Behold your God!

Here I Stand Theology iconHere I Stand Theology

0 views

In Isaiah chapter 40 we see the nature and character of God.

0 comments

00:05
As you all are aware of and know it's important that you not only sit and that you listen
00:15
As a I guess listen to the the messages each week
00:21
It's not just to listen to them to say you've listened to them and not understand or not retained anything that you've heard
00:29
Or or that's been preached and taught to you but that we on a regular basis when we hear the word we look and we listen and part of my responsibility as As a preacher is to make sure that it's clear as best can be and and we've got some
00:46
Semblance of order in it. I want you to to know today that the the theme of the message today is is
00:54
This it is we're going to be looking at at the How did
01:00
I put that the the preeminent character and nature of God But as we look at the preeminent character and nature of God during Sunday school
01:08
I want to encourage you to be here for Sunday school. I'd like to encourage you to be here because As we learned in the
01:17
Sunday school lesson we're learning about how important it is that we worship God and how we worship
01:23
God matters and In the way that the way that we worship God is important and it's also important to know that we do it according to the knowledge that we have of God and what has
01:36
I Guess what has gone on for a long time not just here
01:42
But in every church that is because people are people people have issues people
01:48
Have problems people come in with heavy hearts people come in with their minds split between here and the world and What I want to encourage you to do today is to do what we ought to do every
02:05
Lord's Day when we gather together To fix your heart and to fix your mind on the
02:11
Lord God Almighty so that When we come because this day that God has set up for us to be here is the day set up so that we can
02:23
Be made aware so that we can learn so that we can know more of who God is
02:28
Not necessarily that you shouldn't study your Bible through the week for you should but this day
02:33
Out of seven has been set up so that we might worship and exalt and lift up the name of the
02:40
Lord our God Meaning that we lift him up above every other name that is named that we lift him up Above the cares of this world that we lift him up Above the things that we've got going on in our mind that we focus our hearts and our minds on him because he is able to give
03:00
Encouragement to you. He is able to give you rest. He is able to give you hope
03:05
He is able and he alone is able to give you the strength that you need to persevere and to continue on But in Psalm 34 before we read
03:16
Isaiah 70 Just want to read the first two verses our first three verses actually if Psalm 34 by way of prayer many times
03:24
We just have prayer we say what's on our mind to the Lord but the Psalms are very good and very instructive for us as God's people if we would just take time on those and look at those and And recite these to the
03:39
Lord and this is our hope today that as we look at the preeminent Character and the nature of Almighty God today that together as a body that not just Me the preacher, but that you the the people of the congregation
03:57
Might lift up and exalt the name of God The psalmist said this
04:03
I will bless the Lord at all times His praise shall continually be in my mouth
04:11
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord The humble shall hear of it and be glad and then he says this
04:21
Oh magnify the Lord with me Oh Magnify the
04:28
Lord with me and let us Let us exalt his name
04:38
Together Oh Friends if when we as the church come
04:43
In one mind and in one accord gathered in the designated spot
04:49
Which is right here and right now in this place and we magnified the
04:54
Lord together How pleasing do you think that would be to God Almighty? Meaning that we all are here for one purpose and for one reason to seek the
05:05
Lord The other one of the prophets said seek the Lord while he may be found and friends any time that the
05:17
Word of God is read is Proclaimed is taught is sung is preached and it is the
05:26
Word of God Be aware of this one thing if you want to take a note today on this first thing
05:31
Be aware that you are hearing the very words of Almighty God That this that we have to preach unto you is not something of ourselves
05:43
But it is the inspired Word of God Read the story last night
05:50
Actually Vance Havner the old preacher Kenny locks in some of you know who he is an old preacher
05:55
Vance Havner used to tell the Story of some boys that came upon a man in Africa during a time when diamonds were plentiful there
06:02
He discovered that there were children that they were playing marbles But when he got closer to him, he realized that they weren't playing with marbles that they were playing marbles using diamonds and His thought was this could it be that we trifle so much so with the treasures of God that we play marbles
06:22
Using diamonds We trifle with the Word of God We trifle with the holy things of God and we trifle with his treasures
06:32
When you come to God's house, it ought not to be a trifling time.
06:38
It ought not to be an Inconsequential time it ought not to be something to get your ticket punch so that you can feel good about yourself through the week
06:47
But it ought to be so that together the body of Christ may magnify and exalt the name of our
06:55
Holy God Now the theme I told you is the preeminent character and nature of Almighty God The title of the message which the title will be driven as always by the text of the scripture
07:09
The title of the message is this today behold your God Behold your
07:16
God Hello friends Listen, I wrote some things and I'm just gonna kind of go through what
07:21
I wrote to touch to stay on track best that I can But as we get into the scripture by way of introduction
07:28
I want to tell you today that the aim and the goal of this message today is simply this it is to convince you
07:37
According to the scriptures that there is no one and no thing in which you can compare
07:45
God to I Am my intention by reading you and going through verse by verse this chapter 40 of Isaiah today
07:53
So that you can hear from the very mouth of God Himself Who God is and in some small way that we may be able to comprehend our
08:05
God who is? incomprehensible to the human mind But the
08:11
Lord is so loving and the Lord is so kind that he has put for us within the pages of his word some
08:17
Descriptions of who he is and when we get these at this knowledge into our mind
08:24
It is able to affect our heart and able to affect our love and able to affect our worship
08:30
And it's able to affect how you live Charles Spurgeon said one time a quote
08:38
I posted here while back, but it was a very powerful quote I believe sir on Facebook responded with a sad face because it truly is a sad statement
08:47
He said some of you have so much dust on your Bibles that you could write damnation on the front of them and it's sad that so many who profess to be
08:56
Christians today have such little knowledge of who God is and Because their knowledge of God is so small our lives are not lived as they ought to be lived out in this world
09:10
What you believe about God will change how you live
09:21
And I apologize I've been Very sick this week. I may get very stopped up today, but but I am
09:37
NOT not going to preach this today. I Praying the
09:46
Entire week, but particularly like yesterday just while I was working at the house praying and and seeking the seeking
09:55
God's face and wanting to be able to Communicate and to preach this message to you in a way that was both humble and yet Powerful in a way in which that you might be able to know who
10:10
God is and by knowing who God is You would go away being different being changed being more in love with this
10:18
Holy God who loved us so much that he gave his only begotten
10:23
Son to die on the cross for our sins and That we believe that he not only died on the cross for our sins
10:32
But that he was buried and that he rose again on the third day according to the
10:39
Scriptures Behold your God And I'll go further to say this but as we're leading into the text
10:48
This is still introductory statements that are we need to get in our minds To try to comprehend or to know who the
10:56
Lord is outside of the Scripture is idolatry to try to know or comprehend or worship
11:06
God Outside of what the Scriptures teach you is Idolatry and the
11:13
Scriptures teach us clearly one of the first Commandments that were given was this you should have no other gods before me
11:22
The great commandment is this here. Oh Israel the Lord our
11:27
God is one You should love the Lord your God with all your heart
11:34
With all your soul with all your mind and with all of your strength
11:43
That is the standard. Are you doing that? I can't answer that for you, but I am asking you that question today
11:52
Are you loving God with everything that you have? Kenny gave us the the definition from Webster's Dictionary I believe it is the old one though to worship means to honor with extravagant love and extreme
12:08
Submission. Are you extravagantly loving God today? Not yesterday.
12:14
Not tomorrow right now. Are you extravagantly loving God? Are you extreme living extremes in extreme submission to our
12:27
Holy God So if you cannot Understand or know
12:32
God outside of the Scriptures and if you attempt to do such a thing Which is what goes on with many people and he happens like this well
12:40
I just think God is like this and I think God does this and and I think
12:46
God does that Friends that will not get you anywhere but get you in a delusion and get you finding yourself lost and Separated from the true and the living
12:58
God God is nothing like you and I in terms of imperfection
13:05
He is perfect in every way Otherwise, we would be making a
13:13
God in our image and according to our temperament. Does everyone know what temperament is? Temperament is your mindset
13:20
Temperament is how you are geared. Some people you can set them off by looking at them the wrong way, right?
13:26
Some people like Bill he just always sits there. He's very calm very quiet Generally smiling like he's smiling right now
13:36
Everybody is different. But here's what you need to know about God. Our God is not different He is the same yesterday today and forevermore in Malachi The description given concerning himself is this
13:51
I am the Lord and I change not He is Steadfast, so we cannot make a
13:59
God in our image. We cannot make God according to our temperament We cannot do these things our temperament and our decisions as human beings are
14:10
Generally, generally generally as a rule not according to the standard of anything
14:16
Other than how we feel at any given moment Can I get an amen in the church house if you agree with that I hope that you can say amen because truly that's generally the way that people are
14:29
We make decisions based upon the moment we based by our decisions. We make our choices
14:35
We make we carry out plans based upon how we feel at a given time
14:41
We either feel like continuing on or we feel like we want to just give up We feel like we need to do this or we feel like we need to do that our temperaments our emotions are
14:53
Constantly changing they're constantly up and they're constantly down, but I want you to know today that God is
15:02
Absolutely perfect in all his ways Never let it be said that you did not hear this from the pulpit at Reformata Baptist Church God is perfect in all of his ways
15:17
His temperament is perfectly balanced. His emotions are perfectly in line with his character and nature
15:25
Also, never let it be said that you hear from this pulpit that God is an impersonal force
15:32
That God is not concerned about the the needs of his people for truly
15:37
God is concerned about the needs of his people and God is more than an
15:43
Impersonal force it is not the force like you think about Star Wars Where they use the force to do this and they use the force to do that God is not to be used
15:54
God is not to be trifled with God is to be approached holily and reverently and Respectfully and understanding that he and he alone is
16:05
God and his glory He will not give to another God is absolutely perfect His emotions are perfect his character and his nature the outworking of his love and his wrath
16:16
Just as the outworking of his mercy and his grace are perfect God has never responded
16:23
God has never Responded or reacted to anything in history as it is with a response.
16:32
That is not according to his Perfect temperament Meaning this
16:38
God has never reacted as you and I understand Reactions when you go to the doctor and the doctor sit you on his table
16:47
And he takes that little hammer and he whacks your knee. What does your knee do your knee responds, right?
16:54
Based upon the stimulus that has been applied to your knee if you're working on something and you hammer something and you hit your thumb
17:01
Chris There is a reaction that you have generally it is not praise the
17:09
Lord Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
17:15
We don't do that, right? but God never responds
17:25
Inappropriately or indiscriminately According to his temperament to his nature and to his character meaning this that God is never surprised by anything
17:38
God is Sovereign you hear this regularly. God is sovereign and by his sovereignty he providentially oversees the the care of his children and the workings of this life and So know this that Deuteronomy 32 4 says this he is the rock his work is perfect For all his ways are justice.
17:59
He's a God of truth without injustice righteous and Upright is he and we are moving to the text
18:09
But this is all so important that we get this as we move into the text There are some terms used in the
18:15
Bible concerning God in the Hebrew in the Old Testament in the Greek in the New Testament But these words are terms that you hear somewhat regularly
18:24
Omniscient that God knows all things that he is unassailable that he is unable to be attacked
18:30
Questioned or defeated that he is omnipresent He is present everywhere at the same time that he is sovereign that he has the right and authority to govern all things that he is
18:43
Providential that by providence through means of nature by natural and supernatural means a lot
18:49
He works all things together for the good of those who are the call of God. He is omnipotent meaning
18:55
He has unlimited power that he's able to do anything He is in Exhaustible meaning he is unable to be used up because of limitless abundance
19:07
He is majestic meaning he has dignity. There's there is inherent.
19:13
There is unique Dignity, there is unique beauty There is Renee unique power from in the name in the person of God He is preeminent.
19:24
That's the word I used chose to use for the thing in in our theme today He is preeminent.
19:30
He is superior. He is surpassing all he's not able to be compared with another
19:36
He is unchanging. He net means he never changes that he remains the same.
19:42
He is matchless He is unable to be equal. He is Incomparable, there is nobody who will ever be able to measure up to God So the theme of this message is the preeminent nature and character of Almighty God and As far as your notes,
20:03
I'm gonna go ahead and give you some of these ahead of time So you can just kind of build your skeleton and put the body in as we go through the text of Scripture but there's going to be some things that pop out and and they're going to be throughout the text of Scripture and if we would just take time more to to read through the text of Scripture and to hear what
20:21
God is saying in the text and Not reading into the text my friends. We would be much better off as a people of God So know this that we're going to see many things
20:32
Particularly in verse 10. We're going to see that the Lord is strong in verse 11 We're going to see that the
20:38
Lord is supplier and sustainer in verse 12 We're going to see that the
20:43
Lord is wise beyond our comprehension in verse 13 and 14
20:48
We're going to see that the Lord operates sovereignly Independently from the counsel of man, and these are just a few of the nature and characteristics of God So as we pick up here in chapter 40 verse 1 and Let me say this today,
21:08
I know that the introduction took a little bit of time But I'm gonna tell you something
21:14
I'm not in a hurry I Can't help it if you are I ain't
21:19
Because I want you to know who God is because I firmly believe that if God's people here from God, they will be changed and if you are not changed
21:33
That may be an indication that you must be born again So that you can hear from God so that you can respond to God so that you can love
21:43
God appropriately as he desires us to The context of Isaiah chapter 40 is this much of what
21:52
Isaiah is the context is that God some 150 years is giving through the mouth through the mouth of the
21:59
Prophet Isaiah his word Concerning the deliverance of Israel from Babylonian captivity that ought to sound familiar to you in Israel.
22:07
We're learning about that Hundred and fifty years before they've ever been delivered from captivity
22:13
So which is probably about 80 years before they ever went into captivity itself The Holy God is speaking to his people giving them words of warning and giving them words of comfort
22:26
This is wonderful. This is the omniscience of God at work
22:32
God is omniscient. He knows all things at the same time
22:38
Every time all the time So verse 1, let's see the first character
22:45
Let's see the first piece of the nature of God So God because he is not an impersonal force because he has mind intellect and will though Know this
22:56
I do not want you I do not want you to be confused nor deviate from the the truth of the scripture.
23:01
God is a spirit I cannot explain to you how it God is a spirit. He has mind intellect will emotion
23:08
I can't explain that to you. I'm not here to explain that to you I'm here to explain to you what the
23:13
Word of God says and what the Word of God teaches what we can know that can't be Explained there's no way that I could explain how
23:21
God does what God does or who he is in a detailed sort of sense
23:26
And any man that says he would Is committing idolatry? Because the scriptures teach us that his ways are unsearchable
23:35
His ways are past us finding out but we are able to know what we do know from the word
23:41
Thank the Lord first off God know this that God is a comforter of his people
23:48
God is a comforter of his people verse 1 the the word says this comfort.
23:55
Yes comfort my People says your God What a word is this that he comforts his people speak comfort to Jerusalem and cry out
24:08
To her old friend listen if there ever is a time where we need to be urgent where preachers need to be have a sense of urgency about Proclaiming the holiness and the righteousness of God that time is here and it is now
24:23
Because I can't change what happened in the past and I don't know what's gonna happen in the future All that we had is right now and the the writer
24:33
Isaiah said the Lord told Isaiah to cry out to to make an appeal to my people to be
24:40
Comforted to let them know that God is still on the throne
24:46
Comfort my people and then he says this tell her that her warfare is ended
24:53
God is in his character and in his nature. And by the way, these are not
24:58
Attributes of God the attributes of God that I'm trying to communicate to you They are not things that another person can have they're not
25:10
Shares with anyone God and God alone is the ultimate reconciler
25:15
He said let her know that I'm going to bring it in to her warfare Before they've even been punished before they've gone to the captain through that captivity
25:25
God has said I'm going to make a way that I'm gonna bring it in to the war that is taking place
25:32
He is the reconciler He is the forgiver of iniquity. He is the forgiver of sins
25:39
He said this that her let her know that her iniquity is pardoned who has power
25:44
To forgive sins How do
25:56
I know he is able because he sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins that we might be made
26:04
Through him the righteousness of God He is the forgiver of sins.
26:10
Oh Listen behold your God This is your God I'm telling you about this is my
26:17
God He said this he said for she has received from the Lord's hand double for all sins
26:23
You need to know this that God and God alone is able only to meet out
26:31
He and he alone is able to do that verse 3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness
26:38
Prepare the way of the Lord make straight in the desert a highway for our
26:45
God Does that sound familiar to anybody if you know the New Testament? You know that John the
26:50
Baptist was the forerunner of Jesus Christ and it was prophesied as was prophesied
26:57
He came shouting this out in his preaching in his messages in his sermons prepare you the way of The Lord and as the
27:07
New Testament tells us it was a fulfillment of what Isaiah wrote here Probably some 500 odd years before John the
27:16
Baptist ever came on the scene This is our this is our God The voice of one crying in the wilderness and then he said this verse 4 every valley shall be
27:28
Exalted every mountain shall in heel brought low the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places shall be made smooth
27:39
Concerning the character in the nature of Almighty God Concerning the preeminent character in nature of Almighty God God and God alone is the great equalizer
27:50
God and God alone is the great equalizer for the word here says this every valley shall be
27:56
Exalted every deep place is going to be brought up every mountain shall be brought low
28:02
Every high place is going to be brought down Every crooked place is going to be made straight and every rough place is going to be made smooth
28:12
Only God can accomplish these things and in the context of what's going on here
28:19
He is speaking comfort to the children of Israel so that they will understand and so that they will know
28:26
So that when they get in the deep valley of despair that God is able to lift them up When they get up on the mountaintop
28:35
That we ought to understand this people of God and know that we are not to exalt ourselves above what we think
28:41
But that we ought to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God For it is the work of God That we are a pile on the mountain if we are on the mountain and it is the work of God that we are in The valley if we are in the valley and if we are in a crooked place my friend
28:59
It is only the work of God that is able to make it straight This is our
29:05
God. Oh Thank the Lord verse 5 The verse 5 says the glory of the
29:12
Lord shall be revealed Well in the in the Hebrew that word glory
29:18
I don't I can't pronounce the Hebrew word for you there But I looked up so many words going through this this passage of Scripture Look that word that Hebrew word that's used there for glory is talking about the dignity the worth and the majesty the reverence of The Lord and when you see the word
29:36
Lord there your Bible has that in all capital letters That is the Hebrew word for Jehovah meaning this that God is the eternal
29:46
Self -existent one. God does not exist because we have a need for him
29:53
And so he's something that we can cook up and concocted God was God is and God shall be
30:00
But for time ever began he is the eternal self -existent one
30:05
And so the glory the dignity the worth the majesty of the eternal
30:10
Self -existent one the writer says here shall be revealed means he shall be made known
30:19
And then he says this and all flesh shall see it together again remembering the context
30:24
He's speaking to a group of people who have been disobedient who are going to be sold into Babylonian captivity who are going to suffer
30:33
Seemingly unmerciful unmercifully yet They still are under the merciful hand of God even though it may not seem like it to them
30:40
He is speaking to a group of people who are in bondage by people that seem to be mightier than they but the
30:47
Word of God Says that not only will the Jews who are in captivity see the arm of the
30:52
Lord revealed But the Babylonians who seem to think that they are in power because they are doing it of themselves
30:58
We'll see the arm of the Lord revealed Wow Behold your
31:04
God for the mouth of the
31:10
Lord has spoken The voice said cry out and he said what shall
31:17
I cry? What do I say? And the Lord said this all flesh is grass and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field
31:26
The grass withers the flower fades Because the breath of the
31:32
Lord blows upon it Surely the people are grass the grass withers the flower fades, but the
31:40
Word of our God stands forever We tend to we'll go into a verse like that all flesh is grass and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field and folks will stop right there and and they'll they'll say
31:56
What is this trying to say to me what deep meaning is there in this? Well, the beautiful thing about the
32:02
Word of God is this that the scripture always Interprets the scripture God makes it clear what is being spoken of it's not a metaphorical blade of grass
32:13
He's talking about people. He says all people are as grass the Jewish people are as grass
32:19
The Babylonian people are as grass Tennessee people are as grass people in Africa are as grass people in China are as grass
32:27
Wherever you want to go You've got to know that all people all flesh is as grass and they can be blown away by the breath of the
32:37
Lord this is how powerful God is and God demonstrates this 150 years later.
32:45
He brings them through Babylonian captivity causes the Babylonians to suffer This is our
32:51
God and he goes on verse 9. Oh Zion you who bring good tidings get up into the high mountain.
33:01
Oh Jerusalem you who bring good tidings lift up your voice with strength lift it up be not afraid
33:08
Say to the cities of Judah Behold your God What a word that God sent as comfort to his people in this time and the truth is
33:20
That the God that proclaimed this then is the same God and proclaims it now behold your
33:29
God Behold and he uses the term again behold the
33:36
Lord God shall come Verse 10 the Lord is strong.
33:42
The Lord God shall come the Jehovah God Jehovah that L -O -R -D in capital is
33:49
Jehovah eternal self -existent one Jehovah God Adonai master ruler judge your
33:58
Jehovah the eternal Self -existent God who is Lord and who is master.
34:04
It says he will come with a strong hand Hannah How many times have we made fun of you when we go to hug you or shake your hand and you just sit there?
34:16
lamb Right. The Lord has a strong hand
34:27
He's one of them. He ought to be he ought to be approached as one of those people who when you come to them
34:43
But hold the Lord shall come with a strong hand and he is our notice
34:50
Notice the pronouns that are used here describing God his arm shall rule for him
35:00
He does not need us God does not need you
35:13
You can go You can go But if they're proclaiming the truth of the
35:20
God you're gonna hear the same thing that God does not need you But he loves you and he allows you to be a part of what he is
35:32
Good is our God. He is strong. He is mighty had the
35:38
Bible says behold Jesus It's a statement of great importance it's a statement of exclamation behold his reward is with him
36:17
And he goes on to say and his work is before him
36:24
Nothing gets behind God God never has to look back and wonder what if I'd have done it this way or what if they hadn't responded that way
36:35
Friend God is not limited nor bound by what you and I do God is sovereign over all
36:44
He goes on to say this Verse 11 verse 11 know that he is the supplier and Sustainer he says this he will feed his flock like a shepherd.
36:59
Oh He will feed his flock like a shepherd he will gather his lambs with his arms and carry them in his bosom and Gently lead those who are with young.
37:13
Oh Friends today you need to know that God is preeminent in that he is said the eternal
37:21
Self -existent one and he is the one who supplies all our every need the greatest need of which that all men have today is the need of salvation and The only way that a man can be saved is by and through the precious blood of Jesus Christ That was shed for our sins
37:45
But we see the character the preeminent character and the preeminent nature of God this
37:51
God who is all these things Who is a comforter who is reconciler? Who's a forgiver who's a judge of all things who who alone is the great equalizer who alone is what has?
38:03
dignity worth and Majesty who alone her carries all of these things who alone has the power in the word of his mouth to destroy and both to give life
38:14
By the way, I didn't even tell you that but if you go back to verse if you go back to verse
38:20
Verse 7 because the breath of the Lord blows upon me in the Hebrew that word breath of God Is the
38:28
Hebrew word meaning Ruach and you want to know where the first time that word? Ruach was used in the
38:33
Old Testament if you go back to Genesis chapter 1 in verse 2 Let me just quote from verse 1 in the beginning
38:40
God created the heavens and the earth And the Spirit of God the breath of God was hovering over the face of the deep
38:48
That's the first time that was used and it's used in the same exact sense
38:55
God has power to give life and to take life He goes on to say this he feeds them like a shepherd he gathers his lambs with his arms
39:04
Oh, we see a tender compassionate a merciful and a gracious loving
39:09
God Oh Our father which art in heaven hallowed be your name Your kingdom come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
39:19
Give us this day our daily bread Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us lead us not into temptation
39:26
But deliver us from evil for that is the power that is the glory and that is the honor forever and ever
39:34
Amen He is a good Father and He in this message of comfort
39:46
Before they was even Needful or necessary to see because God sees the beginning to the end today
39:52
Another reason that you all rightly to not trifle with the Word of God But you you ought to you ought to enjoy and savor every moment that you have
40:01
Because you don't know You don't know the trouble that you're gonna face but you can know today
40:09
But you are in the hands of a God who is sovereign a capable of carrying you
40:19
There's a song It's kind of a newer song but I love it so much it's called he will hold me fast
40:25
When I fear my faithful will fail Christ will hold me fast
40:30
When the tempter would prevail he will hold me fast I could never keep my hold through life's fearful path for my love is often cold
40:41
He must hold me fast Those he saves are his delight Christ will hold me fast
40:48
Precious in his holy sight. He will hold me fast He will not let my soul be lost his promises shall last
40:57
Bought by him at such a cost. He will hold me fast For my life he bled and died
41:05
Christ will hold me fast Justice has been satisfied He will hold me fast
41:12
Raised with him to endless life He will hold me fast till our faith is turned aside when he comes at last
41:23
He will hold me fast. He will hold me fast
41:29
He is the sustainer. He is the supplier He is the comforter verse 12
41:38
The verse 12 says this who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand measured with heaven with a span and Calculated the dust of the earth in a measure
41:50
Who has weighed the mountains and scales and the hills in a balance?
41:58
I told you the principle the truth the preeminent
42:05
Character that we see of God here is that he is wise beyond our own comprehension but really
42:11
Those words aren't sufficient to explain what what we just read right there because I made a note here and I'm going to ask you
42:18
All you know a lot of times we try to relate and we ask this question. Can you imagine? Can you imagine
42:29
Measuring out the waters on the earth in the hollow of your hand and the answer is no you cannot imagine
42:36
That's foolish for me to ask you a question That hollow of your hand literally speaking of the cup if you cut your hand like this
42:46
Do you get thirsty you're out somewhere where you ain't got a cup and you gotta get your hand out of water You scoop your hand down in the water and you get a little bit of water
42:56
The Word of God tells us that God has all the waters of the earth in the hollow
43:03
He The Bible tells us that he measures out the heavens according to the span of his hand now, this is the theological term
43:14
Anthropomorphism, this is the time that human human Human relational terms are used so that we might be able to get a little bit of a grasp on what is being said about God The span of your hand is from your thumb to your finger
43:28
God measures out the span of the earth by that by his hand Thumb to pinky thumb to pinky.
43:40
That's the span. He's calculated the dust of the earth in a measure the dust the dust
43:54
You're not able to calculate the dust on your car you're not able to calculate the dust in your home
44:00
We're not able to calculate the dust over here But God has the dust of the earth down to an exact count he is wise beyond comprehension and Verse 13 and 14 the
44:19
Lord sovereignly and independently is free from the counsel of all men Verse 13 who has directed the
44:27
Spirit of the Lord or as his counselor has taught him again, remembering the context
44:34
Isaiah through through the words through the Word of God is telling this to the people of Israel To remind them that God is sovereign that God is in control
44:44
That God is not affected that God is not moved that God God is not caught off guard that God is not surprised
44:50
By anything that is taking place. He is sovereignly and providentially in control of all things
44:57
And then he asked them the question who has directed the Spirit of the
45:02
Lord That word spirit there. That's the same word used for breath of God. That's rule off in the
45:08
Hebrew language Again, same same words same word different meaning or I'm sorry same word same meaning
45:16
It's still the this breath of God who controls the breath of God None of us do Nobody does and then he says or it has his counselor.
45:26
Who have you have taught him? Who with whom did he take counsel and who?
45:32
Instructed him and taught him the path of justice who teaches God the right ways in which he should act nobody
45:40
God Alone is just in all of his dealings with man
45:46
Who taught him knowledge and showed him the way of understanding
45:53
Behold the nations are as a drop in the bucket and are counted as a small dust on the scales Look, he lifts up.
45:58
The Isles is a very little thing He raises up nations and kingdoms and verse 16
46:04
Lebanon itself is not sufficient to burn Lebanon was known for its vast forests of cedar trees
46:09
Nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt offering all nations before him are as nothing and they are counted by him less than nothing and worthless
46:17
And then the the writer says this to whom then will you like in God? Behold your
46:23
God. Oh today I Just want to I hope that echoes reverberates in your head
46:32
To whom will you like in God? What are you comparing God to? What is the basis of your knowledge of God is the basis of your knowledge of God here?
46:44
Say what you've heard here and there and everywhere or what thus says the
46:49
Word of God and Just based on what we know that God is comforter reconciler forgiver judge that God alone is the equalizer that he alone is
46:58
Dignity dignified worth worthy and majestic that he alone has the power of life and death in his tongue that he alone is
47:06
Sovereignly wise above all things who will you like in God to? To whom we like in God or what likeness will you compare him?
47:18
Let's move. Let's just move through quickly because I do want to read the rest of it I don't want to leave that out the workman molds an image the goldsmith over spreads it with gold and the silversmith cast silver chains
47:28
Whoever is too impoverished for such a contribution chooses a tree that will not rot
47:33
He seeks for himself a skillful workman to prepare a carved image that will not totter And then he asked the question have you not known
47:42
Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning?
47:48
Now listen to this statement. Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he who sits above the circle of the earth and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers
48:00
Who stretches out heavens like a curtain and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in God alone?
48:07
Is the Creator? Oh How long did it take history to catch up with the knowledge of God If you remember in school,
48:20
I don't think this was the day something something Columbus sailed the ocean blue 1492 that's when
48:30
History discovered that the earth was not flat, but it was round he who sits upon the circle of the earth
48:41
Foundations They didn't catch God by surprise Man always has to catch up with the
48:48
Lord And at the same time man never will Scarcely shall they be planted and again
49:00
He's speaking to to how the the Babylonian powers that rose up and though they seem to be ensconced and though their power seems to Be spreading throughout the earth.
49:09
He says scarcely they shall be planted scarcely They shall be sewn scarcely. So their stock take root in the earth when he will also blow on them
49:18
And they will wither and the whirlwind will take them away like stubble
49:24
Listen, God is able to raise up and God is able to destroy
49:30
To whom were you liking me? Or to whom shall I be equal? says the holy one
49:37
Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these things
49:48
Who brings out their host by number look up into the heavens? Isaiah through the inspiration of God declares look up to the heavens
49:58
Do you see all those stars in the sky know that those stars are not there by accident but God has sovereignly and Providentially placed and named every single one of them
50:12
Behold your God He calls them by name By the greatness of his might and the strength of his power.
50:20
Not one is missing Why do you say oh Jacob? And why do you speak?
50:27
Oh israel My way is hidden from the lord And my just claim is passed over by my god
50:35
Oh the prophet has declared through the word of god for israel not
50:40
To ever get to the place or to rest in the place where they think that god is just passing them over Where they think the justice of god is being overlooked and not being done again
50:54
God knows what he is doing And he said have you not known have you not heard?
51:01
the everlasting god The preeminent character and nature of god is this that he is from everlasting to everlasting
51:12
That he is the lord He is the creator of the ends of the earth that he is neither faint nor is he weary God as it's been said is not an old man sitting up in heaven on a rocking chair
51:30
Abiding his fingers wondering what he's gonna do to fix the mess that this world is in He is full aware of everything that has taken place and one day after a while According to his word.
51:44
He will bring all things to a consummation He will make an end of all things
51:50
He will melt the heavens and the earth with the fervent heat make the new heaven and the new earth
51:56
I can't explain it. All I know that's what the word says and that's all i'm trying to tell you today that god is not faint nor weak nor confused nor disillusioned
52:10
Nor concerned If you'll have it in this in a kind way For he says this his understanding is unsearchable
52:22
The preeminent character and nature of god is that he is Unsearchable And that he gives power to the weak
52:31
And to those who have no might he increases strength and these last two verses are verses we hear quoted and probably don't have any idea that they were connected to God's word of comfort and encouragement to israel in this time that they are heading into But the word of god says this even the youth shall faint and be weary And the young men shall utterly fall
52:54
But those who wait on the lord those who patiently
53:03
And patiently wait upon the lord. Listen, here's the good thing about patient waiting on god
53:10
Patient waiting on god is not determined by how much willpower you have
53:16
But it is based upon the work that christ has done in you to sustain you through the troubles of time
53:24
That as a human being you have to endure but god by the power of his holy spirit carries you as his child
53:34
Those who wait on the lord shall renew their strength it shall be made new
53:39
And not just made new once but can constantly and consistently and regularly
53:45
They shall mount up with wings as eagles Sometimes it feels like all you can do is walk around cluck around on the ground like a chicken
53:57
Amen I've been there plenty of times Right now one in time. I feel like one of them eagles but ready to jump off the cliff
54:06
For he said they that wait upon the lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings
54:13
As eagles you got to know this if you know anything about an eagle know that truly truly truly
54:19
The eagle is not thinking to itself i'm going to carry myself But when it throws its wings out it is dependent upon one thing
54:28
It is dependent upon the wind and child of god if you are going to be dependent on anything
54:34
Do not depend on yourself. Don't depend on your own might don't depend on your own wisdom
54:40
Don't depend on your own strength depend on the breath of god to carry you
54:46
They that mount up with they shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary.
54:51
They shall walk and not faint Oh behold your god
54:57
But I would be remiss if I did not close by telling you this we consider these preeminent characteristics in nature of god and we we
55:06
We get a picture and a little bit of an idea and a little bit of an understanding And a little bit of a comprehension of our great god and we see how mighty and how strong and how wise
55:18
And incomprehensible beyond searching out that he is and then we come to the place where we are now
55:25
When you've been saved by the grace of god and you you're amazed at the fact that this god who is so great
55:33
First condescended Took upon him the form of a servant
55:40
Came in the likeness of man And being found in fashion as a man that our god humbled himself
55:50
And became obedient unto death even the death of the cross
55:58
God the father God the son and god the holy spirit our great god three in one
56:08
That he is so wonderful beyond understanding and yet He loved me
56:17
And that he loved you I cannot explain that But I can tell you it is what the word of god says
56:27
And I can tell you you can take comfort And place every bit of stock of every ounce of anything that is within you and place it in god
56:37
And he will not fail you And he's coming back again one day
56:43
And he's going to take his church home And we're going to be able to leave this world of trouble and trials
56:49
The old song says we'll soon be done with troubles and trials in this life Amen, but until then
56:56
We'll occupy Until he comes We should exalt him
57:03
With every last breath in our being as a church Let's make the most of this body.
57:09
Let's make the most of this time that you've had Consider what you have heard today
57:15
Meditate on what you have heard today. Listen to the message again and again and again
57:22
Examine what you have heard examine your lives to see whether you are in the faith today
57:27
Amen Behold our god who is high
57:35
The prophet isaiah in the earlier chapter of isaiah In the year that king.
57:40
Uzziah died a time of great sorrow for the land of that time Said he went into the temple
57:46
And he said I saw the lord High And lifted up Seated upon his throne
57:56
And his glory Filled the temple And his train of his road filled the temple
58:06
And here it is last of all the application. What do we do with this? Preacher, how am
58:11
I supposed to respond to the holiness to the preeminent character in the nature of god? The proper response
58:21
Is to worship him. Amen Isaiah Could do nothing but that And say whoa
58:31
Is me For I am undone How long has it been oh christian that you
58:42
Have been undone by the holiness of god Not by the preacher's preaching but by the holiness of god
58:55
How long God this morning
59:02
My prayer is simply this That you bless the reading and preaching of your word
59:12
And that you undo Because you have undone me
59:21
That you would undo these people in this lifestyle that you
59:28
Would give a clear understanding That your holy spirit god would illuminate the truth of your word unto your people in this place
59:38
That you would be able to bring a conviction of sin of righteousness and of judgment unto the people in this place
59:44
And that we as a body here at reprimand church Might be set might be fixed might be focused might be intent on doing one thing
59:53
One thing alone and that is worshiping your blessing in your holy name by magnifying
59:59
Your words above all That this world may see and know that there is a god who reigns
01:00:10
That there is a god who loves That there is the god who is compassionate merciful and slow to anger
01:00:19
But that there is a god as well That rightly meets out justice and judgment