Sermon Questions

1. Fill-in the blanks in the verse: In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. 25 The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, “Blessed be _________ my people, Assyria my __________, and Israel my ____________.”
2. According to the message from Pastor Winans, what is the unexpected nature of the verses Isa 19:18-25?
3. The gospel is fundamentally an __________ an  ____________ into a new way of seeing, living, and belonging (see sermon guide). 
4. TRUE or FALSE:  The phrase “In that day” often refers to a future time of divine intervention, judgment, or restoration, signifying a pivotal moment when God's promises and purposes will be realized.
5. Name the chapter and verses from which these come from: “Then who can be saved?”
6. Like Egypt, we too are tempted to build our lives on things we assume will always be __________. (See sermon guide).
7. We, like the Egyptians, can be live under a yoke of worldly idols. What book and verse says that the Word (the truth) will set you free? 

Discussion Questions

1. Discuss the following questions based on the reading of Isa 19:18-25:
2. Put yourself in the mindset of an Israelite in Isaiah’s time of writing these verses. Would you feel inclined to go to Egypt and be a missionary? Why or why not?
3. What do these verses tell us about God’s sovereignty over nations?
4. How can you apply the lessons learned from Egypt's folly and God’s redemption to your personal outreach to others? to your neighbors? to the community? to other nations?
5. What implications does the prophecy of Isaiah 19 have for understanding the character of God?
6. What characteristics of mercy that is demonstrated in Isa 19 can you see in your own life?
7. What does God’s mercy in Isa 19 to Egypt mean for our approach to nations that we deem hostile in our own day?
8. Read Matt 19:26 and discuss how this verse and Isa 19 that shows God’s mercy should transform our lives of witnessing.
9. In his message, Pastor Winans discussed our relationships with others when they might ask, “Can I tell you something” and they wish to open their hearts to you.
10. Discuss how well you are prepared to listen for opportunities to be compassionate to others in need?
11. What does the parable of the Good Samaritan have to say about seeing needs and responding to them?
12. Discuss in your groups how you could be invite others into the light of the Gospel:
13. How would you share the compassion of God?
14. How can you be a better witness to the Gospel in your community?
15. How can you a better witness in your personal relationships when others share their troubles?

Sermon Outline

Beginning next week—and throughout most of our upcoming series—we'll be in the final chapters of the Gospel of Matthew, focusing on a passage known as the Great Commission. But today serves as a hinge between where we've been and where we're headed, transitioning from the Old Testament into the New Testament. Our focus is a striking passage from the prophet Isaiah—Isaiah 19. This chapter is part of a broader section, stretching from chapters 13 to 27, that contains oracles of judgment against various nations. Yet Isaiah 19 stands out in a remarkable way. 

Christopher Wright, a biblical scholar, and missiologist—someone who studies God’s mission throughout Scripture—notes that the Bible as a whole tells the story of God on mission. 

Isaiah 19 is one of the most breathtaking pronouncements of any prophet, and certainly one of the most missiological significant texts in the entire Old Testament. – Christopher Wright The Mission of God 

That’s a bold claim, especially about a chapter many of us may not remember reading—or perhaps have never read at all. Isaiah 19 focuses on the nation of Egypt. The first half delivers a powerful judgment oracle, but it’s the second half that is truly astonishing. There, God proclaims an unexpected word of salvation for Egypt—a nation historically seen as an enemy of Israel. Pastor Chris leads us through that second half, as we reflect on how God’s redemptive purposes extend even to those once under judgment. 

Imagine being an Israelite and hearing these prophetic words—not only of judgment against your enemies, but also of their future inclusion in the people of God. Egypt, once a symbol of oppression, is now being spoken of as a recipient of God's salvation. That would have been astonishing. Yet this vision helps us understand the very heart of the gospel: what Jesus has accomplished and who we are called to be as ambassadors of the King. The gospel is fundamentally an invitation—an invitation into a new way of seeing, living, and belonging. 

As followers of Christ, we bear witness to that invitation in the world today. We invite others to view reality through a specific lens—one shaped by the truth that we are created by a loving, redeeming, and compassionate God who is actively working to bring salvation, purpose, and value into our lives. 

Missiologist Andrew Root puts it this way: 

The Gospel is an invitation to shift our vision for the future (even our senses of the future of the world.) It is a certain take or position or explanation that gives life meaning, direction, and value. – Andrew Root Evangelism in an Age of Despair 

Statistically, Generation Z—the youngest generation today—is the most spiritually open of any living generation. That may surprise some, but the research is clear: they are more spiritually curious than millennials, Gen X, or baby boomers. This doesn’t necessarily mean they’re attending church in large numbers, but it does mean they are deeply open to the idea that there’s more to life than the material world—that there is a transcendent, spiritual reality. 

Why this openness? Perhaps because they are growing up in a culture that, for decades, has moved away from a foundation of faith in God—attempting instead to build meaning on purely human terms. But that alternative foundation is cracking. Young people are increasingly sensing the emptiness of a life disconnected from the God who made them. Life apart from God is spiritual bankruptcy. Without Him, our sense of identity, value, and purpose withers. Generation Z is feeling this reality and searching for something deeper. 

The question for us at Cornerstone Church is this: Are we ready to bear witness? Are we prepared to extend the invitation of the gospel—not just to Generation Z, but to anyone we encounter? An invitation to enter into a reconciled relationship with the God who created them, who loves them, who redeems and restores. 

Isaiah 19 gives us a glimpse of what that invitation looks like. As we walk through it together, may we see more clearly the wide reach of God’s salvation and the calling we have to proclaim it. 

Strife To Unity 

The first thing we need to see is that the gospel’s invitation is a call to step out of a world defined by antagonism and strife and into a new kind of belonging—a unity that can only be found in Christ. Without the gospel, we live in a world fractured by tribalism, conflict, and division. But in the gospel, we find reconciliation, peace, and a shared identity rooted in God. 

At the beginning of Isaiah 19, which we didn’t read in full, verse 2 makes clear that when people turn away from God, He gives them over to the consequences of their rebellion—namely, to conflict and chaos. 

Isaiah 19:2 – ²And I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians, and they will fight, each against another and each against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom. 

It’s not hard to recognize this in the world today. We see hatred and hostility dominating headlines—whether in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Yemen, or even within our own nation. Tribalism is growing. Political and cultural divides are deepening. Many are asking: Is this just how it has to be? 

The gospel answers with a resounding no. That’s not how it’s supposed to be. That’s not what it looks like when God is at work. Later in Isaiah 19, we find a vision that reverses the curse of division we first saw in Genesis 11, at the Tower of Babel. There, humanity’s rebellion resulted in scattered nations and confused languages. But in Isaiah 19:18, we read: 

Isaiah 19:18 – ¹⁸In that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord of hosts. 

Isaiah is painting a picture of restored unity—a coming day when even Egypt, Israel’s former enemy, will be drawn into covenantal allegiance to God. And the basis of this unity? Shared allegiance. In the New Testament, we would call it faith that means trust, loyalty, surrender. When people of every background turn in faith to the Lord, they find not only salvation but a family, a place to belong. 

By the time we reach Isaiah 19:23, this vision becomes even more astounding: 

Isaiah 19:23 – ²³In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and Assyria will come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. 

These were nations that despised and fought each other, yet now there's a highway of connection and peace. What makes this possible? Common worship. When people gather to worship the Lord together, they transcend barriers of ethnicity, politics, and history. Whether you’re Chinese or Indian, European, or South American, Republican or Democrat—what binds us together is our shared faith in Jesus Christ and our common worship of Him. 

This is especially meaningful for a generation longing for belonging. Many in Gen Z are asking, is there something bigger than me to be part of? Something more hopeful than the division I see around me. Tragically, too often the Church mirrors the world’s divisions, and people look in and wonder, why would I join that? 

That should challenge us deeply. Are we truly living out the gospel of unity and peace—or are we just adding to the noise of antagonism? One key place to evaluate this is online. Social media often amplifies division, and it’s easy to think we’re “just speaking truth to power.” But Scripture tells us: speak the truth in love. If we’re not speaking with love, we’re not representing Jesus. 

Remember what He said: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples—if you love one another.” (John 13:35) 

The invitation to belong in the family of God is also a call to leave behind the strife that marks this world. It is a call to live differently marked by grace, truth, unity, and love. 

Tyranny To Freedom 

Last week, we talked about Assyria and its tyrannical oppression, a force marked by domination and cruelty. But we also said the deeper, more enduring way to understand that kind of oppression today is through the reality of sin. Isaiah teaches us that when people turn away from the Lord, He gives them over—not just to earthly rulers, but to hard masters. When we reject God, we don’t become free; we fall under bondage. 

There’s something dangerous about unchecked power. Jesus even said that the Gentiles "lord it over" one another (Matthew 20:25). That same spirit of domination exists in the spiritual realm. When we reject the Lord’s rule, we come under the tyranny of lesser rulers—things like pornography, alcoholism, workaholism, or even the crushing need to be liked by everyone. These are modern forms of bondage, and the gospel speaks directly to them: You don’t have to live under that tyranny—you can be free. 

Isaiah 19:20 – ²⁰When the Egyptians cry to the Lord because of oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender and deliver them. 

Freedom begins when people open their hearts. Think about someone you truly know—someone who shares their inner life with you. When that happens, what do you often find? Pain and Suffering. That's why evangelism is the most effective in trusted relationships. When someone says, “Can I tell you something?” they’re offering their heart. And it's in that space—honest, vulnerable, wounded—that God longs to meet them. God wants to say, “I see your pain. I can deliver you from that oppression. You don’t have to carry it alone.” 

But here's the question: When God delivers us, does that mean we’re now free to do whatever we want? Is that what the gospel means by freedom? Verse 22 provides a powerful answer: 

Isaiah 19:22 – ²²And the Lord will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the Lord, and he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them. 

This is not freedom from all authority—it is freedom under the loving authority of a Father. God becomes a loving Father not only to Israel, but to the nations. Yes, He may “strike,” but like a skilled surgeon, His purpose is healing. He delivers us not so we can serve ourselves, but so we can live as His people, shaped by His love and freed from the oppressive patterns of sin. 

Salvation doesn’t mean that all temptation disappears. If someone was an alcoholic before coming to Jesus, it doesn’t mean the craving vanishes overnight. But what it does mean is that we now belong to a Father who is healing us, restoring us, and walking with us into true freedom. That freedom isn’t just the absence of tyranny—it’s the presence of grace. It’s the transformation of our hearts. It’s coming out of the false refuge we once clung to and learning to rest in the One who truly saves. 

Despair To Purpose 

In verses 8 through 10, we see a picture of despair in Egypt. 

Isaiah 19:8-10 – ⁸The fishermen will mourn and lament, all who cast a hook in the Nile...⁹The workers in combed flax will be in despair...¹⁰Those who are the pillars of the land will be crushed, and all who work for pay will be grieved. 

The Lord’s judgment brings devastation to the Nile River—the lifeblood of the nation. As the river dries up, fishing ceases, crops fail, and the land mourns. Egypt had built its entire way of life—its economy, stability, and future—on the predictable rhythms of the Nile. They assumed it would always be there. 

But that’s where this passage speaks directly to us. Like Egypt, we too are tempted to build our lives on things we assume will always be constant. Maybe it’s your job—you find your identity, your purpose, your security in your career. And for a time, it worked. Promotions come, paychecks arrive, the rhythm seems dependable—until the day you walk in and hear the word downsizing, or an injury ends your ability to work, or retirement arrives and leaves you adrift. Suddenly, the "Nile" you built your life around is gone. 

This can happen in any area of life. Perhaps your foundation is your marriage. What happens when your spouse is no longer there—through loss, betrayal, or divorce? Maybe it’s your children, your financial stability, your appearance, your talents. Whatever it is, if it is something temporary, Scripture warns us: the Nile will dry up. And when it does, our lives can collapse if we’ve built everything upon it. 

But here’s the hope: There is another way. The gospel offers an invitation to build your life on a foundation that will never crumble. In Isaiah 19:21, we read: 

Isaiah 19:21 – ²¹And the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day and worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the Lord and perform them. 

This is what God is offering: not just relief from hard times, but Himself. A relationship with the living God. When we build our lives on knowing Him—on restored fellowship with the Lord—we are anchored to a source that never runs dry. 

Jesus echoes this in John 4 when He says: 

“Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 

That’s the invitation of the gospel: to stop trusting in fading sources and instead root your life in the unshakable, unending presence of God. In Him, we find security, meaning, identity, and value that lasts—not just for today, but for tomorrow and for eternity. The Nile may dry up, but the Living Water never will. 

Ruin To Restoration 

Earlier in Isaiah 19, during the oracles of judgment, the prophet says: 

Isaiah 19:14-15 – ¹⁴The Lord has mingled within her a spirit of confusion, and they will make Egypt stagger in all its deeds, as a drunken man staggers in his vomit. ¹⁵And there will be nothing for Egypt that head or tail, palm branch or reed, may do. 

Isaiah is describing a people in total disarray, under judgment because of their rebellion against God. And the certainty of that judgment is sobering. It’s as inevitable as driving a car 60 miles an hour toward the edge of a cliff. Once you reach the edge, gravity takes over. In the same way, apart from the Lord, judgment is not just possible—it’s certain. There’s no maneuvering or moral effort that can stop it. That’s the message Isaiah is driving home: left to ourselves, we are powerless to save ourselves. 

This echoes the moment when Jesus’ disciples were shocked to hear that a rich man—someone they believed was surely blessed—could not enter the kingdom of God on his own. They asked, “Then who can be saved?” And Jesus replied, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26) 

That’s the heart of Isaiah 19. Apart from God, we are all in a vehicle racing toward destruction—and there’s no human way to change course. But with God? Nothing is impossible. In the final verses of Isaiah 19, we see a miracle: 

Isaiah 19:24-25 – ²⁴In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, ²⁵whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.” 

Can you imagine hearing that in Isaiah’s day? It would’ve been shocking. Like standing in Tel Aviv today and declaring in the streets, “Blessed be Hamas, my people. Blessed be Hezbollah, my inheritance.” That’s the level of reversal. But that’s what makes the mercy of God so staggering. His compassion reaches into even the darkest places. His love extends to anyone—enemy or ally—who will turn to Him in faith. Those who believe are no longer enemies, but family. 

So, the question for us is: Do we feel the urgency of this moment? Here in Brighton Michigan, we are living in a time where the next generation—Generation Z—is statistically the most spiritually open of any living generation. Are we prepared to bear witness? Are we living lives that reflect the truth of the gospel—not feeding the fires of division, but demonstrating freedom and hope? 

If we know that the Living Water of Jesus will never dry up...if we know that the road we’re on now leads to life and not destruction...then we must proclaim this good news: There is still time. There is still an invitation. And whoever believes—no matter who they are or what they’ve done—will not be turned away by God. 

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