Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the Old Testament Lesson just read, Is 66:10-14. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- I’ve always been a little embarrassed by the “nursemaid” language in our text – language that is used in several other places in Holy Scripture as well. Most people are glad to have been weaned and that they grew up. They look at themselves as being adults – now the ones who are independent and can take care of themselves, people who now do the helping and “nursing” of others.
- Among men, and especially young men who are athletes, it is not a term of respect to be known as a “momma’s boy.” What it means is that you can’t deal with pain and difficulties and setbacks, that you can’t play through pain and injury, that you need to be babied, you need your momma to come and nurse you again.
- Unfortunately, all of this is contrary to the teaching of Holy Scripture in regard to our spiritual status and our spiritual needs. You see, we are constantly referred to as “children of God,” and Jesus stated that we must receive the kingdom of God as “little children.” [Lk. 18:17] So we are actually encouraged to be “nursing” as children of God, drinking the Word of God. Peter wrote: “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation” [1 Pet. 2:2]
- What all of this means is that we need to be nursed, to be fed as little children, and the place where this is to occur is the church – referred to in our text, and elsewhere in the Old Testament as “Jerusalem.” This is the principle point in our text, that we also are to be “NURSED BY THE CHURCH.” So we see in our text that:
I. God Calls The Church To Nursemaid His Dear Children Of Faith
A. He Urges Us To Come To Jerusalem, To The Church, So That We May Be Fed
Text: “That you may nurse and be satisfied at her consoling breast, that you may drink deeply with delight from her glorious abundance.”
B. He Describes The Church As A Place Where We Will Be Dandled And Comforted
Text: “You shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip, and bounced upon her knees.”
C. The Church Is A Place Where God Himself Comforts And Strengthens Us – Through Our Fellowship With One Another And Our Serving Of One Another
Text: “As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.”
1. This includes positive encouragement
Text: “You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like the grass.”
2. This also includes our care for one another when sin and transgressions overtake us
Epistle [Gal. 6:1,2] “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
Statement: Again, we want to look at ourselves as being adults, self-sufficient, self-determining, and able to take care of ourselves. The Scripture, from cover to cover, presents quite a different reality. We are warned that the world is a very dangerous place, spiritually, and that we will have all kinds of enemies out there to lure us away from God – through a wide variety of temptations and inducements to evil. We also have our sinful flesh to contend with – which is weak in the face of temptations to sin. So Jesus warns us that unless we remain connected to Him, as a branch is connected to the Vine, being nurtured and fed by Him, that we can do nothing but dry up and wither away – possibly to the point of dying spiritually. So that this not happen He has provided us with the “church,” a place of nurturing, protection, and fellowship – where God’s children look out for one another.
But there are two problems with this today, two ways in which the devil has tried to corrupt and pervert this blessed fellowship within the church. First, we do not have a positive attitude toward the church – not viewing it as a great treasure to be rejoiced in. We do not recognize “her glorious abundance” of which we are to partake of and imbibe in. Part of this is our own sinful , independent, and judgmental attitude toward others – that we need nothing and certainly will receive nothing from others within the church. The other part of this is the many evil people within the church who have infiltrated the fellowship not to promote and encourage the drinking of God’s milk, His Word, but rather for their own selfish, proud, and egotistical purposes – so that life within the church may become “dangerous” or at the least discouraging. Lord have mercy on those who thus pervert and corrupt the life of the church!
The second way in which the devil has tried to ruin this aspect of the life of the church is by convincing us that we should not care this much for one another, or that we really don’t need to care this much for one another – so that we actually renege on our responsibility to feed, uplift, and encourage one another within the church. So we look at the church as if it were a mere Burger King or Country Club – some place that we go to once in a while for our own pleasure or food, but not a place where we are concerned for serving the spiritual good and health of others. This too is a very sad state of affairs.
Application: In sharp contrast to all of this, God encourages us to “rejoice with Jerusalem, and to be glad for her.” He speaks of “all you who love her.” We are to “rejoice with her in joy.” But until we see the church for what it is, what God intends for it to be – a place where we can “nurse and be satisfied from her consoling breast,” a place where God Himself comforts and feeds us out of “her glorious abundance” through the ministry and fellowship of one another, it will be difficult for us to properly value and rejoice in the church – especially if we remain unwilling to take part in the strengthening and upbuilding of one another! So let us pray that God strengthen us and enable us to be the church as He intends us to be – that we may have joy in the church and always be receiving our nurture from her, from one another.
Transition: For there are great blessings that God intends for us to have within the fellowship of the church, even to this day, for:
II. God Promises Great Blessings To His Church Even Today In These Latter Days
A. Within The Fellowship Of The Church, God Will Make His Hand Known To His Servants
Text: “and the hand of the Lord shall be known to His servants.”
B. And God Promises That We Will See His Wrath And Punishment Upon His Enemies – Who Are Also Our Enemies, Including Those Who Trouble And Pervert The Life Of His Dear Church
Text: “and He shall show His indignation against His enemies.”
Statement: Looking at things from the bottom up, and evaluating things only on the basis of worldly criteria, it is impossible for us to see the huge value that God places upon His church, how much He wills to bless us and how faithfully He protects His church – those who are true believers in Christ Jesus, who drink the milk of His gracious mercy, forgiveness, and love. He protects us from His enemies, all those who seek to run down and destroy His church, His dear people of faith. He does indeed show His indignation against all those who seek to pervert and corrupt the life of the church so that His dear children do not cherish the church, draw their nurture and sustenance from the church, and serve one another in love.
Application: So the choice is before us, as to our relationship with the church – which is our relationship with God. Will we be dependent upon the church as a little nursling is dependent upon its mother? Will we rejoice in what God provides for us within the church? Will we cherish what He gives to us out of “her glorious abundance”? Will we “rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her”? Will we “love her and rejoice with her in joy?”
This is God’s good and gracious will for us, the blessings He Himself has provided for us within the life of the church – if we will get with His plan and reject all temptations to pervert and corrupt the life of the church!
Conclusion: We may indeed balk at the notion that we are supposed to be “momma’s boys” within the life of the church. But if we do so, if we determine to be self-sufficient and too “grown up” and “adult” to be children of God and to be nurtured by Christ within the church, we sever ourselves from the Vine, from Christ Himself – Who loves and cherishes His church.
If we do so, whatever our relationship is with the church, it will be weak and anemic, and perhaps even corrupting of the church – and you remember what God promises to do against His enemies! So let us humble ourselves and receive the blessings of the church that God intends for us – for this congregation, for this little “Jerusalem” of God!
And may we also be among those who nurture others – those who come here to be “NURSED BY THE CHURCH.” Let us love the church, and truly rejoice in her and be glad for her. Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.