Sunday, July 27

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This morning, last Sunday of July, moving in to August, I'm going to go ahead and have a word of prayer, and then we'll read from the 104th Psalm, and then we'll sing and worship together. Let's pray. Father in heaven, I just ask that you would be with us this morning as we gather together. We thank you for the encouragement that we find in our brothers and sisters in Christ. We thank you for this family that you have made us a part of. We thank you for your goodness toward us, toward your blessings that you have poured out on us. We thank you for your presence in both the good and in the difficult times, and we ask this morning as we come that you would help us to see your glory, that you would help us to see your truth, that you would be encouraged and comforted and corrected.

Amen. We're going to begin by reading from the 104th Psalm in just a minute, sort of fitting the theme of where we are in Isaiah 40, looking at God's greatness and the fact that he is incomparable. You can't compare him to anything. In the 104th Psalm, it is simply a recounting of God's sovereignty and his power over all creation. And so, it ends with this resolve after seeing how God has worked in and through and by creation. So, if you would be standing as we go ahead and read from the 104th Psalm, verses 33 and 34.

They are in the top part here. We'll open it up right in the first part. We'll read this together. We're going to read that at the end of our service. I will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praise to my God while I have being. May my meditation be pleasing to Him, for I rejoice in the Lord. This is God's Word.

This is God's Word. This is our God. This is who He is. He loves us. This is our God. This is what He does. He saves us. He bore the cross, beat the grave. Let heaven and earth proclaim. This is our God, King Jesus. Remember that fear that took our breath away? Faith so weak that we could barely pray. But He heard every word, every whisper. Now those altars in the wilderness tell the story of His faithfulness. Never once did He fail, and He never will. This is our God, this is who He is, He loves us. This is our God, this is what He does, He saves us. Before the cross, feed the grave. Let heaven and earth proclaim, this is our God, King Jesus. This is our God, this is who He is, He loves us. This is our God, this is what He does, He saves us.

Before the cross, feed the grave. Let heaven and earth proclaim, this is our God, King Jesus. You bore the cross, feed the grave. Let heaven and earth proclaim, this is our God, King Jesus. I cast my mind to Calvary, where Jesus bled and died for me. I see His wounds, His hands, His feet, my Savior on that cursed tree. His body bowed and drenched in tears. They laid Him down in Joseph's tomb. The entrance sealed by heavy stone. Messiah still and all alone. Oh, praise the name of the Lord our God. Oh, praise His name forevermore. For endless days, we will sing Your praise. Oh, Lord. Oh, Lord our God. And on the third, at break of dawn, the Son of Heaven rose again. Trappled air, where is your sting? The angels roar for Christ the King.

Oh, praise the name of the Lord our God. Oh, praise His name forevermore. For endless days, we will sing Your praise. Oh, Lord, oh, Lord our God. You shall return in robes of white. The blazing sun shall pierce the night, and I will rise. Among the saints, my gaze transfixed on Jesus' face. Oh, praise the name of the Lord our God. Oh, praise His name forevermore. For endless days, we will sing Your praise. Oh, Lord. Oh, Lord our God. Oh, praise the name of the Lord our God. Oh, praise His name forevermore. For endless days, we will sing Your praise. Oh, Lord. Oh, Lord our God. Oh, Lord. Oh, Lord our God. Amen. Amen. Amen.

...to gather around the table in a few moments. We'll be in Genesis 21 and Genesis 16 to lead our hearts to see the goodness of God. And so before we do that, we're going to sing "Turn Your Eyes."

. . . . Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. Turn your eyes to that hillside where justice and mercy embrace. There the Son of God gave His life for us, and our measureless death was erased. Jesus, to You we lift our eyes. Jesus, our glory and our Christ. We adore You, behold You, our Savior ever true. Oh, Jesus, we turn our eyes. We turn our eyes. Turn your eyes to the morning and see Christ the lion aware. What a glorious dawn, fear of death is gone. For we carry his life in our veins. Jesus, to you we lift our eyes. Jesus, our glory and our prize. We adore you, behold you, our Savior ever true. Oh, Jesus, we turn our eyes to you.

Turn your eyes to the heavens. Our King will return for His own. Every knee will bow, every tongue will shout all glory to Jesus. Jesus, to You He lifts our eyes. Jesus, our glory and our might. We adore You, behold You, our Savior ever true. O Jesus, we turn our eyes to You. Jesus, to You He lifts our eyes. Jesus, our glory and our might. We adore You, behold You, our Savior ever true. O Jesus, we turn our eyes to You. O Jesus, we turn our eyes to You.

In Genesis, the 16th chapter, and then again, and a few more pages over in Genesis 21, we meet a lady by the name of Hagar. And probably most of us, if we've been around church for any length of time, are familiar with the story of Hagar. She is a servant of Abraham and Sarah. She ends up bearing a son to Abraham when he and Sarah were unable to conceive, and instead of trusting God, they chose to trust in their own wisdom. Her story is one, I think, of struggle and of hurt and of difficulty, and both in Genesis, the 16th chapter, and in Genesis chapter 21, we find Hagar alone in the wilderness. And in Genesis chapter 16, it's because she is running away from the brokenness and the cruelty and the hurt that has been sort of put upon her.

Not things that she has necessarily chosen to be a part of, but things that have been done to her, and her only measure of control is to run, and she runs into the wilderness. And she finds herself by a spring of water, and in verse 10 of chapter 16, the angel of the Lord will appear to her and speak to her. And he gives her a message, a message to return, a message of hope, a message of promise, and then here is what she says in verse 13. So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, "You are a God of seeing." For she said, "Truly, I have seen him who looks after me." And so in the midst of the wilderness, alone, and feeling like she has been pursued and treated badly, and in a life full of hurt, she encounters the truth that God sees.

She even sees the runaway servant girl in the middle of the desert whose life has been full of pain and difficulty. And then in Genesis, the 21st chapter, it's a very similar situation. Instead of running away this time, she has been cast out, and this time she has the son that has been promised to her. And she is alone in the desert, and there is no more water, and not being able to bear what will happen to her child, she moves away because she says to herself, "I cannot watch what happens." And God, once again, comes, and He speaks to her and is with her, and in verse 19 it says this, "Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water, and went and filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink.

And both times in the wilderness, God brings to her, first of all, the truth and the knowledge that He sees, not just the great and the powerful and the important, but He sees the hurting and the broken, those who are running from their problems and struggling to try to find peace. He comes, and He sees them. And then here in Genesis 21, I like this picture that God opened her eyes, and she saw this well of water. A place of refreshment and a place of hope in the midst of the desert, and knowing God doesn't just see her, but He's the one who refreshes her. And here we come from the wilderness of a world filled with brokenness and hurt, and maybe we're running away. We're running away from our struggles or our hurts or our problems,

or maybe even running from the consequences of our sin. And here at the cross, we see the truth that God sees us, but He doesn't just see us. He comes near to us, and Jesus, God the Son, comes and takes on flesh, lives among us. He dies in our place for our sins, carrying the weight of all of our brokenness and shame. But maybe we come to the desert, or come to the cross from the desert, in the dryness and thirstiness of a world where nothing satisfies, nothing seems to nourish our souls, nothing seems to bring our thirst to bear. And we come this morning, maybe not running, but just tired and thirsty. And once again, we come to the cross, that spring of refreshment and nourishment as we see Jesus. Who nourishes our soul as the bread of life, who is the living water, who makes us never thirst again.

And we come and we are refreshed. So whether we are running or in need of refreshment this morning, we come to this table. And we lift our eyes and we turn our eyes to the God who sees us, and who saves us, and the God who provides for us and refreshes us. Let's go to hymn in prayer. Father in heaven, I thank you for this meal that nourishes us and refreshes us deep in our souls in the truth of the gospel. And remind us that so many times we are fearful and we've run, that you are our rock and our strength, and you are the God of our salvation. And that through Jesus, our sins are taken away and we are made new. And as we come tired and weary and hungry, may you give us rest and refreshment.

May you restore our souls, that even though we walk through a dry and often weary place, to know that you are with us and that you comfort us. So I ask that with this meal, that you would restore our souls, that you would turn our eyes to you. And I ask that you bless this bread and this cup. May we proclaim your son until he comes again. It's in his name we pray. Amen. If you would, take the bread with me, as Jesus shares with his disciples. And he says, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."

And if you would, take the cup, as Jesus says, "The blood of the New Covenant." And as often as you drink this, do this in remembrance of Jesus. We are moving to Isaiah 40. We'll have a word of prayer, and then we'll dive right into that. The text as a whole can be found there in your sermon handout. We'll sort of read it as we move through this morning. Two things to understand about our text is that it revolves around two questions, both sort of restated. And those questions are, "Who is like our God?" The picture of this text is that God is incomparable. So, if you would, let's go to God in prayer before we dive into His Word. Father, we thank You that You nourish our souls, that You strengthen our resolve, that You encourage our faint-heartedness,

and we thank You that we are able to come to the table together as a family to be strengthened and nourished. We thank You for Jesus and for grace. I just ask this morning that as we open Your Word, a text that may at first glance to us seem lengthy and difficult, filled with pictures that may seem distant to us, that You would, as You did with Lydia, open our eyes to understand the Scriptures. May You help us to see Your goodness and Your greatness, that You would help us to see that there is only one thing in this life that is truly able to be counted upon, and that is You. May You put things into perspective. May You call us to holiness. We thank You for Jesus, and it's in His name we pray. Amen.

So I don't know if you've ever been in a situation where your brakes had disappeared. It's happened a couple times, mostly safely for me, but I remember one specific time. I was probably 11 or 12 years old, and we were staying with my Aunt Judy, and they lived in the same sort of house with my other uncle and aunt and their children. It was very good friends with my cousins growing up, one of the things I was very thankful for. And during the time when Mom and Dad are away, the cousins and I were playing, and as we do getting into trouble, and my cousin Seth, we decided that we were going to take some bikes and go across the street from their house. And there was a little mountain, and when we talk about mountains, we're talking about like Vermont mountains, not like the Rocky Mountains.

And there was this little mountain, and up one side was like this really terrible trail filled with rocks. It was like walking up a riverbed, and it wasn't that tall, but at like 12 years old, it felt like we were climbing Everest. And then down the backside were a bunch of roads, and we said, "Hey, you know what? Let's take the bikes up to the top of this hill," or to us it seemed like a mountain, "and let's ride down the other side as fast as we can." Just, you know, we were bored. It was summertime. We're going to go out and do something adventurous. And so we proceeded to do this. Now the thing about when you go to a friend's house and borrow a bike, right, you never get the good bike, right? You never get the bike where the brakes work.

And that was this case, but I didn't know this. So we, like, there's no riding up this back trail, so we hike our bikes up to the top, which was an achievement in and of itself. So we get to the top, and we're getting ready to go down. And as we're going down to, like, the first big corner, my cousin goes, "Yeah, you only have front brakes." And it was at that point where I had applied the brakes very hard, and then next thing you know, I'm, like, rolling down the road. And, you know, I picked myself up and dusted myself off and then just kind of hoped and prayed for the rest of the ride down the hill. It's like you sort of hope for the best. You don't know where you're going to end up going.

And there's times where life just sort of feels like it might be a little bit out of control. And sometimes our life feels like it is out of control because our pride and our self-sufficiency begin to wear thin. And we begin to sort of look at what is happening in our life, and we see that maybe I'm not as in control as I once thought I was. Maybe I don't have circumstances handled as well as I once thought I did. This has happened to me a lot as a kid. I would always say to my mom, "Hey mom, look at this!" And she eventually stopped looking because every time she would look, we'd end up in a trip to the emergency room because I thought I had it under control and never did. And this happens to our plans in life.

One minute we have everything all figured out and everything all laid out, and the next minute it seems like it's all out of our control and we're careening down the hill with no brakes. But then there's another way that life can seem out of control, not just when our pride and self-sufficiency begin to wear thin, but also because of our discouragement and sorrow. And it may feel like we're out of control and we're sort of stuck in this rut. And even though we know we should be over here or over there, we're stuck in the same path and we don't have any control to move to the right or the left, and even though we know that this is not the place for us, it feels like we just can't get there. And so in some cases, it's sorrow and discouragement. And in some cases, it's pride and self-sufficiency.

And they're both symptoms of the same problem. It's symptoms of the fact that we're depending on ourselves to make it work, or something that we have created to make it work. And in the midst of this, there's a third problem. Because the reality of this isn't just a symptom of a heart that is either proud or sorrowful because it's depending upon itself. It's a symptom of a spiritual battle, where our enemy is happy to see us out of control, and careening through life, whether it's in pride or whether it's in sorrow. And you find that Satan doesn't care which it is, as long as we are there depending upon ourselves. And so our text this morning, Isaiah chapter 40 beginning in verse 18, is centered around two questions. We find them in verse 18 and in verse 25.

And this text calls us to stop our headlong rushing and to turn our eyes toward the greatness and goodness of God. We're called to behold Him, and in beholding Him we find comfort. Now these questions, in some cases, will gently slow you down. As we begin to see who God is, in some cases what they do is they take that headlong rush, and they sort of bring us to a gentle stop. Now in other cases, as I was out throwing the ball for the dog or kicking the ball for the dog, who likes to herd things that move fast, and not really paying attention to where I was kicking the ball right, kick it right toward a tree. And he's so focused on that, right? The ball goes into the tree and the dog is right there with it.

Nobody was hurt, and it was kind of hilarious, but sometimes these questions, right, they bring us up short like that. And so what we're going to see this morning is that in some cases, right, this will bring us to sort of a gentle stop and turn us around, and then in some cases it's a little bit like hitting a brick wall. And so this morning we hear these words from Isaiah as he tells us that we are to behold God, and in verse 1, comfort, and here's our premise, that comfort comes from beholding the incomparable greatness of God. And all of us have heard things that sound good in theory, but when the reality is to put them into practice, it's much different. Every project I've ever done around the house, I say, "I can do this in 15 minutes."

Right? Six hours and eight trips to Lowe's later, I'm finally finished. And this is one of those places for us, because we're not just learning, right? We're fighting against pride and discouragement, not just in our hearts, but in a spiritual battle. And to hear these words, that comfort comes from beholding the incomparable greatness of God. It says, "That sounds good, but how do I make that work?" And so our text this morning will help us with this. And the first thing our text calls us to do is stop and ask this question, "Who is like our God?" Whether it's the headlong rush of pride, or sort of that discouraged trudging of disappointment and sorrow, what God does is He interrupts our path to destruction with this question. And the purpose of this question, whether gently or whether very forcefully, is to bring us to stillness.

Isaiah 40:18 says this, "To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness will you compare with Him?" I don't know if you've ever had a bad picture taken. Some of you probably never have. I have frequently had bad pictures taken. And primarily, it's always the picture that's going to be either displayed somewhere, or that you're going to have to deal with for a number of years. And so I remember my first driver's license here in Virginia. Very young, like a 23, 24-year-old Brandon. No beard, right, standing there, very different hair, standing there, getting my picture taken. And I met Rachel, and she was like, "Man, I only date guys with beards." And so I grew a beard, right. All these things happened. And so here I am, like, you're getting ready to get on a plane one time.

Like, can we see your photo ID? You hand him the photo ID, and they're going, "Is this the same guy who used to be here?" Because the picture was, first of all, it was a bad picture, right? You always have a dorky look on your face. But then I looked completely different as well. And the point that he's going to make, and we'll see this sort of play out through the text, is all of these things that we're hoping for and trusting in apart from God. It's like a really bad picture of the reality. That none of it really actually does what God does. None of it looks like God looks. And at the end of this argument, we will see this wonderful comfort that is here for us. The second question, same thing. "To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him?" says the Holy One.

Same question, just rephrased, and the answer is the same. "There is no one like God." Now this has a little bit of an edge to it. It says, "To whom then will you compare me, who is like our God, that I should be like him?" God says, "Who is there that I should change to be like?" And what he's saying is that there is, once again, nobody. And God is saying to our hungry souls, "I am all that you need." And what a question should do, if we are honest, is maybe unsettle us a little bit, and then settle our hearts in God's goodness and greatness. So the first thing we do is we stop, and we ask. We evaluate. We look at what is happening. And these questions, right, they're not meant to get information from us, but rather to cause us, in our headlong rush,

to stop and evaluate and say, "Who is like God? Who can I compare God to? Is there anyone greater than God?" And the answer is no. And what I love about Scripture is that so many times you have these premises, "Who is like God?" Nobody. Okay, it's great to say that, but now He's going to go ahead and prove it. And so we go from stopping to now, we go to this place where we look and we see the reality. It's not just a premise or a fact, but it's given to us with proof. You see, we're masters of comparison, right? You want to buy a new TV? Some of you compare the stats. How bright does it go? How dark does the darkest part go? Some of you just compare the size. How big is it? Some people just compare the price. How cheap is it?

And we do this, right? This is my favorite grocery store because. This is my favorite restaurant because. Because. This is my favorite type of car because. And God here is saying, as we begin to see these comparisons, He's like, "All right, sinners. It's time to stop worshiping other things. Let's do what comes naturally to you and begin to compare." And so what I love what God does is He takes the thing we naturally like to do, which is compare things, and goes, "If you're going to compare, compare honestly." And let's take an honest look at what you've been trusting versus who I am. And what you'll find, there are four areas of comparison in these next couple verses. The first is idols, or we might say objects of worship. We find this in verse 19 and 20.

An idol, a craftsman casts it, a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts for it silver chains. He who is too impoverished for an offering can't afford the gold idol. He is too impoverished for an offering chooses wood that will not rot. He seeks out a skillful craftsman to set up an idol that will not move. Now, I want us to understand because one of the lies about idolatry is that are only a prize to other people who have statues they bow down and worship. Idols are ultimately not carved statues. It is a sickness of the heart that drives us to worship things other than God. And what I mean by worship is devoting our lives to these things, putting our hope in these things, making our happiness conditional upon these things. If I can have this, I'll be happy. If I can have this, I'll be at peace. If I can

have this, if I can do this, I'll be strong. And what you have is this picture of worship, which is an undying focus and a willingness to do anything to get it. And idolatry is simply doing that to anything other than God. And what you find is it ultimately doesn't satisfy. And if you want a picture of what idolatry looks at, you should come meet our little dog, Ranger. And his idolatry is anything that you are eating. If you want to see hyper-focus, eyes locked not onto you, not caring a bit about you, you are just a means of food delivery. And if he can take it by force, he will. And when he gets it, he eats it. And guess what? Nothing changes. Still as hungry as he was in the beginning, still as focused as he was in the beginning, and that is the

picture of idolatry in the human heart. Where we say, "This is what I want, and if I can get it, it makes me happy." And we get it, and we're just as empty as we were before. It's never enough. So see the comparison in these verses that are being made. First of all, idols are man-made, right? A craftsman casts it. A goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts silver chains. And then you have a skilled craftsman. But also notice there's only an appearance of goodness, right? The gold of this statue, or the gold of the thing that we worship and desire, maybe not physical gold, but that thing that attracts us to it. Notice it only goes a tiny, tiny layer. A craftsman casts it. This idol has been casted in the first verse with metal, but it's not

solid metal because it's now overlaid with gold, right? The thing that makes it appear valuable is only on the surface, which means it only looks good until you try it. And then notice this. And it might not be immediately apparent, but these idols are fragile. You see it in these words in this verse. And cast for it silver chains. And this is not decoration where you've got some kind of blinged out idol with a bunch of big chains, right? These are ways of securing it so it does not move because one of the worst things that can happen for your God is if he tips over, right? Not much of a God if he's constantly tipping over. But then see it again in the second part in verse 20. He chooses a wood that does not rot. Why?

Because if the base that your idol is sitting upon rots, what happens if your idol tips over? And he looks for a craftsman with this purpose: to set up an idol that will not move. Now this is not a picture necessarily of the idol moving in power. The picture is here, the idol can't move because it's set in such a way that it's fragile and we don't want it tipping over. And it's a bit ridiculous. Elsewhere we find this comparison. A guy looks at a piece of wood and he goes, "This part will be great for a campfire and cooking food, and this part I'm going to carve into an idol, bow down, and worship." And here's the question. How many of us have made something else that we have decorated and placed our trust in? It

may be our carefully curated image. It could be our future plans. It could be our status. It could be our things. What he says here in the comparison to God is if it's made by man, it's limited by man and it only looks good and eventually it will tip over. The second way in which these things that we chase do not compare to God is in human wisdom. Look at this. Do you not know? Do you not hear? Have you not been told from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? Now these are questions, but they're not really questions. They're questions worded in such a way that they expect an answer. Do you not know? Yes, I know. Do you not hear? Yes, I've heard. Has it not been told to you from the beginning?

Yes, it has. These are questions that grammatically are designed as questions, but are as statements. It's like this. Somebody pulls you over and the police officer goes, "Do you want a speeding ticket?" The answer is no, right? He's not really asking a question. He's making a statement. And what he says is that in human wisdom, right, he's talking about God you have known and you've heard since the very beginning. And just in case you're sort of still stuck on the idols, he says their beginning is manufactured. And at the beginning here is not the beginning of God, but the beginning of the world in which God created all things. And what that means, and the picture of what it is for us, is that all that we know never compares to what God knows. Think about how things change as we move through. Things that used to be told were bad for us are now good for us.

Things that were good for us now are bad for us. Everything changes: hairstyles, fashion, music. Everything is in continual flux. In the same way the third grader can't do math like a college professor, so human wisdom is constantly, as much as we can learn and know, but God still is greater, and He is the true instructor. And what you find here is, if we're keeping track, the things we worship and the things that we know cannot compare to God. And then He says, "Look at this. Go outside and look at the world. It is He who sits above the circle of the earth. Its inhabitants are like grasshoppers who stretches out," and then it talks about God, "who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in."

Right? Compare the power of creation in the world that we look at. I can't control the heat or the cold. I can try to control the heat and the cold of the container that I'm in, whether that's a building or a car, but I can't control it outside. And here He says, "Look at the greatness of the world in which you live, which humans have a tendency to try to worship as well." And He says, "Go back to those idols, those things that we worship. They have to have a base that doesn't rot, chains and ratchet straps to keep them from tipping over." Look at God. Your idol over here is ratchet straps, a wooden base that doesn't rot, so it doesn't move. And now here is God, who is not contained by the earth.

He is not comparable to the things of the earth. Its inhabitants are like grasshoppers. He is the creator of all things. Look at this. Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them like a tent to dwell in. And we might say, well, if you've ever set up a tent, it can be a task sometimes. Sometimes, but if you're strong enough and you have practice, it goes a little easier. In fact, we got a new tent last year. We were camping. Once you get it all unrolled and set out flat, you grab it in the middle and pick it up, and the poles all lock into place, and you stake it down, and in just a few moments you have a tent. And the picture here is that as easy as it is for us to put up a canopy or a tent as it is for God to stretch out the stars in the sky.

And maybe you've manufactured something to worship, or pursued knowledge, or tried to minimize God's greatness, and now we look to God's power. Here, verses 23 and 24. "Speaking of God, who brings the princes to nothing, makes the rulers of earth as emptiness, scarcely are they planted, scarcely are they sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, and He blows on them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble. All human strength, power, positions of importance are empty before God." Right? We understand portions. Right? The portion that we may feed like a two-year-old, compared to the portion we eat as an adult, one is big, and one is small. And that's the picture of the power of the greatest things in this world. The princes and the rulers are before God. All human strength, all human power, all human position.

That's the picture of the word "princes." Their importance is, all these positions of importance are temporary. Like crops that are planted, and they're gone. And so the question is, if these things I've worshipped don't work, if the knowledge I have is not enough, if the power and the greatness that I can try to trust in is nowhere in comparison to God, if the political power and the prestige that I have sought, who can I trust? What can I trust? And what God has done is, in these questions, He has emptied us out, and now He fills us up. "To whom will you compare me that I should be like Him," says the Holy One. You see, the things that I have directed my heart to are simply imitations of what I truly need. The wisdom that we have pursued is constantly changing and being resigned.

The greatness of earth pales in comparison to the greatness of God. Human strength, human power, human prestige is empty and temporary. Everything in this world breaks under the weight of our need. Only God can hold us fast. And so we go from stopping and listening to looking and seeing. And now we're called to rest and trust, because our God knows us and He keeps us. Lift up your eyes on high and see. Who created these? He says, "Go outside." "Go outside at night and look up to the stars. He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of His might. And because He is strong in power, not one is missing." There are two ways that we can stop our headlong rush of pride and discouragement and then turn our eyes to the greatness of God.

The first is to see the emptiness of all the things that we have trusted in. They're not enough. They're not strong enough. They don't last. The second is to see the greatness of God. And in verse 26, we're directed to behold His greatness in the stars. And notice what it says. First of all, God created these. Secondly, He knows them. And notice how He knows them. He knows how many there are, calling out their host by number. And secondly, look at this, by name. Think about what that means. If you look at the stars in the sky at night, God knows exactly how many there are. And He has a name for every single one of them. And look at what He says. "And by the greatness of His might, and because He is strong in power, not one is missing."

Have you ever tried to watch a big group of kids, maybe somewhere where there's a lot of other people? We were at a playground a couple months ago with some extra kids, and there was a bunch of people there. All right, and you're standing and you're watching, and the whole time you're kind of counting. You're like, "I see that one, that one, that one. See that one, that one. Where's the seventh one?" And then you see the seventh one, but number two and three have disappeared, and you're constantly... I remember coming back from that party and just being tired because I was trying to keep track of where everybody was. And it was just like six kids. It felt like twelve, but it was just six. And here is God. Look up at the stars in the sky. He knows how many they are. He knows their names.

But here's the thing. He knows where all of them are at every moment, and not one is missing. There is never a point where God goes, "I don't know where the sun went. I don't know where Alpha Centauri went." He knows where every single one of them is at any moment. And here's the remarkable encouragement of this message. What God does for the stars, He does for you. God created you. He knows not just how many of us there are, but He knows our names. But more than that, in the Gospels, Jesus will say that He knows the very hairs on your head. Now, for some of us, that's more of an accomplishment than it is for others. But the picture there is not He knows the people who have more hair than He knows the people with less hair.

The picture is that God knows the every detail of who you are. And that because of His might and because He is strong in power, not one is missing. And what Isaiah has shown us so far in this chapter, that this remarkable power is not far off from us. That it's not distant from us. That God is near. And it's interesting, I've seen a bunch of places in the last week or so running sales with the idea of Christmas in July. We're halfway to Christmas. Let's sell stuff like it's Christmas. It's Christmas in July. But for us as Christians, Christmas is bigger and more wonderful than all the celebrations and the gathering because at the heart of Christmas is this truth, is that God is with us. In Matthew chapter one, you shall call his name Emmanuel, which means that God is with us.

That all of those things that we have chased and we have sought power, knowledge, position, pride, all those things that we have hoped in and put our hearts in, they are hollow before the might of God. But notice this: because of his might, and because he is strong in power, not one is missing. It's not just a message for the stars, it's a message for you and I. Whether we are humbled in the reality that we can't do it, but God can, or maybe that we're encouraged in the fact that we can't do it, but God can, the purpose of this is to lift our eyes to the greatness and the goodness of God and see that there is nothing that compares to him. Let's pray. Father in heaven, may you captivate our hearts and our souls with your greatness.

May we not chase after things that are smaller and weaker. May you rescue us from our pride and from our discouragement. We know that there is none like you. Help us to worship in spirit and in truth. May you strengthen and encourage us. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. We're going to stand and we're going to sing "Turn Your Eyes." Alright, set my hope on Jesus. I'm sorry. When this life of trials test my faith, I set my hope on Jesus. When the questions come and doubts remain, I set my hope on Jesus. For the deepest wounds the time won't heal. There's a joy that runs still deeper. There's a truth that's more than all I feel. I set my hope on Jesus. I set my hope on Jesus. My rock, my only trust. Who set his heart upon me first? I set my hope on Jesus.

Though I falter in this war with sin, I set my hope on Jesus. When I feel the fight and sink within, I set my hope on Jesus. Though the shame would drown me in its sea, and I dread the wave of justice, I will cast my life on Calvary. I set my hope on Jesus. I set my hope on Jesus. My God, my only trust. You set His heart upon me first. I set my hope on Jesus. I set my hope on Jesus. Though the world call me to leave my Lord, I set my hope on Jesus. Though it offer all its vain rewards, I set my hope on Jesus. Though this heart of mine is prone to stray, give me grace enough to finish. Till I worship on that final day, I set my hope on Jesus.

I set my hope on Jesus. I set my hope on Jesus. My rock, my only trust. You set his heart upon me first. I set my hope on Jesus. I set my hope on Jesus. My rock, my only trust. You set his heart upon me first. I set my hope on Jesus. I set my hope on Jesus.

We are so very thankful that you are here with us this morning. We'll be back here Wednesday night for our midweek Bible study. Just a couple things by way of announcement. On August, I think, 13th, we're going to have, that's a Wednesday night at 6 p.m., we're going to have sort of a neighborhood cookout. We've been asked by a couple of neighbors. We did this a couple years ago, once a month during the summer. I said, "Are you guys going to have some more cookouts?" So we're going to do that this August, August 13th, just a couple, I think it's like the third Wednesday from now. So that will be at 6 p.m. We'll have some more details for that. Also, in your bulletin, there's an announcement about the Bible study that we are beginning on September 10th.

If you want to take a look at that, we'll have some more details coming for that as well. Go ahead and pray. We'll read the verse from the 104th Psalm that was on the screen a bit ago, and then we will sing the doxology and be dismissed. Father in heaven, just be with us. May we glorify you. We are so thankful that you have gathered us together. May in all things we glorify you. May we encourage one another. May we reach out with light, your light, into this dark world. Thank you for Jesus. It's in his name we pray. Amen. In the 104th Psalm, "May the glory of the Lord endure forever. May the Lord rejoice in his work, who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke." And this reminder of God's greatness and his power and his bigness, may it go through with us through this week as we move out from here.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow. Praise him, all creatures here below. Praise him, above ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.