2/9 Life

How Beautiful are the Feet that bring Good News
(ISAIAH 52:7-12)
 
Pause & Reflect
 
7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” 8 The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice; together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the Lord to Zion.

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1. [v.7-8] *Biblical principle – Beautiful Feet carrying Beautiful News – The beautiful news of God’s reign and coming peace – ultimately through Jesus Christ – makes even the feet of those who carry it beautiful. As was then and likewise today, the most difficult part of the body to keep clean were feet. Even Jesus said, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet” (John 13:10). So feet became synonymous to the dirtiest part of the body. Yet even this dirtiest part is made the most beautiful part when carrying the beautiful news of the gospel. God had just promised His name would be known to His people in their oppression and His presence would be assured for them (verse 6). Now the portrait of a messenger running across the mountains and bringing this news to His people is in view. The news is that God reigns, and all things will fall in their proper relation to His reign. There will be peace and joy. Ultimately, this is Jesus Christ. From head to toe, you are beautiful because You carry Him. So be sent! Preach so others may hear (Romans 10:14-15)!
   1. *FOCUS QUESTION #1 – After Jesus miraculously raised Lazarus from the dead, his sisters Mary and Martha hosted a dinner for Him. During the meal, Mary rose, took a pound of expensive ointment, and “anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume” (JOHN 12:3). At the feet of Jesus, what are your feet bringing to Him with a thankful heart? At the feet of Jesus, what is your fragrance that fills His house? Is it a pleasing aroma or an unpleasant odor? Why are even the feet of Jesus the place to encounter His powerful love and our whole-hearted surrender?
   2. *FOCUS QUESTION #2 – The beautiful news that turns even our smelly foot into an aromatic fragrance is the “good news of happiness… ’Your God reigns.’” How is God’s ordered reign in us through His only Son as our Savior and LORD a happy thing? How does this reign of God in Christ define what “happiness” is? Why must this happiness touch every part of us – from head to toe – from emotions of the heart to emotionless decisions of the mind?

 
9 Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

1. [v.9-10] *Biblical principle – Active Feet exposing His Holy Arm – The LORD’s holy arm is connected to our swift feet. He uncovers His holy arm of strength – ultimately Jesus Christ –   through the active feet of His joyful people. Both the feet of the watchmen and messengers are moving, waiting with readiness, and rejoicing at the news of God’s reign and coming peace. As they break forth into singing and gladness, they declare the promises of God – that He has truly comforted His people, and that He has exposed His holy arm for all to see their salvation. When the beautiful news of God’s reign, comfort, and strength are exposed into our hearts, it will begin to move our feet to joy. Through our active feet, His beautiful message spreads. Through our active feet, every eye sees the salvation, strength, and Savior from God – Jesus Christ. Our feet can either expose or conceal the holiness of God’s strong arm at work. Let us prepare our feet for action and move as the LORD directs us!
   1. *FOCUS QUESTION #1 – Active feet move around. Where are your feet in motion? Where are they in standstill? In what ways can your feet be swift for your mouth to break forth into singing that the Lord has comforted and redeemed His people?
   2. *FOCUS QUESTION #2 – Active feet get noticed. All eyes will see the salvation of God that is brought to them by the swift feet of His messengers. What are you getting noticed for? Is the holy arm of the Lord’s work being noticed? Or is the work of your own arm getting the attention?
   3. *FOCUS QUESTION #3 – Active feet create paths on inactive ground. Jerusalem was a wasteland of a ground to return to after 70 years in exile. Many decided to stay in the idolatrous land of Babylon. Yet the faithful remnant returned to the promised land in Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls and ruined temple. Are your feet creating God’s paths for ruined ground? Or is your desire to only walk on the red-carpet runways of life? How is God calling you to go into wasted places, situations, and hardships to be the activity of His holy arm at work?

 
11 Depart, depart, go out from there; touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the Lord. 12 For you shall not go out in haste, and you shall not go in flight, for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

1. [v.11-12] *Biblical principle – Clean Feet departing Unclean Things – Jesus’ cleansing flow must touch the dirtiest part of our lives – even the feet – transforming us from head to toe, so that we might depart to walk with the LORD who goes before us and guards behind us. As God’s people received the beautiful news of God’s return to reign in them with His peace, they were commanded to depart from the impurity and uncleanliness around them. In that time, this was the departure from exile in the foreign idol-worshipping land of Babylon. The LORD says their departure will not be in haste or as in flight, but carefully guided by Him. This exit from exile is the portrait of Jesus’ cleansing flow through the cross and resurrection. He has cleansed our feet to depart with our feet. We are called to depart unclean things, to purify ourselves with His blood. Our feet now become His feet that do not move in haste or flight, but in step with His leading. He guards from behind and goes on ahead!
   1. *FOCUS QUESTION #1 – It is time to go. The exile is over. Get up on your feet! Depart from this idolatrous land! Can you hear the voice of the LORD? How are you staying behind? How are you hurrying in haste? How are you timidly in flight? Are you mindlessly stepping in dirty puddles again, or have your feet learned to skip, hop, jump, and depart?
   2. *FOCUS QUESTION #2 – What are we to depart from? Where are we to go to? Read the following Scriptures –
      1. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (JAMES 4:7-10)
      2. So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. (2 TIMOTHY 2:22)
      3. Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. (1 CORINTHIANS 6:18)
      4. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 PETER 5:6-11)
      5. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm… and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. (EPHESIANS 6:12-13, 15)
      6. The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. (PROVERBS 18:10)

 
The central truth of this word was –
If you have listened up, wakened up, sobered up, drunken up the filling of His Spirit, dressed up with His holy garments – now it’s time to move your beautiful feet! The beautiful news of God’s reign in Jesus Christ bringing final peace, deliverance, and joy is carried on your feet and indwelling your heart! His news transforms the dirtiest of feet into the most beautiful of them. He has readied your feet to be swift and active, exposing the holy arm of the LORD’s work. He has cleansed your feet to depart from unclean things, walking in step with His Word and Spirit. What’s on your feet? Put on the shoes of the gospel’s peace, making you ready to move with your Lord. Receive the commission of Jesus – be sent out, for how will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe whom they have never heard? How are they to hear without someone preaching? How are they to preach unless they are sent? So go with your beautiful feet! Preach His beautiful news!

 

Holy Spirit Moment
Take a moment to invite the Holy Spirit to fill you, and pray for one another.
 
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18)
 
…do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7)
 
- Jeong’s (Jake, Amanda)
- Lee’s (Sam, Heidi)
- Deborah Ko
- Kristen Lee
- Patrick Liu
- Brian Pak
- Samuel Park
- Trey Reynolds
- Tyler Lee
- Edward Jeon
- Jeff Park
- Eunice Kim (UT Austin)
- Jedidiah Lim (Louisiana)
- Philip Oh
- Soo Nam (Dallas Police)
- Hana Lee
- Rachel Ko (preschool assistant)
- Hanna Kang
- Johann Lee
- Eugene Hong
- JR Reynolds
- Brian Joo
- Doug Kang
- James Han
- Winnie Kim
- Stacy Hong
- David An
- Daniel An
- Alice Jeon
- Ashley Min (UTD)
- Mike Choi (drummer, Jeff’s cousin)
- Eric Lee (UTD)
- Lisa Jeon
- Brian Yoon
- Jennifer Chung (UTA)
- June Kim (TWU)
- Hannah Kim (UT Austin)
- Hogan Lee (TCU)
- Steven Kwon (A&M)
- Benny Son (UT Austin)
- Esther Ko (UT Austin)
- Daniel Lee (UT Austin)
- Aaron Lee (Houston, postgraduate optometry)
- Matthew Ahn (UT Austin)
- Yura Ahn (UT Austin)
- Katie Han (New York)
- Emily Han (Austin)
- Jae Jung (Boston, MA)
- Hanbit Kang (Austin)