A TIME TO REBUILD

Dear Church,

In the last newsletter, I sought to share with you the immense encouragement found in Isaiah 42, how Jesus is the gentle and compassionate Servant of God who brings healing to bruised reeds and smoldering wicks, to hurting people in need of a Savior. I have been praying that our good Lord does a gracious work in us to mend and restore our broken hearts and relationships.

As the sun-baked days of summer fade and we head into the busy and exciting months of fall, I want to follow up Isaiah 42 with a word of hope and restoration found nineteen chapters later in the same book.

In Isaiah 61, we come across another well-known passage of scripture that speaks of the same Messianic figure. Here, he is the Anointed One (“Messiah” means “anointed one”) who brings not only healing and comfort but transformation and justice in the Spirit of the Sovereign Lord.

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit

Fast-forward in time, about 600 years after the Spirit inspired Isaiah to write the words found in this passage. It is Sabbath and Jesus stands in the synagogue in his hometown to read the first one-and-a-half verses of Isaiah 61. After reading, Jesus says, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Lk 4:21).

With these words, Jesus revealed himself to be the promised Anointed One of Isaiah 61 who is empowered and appointed by God to bring about a work of remarkable, redemptive renewal.

What will this ministry of renewal look like?

• • Preaching of good news to the downtrodden (1a)
  • Bandaging up the broken-hearted (1b)
  • Giving the light of liberty to slaves and prisoners (1c)
  • Proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favor and compassion (2a)
  • Proclaiming the day of God’s vengeance when every wrong will be made right (2b)
  • Replacing his people’s ashes (a sign of grief) with headdresses (a sign of glorious joy) (3a)

So far, it’s all about the Anointed One renewing his people. But starting at the end of verse 3, we get a series of “they” statements.

• • They will be called “oaks of righteousness” which display the beauty of the Lord (3d)
  • They shall rebuild that which has been ruined and devastated (4a)
  • They shall repair the ruined cities and the devastations of many generations (4b)

The Lord’s gentle but powerful ministry of healing, comfort, and renewal has worked wonders in his people. The smoldering wick has been relit and is blazing white-hot. The bruised reed is straightened and strengthened. Life and vitality once again course (or at least steadily trickle) through the veins of God’s people, and their verdant flourishing gives testimony to the glorious beauty of the sovereign Lord.

It is God’s rebuilt people who rebuild the ruins.

Now, the call to rebuild must not be confused with a spirit of self-sufficient bravado. The Lord makes it clear that “unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain” (Ps 127:1). When the Israelites returned from their exile to Babylon, their return and rebuilding project was long and fraught with opposition and delay. Some Israelites never returned to rebuild the ruins of Jerusalem. But God’s plans would not be ultimately frustrated.

Friends, I believe we are in a season of rebuilding.

We have walked through a long season of collective loss and grief. Many of us are still grieving, many of us are still tired, fearful, and wary of what lies ahead. But God has been good and gracious to us; his Spirit has not become diminished in his power and activity, and he has been hard at work to restore his people.

And even as we continue to recover and rest in Christ, the brilliant reality that gives us real hope in the uncertain days to come is that the Anointed One of Psalm 61 has come to earth, he has offered himself up for our salvation, he has finished the work, and he now fills his people with the same Spirit of strength, courage, and love that empowered him during his ministry on earth.

So, what will rebuilding look like?

1. WORSHIP TOGETHER IN LAMENT AND THANKSGIVING

Godly grief is a good and necessary form of worship for God’s redeemed people (2 Cor 7:10, Ps 137). It is right for us to grieve our losses and pour out our hearts to the God of restoration as we sing, “How long, O Lord?” But in your lament, be sure to remember God’s unending goodness, recollect his blessings, and give thanks to Him in humility. Without thanksgiving, our lament can turn into self-consumed bitterness. Without lament, our gratitude can turn into naïve triumphalism. A life of faithful worship needs godly forms of both.

And remember, too, that God’s children are called to “weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). This is one of the great blessings we have in the Body of Christ. We are called to identify with our brothers and sisters as they grieve, to feel what they feel, to weep as they weep. And for Christians who grieve in view of the resurrection, this exercise in shared grief is always an exercise in hope (1 Thess 4:13).

2. JOIN A SMALL GROUP

In our church, we call them Intermission Groups, an expression of the fact that God has sent us into the world on mission as his ambassadors. And while on mission, we need all the encouragement, prayer, and nourishment we can get. Small group gatherings are instrumental for meaningful friendships, discipleship, and partnerships in the gospel. Be sure to join one HERE when signups open on September 11th!

3. START SERVING

In almost every part of society, including churches, the level of volunteerism is suffering. This is not surprising; we have all felt overwhelmed, sad, and paralyzed by the realities of the last couple of years.

But as God heals and renews us, it is important that we begin serving again. Because it is only as every member of the Body does its part that the whole Body will be healthy and growing (Eph 4:16). It is a wondrous truth that Jesus has made you and redeemed you to contribute to His Body in ways that no one else can.

Start small, but please do serve. Have a look at the listing of serving opportunities HERE to get started. Your active service not only benefits the church, it is of immense benefit to your own spiritual growth and vitality.

It’s time to rebuild.

Kelly M. Kapic quotes Dietrich Bonhoeffer in his book, You’re Only Human:

Bonhoeffer challenges his anxious audience with a promise: let your passion be for another; submerge yourself in service and sacrifice for the beloved, and you will “in some incomprehensible way know that we have been created anew as another, new better self.” You must be willing to lose your life to gain it. This new self is not discovered by fostering a pattern of isolation, but in a new connection to others that is fostered through sacrifice, service, and love.”

Church, we need you and you need the church. By God’s Spirit and grace, let us rebuild together.

Your servant in Christ,
Moses