Roadmap!

When I was in highschool this was the code I had developed with a friend of mine to say wait a minute. Im lost. In the middle of a conversation when one of us had lost track of where we were Or couldnt understand the conclusion the other had just drawn Or just if one of us was generally confused.

!he word was roadmap. It meant that whoever was talking or telling the story had to stop and "ack up a few steps. !o e#plain what was happening. !o draw clearer lines to move whichever one of us was lost to a place of understanding. !o wherever the other one was. It was too important to us to understand we didnt want to just let the conversation slip "y let the moment slip "y $nd so% if someone was lost she would say& Roadmap. I think for many of us thats a tool that would "e very helpful in conversations with 'od. Weve "een talking a"out transition a lot lately around here in adult education series% and in Ricks sermon a few weeks ago. (o Ive heard it asked in lots of circles lately what does 'od want from me) Who does 'od want me to "e)
*

$nd how do I know) +specially when situations change or people change and may"e we arent ,uite sure why or how It would "e nice if 'od would draw us a roadmap. $nd fill us in on the details why things changed% how they changed and where in heavens name were going -nfortunately% it doesnt always work that way. We dont all get voices from a"ove telling us what were missing We do% however% get some help the right direction from lots of places that can point us in

One e#ample is in the te#t from Isaiah today. Isaiah is one of the great prophets of the .e"rew (criptures. $n active prophet% ministering for /0 1 years Isaiah knew what it was to struggle. .is message% as you can guess from this te#t was often not received well. $nd yet. Its a roadmap. !he people of Israel are lost. $nd they cant seem to find their way "ack to 'od. $nd theyre not really sure why. $s far as they can tell theyre doing all the right things.
2

3ollowing the law% fasting% keeping up appearances. 4ut thats the pro"lem right there. When people ask why 'od does not see their fast why their suffering doesnt matter Isaiah reminds them that the reason they fast is wrong. Instead of looking for credit for how others see us when we fast for the promise that others will think well of us 'od wants us to fast so that only (he can see. (o that only .e knows. $nd this is true for all of the service we do for 'od internal commitments instead of headline news. $nd so instead% Isaiah offers another fast. In response to their ,uestions Isaiah gives them directions. $ roadmap to move the people of Israel and us "ecause if we follow it% it will move us% too from where we stand% lost in the world to where 'od stands. +ternally. Isaiah descri"es a lifestyle of fasting. 4ut not from food at least not just from food. Isaiah descri"es a personal fast 5 from taking advantage of others. 3rom thinking only of ourselves and our needs. $ fast in which we share what we have with those who have less. When we literally feed the hungry and clothe the poor not only "y financial donations "ut with our own hands. $ fast in which we give up time and energy in the pursuit of justice and mercy.
6

When% perhaps% we think a"out how we can advocate in the government for the rights and privileges of those who cannot advocate for themselves) 7erhaps for some its a fast from some kind of social event choosing to make room for 'od% to come to church or to stay home and listen. $nd wait. $nd pray. Isaiahs fast is a process its a roadmap to holiness of life. 8irections that will lead us from temporal to eternal. 3rom human to divine. 3rom this life through to eternal life. !o nowhere less than 'ods own presence fully e#perienced. 3or Isaiah% the walking of this path the living of this life is a process toward holiness. 4ecause it is the choosing of this faithful kind of life that is like asking for a roadmap. It is in the choosing to follow to look for help in scripture% at church in each other. 4y choosing to su"mit to the process% we choose 'od. We dont let the conversation slip "y. We show our real priorities. We choose to open ourselves up to listen% to feel% to follow. $nd with 'od there is never a time when we ask for help% for directions that 'od who is faithful and just does not hear us and come to help us. Isaiah tells us that if we walk the path then we will learn see and hear 'ods will for us more clearly we will learn to
9

If you remove the yoke from among you

If you learn to live in this way.

If you remove the pointing of the finger and the speaking of evil If we can purify ourselves and "e a vessel for the presence of 'od :ore concerned a"out our own flaws than those of others :ore concerned with the good we can do rather than the good others ;should; "e doing If you offer food to the hungry If you satisfy the needs of the afflicted if you respect the dignity of every human "eing enough that you 8O something to ensure their safety% their rights% their "asic human needs !hese are the directions the patterns that Isaiah "elieves will change minds and hearts and if we follow them !.+<. !hen. Then your light shall rise in the darkness. And your gloom be like the noonday. !hen you will "e the light of the world. Radiant with the light of holiness radiant with the light of =hrist. $ city on top of a hill. $nd your light will shine "efore others and give glory to 'od. Then the Lord will guide you continually. >ou will "e a"le to hear and to follow. !hen having made room in your life for 'od for 'ods work for 'ods will in you then you will come to know more deeply of 'ods plans for
?

you. Then the Lord will satisfy you in parched places and make your bones strong. $nd what seems impossi"le will% with 'od% "ecome ,uite possi"le. What seems distant and un"elieva"le and hard to understand will "ecome part of the wisdom 'od gives you. Isaiah promises that if you are faithful% if you do what you can do live a holy life !.+< the @ord will strengthen you. :ore and more. $nd the places that were once parched will "e like a watered garden Overflowing with a water that never fails. Then when you have been strengthened, and fed, and supported the ancient ruins will be rebuilt. And you will raise up new foundations that will sustain the generations to come. You will be called the repairer of the breach the restorer of streets to live in. In Isaiahs mind these are huge promises for the people of Israel that "ecause of their individual choices $s a people they would learn together to "e restorers repairers renewers =an you imagine just for a moment what it would mean for this =hurch to "e called the repairer of the "reach) What it would mean for you to restore streets in 7hiladelphia)
/

!o "ring life to parched places) !o "ring peace to offer love and to serve each person in the community in which you live) Isaiah plots a road map for you this morning. $nd like 7aul deep inside the (pirit is calling you. !o holiness of life. !he (pirit calls us to walk the path first !o call the ,uestion and then "ravely step into this process for the first time or the A?th time to follow after =hrist. !o let his light shine through you. 4ecause it is there% having made the choice to "e faithful It is right there. In that spot. !hat 'od comes to us. !o lead us the rest of the way.

>ou need not ask what 'od wants from you. 'od wants you. $ll of you. Bust as you are. !o follow the path. !o "e the light of the world. !o "e the salt of the earth. 'od wants you. $nd if you get lost or need directions or theres something that doesnt make sense along the way
A

>ou need only ask for a roadmap for 'ods help to get "ack on the path $nd 'od who is faithful and good will come for you and "ring you home. $men.