"DO YOU HEAR THE VOICES?"
READ TEXT: ISAIAH 40:1-11
INTRODUCTION
TODAY WE BEGIN A STUDY ON ISAIAH CHAPTER’S 40-66; BUT BEFORE WE BEGIN IT’S NECESSARY FOR US TO DO SOME INTRODUCTORY WORK.
ISAIAH; THE MAN
IT WAS DURING THE TIME OF THE DIVIDED PERIOD OF ISRAEL’S HISTORY (WHEN GOD’S PEOPLE WERE DIVIDED INTO 2 KINGDOMS; ISRAEL IN THE NORTH AND JUDAH IN THE SOUTH) THAT ISAIAH (WHOSE NAME MEANS "YAHWEH IS SALVATION") THUNDERED ON THE SCENE PROCLAIMING GOD’S TRUTH AND JUDGMENT TO JUDAH, THE PEOPLE OF THE SOUTH.. A PEOPLE WHO HAD FORGOTTEN AND TURNED THEIR BACKS ON GOD.
ISAIAH’S MINISTRY STANDS IN TIME 1/2 WAY BETWEEN GOD’S 2 GREAT DELIVERERS, MOSES (1400 BC) AND CHRIST (3 BC). ISAIAH BEGAN HIS PROPHETIC CAREER IN 740 BC AND ENDED AT HIS DEATH IN THE YEAR 680 BC. HIS MINISTRY SPANNED THE REIGN OF 4 KINGS IN JUDAH: JOTHAM, AHAZ, HEZEKIAH AND MANASSEH; AND IT SPANNED THE RISE AND FALL OF 3 GREAT EMPIRES EGYPT, ASSYRIA AND BABYLON...
PRIOR TO HIS DIVINE CALL TO THE PROPHETIC OFFICE, ISAIAH WAS A COURT HISTORIOGRAPHER FOR KING UZZIAH AND KING HEZEKIAH OF JUDAH. HE WAS MARRIED AND HAD 2 SONS. ISAIAH WAS A FERVENT PATRIOT. HE WAS A WELL EDUCATED MAN WITH A MASSIVE VOCABULARY... HE WAS A MASTERFUL WRITER AND ORATOR WHO USED SARCASM AND IRONY WITH THE SKILL OF A SURGEON. HIS WORDS REVEAL GREAT EARNESTNESS, BOLDNESS AND SPIRITUALITY. ISAIAH WAS A MAN OF DEEP REVERENCE FOR GOD.
ONE SCHOLAR SAYS THE FOLLOWING OF ISAIAH;
"NEVER PERHAPS HAS THERE BEEN ANOTHER PROPHET LIKE ISAIAH, WHO STOOD WITH HIS HEAD IN THE CLOUDS AND HIS FEET ON SOLID EARTH, WITH HIS HEART IN THINGS OF ETERNITY AND WITH HIS MOUTH AND HAND IN THE THINGS OF TIME, WITH HIS SPIRIT IN THE ETERNAL COUNSEL OF GOD AND HIS BODY IN A VERY DEFINITE MOMENT OF HISTORY."
ISAIAH SERVED GOD FAITHFULLY; AND ACCORDING TO TRADITION -- ISAIAH WAS ONE OF THE FAITHFUL WHO HEBREWS 11:37 TELLS US WAS SAWED IN TWO. (WICKED KING MANASSEH -- HOLLOW LOG).
THEREFORE WHEN YOU READ THE WORDS OF ISAIAH (AND I HOPE YOU WILL DURING OUR STUDY) DON’T SIMPLY TAKE THEM FOR GRANTED; FOR YOU ARE READING THE WORDS OF A DEVOTED MAN OF GOD, A MAN WHO LOVED GOD DEEPLY, SERVED HIM FAITHFULLY, TRUSTED HIM FULLY AND WHO GAVE HIMSELF COMPLETELY TO HIS SERVICE...
NOW LET’S TALK ABOUT ISAIAH THE BOOK.
ISAIAH; THE BOOK
THE BOOK OF ISAIAH CONTAINS 66 CHAPTERS; SOME HAVE REFERRED TO IT AS A MIN BIBLE: THE FIRST 39 CHAPTERS (WHICH WE HAVE ALREADY STUDIED) LIKE THE OT SPEAK MAINLY OF CONDEMNATION -- THE LAST 27 (WHICH WE ARE ABOUT TO STUDY) SPEAK MAINLY OF REDEMPTION..
THE PURPOSE OF THE BOOK OF ISAIAH IS TWOFOLD; FIRST TO TEACH THE TRUTH THAT SALVATION IS BY GRACE AND SECOND TO SHOW THE WORLD THAT THRU JUDAH THE ROYAL LINE OF DAVID, THE MESSIAH WOULD BE REVEALED...
ISAIAH RANKS SECOND ONLY TO THE BOOK OF PSALMS IN THE NUMBER OF VERSES THAT SPEAK DIRECTLY ABOUT THE COMING OF CHRIST (59)
47 CHAPTERS OF ISAIAH ARE QUOTED OR ALLUDED TO BY CHRIST OR THE APOSTLES. AND WITH MORE THAN 400 REFERENCES ISAIAH STANDS SECOND ONLY TO PSALMS AS THE MOST QUOTED BOOK IN THE NT.
JAMES SMITH IN HIS INTRODUCTORY NOTES ON ISAIAH WRITES;
"THE BOOK OF ISAIAH HAS BEEN CALLED THE MOUNT EVEREST OF PROPHETIC LITERATURE. THE INTRINSIC GRANDEUR OF THIS BOOK ATTRACTS THOSE WHO ARE CONNOISSEURS OF GREAT LITERATURE. STUDENTS OF THEOLOGY FIND HERE SUBLIME REVELATIONS OF GOD’S CHARACTER. THE EVANGELICAL EMPHASIS OF THE BOOK HAS MADE IT A FAVORITE OF CHRISTIAN PREACHERS THROUGH THE AGES. THOSE WHO DEFEND BIBLICAL REVELATION FIND IN THESE PROPHECIES ABUNDANT EVIDENCE OF SUPERNATURAL REVELATION. AND SIMPLE BELIEVERS REJOICE IN A TREASURE TROVE OF PASSAGES WHICH ENCOURAGE THEM IN THEIR CHRISTIAN PILGRIMAGE."
ISAIAH; THE SETTING
THE FINAL PIECE OF OUR INTRODUCTORY WORK IS TO SET THE STAGE FOR OUR STUDY. IF YOU REMEMBER FROM OUR STUDY OF CHAPTERS 1-39; AS THAT SECTION CLOSED, WE SAW GOD DELIVERING HEZEKIAH AND JERUSALEM FROM AN ATTACK BY THE ASSYRIAN ARMY - THE CITY WAS SURROUNDED BY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF ENEMY SOLDIERS, THE PEOPLE AND KING WERE TERRIFIED, AND THEN GOD RESCUED THEM AT THE FINAL HOUR (AS AN ANGEL OF THE LORD SLEW THEIR ENEMY DURING THE NIGHT).
AND THE FINAL WORDS OF THAT SECTION END WITH ISAIAH GIVING A WARNING TO GOD’S PEOPLE IN CHAPTER 39; ANNOUNCING THAT IT WOULD BE THE KING OF BABYLON WHO WOULD COME IN AND DESTROY THE CITY, KILL HER PEOPLE AND TAKE THOUSANDS CAPTIVE....
THAT’S HOW CHAPTER 39 ENDED. BUT WHEN ONE TURNS FROM THE 39TH TO THE 40TH CHAPTER OF ISAIAH IT IS AS THOUGH HE HAS STEPPED OUT OF THE DARKNESS OF CAPTIVITY, GLOOM AND JUDGEMENT AND INTO THE BRIGHT LIGHT OF SALVATION. THE CONTRAST IS REMARKABLE, AND YET IT IS EVIDENT THAT CHAPTERS 1-39 ARE A PREPARATION FOR 40-66.
CHAPTERS 40-66 SERVE TO ANSWER THE DARK PICTURE THAT THE 39TH CHAPTER HAD CREATED. THOUGH THESE CHAPTERS SEE THE PEOPLE OF GOD IN HUMAN BONDAGE IN BABYLON, THEY GO MUCH DEEPER THEN THAT AND LOOK TO GOD’S PEOPLE AS BEING IN AN EVEN GREATER BONDAGE, A SPIRITUAL BONDAGE SUBJECT TO THE CRUEL TASK MASTER "SIN."
AND IT IS FROM THIS "GREATER" BONDAGE THAT CHAPTERS 40-66 BOLDLY PROCLAIM THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE A DELIVERANCE ONE DAY; BY THE HAND OF THE SERVANT OF THE LORD, THE LAMB OF GOD, JESUS THE CHRIST....
TODAY AS A BODY WE BEGIN AGAIN A STUDY OF THIS GREAT BOOK -- A BOOK WRITTEN BY A FAITHFUL MAN OF GOD OVER 2,700 YEARS AGO... A BOOK THAT YOU WILL FIND AS YOU READ & STUDY IT, IS EXTREMELY RELEVANT FOR US TODAY... (A MUCH MORE IN DEPTH STUDY WILL TAKE PLACE ON 2ND AND 4TH WEDNESDAY).
OUR MESSAGE TODAY IS ENTITLED "DO YOU HEAR THE VOICES?"
REMEMBER WHEN GOD CALLED ISAIAH TO THE PROPHETIC MINISTRY? WE READ ABOUT IT IN ISAIAH CHAPTER 6. ISAIAH SAW THE LORD, SEATED ON HIS THRONE, HIGH AND EXALTED AND THE TRAIN OF HIS ROBE FILLED THE TEMPLE WITH GLORY... AND ANGELS WITH 6 WINGS FLEW ABOVE GOD CALLING TO ONE ANOTHER,
"HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS THE LORD ALMIGHTY;THE WHOLE EARTH IS FULL OF HIS GLORY...."
AND THEN ISAIAH HEARD THE VOICE OF THE LORD SAY,
"WHOM SHALL I SEND? AND WHO WILL GO FOR US?"
TO WHICH ISAIAH REPLIES "HERE I AM LORD, SEND ME..." THEN GOD SAYS
"GO AND TELL THIS PEOPLE...." AND HE GIVES ISAIAH HIS WORDS..
AT THIS FIRST CALL ISAIAH HEARD GOD’S VOICE AND HE WAS COMMISSIONED TO PROCLAIM TO GOD’S PEOPLE THE IMPENDING JUDGEMENT BECAUSE OF THEIR SINS... NOW THIS WAS NOT A VERY POPULAR MESSAGE, AS YOU MIGHT GUESS. AND ISAIAH WAS ALSO TOLD BY GOD THAT THE PEOPLE (FOR THE MOST PART) WOULDN’T LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAID...
NOW, AS THE SECOND HALF OF ISAIAH OPENS UP, ISAIAH ONCE AGAIN HEARS GOD’S VOICE AS HE IS COMMISSIONED ONCE AGAIN, THIS TIME TO PREACH NOT A MESSAGE OF JUDGMENT BUT A MESSAGE OF COMFORT AND CONSOLATION, POINTING ISRAEL TO THE LORD THEIR GOD AS THEIR ONLY HOPE AND "SURE" REDEEMER...
IN OUR TEXT TODAY WE WILL HEAR 4 VOICES CALLING NOT ONLY TO ISAIAH BUT TO ALL OF GOD’S PROPHETS THROUGHOUT THE AGES...
1. VOICE #1; "COMFORT GOD’S PEOPLE"
40:1,2
GOD LOVES TO COMFORT HIS PEOPLE LISTEN TO HOW PAUL REFERS TO GOD IN 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3;
"PRAISE BE TO THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, (AND HERE IS THE DESCRIPTION) THE FATHER OF COMPASSION AND THE GOD OF ALL COMFORTS."
AND THIS IS NOT THE ONLY PLACE WHERE WE FIND GOD DESCRIBED AS A COMFORTER...IN THAT GREAT PSALM, PSALM 23 THE PSALMIST SAYS OF GOD THE GOOD SHEPHERD,
"YOUR ROD AND YOUR STAFF COMFORT ME..."
"AS A MOTHER COMFORTS HER CHILD, SO WILL I COMFORT YOU;AND YOU WILL BE COMFORTED OVER JERUSALEM." -- IS 66:13
GOD LOVES TO COMFORT HIS PEOPLE, AND HE IS A GREAT SOURCE OF COMFORT -- BUT
GOD RECOGNIZES THE TRUTH THAT SOMETIMES WE NEED SOMEONE WITH SKIN ON THEM.
A LITTLE BOY WAS HEADING UP STAIRS TO BED AND HE EXPRESSED HIS FEARS TO HIS DAD AS THEY WERE GOING INTO HIS BEDROOM. HE SAID, "DAD I FEEL SACRED TONIGHT, I’M AFRAID TO BE IN MY ROOM, ALL BY MYSELF." HIS FATHER TOLD HIM, "WELL SON YOUR NEVER REALLY ALONE DON’T YOU KNOW THAT GOD IS ALWAYS WITH YOU?" "SURE DAD I KNOW THAT" THE BOY RESPONDED, "IT’S JUST THAT SOMETIMES I NEED SOME ONE WITH SKIN ON THEM."
GOD RECOGNIZES THAT JUST LIKE THAT LITTLE BOY, SOMETIMES WE NEED SOME ONE WITH SKIN ON THEM... SOMETIMES WE NEED SOMEONE IN THE FLESH TO COME AND SIT WITH US, HOLD OUR HAND LISTEN TO OUR HEARTACHE.
IN THE FIRST VERSE OF OUR TEXT GOD SAYS, "COMFORT, COMFORT MY PEOPLE...."
THIS COMMAND OF GOD TO COMFORT HIS PEOPLE WAS DIRECTED NOT ONLY TO ISAIAH BUT TO ALL OF GOD’S PROPHETS...
GOD CALLS HIS PEOPLE TO COMFORT ONE ANOTHER....
EARLIER WE READ 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3, LET’S READ THAT VERSE AGAIN BUT THIS TIME LET’S INCLUDE VERSE 4.
"PRAISE BE TO THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE FATHER OF COMPASSION AND THE GOD OF ALL COMFORT, WHO COMFORTS US IN ALL OUR TROUBLES SO THAT WE CAN COMFORT THOSE IN ANY TROUBLE WITH THE COMFORT WE OURSELVES HAVE RECEIVED FROM GOD..."
GOD LOVES TO COMFORT HIS PEOPLE.
GOD RECOGNIZES THAT AT TIMES WE NEED SOME ONE WITH SKIN ON THEM.
C. BUT BEFORE COMFORT CAN COME SIN MUST BE TAKEN CARE OF
LISTEN TO VERSE 2 ONCE AGAIN...
IT WAS ONLY AFTER THEIR SIN WAS DEALT WITH -- THAT GOD CALLS HIS PROPHET TO COMFORT HIS PEOPLE.... YOU’LL FIND THAT IN THE FIRST 39 CHAPTERS OF ISAIAH GOD DOES NOT CALL ISAIAH TO COMFORT HIS PEOPLE. BECAUSE IT IS ONLY AFTER "THEIR" SIN HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF THAT HE CAN SEND ISAIAH WITH WORDS OF COMFORT.
AS CHAPTERS 40-66 WILL SHOW, TRUE COMFORT CONSISTS (NOT IN TELLING PEOPLE WHAT THEIR ITCHY EARS WANT TO HEAR) BUT IN SETTING FORTH THE ENTIRE TRUTH CONCERNING THEIR TRAGIC CONDITION AND, IN CAUSING THEM TO SEE GOD AS THEIR ONLY HOPE. IT IS ONLY WHEN THE REALITY AND UGLINESS OF SIN IS FACED, THAT THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF DELIVERANCE CAN BE MADE...
APART FROM THE PRECEDING DECLARATION OF JUDGMENT THAT WE FIND IN CHAPTERS 1-39, THE WORDS OF COMFORT IN 40-66 ARE WITHOUT MUCH POINT. THIS PREREQUISITE FOR COMFORT WE SEE HERE IN ISAIAH IS MUCH THE SAME AS JESUS TAUGHT ON THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT -- HE TOO TALKED ABOUT PEOPLE BEING COMFORTED --
BUT BEFORE THEY COULD BE COMFORTED JESUS SAID THEY MUST BE "POOR IN SPIRIT" ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR ABSOLUTE DEPENDENCE UPON GOD -- AND THEN THEY MUST MOURN OVER THEIR SIN AND HOPELESS CONDITION....
BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN FOR THEY WILL BE COMFORTED...."
THE FINAL THING I WANT TO SAY ABOUT THIS FIRST VOICE IS THAT;
D. COMFORT IS ACHIEVED THROUGH THE PROCLAMATION OF GOD’S WORD
ISAIAH WAS NOT TO JUST SAY ANYTHING IN ORDER TO COMFORT GOD’S PEOPLE... BUT RATHER HE IS TO TELL THEM, HE IS TO COMFORT THEM WITH THE WORDS OF GOD..
WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES GOD’S WORD SO COMFORTING? I’M NOT EXACTLY SURE EXCEPT THAT IT IS GOD’S WORD...AND IT’S POWERFUL, ACTIVE AND SHARPER THAN A DOUBLED EDGE SWORD.
AND PEOPLE IN DESPERATE SITUATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CENTURIES HAVE FOUND GREAT COMFORT IN THEM....
RECALLING AND RECITING SUCH FAMILIAR PASSAGES AS PSALM 23 - "THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD..."; THE LORD’S PRAYER AND PSALM 46, "GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH AND EVER PRESENT HELP IN TROUBLE..." HAVE HELPED PEOPLE STAND UP UNDER PERSONAL LOSS, ILLNESS AND OTHER FRIGHTENING AND UNCERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES....
THE FIRST VOICE THAT ISAIAH HEARS IS A VOICE CALLING HIM TO COMFORT GOD’S PEOPLE... "PRAISE BE TO THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE FATHER OF COMPASSION AND THE GOD OF ALL COMFORT, WHO COMFORTS US IN ALL OF OUR TROUBLES SO THAT WE CAN COMFORT THOSE IN ANY TROUBLE WITH THE COMFORT WE OURSELVES HAVE RECEIVED FROM GOD.."
VOICE #2; "PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE LORD"
ISAIAH 40:3-5
THIS SCRIPTURE FOUND IT’S FULFILLMENT IN JOHN THE BAPTIST THIS WEEK PRESIDENT CLINTON WAS SCHEDULED TO VISIT THE TAMPA AREA -- BUT BERTHA CAUSED HIM TO CANCEL HIS PLANS. BUT EVEN THOUGH HE DIDN’T COME YOU CAN BE SURE THAT MUCH PREPARATION WAS MADE FOR HIS ARRIVAL....
ISAIAH HERE PICTURES THE SCENE OF ROYAL ROAD BUILDERS -- SMOOTHING THE WAY FOR THEIR KING, WORKING DILIGENTLY, REMOVING BARRIERS AND OBSTACLES IN ORDER TO MAKE THE KING’S JOURNEY SOMEWHAT EASIER.
THOUGH ALL THE PROPHETS HAD A PART IN PREPARING THE WAY FOR JESUS’ ENTRY INTO THE WORLD -- THIS PROPHECY WAS ULTIMATELY FULFILLED IN THE PERSON OF JOHN THE BAPTIST, THREE OF THE GOSPEL WRITERS: MATTHEW, MARK AND LUKE QUOTE THIS VERSE FROM ISAIAH AND APPLY IT TO THE BAPTIZER...
HOW DID JOHN PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE ARRIVAL OF CHRIST?
BY ANNOUNCING THAT THE OLD WAY -- THE FRUITLESS WAY OF THE SCRIBES AND THE PHARISEES -- WHERE THEY CARED MORE ABOUT KNOWING ABOUT THE LAW, THEN LIVING THE PRINCIPLES OF THE LAW WAS OVER... JOHN THE BAPTIST IN SPEAKING TO THE LEADERSHIP OF THE JEWSIH RELIGION IN MT 3 REFERRED TO THEM AS TREES AND TOLD THEM THE AX OF GOD WAS ALREADY AT THE TREE -- READY TO CHOP THEM DOWN, BECAUSE THE BORE NO FRUIT
JOHN PREPARED THE WAY BY SHOUTING OUT IN THE WILDERNESS THAT THE ONLY WAY TO GET RIGHT WITH GOD -- WAS TO BE REPENT AND BE IMMERSED FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS....
JOHN ALSO HELPED PREPARE THE WAY BY GROOMING SOME OF JESUS’ FIRST DISCIPLES - PETER, JOHN, ANDREW AND JAMES...
AND ONCE JOHN PREPARED THE WAY -- REMOVED THE OBSTACLES -- SHOWED THE FUTILITY OF RELIGIOUS RITUAL -- PREACHED REPENTANCE -- ONCE JOHN DID THIS - ONCE THE WAY WAS PREPARED THEN THE GLORY OF THE LORD WAS REVEALED..
"AND THE WORD BECAME FLESH AND DWELT AMONG US...AND MEN SAW THE GLORY OF THE ONE AND ONLY WHO CAME FROM THE FATHER FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH..."
JOHN THE BAPTIST PREPARED "FOR" THE WAY ("I AM THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIGHT")....
AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT?
WE STILL GOT SOME PREPARING TO DO TODAY
THE PRINCIPLE WE FIND HERE, IS THAT THE WAY HAS TO BE PREPARED BEFORE THE LORD’S GLORY CAN BE REVEALED. THAT THE OBSTACLE AND BARRIERS HAVE TO BE REMOVED SO THAT THE KING CAN ARRIVE/ADVANCE PREPARATIONS NEED TO MADE......
IS THERE NOW NO MORE PREPARING FOR THE LORD -- SINCE JOHN THE BAPTIST CLOTHED IN CAMEL’S HAIR EATING WILD LOCUST SHOUTED IN THE WILDERNESS. IN A WAY YES BUT IN A WAY NO.
YES THERE IS NO PREPARING IN THE SENSE OF PREPARING FOR THE LORD’S EARTHLY ARRIVAL - JESUS HAS ALREADY COME IN THE FLESH AND JOHN THE BAPTIST PREPARED THE WAY...
BUT IN ANOTHER SENSE, THIS PRINCIPLE STILL APPLIES TODAY FOR THE LORD STILL WANTS TO REVEAL HIMSELF IN GLORY TO HIS CHURCH... BUT BEFORE HE CAN DO THIS, THERE ARE OBSTACLES THAT MUST BE REMOVED, BARRIERS THAT MUST BE TORN DOWN; RUGGED PLACES THAT MUST BE MADE SMOOTH... SO THAT JESUS CAN ARRIVE AND BE LIFTED UP.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BARRIERS, OBSTACLES AND RUGGED PLACES TODAY THAT MUST BE REMOVED BEFORE THE LORD’S GLORY CAN BE REVEALED....? WHAT ARE PEOPLE IN THE CHURCH LIFTING UP RATHER THAN CHRIST?
>>> THEY ARE LIFTING UP:
PERSONAL SIN, PRIDE, PREJUDICE, INDIFFERENCE, OPINIONS, COMFORT, CONVINCE, WORLDLY THINGS....IN A WORD THEY ARE LIFTING UP SELF....
IF WE WANT TO SEE THE LORD’S GLORY REVEALED IN HIS CHURCH WE TOO MUST LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF GOD AND PREPARE THE WAY... WE MUST: MAKE A STRAIGHT PATH/RAISE VALLEYS/LOWER MOUNTAINS/LEVEL THE ROUGH GROUND AND MAKE THE RUGGED PLACES A PLAIN.
VOICE #3 IS CRYING ; "INVEST IN THE ETERNAL"
ISAIAH 40:6-8
IN THESE VERSES ISAIAH STRESSES THE ETERNALITY OF GOD’S WORD - AS COMPARED TO MAN WHO IS LIKE THE GRASS VERY TEMPORARY AND FRAGILE, HERE TODAY AND GONE TOMORROW (LIKE A PAYCHECK).
PETER IN HIS FIRST LETTER....QUOTES THIS PASSAGE OF ISAIAH.
1 PETER 1:22-1:25
IN LIGHT OF THE PERMANENCE OF GOD’S WORD PETER GOES ON TO SAY: "THEREFORE, RID YOURSELVES OF ALL MALICE AND ALL DECEIT, HYPOCRISY, ENVY, AND SLANDER OF EVERY KIND. LIKE NEWBORN BABIES, CRAVE PURE SPIRITUAL MILK, SO THAT BY IT YOU MAY GROW UP IN YOUR SALVATION, NOW THAT YOU HAVE TASTED THAT THE LORD IS GOOD...."
SINCE GOD’S WORD IS ETERNAL AND EVERYTHING IN THIS WORLD IS NOT -- WE SHOULD RID OURSELVES OF THE THINGS OF THE WORLD AND CRAVE GOD’S WORD.
BUT TRAGICALLY WE FIND THAT MANY PEOPLE MORE OFTEN THEN NOT CRAVING THE TEMPORARY.... CARVING THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD (MONEY, LOOKS, PHYSIC, CAREER, PLEASURE) WITH A GREAT PASSION, WHILE THEY PURSUE GOD’S WORD WITH A CASUAL INDIFFERENCE...
GOD SAYS INVEST IN SOME THING THAT WILL LAST.
BECAUSE IT IS VERY FOOLISH TO INVEST ONE’S LIFE IN THE TEMPORARY AND IGNORE THE ETERNAL...JESUS ONCE TOLD THIS PARABLE..
LUKE 12:16-21
"WHAT GOD IS IT TO GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD YET FORFEIT YOUR VERY SOUL."
DO YOU HEAR THE VOICES?
THEY ARE CALLING TO GOD’S PEOPLE, THEY’VE BEEN CALLING FOR CENTURIES....
“COMFORT, COMFORT MY PEOPLE"
"PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE LORD...."
"INVEST IN THE ETERNAL"
AND THERE IS ONE MORE VOICE:
AND THIS VOICE IS CRYING TO US ,
"GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN"
ISAIAH 40:9-11
THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD MUST BE PROCLAIMED FAR AND IT MUST BE PROCLAIMED WIDE.
GOD’S PEOPLE ARE NOT TO KEEP THE GOOD NEWS OF THE LORD’S ARRIVAL TO THEMSELVES...
1. THEY ARE TO GO UP ON A MOUNTAIN, BUT NOT JUST ANY MOUNTAIN THEY ARE TO GO ON A HIGH MOUNTAIN.
2. AND THEY ARE NOT TO JUST SOFTLY SPEAK ABOUT THE LORD’S PRESENCE, THEY ARE TO SHOUT
AND LIFT UP THEIR VOICE....
3. THEY ARE NOT TO BE AFRAID OR INTIMIDATED, BUT RATHER THEY ARE TO BOLDLY SHOUT HERE IS YOUR GOD!!!
HE IS POWERFUL AND MIGHTY
HE IS A GOD WHO REWARDS GREATLY
"HE TENDS HIS FLOCK LIKE A SHEPHERD: HE GATHERS THE LAMBS IN HIS ARMS AND CARRIES THEM CLOSE TO HIS HEART; HE GENTLY LEADS THOSE THAT HAVE YOUNG...."
4. THE VOICE COMPELS US TO GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN..
MT 5:14-16
AS ISAIAH BEGAN THE 2ND HALF OF HIS MINISTRY HE HEARD THE VOICES OF GOD CALLING HIM: COMFORT MY PEOPLE; PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE LORD; INVEST IN THE ETERNAL; GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN..
AND ISAIAH WAS FAITHFUL AND ANSWERED THOSE VOICES...
THE VOICES ARE STILL CALLING TODAY? DO YOU HEAR THE VOICES? WILL YOU LIKE HEED THE VOICES? OR WILL YOU IGNORE THEM?
