He Lifts Us Up, Not Kicks Us Down

“Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He will declare justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel nor cry out, Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory; And in His name Gentiles will trust.” Matthew‬ ‭12‬:‭18‬-‭21‬ ‭‬‬‬‬- Isaiah ‬‬‬‬

1. Reed- have hollow stems-A bruised, broken reed is an emblem of the poor and oppressed. It means that he would not oppress the feeble and poor, as victorious warriors and conquerors did. It is also an expressive emblem of the soul broken and contrite on account of sin; weeping and mourning for transgression. He will not break it; that is, he will not be severe, unforgiving, and cruel. He will heal it, pardon it, and give it strength.

1. Smoking flax-This refers to the wick of a lamp when the oil is exhausted – the dying, flickering flame and smoke that hang over it. It is an emblem, also, of feebleness and infirmity. He would not further oppress those who had a little strength; he would not put out hope and life when it seemed to be almost extinct. He would not be like the Pharisees, proud and overbearing, and trampling down the poor. It is expressive, also, of the languishing graces of the people of God. He will not treat them harshly or unkindly, but will cherish the feeble flame, minister the “oil” of grace, and kindle it into a blaze.

All mankind is broken because of sin and Jesus came to fix our brokenness

1. Understanding the person of Messiah is necessary to form a relationship with Him
2. Distorted views of Messiah are caused by our own understanding and religious worldviews rather than revelation of Messiah given by the Holy Spirit

1. 1. Thinking God is always mad at me is destructive and gives no hope

1. Holy Spirit helps illuminate Messiah to our person. His Word is the foundation and the Breath of God upon His Word is what illuminates His reality to us
2. Prayer and His Word are necessary for illumination

1. 1. John 14:15-26

1. 1. 1. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” John‬ ‭14‬:‭26‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬
    2. ““But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.” John‬ ‭15‬:‭26‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬‬‬
‬‬What is Messiah like?

1. For me- Mercy first, then love, then faithfulness
2. A Bruised reed Messiah will not break
3. He will not be sever, cruel etc.

1. 1. Psalm 103:10-18 He does not treat us as our sins deserve
  2. How does he handle woman caught in adultery?

1. Smoking flax-barely hanging on ready to give up from the load
2. “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭28‬-‭30‬ ‭‬‬‬‬

1. 1. Luke 18:10 tax collector
  2. ““I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.” Isaiah‬ ‭43‬:‭25‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬‬‬

Old Testament revealing of Gods person and how He would act

1. “Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” Exodus‬ ‭34‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬‬‬‬
2. Isaiah 6:1-7 woe is me. God was out for Isaiah good not destruction

Pastor Chuck Salvo of On Fire Christian Church in Louisville, Ky. has been the shepherd of On Fire since 2001. We are a church who believes in worshiping the King of Kings fully and whole-heartedly. Our purpose is to exemplify Jesus in everything we do. We care about building Godly relationships & leading people closer to the Lord in every aspect of life. Join us Sunday Mornings at 10:30, Sunday Nights at 7 & Wednesday Nights at 7.

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