Soar Like An Eagle

SOARING LIKE AN EAGLE

ISAIAH 40:27-31

THIS SERMON WAS GATHERED FROM THE NIV BIBLE AND INFORMATION WAS TAKEN FROM THE BOOK “THE EAGLE STORY” BY INSTITUTE OF YOUTH CONFLICTS 1985

ISAIAH 40:27-31

THE 40TH CHAPTER OF ISAIAH APPEARS TO BE A PROPHECY INTO TWO PARTS.

(1) ISAIAH HAS BEEN ADDRESSING GOD’S PEOPLE WHO WOULD UNDERGO BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY- THOSE WHO WOULD BE FEELING THE PRESENCE OF SOMEONE SUPPRESSING THEIR LIVES.

(2) GOD’S PEOPLE WHO ARE SPIRITUALLY CAPTIVE TO SIN AND WHAT IS GOING ON IN THEIR LIVES PREVENTS THEM FROM BEING FREE AND VICTORIOUS IN A WAY OF LIFE THAT GOD DESIRES FOR GOD’S PEOPLE.

WE SEE THE WRITER IS USING THE EAGLE AS A SIMILE. A SIMILE CONNECTS TWO UNLIKE THINGS BY DRAWING A COMPARISON- THE EAGLE IS AN EXAMPLE FOR US.

40:31 (NLT) “BUT THOSE WHO TRUST IN THE LORD WILL FIND NEW STRENGTH. THEY WILL SOAR ON WINGS LIKE EAGLES. THEY WILL RUN AND NOT GROW WEARY. THEY WILL WALK AND NOT FAINT”

ANYONE THAT KNOWS ME KNOWS THAT I ADMIRE THE EAGLE- PARTICULARLY THE BALD EAGLE. I HAVE EAGLE PICTURES, EAGLE STATUES, AND I AM FAMILIAR WITH THE TRAITS OF AN EAGLE. MY SCREEN SAVER IS A BALD EAGLE.

I DO NOT THINK IT IS A COINCIDENCE THAT GOD TELLS US TO TAKE THE LIFE OF AN EAGLE.

THE BIBLE NO WHERE TELLS US TO ACT LIKE OTHER BIRDS. WE ARE NOT CALLED TO BE TURKEYS, CHICKENS, OR PEACOCKS.

I HAVE SEEN SOME CHRISTIANS ACT LIKE TURKEYS, TO ACT LIKE CHICKENS, TO BE PROUD LIKE PEACOCKS. BUT I THINK GOD HAS A REASON HE TELLS US TO BE LIKE AN EAGLE.

I THINK FOR A MOMENT WE SHOULD LOOK AT SOME OF THE EAGLES TRAITS- SO WE CAN APPLY SOME OF THEM TO OUR LIVES.

I THINK ISAIAH HAD A HARD JOB.

HE HAD TO SPEAK TO PEOPLE WHO WERE HARD HEARTED.

HE HAD TO MOTIVATE THOSE WHO DID NOT WANT TO BE MOTIVATED.

HE BROUGHT A MESSAGE OF A COMING SAVIOR TO PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO DO THEIR OWN THING.

GOD TELLS ISAIAH TO CRY OUT ...TO CRY OUT TO THEM AND TO ASK GOD TO HELP DO IT.

40:6-8,- “ A VOICE SAYS, CRY OUT. AND I SAID, WHAT SHALL I CRY? ALL MEN ARE LIKE GRASS, AND ALL THEIR GLORY IS LIKE THE FLOWERS OF THE FIELD. THE GRASS WITHERS, AND FLOWERS FALL,. BECAUSE THE BREATH OF THE LORD BLOWS ON THEM. SURELY THE PEOPLE ARE GRASS. THE GRASS WITHERS AND THE FLOWERS FALL, BUT THE WORD OF OUR GOD STANDS FOREVER.”

SOMETIMES DO YU FEEL LIKE THE PROPHET?

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT GOD BUT THEY ARE NOT LISTENING?

ARE YOU JUST GROWING TIRED AND WEARY?

GOD HAS A WORD FOR YOU THIS MORNING CONCERNING YOUR STRENGTH AND THE ABILITY TO GO ON.

HE IS TELLING US HOW TO RENEW OUR STRENGTH.

HE IS TELLING US HOW TO RUN AND NOT GROW WEARY

HOW TO WALK WITH GOD AND NOT FAINT

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MAY OF WANTED THE TURKEY TO BE THE NATIONAL BIRD, BUT GOD WANTS US TO BE LIKE EAGLES.

......PEACOCKS ARE PROUD BIRDS

......TURKEYS ARE DUMB BIRDS

......CROWS ARE DIRTY BIRDS

......VULTURES ARE FILTHY BIRDS- CORRUPT, ROTTEN, AND EATING THE STINKY THINGS IN LIFE

THERE ARE CHRISTIANS THAT ACT LIKE EACH ONE OF THESE BIRDS, BUT IF WE ARE GOING TO LIVE LIFE AS GOD INTENDED WE ARE TO BE EAGLES AND SOAR IN LIFE.

.... “THEY THAT WAIT UPON THE LORD SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH, THEY SHALL MOUNT UP WITH WINGS LIKE EAGLES THEY SHALL RUN, AND NOT BE WEARY, AND THEY SHALL WALK AND NOT FAINT”

THERE ARE SOME EAGLE CHRISTIANS:

THEY ARE BOLD AND DEVOTED TO GOD

THEY UNDERSTAND THAT IF THEY ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO FLY IN THE STORM IT WILL BE IN THE STRENGTH OF THE LORD, AND IF THEY GET TIRED, THEY KNOW THEY HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE SOURCE OF THEIR STRENGTH TO BE RENEWED.

THE EAGLE KNOWS IT CAN HANDLE DIVERSITY

IF YOU ARE GOING TO MOUNT UP WITH EAGLE WINGS: YOU ARE NOT SCARED OF THE STORM, YOU ARE NOT RUNNING FROM A STORM, YOU WILL RISE ABOVE THE STORM. IN A STORM YOU WILL LOCK YOUR WINGS, USING THE STRONG WINDS TO BE YOUR ADVANTAGE

HE FLIES WITH PURPOSE-

HE KNOWS HE WAS DESIGNED BY GOD TO FLY. HE IS NOT A GROUND BIRD, GATHERING FOOD FROM THE GROUND, THE LEFTOVERS FROM OTHER BIRDS.

HE WELCOMES THE WINDS- PROBLEM COME HIS WAY, HE JUST RISES ABOVE IT, HE GOES WHERE NO OTHER BIRDS FLIES.

IN THE STORM OF LIFE- CHRISTIANS SHOULD BE SEEN ABOVE THE CIRCUMSTANCES, TAKING THEIR POSITIONS AS MAN/WOMEN OF GOD.

TOO MANY CHRISTIANS BAIL OUT AS SOON AS A STORM COMES THEIR WAY.