The Glory of God in a Great Catastrophe
Isaiah 40:1-11
Sermon by Rick Crandall
McClendon Baptist Church - January 17, 2010
Series: Exploring the Glory of God in 2010
*How bad was the earthquake in Haiti? One report called it the worst earthquake in 200 years. And I am not sure about that, but it was certainly one of the worst. The earthquake that struck last Tuesday afternoon was 7.0 on the Richter Scale, and it was followed by at least 14 aftershocks greater than 5.0. The Richter Scale is set up so that each number is ten times worse than the number below it. This means that a 7.0 earthquake is a hundred times worse than a 5.0. Structures of all kinds were destroyed last Tuesday. The Red Cross estimated that about three million people were affected by the quake. The death toll is projected to be from 30,000 to 500,000 people. (1)
*Can the glory of God be seen in times of great catastrophe? The answer is yes. These words of prophecy in Isaiah 40 were spoken to people who would experience great catastrophe, people who were desperately going to need comfort. They had been disobedient to God for hundreds of years. So the Lord was going to allow their nation to be destroyed by the cruel Babylonians.
*Paul Barackman explained: “Rarely has history seen more concentrated misery than was to be found among these captives. Mothers had been separated from their children, and husbands from their wives. Many had starved to death during the terrible siege. Many more were left dead on the battlefield. Children died miserably on the forced march to Babylon. And their homes were forever destroyed. (2)
*They were going to need comfort, and God began to send it in Isaiah 40. But as God spoke to their misery, He also proclaimed the revelation of His glory. As He said in vs. 5: “The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
*God’s glory is so important to Him that He speaks about it 300 times in His Word. And since God’s glory is important to Him, it should also be important to us. But what is God’s glory? The main Old Testament word picture for “glory” is a weight, something heavy, something to be taken very seriously. The main New Testament word picture for glory is magnificence, splendor and brightness like we see in the sun, moon and stars.
*John Piper says that the glory of God refers to His infinite and overflowing fullness of all that is good. Walter Kimbrough said that God’s “glory is best defined as the outward shining of God's inner-being.” (3)
*That tells us a little bit about God’s glory. And His glory is so important to Him that God has a sure plan to reveal His glory. In Num 14:21, the Lord told Moses, “Truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord.” Habakkuk 2:14 tells us that “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” And vs. 5 here says, “the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
*When the Lord comes back, we will see His glory in all of its fullness. But until that day comes, God wants to reveal His glory to us and through us. How can we help reveal the glory of God?
1. First: By comforting God’s people.
*God reveals His glory by bringing comfort and care to His people. Listen to the Lord in Jeremiah 9:23-24:
23. Thus says the Lord: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
24. but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,'' says the Lord.
*John 2:11 talks about the first miracle that Jesus performed when He was at a wedding. There Jesus turned water into wine, and John says: “This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.”
*In John 11, Jesus heard that His friend Lazarus was sick. The Lord knew that Lazarus was going to die. He knew that He would raise Lazarus from the dead four days later. And He knew that this would be done for the glory of God. So in John 11:4, Jesus said: “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
*Later at the gravesite Jesus said, "Take away the stone.'' Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.'' Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?'' (John 11:39-40)
*God reveals His glory by bringing care and comfort to His people. And He wants all of His followers to help. Listen to God’s call in vs. 1&2:
1. “Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” says your God.
2. “Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins.”
*Three times in these verses God tells us to comfort His people! These commands are not just for Isaiah or the other prophets or for preachers. These commands are for all of God’s people. That’s why 2 Corin 1:3&4 in the New Living Translation says:
3. All praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the source of every mercy and the God who comforts us.
4. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.
*God wants every believer to be a comforter for His glory. Right now the most urgent need is Haiti. Here’s part of what Greg Kandra said about Haiti:
“You have seen the pictures. You've read the stories. I don't need to tell you how desperate the situation is. This is a moment when all of us are called upon to go beyond ourselves. To love the neighbor we do not know -- to bind his wounds -- to dry her tears. (4)
*We can do this in part it by giving. The Florida Baptist Convention has a strong partnership with Haitian Baptists. Over the last 15 years, they have started 890 churches. The Florida Baptist Convention will be working hand-in-hand with our International Mission Board through the missionaries we have right next door in the Dominican Republic and through Baptist Global Response Teams. (5)
*Next Sunday, we will take up a love offering to go to our International Mission Board. -- But some of you are ready to give today, and there is someone else who needs and deserves our support. It’s Jessica Williamson, the young lady from Swartz Baptist Church. You may have seen Jessica in the news. God has given this young nurse a heart for the people of Haiti. She just got back from a mission trip there last Saturday.
*Wendy was one of Jessica’s teachers at ULM, and she called yesterday to see if we could help Jessica, because she was hoping to go back this Thursday. We got another call last night and found out last night that they are not going to let Jessica back in this Thursday. But she is going to return as soon as possible, and the Heartline Ministries she works with already has people there on the ground. So I still think it’s a great idea to help Jessica. And I know that this is short notice, but give if you can give today and we will use this money to support Jessica.
*We will take up the offering going out the door this morning and tonight. You can make your checks out to the church, and we will get one check to Jessica before she leaves.
*We can help reveal the glory of God by giving, but also by praying. Listen to Greg Kandra on prayer for Haiti: “If we do nothing else, we need to pray for the people of Haiti. Pray for the lost, the orphaned, the widowed, the helpless. Pray for the mother who was on CNN the other night. She lost all 5 of her children, and her family could only hold her while she screamed. Pray for the rescue workers who are facing a new nightmare every day -- without power, without water, surrounded every hour of every day by the sounds and smells of death.
*But pray as well that -- through our sacrifice, and our prayer, and the good works of so many people around the world -- Haiti may be transformed once more.” (4)
*Pray, and we will see more of the glory of God. -- The UK Daily Mail calls this little boy “the Miracle boy” of Haiti. David Williams wrote: “Amid the horror and devastation in Haiti, there were stories too of hope and joy as the prayers of those hunting for their missing loved ones were answered.
*For two days Daphnee Plaisin and her husband Reginald had searched with their bare hands among the twisted rubble of their collapsed home for their two-year-old son Redjeson. They could hear his increasingly weak cries, but were unable to move the giant concrete and metal sheets that consumed him somewhere below. Spanish rescue crews had worked for hours to free two-year-old Redjeson. And it was a moment of great relief in the race against time to find those still alive.” (6)
*A breath of comfort in the middle of total devastation. Was it a miracle? It was to them, and it was certainly answered prayer. We can expect many more answers, as God works to reveal His glory.
*How can we help reveal the glory of God? -- By comforting God’s people.
2. And by correcting our course in life.
*Vs. 3-5 prophesy about the coming of John the Baptist to prepare the way for Jesus. But these words also call us to correct our course in life.
3. The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; the crooked places shall be made straight, and the rough places smooth;
5. the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.''
*“Prepare the way of the Lord!” There’s an important word picture for this word “prepare” It’s the picture of turning away from something and turning to face something else. In this case it is turning to face the Lord. And it is crucial because there are some things we need to turn away from in life.
*I am not just talking about the bad things we do. I am talking about things that may be good, -- but they are coming between us and God. That’s why the old cliché says that the good can be the enemy of the best. And that’s why Hebrews 12:1 tells us to lay aside not just our sins, but every weight, -- that is, everything that is keeping us from running the race for Jesus.
*Vs. 4 in the New Living Translation says, “Fill the valleys and level the hills. Straighten out the curves and smooth off the rough spots.”
-Are there low places in your life? -- Things that are bound to pull you down?
-Are there mountains? -- Things that rise up and stand between you and God?
-What things are distracting you and steering you off the straight path of the Lord?
-What things are making your life rough? -- Life would go smoother if you would just let them go.
*When John the Baptist came to preach, he summed it up in one word: Repent. And it is not always an easy thing to do. Correcting our course in life can be painful. Sometimes we are like Max Lucado’s daughter Andrea.
*When she was little girl about 4 or 5, Andrea got a splinter in her finger. So Max took her to bathroom and got out the tweezers, some ointment and a band-aid. Andrea did not like what she saw, so she said: “I just want the band-aid, Daddy.” (7)
*We are like that sometimes. It’s easier to cover up a problem than to really take care of it. But our Heavenly Father wants to get the problem out.
*Lift up the low places.
-Tear down the hills.
-Straighten the curves.
-Smooth out the rough spots.
-Don’t let anything come between you and the Lord.
*How can we help reveal the glory of God? -- By correcting our course in life.
3. And by communicating God’s truth.
*God calls us to communicate His truth in vs. 6-10. In vs. 6, the voice of the Lord says: “Cry out!” -- God wants all believers to help reveal the glory of His truth.
*So what is the message God calls us to communicate? Isaiah breaks it down into 2 parts.
1-First there is some bad news about our lives.
-We see it in vs. 6&7: “All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass.”
*God wants us to remind people that our time here is very short: “The grass withers and the flower fades away.” Life is short, death is sure, and we must be ready to go. People desperately need the Lord.
2-Thank God that we also have Good News about the Lord! And we see it in vs. 8-10:
8. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.''
9. O Zion, you who bring good tidings, get up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, you who bring good tidings, lift up your voice with strength, lift it up, be not afraid; say to the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!''
10. Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him.
*Good News! “The Word of our God stands forever!” And it is full of Good News for all who will trust in the Lord!
-“The good tidings”
-“Behold your God!”
-“Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand.”
*Jesus Christ did come into the world 2,000 years ago. He came with a strong arm to save all who will trust in Him. He came to stretch out His strong arms to die on the cross for our sins. And He rose again to give eternal life to anyone who will receive Him as Savior and Lord. Jesus Christ can save any soul! He can change any life! This is the truth God wants us to communicate for His glory.
*How can we help reveal the glory of God? -- By communicating God’s truth.
4. And by committing your life to Christ.
*Take another look at the Lord in vs. 10-11:
10. Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him.
11. He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young.
*Do you think you could commit your life to someone like that? Without a doubt you can! He even died on the cross for you! You can certainly commit your life to Jesus. And you should for the glory of God, because the best place to see the glory of God is in the face of Jesus Christ!
*Hebrews 1:1-3 explains:
1. God, who at various times and in different ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets.
2. has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;
3. who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
*The greatest way that God ever revealed His glory was by coming into our world as the Messiah Jesus Christ. And we can help reveal His glory by committing our lives to Christ. Young missionary nurse, Jessica Williamson has made this commitment. I found her blog yesterday and was struck by something Jessica wrote in 2008.
*The Music Minister at Swartz passed away that year. His name was Gary Griffith, and he died from a brain tumor. Here’s part of Jessica’s reflection Gary’s death:
“Bro. Gary has shown me through his life and through his death that that a life lived for self is no life worth living and a life lived for the Glory of God is the only one worth living at all. -- To love God and to love people.
*I have also learned to never let a day go by without telling the ones you love, that you love them and how special they are to you. -- This man was very special to me, a dear friend and mentor. I am a better person for having known him. I thank God for allowing me to be a part of Bro. Gary's life for these last 7 years. I wouldn't trade the countless memories, laughs, lessons learned, and encouragement for anything in this world.
*So -- to my Lord: I give up everything to you. I abandon what we call comfort in this world and desire that you use me in whatever ways you see fit. And at the end of this road, I hope that my life points to YOU! -- All the Glory be to your precious Name.
*May God help us to do whatever we can to bring glory to His name!
1. Reports from The Boston Globe and Wikipedia
2. Adapted from: Paul F. Barackman. Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology. January, 1947 - (Found in SermonCentral sermon “Lost and Afraid” by Scott Carmer - Isaiah 43:1-7 - June 18, 2006)
3. Piper definition from SermonCentral sermon “GOD CREATED US FOR HIS GLORY” by John Piper - Isaiah 43:1-7 - July 27, 1980 - Kimbrough definition from ChristianGlobe.com sermon “Revealed Glory” by WALTER L. KIMBROUGH - Exo 16:1-36
4. Adapted from The Deacon’s Bench by deacon Greg Kandra - http://blog.beliefnet.com/deaconsbench/2010/01/homily-for-january-17-2010-second-sunday-in-ordinary-time.html
5. www.flbaptist.org
6. Adapted from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1243484/Haiti-earthquake-Miracle-baby-plucked-rubble.html?ITO=1490
7. A GENTLE THUNDER by Max Lucado, Word Publishing, Copyright 1995, p. 172
8. “Reflections on the death of Gary W. Griffith” - Posted by Jessica Williamson - Sunday, Oct. 05, 2008 - http://jessicawilliamsonhonduras.blogspot.com
