Preparing the Way: The Sovereign Shepherd and the Humble Heart

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:00:00] Isaiah chapter 40. We are still doing one sermon at a time. We have not yet resumed our redemptive history. We were talking about some different subjects of recent, including the fear of the Lord.
[00:00:21] But, today I want us to look at just one chapter in this wonderful book of Isaiah, this Gospel of John, if you will, in the Old Testament.
[00:00:35] The book of Isaiah, before we read chapter 40, very interestingly, how many chapters are in the book of Isaiah, anyone know?
[00:00:42] Sixty-six.
[00:00:43] How many books are in the Bible?
[00:00:47] Interesting coincidence.
[00:00:49] Now, how many books are in the Old Testament?
[00:00:52] Thirty-nine.
[00:00:53] And so how many are in the New Testament?
[00:00:56] 27.
[00:00:58] Math could help you with that.
[00:01:00] And so it's very interesting.
[00:01:03] If you study the book of Isaiah, the first 39 chapters are all about the main theme, judgment, indictment of sin, telling Judah how they desperately need to turn back to God.
[00:01:21] Then chapter 40 through 66, the last 27, are all about comfort and hope and salvation to be found of the Messiah.
[00:01:32] Isn't that kind of mirror the Bible?
[00:01:35] The Old Testament, conviction of sin, how we fall short, the desperate need to turn to God, the New Testament, the offer of salvation in Christ.
[00:01:45] Very interesting.
[00:01:46] And by the way, chapter 40 is kind of the hinge, if you will, Old Testament, New Testament.
[00:01:53] And where does the New Testament begin?
[00:01:55] With what figure, what individual does the New Testament begin?
[00:02:01] Whose ministry?
[00:02:03] John the Baptist.
[00:02:05] Keep that in mind here in the first few verses of Isaiah 40, where you'll see the very verses that John quotes that personifies his ministry right here in chapter 40 of the book of Isaiah.
[00:02:20] No coincidence at all.
[00:02:21] Let's take a look now.
[00:02:23] Our sermon entitled, Behold Your God, Isaiah chapter 40, verse 1.
[00:02:30] Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
[00:02:34] Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins.
[00:02:45] The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord.
[00:02:50] Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
[00:02:54] Every valley shall be exalted, every mountain hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together,
[00:03:07] for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
[00:03:09] Does that sound familiar?
[00:03:11] John the Baptist.
[00:03:13] Verse 6.
[00:03:14] The voice said, Cry.
[00:03:15] And he said, What shall I cry?
[00:03:17] All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as of the flower of the field.
[00:03:22] The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it.
[00:03:26] Surely the people is grass.
[00:03:28] The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand forever.
[00:03:34] O Zion, that bringest good tidings, Get thee up into the high mountain, O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings.
[00:03:41] Lift up thy voice with strength.
[00:03:43] Lift it up.
[00:03:43] Be not afraid.
[00:03:45] Say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God.
[00:03:50] Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him.
[00:03:55] Behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.
[00:03:58] He shall feed his flock like a shepherd.
[00:04:00] He shall gather the lambs with his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
[00:04:08] Who hath measured the waters of the hollow of his hand and meted out heaven with the span and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains and scales and the hills in a balance.
[00:04:21] Who hath directed the spirit of the Lord of being his counselor hath taught him.
[00:04:26] With whom took he counsel and who instructed him and taught him in the path of judgment and taught him knowledge and showed to him the way of understanding.
[00:04:34] Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance.
[00:04:42] Behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
[00:04:45] Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.
[00:04:50] All nations before him are as nothing.
[00:04:54] They are counted to him less than nothing and vanity.
[00:04:58] To whom then will you liken God?
[00:05:01] Or what likeness will you compare unto him?
[00:05:04] The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold and casteth silver chains.
[00:05:13] He that is so impoverished that he hath no ablation chooseth a tree that will not rot.
[00:05:18] He seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image that shall not be moved.
[00:05:24] Have ye not known? Have ye not heard? Hath it not been told you from the beginning?
[00:05:29] Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
[00:05:31] It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers, that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain.
[00:05:41] Yes, he spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in, that bringeth the princes to nothing.
[00:05:48] He maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.
[00:05:51] Yea, they shall not be planted.
[00:05:52] Yea, they shall not be sown.
[00:05:54] Yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth, and he shall blow upon them, and they shall wither.
[00:06:00] and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.
[00:06:03] To whom then will you liken me?
[00:06:06] Or shall I be equal, saith the Holy One?
[00:06:10] Lift up your eyes on high.
[00:06:12] Behold, who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host, that is the stars, by number?
[00:06:19] He calleth them all by names, by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power, not one faileth.
[00:06:28] Why speakest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel?
[00:06:32] My way is hid from the Lord.
[00:06:34] My judgment is passed over from my God.
[00:06:37] Hast thou not known?
[00:06:39] Hast thou not heard that the everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not?
[00:06:45] Neither is witty.
[00:06:46] There is no searching of his understanding.
[00:06:48] He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might, he increases strength.
[00:06:55] Even the youth shall faint and be weary.
[00:06:57] and the young men shall utterly fail.
[00:07:01] But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.
[00:07:06] They shall mount up with wings as eagles.
[00:07:09] They shall run and not be weary.
[00:07:12] They shall walk and not faint.
[00:07:15] Amen?
[00:07:17] Let's pray.
[00:07:18] Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this wonderful part of your Holy Word.
[00:07:22] Help us now, Lord, to have ears to hear, to understand, and by the power of your Spirit see your word applied to our hearts and lives that we might walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called
[00:07:36] to be your very sons and daughters to your glory, honor, and praise.
[00:07:41] In Christ's name we thank you.
[00:07:43] Amen.
[00:07:44] This chapter, as I mentioned, is a very special chapter in the word of God in that it lies between what is the Old Testament and the New Testament in miniature.
[00:07:55] If you look at the book of Isaiah as the Bible in miniature, It is this hinge, if you will, and it starts, as I mentioned, with the verses that John the Baptist quotes when he is asked in his ministry, who are you?
[00:08:11] It's very interesting.
[00:08:13] If you want to turn with me to John chapter 1, John the Baptist is ministering, of course, before Jesus, and the Pharisees and the Jewish powers that be send a party to the Jordan River to inquire and find
[00:08:29] out who is this guy? Who does he think he is, essentially? And they ask him in chapter 1 of the Gospel of John, verse 19, this is the record of John when the Jews sent priests and
[00:08:39] Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, who art thou?
[00:08:43] And he confessed and denied not. He said, I'm not the Christ.
[00:08:47] And they asked him, what, art thou Elias, that is to say, Elijah?
[00:08:52] And he saith, I am not.
[00:08:54] Art thou that prophet? From Deuteronomy 18, he says, no.
[00:08:58] Then said they unto him, Well, who art thou, that we may give an answer to them that sent us?
[00:09:03] What sayest thou of thyself?
[00:09:05] Now notice how he answers.
[00:09:07] He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as saith the prophet Isaiah.
[00:09:16] Where? In Isaiah chapter, y'all wake up now, 40.
[00:09:22] That's the chapter we just read. Amen. Good guess.
[00:09:24] That was perfect. Exactly right.
[00:09:26] You are right. You are correct.
[00:09:27] And so he is quoting Isaiah chapter 40, what we just read.
[00:09:32] Very interesting that we just said that the 40th chapter of Isaiah begins the good news, begins the New Testament, if you will, begins talking about the Messiah, that great chapter 53 in Isaiah where it talks about Christ on the cross
[00:09:45] and Him suffering 700 years before He was born by the prophecy, the spirit of prophecy that's in the second half.
[00:09:52] All of these wonderful pictures of Messiah.
[00:09:54] Yes, there is a little sprinkling in the first half, Isaiah 7, 14, a virgin shall conceive and have a child, Emmanuel, God with us, and chapter 9 and some others.
[00:10:04] But from 40 to 66 in Isaiah, it's all about salvation, all about the Messiah, all about Christ.
[00:10:11] And it begins with the ministry of John the Baptist.
[00:10:14] And what is John the Baptist saying?
[00:10:17] Interesting.
[00:10:18] When I'm here during the week, Generally, I'll put on Handel's Messiah on the speakers here.
[00:10:27] And if you're not familiar with that wonderful sacred oratio, that's a couple-hour song composed in 1741, it is, every single word is scripture.
[00:10:38] And it's all about the coming of Christ.
[00:10:42] And this passage, there's several passages in Isaiah 40 that are in there.
[00:10:47] And the other day I was hearing, prepare the way of the Lord, Prepare the way of the Lord.
[00:10:52] And that's what's in our text.
[00:10:53] That's what John is saying.
[00:10:55] And in Isaiah, it seems to be talking about, hey, the Lord is coming.
[00:10:59] Let's get the road ready.
[00:11:01] Let's prepare the way.
[00:11:03] And that was something that really prompted this.
[00:11:06] So John the Baptist is taking this passage, make straight the way of the Lord, Isaiah 40, as the prophet Isaiah said.
[00:11:15] But notice how he's using it.
[00:11:18] What does it mean for us to make straight the way of the Lord?
[00:11:21] What does it mean?
[00:11:22] Hasn't he already come, Pastor Joseph?
[00:11:24] This is nice historical reading, but what does it have to do to us today?
[00:11:29] Oh, it has great emphasis.
[00:11:31] We all need to hear this.
[00:11:32] Turn to the Gospel of Luke and find a parallel passage of what John the Baptist says concerning his role.
[00:11:39] In Luke chapter 3, you can hear the historical context in verse 1 and verse 2, Annas and And Caiaphas, being the high priest, the word of God, came unto John, the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
[00:11:56] And he came unto all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of what?
[00:12:02] Repentance for the remission of sins.
[00:12:05] As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah, the prophet saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his path straight.
[00:12:13] What is that talking about? Repentance.
[00:12:15] Why?
[00:12:16] Because we're preparing our heart to receive the Lord.
[00:12:21] Just as the Lord came, yes, the incarnate Christ, the second person of the Trinity, came and he came to Jerusalem, he came to Israel, and he came and he preached.
[00:12:32] But for each believer, if we're going to be born again, he's got to come in here.
[00:12:36] Amen?
[00:12:37] And the way to prepare the way is repentance.
[00:12:43] And that's what John's preaching.
[00:12:45] And isn't John the one who is preparing the way for Christ?
[00:12:48] When they say, you know, why do you baptize?
[00:12:51] He says, I baptize you with water, but there's one coming after me whose shoe latched I am not worthy to unloose, right?
[00:12:58] He's greater than I because he was really before me.
[00:13:01] And he says, he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.
[00:13:06] That's Jesus.
[00:13:07] So he's preparing the way.
[00:13:09] Well, how do you prepare the way for Jesus?
[00:13:10] He's preaching the baptism of repentance.
[00:13:14] Notice, as he continues here in chapter 3, he says in verse 4, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his path straight, every valley shall be filled,
[00:13:27] every mountain and hill shall be brought low, the crooked shall be made straight, the rough ways shall be made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
[00:13:36] He quotes Isaiah, or actually this is a fulfillment of that quotation, and then what does he preach?
[00:13:43] Verse 7, And then he says to the multitude that came forth to the baptism of him.
[00:13:47] Now, by the way, John the Baptist did not have a seeker-friendly church.
[00:13:52] Notice the sermon, his first sermon.
[00:13:55] Oh, generation of vipers.
[00:13:58] Do you want them to come back?
[00:14:02] He's preaching the truth.
[00:14:04] Oh, generation of vipers.
[00:14:07] Who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
[00:14:11] Instead of going and begging people to come to church, what are you doing here?
[00:14:15] Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
[00:14:17] You may never see him again, right?
[00:14:19] We may not do that, Pastor Joseph.
[00:14:22] John the Baptist is on a divine mission.
[00:14:25] Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
[00:14:28] Bring forth, therefore, fruits worthy of repentance.
[00:14:32] And he began, begin not to say with yourselves, we have Abraham to our father.
[00:14:36] For I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
[00:14:41] And now also the axe is laid at the root of the trees, Every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire.
[00:14:52] This is the way to prepare the heart before the Lord.
[00:14:56] This is not, I think, common preaching nowadays, is it?
[00:15:00] But doesn't the Bible tell us that we should be preparing the way of the Lord?
[00:15:03] And so, yes, there's a historical coming of Christ, the second person of the Trinity, to Israel.
[00:15:09] but for people to be born again there has to be a coming of the Lord into the heart of people to be saved and that preparing is tied directly to repentance here in the New Testament.
[00:15:25] Now let's go back to our text, Isaiah chapter 40.
[00:15:30] Now there's comfort.
[00:15:31] Why is there comfort?
[00:15:32] That doesn't sound very comforting, Pastor Joseph.
[00:15:34] Well, the message of John the Baptist is ultimately comfort but Christ has to come in.
[00:15:40] In order to receive Christ, we have to repent.
[00:15:43] We have to be humble.
[00:15:45] Those who exalt themselves, I will abase.
[00:15:47] Those who humble themselves, I will exalt.
[00:15:49] We must be humble to receive the Lord.
[00:15:52] And so there is this comfort in the beginning of the chapter, verse 1.
[00:15:56] Why?
[00:15:57] Because though you have suffered, though you have suffered in all sorts of ways as a nation because of your sins, yet there is hope.
[00:16:05] What's the hope?
[00:16:06] The Lord is coming.
[00:16:08] Well, for Israel, that's their hope.
[00:16:09] Judah, that's their hope, that the Messiah will come and save us.
[00:16:13] He says, guess what?
[00:16:13] He's coming.
[00:16:14] There's hope.
[00:16:15] And so he's speaking, Isaiah, 700 years before Christ was born.
[00:16:19] He's speaking to the nation.
[00:16:21] He's giving them hope, and he's giving them encouragement.
[00:16:24] And they say, well, how does this apply to me?
[00:16:25] We're getting there.
[00:16:26] Just be patient.
[00:16:27] And so they're encouraged because the Lord is coming.
[00:16:32] So hey, everybody, prepare the way of the Lord.
[00:16:34] In ancient times, if a king was coming to a town or village, if the roads were in disrepair go in there and fix the road if there's a dip fill that in if there's a hill let's cut that down
[00:16:46] and that's the picture here prepare the way of the Lord and so people are excited because look at verse 5 and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together
[00:16:58] for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it and this is encouraging this is good news to a people who are looking for the Lord now those who aren't it's not good news it's a little scary
[00:17:09] But for the people of God, this is good news.
[00:17:12] He's coming, no doubt, to save us.
[00:17:15] But then look at the next section, verse 6 through 8.
[00:17:18] There's a reminder that all flesh is as grass, and the flower fadeth away.
[00:17:23] The grass withereth, verse 7.
[00:17:25] The flower fadeth because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it, verse 8.
[00:17:29] The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand forever.
[00:17:34] So it's a reminder to the people of God, don't put your trust in princes don't put your trust in philosophers or human knowledge or thinking or supposition God forbid AI or anything else no because all of this is going to pass away
[00:17:47] all of this is going to perish even we are going to perish what is our life but a vapor no put your trust in that which will always endure for all eternity the eternal word of God
[00:17:58] and so by the way we know that that is the word written but there's also another aspect of the word because the Lord who is going to come happens to be the word, right?
[00:18:12] In the beginning was the word.
[00:18:14] John chapter 1 verse 1.
[00:18:15] And the word was with God and the word, praise God, so the word endureth forever.
[00:18:22] Now, this is good news.
[00:18:24] And so there is a call to the people of Jerusalem.
[00:18:28] There is a call to the people of God to preach the good news.
[00:18:31] That's what Pastor Andy and I are doing.
[00:18:33] Verse 9.
[00:18:33] O Zion, that bringest good tidings.
[00:18:36] What is good tidings?
[00:18:37] The gospel.
[00:18:38] What does gospel mean?
[00:18:39] Good news.
[00:18:40] Good tidings.
[00:18:41] What's the good tidings?
[00:18:42] The Lord is coming.
[00:18:44] Gid thee up into the high mountain.
[00:18:45] O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings.
[00:18:48] Lift up thy voice with strength.
[00:18:50] Lift it up.
[00:18:51] Be not afraid.
[00:18:52] Say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God.
[00:18:55] If you are an unbeliever, or if you claim to be a Christian, and you're walking in sin, and you know that you're really not doing what God has called you to do, There may be fear at the presence of the Lord,
[00:19:05] whether in judgment to come at the last day, or in this case, to come the first time.
[00:19:10] But he says, don't be afraid.
[00:19:12] Don't be afraid if you're his children.
[00:19:15] Get excited, because what does it say?
[00:19:18] It says, lift up your voice.
[00:19:20] Don't be afraid.
[00:19:21] Send to the cities of Judah, behold your God.
[00:19:24] And that's our sermon today.
[00:19:26] How often do we take meditating on God?
[00:19:29] How powerful he is.
[00:19:30] How wonderful he is.
[00:19:31] How gracious he is.
[00:19:32] how perfect He is, how holy He is, how He, before the foundation of the earth, before our parents, grandparents, before the Mayflower, before Adam and Eve, set His love upon us, before we were even known about or even pondered,
[00:19:49] and yet He set His love upon us before the foundation of the earth to save us and to have us to be born of a great mother we know, and to live and to grow and to serve Him that He would adopt us
[00:20:01] and make us His very own, that we might be trophies of His grace, that we might be a praise and a light to the world and a praise unto Him and glory.
[00:20:11] Oh, how wonderful!
[00:20:12] Behold your God.
[00:20:14] Understand who this God is.
[00:20:16] You want to get excited about your salvation?
[00:20:18] You want to live in more Christian life?
[00:20:20] Set your eyes upon Jesus.
[00:20:22] Understand the God who has saved us.
[00:20:25] Begin to meditate upon Him.
[00:20:27] Muse upon Him.
[00:20:29] Don't be in a state of amusement.
[00:20:31] which means not to think we even have amusement parks be in a state of musing upon the glory the grandeur the infinite and eternal perfections and beauty of the God who loved us and gave himself for us
[00:20:48] behold your God verse 10 behold the Lord God will come we should be excited with a strong hand and his arm shall rule for him behold his reward is with him and his work before him
[00:21:00] This mighty and terrible God, this awesome God, this holy God, who can stand in His presence.
[00:21:07] That's what they said when He showed up on Mount Sinai.
[00:21:10] Even Moses, who at one time spoke to Him face to face, when God comes and is manifest, glory says, I do exceedingly fear and quake.
[00:21:18] The mountains shook.
[00:21:20] There was a trumpet that sounded louder and louder.
[00:21:22] There was lightnings and thunders.
[00:21:24] The people were terrified of this awesome God and ran away as a burning fire, an all-consuming fire.
[00:21:31] And yet, how will he come?
[00:21:35] Look at verse 11.
[00:21:39] He shall feed his flock like a shepherd.
[00:21:43] He shall gather the lambs with his arm.
[00:21:47] And where does he put them?
[00:21:48] He carries them in his bosom.
[00:21:51] Who's that?
[00:21:53] You and I and all of his children.
[00:21:56] This great and mighty God is going to come like a gentle shepherd.
[00:22:01] And what does he do for us?
[00:22:03] It says, he'll feed his flock.
[00:22:06] He'll gather the lambs.
[00:22:08] We've been wandering sheep.
[00:22:09] We're lost.
[00:22:10] He's come to seek and save that which is lost.
[00:22:13] Gather them in his arms and carry them close to his bosom, close to his heart, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
[00:22:24] What a picture.
[00:22:25] Who is this God who would condescend in such a loving and gentle way for you and for me?
[00:22:34] What a beautiful picture.
[00:22:35] And then right after that, it reminds us who this God is.
[00:22:39] And verse 12 to 17 talk about how wonderful and how glorious, how he is the creator of the heavens and the earth, that all of the nations are like a drop in the bucket to him.
[00:22:51] All of the nations of the earth and all the people, if you put them on the scale before the Lord, it's like the dust that's left after you've scraped it off, trying to look where it still is.
[00:23:00] That's how great, how wonderful, how mighty, how sovereign our God is.
[00:23:06] And it starts out, it says in verse 18, To whom then will you liken God?
[00:23:11] Or what likeness will you compare unto Him?
[00:23:13] And this is there for a reason, to remind us that the One who is saving us is fully able, fully capable, and He alone is capable.
[00:23:23] For He is not only the one who can make us born again, He's not only the one who can give us regeneration, but He's the one that gave generation or creation to everything that we see,
[00:23:35] know, or have ever experienced, and even that which we don't know about.
[00:23:39] Everything.
[00:23:39] It's that, you know, they understand a little bit about science, not a whole lot, but I do understand that they keep finding more and more stars.
[00:23:47] And they used to have names for them.
[00:23:50] It was easy when they just looked up and said, oh yeah, there's about a hundred stars, let's name them.
[00:23:56] But I think once they got past the thousands, they gave up.
[00:23:59] And so, you know, star 2,396 to the fourth power, I don't know.
[00:24:04] So, they don't have names for all the stars, but guess what?
[00:24:08] God does.
[00:24:09] He's the one that made them.
[00:24:12] It says, He is the one that calls them by name.
[00:24:19] Look at verse 26.
[00:24:20] Lift up your eyes on high.
[00:24:21] Look at the sky.
[00:24:23] And behold, who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number, he calleth them all by names.
[00:24:31] Wow.
[00:24:32] By the greatness of his might, for he is strong in power, not one faileth.
[00:24:36] This is our God.
[00:24:37] This is the God who is mighty to save.
[00:24:39] This is our God.
[00:24:40] There is no one else to look to for salvation.
[00:24:43] And he is the one that is coming to Judah to bring salvation.
[00:24:48] Now, we see in the next set of verses, verse 18 to 25 it reminds us in light of all of this the vanity of idolatry to turn to anything besides the one true God to trust in now if I come to your house probably most of you don't
[00:25:05] have a totem pole in your backyard that you bow down to I hope you don't have an elephant with seven or eight hands and something like that I hope you don't have any idols in your house God
[00:25:16] forbid you got a statue of the Virgin Mary that you bow down to, or any other quote-unquote saint.
[00:25:23] We are to worship God and Him alone. Isn't that what the first commandment says of the ten, and the second commandment? Of course. And the first commandment summing up all of the first of the five of the ten
[00:25:32] commandments, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, mind, and strength.
[00:25:37] Right? And so, what he's saying here is these idols are worthless.
[00:25:41] And we say, well, you don't have that. I'm good with that, Pastor Joseph. Let's move on. I don't have that elephant in my house. Could it be money? Could it be your job? Could it be your family?
[00:25:57] Could it be your reputation? Could it be you name it? How about the biggest idol of all?
[00:26:06] You want to find that one? Go home and look in the mirror. Me, myself, and I.
[00:26:11] Beware of idolatry. And then as we continue past to the end of the chapter, verse 26-31, we find the hope.
[00:26:22] We just mentioned 26.
[00:26:23] Look up and see how great this God is who calls all the stars by number.
[00:26:29] Verse 27.
[00:26:30] Why do you say, Jacob, that my way is hid from the Lord?
[00:26:33] Have you ever been felt, well, God's just forgotten about me.
[00:26:37] Or He just doesn't answer my prayers.
[00:26:39] Or maybe He's just not that interested in me because nothing seems to be going right.
[00:26:44] He's saying, why do you say these things?
[00:26:46] That's essentially what He's saying.
[00:26:48] Verse 28.
[00:26:48] Hast thou not known Hast thou not heard that the everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not?
[00:26:56] Neither is weary, neither slumbers nor sleeps.
[00:26:59] There is no searching of his understanding.
[00:27:01] Right?
[00:27:02] The hairs of our head are all numbered.
[00:27:03] Verse 29.
[00:27:04] He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
[00:27:09] Praise the Lord.
[00:27:10] We can look to God.
[00:27:12] We can trust in God.
[00:27:13] Even the youth, verse 30, shall faint and be weary.
[00:27:16] The young men shall utterly fail.
[00:27:18] We all have our limits, but not God.
[00:27:20] He's limitless.
[00:27:21] Verse 31, But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.
[00:27:25] They shall mount up with wings as eagles.
[00:27:27] They shall run and not be weary.
[00:27:29] They shall walk and not faint.
[00:27:31] What an encouragement to Judah, who has suffered centuries of declension religiously, and is going to go into exile to Babylon ultimately because of it.
[00:27:43] But here is this promise that looks past all of that to the cross.
[00:27:48] Yes, to the life and the perfect fulfilling of the law by Jesus Christ.
[00:27:52] His death, but then His burial and His resurrection and the power of the resurrection for all who would believe in Him.
[00:27:58] That's that resurrection power.
[00:28:00] That we don't get weary, that we don't get drowsy, that we don't want to fall asleep.
[00:28:04] Praise God, because God moves in us by His Spirit. Amen?
[00:28:08] And so this is the hope that is set before Judah.
[00:28:13] Now with our remaining time, what is the hope set before you?
[00:28:19] This passage is all about salvation.
[00:28:22] And now it applies to each and every one of us.
[00:28:26] Think about the first section.
[00:28:28] Remember, the first 39 chapters of Isaiah are all about how we have fallen short.
[00:28:34] You see, unfortunately today, there are churches that want to bring God down to our level.
[00:28:42] And I'm talking now not about the condescension of Christ.
[00:28:45] I'm talking about, well, you know, God's cool with your sins.
[00:28:48] He doesn't bother Him.
[00:28:50] He's good with it.
[00:28:51] It's okay.
[00:28:52] He gets us.
[00:28:54] And so, in other words, if we lower the bar far enough, even the midgets can jump over, right?
[00:29:02] We have a big church.
[00:29:03] If we lower that bar far enough.
[00:29:05] No, we can't do that.
[00:29:06] We're not allowed to do that because the bar is so infinitely high that none of us can attain it.
[00:29:11] None is good.
[00:29:11] No, not one.
[00:29:12] We have to be absolutely perfect in every way to be saved.
[00:29:16] And by the way, we start out from the womb unable to do so because of the original sin of Adam and Eve that has come upon us.
[00:29:22] We are born in sin.
[00:29:24] And so it is utterly impossible for us to be able to save ourselves.
[00:29:28] But, and so what do we do if we really, most people don't like to hear that.
[00:29:33] And that's why you have people and churches and individuals who say, well, you know, it's not like that.
[00:29:38] God grades on a curve.
[00:29:39] Just do the best you can.
[00:29:40] After all, I'm not as bad as Hitler.
[00:29:42] I'll probably get to heaven.
[00:29:43] It's going to be okay.
[00:29:44] That's not what the Bible says.
[00:29:46] No, God's demand upon each and every one of us is absolute sinless perfection.
[00:29:52] How many sins, by the way, did Adam and Eve have to sin to be expelled from the presence of God?
[00:29:59] Is there anyone here who's sinned at least once?
[00:30:02] I know I've sinned at least twice.
[00:30:06] At least.
[00:30:08] That means I'm not going to make it and neither are you.
[00:30:12] That's bad news.
[00:30:13] But there's good news.
[00:30:14] And that's what the gospel is.
[00:30:15] And that's why it says, comfort, comfort my people.
[00:30:18] That is, if you're his people, there is comfort.
[00:30:20] What's the comfort?
[00:30:21] Christ is coming.
[00:30:22] God is coming.
[00:30:23] It's true.
[00:30:24] We can never make a stairway to heaven, no matter how many songs they write about it.
[00:30:28] But God comes down from heaven in his wonderful love and mercy for God.
[00:30:35] So love the world.
[00:30:36] He gave his only begotten son.
[00:30:37] He gave him on the cross.
[00:30:39] But before he could give him on the cross, he had to give him to earth into the womb of Mary.
[00:30:46] A faithful mother, praise God, on Mother's Day. Amen.
[00:30:49] That He would be there just like the rest of us, nine months, and yet without sin because there's no human father.
[00:30:55] The sin of Adam and Eve did not go upon Him because the legal head of the family is the father.
[00:31:00] He's the only human in all of history that from birth is sinless and qualified to be our sinless Savior, the Lamb of God, our Passover Lamb sacrificed for us.
[00:31:11] And so Christ is the one who comes.
[00:31:13] It is good news because he is able to completely fulfill the Old Testament, which convicts us.
[00:31:21] All of the first 39 chapters of Isaiah and the first 39 books of the Old Testament remind us of our sin, show us how far we fall short.
[00:31:31] And by the way, we know in Romans 6.23 that the wages of sin is?
[00:31:36] And how many of you know payday is coming?
[00:31:40] Right?
[00:31:42] The Lord is going to come back.
[00:31:43] He's going to judge.
[00:31:44] That's the bad.
[00:31:44] But the good news is Christ has come to perfectly fulfill the law and to die and write a New Testament in his blood, which we celebrated at the Lord's table last week, so that all who would believe and trust in him alone for salvation,
[00:32:00] not in our works, not I'm a praying and a hoping, not I hope I'm good enough, Pastor Joseph, and I believe in Jesus.
[00:32:06] No, no, no, no.
[00:32:07] Don't put that as an afterthought.
[00:32:08] You're not good enough.
[00:32:09] You'll never be good enough.
[00:32:11] You're way worse than enough.
[00:32:12] And so we have to completely fall in humility on Christ.
[00:32:17] But the good news is that he's done it.
[00:32:20] He's paid.
[00:32:21] Jesus paid it all.
[00:32:22] All to him I owe.
[00:32:24] Sin has left a crimson stain.
[00:32:26] He washed it white as snow.
[00:32:28] And so there is comfort.
[00:32:29] There is encouragement.
[00:32:31] And so we are told to prepare the way individually.
[00:32:34] What does that mean?
[00:32:35] Repent.
[00:32:38] Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord.
[00:32:41] Blessed are the poor in spirit, right?
[00:32:47] For theirs is what?
[00:32:48] The kingdom of heaven.
[00:32:50] If you want to be saved, you have to be poor in spirit.
[00:32:53] You have to know that you can't save yourself, that you desperately need a savior.
[00:32:58] And so prepare the way.
[00:33:00] We must humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord.
[00:33:03] We must repent.
[00:33:04] We must trust in Christ.
[00:33:06] And that's why John the Baptist, who comes and says, I am the voice in the wilderness crying out, make straight the way of the Lord.
[00:33:13] And then what does he preach?
[00:33:14] Hey, get over there and fix that road.
[00:33:16] Get over there and cut that mountain down.
[00:33:18] Get over there, bring in some more gravel.
[00:33:20] Right here.
[00:33:21] Boop, boop, boop.
[00:33:22] Right here, please.
[00:33:23] No.
[00:33:24] What does he do?
[00:33:25] I'm here to prepare the way of the Lord.
[00:33:27] Now repent!
[00:33:29] What is preparing the way of the Lord individually?
[00:33:31] We need to repent.
[00:33:32] We need to humble ourselves.
[00:33:33] Repent of what?
[00:33:34] The greatest sin of all, which is rejecting Christ and trusting ourselves.
[00:33:38] Say, well, I've never really rejected Christ.
[00:33:40] But if you're living your life for yourself, you have whether you say it or not.
[00:33:43] Because you're your own God instead of him.
[00:33:46] We must submit unto him.
[00:33:47] What does Jesus say?
[00:33:48] If any man come after me, no, if any man come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.
[00:33:55] Deny himself, the very first.
[00:33:58] And so, repentance.
[00:34:00] And then there is this wonderful reminder that our life is limited.
[00:34:08] All flesh is as grass.
[00:34:09] the words of men and what we think and what we're going to do in our strength.
[00:34:14] Sooner or later, we'll find out how strong we are.
[00:34:17] Yeah.
[00:34:18] But the Word of God endures forever.
[00:34:21] So trust in that which...
[00:34:22] What does not change on the earth?
[00:34:25] It's certainly not us.
[00:34:26] Look in the mirror again, right?
[00:34:29] What does not change?
[00:34:31] God and His Word.
[00:34:33] Everything else changes.
[00:34:34] Everything.
[00:34:35] Even the sun.
[00:34:38] But God and His Word are the only things we must trust in God and His Word.
[00:34:42] Now notice in verses 9-11, this idea of the good news.
[00:34:47] This is good news, but don't be afraid.
[00:34:49] Don't fall into, well, I'm not going to go to church because they might tell me how bad of a sinner I am and I don't like to be convicted.
[00:34:55] And that Pastor Joseph, he never builds me up.
[00:34:57] I don't feel happy-go-lucky when I leave there.
[00:34:59] He always happens to step on my toes in particular and I don't think I'm going to go there anymore.
[00:35:04] No. No. It's good news.
[00:35:07] Allow the conviction, if it's true from the Word of God not just for me, allow it to work in us like the scalpel of the skilled surgeon. There is pain before the healing comes. We have to get rid of the disease. We have to get rid of that which is
[00:35:23] wrong and then the healing can come. Allow our hearts to be open on the surgery table of the divine surgeon so that he might work a great work in us for healing and grace, eternal healing and
[00:35:35] life through his son christ jesus it's good news so don't be afraid uh verse uh 11 uh and verse nine actually but behold your god see who it is there is no one else who can save us we're so
[00:35:49] self-focused and we're so focused on the things of the world and just getting done i gotta work why are you working well i gotta eat okay well why do you eat so i can work and why do you work
[00:36:02] so I can eat.
[00:36:03] It sounds like we're on a gerbil on a wheel.
[00:36:06] No, no, no.
[00:36:06] There is an end to this.
[00:36:07] And that is the glory of God and being with the Lord forever and ever.
[00:36:10] And so we are to behold our God.
[00:36:12] We are to understand.
[00:36:13] We are to look right past death.
[00:36:15] The fear of death has been taken away for us from the work of Jesus Christ.
[00:36:21] And we should look right towards heaven and to be reunited with the One who made us, loved us, and gave Himself for us.
[00:36:28] It's good news.
[00:36:29] Behold your God.
[00:36:30] Be not afraid.
[00:36:32] And notice again, this great and mighty God is going to come, how?
[00:36:36] As a shepherd, a gentle shepherd.
[00:36:39] Turn with me, if you would, to John chapter 10 and see what Jesus says about this very thing.
[00:36:45] John chapter 10, verse 1, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door unto the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
[00:36:54] But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
[00:36:58] To him the porter openeth, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calleth his own sheep by name and leadeth them out and when he putteth forth his own sheep he goeth before them and the sheep follow him
[00:37:09] for they know his voice.
[00:37:11] If you're a sheep of Jesus, you know his voice.
[00:37:15] And a stranger will they not follow but will flee from him for they know not the voice of strangers.
[00:37:20] This parable spake Jesus unto them but they understood not what things there were which he spake unto them.
[00:37:26] Then said Jesus, verse 7, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
[00:37:32] He's the door.
[00:37:33] All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
[00:37:37] I am the door.
[00:37:39] By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture.
[00:37:44] The thief cometh not but to steal, kill, and destroy.
[00:37:48] I am come that they might have life and have it more abundantly.
[00:37:53] I am the good shepherd.
[00:37:54] Who? Jesus.
[00:37:56] The good shepherd does what?
[00:37:58] Gives his life for the sheep.
[00:38:00] Isn't that what Christ has done for us?
[00:38:02] This is the shepherd that is being prophesied in Isaiah 40.
[00:38:07] The Lord is coming and He shall feed His sheep.
[00:38:10] He shall gather them up in His arms.
[00:38:13] He shall carry them close to His bosom.
[00:38:15] That's Christ who has come for you and for me and for all who are truly His sheep.
[00:38:20] Again, verse 12.
[00:38:22] But the hireling, and this is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, leaveth the sheep, and fleeth.
[00:38:29] And the wolf catcheth them and scattereth the sheep.
[00:38:31] the hireling fleeth because he's a hireling and careth not for the sheep I am the good shepherd and know my sheep and am known of mine as the father knoweth me even so know I the father and I lay down
[00:38:44] my life for the sheep we think of the people of Israel the people of Judah but look at the next verse 16 and other sheep I have which are not of this fold what fold Israel
[00:38:55] them also I must bring even people in Moresville amen they shall hear my voice and there shall be one fold and one shepherd Jew and Gentile together through the blood of Jesus Christ the middle wall of partition
[00:39:11] being broken down making a twain one the body of Christ all who believe and trust in him therefore verse 17 doth my father love me because I lay down my life that I might take
[00:39:25] it again no man taketh it from me but I lay it down of myself I have power to lay it down. I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my
[00:39:33] father. Later today, read the whole chapter and be blessed. But just look with me for a moment down here at verse 27. My sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me. And I give unto
[00:39:47] them eternal life and they shall never perish. That's good news. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. If you're born again, you have everlasting life. You can't lose it if you're truly born again. No man shall pluck you out of the shepherd's hand. My Father which gave them me
[00:40:04] is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one. Jews didn't like that. Go back and read the rest of it. But the point is, He is the Lord.
[00:40:17] He is Jehovah. He is the second person of the Trinity. He's just as much God as the Father and the Holy Spirit for all eternity. It is the Lord who is coming. It is the Lord who is going to
[00:40:27] gather his sheep. It is the Lord who is calling us to be saved, but we need to prepare the way in repentance. We need to prepare the way and cry out to him in prayer so that he might come in,
[00:40:39] that he might give us new life, that we might have faith and trust in him. And that's what this is ultimately talking about. Is he able? The whole rest of verses 12 through 17, he's more than
[00:40:53] able. He's the one that commands all of the planets in their motion. And every, from the smallest atom, If there are atoms, nobody ever saw one.
[00:41:01] But nevertheless, from the smallest atom to the greatest star, he commands all of it.
[00:41:07] In him we move and have our being.
[00:41:10] In him, in Christ, Colossians 1, all things consist.
[00:41:16] Is he able?
[00:41:17] More than able.
[00:41:19] Before we end, I'd like you to look at 1 Peter chapter 1.
[00:41:25] Peter actually quotes Isaiah 40 as well.
[00:41:28] In 1 Peter chapter 1, he talks about how wonderful this salvation that we have is.
[00:41:37] He talks about the idea in verse 3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
[00:41:50] Praise God, there's that hope.
[00:41:53] Verse 5, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.
[00:41:59] How wonderful.
[00:42:02] And then notice, talking about this salvation, verse 9, receiving the end of your fate, even the salvation of your souls.
[00:42:08] Now, here he's going to talk about Isaiah and the prophets.
[00:42:11] Notice verse 10, of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you.
[00:42:20] Searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ, which was in them, did signify, when it testified beforehand, the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow.
[00:42:29] unto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves.
[00:42:33] Isaiah wasn't preaching for himself or not even just for the people in his day, 700 B.C.
[00:42:39] Not unto themselves, but unto us, New Testament Christian.
[00:42:43] They ministered these things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven which things the angels desire to look into.
[00:42:54] You mean the gospel is in the book of Isaiah?
[00:42:56] Absolutely.
[00:42:57] You mean the gospel is in the Old Testament?
[00:42:59] Absolutely.
[00:43:00] It's the same God who started with Genesis and ended with Revelation.
[00:43:03] He's the Alpha, the Omega, the First, the Last, the Beginning, the End.
[00:43:05] It's the same Holy Spirit that inspired every single word, jot, and tittle of the Bible.
[00:43:09] And we should expect it to be one story.
[00:43:12] History, His story.
[00:43:14] And the His is Jesus Christ.
[00:43:16] And that's what all of Scripture is about.
[00:43:18] And hopefully you being found in Him through salvation, by grace, through faith.
[00:43:25] And so we see, I'm not going to read the whole chapter.
[00:43:28] I just want to read you a few more verses from this beautiful chapter.
[00:43:32] Verse 18.
[00:43:32] For as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, such as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by the tradition of your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as the Lamb without blemish and without spot,
[00:43:48] who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by Him do believe in God that raised Him up from the dead and gave Him glory
[00:43:59] that your faith and hope might be in God.
[00:44:02] Seeing you have purified your souls and obeying the truth of the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently.
[00:44:11] Now look at these last few verses of the chapter.
[00:44:13] Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the Word of God.
[00:44:19] That same Word that in Isaiah 40 endures forever is the same word by which we're saved.
[00:44:24] That same word that the prophet spoke about in Isaiah and didn't understand that it was for us is that same word by which we are saved.
[00:44:32] By the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever, verse 24, is going to be familiar to you.
[00:44:36] For all flesh is as grass.
[00:44:40] And all the glory of man is the flower of grass.
[00:44:42] The grass withereth.
[00:44:43] The flower thereof falleth away.
[00:44:45] What's he quoting?
[00:44:46] Isaiah chapter?
[00:44:48] Hooray!
[00:44:49] We're getting there.
[00:44:50] Another hour or two of preaching and we'll all be on the same page.
[00:44:53] Don't worry, it's okay.
[00:44:54] We're not going to do that.
[00:44:55] But the grass withereth, the flower thereof falleth away.
[00:44:58] But the word of the Lord endureth forever.
[00:45:01] That's Isaiah 40, right?
[00:45:02] And now listen.
[00:45:03] And this is the word.
[00:45:05] What? Isaiah 40.
[00:45:07] And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
[00:45:13] God forbid you get to a church and say, we don't preach the Old Testament.
[00:45:17] That's just history.
[00:45:18] We preach the New Testament.
[00:45:19] That's for us.
[00:45:20] It's all for us.
[00:45:21] it's all for us and so turning back to the end of isaiah 40 and the end of our message the last section of isaiah after it shows the vanity of idolatry the vanity of seeking salvation and
[00:45:36] anything except christ verses 18 25 and then we end in the very end verses 26 through 31 where we see it says lift up your eyes on high behold who has created these things listen
[00:45:53] You know, the heathen rage.
[00:45:55] There's wars and rumors of wars and big and mighty men and trouble and concern.
[00:46:01] And whenever you're worried about the situation or your finances or your health or what's going to happen in Iran or in Washington or Hollywood or whatever else, go outside at night and just look up.
[00:46:14] You don't see any politics up there, do you?
[00:46:17] You don't see any stock market up there, do you?
[00:46:20] And guess what?
[00:46:21] Those stars are the same place they were last night.
[00:46:23] and last year and a hundred years ago and a thousand years ago and I guess six thousand years ago whenever the earth was created and we'll still be in the same place until the Lord comes
[00:46:35] because He is on the throne and we can trust in Him and if our affections have been given up to Him then we're not to be worried because where your treasure is your heart will be also
[00:46:46] and our treasure should be there as we look up we look to the stars but before we end now I challenge you to look farther than the stars. Yes, to look farther than the stars.
[00:46:58] He says, verse 28, hast thou not known?
[00:47:00] Hast thou not heard that the everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not, neither is weary?
[00:47:06] Who's watching over you when you're sleeping?
[00:47:09] How much worry do you do when you're sleeping? That's Pastor Andy's water. Can't drink. You can't worry while you're asleep. Is anybody watching over you? You're a child of God.
[00:47:21] He's watching over you. He never slumbers nor sleeps.
[00:47:25] Verse 29, he gives power to the faint. Anybody feel faint recently as we get older and to them that have no might he increases our strength for what for his glory even the youth shall faint and be weary
[00:47:37] and the young men shall utterly fail but they that wait upon the Lord that's where we're going to end what does that mean shall renew their strength they shall run and not be weary they shall walk
[00:47:52] and not faint they shall mount up with wings as angels Mount up with wings as eagles.
[00:48:01] Why?
[00:48:03] Wait upon the Lord.
[00:48:05] If you want to be saved, wait upon the Lord.
[00:48:07] Repent and wait upon the Lord.
[00:48:10] Call upon Him.
[00:48:11] Call upon me.
[00:48:13] Look unto me, nations.
[00:48:14] Call upon me and be saved.
[00:48:16] Now is an acceptable time of salvation.
[00:48:18] We call upon the Lord.
[00:48:19] We cry out for salvation.
[00:48:21] And this idea, we wait upon Him.
[00:48:23] And as Christians, things aren't going the way we wanted to go.
[00:48:27] well, I'm going to have to figure it out myself.
[00:48:29] No, wait upon the Lord.
[00:48:30] Wait upon the Lord.
[00:48:31] I'm getting older.
[00:48:32] It's getting more and more difficult.
[00:48:34] There's more challenges here.
[00:48:35] I'm going to have to do something different.
[00:48:37] You know, I've been trying to walk in faith, but I can do it this way or I can do it that way or the world offers me this or the other thing.
[00:48:43] Here's a shortcut.
[00:48:44] Wait upon the Lord.
[00:48:46] He will revive us.
[00:48:47] He will strengthen us.
[00:48:48] Either those who are not born again, wait upon Him to come.
[00:48:52] Prepare the way and repentance and humility and see and behold your God who comes mighty and yet condescending in the incarnation of Christ as a shepherd, gathering you up gently and holding you close to His bosom
[00:49:06] as you see Him on the cross whose side was pierced in the blood, the life-giving blood and the Spirit, the water comes out.
[00:49:14] That picture of Christ who stretched out His arms so that one day He might embrace you with the everlasting arms of love.
[00:49:22] Those of you who believe and trust in Him, this is the Christ that is coming to you if you will repent and truly believe you'll stop living for yourself you'll stop looking at your phone
[00:49:31] and stop thinking about the things of the world and set your affection and heart and mind on Jesus Christ and for those of you who've been like me in the faith for a long time
[00:49:42] how many of you know we can get discouraged sometimes sometimes we get a little weary sometimes the knees move slow and the hands hang down Oh, just a little bit further, a little bit further.
[00:49:59] Ah, but if we'll just wait on the Lord in prayer and seeking Him.
[00:50:04] Get your eyes off of the problems and on to the solution, on to the God who has nothing is impossible for Him.
[00:50:13] Then God, as we look upon Him and look to what He's done for us in Christ and remember what He's done and look forward to what He's going to do for all eternity in the presence of His joy,
[00:50:24] we begin to get strength from the Holy Spirit that is now within us.
[00:50:29] And as we empty ourselves of the self and our lusts and our wants and our desires and our pride, and then there's more and more room for His Spirit to fill us, to overflow in to where we renew our strength.
[00:50:41] We run and we're not weary.
[00:50:43] We walk and we're not faint.
[00:50:45] And we mount up with wings as eagles.
[00:50:49] Why?
[00:50:50] So we can be above everybody else?
[00:50:52] No.
[00:50:52] so we can draw ever closer to a better view

[00:50:57] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:50:57] of beholding our triune God in heaven whose eyes are upon us day and night,

[00:51:05] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:51:05] who loved us and gave himself for us and is standing at the finish line of our life waiting.
[00:51:13] Come, child, come.
[00:51:15] Come, little lamb, I'm waiting.
[00:51:17] Come!
[00:51:18] And at the finish line, ah, let me hold you close to my bosom.
[00:51:24] to my very heart that bled and died and the spear pierced so that you might have everlasting life and hope and strength.
[00:51:38] Yes, and even exaltation in the Spirit.
[00:51:43] Times of refreshing and renewal.
[00:51:45] Revival from the King of Kings and the very throne of God coming down as fire upon the children of God.
[00:51:53] Consuming us with a zeal for the God and the glory and the zeal of the Lord of hosts.
[00:52:00] Oh, that's what I want.
[00:52:01] How about you?
[00:52:04] If you just want to go to Golden Corral, repent.
[00:52:11] I want revival.
[00:52:14] I can't make it happen, neither can you.
[00:52:16] We can get a band up here.
[00:52:17] We can get strobe lights.
[00:52:19] We can paint, spray, paint this place black.
[00:52:21] And we get Pastor Andy with a cool haircut and skinny jeans and won't do a thing in our hearts.
[00:52:30] Prepare the way of the Lord.
[00:52:31] on your knees in humble prayer crying out to God musing upon him as the only Savior and seeing and realizing as he comes in faith to us as the condescending shepherd for the Lord is my shepherd
[00:52:50] I shall not want he maketh me to lie down in the green pastures he leadeth me by the still waters he restoreth my soul he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his namesake

[00:53:04] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:53:04] Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I'll fear no evil.
[00:53:10] For thou art with me.
[00:53:12] Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.

[00:53:15] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:53:15] Thou preparest a table before me.
[00:53:17] In the presence of mine enemy, thou anointest my head with oil.
[00:53:22] My cup runneth over.

[00:53:24] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:53:24] Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.
[00:53:29] And I will dwell in the house of the Lord.

[00:53:32] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:53:32] I hope you can say amen so let it be for me too amen amen to God be the glory let's pray dear heavenly father we rejoice in you our savior we thank you lord God
[00:53:48] for the comfort of the holy spirit our comforter for the good news of your son Christ Jesus and lord we ask that you help us by faith even now lord to wait upon you day after day
[00:54:01] waiting for your offer waiting for your orders waiting for your embrace and your empowerment that we like the disciples might tarry in Jerusalem until we be endued with power from on high to do all that you've called us to do
[00:54:17] being lights in this ever darkening world salt in this putrefying culture that you might be pleased to bring seasons of refreshing and revival that we might mount up on wings as eagles and better see this God who loved us
[00:54:37] and gave himself for us.
[00:54:39] Your Son, Christ Jesus, in whose name we pray.
[00:54:42] And thank you, Lord. Amen.
[00:54:44] Lead on, O King Eternal.