Sunday August 10, 2008

A Stump, a Reed and a Wick
Isaiah 11:1-3 & 42:1-4

I. Introduction

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are camping. They pitch their tent under the stars and go to sleep. Sometime in the middle of the night, Holmes wakes Watson. "Watson, look up at the stars and tell me what you deduce."

Watson says, "I see millions of stars, and if even a few of those have planets, it's quite likely there are some planets like Earth, and if there are a few planets like Earth out there, I deduce there might also be life."

Holmes replies, "Watson, you idiot, somebody stole our tent!"

—Sherman Lee Buford, Tuskegee, Alabama; Aaron Goerner, Utica, New York; source: Tom Kuntz, "The World's 'Funniest' Jokes," N.Y. Times (1-27-02)

At the advice of my staff and in light of the fact that we are holding our service outdoors, I am going to present a
shorter message today.

Since this is impossible to do with the Celebrate Recovery messages, we will resume our Celebrate Recovery series
next week.

Today, I want to talk about a stump, a reed and a wick.

Now this may be enough to tempt some of you to get up and leave now, but I think you will be surprised at how much
we have in common with stumps, reeds and wicks.

   A. A Stump

“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the LORD
will rest on him--the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD-- 3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.” (Isaiah 11:1-3, NIV)

At our old home on Williams we had two large fir trees.

One was blown over and had rotted away (internal troubles – bitterness, anger, etc.).

The other was cut down and then ground up (trouble that comes from the outside).

In the end all that was left of both of these once beautiful trees were stumps.

There are some of you here this morning who feel like a broken-off stump… life has taken or is taking its toll.

   B. A Reed

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will
bring justice to the nations. 2 He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. 3 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; 4 he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.”
(Isaiah 42:1-4, NIV)

Reeds were used in various ways, including as walking sticks, fishing poles, musical instruments, and pens.

People also used them for weaving baskets, mats, and for other domestic purposes. Moses' basket was woven from
reeds. Papyrus, a particular reed, was used to make paper.

Reeds were also extremely fragile. If damaged or bruised they could easily topple over when the wind blew.

We are similar to reeds. We have so much potential, and yet we are so fragile.

In fact, our hearts can be so bruised and wounded that we feel we will topple over with the next breeze.

C. A Wick

The smallest glow has the potential to once again become a flame.

II. Application

So what are we to do? Most of us have felt or currently feel like that sawed-off stump, bruised reed or smoldering wick.

The Good News is that God can bring forth new life when our life seems to have been sawed down (A shoot will come
up from the stump of Jesse); He can nurse even the most broken heart and bring about new life (a bruised reed He will not break); and God will gently blow on the smoldering ashes of our lives, renewing our passion and giving us a new zeal for
life (a smoldering wick He will not snuff out).

But the question remains, how can we experience this in our own lives?

How can we feel productive again when it seems that our previous dreams and attempts have been cut down?

How do we find that healing we so desperately need when situations and people have left us deeply battered
and bruised?

How can the flame that represents our passion for life be rekindled when all that is left is the smoldering ruins of broken dreams and unrealized hope?

If you are already a Christian you simply need to be reminded of the truth I have shared today and recommit your life to Jesus, believing that He can take your shattered hopes and bring you new life once again.

If you are not a Christian, this journey towards healing and restoration begins with a decision to follow Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ was killed, but God raised Him from the dead. God is the author of life and He is the only one who can give
life even when someone is completely dead.

This life is made available to us through Jesus Christ.

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins…4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is
rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead.” (Ephesians 2:1, 4-5, NIV)

If you want to experience what I have spoken of today then new life begins with a decision – this decision is made
by doing the following:

Believe Jesus Christ died on the cross for you and that He showed He was God by coming back to life.

Ask God’s forgiveness for your sins and accept it.

Switch to God’s plan for your life. The Bible calls this repentance, but it just means turn away from your old life and
switch to following God’s plan for your life.

Express your desire for Christ to be the leader (Lord) of your life.

Remember this decision is just the beginning. If you truly want to experience this new life we are talking about today you need to make a lifelong commitment to a process of being transformed from a broken-off stump into a fruitful tree.

If God can produce life where there is but a stump, tenderly nurture the most bruised heart, and re-ignite a flame of hope where there is only a smoldering wick, what can He do in you and in me if only we surrender to His life-transforming love?