-11).
God’s character would have been manifested (61:8) when he restores his people and the old ruins are rebuilt.
The world rejoices when the church is in a state of ruin. But Jesus is building his church and it will not remain permanently in disrepair. Therefore let us keep working in building the church. Let us proclaim the gospel. Let us live lives that are single-minded. We are rebuilding the ruins of a beautiful structure—the church of Jesus Christ.
Let the broken-hearted individual be encouraged. Jesus has been sent to proclaim good news to you. He is here to heal your broken heart and liberate you from your captivity. Come to him without doubting. He will make you a new person.