Implications of Isaiah 55:10-11.

Last Sunday (still posting about it because both morning and evening services were so striking) evening, Jonathan Leeman preached on Isaiah 55:10-11 and gave nine application points right at the beginning:

1. Read Bible daily
2. Don't stay up late Saturday night (stay attentive on Sunday morning)
3. Ask God for a soft heart before Sunday service
4. Listen carefully to the sermon
5. Don't let other things become important over the Word (music style, etc.)
6. Preach/teach the Bible to family and friends
7. Preach faithfully
8. Evangelize/preach to non-Christians
9. Praise God for the pardon of our sins

Kudos to JWar for sending this to me. I didn't even attempt to write them all down when Jonathan was listing them out. I've realized that I don't prepare my heart as I ought before Sunday morning service; going to church has become routinized and just another part of my schedule (I even have it slotted in my Google Calendar!). Instead of coming to hear the Word of God proclaimed, I've treated it more as a lecture or class time.

One of the focuses of the sermon was on the idea in Isaiah 55 that God's Word does not come back void. That means whenever we sow the seed, God's Word is working as intended. Either it is hardening or softening. It is stopping the ears and blinding the eyes or it is piercing the heart. This reminded me of a Puritan image to explain Matthew 13:10-17:

The same sun that softens the wax hardens the clay; and so the very same gospel message that humbles the honest heart and leads to repentance may also harden the heart of the dishonest listener and confirm that one in their path of disobedience.

God's sovereignty over the application of the Word both encourages me to be more evangelistic, while simultaneously cautioning me to check my heart to see if it is resembling wax or clay. Pray that it be wax!

General Updates:

• First final exam is rolling up in about 20 minutes: East Asian Religions. All true and false questions, so should be a breeze.
• Going to be hardcore studying for economics today; Juan Valdez, here I come!
• Still figuring out Boren Scholarship issues.
• Wednesday morning our room is going out to iHop for breakfast...bonding time!
• I'm trying out Arial font...Georgia was getting annoying on the eyes (sorry Cur'in!)