1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:29,980 Thank you. 2 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:59,980 Thank you. 3 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:29,980 Thank you. 4 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:19,720 Good morning. 5 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:27,060 We are glad to be here this morning, first Sunday in August. 6 00:02:27,060 --> 00:02:32,840 We're going to begin with the word of prayer, and then we're going to move into our Scripture 7 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:39,600 reading and some songs as we talk about what it means to hope in God this morning, to see 8 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:46,360 his greatness and his goodness, especially in the midst of despair and doubt from Isaiah, 9 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:47,440 the 40th chapter. 10 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:48,880 So that's where we're going. 11 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:53,080 We're going to do our service just a little bit differently this morning. 12 00:02:53,080 --> 00:03:00,160 Instead of having communion before our message, we're going to move into that as we wrap up our message, 13 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:05,520 sort of using our sermon as sort of maybe an extended communion devotion, 14 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:12,500 leading us to our hope in God and the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf. 15 00:03:12,500 --> 00:03:15,880 So we're going to pray, and then we'll read from the 33rd Psalm together. 16 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:22,540 Father in heaven, I thank you for Jesus and for grace and for the hope that you have bestowed into our lives. 17 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:28,020 I just ask this morning as we gather to worship that you would encourage our weary hearts, 18 00:03:28,020 --> 00:03:32,420 that you would strengthen us for work in your kingdom, 19 00:03:32,420 --> 00:03:38,540 that you would help us to see both your greatness and your goodness and to be transformed. 20 00:03:38,540 --> 00:03:41,200 And so help us this morning as we gather to worship. 21 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:43,180 May we fix our eyes on you. 22 00:03:43,180 --> 00:03:45,520 It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 23 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:53,060 If you would be standing, we're going to start by reading from the 33rd Psalm together this morning. 24 00:03:53,080 --> 00:04:00,680 Our soul waits for the Lord. He is our help and our shield. 25 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:07,800 For our heart is glad in Him, because we trust in His holy name. 26 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:15,560 Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in You. 27 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:17,220 This is God's Word. 28 00:04:17,220 --> 00:04:21,100 We're going to start by singing this morning, Our God Saves. 29 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:33,140 In the name of the Father 30 00:04:33,140 --> 00:04:35,460 In the name of the Son 31 00:04:35,460 --> 00:04:38,240 In the name of the Spirit 32 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:40,280 Lord, we come 33 00:04:40,280 --> 00:04:42,960 We are gathered together 34 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:45,200 To lift up your name 35 00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:47,880 To call on our Savior 36 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:50,360 To fall on your grace 37 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:55,400 Hear the joyful sound of our offering 38 00:04:55,400 --> 00:05:00,500 As your saints bow down, as your people sing 39 00:05:00,500 --> 00:05:05,520 We will rise with you, lifted on your wings 40 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:09,460 And the world will see that 41 00:05:09,460 --> 00:05:13,780 Our God saves 42 00:05:13,780 --> 00:05:18,660 Our God saves 43 00:05:18,660 --> 00:05:27,940 There is hope in your name 44 00:05:27,940 --> 00:05:38,260 Morning turns to songs of praise 45 00:05:38,260 --> 00:05:48,040 Our God saves, our God saves 46 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:53,900 In the name of the Father, in the name of the Son 47 00:05:53,900 --> 00:05:58,600 In the name of the Spirit, Lord, we come 48 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:03,560 We are gathered together to lift up your name 49 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:08,720 To call on our Savior, to fall on your grace 50 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:13,800 Hear the joyful sound of our offering 51 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:18,800 As your saints bow down, as your people sing 52 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:23,880 We will rise with you, lifted on your wings 53 00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:27,820 And the world will see that 54 00:06:27,820 --> 00:06:32,140 Our God saves 55 00:06:32,140 --> 00:06:37,000 Our God saves 56 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:41,020 There is hope 57 00:06:41,020 --> 00:06:56,640 In your name, morning turns to songs of praise. 58 00:06:56,640 --> 00:07:06,400 Our God saves, our God saves. 59 00:07:11,020 --> 00:07:32,700 Bless the Lord, O my soul 60 00:07:32,700 --> 00:07:36,120 O my soul 61 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:40,640 Worship His holy name 62 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:54,180 Sing like never before, oh my soul, I'll worship your holy name. 63 00:07:54,180 --> 00:08:06,180 The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning. 64 00:08:06,180 --> 00:08:10,440 It's time to sing your song. 65 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:15,460 Again, whatever may pass 66 00:08:15,460 --> 00:08:19,660 And whatever lies before me 67 00:08:19,660 --> 00:08:27,780 Let me be singing when the evening comes 68 00:08:27,780 --> 00:08:35,640 Bless the Lord, O my soul 69 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:38,960 O my soul 70 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:43,700 Worship His holy name 71 00:08:43,700 --> 00:08:48,840 Sing like never before 72 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:52,040 Oh my soul 73 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:57,060 I'll worship Your holy name 74 00:08:57,060 --> 00:09:05,100 You're rich in love 75 00:09:05,100 --> 00:09:15,100 And you're slow to end up. Your name is great and your heart is kind. 76 00:09:15,100 --> 00:09:22,160 For all your goodness I will keep on singing. 77 00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:30,340 Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find. 78 00:09:35,100 --> 00:09:41,820 Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul. 79 00:09:41,820 --> 00:09:46,660 Worship His holy name. 80 00:09:46,660 --> 00:09:54,900 Sin like never before, O my soul. 81 00:09:54,900 --> 00:09:59,860 I'll worship Your holy name. 82 00:10:05,100 --> 00:10:12,100 and on that day when my strength is failing 83 00:10:12,100 --> 00:10:18,100 the end draws near and my time has come 84 00:10:18,100 --> 00:10:26,100 still my soul will sing your praise unending 85 00:10:26,100 --> 00:10:34,100 ten thousand years and then forevermore 86 00:10:34,100 --> 00:10:44,700 Bless the Lord, oh my soul, oh my soul 87 00:10:44,700 --> 00:10:49,700 Worship His holy name 88 00:10:49,700 --> 00:10:57,840 Sing like never before, oh my soul 89 00:10:57,840 --> 00:11:04,080 I'll worship your holy name 90 00:11:04,080 --> 00:11:07,860 Bless the Lord, O my soul 91 00:11:07,860 --> 00:11:11,080 O my soul 92 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:16,180 Worship His holy name 93 00:11:16,180 --> 00:11:20,980 Sin like never before 94 00:11:20,980 --> 00:11:24,240 O my soul 95 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:28,780 I'll worship your holy name. 96 00:11:28,780 --> 00:11:36,060 Yes, I will worship your holy name. 97 00:11:36,060 --> 00:11:42,680 Lord, I'll worship your holy name. 98 00:11:54,240 --> 00:12:24,220 Thank you. 99 00:12:24,240 --> 00:12:54,220 Thank you. 100 00:12:54,240 --> 00:13:24,220 Thank you. 101 00:28:54,240 --> 00:29:17,260 All right, in a moment, we're going to move into the 40th chapter of the book of Isaiah, 102 00:29:17,260 --> 00:29:22,760 moving into a passage that is probably familiar to us. 103 00:29:22,760 --> 00:29:30,560 In fact, maybe for some, the most familiar passage in Isaiah is certainly one of the most famous ones. 104 00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:34,280 It's made it on a lot of coffee cups. We'll talk about that next week. 105 00:29:34,280 --> 00:29:36,100 We're going to get a little bit of a precursor to that. 106 00:29:36,100 --> 00:29:42,540 But the heart of Isaiah 40 is that it is the beginning of comfort for God's people. 107 00:29:42,540 --> 00:29:48,000 And that comfort comes from seeing and beholding God's greatness, 108 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:53,920 his eternal nature, his power, all of his goodness and greatness together. 109 00:29:53,920 --> 00:29:59,960 So before we go to Isaiah 40 and then end in a few moments with the Lord's Supper, 110 00:29:59,960 --> 00:30:04,120 sort of bringing that into perspective, we're going to start by singing Behold Our God. 111 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:24,140 Who has held the oceans in His hands? 112 00:30:24,140 --> 00:30:30,600 Who has numbered every grain of sand? 113 00:30:30,600 --> 00:30:37,440 Kings and nations tremble at His voice. 114 00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:43,620 All creation rises to rejoice. 115 00:30:45,700 --> 00:30:58,020 Behold our God, seated on His throne, come let us adore Him. 116 00:30:58,020 --> 00:31:12,020 Behold our King, nothing can compare, come let us adore Him. 117 00:31:12,020 --> 00:31:17,520 Who has given counsel to the Lord? 118 00:31:17,520 --> 00:31:24,160 Who can question any of His words? 119 00:31:24,160 --> 00:31:30,740 Who can teach the one who knows all things? 120 00:31:30,740 --> 00:31:36,940 Who can do all His wondrous deeds? 121 00:31:38,680 --> 00:31:46,400 Behold our God, seated on His throne. 122 00:31:46,400 --> 00:31:51,020 Come, let us adore Him. 123 00:31:51,020 --> 00:31:59,040 Behold our King, nothing can compare. 124 00:31:59,040 --> 00:32:06,400 Come, let us adore Him. 125 00:32:08,680 --> 00:32:38,660 We'll be right back. 126 00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:44,760 Bearing all the guilt of sinful man 127 00:32:44,760 --> 00:32:51,480 God eternal, humble to the grave 128 00:32:51,480 --> 00:32:58,420 Jesus, Savior, is in mount to reign 129 00:32:58,420 --> 00:33:08,080 Behold our God, seated on His throne 130 00:33:08,080 --> 00:33:12,800 Come let us adore him 131 00:33:12,800 --> 00:33:18,200 Behold our King 132 00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:21,080 Nothing can compare 133 00:33:21,080 --> 00:33:28,260 Come let us adore him 134 00:33:28,260 --> 00:33:37,580 Behold our God 135 00:33:37,580 --> 00:33:45,220 Seated on His throne, come let us adorn Him. 136 00:33:45,220 --> 00:33:53,280 Behold our King, nothing can compare. 137 00:33:53,280 --> 00:34:00,280 Come let us adorn Him. 138 00:34:00,280 --> 00:34:05,760 Let's go ahead and pray. 139 00:34:05,980 --> 00:34:12,600 Father in heaven, we thank you for your greatness and your goodness that has been poured out upon us. 140 00:34:12,600 --> 00:34:19,220 I just ask this morning as we look at your answer to what to do in the midst of despair, 141 00:34:19,220 --> 00:34:25,760 as maybe sometimes in the midst of difficulty it can be easy to doubt your goodness, 142 00:34:25,760 --> 00:34:29,100 may we see that, how it has been poured out upon us. 143 00:34:29,100 --> 00:34:35,280 So help us this morning, help us with your word, help us with our hearts, may we fix our eyes on you. 144 00:34:35,380 --> 00:34:37,640 It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 145 00:34:37,640 --> 00:34:44,560 So there are things most of us understand that go very well together, 146 00:34:44,560 --> 00:34:46,800 sort of pairings that just sort of fit. 147 00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:50,980 For example, right, bacon and eggs works well together. 148 00:34:50,980 --> 00:34:54,780 Bacon, lettuce, and tomato works well together, right? 149 00:34:54,780 --> 00:34:58,600 Bacon covered in chocolate works well together. 150 00:34:58,600 --> 00:35:02,540 But the interesting thing about these things is if you separate them, they're still good. 151 00:35:02,640 --> 00:35:10,100 Eggs are good, bacon's good, lettuce, tomato, bacon all by themselves are pretty good, chocolate's good, bacon's good. 152 00:35:10,100 --> 00:35:19,260 Now there are some things, however, that when they are put together, you cannot separate them without catastrophic consequences. 153 00:35:19,260 --> 00:35:22,080 A quick easy example is the air in your tires. 154 00:35:22,080 --> 00:35:29,980 When you begin to separate the air that's inside your tires and it becomes the air outside your tires, there are catastrophic consequences. 155 00:35:30,100 --> 00:35:34,020 I remember the very first time that I had, I mean, maybe not the first time, 156 00:35:34,020 --> 00:35:38,600 but the first time that I remember that I had had the wind knocked out of me. 157 00:35:38,600 --> 00:35:44,280 We were playing full contact tackle football with no protective gear at recess, 158 00:35:44,280 --> 00:35:49,520 and somebody just, like, it was probably a beautiful tackle just right in the middle. 159 00:35:49,520 --> 00:35:52,380 And the next thing I know, I'm laying on the ground, and I can't breathe. 160 00:35:52,380 --> 00:35:58,180 And, like, my sixth-grade life, as short as it is, seems to be flashing before my eyes, 161 00:35:58,440 --> 00:36:04,520 And no air in your lungs, not just that you're out of breath, but all the air is gone, right? 162 00:36:04,520 --> 00:36:10,920 For a moment, those 10 seconds that felt like eternity until the air returns into your lungs, 163 00:36:10,920 --> 00:36:18,440 it was a traumatizing experience, so much so that I can still remember exactly where and when and how all of that happened. 164 00:36:18,440 --> 00:36:22,060 There are things that are not meant to be separated. 165 00:36:22,060 --> 00:36:27,460 There are things that together, they have to be essential. 166 00:36:27,460 --> 00:36:31,740 In our text, which we're going to read in just a moment, and we're going to divide it 167 00:36:31,740 --> 00:36:35,840 into two parts, deal with the first part this week, the second part next week, we're going 168 00:36:35,840 --> 00:36:39,400 to see two big essential truths about God. 169 00:36:39,400 --> 00:36:46,200 The first essential truth is that He is great, and the second essential truth is that He is 170 00:36:46,200 --> 00:36:46,640 good. 171 00:36:46,640 --> 00:36:51,400 And the problem becomes when we try to separate those from each other, right? 172 00:36:51,400 --> 00:36:57,440 If you separate God's greatness from His goodness and simply say, right, God is good, 173 00:36:57,460 --> 00:37:02,320 and you overlook his greatness, all you have is a buddy who is your friend 174 00:37:02,320 --> 00:37:08,800 and he may love you very much, but God without his greatness is ineffectual. 175 00:37:08,800 --> 00:37:15,640 The second way in which some people separate or try to divide these characteristics of God 176 00:37:15,640 --> 00:37:22,600 is to say that God may be great, but maybe he's not necessarily good. 177 00:37:22,600 --> 00:37:25,940 And we all can think of examples and maybe have experienced them 178 00:37:25,940 --> 00:37:31,900 somebody with power and greatness, but without goodness and the hurt and heartbreak that they 179 00:37:31,900 --> 00:37:40,180 bring about on people. And so in this text this morning, we're first going to see God's greatness. 180 00:37:40,180 --> 00:37:45,740 Next week, we'll see his goodness. And the lovely thing about this is that in the midst of God's 181 00:37:45,740 --> 00:37:50,240 greatness, his goodness is underlaid throughout it. And in the midst of God's goodness, his 182 00:37:50,240 --> 00:37:56,620 greatness is underlaid and woven throughout it. But it's not just seeing God's greatness and his 183 00:37:56,620 --> 00:38:04,080 goodness, but it's seeing in relation to people who have nothing to offer, who are broken and who 184 00:38:04,080 --> 00:38:09,720 are discouraged and who are in tears. And to those people in the midst of despair and doubt, God 185 00:38:09,720 --> 00:38:15,880 reminds them first of his identity. And then secondly, he's going to remind us of what he does 186 00:38:15,880 --> 00:38:18,100 for those who put their trust in him. 187 00:38:18,100 --> 00:38:20,500 And so I'm going to read through our text. 188 00:38:20,500 --> 00:38:23,440 You'll definitely recognize probably the last few verses of this. 189 00:38:23,440 --> 00:38:26,300 We're going to pick it up in Isaiah 40, 27. 190 00:38:26,300 --> 00:38:30,220 And you'll hear it sort of divided as God talks about who he is, 191 00:38:30,220 --> 00:38:32,680 and then we see what he has done. 192 00:38:32,680 --> 00:38:34,680 We see this picture of his greatness and goodness. 193 00:38:34,680 --> 00:38:37,000 So it begins like this in Isaiah 40, 27. 194 00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:41,120 Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel? 195 00:38:41,640 --> 00:38:46,920 My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God. 196 00:38:46,920 --> 00:38:49,620 Have you not known, have you not heard? 197 00:38:49,620 --> 00:38:54,060 The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. 198 00:38:54,060 --> 00:38:56,060 He does not faint or grow weary. 199 00:38:56,060 --> 00:38:59,400 His understanding is unsearchable. 200 00:38:59,400 --> 00:39:04,940 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might, he increases strength. 201 00:39:04,940 --> 00:39:09,720 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted. 202 00:39:10,040 --> 00:39:13,600 But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. 203 00:39:13,600 --> 00:39:16,640 They shall mount up with wings like eagles. 204 00:39:16,640 --> 00:39:18,400 They shall run and not be weary. 205 00:39:18,400 --> 00:39:22,060 And they shall walk and not faint. 206 00:39:22,060 --> 00:39:28,860 And so in this text, we see this clear division designed to answer questions, 207 00:39:28,860 --> 00:39:34,020 to deal with our despair and our doubt that focuses first on the identity of God, 208 00:39:34,020 --> 00:39:37,160 who He is, have you not known, have you not heard, 209 00:39:37,280 --> 00:39:41,520 And then we see his goodness poured out to the weak and struggling. 210 00:39:41,520 --> 00:39:45,960 And I don't know if you've ever had to deal with a foundation issue. 211 00:39:45,960 --> 00:39:48,880 It's something that as a kid I probably never really thought of, right? 212 00:39:48,880 --> 00:39:53,980 When you go to look at a house, you want to check and make sure that the foundation of the house is solid. 213 00:39:53,980 --> 00:39:58,080 But I do remember, I was probably about five years old, another core memory, 214 00:39:58,080 --> 00:40:03,560 and I had decided, and it was in our house in Arizona, to build a Lego tower. 215 00:40:03,700 --> 00:40:09,380 I don't know if my parents remember this or not, but a Lego tower that, in my words, could only reach the heavens, right? 216 00:40:09,380 --> 00:40:13,320 So like Genesis, beginning of Genesis, I'm going to build a tower that reached the heavens. 217 00:40:13,320 --> 00:40:19,520 The problem was that as the tower got higher, right, I'm limited in the amount of Lego bricks I have. 218 00:40:19,520 --> 00:40:26,260 And so while it may be really solid here, when you start getting down to one or two bricks up here, right, 219 00:40:26,260 --> 00:40:33,000 it becomes very, very shaky, so much so that just walking through the room, whether it was the air, 220 00:40:33,700 --> 00:40:41,200 would make my tower go back and forth, and the problem was maybe the structural engineering, 221 00:40:41,200 --> 00:40:46,800 but also with the foundation. And when the foundation begins to cause problems, 222 00:40:46,800 --> 00:40:51,360 it causes problems through the rest of the structure, and this is not simply true 223 00:40:51,360 --> 00:40:58,600 in buildings, whether brick or of Legos. It's true in our lives as well, and the entire purpose 224 00:40:58,600 --> 00:41:05,600 of this chapter has been to bring comfort to God's people by seeing God for who he is. 225 00:41:05,600 --> 00:41:15,220 That's why we've called it Behold God's Character and Our Confidence. Now underneath that comfort 226 00:41:15,220 --> 00:41:21,500 and that purpose of beholding God, sometimes to get there it requires some surgery. We have to 227 00:41:21,500 --> 00:41:26,020 Remove the problem in order that we can become better. 228 00:41:26,020 --> 00:41:32,780 And so God begins to remind his people in this chapter the one place that is secure. 229 00:41:32,780 --> 00:41:38,640 In fact, one of my favorite verses is in verse 11 where he talks about how he is a shepherd who cradles the sheep. 230 00:41:38,640 --> 00:41:44,920 He doesn't leave the slow and the weak behind, but he is there with them and his presence protects them. 231 00:41:46,100 --> 00:41:49,040 But immediately after that, in verse 11, in verse 12, 232 00:41:49,040 --> 00:41:52,860 he begins to confront some faulty foundations for hope. 233 00:41:52,860 --> 00:41:55,940 He seeks to comfort them with his power and presence, 234 00:41:55,940 --> 00:42:00,440 but their response and their doubt might be something like this, right? 235 00:42:00,440 --> 00:42:02,100 Sure, you're going to be our shepherd. 236 00:42:02,100 --> 00:42:03,220 Sure, you're going to protect us. 237 00:42:03,220 --> 00:42:05,120 But are you strong enough? 238 00:42:05,120 --> 00:42:09,380 So, and I'm the one who weighs the mountains in a balance, 239 00:42:09,380 --> 00:42:12,920 the one who can cup all the waters in my hand. 240 00:42:13,500 --> 00:42:16,900 And so to the one who says, can God really do this? 241 00:42:16,900 --> 00:42:17,760 Are you strong enough? 242 00:42:17,760 --> 00:42:21,360 God says, yes, I'm the one who measures the heavens, 243 00:42:21,360 --> 00:42:24,920 who weighs the mountains and measures the water. 244 00:42:24,920 --> 00:42:28,820 And the objection to that might be, well, 245 00:42:28,820 --> 00:42:32,220 do you really know what to do with the power you've given? 246 00:42:32,220 --> 00:42:35,440 Being strong is one thing, being wise is another. 247 00:42:35,440 --> 00:42:37,880 And in the next two verses, 13 and 14, 248 00:42:37,880 --> 00:42:40,960 God explains that he has all knowledge and all wisdom 249 00:42:40,960 --> 00:42:43,060 and justice and understanding. 250 00:42:43,300 --> 00:42:45,620 And so you see these two objections answered. 251 00:42:45,620 --> 00:42:48,280 Can you do this? Yes. 252 00:42:48,280 --> 00:42:50,500 Do you know? Do you understand? 253 00:42:50,500 --> 00:42:52,660 Are you wise and are you good? 254 00:42:52,660 --> 00:42:54,640 And the answer is yes. 255 00:42:54,640 --> 00:42:57,400 And then the next question is, well, what if it's a bunch of people together? 256 00:42:57,400 --> 00:43:01,920 Yeah, you may be stronger than any one of us, but what about all of us? 257 00:43:01,920 --> 00:43:09,580 And then God begins to deal with the nations and their size and strength in comparison to his greatness. 258 00:43:10,660 --> 00:43:15,600 And in doing that, what God is doing is confronting the pride of our heart 259 00:43:15,600 --> 00:43:19,080 that seeks power, that seeks our own knowledge and wisdom, 260 00:43:19,080 --> 00:43:25,100 seeks the ability to gather together people to accomplish our own purposes. 261 00:43:25,100 --> 00:43:29,280 And God, in part of bringing comfort and beholding Him, 262 00:43:29,280 --> 00:43:32,640 has to remove the pride that is in our hearts. 263 00:43:32,640 --> 00:43:39,180 But now we're going to turn from sort of that pride to a place of comfort. 264 00:43:40,320 --> 00:43:45,020 And we're now going to seek to remove the obstacle that stands between God's people and comfort. 265 00:43:45,020 --> 00:43:51,080 In Isaiah 40, verse 27, here's the heartbreaking problem that we see. 266 00:43:51,080 --> 00:43:55,420 Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel? 267 00:43:55,420 --> 00:44:00,500 My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God. 268 00:44:00,500 --> 00:44:08,220 And the objection that God's people have to this comfort has two parts. 269 00:44:09,040 --> 00:44:11,760 And it corresponds to the two sections of this text. 270 00:44:11,760 --> 00:44:15,200 It corresponds to both doubt and despair. 271 00:44:15,200 --> 00:44:18,860 And the first objection is this, God can't see my path. 272 00:44:18,860 --> 00:44:21,340 My way is hidden from the Lord. 273 00:44:21,340 --> 00:44:26,480 Where I am walking and what I am going through in this moment, God can't see it. 274 00:44:26,480 --> 00:44:33,060 Now, the second objection is similar, but it's more despairing. 275 00:44:33,060 --> 00:44:38,440 It's this, that God doesn't care about what I'm going through. 276 00:44:39,040 --> 00:44:43,940 That's those words, my right is disregarded by my God, the place that I'm going, 277 00:44:43,940 --> 00:44:49,860 the injustice that I'm suffering, God's just glossing over it and ignoring it entirely. 278 00:44:49,860 --> 00:44:55,640 So if you were to translate this maybe into words we use more frequently, 279 00:44:55,640 --> 00:45:00,880 it's that God can't see me, and even if he can, he doesn't care about me. 280 00:45:00,880 --> 00:45:04,400 And these questions are not ones of pride. 281 00:45:04,400 --> 00:45:07,240 We've seen that, these are questions of despair. 282 00:45:07,240 --> 00:45:15,060 Where I'm at, God can't see me, and it feels like if he did see me, he wouldn't care about what I'm going through. 283 00:45:15,060 --> 00:45:20,200 It's doubt, and it's despair. 284 00:45:20,200 --> 00:45:26,960 Despair because they think that God isn't great enough, and doubt because they don't think he is good enough. 285 00:45:26,960 --> 00:45:33,980 And this whole section, the one we just read, verses 27 through 31, it's an answer to both of these. 286 00:45:33,980 --> 00:45:41,860 the despair about God's greatness and the doubt about his goodness. And like I said, underneath 287 00:45:41,860 --> 00:45:49,940 the answer to doubt and despair, it's interwoven together in the goodness and the power of God. 288 00:45:49,940 --> 00:45:54,460 And I want to see just a glimpse of God's goodness here before we take a look at God's 289 00:45:54,460 --> 00:45:59,580 greatness. How would you respond if someone came to you for help? Maybe this has happened, 290 00:45:59,580 --> 00:46:01,680 and probably has happened to most of us, 291 00:46:01,680 --> 00:46:04,420 somebody who came to us for help or protection, 292 00:46:04,420 --> 00:46:08,420 and we had to have a history maybe helping or protecting, 293 00:46:08,420 --> 00:46:10,700 or maybe we had the opportunity to, 294 00:46:10,700 --> 00:46:12,420 and they simply look at us and go, 295 00:46:12,420 --> 00:46:14,300 you don't know what I'm going through, 296 00:46:14,300 --> 00:46:17,220 and you don't care about what I'm going through. 297 00:46:17,220 --> 00:46:22,340 Especially if we had been trying to help and seeking to help, 298 00:46:22,340 --> 00:46:24,540 we might become a little frustrated with this. 299 00:46:24,540 --> 00:46:26,380 I remember a very specific situation. 300 00:46:26,380 --> 00:46:28,700 This is probably more than 10 years ago. 301 00:46:28,800 --> 00:46:32,700 We had a gentleman show up and he needed some specific help 302 00:46:32,700 --> 00:46:35,020 and there were some questions about his situation. 303 00:46:35,020 --> 00:46:37,900 But we had sort of got together and found out a way 304 00:46:37,900 --> 00:46:39,920 or found a way to be able to help him 305 00:46:39,920 --> 00:46:42,920 that was both compassionate, it met his needs, 306 00:46:42,920 --> 00:46:45,920 and it was wise and it removed the ability 307 00:46:45,920 --> 00:46:49,480 to sort of take advantage of the situation from the outside. 308 00:46:49,480 --> 00:46:52,300 And when myself and another guy from church 309 00:46:52,300 --> 00:46:53,840 went outside to explain to him, 310 00:46:53,840 --> 00:46:55,860 we said, here's how we can help you with the problem. 311 00:46:55,860 --> 00:46:57,680 We'll do this, this, and this. 312 00:46:57,880 --> 00:47:00,520 he looked at us and goes, that doesn't help me at all. 313 00:47:00,520 --> 00:47:01,640 All I need is money. 314 00:47:01,640 --> 00:47:04,580 And he goes, you call yourselves Christians. 315 00:47:04,580 --> 00:47:09,060 And we said, look, we offered to meet every one of your needs. 316 00:47:09,060 --> 00:47:14,760 And his response was, you don't love people, you don't love Jesus, 317 00:47:14,760 --> 00:47:16,420 because you won't give me what I want. 318 00:47:16,420 --> 00:47:22,440 And in that moment, trying to help wisely and in a way that benefited him 319 00:47:22,440 --> 00:47:26,480 to the greatest way without leaving room for the brokenness of sin, 320 00:47:26,760 --> 00:47:32,600 to kind of creep in, I was like, all right, I'm done, and I just walked away, right? We get mad, 321 00:47:32,600 --> 00:47:38,300 right? We try to help somebody, and they begin to accuse us. It's easy for us to look at ourselves 322 00:47:38,300 --> 00:47:45,500 and go, man, I'm trying to help you. Why are you acting like this? Notice God's response to this, 323 00:47:45,500 --> 00:47:50,700 not really an accusation, but sort of a heartbreaking statement. God 324 00:47:50,700 --> 00:47:55,380 doesn't see me, and if he did, I don't think he would care about it. 325 00:47:56,760 --> 00:48:02,780 God doesn't yell. He doesn't give up. You know what God does? He answers their questions. 326 00:48:02,780 --> 00:48:09,480 He starts with their despair about the greatness or their smallness in the situation, then moves 327 00:48:09,480 --> 00:48:15,760 on to their doubts about his goodness. And we'll sort of see that overlap as we move into next 328 00:48:15,760 --> 00:48:23,320 week. One more thing. These words were written between 140 and 150 years before these events 329 00:48:23,320 --> 00:48:30,600 secured. So not only does God care, God looks ahead and sees the struggles that they'll face 330 00:48:30,600 --> 00:48:36,420 in terms of their emotions and in their logic and in their thinking and in their hearts. And 140 to 331 00:48:36,420 --> 00:48:42,600 150 years before that, God answers their question and reassures them with both his greatness and 332 00:48:42,600 --> 00:48:47,420 his goodness. And to take it a step farther, that if you were a student of the word of God 333 00:48:47,420 --> 00:48:51,820 and had heard this book read in the synagogue and in the temple, 334 00:48:51,820 --> 00:48:56,040 God had already been establishing this foundation in your life 335 00:48:56,040 --> 00:48:59,240 so that by the time you get and your family gets 336 00:48:59,240 --> 00:49:02,320 and the generations after you get to this place of brokenness, 337 00:49:02,320 --> 00:49:06,160 God had firmly established it. 338 00:49:06,160 --> 00:49:12,920 And so I love that picture that God doesn't just have power and goodness in the moment, 339 00:49:12,920 --> 00:49:19,480 but he is working in advance, both with an answer and to prepare the hearts of those who seek him. 340 00:49:19,480 --> 00:49:24,260 So let's try to answer this despair that God cannot see me, 341 00:49:24,260 --> 00:49:29,740 and maybe even a little bit of the fact that maybe God can't help me. 342 00:49:29,740 --> 00:49:35,120 And the harder is this assertion that my way is hidden from the Lord, 343 00:49:35,120 --> 00:49:38,000 that God can't help me because he can't see me. 344 00:49:38,000 --> 00:49:41,100 And it is a doubt in the power of God. 345 00:49:41,660 --> 00:49:43,580 And I think there's four specific doubts, 346 00:49:43,580 --> 00:49:49,120 and I think that because there's four specific answers in the very next verse. 347 00:49:49,120 --> 00:49:53,860 The first doubt may be that God is limited by time. 348 00:49:53,860 --> 00:49:54,880 It's been too long. 349 00:49:54,880 --> 00:49:58,280 Or maybe another way of saying this is that God has gotten old. 350 00:49:58,280 --> 00:50:01,340 We're used to things, getting old and wearing out. 351 00:50:01,340 --> 00:50:04,880 Now, I know that milk has an expiration date. 352 00:50:04,880 --> 00:50:10,040 And I don't care that if we bought it from the grocery store that day 353 00:50:10,040 --> 00:50:14,080 and the expiration date is like three years in the future, right? 354 00:50:14,080 --> 00:50:18,860 Before I pour that on my cereal or make a protein shake or drink that milk, 355 00:50:18,860 --> 00:50:21,900 I'm like, hey, Rachel, sniff this and tell me if it's good, right? 356 00:50:21,900 --> 00:50:24,300 Because I've been burned before, right? 357 00:50:24,300 --> 00:50:27,460 We're used to things expiring. 358 00:50:27,460 --> 00:50:29,400 We're used to things going bad. 359 00:50:29,400 --> 00:50:33,680 And the same is true for our physical bodies, right? 360 00:50:33,680 --> 00:50:37,220 There are days that as we get older, we wake up and we say, 361 00:50:37,220 --> 00:50:39,380 man, I'm not as good as I used to be. 362 00:50:39,560 --> 00:50:43,480 I'm not as strong, I'm not as flexible, I'm a whole lot more sore. 363 00:50:43,480 --> 00:50:46,880 I'm not as good as I once was. 364 00:50:46,880 --> 00:50:51,720 And the argument in the hearts and minds of these people might be 365 00:50:51,720 --> 00:50:57,820 that God has been here for a long time, and we haven't heard much. 366 00:50:57,820 --> 00:51:02,440 And they overlook the fact that it may be because they're not listening, 367 00:51:02,440 --> 00:51:04,020 but that's what despair does, right? 368 00:51:04,020 --> 00:51:05,380 It lies to us. 369 00:51:05,380 --> 00:51:09,020 And they may be saying, sure, he parted the Red Sea, 370 00:51:09,180 --> 00:51:11,060 Sure, He brought His people through the wilderness. 371 00:51:11,060 --> 00:51:14,480 Sure, He has saved us and provided for us time after time, 372 00:51:14,480 --> 00:51:17,200 but we're far from home and we're hurting. 373 00:51:17,200 --> 00:51:22,200 And notice that this despair completely ignores the fact 374 00:51:22,200 --> 00:51:23,540 that the situation they are in 375 00:51:23,540 --> 00:51:27,040 is because of their own disobedience and rebellion against God. 376 00:51:27,040 --> 00:51:29,760 It's their own fault. 377 00:51:29,760 --> 00:51:33,220 And doesn't despair frequently do this? 378 00:51:33,220 --> 00:51:36,280 It lies to us about responsibility. 379 00:51:36,780 --> 00:51:43,560 lies to us about the greatness of our problems. It lies to us about the greatness of God. The 380 00:51:43,560 --> 00:51:49,380 second objection or problem that leads them into despair might be this, that God is limited by 381 00:51:49,380 --> 00:51:54,480 territory. Or another way of saying this is that he's too far away. We've all experienced this. 382 00:51:54,480 --> 00:52:00,540 We've gone to a place where there's no cell service or limited cell service, and we're too 383 00:52:00,540 --> 00:52:05,820 far away from a tower, and we try to call up, and we have one bar, and all of a sudden it says no 384 00:52:05,820 --> 00:52:12,900 service, and God's people, far away, 900 miles from home, are going, the God of Abraham, Isaac, 385 00:52:12,900 --> 00:52:19,320 and Jacob, we're no longer in the territory of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We're too far away, 386 00:52:19,320 --> 00:52:26,020 and maybe we're out of range. And the third objection is this, that maybe God's limited in 387 00:52:26,020 --> 00:52:32,040 strength, or is too tired. Another way of saying this is that our problems are too big. 388 00:52:32,720 --> 00:52:35,320 We can always go to the place of failure. 389 00:52:35,320 --> 00:52:40,200 We can always make something for us that's so heavy we can no longer lift it. 390 00:52:40,200 --> 00:52:42,480 And maybe that's it. 391 00:52:42,480 --> 00:52:44,140 The problem's just too big for God to lift. 392 00:52:44,140 --> 00:52:47,300 Or maybe it's this, that God is too tired. 393 00:52:47,300 --> 00:52:51,640 He's done so many things, and they're great things, 394 00:52:51,640 --> 00:52:55,560 but now He is worn out and He is tired. 395 00:52:55,560 --> 00:52:58,520 Do you see this despair? 396 00:52:58,520 --> 00:53:01,820 Our problems are too big. 397 00:53:01,960 --> 00:53:06,200 God's too far away, maybe He's gotten old, and the third is this. 398 00:53:06,200 --> 00:53:08,680 Maybe my problems are too complex. 399 00:53:08,680 --> 00:53:12,360 That God is limited in His understanding. 400 00:53:12,360 --> 00:53:15,980 We understand that there's always more to learn for us. 401 00:53:15,980 --> 00:53:19,080 No matter what subject you begin to dive into, 402 00:53:19,080 --> 00:53:22,320 we always find that there is more and more, 403 00:53:22,320 --> 00:53:25,920 and questions to be answered and things to be researched. 404 00:53:25,920 --> 00:53:31,320 And we look at our limitations, and maybe we put those on God, 405 00:53:31,440 --> 00:53:33,440 saying, my problems are too complex. 406 00:53:33,440 --> 00:53:37,120 And these problems come from this, 407 00:53:37,120 --> 00:53:41,540 that they're looking and that we are looking in the wrong place for answers. 408 00:53:41,540 --> 00:53:44,760 We're looking at our strength versus our problems 409 00:53:44,760 --> 00:53:48,880 rather than the greatness of God versus our problems. 410 00:53:48,880 --> 00:53:50,300 Look at how God responds. 411 00:53:50,300 --> 00:53:53,820 He's going to answer each one of these objections. 412 00:53:53,820 --> 00:53:55,340 Have you not known? 413 00:53:55,340 --> 00:53:57,440 Have you not heard? 414 00:53:57,440 --> 00:53:59,580 The Lord is the everlasting God, 415 00:53:59,820 --> 00:54:03,360 The creator of the ends of the earth, he does not faint or grow weary. 416 00:54:03,360 --> 00:54:06,160 His understanding is unsearchable. 417 00:54:06,160 --> 00:54:11,140 And first, before he begins to answer the objections, he gives them this reminder. 418 00:54:11,140 --> 00:54:16,320 And it's the same thing that we might do when somebody is scared or suffering. 419 00:54:16,320 --> 00:54:19,600 We say, hey, look at me, look at me, focus on me. 420 00:54:19,600 --> 00:54:25,440 And what God is doing with these people who are in the midst of doubt and despair, 421 00:54:25,440 --> 00:54:29,560 he looks at them and he goes, first of all, look at me. 422 00:54:29,820 --> 00:54:36,460 He says, this is not new information, have you not known, have you not heard? 423 00:54:36,460 --> 00:54:45,420 And the answers to those doubts that we just talked about follow, right? 424 00:54:45,420 --> 00:54:47,980 God's limited by time, or it's been too long. 425 00:54:47,980 --> 00:54:48,520 What does he say? 426 00:54:48,520 --> 00:54:51,760 The Lord is an everlasting God. 427 00:54:51,760 --> 00:54:57,400 Maybe God is limited by territory, or we're too far away, right? 428 00:54:57,400 --> 00:55:00,420 God is the creator of the heavens and the earth. 429 00:55:00,420 --> 00:55:03,500 God is limited in strength or energy. 430 00:55:03,500 --> 00:55:04,980 My problems are too big. 431 00:55:04,980 --> 00:55:07,780 He does not faint or grow weary. 432 00:55:07,780 --> 00:55:09,660 My problems are too complex. 433 00:55:09,660 --> 00:55:12,260 God is limited in his understanding. 434 00:55:12,260 --> 00:55:15,980 It says, God in his understanding is unsearchable. 435 00:55:15,980 --> 00:55:18,060 Now, I want you to understand what is happening here. 436 00:55:18,060 --> 00:55:20,320 God is reminding. 437 00:55:20,320 --> 00:55:22,480 He's not defending. 438 00:55:22,480 --> 00:55:26,840 He's already defended these claims in the verses that come before. 439 00:55:26,840 --> 00:55:31,380 when he says, spread your hands out and measure the galaxy. 440 00:55:31,380 --> 00:55:35,320 And weigh the mountains, pick up a measuring cup, and measure the waters. 441 00:55:35,320 --> 00:55:37,860 God's already defended these answers. 442 00:55:37,860 --> 00:55:42,780 Now here he is to his people, and he is reminding them 443 00:55:42,780 --> 00:55:48,240 that when we think we're too far away, he is the creator. 444 00:55:48,240 --> 00:55:53,960 When we think that our problems are too big, he does not faint or grow weary. 445 00:55:53,960 --> 00:55:55,880 when our problems are too complex, 446 00:55:55,880 --> 00:55:59,180 God's understanding is unsearchable. 447 00:55:59,180 --> 00:56:01,880 And when we think that it's been too long, 448 00:56:01,880 --> 00:56:04,540 God is the everlasting God. 449 00:56:04,540 --> 00:56:08,760 God here is reminding people 450 00:56:08,760 --> 00:56:12,220 in the midst of despair of His greatness. 451 00:56:12,220 --> 00:56:14,580 To behold His glory 452 00:56:14,580 --> 00:56:16,540 and to be comforted by the fact 453 00:56:16,540 --> 00:56:18,020 that God is eternal, 454 00:56:18,020 --> 00:56:19,580 that He is all-powerful, 455 00:56:19,580 --> 00:56:21,980 that He is all-knowing. 456 00:56:23,960 --> 00:56:27,300 That he does not get tired or weak. 457 00:56:27,300 --> 00:56:32,460 And the picture here for despair is this. 458 00:56:32,460 --> 00:56:35,340 Put your hope in God. 459 00:56:35,340 --> 00:56:37,100 Focus on Him. 460 00:56:37,100 --> 00:56:39,000 Remember what He has said. 461 00:56:39,000 --> 00:56:41,340 Remember what He has done. 462 00:56:41,340 --> 00:56:43,380 And put your hope in Him. 463 00:56:43,380 --> 00:56:46,040 And now we'll see in the next verses, 464 00:56:46,040 --> 00:56:47,580 and we'll talk about those next week, 465 00:56:47,580 --> 00:56:51,440 that for those who doubt God's goodness, 466 00:56:51,900 --> 00:56:54,140 He has an answer for that as well. 467 00:56:54,140 --> 00:56:56,760 And so here we are. 468 00:56:56,760 --> 00:57:01,800 Maybe we feel like we've been struggling for as long as we can remember. 469 00:57:01,800 --> 00:57:04,000 Maybe we feel like we're far from home. 470 00:57:04,000 --> 00:57:10,280 Maybe we're faced with overwhelming problems that seem too big and too complex. 471 00:57:10,280 --> 00:57:13,940 And the question is, what do we do? 472 00:57:13,940 --> 00:57:16,460 And the answer is that God says, 473 00:57:16,460 --> 00:57:20,120 it is remember what you've seen, remember what you have heard, 474 00:57:20,120 --> 00:57:21,800 remember who I am. 475 00:57:21,900 --> 00:57:24,240 Put your hope in me. 476 00:57:24,240 --> 00:57:26,340 And the question is, well, how can we do that? 477 00:57:26,340 --> 00:57:32,480 I think there's a couple of simple answers to begin that process. 478 00:57:32,480 --> 00:57:36,180 They're simple to say, not necessarily in their execution, 479 00:57:36,180 --> 00:57:38,780 but the first is this, bring your questions to the right place. 480 00:57:38,780 --> 00:57:42,720 These people, in their struggle and in their heartbreak, 481 00:57:42,720 --> 00:57:46,320 have been just sort of running these over and over in their mind. 482 00:57:46,320 --> 00:57:51,760 Or maybe in the depths of emotion to a close friend or to a spouse. 483 00:57:51,900 --> 00:57:58,860 it's the same thing we do sometimes we're not very good at finding the place to go for the right 484 00:57:58,860 --> 00:58:04,800 answers it would be like if i am looking for something in our house there's only one person 485 00:58:04,800 --> 00:58:11,260 who in the last 13 years actually 12 years 395 94 days has been able ever been able to find 486 00:58:11,260 --> 00:58:16,100 anything in our house and that's rachel and it would be like me going to the dog and going hey 487 00:58:16,100 --> 00:58:22,760 can you help me find where the chips went? Now, the dog would be very willing to try, but he's not 488 00:58:22,760 --> 00:58:27,340 going to be very good at it, right? Because I've gone to the wrong place. And the same is true in 489 00:58:27,340 --> 00:58:34,680 life. We so many times go and we search and we ask the absolute wrong person. And we may be asking 490 00:58:34,680 --> 00:58:39,740 the right question in the midst of our despair, but we're asking the wrong person. And so the first 491 00:58:39,740 --> 00:58:46,900 way that we put our hope in God is we ask God, instead of muttering to ourselves or complaining 492 00:58:46,900 --> 00:58:56,380 to others, we go, God, it feels like you don't see me. It feels like I'm uncared for. And notice 493 00:58:56,380 --> 00:59:02,680 what God does. Even though they're not asking him, he answers them anyway. And he says, I do see you 494 00:59:02,680 --> 00:59:05,700 and I do care for you. 495 00:59:05,700 --> 00:59:08,780 Now next, this is key. 496 00:59:08,780 --> 00:59:10,640 You've got to listen to his answer. 497 00:59:10,640 --> 00:59:15,760 Have you ever read maybe a recipe online? 498 00:59:15,760 --> 00:59:18,540 Like I go to try something new, 499 00:59:18,540 --> 00:59:21,180 and so you read through the recipe, 500 00:59:21,180 --> 00:59:23,860 and it says, well, here's the ingredients that you need. 501 00:59:23,860 --> 00:59:29,720 Here's the process for what you need to do, 502 00:59:29,720 --> 00:59:34,800 how to prepare, how to cook, the method, the time, and the temperature. 503 00:59:34,800 --> 00:59:39,160 And then if you ever make the mistake of going to the comments on any of these things, 504 00:59:39,160 --> 00:59:43,040 you'll always find one person who goes, looks at the recipe, goes, 505 00:59:43,040 --> 00:59:44,200 hey, you know what I did? 506 00:59:44,200 --> 00:59:46,540 I changed every ingredient. 507 00:59:46,540 --> 00:59:48,820 I didn't do any of the preparation. 508 00:59:48,820 --> 00:59:52,620 I cooked it with a different method to a different time to a different temperature, 509 00:59:52,620 --> 00:59:54,280 and it turned out terrible. 510 00:59:54,280 --> 00:59:56,160 What do you have to say for yourself? 511 00:59:56,160 --> 00:59:59,680 And you might go, maybe follow the recipe as it's written. 512 00:59:59,720 --> 01:00:04,880 right stop changing everything and then complaining about how it didn't work out for you 513 01:00:04,880 --> 01:00:11,380 but then here you and i are and maybe we do the right thing we bring our questions and our 514 01:00:11,380 --> 01:00:17,500 heartbreak and our despair to God and he goes look and remember and see who i am and we go 515 01:00:17,500 --> 01:00:24,260 i don't want to do that so it's not just taking your questions the right place you've got to 516 01:00:24,260 --> 01:00:25,520 Listen to the answer. 517 01:00:25,520 --> 01:00:29,880 Here's God's answer to the despair in our heart. 518 01:00:29,880 --> 01:00:31,000 And the first thing He says is, 519 01:00:31,000 --> 01:00:34,420 Behold who I am and what I have done. 520 01:00:34,420 --> 01:00:38,900 And next, He's going to remind us of His goodness. 521 01:00:38,900 --> 01:00:42,100 And so many times here we say, 522 01:00:42,100 --> 01:00:43,180 I'm just going to do it my way. 523 01:00:43,180 --> 01:00:49,020 So here's the answer that we need to go to. 524 01:00:49,020 --> 01:00:52,080 It's looking to ourselves. 525 01:00:53,800 --> 01:00:57,400 I love in Psalm 42 because the psalmist, in his despair, 526 01:00:57,400 --> 01:00:59,260 he talks to himself and he goes to himself, 527 01:00:59,260 --> 01:01:01,560 Why are you cast down, O my soul? 528 01:01:01,560 --> 01:01:04,580 Why are you at turmoil within me? 529 01:01:04,580 --> 01:01:06,860 And this man says to himself, 530 01:01:06,860 --> 01:01:10,520 Self, why are you in despair? 531 01:01:10,520 --> 01:01:14,400 Why is your heart like an ocean in the midst of a storm? 532 01:01:14,400 --> 01:01:17,860 And then he speaks to himself and he simply says this, 533 01:01:17,860 --> 01:01:20,940 Hope in God. 534 01:01:22,180 --> 01:01:27,420 For I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. 535 01:01:27,420 --> 01:01:32,780 Take the cry of your heart to the goodness and the greatness of God 536 01:01:32,780 --> 01:01:34,180 and listen to what he says. 537 01:01:34,180 --> 01:01:38,920 And so here are people in Isaiah 40, and they're in captivity, 538 01:01:38,920 --> 01:01:42,560 and they're so far away from home. 539 01:01:42,560 --> 01:01:47,420 And they're struggling, as we sometimes do. 540 01:01:47,420 --> 01:01:50,920 And God's answer is, Behold my greatness. 541 01:01:52,180 --> 01:01:56,140 Behold my goodness and be comforted. 542 01:01:56,140 --> 01:01:57,200 And so here we are. 543 01:01:57,200 --> 01:02:00,440 We talked a little bit about this 544 01:02:00,440 --> 01:02:02,060 during our time of prayer this morning 545 01:02:02,060 --> 01:02:05,120 is that sometimes, right, we're far from home. 546 01:02:05,120 --> 01:02:08,040 Maybe some days we feel closer to home than others. 547 01:02:08,040 --> 01:02:10,980 But the reality is that God's people 548 01:02:10,980 --> 01:02:12,840 are strangers and exiles, 549 01:02:12,840 --> 01:02:15,560 often in a land that's difficult 550 01:02:15,560 --> 01:02:17,060 and frequently hostile. 551 01:02:17,060 --> 01:02:20,640 And so we want to take this moment 552 01:02:20,640 --> 01:02:23,560 to put our hope in God. 553 01:02:23,560 --> 01:02:28,220 And so as we come to the Lord's table, 554 01:02:28,220 --> 01:02:31,060 as we come to this meal, 555 01:02:31,060 --> 01:02:34,940 this is a moment for us 556 01:02:34,940 --> 01:02:38,680 to bring our brokenheartedness to our Savior. 557 01:02:38,680 --> 01:02:42,680 To take our questions to the right place. 558 01:02:42,680 --> 01:02:47,420 To listen to what He has said to us. 559 01:02:47,420 --> 01:02:50,020 He's the one who knows your struggles. 560 01:02:50,640 --> 01:02:54,820 Your hurts, your sins, your grief, your sorrow, your insufficiencies. 561 01:02:54,820 --> 01:02:58,620 And He doesn't just know them in an intellectual fashion, 562 01:02:58,620 --> 01:03:01,000 but He has come near to you. 563 01:03:01,000 --> 01:03:04,400 God of flesh. 564 01:03:04,400 --> 01:03:07,980 And Jesus knows what it's like to be tired. 565 01:03:07,980 --> 01:03:09,400 He knows what it's like to be tempted. 566 01:03:09,400 --> 01:03:10,880 He knows what it's like to struggle. 567 01:03:10,880 --> 01:03:14,600 He knows what it's like to have conflict within His family and without. 568 01:03:14,600 --> 01:03:17,500 Jesus knows. 569 01:03:18,700 --> 01:03:22,500 The one who created the world has come close to you. 570 01:03:22,500 --> 01:03:26,860 Not just in the information of what it's like to be you, 571 01:03:26,860 --> 01:03:28,800 but in the experience. 572 01:03:28,800 --> 01:03:33,880 He knows not just the facts about you, 573 01:03:33,880 --> 01:03:35,040 but He knows your heart. 574 01:03:35,040 --> 01:03:37,720 And He took all of your brokenness 575 01:03:37,720 --> 01:03:39,740 and all of your despair upon His shoulders, 576 01:03:39,740 --> 01:03:41,680 and He went to the cross. 577 01:03:41,680 --> 01:03:45,600 The sin that is so big and so complex, 578 01:03:45,600 --> 01:03:48,240 we despair of even trying to come up with a solution. 579 01:03:48,620 --> 01:03:50,300 Jesus takes it upon His shoulders 580 01:03:50,300 --> 01:03:51,840 and He dies for your sin. 581 01:03:51,840 --> 01:03:55,040 And three days later, 582 01:03:55,040 --> 01:03:59,120 He rises conquering death. 583 01:03:59,120 --> 01:04:03,140 Partaking of this meal 584 01:04:03,140 --> 01:04:04,780 that we're going to do in just a minute 585 01:04:04,780 --> 01:04:08,340 is looking to the One 586 01:04:08,340 --> 01:04:12,660 who knows us, who loves us, 587 01:04:12,660 --> 01:04:14,840 who has taken our brokenness, 588 01:04:14,840 --> 01:04:17,940 who is both great and good. 589 01:04:18,620 --> 01:04:22,300 this meal in this moment 590 01:04:22,300 --> 01:04:25,820 is a little bit like verse 28 of Isaiah 40. 591 01:04:25,820 --> 01:04:29,420 To look to His greatness and goodness 592 01:04:29,420 --> 01:04:32,120 to answer the cry of our despairing heart. 593 01:04:32,120 --> 01:04:34,980 Have you not heard? 594 01:04:34,980 --> 01:04:37,100 And if you're a Christian, 595 01:04:37,100 --> 01:04:38,820 this is the moment of evaluation. 596 01:04:38,820 --> 01:04:41,400 It's the moment of being strengthened, 597 01:04:41,400 --> 01:04:44,900 of finding peace in the greatness and goodness 598 01:04:44,900 --> 01:04:47,580 and in the sacrifice of our Savior. 599 01:04:47,760 --> 01:04:52,880 And if you are not a Christian, this is a moment to, in quietness, 600 01:04:52,880 --> 01:04:56,580 take a good look at what it is you're hoping in 601 01:04:56,580 --> 01:05:00,980 and what it is you're hoping for and where it is you're living 602 01:05:00,980 --> 01:05:03,260 and what it is you're living for. 603 01:05:03,260 --> 01:05:10,780 So as we come to this table, this is our cry to ourselves, hope in God. 604 01:05:10,780 --> 01:05:15,640 I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God. 605 01:05:16,080 --> 01:05:20,140 We're going to pray, and then we will partake of the meal together. 606 01:05:20,140 --> 01:05:25,380 Father in heaven, I thank you for your grace. 607 01:05:25,380 --> 01:05:29,880 And I thank you for how you look ahead to what the future holds for us. 608 01:05:29,880 --> 01:05:34,300 And you have prepared and planned. 609 01:05:34,300 --> 01:05:38,360 And that in you there is hope. 610 01:05:38,360 --> 01:05:44,360 And in the midst of the darkness of our sin and our captivity to that sin, 611 01:05:45,740 --> 01:05:50,040 You sent Your Son who came to the cross and took our place. 612 01:05:50,040 --> 01:05:57,600 We ask that as we eat this meal, we would remember the love and the grace that was poured out. 613 01:05:57,600 --> 01:06:06,440 That we would remember the greatness of our Messiah and the humility and the brokenness of His death. 614 01:06:06,440 --> 01:06:11,000 That we would see the cost of our sin and we would feel the weight, 615 01:06:11,120 --> 01:06:13,820 the wonderful weight of forgiveness, 616 01:06:13,820 --> 01:06:16,160 lifting that from our shoulders. 617 01:06:16,160 --> 01:06:19,020 That You would restore our hope. 618 01:06:19,020 --> 01:06:20,960 That You would restore our souls. 619 01:06:20,960 --> 01:06:24,460 I ask that You bless this bread and this cup 620 01:06:24,460 --> 01:06:25,960 that we would proclaim Your Son 621 01:06:25,960 --> 01:06:27,440 until He comes again. 622 01:06:27,440 --> 01:06:29,340 It's in His name we pray. 623 01:06:29,340 --> 01:06:30,300 Amen. 624 01:06:30,300 --> 01:06:33,420 If You would take the bread with me 625 01:06:33,420 --> 01:06:36,060 as Jesus, sitting with His disciples 626 01:06:36,060 --> 01:06:37,560 who are about to experience 627 01:06:37,560 --> 01:06:40,500 both doubt and despair, 628 01:06:41,120 --> 01:06:43,860 reminds them of who He is. 629 01:06:43,860 --> 01:06:45,220 He has shown them His love 630 01:06:45,220 --> 01:06:46,460 and He says, this is my body 631 01:06:46,460 --> 01:06:47,580 which is given for you. 632 01:06:47,580 --> 01:06:48,960 Do this in remembrance of me. 633 01:06:48,960 --> 01:06:55,520 If you would, 634 01:06:55,520 --> 01:06:58,020 take the cup with me, 635 01:06:58,020 --> 01:07:00,800 this cup that is the new covenant 636 01:07:00,800 --> 01:07:02,020 in the blood of Jesus. 637 01:07:02,020 --> 01:07:05,000 Let's remember Jesus together. 638 01:07:10,080 --> 01:07:18,680 Father, we know with our heads, help us to see clearly with our hearts 639 01:07:18,680 --> 01:07:22,320 and to live it out in our actions, the reality of your greatness and goodness. 640 01:07:22,320 --> 01:07:28,840 That we would be humble before you, but we would also be fearless in your strength and in your power. 641 01:07:28,840 --> 01:07:35,360 That you would lift the weight of despair as we see the truth of your word. 642 01:07:36,220 --> 01:07:39,780 as we experience this meal together, 643 01:07:39,780 --> 01:07:44,360 reminding us and strengthening us in the truth of the good news of the gospel, 644 01:07:44,360 --> 01:07:47,240 that your Son came to save us, 645 01:07:47,240 --> 01:07:51,560 that he died for our sins, was buried, and on the third day rose again. 646 01:07:51,560 --> 01:07:56,060 Strengthen us in truth. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 647 01:07:56,060 --> 01:08:02,800 We've been singing a new song. We've sung it a few times leading up to this. 648 01:08:02,880 --> 01:08:08,880 It's a song called His Glory and Our Good, that as we see God's glory, 649 01:08:08,880 --> 01:08:14,860 it is good for us in our hearts and in our souls, just like Isaiah 40 says, 650 01:08:14,860 --> 01:08:19,480 that comfort comes from beholding both the greatness and the goodness of God. 651 01:08:19,480 --> 01:08:22,580 So if you would be standing, we're going to go ahead and sing together. 652 01:08:32,880 --> 01:08:42,140 I have seen my Father's glory 653 01:08:42,140 --> 01:08:45,440 Revealed in Jesus Christ 654 01:08:45,440 --> 01:08:49,340 And the more that I behold him 655 01:08:49,340 --> 01:08:52,240 The more he satisfies 656 01:08:52,240 --> 01:08:56,200 When I gaze upon his beauty 657 01:08:56,200 --> 01:08:59,620 When I see him as I should 658 01:08:59,620 --> 01:09:03,580 Then my eyes are lifted upward 659 01:09:03,580 --> 01:09:07,100 For His glory in my will 660 01:09:07,100 --> 01:09:15,540 There is hope in every trial 661 01:09:15,540 --> 01:09:19,040 For I can trust the Lord 662 01:09:19,040 --> 01:09:22,980 He will turn my heart towards Him 663 01:09:22,980 --> 01:09:25,940 And help me bear the thorn 664 01:09:25,940 --> 01:09:32,820 So in faith I follow Jesus on the road not understood 665 01:09:32,820 --> 01:09:40,460 For I know that he is working for his glory and my Lord 666 01:09:40,460 --> 01:09:54,480 To our God be the glory, to our God be the grace, he alone 667 01:09:54,480 --> 01:09:58,660 The name above all names 668 01:09:58,660 --> 01:10:03,420 I will boast ever only 669 01:10:03,420 --> 01:10:06,820 If the Lord my God 670 01:10:06,820 --> 01:10:12,740 For I know His glory is my good 671 01:10:12,740 --> 01:10:21,140 See the open arms of Jesus 672 01:10:21,140 --> 01:10:24,200 Upon the cross that day 673 01:10:24,200 --> 01:10:28,180 What they understood as weakness 674 01:10:28,180 --> 01:10:32,080 Deserved by every praise 675 01:10:32,080 --> 01:10:35,960 For the charge that was against me 676 01:10:35,960 --> 01:10:39,160 It was never to the wood 677 01:10:39,160 --> 01:10:43,120 Yes, I know that He has saved me 678 01:10:43,120 --> 01:10:46,460 For His glory and my good 679 01:10:46,460 --> 01:10:51,660 To our God be the glory 680 01:10:51,660 --> 01:11:15,340 I will boast ever only in the Lord, my God, for I know His glory is my good. 681 01:11:21,660 --> 01:11:33,660 Would I gladly be made nothing, that Christ would be made more? 682 01:11:33,660 --> 01:11:40,820 Would I seek the only King, that far away is them all? 683 01:11:40,820 --> 01:11:47,980 I will stand before my Father, where the faithful saints have stood. 684 01:11:47,980 --> 01:11:51,940 And with joy my heart shall praise Him 685 01:11:51,940 --> 01:11:55,200 For His glory and my good 686 01:11:55,200 --> 01:11:59,020 And with joy my heart shall praise Him 687 01:11:59,020 --> 01:12:02,540 For His glory and my good 688 01:12:02,540 --> 01:12:11,040 To our God be the glory 689 01:12:11,040 --> 01:12:16,360 To our God be the rest here on 690 01:12:16,360 --> 01:12:20,560 The name above all names 691 01:12:20,560 --> 01:12:28,660 I will boast ever only in the Lord my God 692 01:12:28,660 --> 01:12:34,680 For I know His glory is my good 693 01:12:34,680 --> 01:12:39,240 To our God be the glory 694 01:12:39,240 --> 01:12:42,800 To our God be grace 695 01:12:42,800 --> 01:12:48,940 He alone, the name above all ways 696 01:12:48,940 --> 01:12:56,920 And I will boast ever only in the Lord my God 697 01:12:56,920 --> 01:13:02,720 For I know His glory is my good 698 01:13:02,720 --> 01:13:09,600 Yes, I know His glory is my good 699 01:13:12,800 --> 01:13:25,440 We are thankful that you are here with us this morning. 700 01:13:25,440 --> 01:13:28,060 Just a couple of announcements. 701 01:13:28,060 --> 01:13:32,440 First of all, there is this week. 702 01:13:32,440 --> 01:13:38,880 Next week, on the 13th, we are going to be having a Wednesday night cookout. 703 01:13:38,880 --> 01:13:42,140 We like to invite the neighborhood, invite some friends. 704 01:13:42,800 --> 01:13:46,360 Come and eat some food. That's 6 p.m. here at the church that Wednesday. 705 01:13:46,360 --> 01:13:49,980 You're welcome. You can bring a dish to share if you like. 706 01:13:49,980 --> 01:13:53,660 But we're going to have a Wednesday night cookout. 707 01:13:53,660 --> 01:13:55,340 It's been a while since we've done one of those. 708 01:13:55,340 --> 01:13:59,100 So invite a friend. If you're in the neighborhood, invite some neighbors. 709 01:13:59,100 --> 01:14:04,220 We'd love to share a meal and just be encouraged together. 710 01:14:04,660 --> 01:14:14,920 Secondly, coming up on Wednesdays in September, which is not as far away as it sounds, we're going to begin September 10th. 711 01:14:14,920 --> 01:14:18,440 We're going to begin a study. We're calling it Unearthed. 712 01:14:18,440 --> 01:14:25,780 We're going to discover the truth and the treasure of God's Word, which many of us know, but many of us need to be reminded. 713 01:14:25,780 --> 01:14:34,900 And so part of what we're doing is we want to see both the truth of the Word of God and the truth that is in the Word of God. 714 01:14:34,900 --> 01:14:41,240 And so in part, we'll take a look at some of the history and the text, how that all fits together, 715 01:14:41,240 --> 01:14:48,660 but also in that taking a look at the transforming riches that the Word of God holds. 716 01:14:48,660 --> 01:14:53,300 We'll take a look at some history. We'll take a look at some theology. 717 01:14:53,300 --> 01:14:58,380 It's going to be, I think, a good and valuable and helpful thing for us. 718 01:14:58,380 --> 01:15:01,180 So that's beginning on September 10th. 719 01:15:01,180 --> 01:15:06,480 Both those announcements are in the back of the bulletin that is there on the table. 720 01:15:06,480 --> 01:15:11,020 We're going to go ahead and have a word of prayer, and I'll read from the 33rd Psalm, 721 01:15:11,020 --> 01:15:12,700 and then we'll sing the doxology. 722 01:15:12,700 --> 01:15:15,040 Father in heaven, be with us. 723 01:15:15,040 --> 01:15:16,220 Watch over us. 724 01:15:16,220 --> 01:15:17,060 Give us strength. 725 01:15:17,060 --> 01:15:20,880 Help us to fix our eyes on you. 726 01:15:21,040 --> 01:15:23,820 Just be with us as we look forward to the future, 727 01:15:23,820 --> 01:15:30,280 whether that's in our personal plans or what we are doing as a church or as families. 728 01:15:30,280 --> 01:15:34,200 And may we always live for your glory. 729 01:15:34,200 --> 01:15:36,800 It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 730 01:15:36,800 --> 01:15:41,880 In the verses that came just before what we read this morning, it says this, 731 01:15:41,880 --> 01:15:44,780 Behold, the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, 732 01:15:44,780 --> 01:15:48,040 on those who hope in his steadfast love, 733 01:15:48,280 --> 01:15:52,900 that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. 734 01:15:52,900 --> 01:15:56,980 Our soul waits for the Lord. He is our help and our shield. 735 01:16:18,280 --> 01:16:21,860 above ye heavenly host 736 01:16:21,860 --> 01:16:27,520 Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost