Keep Silence Before Me — Carter Conlon

I'd like you to turn in your Bibles this morning with me to the book of Isaiah chapter 40 and I want you to follow along in some verses of scripture with me because I think it's going to be meaningful To you Isaiah chapter 40.

I'm reading from the New King James version if you're pulling that up on your cell phone or any other device that you have and I've entitled the sharing this morning. Keep silence before me. Now this is not a message to you.

It's a message to somebody else and you'll understand that in just a moment. So father. I thank you God for Your presence here today. I thank you Lord for the reminder God that we have life not just Here, but we have life forever with you in heaven.

Thank you Lord for the hope the freedom the deliverance the joy That you are well able to put back into every heart no matter where we have come from. What kind of captivity we found ourselves in? Almighty God, there's no stronghold too strong for you.

There's no pit too deep. There's no mountain too high. There's no road too crooked that you can't find us in that place. So God, thank you. Thank you for the testimonies. We saw in the choir this morning.

God. Thank you God thank you Lord that we're not just bringing a theory about you, but an actual living experience. That you have become inside of each one of our lives. I Pray Oh Jesus Christ Son of God that there be not one person leave here today unchanged unchallenged unenlightened Lord God and still Captive let people be free today and father.

We thank you in Jesus name. Isaiah chapter 40 is Written by prophet of God now. God is speaking through his prophet and he's speaking to a Nation that's going through distress like I mean that had been the history of the nation of Israel in in large measure.

God's Comfort for a Struggling People

And there can come times in society and in history where we are Threatened to be overwhelmed by what's all around us people. That things that we are experiencing today others have experienced before us.

They've had to go through the same valleys the same trials the same difficulties but God has always been there for people and in the midst of a particular period of struggle in the nation of Israel a word comes and in beginning in verse 1 God says through the prophet comfort.

Yes comfort. My people says your God comfort them. 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.

Now this would be such a phenomenal word to the people of God of that time. Because they were always struggling always fighting always trying To be godly. They were always trying to obey all the 600 plus laws that they had to obey to have a right relationship with God and There was not only a warfare outside of them to try to encroach on what they were called to be in the earth, but there was an interior war as well going on at the same time and Suddenly the voice of God comes because these people are struggling.

They feel like they're failing. They they can't reconnect to God the way they feel that they should they're they're falling short In great measure of what they feel that God has called them to be in the earth.

Do you ever feel that way in your life? I'm talking to believers now as well as obviously as an unbeliever. You are here today, and you know, your life has fallen short of what it should be. But oftentimes even the people of God feel this way we feel like God.

I feel like I'm called to be so much more than what I am right now, and I'm constantly fighting and I'm constantly Struggling to try to to find that place that the Bible calls the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

And suddenly word comes and says your warfare is ended your iniquity is pardoned now this this would be phenomenal for the people of that time because Sin at that time was was imputed. In other words if you went into the temple you offered a sacrifice of a lamb or a dove or a goat and You you felt clean.

God had accepted you you were forgiven you you left the temple and somebody ran over your toes with their cart. You said a word you shouldn't say. Then you've got to go back and get another goat another dove another lamb.

You got to go back into the temple and and You got to get forgiven all over again. But the thought that was being conveyed through the Prophet Isaiah is that there was a a time coming when sin would be forgiven.

It would be just forgiven. Isaiah carte blanche forgiven. Amazing thought. And not only forgiven, but she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. In other words God was saying through his prophet everything that sin Brought into your life.

God says I'm gonna take it out, and I'm gonna give you back double what you thought you lost. I'm gonna make you what you could never be. I'm gonna take you where you could never go. And I'm going to give you what you could never hope to possess.

I'm gonna give you double. For everything that was taken away from you. And the people hearing these words from Isaiah must have thought how's this gonna happen. How's God going to do this. Isaiah carries on verse 3 of chapter 40 and he says the voice of one crying in the wilderness now you and I know.

That scripture declares in the New Testament this passage from verses 3 to 5 was fulfilled through John the Baptist. He was the voice raised up in the wilderness to make a declaration that God has come.

That God is going to take your sin away Himself that God is going to give you life and he's going to give it to you more abundantly. God is going to restore Everything that sin and hell and the devil is brought into the human race.

He's going to destroy its power. He's going to take away its penalty. He's going to destroy this curse that has touched the earth. He's going to raise up a people to himself a people who are so blessed that they're going to become a blessing.

From God in the earth. A voice of one crying in the wilderness. Prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Amazing. In other words, it's not you and I trying to make straight this highway.

God says I'm gonna make a straight highway because I'm you couldn't make your way to me. So I'm making my way to you. Now. I'm coming to get you Hallelujah to the Lamb of God and my way is not a crooked way.

You don't have to try to figure it out. You're gonna see me face to face. I'm coming and I'm coming to get you. Every valley shall be exalted. In other words every low place that the devil has dug for you and tries to convince you you'll never get out of that Valley of the shadow of despair.

You'll never escape the thoughts of discouragement. You'll never get out of this place of wanting to end your life and even commit suicide. Every valley will be lifted up. Everyone will have access to God.

There'll be no strong people. No weak people. No big people. No little people. All flesh shall see the glory of the Lord. Everyone will have an opportunity to come through to this incredible mercy that God's about to reveal through his Son.

And Every mountain and hill will be brought low. Not only will the valleys be lifted up but every obstacle the devil has built in front of you to stop you from getting to God. God says I'm gonna bring it down myself and make a plain highway for you to find me.

All the crooked places will be made straight. All of those things that are stuck in front of your life and your path to try to Convince you that it's very difficult to find God a living relationship with God.

God says himself through the Prophet I'm gonna make a straight pathway. I'm that voice of the Son of God crying out. Come unto me all ye who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest come and learn of me.

For I'm meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest for your souls. And all the rough places will be made smooth. Those things that the devil has put in front of you or maybe your own heart has embraced it to try to convince you That it's too hard to get to God.

There's many people who say well, I tried that but it didn't work. I Tried to be holy, but I can't. I tried to Believe that God would change my life, but somehow Didn't seem to happen. He says all these rough places are going to be made smooth and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed.

All flesh will see it together for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. You remember John the Baptist said behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. John the beloved disciple said we saw him we beheld his glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth.

Behold The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Now go all the way in chapter 40 with me to verse 26. This is God's challenge to you today. Now, he says lift up your eyes on high. In other words look above your circumstance.

God saw you you might have to leave the city. You can't see the stars in New York City. We all know that the buildings are too high the smog is too thick sometimes. You just got to get outside of the city and lift up your eyes.

I remember pastor William the first time he went out to summit. He said to me Wow there's stars out here. It's amazing. Once you get out of the city lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these things.

Lift up your eyes on high and see who brings out their host by number. He calls them all by name by the greatness of his might and the strength of his power not one is missing. In other words lift up your eyes on high and consider the power of the one who makes you these promises.

Consider the fact that he calls galaxies together to be formed by the word of his mouth. He calls all of the stars that are too innumerable to even be counted. He puts the planets in orbit. He's the one who commanded life to exist on planet Earth and he holds Everything in his hand by the word of his power the scripture says.

Consider how great the one is who makes this promise to you that he's making a highway to get you. You have to consider the power of God because if you just sit and consider your own strength, you'll falter you'll fail.

Because we can't get through to God. He had to come and get through to us and he made a highway. He made a way into your heart. He made a way into your life. He made a way to grab you by the hand and take you into a future that only God could give you not just for time, but also for all of eternity and Not one is missing.

You consider the stars as I said not one is missing. There's never been a research scientist that said where did Mars go? What happened to the Sun. Where did this galaxy disappear? You see those things don't happen.

He knows them by name and not one of them is missing. Remember Jesus said father. I've not lost any That you've given to me. He said those who come to me. I will what in no way cast you out Elsewhere.

He said I've sealed you in my father's hand and no one can take you out of the hand of my father. Not one. Praise God not one. Not one. You who have a sincere heart? You who want to live for God? Yes, we struggle.

Yes, we falter. Yes, we fail. But he made a way to us to forgive our sin and he says if you have trusted in me No longer will sin be imputed to you. Yes, you might have to confess some things to just bring back together your understanding of who we are together.

But I will not impute to you as a genuine believer in Christ the wrong things that you have done. Not one of you will be missing on that day when we stand at the throne of God. Why then verse 27 do you say Oh Jacob?

Why do you speak Oh Israel? And say my way is hidden from the Lord. Why do you say my just claim is passed over by my God in other words? Why do you listen to the voices that say? This promise is not for me or I called but no one answered.

Or somehow eternal and abundant life has passed me by or My situation is beyond the power of God. Why do you say that. Why do you say that God says. When you consider who I am. When you consider I've come to get you.

When you consider the Son of God went to a cross and endured The scorn the whipping the beating and the death that we all deserve for the sin we had committed. When we consider that on the third day God raised him from the dead and Gave us the promise that whoever believed that he took our place and we would receive him into our heart as Lord and Savior.

Would be saved forever. When the Word of God tells us that if anyone is in Christ, he's a new creation. The old things in his or her life have passed away and behold all things are become new. Why then why then do you say why do you say where do you get this?

Argument against God from. That says this isn't for me. Who told you that if God didn't tell you that? Where did you get that thought from? Where did you get the idea that nobody answered when you called?

You know, sometimes we expect an immediate answer don't we when we call out to God. We and we expect that the moment that prayer leaves our lips somehow the answer is going to be there and when it doesn't come We simply get up and walk away says well, I tried that it didn't work.

Remember the children of Israel were in Egypt. They were captivated. They were brought into bondage and they started to cry out to God. God came to an absent another Location on the earth and he found a man called Moses said I've heard the cry of my people and I've come down to deliver them.

Moses had to pack up his family pack up his house. Then the Bible tells us he got sick. We don't even know how long that was for he's not able to travel during that time. He had to get his brother. He had to get everything together.

He had to make the journey on foot with his family into this foreign nation. God answered the prayer way over here, but they didn't see the answer for quite some time. When I was a young police officer.

Three ladies started to pray for me and thoughts of God started coming into my mind out of nowhere. I remember walking the beat one day and thinking why am I thinking about God? Why does this even matter?

There was a church that was open. I walked in. I sat down in the back row. I took off my hat and here was my prayer out loud. I said, well if you're real, I wouldn't mind knowing who you are. Well, he answered me you see the he came to me.

I couldn't get to him. I didn't know where he was but he came to me. That's the issue and Sometimes we get it in our thinking that somehow God just passed us by. I called no one answered. Eternal and abundant life is for others but not for me and and my situation is way way beyond the control of God.

God's Strength for the Weary

Verse 28 God says through the prophet. Have you not know? Have you not heard? The everlasting God the Lord the creator of the evidence of the earth neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the weak and to those who have no mighty increases strength. Even the youth shall faint and be weary and young men shall utterly fall. In other words times In this world can get so hard That the strength of youth can't take you through.

The zeal of young men is going to fail. It just gets so dark and just gets so hard and some of you Know what this is all about. In other words is there are times that come into every life where we just simply can't get free.

We can't go forward with any amount of our own natural strength or ability. But then the prophet says but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. It doesn't mean we sit and wait. The word wait in the original text means intertwined with the promise or the character of God.

The the way to it is explained in Romans chapter 8 in verse 11 says. But if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit.

Who dwells in you those who let God be God those who meet him face to face? They say Lord. Thank you for coming to get me. I open my heart to you. I ask you to come into my life be my Lord my God my Savior.

You promised me the power of your Holy Spirit would reside inside this earth and vessel. You said I would have a new of full and abundant and eternal life. You said you'd give me back double for what sin tried to take out of my life.

Praise be to God Lord. Thank you for coming to me. I open my heart to you. Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength if you've lost your strength. You've come to a good place this morning.

God is not only going to save you he's going to strengthen you. He's going to give you a new path a new life a new heart a new mind. They shall mount up with wings as eagles they will run and not be weary they shall walk and not fade.

Oh Hallelujah. Oh Hallelujah. In other words, we're not going to be stopped. There's no weapon formed against us that can prosper. Every tongue that rises against us in judgment we can condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord.

We're gonna finish our course. We're gonna run our race. We're gonna get to the finish line and we're coming together to the throne of God one day now the beginning of chapter 41, which is Really just the writers the translators put the chapters in in the original text.

Silencing Doubt and Demonic Accusation

There are no verses no chapters. It's just all one big letter and it comes to a conclusion. Where the Lord says keep silence before me Oh coastlands and let the people renew their strength. Keep silence every devil of hell keep silent every contrary argument keep silent.

Everything that's been learned every thought in the mind every frailty of the human heart God says keep Silent and let the people come to me and let their strength be renewed. And so in Jesus name, I Command every contrary thought to Christ to be silent.

Everything every thought that says this is not for me. It's for somebody else. Every thought that says I can't get to God. I don't know how every thought that says life is not worth living. Every thought that says I'm discouraged.

I'm depressed. I'm addicted. I will always be down. I will always be hurt. I'll always be wounded. I'll always be blind. I'll always be in a prison to you. I say in Jesus name keep silent and let the people renew their strength.

Let the church be renewed in our generation. Let the law start to sing the praises of God. Let a multitude of people come out of darkness come out of death and start to walk in resurrection life with Jesus Christ.

Keep silent every voice of hell that says the church will not rise again in this generation. Keep silent everyone that says that our college students are fools if they believe in God keep silent every voice.

Hallelujah, the one who created the stars in the universe by the word of his mouth. The one who has all power in his hand. The one who came to the earth. As a man the one who was called the Lamb of God.

The one who went to the cross. The one who went into the grave. The one who could not be held down by death. Says to this generation keep silent. Have a church. I will have a people. I will be glorified in the earth.

I might to those that are faint and weary and weak. I will send my spirit on all flesh and your sons and daughters shall prophesy. Your maidens and handmaidens will be filled with the Spirit of God. Your old men shall dream dreams.

Your young men shall see visions. Keep Silent or keep silent. God's voice is so powerful that one day He's gonna call with a shout and everyone who's ever died. Trusting in him is going to be raised out of the grave.

We who are alive and remain shall be gathered together with them and so shall we ever be with the Lord. And so those who mock and those who tell us there is no God and those who believe your evil agenda can Infect our society and destroy it.

Keep silent in the sight of God. So now you have a choice. Everyone here everyone listening online. You have a choice you continue to believe the voices That keep you away from the fullness of God has for you through Jesus Christ.

The fact that he was raised from the dead is God's promise to you that trusting in him. You will have everlasting life and you will have a reason to live on the earth. You will be supernaturally empowered to fulfill the will of God for your life on the earth.

It's not about you. It's about him. It's not about you. You're not called to do this. God will do it through you if you will believe he will speak to you. And when he speaks you just keep going through every door that he opens and you watch what God will do.

But at some point in your life, you've got to speak to these voices. Whether it's demonic whether it's been learned or whether it's coming from your own heart and you have to say enough. Keep silence.

You don't have the last word in my life. It's not you who determines my future. It's God who determines my future and he has made a highway for me. And no valley and no mountain and no rough place. Nothing, nothing, nothing.

Not angels not principalities not powers. Nothing can separate me from the love of God, which is mine in Christ Jesus. Nothing. It's so for the Church of Jesus Christ. It's time to get up and go with God.

It's time to get on the highway. It's time to let him become our strength. Him become our voice. He must become our freedom. He is our covering. He is our cleansing. He is our hope. He is our promise.

He is everything to us. You have to get Some gravel in your gut you understand say devil. Shut up, you don't have my marriage. You don't have my home. You don't have my family. You don't have my kids.

You don't have my grandkids. Keep on has spoken. God has spoken. God has spoken. When the devil tries to dictate to your future you look him in the eye and say listen. I got something to tell you. Your knee will bow your tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

There's no right over my life. No, right over my future. You don't dictate my beginning or my end. I'm in the hands of God. Let every other voice be silent. Let the voice of God be the only voice that I hear.

Let the Word of God be the only word that I follow. Keep silent. Hallelujah. Now Jesus said Whoever comes to me I Will not cast him out. So now you got to cause that voice to be silent. That tries to say well, that's for everybody else, but you that's a lie.

Whoever he said whoever comes to me I Will in no way cast you out. I'll cleanse you. I'll change you. I'll give you hope forgiveness a future on the earth and an eternity in heaven with God and for those that are weak and weary and The devil tries to tell you you don't have a future.

Your life doesn't matter or it doesn't amount or won't amount to anything in the kingdom of God. You need to look up once again. And see who has made you these promises. And consider again his power and not only his power but his heart.

It's hard. He came to you. And you and you and you you he came to you because you couldn't come to him. He had no way to get to him, but he so loved you. So cared about you so even knew your name before you were conceived in your mother's womb he knew you and He came to get you.

Consider the power of the one who makes the promises to you and say in your heart enough of these other voices enough of the lies. Enough of the past coming back to haunt me. Things that were said over my life.

God's made a highway for me. Straight road. It's not difficult. I'm just gonna get up. And I guess just like the prodigal son in the Bible. I'm just going home. I'm just going to God. And I'm gonna trust.

That he who died for me Can not only forgive me, but he can keep me. And not only keep me but make my life something that will bring praise to him on the earth. I bet you never thought mark when you were addicted to opiates.

That you'd be holding that sign up in this choir one day. And some of you sitting here today, you have no idea what God will do. But you do know that it will be supernatural and it will be all God. So father I thank you today For being with us in such a powerful way throughout this whole service.

We've sung about your victory. We've shouted. We've even seen our little children with such hope in the midst of such a crooked generation. And now the choice is given to whosoever will. That we may come and we can come in our weakness and we can come in our Frustration we can come in our failure.

We can come in our mess, but we can come to you. Because you made a way. So Lord, thank you for those that are going to enter the kingdom of heaven today. Thank you for People who are part of your church who have been faltering because of their own struggles.

Coming back to an understanding of how faithful you are. And that you promise that you will give us strength in the midst of our weakness. So Lord, we give you the praise and the glory in Jesus name. If the Lord is speaking to your heart today.

Invitation to Receive Christ

We're gonna sing for just a few moments the Lord speaking to your heart and you say pastor. I Want to give my life to Jesus Christ? I'm done listening to lies and I'm done. Just come in the church out of tradition.

I I want a living relationship with God. If that's you today, could you just join me and raise your hand wherever you are? Just God bless you all over raise your hand just everywhere. Praise God. There was a lot of hands just went up.

So you're not gonna be the only one but I'm gonna ask you to do something. Those who want to come to Christ as Lord and Savior. I want to invite you first. Then after you I'd like to invite everyone in the church who just feels weary and weak and say God I I need to look beyond the arguments in my heart and I need to look beyond what others have said about me and I need to start listening to your voice again.

And I'm trusting that you're going to make my life of praise in the earth. Let's all stand together. Please if you will in the annex those that raise their hand to receive Christ, we'll wait for you. Make your way over everyone to raise their hand.

Would you slip out right now? Just make your way out and come down. Just come down meet us here. Meet me here. Everyone who raised their hand up in the balcony go to either exit. If you got a friend bring your friend with you.

If you got family bring your family. Make your way down, please everyone who raised their hand. To receive Christ as Savior this day. God bless you, sir. God bless you, ma 'am. God bless you. It's been a long journey, right?

It's so glad you're here today. What's your name? Angela god bless you Angela. You're gonna open your heart to Christ today. Okay, praise God. It's so good to see you. So good to see you. Just keep coming.

God bless you. Good to see you today. Come on in. Come on in close. Don't be scared praise God. Everyone who just wants to give their life to Jesus, please just come join these that are coming join these that are coming and We might not even have room for the second group, but just join those that are coming.

Please God bless you. Do it now. Come on do it now. Don't wait. Don't wait. Come on young guys. Come on do it now. Just keep coming just move out of your seat, you know God speaking to you. You know, your heart is pounding right now.

You know, God is calling you. So don't put it off. Don't wait young people. Don't waste your life looking for something in this world. It's not here. It's only in Christ. That's what you're looking for.

That's why you're here. That's what you need. Make your way here. Come on. Make your way down. From everywhere from everywhere. Just make your way down. Come on husbands and wives. Talk to each other if one of you is not a Christian just grab the hand of your spouse and come on down come together.

Believe that God will bless your home believe that God will touch your marriage believe that God will save your children. Believe that God will as he promises everything that sin brought into your home and your family.

He says I'll give you double when you come to me double blessing for what the devil tried to do to you. Just make your way here. Praise God. Thank you. Thank you father now what's about to happen in your life is supernatural.

When you open your heart to Jesus and you acknowledge that he took your place on a cross 2 ,000 years ago. And he died to pay the price for the wrong that you've done. When you accept that in your heart say God, thank you for dying for me.

And then you believe that as you pray that prayer according to his word. That he will wash away the wrong you've done the Bible calls it sin. They're just the wrong the wrong things. You've done every lie every theft everything that you've done.

That's not right. He'll wash it away. And then he says he will give you his Holy Spirit the Spirit of God to come and live inside of your physical body and God that raised Jesus from the dead will also quicken says give life to your mortal body and You will begin to change from the inside out.

You know, you'll immediately start thinking new thoughts the things you used to do. That God doesn't want you to do will start to bother you and even though they didn't before they'll bother you now. Because he's moving you away from an old lifestyle into what he has for you.

Praise be to God. The words you used to say attitudes you used to have that were just kind of part of who you are. Suddenly you say the same words or you respond the same way and and you'll have this feeling inside.

That it's not right and it's God just saying come on with me, let me take you by the hand and He's not impatient and he's not angry. He says let me let me lead you. Thank you for coming. God bless you.

Let he's gonna lead you. Is that your son with you to your son and your wife a whole family. Coming to praise God. Oh, yes. Oh, yes. And God's gonna bring you into. God's gonna bring you to his church, which is a family.

It's it's it's called his body on the earth. And this is what it is. You look around you right now. You see a hundred and four Different nations are a part of this church. Where else but in God's kingdom could this happen?

You'll Start to see a whole new world. It's an amazing world that God's gonna open up to you and it's so important before you pray that you understand that you you've got to get Joined to some church that teaches about Jesus Christ from the Bible.

Okay, really really important really important. That church will have what's called a new believers class if they don't have a new believers class. It's because there are no new believers. There are probably best to go somewhere else.

Okay. Let's pray this prayer together and and there's gonna be a miracle happen. I know you don't understand this but the Bible says there's a There's somebody with a pen in heaven. I've always assumed it was an angel but there's somebody with a pen that is Waiting to write your name in a book called the book of life and When your name is written there You have eternal life because of Jesus Christ.

It means you have truly believed God has forgiven you you belong to him forever. So I want you to see the angel with God's pen writing your name as we pray this prayer. Praise be to God. Pray out loud with me, please Lord Jesus Christ.

Thank you for coming to get me right where I am and For loving me in spite of what I do today, I understand That you died for me To pay the price for my wrong so that I could be forgiven And have a new life Not just on the earth But in heaven for eternity Today Lord Jesus Christ.

I believe you're the Son of God. I Believe you died in my place and I confess with my lips That you are now my Lord My God and my Savior. I accept in my heart your offer of forgiveness and I thank you for giving me your Holy Spirit To raise me from the power of death into the power of your life.

Thank you Lord Jesus For loving me For bringing me here today Making a straight path That I may find you As my Lord and my Savior forever. I believe that at this moment My name is being written in your book of life Because I now belong to you And you belong to me Jesus thank you that as of this day forward I'm a new creation.