Comfort for the Weary

0:02 Looking at our world from a theological perspective. This is the Theology Central podcast making Theology Central. Good afternoon, everyone. It is Thursday, November the seventh, twenty twenty four. It is currently three forty nine pm Central Time, and I'm coming to you live from the Theology Central studio located right here in Abilene, Texas. Well, ladies and gentlemen, I don't know about you. It has been a crazy week. Really. If I kind of go back to last week, I don't remember exactly what was happening on Thursday and Friday, but I know by late Saturday night early Sunday morning, I know what was happening. I had what I don't know, one or two seizures, I don't know, three four five, I don't even know.

0:56 I had multiple seizures. And then there was no church, so there was no church, and there was no Sunday school. There was no Sunday morning. So everything already was getting like everything was just not everything was kind of like falling apart in that sense, and then trying to just remember everything and then trying to ease back into doing any broadcasts. Then we had the election, and then we had internet outages here city wide here in Applene, Texas. In fact, the entire county of Taylor County, who uses the same internet provider. None of us had internet, so it was a major problem. So between the election, between internet outages and between seizures, I I'm really sitting here, there's almost like there's almost like, wait, what happened? Like okay, am I remembering things correctly? Like I feel like I'm missing something there, Like there's something like wait, did I walk through some kind of portal and enter a different time? Like I feel like there's like gaps missing, there's things missing.

1:59 But I do remember remember this. Remember I remember we had a timer, we had a stop watch, and we were going to find out how long it took for pastors to insert you and I to insert us, to insert we to insert us into Isaiah chapter forty. I do remember that little bit of experiment. Remember how that went? And it didn't last very long. I think the first time we tried it, all right, everyone, have your stop watch, have your timer, all right, we're going to play this sermon at play go And within forty seconds, within forty seconds, the pastor inserted us into Isaiah chapter forty. Then we reviewed a second sermon, and the timing was zero seconds because the title inserted us, and we reviewed some other things about Isaiah forty, which started if I at least remember this, I started getting very bothered, very irritated.

2:57 That sermon after sermon after sermon, and after sermon after sermon. Took not just Isaiah forty, but basically anything between Isaiah forty and fifty five, and just immediately just to almost push the original recipients out, move us in, and make it all about us. And so I started talking about us being narcissistic textual hijackers, that that's what Christianity is. We're narcissistic. We think everything's about us. We take the text of scripture, we hijack it, and we fly it wherever we want it to go. And then we say that our understanding that whatever we've done with the hijacked text that is the right way, and everyone else is wrong. It is really bizarre how it all plays out in Christianity.

3:41 So we've been talking about that. I do know that I spent. Two hours, like two weeks ago now at Victory Baptist Church giving us I think a good introduction of Isaiah forty through fifty five. Outlining it, explaining it. I think we did a very good job with that. I do know somewhere in all of this there was a devotional What Streams in the Desert that took Isaiah forty and once again spiritualize it, allegorize it. We talked about John Bunyan Pilgrim's progress allegorizing Isaiah chapter forty. So we've been we've I think we've done a very good. Job talking about all of that now. So today I feel like I've got to kind of get us back on track.

4:26 Things have just been. I know, we've done some other broadcasts on some different things, some things related to the election, and hopefully some of that was beneficial. That didn't quite go the way I had planned, because I really thought I was going to be able to do maybe like three four broadcast, but then there was internet outage and everything else. But that's over. Let's move forward. Whatever happens is going to happen, whether the country burns to the ground, whether we enter into some utopian, you know, paradise, Well, however the country is going. The one thing as Christians we do know is we are supposed to be hungering and desiring and memorizing and reading and studying the Word of God. It's supposed to be our spiritual food, and it's supposed to be what guides us and directs us. So we need to turn our attention back to that. So my goal here is to get us all back into Isaiah forty through fifty five.

5:22 Think you remember I told you you're supposed to be reading Isaiah forty through fifty five over and over and over. I've kind of given you some assignments to do. Hopefully you've been participating, but hey, we probably all have gotten off track a little bit, right, So let's all get back to Isaiah forty through fifty five. Let's get back to it, right, Let's really try to enter back into it. So what's a good way to do that. Well, I grabbed a sermon, and I had grabbed it, I think on I don't even know what day. I think it was November second or third. I think I downloaded this and said I was going to do a review. Look, I don't think i've reviewed this audio as of yet. If I have, this is going to get very embarrassing really quick. I'm hoping I have it. But you know, I don't like to listen to it prior to doing the review, because the review is supposed to be like, hey, we're just gathering around listening to a sermon together and we don't know if it's going to be good or bad.

6:12 So there's no agenda. It's not rehearsed, it's not fake frustration. It's just we're or fake praise. It's just in real time, no agenda, and we're. Going to see what's happened. So I am hoping this is going to get us all back on track. The title makes me concern because it said the title is God's Comfort for the weary, God's Comfort for the weary, and we know why it's going to go with the word comfort Isaiah chapter forty verse one. Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people, saith your God. There's the comfort the weary. You probably know where that's coming from, right, Isaiah chapter forty, verse thirty one. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, that they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shuld run and not be weary.

7:02 So in a sense, it's taking the idea of Isaiah forty verse one Isaiah forty verse thirty one, putting the concepts together God's. Comfort for the weary. Now, if it stays with God's comfort for the weary people who are in Babylonian captivity, then we're going to be good to go. If somehow this becomes God's comfort for you and me and the people in Babylonian captivity get pushed out, well, then we're going to be right back to this problem. So yeah. Oh, and earlier today I may have cut myself off. I was looking at sermons and I found a sermon entitled this is a new sermon on the Sermon's. Two point Oh. It was published or posted earlier today. It was the False Church today, the False Church today.

7:49 Guess what the text was? Isaiah chapter four. So I was going to review that, but I'm like, what, Look, we already have Isaiah forty through fifty five. But the point is, it doesn't matter if it's Isaiah forty, doesn't matter if it's Isaiah forty, forty one, forty two, thirty, two, thirty three, it doesn't matter. Pastors just come in, grab the text and sert us into the text, hijacket fly it wherever we want. And never one. It's like, what a great sermon that. Was so touching. Even though the actual meaning of the text. Is obliterated, it is hijacked, it is just violated, but nobody. Really seems to care. So it almost I.

8:30 Almost reach a point where, you know what, this is all just a game. Who really cares about what the text says? I just need to pick a team, find out if they'll let me be on their team, and. Just just be an actor, right, just just turn on the microphone and just act say what everybody wants to say, and then I'll get popularity and I'll get support, and then everything will be great. Now. The only thing is I could only probably do that for maybe ten minutes before I just started like yelling and screaming because I'm not very good at that. Yeah, kind of just wear my emotions on my sleeve, right. Kind of what you hear? I mean, it's who I am.

9:13 So let's just do this. Let's just jump into Isaiah forty, get us all back on track, and find out where we go. You ready, here's the sermon, God's comfort for the weary. Let's find out what's going on. Let's see what they have to say. Let's see how long it takes before we get inserted. I could be completely wrong. We're about to find out. Here we go. Lord, let these words, these this passage sink into our hearts this morning, and let us be reminded, in the midst of weariness, discouragement, and trouble, and disappointment, anxiety, all of these things, that your comfort is readily available to us.

10:01 Help us, as your children, to take advantage of that, to lean on you, and to find strength in you, for you offer it in abundance. All this we ask in Jesus' name that we pray Amen. All right, So the text of the sermon is Isaiah forty. The opening prayer is all about us. Did you notice that? So we get we've been inserted into the sermon in a sense, right at the very beginning. God's comfort is readily available to us. Not God's comfort was readily available to the people and Babylonian captivity. No no, no, no, no, God's comfort is readily available to us. Well, then maybe the text wouldn't be Isaiah forty. Right, So we will see.

10:51 And I do apologize if you heard I was losing my voice there for a second. I started, I had to complete I had to go ahead and start the audio because I was about to have a complete coughing attack. So but I'm all good to go. I'm all good to go. I got water right here, so hear it. I'm good to go. All right, So let's go back to this. But yeah, in the midst of my coughing attack, I'm like, well, wait a minute, we're already been inserted into the text. All right, so let's let's let's I'm going to play that again, and then I'm going to ask you a question. I'm going to ask you a question. Maybe this will be the maybe if we don't get anything else out of this, this will be the question. I want you to really, really, really really consider. All right, are you ready? Here we go play it again, and then I'm going to ask you the question. Here we go.

11:35 Lord, let these words, these this passage sink into our hearts this morning, and let us be reminded, in the midst of weariness, discouragement, and trouble, and disappointment, anxiety, all of these things, that your comfort is readily available to us. Okay, So in the midst of where weariness, difficulty, pain, frustration, and in the midst of very difficult circumstances, God's comfort is readily available to you now, I really want you to think about this all right, when you are in going through horrible situations, horrible horrible situation, tragedy, pain, disease, suffering, Is God's comfort readily available to you? And what kind of comfort is it? I really want you to write this on paper. Okay, Is God's comfort readily available to you?

12:37 And what kind of comfort is it? What? What is the comfort? What is the comfort? Right? Again, I have to use personal illustrations, have to use personal illustrations because that's what I've experienced, So that means sometimes they're somewhat repetitive. But okay, I mean we're in November now, so it's not it's not been too long, right. It was what about two weeks ago when I was standing about out what three or four miles away from the very spot that I was sitting on that October day when I heard the overhead announcement that I needed to come to the principal's office and then there I always told I need to get to Hendrick's Hospital in Abilene, Texas as soon as possible. It's your mother.

13:18 And then I walked into Hendrick's Hospital on that October day. So I just went through the anniversary of it. Walked into that hospital. Well, and then I saw my mom there right one side of her body was kind of just almost like having a seizure. The other part of the body was half of it was just not moving. And well, it was it was the beginning of the end. I mean it was good. By Monday she would be pronounced dead. But it was going to be a long process of what happened. And guess what I needed comfort. I needed comfort. I was furious upset there was I had not even been living at home because of all the family drama. I'd been living with a different family. So I leave the hospital, I'd go to First Baptist Church Tuscola, Texas, and I stay.

13:58 I spend all night in that church. Begging God, pleading, pleading with God, heal her, bring her back, at least let her wake up, and give me the opportunity that there can be some kind of reconciliation, there can be some kind of hope, there can be some do something, Please. I beg of you. Twenty four hours. I spent the night in the church, did not sleep, but I stayed there all night, begging, pleading, crying, looking for comfort, and my mom died. So when we say comfort is readily available, that we've got to make sure we at least limit the comfort. Right. Comfort doesn't mean he's going to heal the person. Comfort doesn't mean you're going to the situation is going to be resolved. So when we say that there is comfort readily available in our situation, don't we have.

14:48 To define what that comfort is. And my concern is if you go to Isaiah forty and it says comfort ye, comfort ye. My people say if you're God, and then you hold up your Bible. Say God's comfort is readily available to you, Well, the problem is that comfort's not for you. That's being mentioned here in Isaiah forty. So when you tell someone God's comfort, so we'll make you feel better. So is a feeling right? All right? Your mom's dead, but you will feel better. That's the comfort he gives me. He's gonna make me feel while they see how did that work? Well, I'm fast approaching. I don't know exactly what day of November it was.

15:29 I probably could try to find information and figure it out, but I'm fast approaching the anniversary when I took a gun, stuck it to my head and tried to kill myself and that spent eight weeks in a psychiatric hospital because I did not. Feel any comfort. So is it a feeling? When we talk about the comfort, what's that comfort? I just feel better about the situation. I just feel Is it just a feeling? Does God come in and literally change your feelings? Does he change your emotions? Is God the one who changes your emotions? Now? If God is the one changing your emotions, well, when you're down and depressed, why wouldn't God just change your emotion. To being happy? Happy, happy happy? See, when we say God's comfort is readily available, don't we have to explain what do we mean by that? And exactly what is the comfort?

16:18 I want you to look you don't. You don't even have to agree with me. I want you to write down on paper this is how God provides the comfort, and this is what the comfort is. Be specific. Is it a feeling? Is it an emotion? Is it a thought? Because there's lots of things. That make people feel better? Right? Oh? I think I think these are good questions. So I'm gonna play this again. I know we're not getting very far, but here we go. Let's listen again. Lord, Let these words, these this passage sink into our hearts this morning. And let us be reminded, in the midst of weariness, discouragement, and trouble, and disappointment, anxiety, all of these things, that your comfort is readily available to us.

17:16 Help us, as your children, to take advantage of that, to lean on you, and to find strength in you, for you offer it in abundance. All this we ask in Jesus' name that we pray Amen again. The title this morning is God's comfort for the weary ones, for his weary children. Looking at Isaiah forty, verses one and two, first of all, and I've already mentioned that that comfort there in verse one is a wonderful, deep sense of encouragement and relief from sorrow and distress. You know, it's beautiful.

17:58 Look at verse two. God gives comfort and God speaks tenderly. After severe experiences, the people were gonna have to go into judgment, and yeah, God says, at the end of that judgment, I'm going to speak tenderly. Speak ye comfortably means tenderly to Jerusalem and call cry unto her call under her. God speaks gently to his children's hearts. He calls to us in the midst of severe distress. He reminds us that that distress doesn't last forever. His discipline does not last forever. Praise the Lord for that. Whatever you're experiencing this morning, this month, this upcoming week, maybe you have experienced some of the discipline of God. This passage reminds us that doesn't last forever, but God's love and forgiveness for his children, it does last forever.

19:07 So whatever you've been experiencing this past week, this past twenty four hours, this past seventy two hours, this text tells you. This text tells me that God was speaking to people in Babylonian captivity, and that is something specific was applicable to them. Why are we so I just don't understand. Why do we feel the need to kick the original people out of the text? I don't understand. So this is clearly we already know where this is going to go. It's going to be about you, it's going to be about me. It's going to be about you, it's going to be about me. It's going to be about you. It's going to be about me. It's going to about you, it's going to be about me. Let's see let's see we obviously we may not review much.

19:53 This just made all this may do. Is just once again proved why I'm being so committed to going through Isaiah forty through fifty five, because this seems to be what we're hearing is the way almost everyone preaches it. And I don't understand why the people sitting in the pew are so okay with it. Her warfare there in verse two, or it's her hardship is accomplished or ended. It's over. There is an end to that, and her iniquity is pardon. There's forgiveness. The sins that we are liable for are now paid for. And in the more immediate context, it's Jerusalem has been in exile and now she will return home. Her iniquity has been pardon. But in the ultimate fulfillment of this, even in verse two, what is that, well, that is not just the remnant returning, but it ultimately points to the gospel. You see, when it comes to God's comfort, there is no greater comfort than the gospel of Jesus Christ.

21:04 And we heard again we looked at the passage this morning, how Jesus willingly came to Jerusalem to offer himself up and all that he went through and suffered in his blood that he shed for our sins when we had rebelled against him, and the love that he showed us in the midst of our rebellion and death could not overpower him, because he rose, And we'll celebrate that next week his resurrection and ascended victoriously and now sits on the right hand as king, and he is now our King. And that gospel will be a comfort for anything that you face. Be reminded that God's discipline is chastisement doesn't last forever, but his love and forgiveness they do last forever.

21:58 And we could take heart in that and find comfort in. That real question. All right. You know, I like to be real. I don't like to play church. So let's say you find out two hours from now that one of your children has been murdered. Does God's Gospel bring you comfort in that? Now? Why? Some people say, well, yeah, because I know they were a Christian. Well what if they weren't a Christian? Or do you convince yourself that they were a Christian because you need comfort? And even if you know they're a Christian, they were still killed. They were still murdered.

22:46 So is that bringing you comfort? I mean, what things when it comes to great tragedy. Look standing behind a poll on a Sunday and everyone's there in their Sunday best you say, the Gospel of Jesus Christ brings us comfort, no matter the trial, no matter the difficult difficulty, no matter the suffering we are enduring. That preach is so good. But when it comes to practical, everyday living, and what does that literally have to do with Isaiah chapter forty. See, if you think about it and Isaiah forty, the comfort they're being offered is not some theoretical spiritual It's tangible.

23:42 Your time of captivity, your time of exile is coming to an end. It's very material, it's very literal, it's very real. Right now? Can we find spiritual comfort? I believe there are spiritual comfort. I think the Gospel offers me spiritual comfort. It offers me in a sense of theoretical comfort because it's promised me, promising something that will happen in eternity. How does that work in my everyday life where there's pain, suffering, and disappointment. I think we love to say, well, that should just make everything better.

24:27 Everything should be okay. I just was it ever meant to make everything okay? Was it meant to bring me great comfort in the face of real pain and suffering? I know that's how we preach it, all right, But let's see where he takes this. So again, in this season, we should always be thinking about the Gospel, but certainly in the midst of all that we're going through, take comfort and what Jesus has done for us, and tell others so they can have comfort. The comfort that God offers is people here ultimately through what Jesus has done. So God does offer comfort. We're gonna skip ahead to verse twenty one, though, and God is gonna show us comfort in the wonderful knowledge that he is superior to his creation. Well, what's the comfort in that?

25:28 So they're barely dealt with verse one and two. There's been very little actual explanation of the historical context at all. There's been no real attempt. And now we're just gonna We're gonna skip verse three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen twenty, and we're just going to magically arrive at verse twenty one. All right, let's see what is said about verse twenty one. Here we go. Well, first of all verses twenty one through twenty three, and we're going to go through these quickly. But God is more, is stronger, is mighty, more mighty than all the intimidating circumstances of our lives. And this is something that we should know.

26:22 Okay, So God is more mighty than all the circumstances that we may face. All right, now, just think about this. Just think about this, all right. Okay, So you're laying you just walked out of the hospital. I look at you. Your face is pell white. You got tears in your eyes. What happened? What happened? The doctor just said I have six months to live. I have terminal cancer. It spread throughout the entire body. Well, take comfort. God is greater and more mighty than your cancer. Oh that's good. So he's gonna get rid of it. Well no, but just know that he's greater. Then. Hey, my house just burned to the ground and we lost everything. Hey, take comfort.

27:04 God is more mighty than your house being burned down, So that means he's gonna bring it back. Well, I know, I'm sorry, I know it's not gonna work that way. Hey, someone I know just die. Take comfort God. Well, never mind, See we say these things, Hey, we can take comfort that God is more money than any of our circumstances, and that preaches so good, and everyone sitting in the pew will be like, hey, no, pastor, that was so good, that was so I feel so encouraged this Sunday that God is more money than my circumstances. Well, I'm not seeing your circumstance is going to change. In fact, it may not even get better. In fact, it could get worse. Hey, but take courage. God is more powerful than your circumstance. Now, in this context it makes perfect sense. Hey, you're in captivity to the Babylonians. But just know God is greater in your circumstance. And because of the covenant relationship I have made with you, you're.

28:03 Going to go back into the land. You're going to be restored because I have promises. This is them God encouraging them based off real promises that have been given to them. This has a very specific context. You can't just run into this context, rip it out and go hey, God is greater than all your circumstances, so find comfort. In fact, you may find less comfort in knowing that God is more powerful than your circumstances, because you may say, well, if God is more powerful than the circumstance, then why is these people suffering and this person is suffering? And why has that child been molested over and over and over? And why is there sex trafficking in human trafficking? And why is their play? And why is their war? And why is their murder? And why is their kidnapping?

28:44 Oh? Okay, you might find it far more complicated to deal with than making you go, oh, God is greater than our circumstance. And I know that's like you preach that everyone's going to say. Amen. You may even get if you're depending on your church, you may even get that, do you? And look, you can. Disagree with me, and that's okay, but I want you to write it down on paper, right, How do we get this comfort? What exactly is the comfort that has provided? And do you find comfort in knowing God is greater than your circumstance? Does it bring comfort? When I was standing on my mother's grave side, I took zero comfort that God is greater than my circumstance because she was still dead. When I stood at the graveside of my father, I took no comfort that God was greater than the circumstances because he was still dead. In fact, I can go look at their graves today, right, Okay, you ask yourself, does that bring you comfort?

30:05 Does that bring you comfort? Now? You may be you may give me. You may be already typing out. I got fifteen reasons it brings me comfort, and that's great, that's great. Look if it does, I'm not no way. I'm just saying in this particular case, running to Isaiah forty to me is you know, basically spiritual malpractice. God is telling them I'm greater than your circumstance because you're in captivity. I'm the one who puts you there, and I'm the one who's going to bring you out. So don't look at the Babylonians or whoever the army is or the nation is, because I'm greater well and their circumstance. It makes sense. God promise they would go there. He promised they would come out. God is controlling the whole thing based off a covenant relationship he has specifically with them with promises that are not our promises.

30:56 What we, oftentimes in the midst of trouble need to be reminded is reel should have known this, And yet the prophet Isaiah is reminding this again verse twenty one. Have you not known? Have ye not heard? Hath it not been told you from the beginning? And have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth. The prophet basically says, here, don't you know this already, Israel. It's knowledge, it's been available since creation, that you should have known since the beginning, since God called you to be his people. And yet in our humanness and weakness, we forget. And so the prophet is going to remind us here that no matter what the intimidating circumstances we face, God is superior to all of it. So let me ask you again what intimidates you? What are you fearful for today?

31:52 Your financial situation, the situation in our country, not knowing all of the answers, not having even at the president still reacting to this virus and the different things that are happening. Thankful for all that he's doing, but he's learning as well. Is it the perils of nature? And it's mighty power storms. Is it rulers of enemy nations? You know, we have certainly a lack of security and apprehension.

32:38 Again, just take this concept that he's putting forth, this hypothesis. Hey, whatever you're facing, remember, don't forget. God is greater than the circumstance. Okay, get on a plane right now. Go to Ukraine where people are suffering and dying, and all the people who have died because of the Russian invasion into Ukraine, and say, hey, guys, I got good news. God is greater than all of your circumstances. Even though this many people have died since Russia has invaded. Just know, God is greater than that. Go to Gaza with all the people who have died there. Hey, just want you to know. God is greater than your circumstances. Go to all the people in Israel who lost loved ones and the terrorist attack of October the seventh when Moss came in and slaughtered all the Hey, hey, it's all good, guys. God is greater than your circumstances. Look at all the people who died during COVID. Hey, guys, don't worry about it. God is great. I mean I could go from circumstance to circumstance to circumstance. Do you find comfort in the fact that God is greater than your circumstance.

33:40 It's just a real question. Now you may say yes, and that's. Great for me. It leaves me with more questions. Right, If God is greater than the circumstance, then when God get stop the circumstance? Right? There was a someone who was associated with the Maga movement who's all for family values, and he's been talking about the sexual im morality in this country. He was just found in fact, they could have the story right here. They can have the story right here. Let me find it because I don't want to misquote it.

34:23 Let me see here, Let me find it, Let me find it. Yes, former CEO of Christian Value voting group charged with possession of child sex abuse material. Now everyone is talking about him. I want to worry about the children who were abused to make the material. What about them? God is greater than their circumstances, but they were being sexually abused. How about all the children who've been molested in churches? Do I need to pull up all of those numbers again? Well, God is greater than in no circumstances. Do I find comfort that God is greater than the circumstance.

35:04 But God doesn't get rid of the circumstance, prevent the circumstance, or stop the circumstance. We've talked about this countless times. At the very minimum, he's allowing it to happen, even though he knew it was going to happen, He allowed it to happen. At the very most, he decreed it to happen. But he's greater than How does that bring me any comfort? Hey, there's I'm trapped, you know, in this location a tornado and F five tornado is headed to my location. I'm about to lose everything and possibly die. But I find comfort that God is greater than that tornado. It doesn't provide me any comfort at that moment you determine.

35:54 So how does God provide comfort? What specifically is the comfort? Is the comfort just a feeling well, just feel better? Or is it actual action? And does it make you feel better? That God is greater than whatever circumstance you face? Does it make you feel better? I mean, these are real questions. This is not me trying to be antagonistic. This is just me trying to say, these are the questions I have, and I don't know how any reasonable Christian would not struggle with these same things. These are the things we struggle with. We believe in a God and whom we cannot see while we face circumstances that scream where is your God? Or it may even scream there is no God. That's the struggle of Christianity.

36:37 About what other countries and countries that have been traditionally been opposed to us, and what's going on with them? And distrust? And maybe we look at other rulers and think, oh my, they're so powerful and they're so overwhelming, And yet what does God say about even the most intimidating ruler throughout our history? Look at verse twenty two. It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth. This is a picture of God in his throne room in observing everything that happens on the earth, and the inhabittents thereof are as grasshoppers, the billions of people in the world population, are any of them intimidating to you?

37:24 The rulers, the people, bullies, those over us to God, they're just insects, They're small, they're in comparison to his great power. They're insects and whatever we would be worried about. As far as as creation, it says here, reminds us that when it comes to creation, that God, it says here, stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain. The sky is literally the power of God, because he's the creator. It's like a curtain as we go out and look ahead at the beauty and majesty of the atmosphere and the creation the sky. It's merely something that God can pull back and forth like a curtain. It's no small, it's no a huge thing for him continues on and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in. I'm sure many of you have been camping, and I enjoy going camping as a child and tried a little bit when I was a young man, and I realized that it was a lot easier when my dad was putting up the tent and I was helping than when I was trying to put up a tent myself. And even twenty years ago, before I was married and attempting to do camping, the tents weren't as easy to put up. And as we begin to have children, and we had the four boys, and we were talking about, well, you know, it's a

38:55 part of life, part of the journey having boys. We need to go camping. I'm talking about that. I'm like, yeah, we need to do that. But I really wasn't looking forward to trying to find a tent that I could put up, remembering the past experiences. And so we went on Amazon online and we found some tents that looked like they would fit our needs and got it in the package, and I thought, Okay, here we go going to take hours and going to be frustrating. Now, it wasn't the easiest thing in the world. But I will tell you most of the tents that you get today, they are much easier to put up than they were than I remember before as a child, certainly. And we put up this tent and it just kind of came together and almost kind of popped up in no time at all. That might be a little bit of an exaggeration, but it wasn't as hard as what I expected. Well, this picture here of God sprinting them out as a tent to dwell in no matter what intimidating weather patterns or things about creation that seemed powerful and overwhelming to us.

39:58 Hurricanes tornado is whatever. To God. It's just like a tenth that can be put up and taken down, a temporary thing. One day, God's going to come and he's going to remake this whole world, and it's not going to be a problem. It's not going to be a hardship for him. Again, none of this explains exactly how we're supposed to get comfort. I still don't understand that. Now in the context, it makes perfect sense. Hey, God, they're in Babylonian captivity, Babylon the great you know what I'm saying that like they've been they're captured by that. How are they ever going to get out? How are they ever going to be delivered? How? And God is reminding them I am greater and their specific circumstance. God is going to bring comfort.

40:46 But guess the comfort he's going to bring. It's not some theoretical thing. It's not just a oh, you get to feel good. He's literally going to bring them out of captivity, bring them into the land that he had promised them. And then you could argue in parts of Isaiah with a future promise of the true restoration and the true fulfillment of all the Covenant promises that He had made them, and He's going to do it because of his greatness and his power, no matter what the circumstances may look like. Even if Israel gets wiped off the face of the earth in seventy a d. His promises still stand and he will fulfill the promise he made to them. It's about that, right, It's it's tangible.

41:26 It's right now if I find comfort in God's tangible, real comfort, right, which is, my sins have been removed as far as the east is from the west, Christ righteousness has been accredited to my account. I am now seated in Christ in heavenly places. I have now been adopted as a child of God. Secure, My eternity is secure, and there will come a day there'll be no more pain, no more suffering, no more death, no more sickness. It will all be gone and no more sin. It will all be removed. Now that's comfort, and it's tangible. But it's all tangible comforting promises for eternity. None of that is about now. So when it comes to the now, what comfort is actually promised? What is it? How does it actually work? And do you find comfort in knowing that God is supposedly greater than whatever you are facing.

42:21 And what way do you find comfort in that? Because He has power over it? As our creator, God is stronger than all intimidating circumstances, even what we face today, and he's also superior to all of his creation uniquely. So, remember we talked about the rulers and those that we might be intimidated by. That's described in verse twenty three. That bringeth the princes to nothing. He maketh the judges or the rulers of the earth as vanity. That that word there means emptiness. Are you concerned about enemy nations? To God's not. There's not a ruler that's ever lived that's posed a problem to God or even made him in the nervous, in the slightest.

43:13 If you have no fear of rule of enemy nations. If you have no fear, then by all means, join the military. And when you get put somewhere and they're dropping bombs and shooting you and you see people around you die, then you can tell me how you have no fear because you know God is greater than your circumstance. Just how many American soldiers have died since we declared the war on terrorism. I mean I was in the military through most of that, right, So I mean I could you know, we could we could have that discussion. We could have that discussion. I mean, hey, don't fear enemy, Hey Ukraine, no way, don't even have any fear of Russia at all. I mean, people are dying and they're taking they're trying to take over your entire country. Hey, but don't worry about it. I mean it's good to say that, but see that promise. No, in this case, Israel could find comfort that God was greater than the Babylonians.

44:18 Now we can say God is greater than all the nations. Hey, Israel is and again, and I guess what if that's the case, Hey, don't have any fear of nations? Then why do Christians have fear of people breaking into their house so they have to have three guns to protect themselves. Why do churches have to have armed security because they're worried of a shooter. Why don't have a gun, don't lock your. Door, don't have fear of anything, because God is greater than your circumstances. Right, So see, how does this practically work? Knowing that God is greater, what does it actually provide you? And comfort? And a I want you to get practical. See, theoretically, you could just say, hey, don't fear the nations. At the same time, you're like, but we have three armed guards in this church in case something happens, but don't fear.

45:11 I own two guns in my house. But I'm not saying this preacher owns any guns. I don't know. I'm just saying typically Christian mindset, they tend to be very pro gun. It's always again, it's theoretical. When it comes to practical, how does it actually work? What does it actually do? Because God, in the end will come and Jesus will return and he will rule overall, and all the others that are trying to assert their power will be brought to nothing, to emptiness. God's not intimidated by secret plans of enemy nations or false media narratives that we may get tired of rulers prepare secret plans for domination. And look what God does in verse twenty or verse twenty four.

46:03 Yea they shall not be planted. Yea they shall not be sown. Yay, their stock or stems shall not take root in the earth, and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind or the tempest shall take them away as stubble. Here basically is a picture of a small plant that's just trying to get some roots in the ground. And God says, that's a picture of enemy nations against you and rulers in general. They're like a little tiny shoot of a plant trying to establish a root, and I can just in a moment's time blow them away and they dry up and become straw. We need to remember that God's power. He's not intimidated by anyone. You know, God's not even intimidated by a virus. God's not ever going to have to in the midst of the situation put a mask on, a breathing mask so that he won't get a virus, or that he won't give a virus to anyone else.

47:09 Nobody's going to tell God where he can go and restrict his movements. We may be experiencing that, but God is unique, unequaled in might and strength, and one example of that he's referred to as the Holy One, and that means his moral perfection. And all you have to do is read about God or look upon God and see his holiness and realize he is unique, and it silenced all the critics. Again, I'm gonna go back. I'm just going to continue to just go over this over and over and over. Okay, So how do we get the comfort? What specifically is the comfort? Is it God actually acting and doing something or is it just supposedly a feeling I'm supposed to get?

48:00 And what is it supposed to do for you? And me? Knowing that God is greater than whatever circumstance. Now, I'm just going to add to what is it supposed to do? That God is greater than the circumstance? What is it supposed to do for you? Well, that God is not intimidated or fearful of a virus, God is not going to get the virus. What is that supposed to do for you? Because the COVID nineteen pandemic had a profound impact on global mortality. As of November twenty twenty four, the World Health Organization reports approximately six point nine million people confirmed dead due to COVID nineteen. However, this figure likely underestimates the true death toll. In May twenty twenty two, the World Health estimated that between January twenty twenty and December twenty twenty one, there were about fourteen point nine million excess deaths globally, accounting for both direct and indirect effects of the pandemic. Do I need to go through all the other numbers and sources? Great God is greater than it. All millions of people die. Great God won't get the virus. Great millions of people die.

49:17 I don't know what else to say. Let's just see obviously the text itself is I mean, you see what once again, what has happened? See when you insert yourself in a text that has very specific historical contexts, with very specific promises and encouragement being given to a specific people about a specific situation for a specific reason, because of a covenant made with him, and you just obliterate all of that context and just insert us in there, then you end up with all of these philosophical problems and dilemma, and then you leave people thinking, so God's comfort? Is he going to do something about it? Or am I just supposed to say He's greater than ed?

49:58 Whether he like? What is that suppose to do with it? Well, nobody wants to ask those tough questions, you're just supposed to go a man, Thank you, pastor that was so encouraging. I don't know what was encouraging, because I don't know what we're supposed to even do with this. How do we get the comfort? What specifically is the comfort? And what comfort am I supposed to take? That God is greater than whatever circumstance that may be killing me or killing people around me? What am I supposed to do with that? All the cynics look at verse twenty five. To whom will ye like it or compare me? Or shall I be equal or like him? Say it the Holy One, I'm unique. My holiness silences all the noise and all the criticism, and all of those that would arrogantly shake their fists at me one look at me, and they're all silenced. I'm not compared or be able to compare to anyone. And so he reminds us of verse twenty six.

51:01 Stop looking at the problems around you then, and your troubles, but lift your eyes on high, lift them to me. And as we're lifting and looking it up, looking up and seeing the skies, and this has now the picture of looking at the sky at night and seeing all the stars. And we're so thankful where we were at in Maryland, and especially even more so here. We can go out at night and we can just see the beauty and the clarity of the stars, even more so here in New Hampshire, and it's just remarkable. It's breathtaking. And God says, you look upon that in marvel about the power and the beauty of the heavenly planets and the stars and all these things. Remember who created them?

51:47 I did. He says further, that bringeth out their host by number. God is the one that controls all the heavenly bodies of space. You know, we came through science, through learning about astronomy and learning about the planets. And my boys are going through science class and they've learned the names of the planets, and we can learn some names of some stars. But God knows the names of all of those billions of stars throughout the sky. He bringeth out their host by number. He created all of those, He knows.

52:28 What comfort do you find in the fact that God knows how many stars, He knows all the stars, and he controls all of them. Now, that does demonstrate his power, his omnipotence, great. It should humble me, demonstrating he's greater than I am. Got it? But what comfort do I find in that fact? I mean, if you would like we could get you could you know, in a minute, you could you know, get up, get dressed, or get ready or get prepared, whatever you need to do, and get in your car and you could go find probably most likely in the city you live, a hospital there for children suffering horrible diseases where they're not.

53:16 Going to make it to sixteen, they're not going to make it to fifteen. They're going to suffer and they're going to die being in the hospital over and over and over and over again, with all kinds of possible trying to do this and trying to do that, and they're suffering. Go there and say, hey, guys, find great comfort. God is greater than your disease. Find great comfort. He knows the names of all the stars, He controls all the stars. Now, I mean, he's not helping you currently because you're suffering and you're going to die. But find great comfort. How does that comfort work? Now in this context that makes perfect sense. Hey, Judah, you're in Babylonian captivity. That's gotta seem very hopeless and helpless because you do not have the power to overcome the Babylonians.

53:58 You cannot defeat them, you cannot destroy them, you can't escape from them. But hey, take courage. God is greater because in their specific covenantal context, that's the word I'm trying to find. God has made specific promises and he's going to keep them. So he's reminding them of his power. Don't worry. He can take care of it. But it has a very specific context. See what happens when we pull it out of context. That's the number. He knows how many there are, and he has given them all names. In other words, he takes account of billions and trillions of stars that we can't even get our minds around. And God says, oh, yeah, I created all that. I've got control of all that.

54:48 I name them. You name a few planets, you name a few stars. I named them all, and I'm in control of them all by the greatness of his might. That he is strong in power. Not one faileth or not one is missing. You know, really, we have more knowledge of space and the heavenly bodies than ever throughout all of history. We know the power of our own sun. They're talking about trying to take a trip to put people on Mars. Nobody ever talks about trying to put people on the Sun. That sounds ridiculous, but why because it's incredibly powerful you can't even get near it. And yet God says, eh, I know I created it, but I can turn off the light just like that. I can turn off the sun just like that. And we should be more humble than ever by knowing the power and the majesty of creation. And that remember that God is the one who has named all of these and has his own names. And you know, as we get into the next passage here, it's a reminder too that if God knows the names of all the stars and remembers them, I will admit, as a pastor, I have trouble sometimes remembering people's names in a large group.

56:17 Okay, So again, what comfort am I to take for the fact that God knows the names of all the planets, He's not going to miss one, he knows exactly where they are, and he's in control. How does that help me when four hundred and sixty thousand children are reported missing annually, four hundred and sixty thousand children are reported missing and annually, and I could break it down by country India, Germany, Canada, Australia. These figures suggests that millions of children are reported missing worldwide each year. It's important to note that many of these cases are resolved quickly, with children being found and return home safely. Nonetheless, the issue remains a significant global concern, highlighting the need for continued efforts and prevention, reporting, and recovery of missing children.

57:08 Four hundred and sixty thousand. That's just the United States. Sorry, that's just the United States. I apologize. Four hundred and sixty thousand is in the United States, a ninety six thousand in India, one hundred thousand in Germany, forty five thousand in Canada, twenty thousand Australia. Those are just a few countries. So millions are missing now. Many are found quickly, yes, but many are never found. Many are found and it's not a good situation. So do you find great comfort if it's your child that's gone? And well, you know, God knows the names of all the planets and he has them all. It's all great. Now, Can I apply that to my circumstance again? In the historical context of Isaiah forty. Hey, God, God, he's in control of the stars and the heavens. And guess what, he knows where you are because he puts you in Babylonian captivity and he's going to bring you out. It has specific contextual, covenantal context. You pull it out of that, do you what happens?

58:10 And I've gotten to the point where I think I've gotten all of the names of the people in our church, but once in a while, my mind may still go a little blank, and I may have to apologize for forgetting a name. You know, God can remember all the names of the trillions of stars in the universe. And what does that mean that? Certainly God does not forget his people. God never forgets a name. And reminded here as well, when it says he's all powerful, that means vigor, that means power to exert strength. He has all the power, all the resources, and nothing gets by his scrutiny. You may feel left behind, you may feel hidden away, And it's a reminder, as Isaiah says, gets past God's scrutiny.

59:03 And then here's the main point here. I think of the whole chapter, because the people of Israel. By the time that they were sent to exile, they feeling like God had overlooked them and that he had forgotten them. And so Isaiah here has to remind and to change the wrong thinking of God's people of Israel. But he's also changing our wrong thinking, because when we go through troubles and hardships many times, what do we tend to think? We think, you know what? Things are too hard? It's like God doesn't even notice me. Does God even know I'm here anymore? Does he even know I exist? Does God care about the difficulties? Life seems so unfair? Right now?

59:51 Why should I have to go through this? I've served God faithfully. It's unfair that I should have to go through these things. Doesn't God care? From a human standpoint, we could be tempted to think about that, So think like that. Sometimes it's wrong thinking. Look at verse twenty seven. God understands our frail toy. He knows we think this way, even if we don't always admit it. Why sayest thou, then, oh Jacob, and speakest so Israel, my way is hid from the Lord. He doesn't see me, He doesn't know where I am. I'm inconsequential to him, and my judgment or my rights are passed over, they're disregarded from my God.

1:00:36 In a culture that promotes rights. There's a whole culture in our country today that's feeling a little impugned and a little suppressed. And we may be tempted to think that way as well. I have the right to do this. I have the right to be able to drive where I want to and go where I want to. And God, it seems like you're ignoring me. And Isaiah says, yes, we as human beings, we do tend to think that way at times because we're weary. We're tired. But he wants to remind us that God strengthens his children. Who are I mean this?

1:01:21 I mean he mentions the original context just briefly, but it's us us us us us us us us us us. This is the this is the epitome. This is the perfect example of narcissistic textual hijacking. He's literally just hijacking this and just saying, I don't understand. If there are no rules to what we do with the text, ladies and gentlemen, then there's no point in arguing about who's right or who's wrong. The text means whatever you want it to mean. You can apply it to where there's just no guidelines to it. It's just anarch it's a free for all. Are weary. God is superior over our deficient understanding. By the way, here's just another help. The way that we think about God drives our emotions. And if you're struggling with being frustrated and angry with God, as we're all tempted to be at one time or another, that is a sign that you're thinking about God is not correct, and that you need to go back and remind yourselves, just as we're doing this morning, about the truths of God's word and who he is, and then that will direct your emotions. And Isaiah's calling to people to do that.

1:02:38 Look at verse twenty eight. He says, remember again, who your God is? Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard that the Everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth. Who is this God that we're referring to, Well, he's the eternal God. He's the Lord. He's the God of Israel Yahweh, who meets all of their needs and brings them into the Promised Land. He's the creator over all, and he accomplishes magnificent, magnificent things. Says here at the end, he fainteth not. Neither is weary. God does incredibly powerful things. God makes the universe, and it never wearies him, and he's never tired. He does more work in one day than any of us can, and he never gets tired at the end of the day.

1:03:34 He never fainteth not. He never feels weak in his strength, but he maintains power and sovereign control at all times. We need to remember that, even in these days when we're a tempted to be discouraged, remember the God that we serve, Remember his character, and that will turn our emotions back to him and our thoughts back to him. And as we do that, God then reminds us he will renew the strength of the weary, even those with the most energy and vigor among us the young.

1:04:16 So it sounds like the way we get comfort. As I read my Bible, I remember how powerful and great God is, and I take my thoughts back to God, and then boom, I get encouragement because I know how great God is. Because I see how great God is, then I'll be like, well, see God is greater than my circumstances, so that's the comfort I get. So really it's just a matter of the way God comforts me, and it's really it's it's just a feeling. I look and see that God is greater than my circumstance. I get a feeling then that I feel better, And then that's the way comfort is. That's not offering any tangible comfort. That's not saying God's going to use that power to do anything for me. It's just I just like, well, God is greater than my circumstances, so now I feel better.

1:04:56 Even though I'm taking all of this from a text that has lit zero to do with me, and I'm stealing this from people who God does tangible things for, not theoretical things. For still eventually get tired. We have young couples and young people that are part of our church, and I'm sure they're getting weary about the circumstances and discourage maybe sometimes. So God gives us in the end here this beautiful picture and wonderful blessing promise. Let's read verse twenty nine together. He giveth power to the faint. The faint are those who are weary, who can't go on any further. Lord, I'm done. I can't go one more step. And God says, I know, I'm going to give you my power.

1:05:50 You remember, God gives us his power in a theoretical way and a practical way. All of a sudden, I'm like, I can't go on, and all of a sudden, done, I've got power. What can I do with that power? Is it practical? Or is that theoretical? Is it spiritual? Can I stop sinning? Can I leap a building in a single bound? Am I faster than a spitting bullet? Able to leap a building? And whatever the famous saying is from Superman? Okay, I know I'm messing it up. You get the idea, and I'm joking around a little bit. But like God gives me his power, Now, that's got to be tangible, right, that's got to be practical. Right.

1:06:38 Remember, you're dependent upon me, and now you have my strength. You can't do it on your own, but you can go forward. You can go through this troubling time because I'm going to give you my power. And to them that have no might, no strength left, he increases strength. God, I can't go any further, Yes, you can because you rely on me, and I'm going to give you my strength verse thirty Even. The is it possible? This is just a very poetic way of saying, Hey, Israel, I'm going to get you through this, Judah, I'm going to get you through this, and you're going to go through the seventy years, and then I'm going to bring you out and you're going to go back into the land.

1:07:26 Is this not just God fulfilling his covenantal promise to a specific people who had specific promises that are not necessarily for. Us youths, Or that's probably the idea of adolescent teenagers who are strong or think they're strong. Even those shall faint and be weary. The young men, And then it says, next the young men, those that are more mature, the adult men who have earned the prime of their life and their strength. Young men and young women, even they get exhausted if they're honest, and God says, even the ones that have the most energy, that are in the prime of their lives still get tired and exhausted. But I never get tired. And therefore, what is our response to that? We need to lean on him, wait on him Verse thirty one. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. Wade has the idea of looking out with confidence and full expectation.

1:08:33 Lord, two people in Babylonian captivity. Who's going to be released from Babylonian captivity? A tangible promise? A tangible promise to sustain that? Lord, I can't go any further. I'm going to wait, and I look to you in confidence. I expect you're going to work, and I have full faith. This has the idea of one's whole being. Father, you have all of me, and I'm waiting on you to answer me. I'm depending on you. I have no one else full faith. As Peter said, Lord, where else are we going to turn?

1:09:16 You have the words of life. When we have that response, God says, I'll gladly renew your strength. How do we practically work this out? We trust God for strength to serve every day with the full expectation that God will fulfill his promises. Keep going, expect that God. Will Yeah, expect God to fulfill promises not made to you. That's a great way to help people. Hey, Hey, here's some promises made to people and a specific go steal those promises and then expect God to fulfill them. That should work out great for you. That should work out great.

1:10:00 Fill this promise and give you the strength you need in the wisdom to be a testimony for Jesus and to get through the day. They show mount up with wings as egles, this beautiful picture. They show run and not be weary. They show walk and not faint. At our house in Maryland, we had a lot of hawks in the yard. It was always exciting to see a hawk, beautiful creature that God has made amazing. But every so often, I think there was a few times where we thought, way up high we might have seen an egle fly by, and that was even more exciting than the hawk, because of a power and majesty. If you've ever seen an eagle, even in a zoo, and you're looking at them closely, beautiful animals, there's a majestic power there. You know, when an eagle takes off, if you've ever seen that, it makes flight look effortless, beauty, majesty, effortless. God can give us strength so that we can mount up almost effortlessly over our troubles and difficulties because He's given us power and strength. Don't be weary, they shall run and not be weary. This is the picture of giving full energy to a task, giving our all for God, and not being weary at the end. Yes, we can still serve God.

1:11:21 We can give him our all even these times, and we will give his strength and we can go on. Okay, we'll stop there. I think the point has been made once again. How long did it take before we ended up in Isaiah forty in this particular case, I don't know, was it four or five seconds? Six seconds? And then it was us us us us uss us as us us us us us us us. Because we can do whatever we want with the Bible, there are no rules. But I leave you with the those very important questions, how do you obtain God's comfort? Exactly? Specifically?

1:12:04 What is it? Is it just a feeling? And how do you find comfort in the fact that God is more powerful, well greater than everything that you can face. How does that make you feel better? How does that bring you comfort? All? Right, there we go. Now the goal is on Sunday, Isaiah forty, Isaiah forty at least the first hour. At least the first hour, because I feel like we're so far. We got to get into this, so we're gonna get I haven't forgotten romans, so we'll get into everything. But right now, I just have a weather map sent to me by someone, and it looks like Abilene Texta is about to be wiped off the face of the earth because the storm, I mean the radar. I don't know where this is. I gotta look and see, but yeah, we'll see, so do I If this storm is about to hit and blow my house completely off the foundation, I see now, seen how we get practical do I'm like, well, don't worry about it, anybody, don't worry because God is greater than the storm. Don't worry about it. But see that doesn't have any practical promise that God is going to do anything to stop said storm that.

1:13:15 I'm currently looking at. That I'm hoping this radar is just a model of something that's being predicted and it's not. Really that close. Because if it's that close, then well goodbye everyone. This is my last broadcast because it looks really bad. I'm hoping. I'm hoping it's not the case, but we will say. I'm going to go find out right now, but yeah, I want you to think about it. So all right, everyone, have a great day, God bless