Isaiah: The Spirit of the Lord (Isaiah 11)

Sermon & Small Group Resources

This is the fifth sermon in our seven week series on Isaiah. This sermon is “The Spirit of the Lord”. Preacher: Amy Norman. Bible Readings: Isaiah 11

DOWNLOAD the Small Group Questions, Going Deeper, and Sermon Transcript (PDF).

Next Steps this Week

BIBLE READING: Isaiah 11

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
    from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him –
    the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and of might,
    the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord –
and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
    or decide by what he hears with his ears;
but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
    with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
    with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
Righteousness will be his belt
    and faithfulness the sash round his waist.

The wolf will live with the lamb,
    the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
    and a little child will lead them.
The cow will feed with the bear,
    their young will lie down together,
    and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
    and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
They will neither harm nor destroy
    on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord
    as the waters cover the sea.

In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting-place will be glorious. In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the Mediterranean.

He will raise a banner for the nations
    and gather the exiles of Israel;
he will assemble the scattered people of Judah
    from the four quarters of the earth.
Ephraim’s jealousy will vanish,
    and Judah’s enemies will be destroyed;
Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah,
    nor Judah hostile towards Ephraim.
They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia to the west;
    together they will plunder the people to the east.
They will subdue Edom and Moab,
    and the Ammonites will be subject to them.
The Lord will dry up
    the gulf of the Egyptian sea;
with a scorching wind he will sweep his hand
    over the River Euphrates.
He will break it up into seven streams
    so that anyone can cross over in sandals.
There will be a highway for the remnant of his people
    that is left from Assyria,
as there was for Israel
    when they came up from Egypt.

SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS

Download in PDF format.

CONNECT: Where can we most practically live our lives as a pointer to the kingdom that we are a part of?

WARM-UP

1. Who is the best leader you have followed? What characteristics made them a good leader?

Read Isaiah 11:1-9

1. Why are we only looking at a stump? Who has cut down Israel to only leave a stump?

2. Who is ʻthe shootʼ and ʻBranchʼ related to? Why is that significant? (See 1 Chronicles 17:11-14)

3. Who equips the King? What does the Spirit of the Lord equip the King with? How does this compare with leaders you know?

4. What is one area of injustice in the world or in your own life that you struggle with at the moment? What type of justice would you like to see happen?

5. How does Godʼs King respond to injustice? How is he able to bring ultimate justice? How do we see this in Jesus?

6. Which predators are listed in verses 6-8? How do they relate to other animals and children? What does this tell us about the place and extent of peace?

7. Are there areas of your frontlines (or maybe on the frontlines of others) where there is an absence of peace (i.e., worry, conflict, anxiety)? How does the reign of Godʼs King which brings peace transform how you approach conflict now?

8. Can we separate comprehensive peace from knowledge of the Lord? Why/why not?

9. What is surprising about this vision of new creation? What do you most look forward to?

Read Isaiah 11:10-16

1. What will be peopleʼs response to the Root of Jesse ʻin that dayʼ? When is that day? Who is he?

2. From where will people come to gather? Who on your frontline is from a different nation/culture?

3. Who will remove every barrier and obstacle that might prevent people from gathering to Jesus? How does God remove barriers today? How are we used by God for this purpose?

4. How is the present and coming reign of Godʼs King good news for you and those on your frontline?

APPLY: Consider one area of your life where there is conflict. How will Jesusʼ present and future reign resolve it? How can that future impinge on that conflict today?

PRAYER

Gracious Father, thank you that you sent us your King unlike any other - who will bring everlasting justice and peace. As we await Jesusʼ return, please help us to be faithful witnesses of your reign. Amen.

GOING DEEPER

On Your Frontline This Week: If someone you know is in distress, an open and gentle question might be ʻWhat inner resources do you have to deal with this?ʼ

Listen, Watch, and Read:

• Listen: “Your Kingdom Come” by Paul Williams

• Listen: “The Golden Age” by Paul Clarke

• Read: “A Beginnerʼs Guide to Isaiah” by St Helenʼs Bishopsgate

• Read: “The Scriptures, The Hope and the Mutual Welcome” by Tom Wright

• Read: All the Prophecies of Jesus in “The Infographic Bible” (pages 128-129) by Karen Sawrey
  

SERIES Resources:

• Series Resource Guide: