22/06/2025 - Matthew Destry

What if our worship was measured not just by what we sing, but by who we serve? This week, as we focus on our local partners — DCC and Southern Cross Kids Camps — we’re reminded that justice is worship, mercy is mission, and neighbourhood renewal is kingdom work.

Key Scripture: Isaiah 58:6–10 (ESV)

“Is not this the fast that I choose:

to loose the bonds of wickedness,

to undo the straps of the yoke,

to let the oppressed go free,

and to break every yoke?

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry

and bring the homeless poor into your house;

when you see the naked, to cover him,

and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,

and your healing shall spring up speedily;

your righteousness shall go before you;

the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.

Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;

you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’

If you take away the yoke from your midst,

the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,

if you pour yourself out for the hungry

and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,

then shall your light rise in the darkness

and your gloom be as the noonday.”

Historical context: under the surface

The Law of Moses had always been justice-shaped:

a/ Gleaning laws (Lev. 19:9–10): Leave the edges of your fields for the poor.

b/ Debt release every seven years (Deut. 15): Let no one be enslaved forever

c/ Sabbath rest (Ex. 23): Even servants and animals were to be refreshed.

d/ Jubilee years (Lev. 25): A radical economic reset.

Application – what is true worship?

 God’s idea of worship is wider than ours

Application: Who’s your neighbour? Not just the one in your postcode — but the refugee family seeking safety, the mate who lost his job, the teenager couch-surfing.

1. Justice is a form of revival

Application: Aussies love fairness. But gospel justice isn’t just equality — it’s redemption. It’s not just helping someone; it’s embodying Christ to them.

1. Personal healing begins with community reorientation

Application: Aussies respect resilience. But resilience isn’t just about self-help — it’s about shared strength. Don’t wait to feel qualified. Don’t wait for the calendar to clear. Just start.

Jesus didn’t just preach Isaiah 58 — He lived it. He loosed the bonds of the demonised. He fed the hungry on hillsides. He shared meals with outcasts. He welcomed children, even when others sent them away. He poured Himself out — even unto death.