Nov. 7, 2024

Comfort for the Weary

Comfort for the Weary

We explore another sermon on Isaiah 40

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We explore another sermon on Isaiah 40

WEBVTT

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Looking at our world from a theological perspective. This is

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the Theology Central podcast making Theology Central.

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Good afternoon, everyone.

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It is Thursday, November the seventh, twenty twenty four. It

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is currently three forty nine pm Central Time, and I'm

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coming to you live from the Theology Central studio located

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right here in Abilene, Texas. Well, ladies and gentlemen, I

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don't know about you. It has been a crazy week.

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Really.

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If I kind of go back to last week, I

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don't remember exactly what was happening on Thursday and Friday,

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but I know by late Saturday night early Sunday morning,

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I know what was happening. I had what I don't know,

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one or two seizures, I don't know, three four five,

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I don't even know.

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I had multiple seizures.

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And then there was no church, so there was no church,

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and there was no Sunday school. There was no Sunday morning.

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So everything already was getting like everything was just not

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everything was kind of like falling apart in that sense,

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and then trying to just remember everything and then trying

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to ease back into doing any broadcasts. Then we had

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the election, and then we had internet outages here city

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wide here in Applene, Texas. In fact, the entire county

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of Taylor County, who uses the same internet provider. None

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of us had internet, so it was a major problem.

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So between the election, between internet outages and between seizures,

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I I'm really sitting here, there's almost like there's almost like, wait,

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what happened? Like okay, am I remembering things correctly? Like

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I feel like I'm missing something there, Like there's something

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like wait, did I walk through some kind of portal

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and enter a different time? Like I feel like there's

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like gaps missing, there's things missing.

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But I do remember remember this.

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Remember I remember we had a timer, we had a

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stop watch, and we were going to find out how

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long it took for pastors to insert you and I

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to insert us, to insert we to insert us into

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Isaiah chapter forty. I do remember that little bit of experiment.

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Remember how that went? And it didn't last very long.

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I think the first time we tried it, all right, everyone,

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have your stop watch, have your timer, all right, we're

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going to play this sermon at play go And within

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forty seconds, within forty seconds, the pastor inserted us into

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Isaiah chapter forty. Then we reviewed a second sermon, and

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the timing was zero seconds because the title inserted us,

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and we reviewed some other things about Isaiah forty, which

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started if I at least remember this, I started getting

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very bothered, very irritated.

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That sermon after sermon after sermon, and after sermon after sermon.

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Took not just Isaiah forty, but basically anything between Isaiah

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forty and fifty five, and just immediately just to almost

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push the original recipients out, move us in, and make

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it all about us. And so I started talking about

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us being narcissistic textual hijackers, that that's what Christianity is.

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We're narcissistic. We think everything's about us.

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We take the text of scripture, we hijack it, and

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we fly it wherever we want it to go. And

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then we say that our understanding that whatever we've done

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with the hijacked text that is the right way, and

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everyone else is wrong. It is really bizarre how it

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all plays out in Christianity.

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So we've been talking about that. I do know that

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I spent.

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Two hours, like two weeks ago now at Victory Baptist

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Church giving us I think a good introduction of Isaiah

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forty through fifty five. Outlining it, explaining it. I think

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we did a very good job with that. I do

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know somewhere in all of this there was a devotional

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What Streams in the Desert that took Isaiah forty and

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once again spiritualize it, allegorize it. We talked about John

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Bunyan Pilgrim's progress allegorizing Isaiah chapter forty.

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So we've been we've I think we've done a very good.

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Job talking about all of that now. So today I

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feel like I've got to kind of get us back

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on track.

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Things have just been.

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I know, we've done some other broadcasts on some different things,

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some things related to the election, and hopefully some of

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that was beneficial. That didn't quite go the way I

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had planned, because I really thought I was going to

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be able to do maybe like three four broadcast, but

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then there was internet outage and everything else. But that's over.

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Let's move forward. Whatever happens is going to happen, whether

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the country burns to the ground, whether we enter into

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some utopian, you know, paradise, Well, however the country is going.

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The one thing as Christians we do know is we

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are supposed to be hungering and desiring and memorizing and

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reading and studying the Word of God. It's supposed to

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be our spiritual food, and it's supposed to be what

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guides us and directs us. So we need to turn

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our attention back to that. So my goal here is

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to get us all back into Isaiah forty through fifty five.

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Think you remember I told you you're supposed to be

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reading Isaiah forty through fifty five over and over and over.

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I've kind of given you some assignments to do. Hopefully

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you've been participating, but hey, we probably all have gotten

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off track a little bit, right, So let's all get

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back to Isaiah forty through fifty five. Let's get back

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to it, right, Let's really try to enter back into it.

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So what's a good way to do that. Well, I

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grabbed a sermon, and I had grabbed it, I think

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on I don't even know what day. I think it

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was November second or third. I think I downloaded this

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and said I was going to do a review. Look,

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I don't think i've reviewed this audio as of yet.

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If I have, this is going to get very embarrassing

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really quick.

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I'm hoping I have it.

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But you know, I don't like to listen to it

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prior to doing the review, because the review is supposed

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to be like, hey, we're just gathering around listening to

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a sermon together and we don't know if it's going

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to be good or bad.

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So there's no agenda.

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It's not rehearsed, it's not fake frustration. It's just we're

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or fake praise. It's just in real time, no agenda,

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and we're.

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Going to see what's happened.

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So I am hoping this is going to get us

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all back on track. The title makes me concern because

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it said the title is God's Comfort for the weary,

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God's Comfort for the weary, and we know why it's

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going to go with the word comfort Isaiah chapter forty

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verse one. Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people, saith your God.

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There's the comfort the weary.

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You probably know where that's coming from, right, Isaiah chapter forty,

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verse thirty one. But they that wait upon the Lord

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shall renew their strength, that they shall mount up with

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wings as eagles, they shuld run and not be weary.

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So in a sense, it's taking the idea of Isaiah

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forty verse one Isaiah forty verse thirty one, putting the

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concepts together God's.

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Comfort for the weary.

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Now, if it stays with God's comfort for the weary

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people who are in Babylonian captivity, then we're going to

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be good to go. If somehow this becomes God's comfort

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for you and me and the people in Babylonian captivity

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get pushed out, well, then we're going to be right

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back to this problem.

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So yeah.

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Oh, and earlier today I may have cut myself off.

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I was looking at sermons and I found a sermon

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entitled this is a new sermon on the Sermon's.

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Two point Oh.

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It was published or posted earlier today. It was the

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False Church today, the False Church today.

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Guess what the text was? Isaiah chapter four.

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So I was going to review that, but I'm like, what, Look,

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we already have Isaiah forty through fifty five. But the

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point is, it doesn't matter if it's Isaiah forty, doesn't

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matter if it's Isaiah forty, forty one, forty two, thirty, two,

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thirty three, it doesn't matter. Pastors just come in, grab

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the text and sert us into the text, hijacket fly

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it wherever we want.

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And never one. It's like, what a great sermon that.

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Was so touching.

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Even though the actual meaning of the text.

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Is obliterated, it is hijacked, it is just violated, but nobody.

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Really seems to care. So it almost I.

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Almost reach a point where, you know what, this is

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all just a game. Who really cares about what the

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text says? I just need to pick a team, find

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out if they'll let me be on their team, and.

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Just just be an actor, right, just just turn on

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the microphone and just act say what everybody wants to say,

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and then I'll get popularity and I'll get support, and

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then everything will be great.

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Now.

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The only thing is I could only probably do that

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for maybe ten minutes before I just started like yelling

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and screaming because I'm not very good at that. Yeah,

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kind of just wear my emotions on my sleeve, right.

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Kind of what you hear? I mean, it's who I am.

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So let's just do this.

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Let's just jump into Isaiah forty, get us all back

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on track, and find out where we go. You ready,

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here's the sermon, God's comfort for the weary. Let's find

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out what's going on. Let's see what they have to say.

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Let's see how long it takes before we get inserted.

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I could be completely wrong. We're about to find out.

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Here we go.

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Lord, let these words, these this passage sink into our

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hearts this morning, and let us be reminded, in the

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midst of weariness, discouragement, and trouble, and disappointment, anxiety, all

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of these things, that your comfort is readily available to us.

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Help us, as your children, to take advantage of that,

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to lean on you, and to find strength in you,

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for you offer it in abundance. All this we ask

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in Jesus' name that we pray Amen.

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All right, So the text of the sermon is Isaiah forty.

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The opening prayer is all about us.

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Did you notice that?

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So we get we've been inserted into the sermon in

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a sense, right at the very beginning. God's comfort is

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readily available to us. Not God's comfort was readily available

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to the people and Babylonian captivity. No no, no, no, no,

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God's comfort is readily available to us. Well, then maybe

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the text wouldn't be Isaiah forty. Right, So we will see.

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And I do apologize if you heard I was losing

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my voice there for a second. I started, I had

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to complete I had to go ahead and start the

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audio because I was about to have a complete coughing attack.

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So but I'm all good to go.

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I'm all good to go. I got water right here,

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so hear it.

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I'm good to go.

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All right, So let's go back to this. But yeah,

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in the midst of my coughing attack, I'm like, well,

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wait a minute, we're already been inserted into the text.

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All right, so let's let's let's I'm going to play

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that again, and then I'm going to ask you a question.

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I'm going to ask you a question.

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Maybe this will be the maybe if we don't get

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anything else out of this, this will be the question.

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I want you to really, really, really really consider.

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All right, are you ready? Here we go play it again,

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and then I'm going to ask you the question. Here

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we go.

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Lord, let these words, these this passage sink into our

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hearts this morning, and let us be reminded, in the

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midst of weariness, discouragement, and trouble, and disappointment, anxiety, all

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of these things, that your comfort is readily available to us.

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Okay, So in the midst of where weariness, difficulty, pain, frustration,

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and in the midst of very difficult circumstances, God's comfort

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is readily available to you now, I really want you

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to think about this all right, when you are in

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going through horrible situations, horrible horrible situation, tragedy, pain, disease, suffering,

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Is God's comfort readily available to you? And what kind

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of comfort is it? I really want you to write

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this on paper. Okay, Is God's comfort readily available to you?

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And what kind of comfort is it?

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What?

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What is the comfort? What is the comfort?

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Right? Again, I have to use personal illustrations, have to

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use personal illustrations because that's what I've experienced, So that

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means sometimes they're somewhat repetitive. But okay, I mean we're

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in November now, so it's not it's not been too long, right.

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It was what about two weeks ago when I was

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standing about out what three or four miles away from

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the very spot that I was sitting on that October

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day when I heard the overhead announcement that I needed

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to come to the principal's office and then there I

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always told I need to get to Hendrick's Hospital in Abilene,

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Texas as soon as possible.

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It's your mother.

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And then I walked into Hendrick's Hospital on that October day.

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So I just went through the anniversary of it. Walked

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into that hospital. Well, and then I saw my mom

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there right one side of her body was kind of

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just almost like having a seizure. The other part of

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the body was half of it was just not moving.

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And well, it was it was the beginning of the end.

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I mean it was good.

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By Monday she would be pronounced dead. But it was

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going to be a long process of what happened. And

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guess what I needed comfort. I needed comfort. I was

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furious upset there was I had not even been living

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at home because of all the family drama.

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I'd been living with a different family.

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So I leave the hospital, I'd go to First Baptist

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Church Tuscola, Texas, and I stay.

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I spend all night in that church.

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Begging God, pleading, pleading with God, heal her, bring her back,

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at least let her wake up, and give me the

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opportunity that there can be some kind of reconciliation, there

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can be some kind of hope, there can be some

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do something, Please.

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I beg of you. Twenty four hours.

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I spent the night in the church, did not sleep,

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but I stayed there all night, begging, pleading, crying, looking

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for comfort, and my mom died. So when we say

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comfort is readily available, that we've got to make sure

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we at least limit the comfort.

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Right.

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Comfort doesn't mean he's going to heal the person. Comfort

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doesn't mean you're going to the situation is going to

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be resolved. So when we say that there is comfort

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readily available in our situation, don't we have.

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To define what that comfort is.

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And my concern is if you go to Isaiah forty

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and it says comfort ye, comfort ye.

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My people say if you're God, and then you hold

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up your Bible.

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Say God's comfort is readily available to you, Well, the

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problem is that comfort's not for you. That's being mentioned

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here in Isaiah forty. So when you tell someone God's comfort,

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so we'll make you feel better. So is a feeling right?

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All right?

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Your mom's dead, but you will feel better. That's the

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comfort he gives me. He's gonna make me feel while

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they see how did that work? Well, I'm fast approaching.

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I don't know exactly what day of November it was.

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I probably could try to find information and figure it out,

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but I'm fast approaching the anniversary when I took a gun,

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stuck it to my head and tried to kill myself

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and that spent eight weeks in a psychiatric hospital because

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I did not.

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Feel any comfort.

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So is it a feeling? When we talk about the comfort,

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what's that comfort? I just feel better about the situation.

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I just feel Is it just a feeling? Does God

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come in and literally change your feelings? Does he change

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your emotions? Is God the one who changes your emotions? Now?

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If God is the one changing your emotions, well, when

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you're down and depressed, why wouldn't God just change your emotion.

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To being happy?

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Happy, happy happy? See, when we say God's comfort is

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readily available, don't we have to explain what do we

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mean by that? And exactly what is the comfort?

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I want you to look you don't. You don't even

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have to agree with me.

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I want you to write down on paper this is

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how God provides the comfort, and this is what the

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comfort is. Be specific. Is it a feeling? Is it

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an emotion? Is it a thought?

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Because there's lots of things.

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That make people feel better? Right? Oh? I think I

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think these are good questions. So I'm gonna play this again.

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I know we're not getting very far, but here we go.

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Let's listen again.

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Lord, Let these words, these this passage sink into our

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hearts this morning. And let us be reminded, in the

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midst of weariness, discouragement, and trouble, and disappointment, anxiety, all

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of these things, that your comfort is readily available to us.

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Help us, as your children, to take advantage of that,

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to lean on you, and to find strength in you,

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for you offer it in abundance. All this we ask

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in Jesus' name that we pray Amen again. The title

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this morning is God's comfort for the weary ones, for

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his weary children. Looking at Isaiah forty, verses one and two,

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first of all, and I've already mentioned that that comfort

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there in verse one is a wonderful, deep sense of

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encouragement and relief from sorrow and distress. You know, it's beautiful.

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Look at verse two. God gives comfort and God speaks tenderly.

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After severe experiences, the people were gonna have to go

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into judgment, and yeah, God says, at the end of

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that judgment, I'm going to speak tenderly. Speak ye comfortably

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means tenderly to Jerusalem and call cry unto her call

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under her. God speaks gently to his children's hearts. He

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calls to us in the midst of severe distress. He

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reminds us that that distress doesn't last forever. His discipline

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does not last forever. Praise the Lord for that. Whatever

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you're experiencing this morning, this month, this upcoming week, maybe

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you have experienced some of the discipline of God. This

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passage reminds us that doesn't last forever, but God's love

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and forgiveness for his children, it does last forever.

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So whatever you've been experiencing this past week, this past

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twenty four hours, this past seventy two hours, this text

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tells you. This text tells me that God was speaking

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to people in Babylonian captivity, and that is something specific

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was applicable to them. Why are we so I just

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don't understand. Why do we feel the need to kick

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the original people out of the text?

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I don't understand.

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So this is clearly we already know where this is

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going to go. It's going to be about you, it's

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going to be about me. It's going to be about you,

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it's going to be about me. It's going to be

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about you. It's going to be about me. It's going

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to about you, it's going to be about me. Let's

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see let's see we obviously we may not review much.

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This just made all this may do.

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Is just once again proved why I'm being so committed

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to going through Isaiah forty through fifty five, because this

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seems to be what we're hearing is the way almost

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everyone preaches it. And I don't understand why the people

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sitting in the pew are so okay with it.

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Her warfare there in verse two, or it's her hardship

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is accomplished or ended. It's over. There is an end

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to that, and her iniquity is pardon. There's forgiveness. The

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sins that we are liable for are now paid for.

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And in the more immediate context, it's Jerusalem has been

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in exile and now she will return home. Her iniquity

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has been pardon. But in the ultimate fulfillment of this,

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even in verse two, what is that, well, that is

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not just the remnant returning, but it ultimately points to

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the gospel. You see, when it comes to God's comfort,

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there is no greater comfort than the gospel of Jesus Christ.

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And we heard again we looked at the passage this morning,

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how Jesus willingly came to Jerusalem to offer himself up

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and all that he went through and suffered in his

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blood that he shed for our sins when we had

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rebelled against him, and the love that he showed us

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in the midst of our rebellion and death could not

386
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overpower him, because he rose, And we'll celebrate that next

387
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week his resurrection and ascended victoriously and now sits on

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the right hand as king, and he is now our King.

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And that gospel will be a comfort for anything that

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you face. Be reminded that God's discipline is chastisement doesn't

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last forever, but his love and forgiveness they do last forever.

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And we could take heart in that and find comfort in.

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That real question. All right.

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You know, I like to be real. I don't like

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to play church.

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So let's say you find out two hours from now

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that one of your children has been murdered. Does God's

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Gospel bring you comfort in that? Now? Why? Some people say, well, yeah,

399
00:22:32.960 --> 00:22:34.720
because I know they were a Christian.

400
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Well what if they weren't a Christian?

401
00:22:38.039 --> 00:22:40.200
Or do you convince yourself that they were a Christian

402
00:22:40.240 --> 00:22:44.240
because you need comfort? And even if you know they're

403
00:22:44.240 --> 00:22:46.640
a Christian, they were still killed. They were still murdered.

404
00:22:46.839 --> 00:22:55.480
So is that bringing you comfort? I mean, what things

405
00:22:55.759 --> 00:22:59.759
when it comes to great tragedy. Look standing behind a

406
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poll on a Sunday and everyone's there in their Sunday

407
00:23:03.079 --> 00:23:07.759
best you say, the Gospel of Jesus Christ brings us comfort,

408
00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:12.440
no matter the trial, no matter the difficult difficulty, no

409
00:23:12.480 --> 00:23:16.480
matter the suffering we are enduring. That preach is so good.

410
00:23:16.680 --> 00:23:27.039
But when it comes to practical, everyday living, and what

411
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does that literally have to do with Isaiah chapter forty. See,

412
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if you think about it and Isaiah forty, the comfort

413
00:23:34.839 --> 00:23:41.839
they're being offered is not some theoretical spiritual It's tangible.

414
00:23:42.279 --> 00:23:48.160
Your time of captivity, your time of exile is coming

415
00:23:48.200 --> 00:23:52.319
to an end. It's very material, it's very literal, it's

416
00:23:52.480 --> 00:24:06.160
very real. Right now? Can we find spiritual comfort? I

417
00:24:06.200 --> 00:24:08.880
believe there are spiritual comfort. I think the Gospel offers

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00:24:08.920 --> 00:24:11.720
me spiritual comfort. It offers me in a sense of

419
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theoretical comfort because it's promised me, promising something that will

420
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happen in eternity. How does that work in my everyday

421
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life where there's pain, suffering, and disappointment. I think we

422
00:24:23.039 --> 00:24:26.759
love to say, well, that should just make everything better.

423
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Everything should be okay. I just was it ever meant

424
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to make everything okay? Was it meant to bring me

425
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great comfort in the face of real pain and suffering?

426
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I know that's how we preach it, all right, But

427
00:24:45.119 --> 00:24:46.200
let's see where he takes this.

428
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So again, in this season, we should always be thinking

429
00:24:50.759 --> 00:24:53.200
about the Gospel, but certainly in the midst of all

430
00:24:53.240 --> 00:24:56.119
that we're going through, take comfort and what Jesus has

431
00:24:56.160 --> 00:25:01.240
done for us, and tell others so they can have comfort.

432
00:25:02.000 --> 00:25:06.359
The comfort that God offers is people here ultimately through

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00:25:06.359 --> 00:25:12.000
what Jesus has done. So God does offer comfort. We're

434
00:25:12.000 --> 00:25:16.160
gonna skip ahead to verse twenty one, though, and God

435
00:25:16.240 --> 00:25:20.000
is gonna show us comfort in the wonderful knowledge that

436
00:25:20.160 --> 00:25:24.279
he is superior to his creation. Well, what's the comfort

437
00:25:24.319 --> 00:25:24.599
in that?

438
00:25:28.079 --> 00:25:31.440
So they're barely dealt with verse one and two. There's

439
00:25:31.480 --> 00:25:37.000
been very little actual explanation of the historical context at all.

440
00:25:37.599 --> 00:25:39.000
There's been no real attempt.

441
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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,

442
00:25:48.960 --> 00:25:53.400
nineteen twenty, and we're just going to magically arrive at

443
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verse twenty one. All right, let's see what is said

444
00:25:58.200 --> 00:26:01.720
about verse twenty one. Here we go.

445
00:26:03.799 --> 00:26:06.359
Well, first of all verses twenty one through twenty three,

446
00:26:06.359 --> 00:26:09.039
and we're going to go through these quickly. But God

447
00:26:09.319 --> 00:26:14.920
is more, is stronger, is mighty, more mighty than all

448
00:26:14.960 --> 00:26:19.440
the intimidating circumstances of our lives. And this is something

449
00:26:19.519 --> 00:26:20.400
that we should know.

450
00:26:22.920 --> 00:26:27.279
Okay, So God is more mighty than all the circumstances

451
00:26:27.319 --> 00:26:29.400
that we may face. All right, now, just think about this.

452
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Just think about this, all right. Okay, So you're laying

453
00:26:32.880 --> 00:26:35.599
you just walked out of the hospital. I look at you.

454
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Your face is pell white. You got tears in your eyes.

455
00:26:39.160 --> 00:26:41.799
What happened? What happened? The doctor just said I have

456
00:26:41.880 --> 00:26:44.640
six months to live. I have terminal cancer. It spread

457
00:26:44.640 --> 00:26:49.839
throughout the entire body. Well, take comfort. God is greater

458
00:26:50.119 --> 00:26:53.880
and more mighty than your cancer. Oh that's good. So

459
00:26:53.880 --> 00:26:56.920
he's gonna get rid of it. Well no, but just

460
00:26:57.079 --> 00:27:00.920
know that he's greater. Then. Hey, my house just burned

461
00:27:00.960 --> 00:27:03.839
to the ground and we lost everything. Hey, take comfort.

462
00:27:04.119 --> 00:27:07.160
God is more mighty than your house being burned down,

463
00:27:07.160 --> 00:27:09.079
So that means he's gonna bring it back. Well, I know,

464
00:27:09.119 --> 00:27:11.480
I'm sorry, I know it's not gonna work that way. Hey,

465
00:27:11.640 --> 00:27:15.920
someone I know just die. Take comfort God. Well, never mind,

466
00:27:18.319 --> 00:27:21.720
See we say these things, Hey, we can take comfort

467
00:27:21.720 --> 00:27:24.319
that God is more money than any of our circumstances,

468
00:27:24.480 --> 00:27:27.359
and that preaches so good, and everyone sitting in the

469
00:27:27.400 --> 00:27:30.440
pew will be like, hey, no, pastor, that was so good,

470
00:27:30.519 --> 00:27:34.279
that was so I feel so encouraged this Sunday that

471
00:27:34.480 --> 00:27:38.559
God is more money than my circumstances. Well, I'm not

472
00:27:38.559 --> 00:27:40.480
seeing your circumstance is going to change. In fact, it

473
00:27:40.480 --> 00:27:43.880
may not even get better. In fact, it could get worse. Hey,

474
00:27:43.960 --> 00:27:48.319
but take courage. God is more powerful than your circumstance. Now,

475
00:27:48.359 --> 00:27:54.440
in this context it makes perfect sense. Hey, you're in

476
00:27:54.519 --> 00:27:58.319
captivity to the Babylonians. But just know God is greater

477
00:27:58.400 --> 00:28:01.640
in your circumstance. And because of the covenant relationship I

478
00:28:01.680 --> 00:28:03.359
have made with you, you're.

479
00:28:03.200 --> 00:28:04.519
Going to go back into the land.

480
00:28:04.599 --> 00:28:07.200
You're going to be restored because I have promises. This

481
00:28:07.279 --> 00:28:11.480
is them God encouraging them based off real promises that

482
00:28:11.519 --> 00:28:15.799
have been given to them. This has a very specific context.

483
00:28:16.200 --> 00:28:18.279
You can't just run into this context, rip it out

484
00:28:18.279 --> 00:28:21.119
and go hey, God is greater than all your circumstances,

485
00:28:21.200 --> 00:28:24.680
so find comfort. In fact, you may find less comfort

486
00:28:24.799 --> 00:28:27.640
in knowing that God is more powerful than your circumstances,

487
00:28:27.720 --> 00:28:30.000
because you may say, well, if God is more powerful

488
00:28:30.039 --> 00:28:33.400
than the circumstance, then why is these people suffering and

489
00:28:33.440 --> 00:28:35.640
this person is suffering? And why has that child been

490
00:28:35.640 --> 00:28:37.839
molested over and over and over? And why is there

491
00:28:37.880 --> 00:28:40.640
sex trafficking in human trafficking? And why is their play?

492
00:28:40.799 --> 00:28:42.880
And why is their war? And why is their murder?

493
00:28:42.960 --> 00:28:44.200
And why is their kidnapping?

494
00:28:44.519 --> 00:28:44.640
Oh?

495
00:28:44.720 --> 00:28:49.400
Okay, you might find it far more complicated to deal

496
00:28:49.440 --> 00:28:52.519
with than making you go, oh, God is greater than

497
00:28:52.599 --> 00:28:55.920
our circumstance. And I know that's like you preach that

498
00:28:56.000 --> 00:28:56.839
everyone's going to say.

499
00:28:56.839 --> 00:28:57.119
Amen.

500
00:28:57.160 --> 00:28:58.960
You may even get if you're depending on your church,

501
00:28:59.160 --> 00:29:07.480
you may even get that, do you?

502
00:29:07.599 --> 00:29:09.279
And look, you can.

503
00:29:09.119 --> 00:29:10.960
Disagree with me, and that's okay, but I want you

504
00:29:11.000 --> 00:29:12.720
to write it down on paper, right, How do we

505
00:29:12.759 --> 00:29:15.759
get this comfort? What exactly is the comfort that has provided?

506
00:29:15.880 --> 00:29:19.119
And do you find comfort in knowing God is greater

507
00:29:19.200 --> 00:29:26.240
than your circumstance? Does it bring comfort? When I was

508
00:29:26.240 --> 00:29:31.599
standing on my mother's grave side, I took zero comfort

509
00:29:31.880 --> 00:29:34.559
that God is greater than my circumstance because she was

510
00:29:34.599 --> 00:29:38.279
still dead. When I stood at the graveside of my father,

511
00:29:39.599 --> 00:29:42.440
I took no comfort that God was greater than the

512
00:29:42.440 --> 00:29:45.400
circumstances because he was still dead. In fact, I can

513
00:29:45.440 --> 00:30:02.359
go look at their graves today, right, Okay, you ask yourself,

514
00:30:02.400 --> 00:30:04.880
does that bring you comfort?

515
00:30:05.480 --> 00:30:06.640
Does that bring you comfort?

516
00:30:06.920 --> 00:30:09.319
Now? You may be you may give me. You may

517
00:30:09.319 --> 00:30:13.319
be already typing out. I got fifteen reasons it brings

518
00:30:13.319 --> 00:30:15.960
me comfort, and that's great, that's great. Look if it does,

519
00:30:16.559 --> 00:30:19.640
I'm not no way. I'm just saying in this particular case,

520
00:30:19.759 --> 00:30:23.799
running to Isaiah forty to me is you know, basically

521
00:30:24.319 --> 00:30:30.519
spiritual malpractice. God is telling them I'm greater than your

522
00:30:30.640 --> 00:30:34.079
circumstance because you're in captivity. I'm the one who puts

523
00:30:34.119 --> 00:30:36.000
you there, and I'm the one who's going to bring

524
00:30:36.039 --> 00:30:39.519
you out. So don't look at the Babylonians or whoever

525
00:30:39.559 --> 00:30:42.359
the army is or the nation is, because I'm greater

526
00:30:42.519 --> 00:30:45.039
well and their circumstance. It makes sense. God promise they

527
00:30:45.039 --> 00:30:47.079
would go there. He promised they would come out. God

528
00:30:47.160 --> 00:30:49.880
is controlling the whole thing based off a covenant relationship

529
00:30:49.880 --> 00:30:52.880
he has specifically with them with promises that are not

530
00:30:52.960 --> 00:30:53.720
our promises.

531
00:30:56.559 --> 00:30:58.960
What we, oftentimes in the midst of trouble need to

532
00:30:59.000 --> 00:31:03.279
be reminded is reel should have known this, And yet

533
00:31:03.279 --> 00:31:06.440
the prophet Isaiah is reminding this again verse twenty one.

534
00:31:06.559 --> 00:31:10.480
Have you not known? Have ye not heard? Hath it

535
00:31:10.559 --> 00:31:13.480
not been told you from the beginning? And have ye

536
00:31:13.519 --> 00:31:17.640
not understood from the foundations of the earth. The prophet

537
00:31:17.680 --> 00:31:22.480
basically says, here, don't you know this already, Israel. It's knowledge,

538
00:31:22.519 --> 00:31:26.920
it's been available since creation, that you should have known

539
00:31:27.720 --> 00:31:30.920
since the beginning, since God called you to be his people.

540
00:31:31.000 --> 00:31:34.839
And yet in our humanness and weakness, we forget. And

541
00:31:34.880 --> 00:31:37.880
so the prophet is going to remind us here that

542
00:31:38.039 --> 00:31:42.960
no matter what the intimidating circumstances we face, God is

543
00:31:43.039 --> 00:31:46.920
superior to all of it. So let me ask you

544
00:31:46.960 --> 00:31:52.240
again what intimidates you? What are you fearful for today?

545
00:31:52.279 --> 00:31:58.039
Your financial situation, the situation in our country, not knowing

546
00:31:58.200 --> 00:32:01.400
all of the answers, not having even at the president

547
00:32:02.200 --> 00:32:07.160
still reacting to this virus and the different things that

548
00:32:07.200 --> 00:32:10.279
are happening. Thankful for all that he's doing, but he's

549
00:32:10.400 --> 00:32:15.599
learning as well. Is it the perils of nature? And

550
00:32:16.359 --> 00:32:26.559
it's mighty power storms. Is it rulers of enemy nations?

551
00:32:27.079 --> 00:32:35.160
You know, we have certainly a lack of security and apprehension.

552
00:32:38.680 --> 00:32:43.400
Again, just take this concept that he's putting forth, this hypothesis. Hey,

553
00:32:43.680 --> 00:32:46.880
whatever you're facing, remember, don't forget. God is greater than

554
00:32:46.920 --> 00:32:49.680
the circumstance. Okay, get on a plane right now. Go

555
00:32:49.720 --> 00:32:52.039
to Ukraine where people are suffering and dying, and all

556
00:32:52.039 --> 00:32:54.000
the people who have died because of the Russian invasion

557
00:32:54.039 --> 00:32:56.680
into Ukraine, and say, hey, guys, I got good news.

558
00:32:57.000 --> 00:33:00.599
God is greater than all of your circumstances. Even though

559
00:33:00.839 --> 00:33:03.640
this many people have died since Russia has invaded.

560
00:33:04.400 --> 00:33:05.880
Just know, God is greater than that.

561
00:33:06.119 --> 00:33:09.480
Go to Gaza with all the people who have died there. Hey,

562
00:33:09.759 --> 00:33:12.119
just want you to know. God is greater than your circumstances.

563
00:33:12.279 --> 00:33:15.079
Go to all the people in Israel who lost loved

564
00:33:15.119 --> 00:33:18.000
ones and the terrorist attack of October the seventh when

565
00:33:18.680 --> 00:33:21.599
Moss came in and slaughtered all the Hey, hey, it's

566
00:33:21.640 --> 00:33:25.839
all good, guys. God is greater than your circumstances. Look

567
00:33:25.880 --> 00:33:28.640
at all the people who died during COVID. Hey, guys,

568
00:33:28.680 --> 00:33:31.039
don't worry about it. God is great. I mean I

569
00:33:31.039 --> 00:33:36.559
could go from circumstance to circumstance to circumstance. Do you

570
00:33:36.880 --> 00:33:39.839
find comfort in the fact that God is greater than

571
00:33:39.880 --> 00:33:40.599
your circumstance.

572
00:33:40.680 --> 00:33:43.839
It's just a real question. Now you may say yes,

573
00:33:44.119 --> 00:33:44.759
and that's.

574
00:33:44.519 --> 00:33:49.160
Great for me. It leaves me with more questions. Right,

575
00:33:49.440 --> 00:33:51.640
If God is greater than the circumstance, then when God

576
00:33:51.720 --> 00:34:01.599
get stop the circumstance? Right? There was a someone who

577
00:34:01.640 --> 00:34:05.599
was associated with the Maga movement who's all for family values,

578
00:34:05.640 --> 00:34:08.480
and he's been talking about the sexual im morality in

579
00:34:08.519 --> 00:34:12.880
this country. He was just found in fact, they could

580
00:34:12.920 --> 00:34:16.280
have the story right here. They can have the story

581
00:34:16.360 --> 00:34:16.679
right here.

582
00:34:16.760 --> 00:34:19.760
Let me find it because I don't want to misquote it.

583
00:34:23.440 --> 00:34:25.800
Let me see here, Let me find it, Let me

584
00:34:25.920 --> 00:34:30.400
find it. Yes, former CEO of Christian Value voting group

585
00:34:30.559 --> 00:34:41.280
charged with possession of child sex abuse material. Now everyone

586
00:34:41.480 --> 00:34:43.679
is talking about him. I want to worry about the

587
00:34:43.760 --> 00:34:46.559
children who were abused to make the material.

588
00:34:46.800 --> 00:34:47.760
What about them?

589
00:34:48.000 --> 00:34:51.360
God is greater than their circumstances, but they were being

590
00:34:51.400 --> 00:34:54.800
sexually abused. How about all the children who've been molested

591
00:34:55.039 --> 00:34:57.119
in churches? Do I need to pull up all of

592
00:34:57.119 --> 00:35:00.840
those numbers again? Well, God is greater than in no circumstances.

593
00:35:00.920 --> 00:35:04.519
Do I find comfort that God is greater than the circumstance.

594
00:35:04.599 --> 00:35:07.719
But God doesn't get rid of the circumstance, prevent the circumstance,

595
00:35:07.800 --> 00:35:10.920
or stop the circumstance. We've talked about this countless times.

596
00:35:12.800 --> 00:35:17.760
At the very minimum, he's allowing it to happen, even

597
00:35:17.800 --> 00:35:19.599
though he knew it was going to happen, He allowed

598
00:35:19.639 --> 00:35:23.360
it to happen. At the very most, he decreed it

599
00:35:23.400 --> 00:35:26.639
to happen. But he's greater than How does that bring

600
00:35:26.679 --> 00:35:32.800
me any comfort? Hey, there's I'm trapped, you know, in

601
00:35:32.880 --> 00:35:36.400
this location a tornado and F five tornado is headed

602
00:35:36.400 --> 00:35:39.320
to my location. I'm about to lose everything and possibly die.

603
00:35:40.320 --> 00:35:42.639
But I find comfort that God is greater than that tornado.

604
00:35:43.119 --> 00:35:54.199
It doesn't provide me any comfort at that moment you determine.

605
00:35:54.559 --> 00:35:58.199
So how does God provide comfort? What specifically is the comfort?

606
00:35:58.280 --> 00:36:00.840
Is the comfort just a feeling well, just feel better?

607
00:36:01.400 --> 00:36:04.480
Or is it actual action? And does it make you

608
00:36:04.519 --> 00:36:07.239
feel better? That God is greater than whatever circumstance you face?

609
00:36:07.440 --> 00:36:09.360
Does it make you feel better? I mean, these are

610
00:36:09.360 --> 00:36:12.320
real questions. This is not me trying to be antagonistic.

611
00:36:12.559 --> 00:36:14.440
This is just me trying to say, these are the

612
00:36:14.519 --> 00:36:16.719
questions I have, and I don't know how any reasonable

613
00:36:16.760 --> 00:36:18.880
Christian would not struggle with these same things. These are

614
00:36:18.920 --> 00:36:21.559
the things we struggle with. We believe in a God

615
00:36:21.840 --> 00:36:25.519
and whom we cannot see while we face circumstances that

616
00:36:25.639 --> 00:36:30.400
scream where is your God? Or it may even scream

617
00:36:30.440 --> 00:36:40.480
there is no God. That's the struggle of Christianity.

618
00:36:37.960 --> 00:36:42.400
About what other countries and countries that have been traditionally

619
00:36:42.480 --> 00:36:44.880
been opposed to us, and what's going on with them?

620
00:36:45.599 --> 00:36:50.039
And distrust? And maybe we look at other rulers and think,

621
00:36:50.519 --> 00:36:55.440
oh my, they're so powerful and they're so overwhelming, And

622
00:36:55.519 --> 00:36:59.039
yet what does God say about even the most intimidating

623
00:36:59.199 --> 00:37:02.599
ruler throughout our history? Look at verse twenty two. It

624
00:37:02.719 --> 00:37:05.320
is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth.

625
00:37:05.360 --> 00:37:07.519
This is a picture of God in his throne room

626
00:37:07.920 --> 00:37:12.639
in observing everything that happens on the earth, and the

627
00:37:12.679 --> 00:37:20.360
inhabittents thereof are as grasshoppers, the billions of people in

628
00:37:20.440 --> 00:37:24.480
the world population, are any of them intimidating to you?

629
00:37:24.639 --> 00:37:30.960
The rulers, the people, bullies, those over us to God,

630
00:37:31.320 --> 00:37:36.159
they're just insects, They're small, they're in comparison to his

631
00:37:36.320 --> 00:37:43.880
great power. They're insects and whatever we would be worried about.

632
00:37:43.920 --> 00:37:49.000
As far as as creation, it says here, reminds us

633
00:37:49.079 --> 00:37:52.880
that when it comes to creation, that God, it says here,

634
00:37:53.039 --> 00:37:57.639
stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain. The sky is

635
00:37:57.760 --> 00:38:00.440
literally the power of God, because he's the creator. It's

636
00:38:00.519 --> 00:38:03.159
like a curtain as we go out and look ahead

637
00:38:03.239 --> 00:38:06.599
at the beauty and majesty of the atmosphere and the

638
00:38:06.639 --> 00:38:09.880
creation the sky. It's merely something that God can pull

639
00:38:09.960 --> 00:38:14.199
back and forth like a curtain. It's no small, it's

640
00:38:14.199 --> 00:38:19.519
no a huge thing for him continues on and spreadeth

641
00:38:19.559 --> 00:38:24.800
them out as a tent to dwell in. I'm sure

642
00:38:24.800 --> 00:38:28.960
many of you have been camping, and I enjoy going

643
00:38:29.000 --> 00:38:32.760
camping as a child and tried a little bit when

644
00:38:32.760 --> 00:38:34.760
I was a young man, and I realized that it

645
00:38:34.800 --> 00:38:37.079
was a lot easier when my dad was putting up

646
00:38:37.079 --> 00:38:39.440
the tent and I was helping than when I was

647
00:38:39.440 --> 00:38:42.599
trying to put up a tent myself. And even twenty

648
00:38:42.639 --> 00:38:46.079
years ago, before I was married and attempting to do camping,

649
00:38:46.119 --> 00:38:49.920
the tents weren't as easy to put up. And as

650
00:38:50.159 --> 00:38:53.360
we begin to have children, and we had the four boys,

651
00:38:53.360 --> 00:38:55.320
and we were talking about, well, you know, it's a

652
00:38:55.559 --> 00:38:58.559
part of life, part of the journey having boys. We

653
00:38:58.599 --> 00:39:02.800
need to go camping. I'm talking about that. I'm like, yeah,

654
00:39:02.800 --> 00:39:05.320
we need to do that. But I really wasn't looking

655
00:39:05.360 --> 00:39:08.239
forward to trying to find a tent that I could

656
00:39:08.239 --> 00:39:11.760
put up, remembering the past experiences. And so we went

657
00:39:11.800 --> 00:39:15.000
on Amazon online and we found some tents that looked

658
00:39:15.000 --> 00:39:18.039
like they would fit our needs and got it in

659
00:39:18.079 --> 00:39:21.199
the package, and I thought, Okay, here we go going

660
00:39:21.239 --> 00:39:24.519
to take hours and going to be frustrating. Now, it

661
00:39:24.559 --> 00:39:26.719
wasn't the easiest thing in the world. But I will

662
00:39:26.760 --> 00:39:28.679
tell you most of the tents that you get today,

663
00:39:28.719 --> 00:39:31.039
they are much easier to put up than they were

664
00:39:31.079 --> 00:39:35.000
than I remember before as a child, certainly. And we

665
00:39:35.119 --> 00:39:37.000
put up this tent and it just kind of came

666
00:39:37.079 --> 00:39:40.360
together and almost kind of popped up in no time

667
00:39:40.400 --> 00:39:43.480
at all. That might be a little bit of an exaggeration,

668
00:39:44.440 --> 00:39:47.280
but it wasn't as hard as what I expected. Well,

669
00:39:47.280 --> 00:39:50.639
this picture here of God sprinting them out as a

670
00:39:50.639 --> 00:39:54.159
tent to dwell in no matter what intimidating weather patterns

671
00:39:54.239 --> 00:39:58.639
or things about creation that seemed powerful and overwhelming to us.

672
00:39:58.800 --> 00:40:03.320
Hurricanes tornado is whatever. To God. It's just like a

673
00:40:03.400 --> 00:40:06.880
tenth that can be put up and taken down, a

674
00:40:06.960 --> 00:40:11.559
temporary thing. One day, God's going to come and he's

675
00:40:11.599 --> 00:40:13.920
going to remake this whole world, and it's not going

676
00:40:14.000 --> 00:40:15.760
to be a problem. It's not going to be a

677
00:40:15.760 --> 00:40:19.239
hardship for him.

678
00:40:19.400 --> 00:40:22.360
Again, none of this explains exactly how we're supposed to

679
00:40:22.360 --> 00:40:25.599
get comfort. I still don't understand that. Now in the context,

680
00:40:25.639 --> 00:40:30.079
it makes perfect sense. Hey, God, they're in Babylonian captivity,

681
00:40:30.760 --> 00:40:33.719
Babylon the great you know what I'm saying that like

682
00:40:33.920 --> 00:40:36.480
they've been they're captured by that. How are they ever

683
00:40:36.599 --> 00:40:38.159
going to get out? How are they ever going to

684
00:40:38.159 --> 00:40:41.079
be delivered? How? And God is reminding them I am

685
00:40:41.159 --> 00:40:46.039
greater and their specific circumstance. God is going to bring comfort.

686
00:40:46.119 --> 00:40:47.880
But guess the comfort he's going to bring. It's not

687
00:40:47.960 --> 00:40:50.679
some theoretical thing. It's not just a oh, you get

688
00:40:50.719 --> 00:40:53.599
to feel good. He's literally going to bring them out

689
00:40:53.599 --> 00:40:57.280
of captivity, bring them into the land that he had

690
00:40:57.320 --> 00:40:59.840
promised them. And then you could argue in parts of

691
00:41:00.039 --> 00:41:05.320
Isaiah with a future promise of the true restoration and

692
00:41:05.360 --> 00:41:08.440
the true fulfillment of all the Covenant promises that He

693
00:41:08.519 --> 00:41:10.719
had made them, and He's going to do it because

694
00:41:10.760 --> 00:41:13.519
of his greatness and his power, no matter what the

695
00:41:13.519 --> 00:41:16.679
circumstances may look like. Even if Israel gets wiped off

696
00:41:16.679 --> 00:41:18.639
the face of the earth in seventy a d. His

697
00:41:18.760 --> 00:41:21.679
promises still stand and he will fulfill the promise he

698
00:41:21.760 --> 00:41:26.320
made to them. It's about that, right, It's it's tangible.

699
00:41:26.480 --> 00:41:29.639
It's right now if I find comfort in God's tangible,

700
00:41:30.039 --> 00:41:33.679
real comfort, right, which is, my sins have been removed

701
00:41:33.679 --> 00:41:35.639
as far as the east is from the west, Christ

702
00:41:35.760 --> 00:41:38.599
righteousness has been accredited to my account. I am now

703
00:41:39.119 --> 00:41:43.000
seated in Christ in heavenly places. I have now been

704
00:41:43.039 --> 00:41:48.159
adopted as a child of God. Secure, My eternity is secure,

705
00:41:48.320 --> 00:41:50.559
and there will come a day there'll be no more pain,

706
00:41:50.760 --> 00:41:53.760
no more suffering, no more death, no more sickness. It

707
00:41:53.800 --> 00:41:55.679
will all be gone and no more sin. It will

708
00:41:55.719 --> 00:41:59.639
all be removed. Now that's comfort, and it's tangible. But

709
00:41:59.679 --> 00:42:04.719
it's all tangible comforting promises for eternity. None of that

710
00:42:04.840 --> 00:42:08.840
is about now. So when it comes to the now,

711
00:42:09.199 --> 00:42:13.440
what comfort is actually promised? What is it? How does

712
00:42:13.480 --> 00:42:16.960
it actually work? And do you find comfort in knowing

713
00:42:17.000 --> 00:42:20.719
that God is supposedly greater than whatever you are facing.

714
00:42:21.440 --> 00:42:23.159
And what way do you find comfort in that?

715
00:42:25.039 --> 00:42:28.159
Because He has power over it? As our creator, God

716
00:42:28.239 --> 00:42:33.840
is stronger than all intimidating circumstances, even what we face today,

717
00:42:34.559 --> 00:42:40.400
and he's also superior to all of his creation uniquely. So,

718
00:42:40.519 --> 00:42:43.760
remember we talked about the rulers and those that we

719
00:42:43.840 --> 00:42:46.880
might be intimidated by. That's described in verse twenty three.

720
00:42:46.960 --> 00:42:50.719
That bringeth the princes to nothing. He maketh the judges

721
00:42:50.880 --> 00:42:54.800
or the rulers of the earth as vanity. That that

722
00:42:54.920 --> 00:42:59.760
word there means emptiness. Are you concerned about enemy nations?

723
00:42:59.800 --> 00:43:04.840
To God's not. There's not a ruler that's ever lived

724
00:43:05.559 --> 00:43:08.039
that's posed a problem to God or even made him

725
00:43:08.039 --> 00:43:11.880
in the nervous, in the slightest.

726
00:43:13.159 --> 00:43:16.599
If you have no fear of rule of enemy nations.

727
00:43:16.679 --> 00:43:19.239
If you have no fear, then by all means, join

728
00:43:19.320 --> 00:43:21.599
the military. And when you get put somewhere and they're

729
00:43:21.679 --> 00:43:24.440
dropping bombs and shooting you and you see people around

730
00:43:24.440 --> 00:43:26.760
you die, then you can tell me how you have

731
00:43:26.960 --> 00:43:30.440
no fear because you know God is greater than your circumstance.

732
00:43:30.840 --> 00:43:33.840
Just how many American soldiers have died since we declared

733
00:43:33.840 --> 00:43:35.440
the war on terrorism. I mean I was in the

734
00:43:35.440 --> 00:43:37.960
military through most of that, right, So I mean I

735
00:43:38.000 --> 00:43:40.320
could you know, we could we could have that discussion.

736
00:43:43.760 --> 00:43:49.199
We could have that discussion. I mean, hey, don't fear enemy,

737
00:43:49.280 --> 00:43:52.199
Hey Ukraine, no way, don't even have any fear of

738
00:43:52.280 --> 00:43:54.320
Russia at all. I mean, people are dying and they're

739
00:43:54.360 --> 00:43:56.599
taking they're trying to take over your entire country. Hey,

740
00:43:56.639 --> 00:44:03.519
but don't worry about it. I mean it's good to

741
00:44:03.599 --> 00:44:07.679
say that, but see that promise. No, in this case,

742
00:44:08.239 --> 00:44:13.880
Israel could find comfort that God was greater than the Babylonians.

743
00:44:18.880 --> 00:44:23.039
Now we can say God is greater than all the nations. Hey,

744
00:44:23.360 --> 00:44:26.039
Israel is and again, and I guess what if that's

745
00:44:26.079 --> 00:44:28.719
the case, Hey, don't have any fear of nations? Then

746
00:44:28.760 --> 00:44:31.320
why do Christians have fear of people breaking into their

747
00:44:31.320 --> 00:44:34.000
house so they have to have three guns to protect themselves.

748
00:44:34.039 --> 00:44:36.800
Why do churches have to have armed security because they're

749
00:44:36.840 --> 00:44:37.679
worried of a shooter.

750
00:44:37.920 --> 00:44:40.320
Why don't have a gun, don't lock your.

751
00:44:40.159 --> 00:44:43.119
Door, don't have fear of anything, because God is greater

752
00:44:43.239 --> 00:44:47.559
than your circumstances. Right, So see, how does this practically work?

753
00:44:47.800 --> 00:44:51.079
Knowing that God is greater, what does it actually provide you?

754
00:44:51.320 --> 00:44:52.039
And comfort?

755
00:44:52.280 --> 00:44:58.519
And a I want you to get practical. See, theoretically,

756
00:44:58.519 --> 00:45:03.679
you could just say, hey, don't fear the nations. At

757
00:45:03.679 --> 00:45:06.039
the same time, you're like, but we have three armed

758
00:45:06.039 --> 00:45:08.920
guards in this church in case something happens, but don't fear.

759
00:45:11.000 --> 00:45:13.000
I own two guns in my house. But I'm not

760
00:45:13.000 --> 00:45:14.599
saying this preacher owns any guns. I don't know.

761
00:45:14.639 --> 00:45:17.199
I'm just saying typically Christian mindset, they tend to be

762
00:45:17.320 --> 00:45:27.239
very pro gun. It's always again, it's theoretical. When it

763
00:45:27.239 --> 00:45:29.480
comes to practical, how does it actually work? What does

764
00:45:29.480 --> 00:45:30.360
it actually do?

765
00:45:32.800 --> 00:45:36.519
Because God, in the end will come and Jesus will

766
00:45:36.559 --> 00:45:40.519
return and he will rule overall, and all the others

767
00:45:40.599 --> 00:45:43.000
that are trying to assert their power will be brought

768
00:45:43.000 --> 00:45:49.719
to nothing, to emptiness. God's not intimidated by secret plans

769
00:45:49.719 --> 00:45:54.719
of enemy nations or false media narratives that we may

770
00:45:54.760 --> 00:46:00.280
get tired of rulers prepare secret plans for domination. And

771
00:46:00.320 --> 00:46:03.239
look what God does in verse twenty or verse twenty four.

772
00:46:03.599 --> 00:46:07.280
Yea they shall not be planted. Yea they shall not

773
00:46:07.400 --> 00:46:11.039
be sown. Yay, their stock or stems shall not take

774
00:46:11.119 --> 00:46:14.480
root in the earth, and he shall also blow upon them,

775
00:46:15.360 --> 00:46:18.119
and they shall wither, and the whirlwind or the tempest

776
00:46:18.199 --> 00:46:22.599
shall take them away as stubble. Here basically is a

777
00:46:22.639 --> 00:46:25.679
picture of a small plant that's just trying to get

778
00:46:25.679 --> 00:46:29.079
some roots in the ground. And God says, that's a

779
00:46:29.119 --> 00:46:35.199
picture of enemy nations against you and rulers in general.

780
00:46:35.679 --> 00:46:38.280
They're like a little tiny shoot of a plant trying

781
00:46:38.280 --> 00:46:40.920
to establish a root, and I can just in a

782
00:46:41.039 --> 00:46:46.320
moment's time blow them away and they dry up and

783
00:46:46.360 --> 00:46:54.559
become straw. We need to remember that God's power. He's

784
00:46:54.639 --> 00:46:57.960
not intimidated by anyone. You know, God's not even intimidated

785
00:46:57.960 --> 00:47:01.360
by a virus. God's not ever going to have to

786
00:47:01.400 --> 00:47:03.400
in the midst of the situation put a mask on,

787
00:47:04.320 --> 00:47:07.440
a breathing mask so that he won't get a virus,

788
00:47:07.599 --> 00:47:09.519
or that he won't give a virus to anyone else.

789
00:47:09.840 --> 00:47:14.840
Nobody's going to tell God where he can go and

790
00:47:15.039 --> 00:47:21.400
restrict his movements. We may be experiencing that, but God

791
00:47:21.639 --> 00:47:28.199
is unique, unequaled in might and strength, and one example

792
00:47:28.280 --> 00:47:30.800
of that he's referred to as the Holy One, and

793
00:47:30.840 --> 00:47:34.760
that means his moral perfection. And all you have to

794
00:47:34.760 --> 00:47:37.440
do is read about God or look upon God and

795
00:47:37.519 --> 00:47:40.880
see his holiness and realize he is unique, and it

796
00:47:41.079 --> 00:47:42.679
silenced all the critics.

797
00:47:45.679 --> 00:47:48.400
Again, I'm gonna go back. I'm just going to continue

798
00:47:48.480 --> 00:47:50.639
to just go over this over and over and over. Okay,

799
00:47:50.840 --> 00:47:54.519
So how do we get the comfort? What specifically is

800
00:47:54.559 --> 00:47:57.719
the comfort? Is it God actually acting and doing something

801
00:47:57.800 --> 00:47:59.920
or is it just supposedly a feeling I'm supposed to get?

802
00:48:00.360 --> 00:48:02.400
And what is it supposed to do for you? And me?

803
00:48:02.599 --> 00:48:05.679
Knowing that God is greater than whatever circumstance. Now, I'm

804
00:48:05.719 --> 00:48:08.000
just going to add to what is it supposed to do?

805
00:48:08.039 --> 00:48:10.000
That God is greater than the circumstance? What is it

806
00:48:10.000 --> 00:48:12.360
supposed to do for you? Well, that God is not

807
00:48:12.440 --> 00:48:15.599
intimidated or fearful of a virus, God is not going

808
00:48:15.639 --> 00:48:18.440
to get the virus. What is that supposed to do

809
00:48:18.519 --> 00:48:22.960
for you? Because the COVID nineteen pandemic had a profound

810
00:48:23.000 --> 00:48:27.880
impact on global mortality. As of November twenty twenty four,

811
00:48:28.119 --> 00:48:33.360
the World Health Organization reports approximately six point nine million

812
00:48:33.519 --> 00:48:38.159
people confirmed dead due to COVID nineteen. However, this figure

813
00:48:38.280 --> 00:48:41.559
likely underestimates the true death toll. In May twenty twenty two,

814
00:48:41.760 --> 00:48:44.800
the World Health estimated that between January twenty twenty and

815
00:48:44.880 --> 00:48:48.320
December twenty twenty one, there were about fourteen point nine

816
00:48:48.639 --> 00:48:53.159
million excess deaths globally, accounting for both direct and indirect

817
00:48:53.239 --> 00:48:56.000
effects of the pandemic. Do I need to go through

818
00:48:56.039 --> 00:49:01.599
all the other numbers and sources? Great God is greater

819
00:49:01.639 --> 00:49:05.199
than it. All millions of people die. Great God won't

820
00:49:05.199 --> 00:49:20.039
get the virus. Great millions of people die.

821
00:49:17.400 --> 00:49:22.079
I don't know what else to say.

822
00:49:22.119 --> 00:49:26.199
Let's just see obviously the text itself is I mean,

823
00:49:26.280 --> 00:49:28.360
you see what once again, what has happened? See when

824
00:49:28.400 --> 00:49:31.639
you insert yourself in a text that has very specific

825
00:49:31.840 --> 00:49:36.679
historical contexts, with very specific promises and encouragement being given

826
00:49:36.679 --> 00:49:39.639
to a specific people about a specific situation for a

827
00:49:39.679 --> 00:49:42.039
specific reason, because of a covenant made with him, and

828
00:49:42.079 --> 00:49:45.159
you just obliterate all of that context and just insert

829
00:49:45.280 --> 00:49:47.199
us in there, then you end up with all of

830
00:49:47.239 --> 00:49:51.480
these philosophical problems and dilemma, and then you leave people thinking,

831
00:49:51.599 --> 00:49:56.039
so God's comfort? Is he going to do something about it?

832
00:49:56.159 --> 00:49:58.000
Or am I just supposed to say He's greater than ed?

833
00:49:58.119 --> 00:50:00.960
Whether he like? What is that suppose to do with it? Well,

834
00:50:01.000 --> 00:50:03.280
nobody wants to ask those tough questions, you're just supposed

835
00:50:03.320 --> 00:50:06.639
to go a man, Thank you, pastor that was so encouraging.

836
00:50:06.719 --> 00:50:08.599
I don't know what was encouraging, because I don't know

837
00:50:08.679 --> 00:50:11.079
what we're supposed to even do with this. How do

838
00:50:11.119 --> 00:50:14.400
we get the comfort? What specifically is the comfort? And

839
00:50:14.440 --> 00:50:16.599
what comfort am I supposed to take? That God is

840
00:50:16.639 --> 00:50:19.719
greater than whatever circumstance that may be killing me or

841
00:50:19.800 --> 00:50:23.039
killing people around me? What am I supposed to do

842
00:50:23.159 --> 00:50:23.440
with that?

843
00:50:25.920 --> 00:50:30.679
All the cynics look at verse twenty five. To whom

844
00:50:30.719 --> 00:50:33.519
will ye like it or compare me? Or shall I

845
00:50:33.639 --> 00:50:36.800
be equal or like him? Say it the Holy One,

846
00:50:37.559 --> 00:50:45.679
I'm unique. My holiness silences all the noise and all

847
00:50:45.800 --> 00:50:49.880
the criticism, and all of those that would arrogantly shake

848
00:50:49.960 --> 00:50:53.000
their fists at me one look at me, and they're

849
00:50:53.000 --> 00:50:57.239
all silenced. I'm not compared or be able to compare

850
00:50:57.320 --> 00:51:00.920
to anyone. And so he reminds us of verse twenty six.

851
00:51:01.360 --> 00:51:05.159
Stop looking at the problems around you then, and your troubles,

852
00:51:05.199 --> 00:51:08.000
but lift your eyes on high, lift them to me.

853
00:51:09.639 --> 00:51:12.360
And as we're lifting and looking it up, looking up

854
00:51:12.400 --> 00:51:14.760
and seeing the skies, and this has now the picture

855
00:51:14.800 --> 00:51:17.920
of looking at the sky at night and seeing all

856
00:51:17.960 --> 00:51:22.400
the stars. And we're so thankful where we were at

857
00:51:22.440 --> 00:51:25.239
in Maryland, and especially even more so here. We can

858
00:51:25.320 --> 00:51:27.360
go out at night and we can just see the

859
00:51:27.400 --> 00:51:30.119
beauty and the clarity of the stars, even more so

860
00:51:30.599 --> 00:51:34.679
here in New Hampshire, and it's just remarkable. It's breathtaking.

861
00:51:35.320 --> 00:51:38.239
And God says, you look upon that in marvel about

862
00:51:38.320 --> 00:51:42.199
the power and the beauty of the heavenly planets and

863
00:51:42.239 --> 00:51:46.199
the stars and all these things. Remember who created them?

864
00:51:47.760 --> 00:51:52.679
I did. He says further, that bringeth out their host

865
00:51:53.239 --> 00:51:56.559
by number. God is the one that controls all the

866
00:51:56.639 --> 00:52:01.719
heavenly bodies of space. You know, we came through science,

867
00:52:02.280 --> 00:52:06.639
through learning about astronomy and learning about the planets. And

868
00:52:06.679 --> 00:52:09.119
my boys are going through science class and they've learned

869
00:52:09.119 --> 00:52:11.559
the names of the planets, and we can learn some

870
00:52:11.760 --> 00:52:16.320
names of some stars. But God knows the names of

871
00:52:16.519 --> 00:52:22.400
all of those billions of stars throughout the sky. He

872
00:52:22.480 --> 00:52:25.639
bringeth out their host by number. He created all of those,

873
00:52:25.760 --> 00:52:26.440
He knows.

874
00:52:28.360 --> 00:52:31.000
What comfort do you find in the fact that God

875
00:52:31.079 --> 00:52:35.239
knows how many stars, He knows all the stars, and

876
00:52:35.280 --> 00:52:39.159
he controls all of them. Now, that does demonstrate his power,

877
00:52:39.480 --> 00:52:44.119
his omnipotence, great. It should humble me, demonstrating he's greater

878
00:52:44.199 --> 00:52:45.519
than I am. Got it?

879
00:52:46.119 --> 00:52:49.880
But what comfort do I find in that fact?

880
00:52:58.000 --> 00:53:00.480
I mean, if you would like we could get you

881
00:53:00.519 --> 00:53:02.480
could you know, in a minute, you could you know,

882
00:53:02.519 --> 00:53:06.039
get up, get dressed, or get ready or get prepared,

883
00:53:06.079 --> 00:53:07.760
whatever you need to do, and get in your car

884
00:53:07.800 --> 00:53:09.920
and you could go find probably most likely in the

885
00:53:09.920 --> 00:53:14.639
city you live, a hospital there for children suffering horrible

886
00:53:15.119 --> 00:53:16.800
diseases where they're not.

887
00:53:16.719 --> 00:53:18.280
Going to make it to sixteen, they're not going to

888
00:53:18.360 --> 00:53:19.119
make it to fifteen.

889
00:53:19.360 --> 00:53:22.039
They're going to suffer and they're going to die being

890
00:53:22.039 --> 00:53:25.199
in the hospital over and over and over and over again,

891
00:53:25.239 --> 00:53:27.519
with all kinds of possible trying to do this and

892
00:53:27.599 --> 00:53:30.920
trying to do that, and they're suffering. Go there and say, hey, guys,

893
00:53:31.360 --> 00:53:35.000
find great comfort. God is greater than your disease. Find

894
00:53:35.000 --> 00:53:37.719
great comfort. He knows the names of all the stars,

895
00:53:37.880 --> 00:53:40.559
He controls all the stars. Now, I mean, he's not

896
00:53:40.639 --> 00:53:43.519
helping you currently because you're suffering and you're going to die.

897
00:53:43.599 --> 00:53:46.559
But find great comfort. How does that comfort work? Now

898
00:53:46.639 --> 00:53:51.239
in this context that makes perfect sense. Hey, Judah, you're

899
00:53:51.280 --> 00:53:54.760
in Babylonian captivity. That's gotta seem very hopeless and helpless

900
00:53:54.760 --> 00:53:58.079
because you do not have the power to overcome the Babylonians.

901
00:53:58.239 --> 00:54:01.559
You cannot defeat them, you cannot destroy them, you can't

902
00:54:01.719 --> 00:54:05.360
escape from them. But hey, take courage. God is greater

903
00:54:07.000 --> 00:54:12.760
because in their specific covenantal context, that's the word I'm

904
00:54:12.760 --> 00:54:16.400
trying to find. God has made specific promises and he's

905
00:54:16.400 --> 00:54:19.239
going to keep them. So he's reminding them of his power.

906
00:54:19.559 --> 00:54:20.199
Don't worry.

907
00:54:20.360 --> 00:54:22.599
He can take care of it. But it has a

908
00:54:22.760 --> 00:54:27.760
very specific context. See what happens when we pull it

909
00:54:27.800 --> 00:54:29.800
out of context.

910
00:54:32.000 --> 00:54:34.639
That's the number. He knows how many there are, and

911
00:54:34.679 --> 00:54:37.280
he has given them all names. In other words, he

912
00:54:37.440 --> 00:54:41.719
takes account of billions and trillions of stars that we

913
00:54:41.760 --> 00:54:44.599
can't even get our minds around. And God says, oh, yeah,

914
00:54:44.679 --> 00:54:48.239
I created all that. I've got control of all that.

915
00:54:48.400 --> 00:54:50.840
I name them. You name a few planets, you name

916
00:54:50.880 --> 00:54:55.239
a few stars. I named them all, and I'm in

917
00:54:55.280 --> 00:54:59.760
control of them all by the greatness of his might.

918
00:55:00.119 --> 00:55:04.079
That he is strong in power. Not one faileth or

919
00:55:04.159 --> 00:55:10.079
not one is missing. You know, really, we have more

920
00:55:10.199 --> 00:55:14.280
knowledge of space and the heavenly bodies than ever throughout

921
00:55:14.360 --> 00:55:19.119
all of history. We know the power of our own sun.

922
00:55:20.320 --> 00:55:23.360
They're talking about trying to take a trip to put

923
00:55:23.400 --> 00:55:27.000
people on Mars. Nobody ever talks about trying to put

924
00:55:27.000 --> 00:55:31.920
people on the Sun. That sounds ridiculous, but why because

925
00:55:31.960 --> 00:55:36.239
it's incredibly powerful you can't even get near it. And

926
00:55:36.320 --> 00:55:41.039
yet God says, eh, I know I created it, but

927
00:55:41.119 --> 00:55:43.320
I can turn off the light just like that. I

928
00:55:43.320 --> 00:55:45.480
can turn off the sun just like that. And we

929
00:55:45.519 --> 00:55:49.000
should be more humble than ever by knowing the power

930
00:55:49.159 --> 00:55:53.119
and the majesty of creation. And that remember that God

931
00:55:53.239 --> 00:55:57.559
is the one who has named all of these and

932
00:55:57.599 --> 00:56:01.159
has his own names. And you know, as we get

933
00:56:01.199 --> 00:56:03.920
into the next passage here, it's a reminder too that

934
00:56:04.000 --> 00:56:06.760
if God knows the names of all the stars and

935
00:56:06.840 --> 00:56:11.079
remembers them, I will admit, as a pastor, I have

936
00:56:11.159 --> 00:56:14.760
trouble sometimes remembering people's names in a large group.

937
00:56:17.199 --> 00:56:19.960
Okay, So again, what comfort am I to take for

938
00:56:20.000 --> 00:56:22.599
the fact that God knows the names of all the planets,

939
00:56:22.719 --> 00:56:25.480
He's not going to miss one, he knows exactly where

940
00:56:25.480 --> 00:56:27.760
they are, and he's in control. How does that help

941
00:56:27.800 --> 00:56:33.519
me when four hundred and sixty thousand children are reported

942
00:56:33.559 --> 00:56:40.719
missing annually, four hundred and sixty thousand children are reported

943
00:56:40.800 --> 00:56:43.480
missing and annually, and I could break it down by

944
00:56:43.519 --> 00:56:50.079
country India, Germany, Canada, Australia. These figures suggests that millions

945
00:56:50.079 --> 00:56:53.239
of children are reported missing worldwide each year. It's important

946
00:56:53.239 --> 00:56:55.400
to note that many of these cases are resolved quickly,

947
00:56:55.519 --> 00:56:58.119
with children being found and return home safely. Nonetheless, the

948
00:56:58.159 --> 00:57:01.039
issue remains a significant global concern, highlighting the need for

949
00:57:01.079 --> 00:57:07.599
continued efforts and prevention, reporting, and recovery of missing children.

950
00:57:08.719 --> 00:57:11.239
Four hundred and sixty thousand. That's just the United States. Sorry,

951
00:57:11.400 --> 00:57:13.639
that's just the United States. I apologize. Four hundred and

952
00:57:13.639 --> 00:57:16.679
sixty thousand is in the United States, a ninety six

953
00:57:16.719 --> 00:57:20.639
thousand in India, one hundred thousand in Germany, forty five

954
00:57:20.760 --> 00:57:23.599
thousand in Canada, twenty thousand Australia.

955
00:57:23.679 --> 00:57:27.199
Those are just a few countries. So millions are missing now.

956
00:57:27.280 --> 00:57:30.679
Many are found quickly, yes, but many are never found.

957
00:57:31.000 --> 00:57:33.840
Many are found and it's not a good situation. So

958
00:57:34.119 --> 00:57:37.199
do you find great comfort if it's your child that's gone?

959
00:57:37.320 --> 00:57:39.480
And well, you know, God knows the names of all

960
00:57:39.480 --> 00:57:43.079
the planets and he has them all. It's all great. Now,

961
00:57:43.119 --> 00:57:46.960
Can I apply that to my circumstance again? In the

962
00:57:47.039 --> 00:57:51.360
historical context of Isaiah forty. Hey, God, God, he's in

963
00:57:51.400 --> 00:57:53.679
control of the stars and the heavens. And guess what,

964
00:57:54.039 --> 00:57:56.000
he knows where you are because he puts you in

965
00:57:56.000 --> 00:57:58.760
Babylonian captivity and he's going to bring you out. It

966
00:57:58.840 --> 00:58:04.760
has specific contextual, covenantal context. You pull it out of that,

967
00:58:06.360 --> 00:58:08.840
do you what happens?

968
00:58:10.880 --> 00:58:13.239
And I've gotten to the point where I think I've

969
00:58:13.440 --> 00:58:15.719
gotten all of the names of the people in our church,

970
00:58:15.800 --> 00:58:18.280
but once in a while, my mind may still go

971
00:58:18.400 --> 00:58:20.920
a little blank, and I may have to apologize for

972
00:58:20.920 --> 00:58:24.920
forgetting a name. You know, God can remember all the

973
00:58:25.039 --> 00:58:27.320
names of the trillions of stars in the universe. And

974
00:58:27.360 --> 00:58:30.440
what does that mean that? Certainly God does not forget

975
00:58:30.480 --> 00:58:37.000
his people. God never forgets a name. And reminded here

976
00:58:37.000 --> 00:58:40.039
as well, when it says he's all powerful, that means vigor,

977
00:58:40.119 --> 00:58:45.119
that means power to exert strength. He has all the power,

978
00:58:45.519 --> 00:58:51.000
all the resources, and nothing gets by his scrutiny. You

979
00:58:51.079 --> 00:58:56.159
may feel left behind, you may feel hidden away, And

980
00:58:56.199 --> 00:59:02.440
it's a reminder, as Isaiah says, gets past God's scrutiny.

981
00:59:03.920 --> 00:59:06.719
And then here's the main point here. I think of

982
00:59:06.760 --> 00:59:10.760
the whole chapter, because the people of Israel. By the

983
00:59:10.800 --> 00:59:13.719
time that they were sent to exile, they feeling like

984
00:59:13.800 --> 00:59:17.800
God had overlooked them and that he had forgotten them.

985
00:59:19.199 --> 00:59:23.519
And so Isaiah here has to remind and to change

986
00:59:23.559 --> 00:59:26.639
the wrong thinking of God's people of Israel. But he's

987
00:59:26.679 --> 00:59:30.920
also changing our wrong thinking, because when we go through

988
00:59:30.960 --> 00:59:33.960
troubles and hardships many times, what do we tend to think?

989
00:59:34.800 --> 00:59:38.440
We think, you know what? Things are too hard? It's

990
00:59:38.480 --> 00:59:40.920
like God doesn't even notice me. Does God even know

991
00:59:41.000 --> 00:59:45.519
I'm here anymore? Does he even know I exist? Does

992
00:59:45.599 --> 00:59:51.159
God care about the difficulties? Life seems so unfair? Right now?

993
00:59:51.840 --> 00:59:54.079
Why should I have to go through this? I've served

994
00:59:54.119 --> 00:59:56.679
God faithfully. It's unfair that I should have to go

995
00:59:56.760 --> 01:00:02.199
through these things. Doesn't God care? From a human standpoint,

996
01:00:02.239 --> 01:00:04.400
we could be tempted to think about that, So think

997
01:00:04.519 --> 01:00:09.719
like that. Sometimes it's wrong thinking. Look at verse twenty seven.

998
01:00:09.800 --> 01:00:12.880
God understands our frail toy. He knows we think this way,

999
01:00:12.920 --> 01:00:16.320
even if we don't always admit it. Why sayest thou, then,

1000
01:00:16.360 --> 01:00:20.360
oh Jacob, and speakest so Israel, my way is hid

1001
01:00:20.880 --> 01:00:23.639
from the Lord. He doesn't see me, He doesn't know

1002
01:00:23.679 --> 01:00:29.480
where I am. I'm inconsequential to him, and my judgment

1003
01:00:29.679 --> 01:00:34.880
or my rights are passed over, they're disregarded from my God.

1004
01:00:36.039 --> 01:00:41.079
In a culture that promotes rights. There's a whole culture

1005
01:00:41.119 --> 01:00:45.320
in our country today that's feeling a little impugned and

1006
01:00:46.320 --> 01:00:52.440
a little suppressed. And we may be tempted to think

1007
01:00:52.480 --> 01:00:54.639
that way as well. I have the right to do this.

1008
01:00:54.719 --> 01:00:58.000
I have the right to be able to drive where

1009
01:00:58.000 --> 01:01:02.079
I want to and go where I want to. And God,

1010
01:01:02.119 --> 01:01:06.840
it seems like you're ignoring me. And Isaiah says, yes,

1011
01:01:06.920 --> 01:01:09.280
we as human beings, we do tend to think that

1012
01:01:09.360 --> 01:01:15.119
way at times because we're weary. We're tired. But he

1013
01:01:15.199 --> 01:01:18.599
wants to remind us that God strengthens his children. Who

1014
01:01:18.599 --> 01:01:20.599
are I mean this?

1015
01:01:21.719 --> 01:01:25.079
I mean he mentions the original context just briefly, but

1016
01:01:25.159 --> 01:01:29.159
it's us us us us us us us us us us.

1017
01:01:29.400 --> 01:01:31.840
This is the this is the epitome.

1018
01:01:31.920 --> 01:01:36.719
This is the perfect example of narcissistic textual hijacking. He's

1019
01:01:36.760 --> 01:01:40.719
literally just hijacking this and just saying, I don't understand.

1020
01:01:41.960 --> 01:01:44.039
If there are no rules to what we do with

1021
01:01:44.119 --> 01:01:46.440
the text, ladies and gentlemen, then there's no point in

1022
01:01:46.519 --> 01:01:49.480
arguing about who's right or who's wrong. The text means

1023
01:01:49.519 --> 01:01:51.559
whatever you want it to mean. You can apply it

1024
01:01:51.599 --> 01:01:54.960
to where there's just no guidelines to it. It's just

1025
01:01:55.199 --> 01:01:56.760
anarch it's a free for all.

1026
01:01:59.159 --> 01:02:06.039
Are weary. God is superior over our deficient understanding. By

1027
01:02:06.079 --> 01:02:09.400
the way, here's just another help. The way that we

1028
01:02:09.480 --> 01:02:14.800
think about God drives our emotions. And if you're struggling

1029
01:02:15.239 --> 01:02:18.760
with being frustrated and angry with God, as we're all

1030
01:02:18.840 --> 01:02:21.719
tempted to be at one time or another, that is

1031
01:02:21.760 --> 01:02:24.679
a sign that you're thinking about God is not correct,

1032
01:02:25.679 --> 01:02:28.079
and that you need to go back and remind yourselves,

1033
01:02:28.159 --> 01:02:30.360
just as we're doing this morning, about the truths of

1034
01:02:30.400 --> 01:02:33.239
God's word and who he is, and then that will

1035
01:02:33.280 --> 01:02:37.960
direct your emotions. And Isaiah's calling to people to do that.

1036
01:02:38.000 --> 01:02:41.440
Look at verse twenty eight. He says, remember again, who

1037
01:02:41.559 --> 01:02:45.039
your God is? Hast thou not known? Hast thou not

1038
01:02:45.199 --> 01:02:48.639
heard that the Everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of

1039
01:02:48.719 --> 01:02:51.400
the ends of the earth. Who is this God that

1040
01:02:51.440 --> 01:02:56.559
we're referring to, Well, he's the eternal God. He's the Lord.

1041
01:02:56.639 --> 01:03:00.519
He's the God of Israel Yahweh, who meets all of

1042
01:03:00.559 --> 01:03:04.840
their needs and brings them into the Promised Land. He's

1043
01:03:04.920 --> 01:03:12.639
the creator over all, and he accomplishes magnificent, magnificent things.

1044
01:03:13.280 --> 01:03:16.760
Says here at the end, he fainteth not. Neither is weary.

1045
01:03:17.360 --> 01:03:24.599
God does incredibly powerful things. God makes the universe, and

1046
01:03:24.599 --> 01:03:29.519
it never wearies him, and he's never tired. He does

1047
01:03:29.599 --> 01:03:31.639
more work in one day than any of us can,

1048
01:03:32.840 --> 01:03:34.719
and he never gets tired at the end of the day.

1049
01:03:34.760 --> 01:03:38.239
He never fainteth not. He never feels weak in his strength,

1050
01:03:39.559 --> 01:03:44.840
but he maintains power and sovereign control at all times.

1051
01:03:45.480 --> 01:03:49.599
We need to remember that, even in these days when

1052
01:03:49.599 --> 01:03:52.239
we're a tempted to be discouraged, remember the God that

1053
01:03:52.280 --> 01:03:55.360
we serve, Remember his character, and that will turn our

1054
01:03:55.400 --> 01:03:59.079
emotions back to him and our thoughts back to him.

1055
01:04:00.440 --> 01:04:03.920
And as we do that, God then reminds us he

1056
01:04:04.039 --> 01:04:09.880
will renew the strength of the weary, even those with

1057
01:04:10.320 --> 01:04:13.480
the most energy and vigor among us the young.

1058
01:04:16.239 --> 01:04:18.760
So it sounds like the way we get comfort. As

1059
01:04:18.800 --> 01:04:22.039
I read my Bible, I remember how powerful and great

1060
01:04:22.079 --> 01:04:24.719
God is, and I take my thoughts back to God,

1061
01:04:24.840 --> 01:04:27.519
and then boom, I get encouragement because I know how

1062
01:04:27.519 --> 01:04:29.840
great God is. Because I see how great God is,

1063
01:04:30.119 --> 01:04:31.760
then I'll be like, well, see God is greater than

1064
01:04:31.800 --> 01:04:34.519
my circumstances, so that's the comfort I get. So really

1065
01:04:34.559 --> 01:04:37.920
it's just a matter of the way God comforts me,

1066
01:04:38.159 --> 01:04:41.039
and it's really it's it's just a feeling. I look

1067
01:04:41.079 --> 01:04:43.000
and see that God is greater than my circumstance. I

1068
01:04:43.039 --> 01:04:45.239
get a feeling then that I feel better, And then

1069
01:04:45.280 --> 01:04:48.760
that's the way comfort is. That's not offering any tangible comfort.

1070
01:04:48.920 --> 01:04:50.880
That's not saying God's going to use that power to

1071
01:04:50.920 --> 01:04:53.559
do anything for me. It's just I just like, well,

1072
01:04:53.599 --> 01:04:55.920
God is greater than my circumstances, so now I feel better.

1073
01:04:56.639 --> 01:04:59.280
Even though I'm taking all of this from a text

1074
01:04:59.320 --> 01:05:03.079
that has lit zero to do with me, and I'm

1075
01:05:03.119 --> 01:05:07.719
stealing this from people who God does tangible things for,

1076
01:05:08.000 --> 01:05:09.840
not theoretical things.

1077
01:05:09.559 --> 01:05:15.960
For still eventually get tired. We have young couples and

1078
01:05:16.000 --> 01:05:17.840
young people that are part of our church, and I'm

1079
01:05:17.880 --> 01:05:23.719
sure they're getting weary about the circumstances and discourage maybe sometimes.

1080
01:05:25.119 --> 01:05:28.000
So God gives us in the end here this beautiful

1081
01:05:28.039 --> 01:05:33.599
picture and wonderful blessing promise. Let's read verse twenty nine together.

1082
01:05:33.679 --> 01:05:38.480
He giveth power to the faint. The faint are those

1083
01:05:38.559 --> 01:05:42.239
who are weary, who can't go on any further. Lord,

1084
01:05:42.360 --> 01:05:46.760
I'm done. I can't go one more step. And God says,

1085
01:05:46.800 --> 01:05:49.639
I know, I'm going to give you my power.

1086
01:05:50.719 --> 01:05:55.840
You remember, God gives us his power in a theoretical

1087
01:05:55.880 --> 01:05:58.159
way and a practical way. All of a sudden, I'm like,

1088
01:05:58.199 --> 01:05:59.920
I can't go on, and all of a sudden, done,

1089
01:06:01.880 --> 01:06:03.239
I've got power.

1090
01:06:03.599 --> 01:06:04.880
What can I do with that power?

1091
01:06:05.039 --> 01:06:09.280
Is it practical? Or is that theoretical? Is it spiritual?

1092
01:06:09.679 --> 01:06:13.519
Can I stop sinning? Can I leap a building in

1093
01:06:13.559 --> 01:06:17.159
a single bound? Am I faster than a spitting bullet?

1094
01:06:18.000 --> 01:06:22.519
Able to leap a building? And whatever the famous saying

1095
01:06:22.639 --> 01:06:25.079
is from Superman? Okay, I know I'm messing it up.

1096
01:06:25.239 --> 01:06:28.719
You get the idea, and I'm joking around a little bit.

1097
01:06:28.719 --> 01:06:33.079
But like God gives me his power, Now, that's got

1098
01:06:33.119 --> 01:06:35.840
to be tangible, right, that's got to be practical. Right.

1099
01:06:38.159 --> 01:06:42.360
Remember, you're dependent upon me, and now you have my strength.

1100
01:06:42.440 --> 01:06:45.440
You can't do it on your own, but you can

1101
01:06:45.480 --> 01:06:50.679
go forward. You can go through this troubling time because

1102
01:06:50.719 --> 01:06:53.760
I'm going to give you my power. And to them

1103
01:06:53.800 --> 01:06:59.039
that have no might, no strength left, he increases strength. God,

1104
01:06:59.119 --> 01:07:03.039
I can't go any further, Yes, you can because you

1105
01:07:03.159 --> 01:07:06.400
rely on me, and I'm going to give you my

1106
01:07:06.599 --> 01:07:11.280
strength verse thirty Even.

1107
01:07:11.039 --> 01:07:13.960
The is it possible?

1108
01:07:14.039 --> 01:07:16.840
This is just a very poetic way of saying, Hey, Israel,

1109
01:07:17.199 --> 01:07:19.639
I'm going to get you through this, Judah, I'm going

1110
01:07:19.639 --> 01:07:21.360
to get you through this, and you're going to go

1111
01:07:21.400 --> 01:07:23.239
through the seventy years, and then I'm going to bring

1112
01:07:23.280 --> 01:07:25.960
you out and you're going to go back into the land.

1113
01:07:26.360 --> 01:07:28.880
Is this not just God fulfilling his covenantal promise to

1114
01:07:28.920 --> 01:07:32.519
a specific people who had specific promises that are not

1115
01:07:32.719 --> 01:07:33.480
necessarily for.

1116
01:07:33.599 --> 01:07:41.599
Us youths, Or that's probably the idea of adolescent teenagers

1117
01:07:41.920 --> 01:07:46.920
who are strong or think they're strong. Even those shall

1118
01:07:47.000 --> 01:07:51.000
faint and be weary. The young men, And then it says,

1119
01:07:51.039 --> 01:07:53.320
next the young men, those that are more mature, the

1120
01:07:53.400 --> 01:07:56.400
adult men who have earned the prime of their life

1121
01:07:56.440 --> 01:08:00.679
and their strength. Young men and young women, even they

1122
01:08:00.840 --> 01:08:06.159
get exhausted if they're honest, and God says, even the

1123
01:08:06.199 --> 01:08:08.119
ones that have the most energy, that are in the

1124
01:08:08.199 --> 01:08:12.119
prime of their lives still get tired and exhausted. But

1125
01:08:12.280 --> 01:08:16.680
I never get tired. And therefore, what is our response

1126
01:08:16.760 --> 01:08:20.560
to that? We need to lean on him, wait on

1127
01:08:20.720 --> 01:08:23.720
him Verse thirty one. They that wait upon the Lord

1128
01:08:24.239 --> 01:08:30.239
shall renew their strength. Wade has the idea of looking

1129
01:08:30.279 --> 01:08:32.680
out with confidence and full expectation.

1130
01:08:33.920 --> 01:08:39.119
Lord, two people in Babylonian captivity. Who's going to be

1131
01:08:39.119 --> 01:08:44.800
released from Babylonian captivity? A tangible promise? A tangible promise

1132
01:08:44.840 --> 01:08:45.800
to sustain that?

1133
01:08:48.680 --> 01:08:51.600
Lord, I can't go any further. I'm going to wait,

1134
01:08:51.680 --> 01:08:55.880
and I look to you in confidence. I expect you're

1135
01:08:55.920 --> 01:08:59.119
going to work, and I have full faith. This has

1136
01:08:59.159 --> 01:09:04.520
the idea of one's whole being. Father, you have all

1137
01:09:04.560 --> 01:09:06.680
of me, and I'm waiting on you to answer me.

1138
01:09:06.760 --> 01:09:11.479
I'm depending on you. I have no one else full faith.

1139
01:09:12.600 --> 01:09:15.560
As Peter said, Lord, where else are we going to turn?

1140
01:09:16.199 --> 01:09:19.680
You have the words of life. When we have that response,

1141
01:09:19.760 --> 01:09:25.279
God says, I'll gladly renew your strength. How do we

1142
01:09:25.359 --> 01:09:30.520
practically work this out? We trust God for strength to

1143
01:09:30.720 --> 01:09:35.279
serve every day with the full expectation that God will

1144
01:09:35.319 --> 01:09:40.239
fulfill his promises. Keep going, expect that God.

1145
01:09:40.000 --> 01:09:44.640
Will Yeah, expect God to fulfill promises not made to you.

1146
01:09:44.760 --> 01:09:48.920
That's a great way to help people. Hey, Hey, here's

1147
01:09:48.960 --> 01:09:51.960
some promises made to people and a specific go steal

1148
01:09:52.039 --> 01:09:55.199
those promises and then expect God to fulfill them. That

1149
01:09:55.520 --> 01:09:58.199
should work out great for you. That should work out great.

1150
01:10:00.039 --> 01:10:02.439
Fill this promise and give you the strength you need

1151
01:10:02.640 --> 01:10:05.439
in the wisdom to be a testimony for Jesus and

1152
01:10:05.520 --> 01:10:09.239
to get through the day. They show mount up with

1153
01:10:09.399 --> 01:10:13.000
wings as egles, this beautiful picture. They show run and

1154
01:10:13.079 --> 01:10:18.680
not be weary. They show walk and not faint. At

1155
01:10:18.720 --> 01:10:20.880
our house in Maryland, we had a lot of hawks

1156
01:10:21.560 --> 01:10:23.920
in the yard. It was always exciting to see a hawk,

1157
01:10:24.399 --> 01:10:29.159
beautiful creature that God has made amazing. But every so often,

1158
01:10:29.199 --> 01:10:30.840
I think there was a few times where we thought,

1159
01:10:31.079 --> 01:10:34.279
way up high we might have seen an egle fly by,

1160
01:10:34.439 --> 01:10:37.680
and that was even more exciting than the hawk, because

1161
01:10:37.680 --> 01:10:40.359
of a power and majesty. If you've ever seen an eagle,

1162
01:10:40.439 --> 01:10:42.560
even in a zoo, and you're looking at them closely,

1163
01:10:42.920 --> 01:10:46.399
beautiful animals, there's a majestic power there. You know, when

1164
01:10:46.399 --> 01:10:48.920
an eagle takes off, if you've ever seen that, it

1165
01:10:48.960 --> 01:10:57.079
makes flight look effortless, beauty, majesty, effortless. God can give

1166
01:10:57.159 --> 01:11:00.920
us strength so that we can mount up almost effortlessly

1167
01:11:01.159 --> 01:11:06.560
over our troubles and difficulties because He's given us power

1168
01:11:06.640 --> 01:11:10.920
and strength. Don't be weary, they shall run and not

1169
01:11:11.039 --> 01:11:14.479
be weary. This is the picture of giving full energy

1170
01:11:14.560 --> 01:11:17.640
to a task, giving our all for God, and not

1171
01:11:17.880 --> 01:11:21.039
being weary at the end. Yes, we can still serve God.

1172
01:11:21.119 --> 01:11:24.279
We can give him our all even these times, and

1173
01:11:24.359 --> 01:11:29.319
we will give his strength and we can go on.

1174
01:11:33.439 --> 01:11:36.279
Okay, we'll stop there. I think the point has been

1175
01:11:36.319 --> 01:11:39.920
made once again. How long did it take before we

1176
01:11:40.239 --> 01:11:44.039
ended up in Isaiah forty in this particular case, I

1177
01:11:44.079 --> 01:11:46.079
don't know, was it four or five seconds?

1178
01:11:46.359 --> 01:11:47.199
Six seconds?

1179
01:11:47.359 --> 01:11:49.840
And then it was us us us us uss us

1180
01:11:49.960 --> 01:11:54.279
as us us us us us us us. Because we

1181
01:11:54.319 --> 01:11:57.359
can do whatever we want with the Bible, there are

1182
01:11:57.399 --> 01:12:00.439
no rules. But I leave you with the those very

1183
01:12:00.439 --> 01:12:04.399
important questions, how do you obtain God's comfort? Exactly? Specifically?

1184
01:12:04.399 --> 01:12:05.960
What is it? Is it just a feeling?

1185
01:12:06.479 --> 01:12:08.840
And how do you find comfort in the fact that

1186
01:12:08.880 --> 01:12:13.720
God is more powerful, well greater than everything that you

1187
01:12:13.840 --> 01:12:17.720
can face. How does that make you feel better? How

1188
01:12:17.720 --> 01:12:21.560
does that bring you comfort?

1189
01:12:22.119 --> 01:12:22.239
All?

1190
01:12:22.319 --> 01:12:23.800
Right, there we go.

1191
01:12:25.159 --> 01:12:29.840
Now the goal is on Sunday, Isaiah forty, Isaiah forty

1192
01:12:29.880 --> 01:12:31.840
at least the first hour. At least the first hour,

1193
01:12:32.199 --> 01:12:34.520
because I feel like we're so far. We got to

1194
01:12:34.560 --> 01:12:37.800
get into this, so we're gonna get I haven't forgotten romans,

1195
01:12:37.920 --> 01:12:41.279
so we'll get into everything. But right now, I just

1196
01:12:41.359 --> 01:12:44.239
have a weather map sent to me by someone, and

1197
01:12:44.279 --> 01:12:46.520
it looks like Abilene Texta is about to be wiped

1198
01:12:46.560 --> 01:12:49.720
off the face of the earth because the storm, I

1199
01:12:49.720 --> 01:12:52.960
mean the radar. I don't know where this is. I

1200
01:12:52.960 --> 01:12:56.039
gotta look and see, but yeah, we'll see, so do

1201
01:12:56.079 --> 01:12:59.560
I If this storm is about to hit and blow

1202
01:12:59.640 --> 01:13:02.800
my house completely off the foundation, I see now, seen

1203
01:13:02.840 --> 01:13:05.399
how we get practical do I'm like, well, don't worry

1204
01:13:05.439 --> 01:13:08.119
about it, anybody, don't worry because God is greater than

1205
01:13:08.119 --> 01:13:10.960
the storm. Don't worry about it. But see that doesn't

1206
01:13:11.000 --> 01:13:13.800
have any practical promise that God is going to do

1207
01:13:13.840 --> 01:13:15.520
anything to stop said storm that.

1208
01:13:15.560 --> 01:13:16.520
I'm currently looking at.

1209
01:13:16.560 --> 01:13:19.159
That I'm hoping this radar is just a model of

1210
01:13:19.199 --> 01:13:20.960
something that's being predicted and it's not.

1211
01:13:21.000 --> 01:13:21.760
Really that close.

1212
01:13:22.000 --> 01:13:26.359
Because if it's that close, then well goodbye everyone. This

1213
01:13:26.520 --> 01:13:29.000
is my last broadcast because it looks really bad.

1214
01:13:29.159 --> 01:13:32.199
I'm hoping. I'm hoping it's not the case, but we

1215
01:13:32.239 --> 01:13:32.560
will say.

1216
01:13:32.560 --> 01:13:34.720
I'm going to go find out right now, but yeah,

1217
01:13:34.960 --> 01:13:37.600
I want you to think about it. So all right, everyone,

1218
01:13:37.640 --> 01:13:40.479
have a great day, God bless