2006-09-03 Communion Dedication – Baldwin Christian Church 

Isaiah 49:1-6 

1 Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.

2 And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;

3 And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

4 Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.

5 And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.

6 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. 

Seven hundred years later, the Redeemer of Israel came to restore His people, and His frustration was foretold in verse four.  As it says in the next chapter (Isaiah 50:6), Jesus would offer no resistance to those who beat Him (Matthew 27:26).  He would offer His cheeks to those who mocked Him, struck Him, and spit on Him (Mark 14:65).  The light and salvation of the whole world would be rejected among His own people, in His Holy city. 

Today we cannot know Jesus in the flesh.  We have been spared the temptation to look upon Him as a man and say, “He’s nothing special”, but we have not been spared the opportunity to reject Him, to frustrate Him, and to disgrace Him. 

Today we have no excuse (Romans 2).  The light and the salvation, the Yeshua of God has already come.  Jesus has done His part in showing forth the goodness of God, which should lead all of us to repent from our ways.  As we sit at this table He has provided for us, let’s think about the frustration He expressed in verse four… 

“I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.” 

Can we look within ourselves at this time and find just one thing, one way that we’re frustrating His grace toward us?  Can we look at just that one part of our lives, in our attitude, or behavior, and just put that frustration behind us for good? 

To sit at this table is to recognize the high calling, the prize of living this short life in obedience to Him.  He set aside everything out of His love for us.  Can we set aside just one weight, one burden today, one thing that has been causing His work to be vain in us?