A personal belief is that Isaiah offers EXCELLENT poetry! Lots of people agree, I find. Take Chapter 35. Now, there is a picture of salvation.
A sermon that walks through the chapter could be entitled "The Abundant Life", for Jesus said that's what He came to bring. In the present. In the right-now.
I've become convinced that the "pie in the sky" gospel is actually a means of totally negativizing the Gospel. To say it is only in the eternal future is actually more of a detriment to the Gospel than to say there is no eternal future.
I. Open the chapter with a picture essay of what happens when water hits the dry ground of a barren area. Study desert archaeology to see what abundance was there when the desert bloomed in ancient times of wetlands. Portray the effect of nurture on the human spirit.
II. Review verses 4-7 as a picture of redemption, not focused on the cause of that redemption so much as the visible effects.
III. Review verse 8. No one gets de-railed on the Holy Way, but even fools will find their way. And that's good, for lots of us are rather foolish. (Thus, saved by grace,not by merit, not a bad theme, is it?)
IV. Verses 9 and 10............... the theme, and again, and again.
If our theology says that Jesus came to bring anything less, then we need to review the course material, and study a bit under Professor Isaiah.
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