God's Miraculous Love Letter

Jay Leno flocked there when Janeway for me makes you have always been winningly for me. You can't graduate that can't stop loving you I will come to find you so I'm sending a shepherd to look after you and love you to carry you home to me you been stumbling around like people in a dark room into the darkness upright light will shine. It will chase away all the shadows like a little baby will be born of Royal son is mommy will be a young girl who doesn't have his name will be emailing you well which means God has come to live with. He's lifting David's children's children's children, but Principe Jackson was going to come and rescue you.

But he won't be here anyway expects he will be 18 and he won't have a lot you will be pouring here will be a servant disking will heal the whole world QVC era will fight for his people and rescue them from there and think you will have big armies and you won't find the sword to make the blind see you make a lien here will make everything the way it was always meant to be for people and they wouldn't listen to your income range suffering secret rescue plan we made from before the beginning of the world.

The only way to get you back that he wants to get. I will make you live again and when the actual forever mountain trees with dance and sing for joy. Close out about his fame for the whole earth as the waters cover the everything sample, and to even death is going to die and he will wipe away every tear from every yes the rescuer will come for him. Watch frantically for him. He will come, I promise before I read God's letter over and over to God's people. But no one at all ever. They didn't want to hear God's promise pieces. They didn't believe it maybe too good to be true stories and happily ever after. Well, it does sound like a fairytale and then one will quickly tell you fairytale aren't you or are you from all of our campuses will spray together by the beauty of the story of the letter that you wrote 2700 years ago. We pray that God this morning we would not hear it simply as words archaic words written down an old book that we would hear in them the God of the universe speaking God's telling us about our lives. Rescuer you sent for some plans of the house for us. We need faith to believe, so asking God for the faithful asking for the Holy Spirit to anoint the words so that they come alive in our hearts we pray in Jesus name Jesus name all God's people said throughout the morning summa church. If you have a Bible at one of our campuses are lucky to take it out and opened it to Isaiah chapter 52 to do a little bit of chapter 53 and I want to talk with you on this last weekend that I will be here for a few weeks to give its mission trip, I told you about last week. I'll be starting this Friday and so on. This last on a weekend before I'm gone for a handful of weeks.

I want to talk with you about why I believe in God in Jesus, the Bible to mission all of it faith as I have told you before, has not always come easily for me always feel like as a pastor is supposed come easy for me… Firstly, what I do. But that is not true on throughout my life I have wrestled pretty significantly with different questions of faith do I believe all these things simply because this is how I grew up. Growing up in a different house maybe a believe different things or is this all just a fairytale that we have made up together so that we can feel affirmed and secure. Just this week I was reading in a magazine called the New Yorker, which is not a Christian magazine metal but there was an article in it by an atheist who was explaining why he did not believe what caught my attention.

What he said is what is extraordinary claims he says require extraordinary evidence. It's hard to imagine a more extraordinary claims about some hidden intelligence created a universe of more than 100 billion galaxies, each containing more than 100 billion stars, and then he waited 13.7 billion years ago a planet and a remote corner of a single galaxy involved in atmosphere efficiently oxygenated to support life, only to then reveal his existence to an assortment of violet tribal groups before disappearing again for thousands of years, we read that you think what, that's sounds really lights on a significant question on explain to you that I believe that there are extraordinary reasons to believe.

In fact, I believe these reasons are quite compelling for those who have ears to hear. You see, the problem will go ahead and tell you that people have with what I'm going to present to you today is not that this stop is not compelling in and of itself, it's that the implications of these things, being true, would lead to a number of conclusions that certain people find objectionable, widest, like how God rules the world.

This is true. That means there's a good God in charge not, I can't reconcile that or I don't agree with this or that moral approach or something along those lines. So from the very beginning. Many people approach these things with the attitude.

This just can't be true. Just create too many problems that were all inwardly biased, including me, so I would encourage you as much as you can to just here what I'm going to present to you this weekend and consider it with an open mind. I understand that some of you doubt the Bible's message, and I know that many of you feel like you have very good reasons for doing so. My question for you as we begin as this are you willing to doubt your doubts in the face of some pretty substantial evidence. You pride yourself on being a doubter. What about doubting your doubts in the face of some pretty overwhelming evidence. Are you willing to consider this evidence just for what it is without a bias or preconceived bias against it because a you are not sure of what it would lead to let me to start this discussion with the CIA when the CIA is a double agent in the United States a means to identify themselves to the US authorities that use a number of layers of identification because they don't want any chance of getting the wrong person. So for example I read about one Soviet double agent who wanted to reveal himself to US authorities so they gave him these instructions in six different things he had to do yet to go to Mexico City where he was never one to write a letter to the secretary and sign his name is I Jackson. Then he was number two. After three days to go to the Plaza deck alone in Mexico City and that new number three. He was to stand before the statue of Columbus just looking up at it number four with his middle finger placed in a guidebook when he was approached number five. He was to say it was a magnificent that you are number six, despite his Russian accent, but he was only visiting from Oklahoma God's way of verifying his messenger was giving layers of prophetic fulfillment if I can remember if you were here a few weeks ago when we went through Deuteronomy in this whole story series, we saw what God said would be the ballad of validation of what God says versus what other people say that he says that's not true. Deuteronomy 1821. If you say in your heart. How can we know the Lord.

How can we know the word that the Lord has not spoken. Here's the answer. Verse 22, and a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord. If the word does not come to pass or come true. That is the word of the Lord is not spoken. The prophet's spoken it presumptuously. He or she is made up nearly 25% of that Bible that you holding your hand is prophecy.

Prophecy means God foretelling things that had not happened yet, often in great detail. They almost all have to do with a rescue plan that God was commencing a rescuer that God would send who was called in Hebrew terminology, a Messiah, there are 322 direct prophecies specifically about him, not to mention the dozens of historical pictures and analogies that are embedded in Scripture, many of which we have unpacked together over the last six months as we walked away through the Old Testament were to focus this morning primarily on only one prophet that is the prophet Isaiah, because I think he is a great example of all the prophets together. His writings point us to the main subject of prophecy. Jesus, as well as give us a glimpse of taste of the miraculous nature of prophecies. Now I am without shame going to take us through Isaiah's prophecies today in a little different way than we typically do things I'm going to use the text of Sally Lloyd Jones Jesus storybook Bible with my daughter read by the beginning of the message and is that we use in our family devotions as we are going through the year where where Sally Lloyd Jones summarizes Isaiah's prophecies in the form of a love letter that God wrote to Israel. You say Jesus or the Bible is about a kids book. Aren't you a PhD about theology. Are we all adults. Why yes you are. Yes I am. And yes, it is Blatz, but I'm going to do it this way for three reasons or they are first, I'd encourage you all of you read this book along with us as we work our way to the Bible this year, especially those human families are said to be great for family devotions sought to be good for us. Actually use it one time here in the the sermon. Second, I think that she does a great job of capturing the entire message of the whole of Isaiah's message, and I think that sometimes we adults can get so bogged down in the particulars that we miss the beauty of all sewer to use her, summary of it and then third working to have her Sally Lloyd Jones is to be here in a few weeks. As a guest and so I want any of you run into her on the sidewalk to be able say Sally loved your book to be able to say that with integrity. As you will at least earn one chapter of an okay I we had Allie my daughter read the beginning of the message like a sadly walking back through it now. A few different parts of it and explain it and I will put the references where she gets the things from out of the book of Isaiah, because literally just about every word of that chapter just comes from a verses like she strung together a bunch of different verses so here we start the beginning their little flock there, little foxes Isaiah you're all wondering away from me like sheep in an open field. You've always been running away for me and now you're lost. You can find your way back.

This is the substance of the Bible's description of the problem from the garden of Eden onward. We've all been running away and now Isaiah says, like sheep sheep that everyone of us believes we know the best way for us to go and so we choose our own way. Now most of you probably don't have a great deal of experience, receipt. I certainly do not either, but those who do say that sheep are a particularly dumb animal. They walk right off of our right into harms way. They if there in the mountain regions.

They will stop right off the cliff and drop hundreds of feet to their death.

They will step in the moving fast-moving streams and just ground and back. Just this week I saw an article you may have seen this that a shepherd in Spain fell asleep for an hour and 1300 sheep went into downtown Madrid.

That's where they ended up that shed blood clot of heaven for five hours.

What is there in the seams. Minor things that's probably a good way to go was for the buildings are less overall the traffic is just dumb make a particularly bad eyesight. They can only see a few feet ahead of them really nearsighted. Plus their heads hang down you know how they can walk around, which means that they are not animals of forethought or keen insight. All they pretty much think when they think about where to go is where's the next by the grass and when they look up because their heads hang down all they can see is that the heinie of the sheep in front of them and they follow that there are layers of symbolism in that for the human race, furthermore, when they fall over the sea become of the call casting like a beetle where you stick your legs you get yourself back over so flipping over.

They'll die now this is not a very flattering picture of us, but you have to admit while unflattering is pretty compassionate.

This is how God sees us. He sees us like sheep will also way we we don't know where we came from and I want to get back and were confused were lost to God continues but I can't stop loving. I want to come to find you son sending you a shepherd look after you and love you to carry you back home to me all the gospel is not that we came searching for God.

The gospel is a guy came searching for us. That book that you hold in your hand is not a collection of insights from enlightened men and women who had lofty thoughts about God is the story about God's relentless pursuit of rebellious people who didn't want anything to do with them and he said I did this. Isaiah 43 for I did this because you work precious in my eyes and I love you all that work. Precious is not aware that I use a great deal because precious precious means that something is so valuable to you that you give up anything else for it there very few things I have that would be precious to me. My kids are precious to me, which means that if a doctor came to me and told me that Monta my kids had a disease.

The disease was fatal and the only way for them to be cured was to get this medicine that was extraordinarily expensive and that insurance didn't cover it because millions of dollars.

The only way I could get it was to sell everything I own, and mortgage my entire future without even thinking, I would give up everything I have everything I would have, to be able to get this medicine because my kids are precious to me, the God of the universe. Isaiah says he looked at you the rebellious sheep and he said your precious to me something to calm like a shepherd to find you in Luke 15 Jesus would describe that shepherd talking of course about himself by describing them like a like one. What 100 sheep. That's a lot of sheet and discover late one night, one of them was missing. Jesus said that shepherd this shepherd let the 99 one city had to go after the lost one, which honestly does not make a lot of financial sense is not make financial sense to put yourself back in harm's way for only 1% of what you have right to me.

Why would you why would you do that if you only only way that you would do that is if each individual one was precious to you you like my kids you know couple years ago we were at Disney World and the thing happens in May comes on you parents for like two minutes a loss on my kids and I grout you notice like you. That moment we got. I cannot find that I did not turn to Veronica and say well we got three more you know hundred percent of the majority are more to be fine know each one is precious to me. So we will meet him on the three we went to find the one Isaiah says 749 15 secular nursing mom forget her newborn child. Of course, not kin which have or have no compassion on the child Jesus, born that I have told you guys before my wife when we had our kids develop this and it was crazy ex mankind a Spidey sense being into our babies at the slightest whimper that I didn't even hear. She was out of bed and up the stairs. One of the dumbest things that I ever said in my marriage was was that's amazing our babies only two weeks old and I think she slept the night Veronica said the baby was up six times last night you slept through the night the baby and I did not God says. Isaiah 4916. He said your even more precious to me than a newborn child is to a mother wrote a newborn mother would never forget. I will never forget. In fact, you're more precious.

I know how many hairs are on the top your head. My wife is in tune as she is with our kids never knew how many hair follicles are on their body. God says this is how I see you, and then God continues to say some of the more than just come after the seat, give them a light for the seat is a 53 for leaving the 99 go after the one did make financial sense, and this is just insane. Why would a shepherd give his life in the sheep that the life of a sheep is not equal the life of a human right. Think about it if you I'm sure you love your dog is your dog went tearing across the interstate in your 12-year-old went tearing across interstate after the you don't get it back and say that's so brave I'm so proud of you know you like you, let the dog go because you're like yes you love the dog but the dogs life does not compare your life. This shepherd's life is not compare the seams life. Why is the creator dying for the creation.

This is crazy kind of love me as this love. What's even more staggering.

He has discovered people who don't even love them back. I told you before the groupies are people who love somebody that will never love them back. Some of you ladies watch out teenage girls today swoon over Zac Efron, Michael B. Jordan or Channing Tatum like I get the pictures up on the wall you like sweetheart give it up. He never came to know who you are but you have a hard time being judgmental because you remember when you were convinced that you were going to marry Donnie from new kids on the block culture.

You know exactly how does that happen. You put on your best pair of acid washed Jordache jeans and you really go down to the concert.

New kids about concert many years and on the front row. The thousands of other girls you can scream as Dottie wall by her screams to be just a little bit louder and he was an attorney to make eye contact and I have to give the concert about to come to you with the sole note written from Donnie that said you got the right stuff, baby. You're the reason why sing the song you guys are to get married in order to live happily ever after. Right, but unless your name is Jenny McCarthy. That never happened.

Instead you married Phil from accounting a slightly overweight, balding man who wears penny loafers and draws a minivan and you're okay with that because as you got older, you realize this is not wise. Love people who are never going to love you back feel the most amazing thing in Scripture is that we seem to live loving people, giving himself to people who don't love them back and coming after them relentlessly laying down his life for them.

What kind of love is this three words any analogies we would have to describe the kind of love Charles Spurgeon. The silver tongued orator of the British pastor the 19th century could say anything. They said he could put it beautifully is that there's one subject that makes me back away from this platform.

Utterly ashamed of my poor people, words, is the subject. The love of Christ, the love of Christ is the most amazing thing under heaven, not in all of heaven itself is a can't stop loving you is somewhere around the people in a dark room and into the darkness of bright light is shot in a bright light is to chase away all the shadows in the sunshine CEC when you you will of God in your life. Life without conflict. Darkness not sure where you come from you. Not sure where you're going, tragedy on a deal with tragedy. You don't have open tragedy. Knowing how to deal with success. Just like your loss to be says in the darkness is light is going to come but it's not going be a light like you would expect the light that is going to show up.

The sunshine is going to come in the form of a baby little babies going to be born.

His mommy's going to be a young girl who don't even have a husband who be born miraculously to a virgin's name will be Emmanuelle Emmanuel, which means literally in Hebrew, God is going to live with us is also Isaiah says go to be one of King David's children's children's children. In other words, you can be fully God, God with us but is also going to be the son of David, a very real human with a lot of real problems.

A lot of little flaws, including betraying his best friend sleep and his wife and having a murder. This Jesus has given me the son of both God and man, fully God and fully man.

Yes somebody to come and rescue you.

But he won't be who anyone expects.

He's going to be a king. But he won't live in a palace and you will have lots of money is going to be poor became like nobody you've ever seen will be a servant. This came is to be able to heal the whole world see like David the shepherd boy everybody's can overlook this king, this king will not be one who amazes us with his power, wealth, in fact, he's gonna take the form of a servant, and live like somebody was poor, but his poverty and his servant stature is going to enable him to do for us what no king is ever been able to do that is heal us, which is going to help us listen to this. See his true glory, far better than any display of micro wealth ever could. Isaiah opens out that the book of Isaiah with this vision of seeing God high and lifted up Isaiah 6 I Saul got high looked it up in the scene is exactly what you would think it would be.

It's God on his throne and glory and angels and smoke and trembling and fire and fear and is a is on his face feel like is going to die exactly what you would think of God, high and lifted up Isaiah only uses that phrase God high looked it up.

One other time in the entire book of Isaiah. One of the.and it's right before Isaiah 53 is there in Isaiah 52 when he says God high and lifted up his to be shown in Jesus's death on the cross, he humbled himself, and he died for sinners is a God could have been glorified by coming to earth to avenge the wrongs and to punish the criminals. But God said there's a greater glory that I will get doesn't come through smashing them but become from being smashed for them as I give myself in love to receive them. Athanasius, the early church father used to say so you can tell the strength of the flame, not by its ability to burn upwards, but by its ability to burn down the skin. The weakest link.

Try to match the weakest flame will burn upwards but if you have a fling. The birds downward that takes a blowtorch. It takes the flame coming out of a rocket engine. You can tell the strength of the flame by its ability to burn down words he says in the same way you can tell the true glory of God, not by his ability to create the expanses of the universe by his willingness to humble himself and die for people who had rejected him and turned against him know y'all if you reject his offer. He will come a second time in judgment that is clear and Isaiah, but he would prefer he would prefer to be glorified in saving you not judging you, but you gotta make a choice.

He will be glorified away in your life, either through saving or due judging. You gotta choose, but the Messiah came said I'm going to allow you to glorify God by demonstrating the extent of his mercy and his kindness in your life and that's what he prefers. He will be a hero to fight for his people, but rescue them from their enemies, but ease I have big armies the way most heroes do, and you won't fight with swords. This Messiah is not in a fight with weapons because this Messiah's aim is to heal and to save not to avenge read this and I was reminded of that seen in lame is were shown bows on his gotten out of prison, then these criminal that is been released from prison on probation and is is going out in front of a place to stay. A priest very graciously allows him to say that house is almost August the middle the night because the steel all the silver and gold out of this priest house the priest lease and the movie confronts him, Jean punches him in the face of thickest. Often in and run to the police catch and bring it back to the priest house and it says is this a silver that he stole. I'm he claims that you gave it to them and the priest saving there. This is the moment is all the priest gotta say is yes, he stole the silver always had a Savior is almost on the back of the prison for the rest of his life and justice will be restored. The priest of something that nobody's expecting the priest says, although I did give it to them. In fact, he forgot to take all the things that the other things I gave to him and begins to pull out other riches these golden candlesticks overcame as 1 millions of put them in John Bell Jones Baggins almost BELIEVE it because he's giving them grace and this becomes this transformational moment were for the rest of his life is all about it all becomes a most gracious, loving, just person you could ever imagine the horror writer that wrote that what he was trying to say was, there is a righteousness. Yes, that satisfies the law. But there's an even greater righteousness that creates righteousness in people that you have previously been on righteous God could have restored justice by just punishing all sin, but God wanted to not just restore justice.

He wanted to make just and righteous people.

So when it came time to wield the weapons. He turned and not on you deserve them to turn them on himself, so that in him we could become righteous Jesus our Isaiah says he can make the blind see you make the lame leap like a deer make everything the way it was always meant to be, but people even though it doesn't say is going to hate them and I will listen to them will be like a lamb, he will suffer and die but he won't stay dead may come alive again one day.

One day when he comes back it will forever mountains and the trees will dance and sing for joy. The earth will shout out loud this thing will fill the whole earth, like the waters fill the oceans. Everything started to come untrue. Even death is going to die. He will wipe away every tear from every eye. One day he will heal the whole earth, and bring bring that existence that we have yearned for, and crave for all of our lives we get a glimpse of that by the way, in the bodily resurrection of Jesus. One day God will do to you and me and the entire earth. What he did to the body of Jesus dealt two thirds of evangelical believers people churches like this one, two thirds of evangelical believers do not believe it will have actual physical bodies in heaven. I guess they think were floating around out there on clouds playing harps wear diapers before going.

I don't know what you think. But is not true. Jesus had a real body in Jesus's body were to be raised like him.

Plus plus. The Bible describes where were headed as the new heavens and the new earth. New heavens and new earth means, like the old but a lot better. Write to me that you tell me you got a new car you drove a 1983 Toyota Corolla and I go out there in the thing I'm looking for a new car Mulligan for a chat motive or helicopter or horse looking for a car like her Toyota Corolla, but a lot nicer one same way we got old have an order that's been crushed and broken by sin. God is going to put us in a new heaven and a new earth that has not the slightest trace of sin in it which means all that we love and enjoy down here is a much better version of over there. They are down here everything to me music, food, nature is to be a heavenly Grand Canyon Grand Canyon, we see now is been cursed by sin.

What's the real you look like about the heavenly Hawaii. I'm looking forward to flying over that one because I think I will be able to fly never to be awesome even told you. I expect there to be a heavenly dingo for the Tar Heels when every single day.

God wipes away every tear from every Tar Heel fan you are real hooligan. Who are they gonna beat every time the devils naturally. Okay that's not preferences, just theology. Folks, the sociology is to wipe away every tear he's gonna make all the sad things come untrue. That phrase said things come untrue.

That's not from the book of Isaiah. That's actually a quote from J.R.R. Tolkien from Lord of the rings, and is a great little phrase because what it means is not that God to make us forget everything the past is not to take out a little flashy stick like a man in black and you know submittal remember anything on what is going to do is he's going to heal every hurts and he's going to show us how God used, even those hurts to weave something so beautiful and so glorious and filled with so much joy that while we remember what happened in the past. There's not an ounce of pain that goes along with it because it's been swallowed up in the glory and the beauty of what God has done know what an incredible story incredible story but like Isaiah laments nobody believed him. Nobody believed in, why, why did they not believe him. Well, it's like Sally will Jones ends that the chapters is that it seemed probably like a fairytale like it's too good to be true, which is now at the store you makeup to make yourself feel comfortable and we all know that fairytales don't come true for me.

CS Lewis wrote an essay syphilis was a literary scholar at Oxford before becoming a Christian. CS Lewis wrote this essay on fairytales and myths in the process of becoming a Christian, which he explained. Listen to this. He says all of mankind's myths and fairytales. They all follow a pattern night is because they are expressions listen of a yearning deep in our hearts. All these fairytales follow a pattern, not because our hearts are making them up, but because they are hungry for the very thing they were created for the EC what he saying there all these fairytales follow a pattern because there's something behind them that were yearning for and we almost know is true I give you an example. Beauty and the beast, and yes I am very aware that in the last four months I have told you this is the third fairytale that I've told you okay we did Cinderella. We did go to mermaid and now doing beauty and the beast which tells you that I have at least four children that are under the age of 13 miles of river girls, but here we are. Beauty and the beast is in the beauty and the beast. What you have you got a man who is disfigured beyond human likeness.

Because of selfish proud decisions that he is made as a result, he is appalling to look at. That's a picture of the human condition. Many of us feel like at least inwardly were really ugly and we don't want people to see inside a Vasquez of a solid thought about they be appalled to see what we want to do is want to try to work on our exterior beauty and key people at a distance from our inward ugliness. Some of us were really hard at looking good on the outside. Others of us look great on the outside is not really an option to what you do is you try to make yourself beautiful through becoming really good at what you do may be really good and you're good at your job or make a lot of money. Or maybe it is good morally. You become this attractive person that's adding beauty so that people will love you but for the beast to be saved. Beauty has to actually to send Bell has to kiss them.

Why would she kiss him. She has to kiss them because she loves him. Jesus is going to go a step farther than Bell ever did because he's not only going to love the beast and kiss the beast he's going to become the beast in our place so that by becoming him him become an ounce. We can become human.

We can become beautiful like we was deep down, all of us yearn for that to be true.

You see, our hearts and know that kind of love exist which is why the theme appears in so many of our fairytales.

The details of the fairytales all made up with a yearning behind them is real because were created for that kind of love is not a fairytale is not a fairytale. It is the story that undergirds all of our greatest aspirations and hopes.

The other reason. Isaiah said that everybody nobody would believe him as he says, because we wanted to be true in some ways I know that sounds a contradiction part of us wanted to be true part is done. As this is they don't want to hear God's promise because our hearts are simple, listen, and if these things are true if these things are true and that means that God is God and that means that his ways are right and that means that he's in charge, not us and for us to confess and this is really from God means we have to confess that where he and I disagree. I'm in the wrong. That means I gotta stop arguing with God about how I think things ought to be about more unusual example of this. When I am two years ago I befriended a girl named Caroline who was a Muslim who growing up in central Asia and was now the United States mean a group of friends share the gospel with her numerous times. After about six months together.

Six-month study and other different things. She said I've come to the conclusion that Jesus really was the Messiah.

I believe he died for my sins, and I believe he rose from the dead. She said the one thing I cannot accept and I can never accept is that he was part of this thing you call the Trinity. The reason she said that is because from childhood race in central Asia she going to a mosque where every week they said God cannot be a Trinity, God cannot be a Trinity, just as it would make sense to me.

I can accept that. So I will be sugar where the Bible taught that numerous times that you can accept it. One night I we were sitting around the coffee table and I said is that Carolyn was somewhat of Jesus. All the sudden right now. The resurrected Jesus showed up somehow prove you that was him and then he looked at you in the face of his and Carolyn.

I'm not going to Trinity you you never can understand and in fact in this life, but it's true and I want you to trust me that it's true. Even though you don't understand it in one day when we get to heaven, I will expand your mind, Carolyn, and then you can understand it but until then you just gonna have to trust me even when you don't understand it, as it would you do it then.

Would you believe in the trust of man is a supersmart girl. She, sat back and she said I guess that's really the question is an the question is am I willing to trust God. If I can't understand it and do I believe that this Bible that you keep going back to is the word of God one home on that night she calls next morning 6 AM just out of her mind just like like to bring unity out of breath and she's like you notably will have me last night. She was good thing I'm crazy. You sit down. I think I'm crazy.

She's the last night at 4 o'clock I woke up in some I was knocking on my door and I try to go and they kept knocking on my door. Eventually I got up and I will go to my door and may not be entire time until I got up to the door and open the door of 10, but nobody was there anything I'm crazy, but I I am positive that that was Jesus putting that sound in my heart try to show me that he wanted me to receive him choose. Maybe I am crazy but I know that Jesus really is a B says he is and if he says that he is a part of a Trinity than I want to trust him even though I don't understand Melissa. That may not be your issue and backup probably is not. If you were raised in a mosque. But you got something you got so I don't know why God's doing this nor I know I want to say this is wrong. You got any number of things you can understand if you wait on Jesus to answer all your questions. You will never come to him because he never promises he will decide of eternity.

Faith is accepting what you cannot understand based on what you can understand and what you can understand is that these promises are divine. These prophecies are legitimate and real warriors bothered from a definition of faith. Faith is the unexplainable meeting the undeniable is when the unexplainable meets the other, not Jesus did not show up with an encyclopedia after resurrected it ahead of the books I hears all the answers your questions. Let me know what you think. Now he showed up. He put nails in panties like that who want to argue now anybody is the unexplainable meeting the undeniable and what is undeniable is that these prophecies are divine. These prophecies tell the life of Jesus about the purpose and the details of it with staggering specificity, which is think about church and tells us of the coming Messiah would be born of a virgin, Isaiah 714 he be from the line of Abraham. Genesis 2218 he be a descendent of the line of Judah as the 49th in it would be from the household of David Jeremiah 23 five, he would be born in Bethlehem. Micah 52, he would be presented with gifts at his birth.

Some 7 to 10 and then be forced to flee an evil king who wanted to kill all the children in the region of Bethlehem on his behalf. Jeremiah 3150. Then the exile to Egypt was a kid and return home to Israel from their sale. 11 one. He would claim to be God with us. Isaiah 714, he would function as a prophet.

Deuteronomy 1818, the priest someone to for the king's own through verse six he would be a teacher of parable Psalm 78 to he would be preceded by messenger who cried out in the wilderness.

Isaiah 40 verse three he would begin his ministry in Galilee.

Isaiah 9 verse one we would perform many miracles. Isaiah 35, six, he would enter into Jerusalem on a borrowed donkey. Zechariah 99 and then there are more than 20 prophecies that get fulfilled in his life and one day Scripture tells us the coming Messiah would be betrayed by friends on 41 nine sold for 30 pieces of silver. Zechariah 1112, that same silver will be thrown back into the temple and then be used to buy a potter's field. Zechariah 1113 and the hours right before his death he would be abandoned by his friend.

Zechariah 713 seven he would be accused of false witnesses. Psalm 3511.

He would stand silent before his accusers while they talk of him.

Isaiah 53 seven he would be wounded and bruised.

Isaiah 53 five months on 22 seven would be beaten and spat upon Isaiah 50 verse six he would have his garment split up and gambled for Psalm 2218, he would physically stumble under the weight of his affliction, someone at 924 at his death he would have his hands and prepare Psalm 2216 be executed between two criminals. Isaiah 5312. It would experience great thirst. Psalm 5921 he would pray for his persecutors while they killed and has a 5312. He would have aside pierced. Zechariah 1210. Despite great physical threat travail and having his hands pierced and aside pierced not one of his bones will be broken on 3420 he would die at midday, and during the hour of his death. Darkness would miraculously descend upon the earth. Amos 89. It would then be buried in a rich man's tomb. Isaiah 53, nine, after which he would be resurrected. The father's right hand and pour out just of his followers.

Psalm 1610 and 6818. Now think well that's just coincidence. Mathematicians say the odds of all these things kind of randomly happening one person is one intent to the hundred and 57 power 110 with 157 zeros after it 52, some separating is one of the seven zeros just to put that in perspective. In this book I was reading said mathematicians 110, the 16th power. Here's how they would describe that if you want to take silver dollars and cover the surface area of the state of North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia in silver dollars, 2 feet deep. Talk your sins and silver dollars everywhere paint one of them randomly read and just hide it mix up somewhat. One of them. Then take a blind man and catapult him from somewhere in Maryland and let him land in the middle of the states and give him one shot to pick out the right silver dollar. The chances of them doing it. One intent of the 16th hour. This is one intent of the hundred 57 power morels alternate medical offices.

Anything beyond what Nintendo 50 of power is a statistical impossibility and impossibility you say well what about other predictions in history did Nostradamus ago anticipate the rise of Hitler, you have read this prophecies on us like me will say that I'm like you watch too much stuff in the National Geographic Channel. They are vague.

Nostradamus got a lot of things wrong these in the Bible were given in great detail. Not one of them is ever proven incorrect which put them into an entirely different category of Nostradamus or the Mayans or anybody else you say why no maybe the gospel accounts of been doctored up to confirm the prophecies like another early church is like a nose ring. Zechariah the 30 pieces of silver thing. Let's make up a story about Judas right yet that may have worked for a few of them. They may Bennett be able to get away with it, but most of these prophecies were out of their control and they would've been easy to refute if they were true all the early Jewish and Roman leaders had a lot of motivation to review these things, they would've been like him one morning Bethlehem didn't grow up in Nazareth, never to have some kind Judas 30 pieces of silver.

The idea by the way that the early church just destroyed all the conflicting accounts of Jesus assumes that the church had some kind of controlling power that is historically this is not true for the first 300 years of the church's life.

Christianity's enemies vastly outnumbered its followers and enemies were the ones who had all the power and if they gave that it existed they would've brought forward the things that would've undermined all these claims yet nobody ever did place you got asked this. Why would early Christians lie about these things if they were true. There's got to be a motive. People lie, but there's always a motive. Typically, when people lives to get them power, prestige, or trying to escape harm or something is out what happened to the early followers of Jesus know the opposite.

Their confession got them persecuted. They lost their homes even their lives. You say well you know lots of people have died for a religious lie. Yeah, but there's a difference between dying for a lie and dying for something you know to be alive is a huge difference in their suit great historical example is Chuck Colson just died last year was one of them. Richard Nixon cycled the instrument's inner circle with the Watergate with Richard next. It was not a Christian at that point and he said that the day that it broke they all got together in a room. The six men that all been part of Watergate.

He said I look around the room is the toughest man I've ever night the three of us were out of the Marine Corps CEOs is really tough accomplishment that we found to one another that none of us would ask you tell the truth, we would all maintain the story. He said within 2 1/2 days, every single one of us had broken every single one of us because of the threats that were coming against us. He said the idea that 12 uneducated, untrained fishermen would maintain this line, knowing it was a lie to the day of their death could only be postulated by somebody who has no experience with these kinds of things that Blaise Pascal and my favorite philosopher says witnesses who are willing to have their throats cut suddenly become believable to do Isaiah since the implications of this are what his love letter gives you a handful of things. Listen really quickly miss. I will wrap this up. This is when you have belief you believe the arm of the Lord is revealed got a believe.

Maybe you're like my friend Carolyn maybe had all these reasons why it can't be true.

Are you willing to doubt your doubts. I know you pride yourself on being a doubting person, will you doubt there's doubts in the face of evidence like this in the least, considerate because that's that the invitations and believe it. Believe it's verifiable. It's true, it's confirmed by things that could never just happen number two to the church, he says, processed, you got a process in proclaiming this even when people don't believe because it is true in people's life and death depend on you. Isaiah got the most ridiculous commission of anybody I've ever is a chapter 6 when God calls Isaiah he says as I want to spend your whole life talking about this and what is every listen to never reject you to kill you. Isaiah, but I just want you to keep reaching Isaiah Preaching the Preaching wouldn't give up that you notice right there in your Bible, Holly opens up something to me.

Isaiah 53 the great prophecy about Jesus's crucifixion. It was on the same who is believed to report nobody. Nobody is listening to who was the arm of the Lord been revealed but he kept preaching when a while of this is a 5213 tobaccos versus there's a promise, my servant will prosper. God says my servant when they will prosper and Isaiah reason this way Jesus would not have gone to the trouble of dying just of the people get rejected. He went to the trouble dying because he wanted to say people and so Isaiah went the people were listening, and he held up his hands and he proclaimed to them because he knew he knew that God would not have sent Jesus to die if God was not also to give certain people the power to believe. Which leads me to number three depends depends you depend on God to change the heart look right there. Verse 15 and in Isaiah 52 is awesome Eva servant will sprinkle many nations write what you sprinkle them with my magic pixie dust. What is it, watch what happens. We sprinkles up kings will shut their mouths on account of him for what it not been told and they will see and what they had not heard, they will suddenly understand the contrast nobody believes and all of a sudden the servant stands up and sources sprinkle as he sprinkled all this obese people from so well Nazi now understand what could happen when you tell these people in your life, or in other nations that are listening is the servant Jesus has a start sprinkling a start sprinkling that pixie dust for the Holy Spirit power that gives people the ability to believe, which is why I tell you that you never ever ought to talk to men, women about God without also spending a lot of time talking to God about these men and women because you preach all day long and nobody will believe it and that servant stands up and he pulls out the Holy Spirit and he just starts to sprinkle like this and all of a sudden people begin to come alive so you got a process you got a dependent and the last thing you gotta go, you gotta go through it. Isaiah says restart chapter 52 verse seven how beautiful upon the mountains of the feet of them brings good news. Don't know what is ever called my feet pretty.

My feet are not pretty at all their exceptionally ugly thing my feet my senior, beautiful, not because they look good, but because they bring good news not published piece I bring good news of happiness published salvation I say is I am God reigns we get the go summit shirts in the places whether it's in our community or neighborhoods or around the world and we get to go when we get to proclaim death does not have the last word you do not have to die under condemnation. Jesus suffered in your place, and died. Jesus was raised from the dead being in Southeast Asia when I began my ministry over there never be in their family that I got kinda close to on the street I lived on their father died. It was a taxi driver got killed.

The car wreck he left behind a widow into young children because I got close to the family invited me to be part of the funeral proceedings and the ceremony before the day before the funeral that I kid you not. Lasted nine hours nine hours. All we did was sit in a room.

They burn candles and they just wept for nine hours. It was a most heart-wrenching thing I'd ever been a part of the Inquisition cries of despair.

The father was goal. The husband was going to daddy. The provider was Goldwater we going to do and I sat there, yes feeling the grief of this family around me. But something inside me burning same who was going to tell them that death is somehow have the last word Jesus said on the resurrection and the life he that lives and believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live that he is been crucified for their sin. He has taken the sting out of doubt he is taken into himself. He is paid all so that you don't have to fear death anymore because Jesus has overcome that is going to tell his family like that all over the world and unreached people groups you want to know why this church is involved in missions is not because were looking for adventure. That's not because we love to travel. You like the mission trip to most of the travel. I hate traveling.

I don't like airplanes. I got simple thing about most airlines now to deal with doesn't want to see a counselor, but I don't like this.

I do it because we go over there because there's people like now the need to hear God reigns.

That's why I'll be leaving your next six or so weeks to be on the mission field is because that is what we a lot of mission things are going on the summer as you that are going to hear it. As always, I pray give go of the three things you gotta do.

If you're not going to summary what should be praying and giving what should be a part of what's happening as we take the gospel to these places around the world is your pray to given the Summerlin Dahlia we want to go next summer which is good and make plans now. Just go Catalano is for you younger people on got older we would hundred times rather take an older person that wanders on the young people, going to that is totally legit US because you guys present no little would it so we want you to go once you decide to do that. This is why we do what we do some church when I try to build an empire were trying to publish the gospel of peace everywhere in the world. We pray for us all of our campuses must pray that God will renew our commission to this renew our response to Isaiah's letter got pray in Jesus name you would renew this commission to me this church God that we would see multiple people raised up and empowered to go pray and asked I got afraid for this people would never believe personally that this weekend. There wrestling with undeniable evidence that leaves them with unexplainable questions. I pray that you give them the ability to hear your voice in this and they know that as I got in Jesus name, amen