The Message and the Mission (Part 2 of 2)

The we don't have to look around to part world has a problem, but there is good news. God has given us a perfect solution, and like all good news. This is not something we keep quiet today on Truth for Life. Alastair begged urges us to join God in his mission to proclaim God's message of the gospel study continues in Isaiah chapter 40 verses 6 to 11 going to be a great year believing believing believing that it was a what's he talking about I call for three weeks ago I was a sign in the window just leave because the shop was close. I want to go in and put next to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved, but believe doesn't work. That's what God says don't listen to the words of the prophecy tell you believe fill you with vain hopes the speed visions of their own minds that are not from the mouth of the Lord. They say continually to those who despise the word of the Lord.

It will be well with you and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart.

They say to them, no disaster shall come upon you that I'm gone very far beyond the Genesis they have. The devil says now is not a problem is not a problem, go ahead.

Who you want to listen to was the basis of the message later on in the same chapter he says let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream that's what he wants to do but let him who has my Word speak my word faithfully what has straw in common with wheat, declares the Lord know what you have here is not simply the contrast between the frailty and brevity of life. You do have that contrast is there isn't that the flesh is like grass. The beauties like the flower of the field are very few flowers out there at the moment but want you to notice that you can get this truth somewhere other than the Bible. I mean, get this truth just by existing behavior.

Children here this morning sick goodness, my dad starting to look a little old. My my my Papa that he lives really old night. My grandmother was happening and then suddenly it dawns on the child you as you progress, you begin to fade your mental powers fade, your abilities, your physical frame and everything else was on anybody that just exists can understand everybody in the world knows that one out of one dies. But you see there's a phrase here that is that is easily passed over and is the key phrase I suggest you the grass withers, the flower fades, why does the grass weather and the fluffy wall.

When the breath of the Lord blows on is the metaphor here is wins in California and in the morning you get up your yard looks very very nice and low starting block flow through the whole day in the night and into the next day and before you know what you are all the beauty us as being actually devastated. Now let me just pause with you on this for a moment as I think I must turn. If you have a Bible there to Psalm 90 for a moment to to cross reference. This is a flower fades.

The grass withers because the breath of the Lord blows on. In other words, you see this the expression of the frailty and brevity of life is in the context of God's judgment in the context of God's judgment. Now some 90s usually regarded as a funeral sound. That's what people say while they read. The sound of funerals and you will bring the funerals where they do read but as I pointed out to you before, almost inevitably, this Verses 7 to 12. Which of course explains the human predicament.

Look at verse seven. You won't get this it must funerals for we are brought to an end by your anger, you have to do something with that and I was there. Lord, you have been our dwelling place of all generations been a wonderful time.

Old Bill was a fine follow. I remember we golfed frequently, and so on and in the run of events. Eventually it all comes to an end where we are today to celebrate his life. Not a word given to fly in the world it was. He died in the first place. Why anybody dies we are brought to an end by your anger by your Roth we are dismayed. Death is not the intended law of God's creation death is God's judgment upon sin in the day that you shall eat of this you will surely die and so verses nine and 10. If your Bible is open all our days pass away under your Roth. We bring our years to an end like a sigh, the years of our life are 70 or even by reason of strength 80 yet they're Spanish but toil and trouble there soon gone and we all fly away but who considers the part of your anger and your Roth according to their fear if you see verses nine and 10.

That experience of the demise of our life's. We will never come to without the revealing power of God the Holy Spirit.

We are resistant to this, Romans chapter 8 says that that that in the mind the natural mind is at enmity with God is actually opposed to God, the idea that as we go amongst our friends there all living in some neutral zone if they want to opt into the believing idea of the Bible as possible. But if they want us to remain in the neutral zone in which they find themselves. That is equally possible. The Bible says you're not in the neutral zone by nature. We have no interest in God by nature. We are at enmity with God, and we are hastening towards the judgment of God. You see sin has affected our thinking all of her thinking in such a way that we are unwilling to or unable to acknowledge the truth that is plain to see both in creation and in Scripture that you've thought about this 17 II know you have because we were sitting all the time but I told my friend. I think just don't see it. I mean, this is obvious as the nose on your face. People say things like, why is it that the things that are so obvious in creation. I just said is a joke to my son the other day Nancy nurse*Liz's little grand child in his and his first son was pointing something out about that. The nature of the event and I said as I was just doing something else and passed as a has a wonderful thing.

Evolution is and he said that you mean creation. I said of course I mean creation. I was just testing the why is that Romans one explains it, the things that are obvious that God is revealed through conscience and the human heart revealed himself in this way, why is it… Which is straightforward is then rebelled against that is denied will you see, although it is plain plain enough to make is accountable.

The message never registers until God brings it home to us. So I would take a miracle wouldn't that's exactly right is one of the ways you can learn how to teach passages of the Old Testament is to find out what people have done well in the New Testament and were wonderfully helped in this regard because Peter quotes this exact section when in his first chapter he goes on to say the grass withers and the flower falls for the word of the Lord remains forever in this word is the good news that was preached to you the good news that was preached to you the word of God is not simply their as the contrast to human brevity and frailty. But as the cure to our brevity and our frailty.

You go back and refer speedier services are being born again to a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and this is been brought about not by perishable seed, but by imperishable see this my friends was the message then and it is the message now is then further along on that restaurant quickly and say something about the mission without a message. There is no mission that should be fairly straightforward everybody that I see all the advertisements on the television are all there. They have a message and then they have a mission to convey it and that's what is told here. They are heralds of good news Diana Harold of good news Jerusalem heralds of good news. I take it that the word of comfort and tenderness that is common by the prophet to the people is then to be taken by those same people to if you like the outlying cities and territories of Judah. If you are perceptive, which includes many of you realize what is happening here I see sister Jerusalem. Are you going take this to Judah sounds a lot like the word of Jesus a little R and you shall take this from Jerusalem to Judea, to Samaria, to the very ends of the earth. This is the mission. This is the mission and you say well I been tracking with you fairly well.

I don't like the stuff about the anger of God some years and I don't like the notion of the judgment of God, and so on. Well, let me suggest to you that there is absolutely no benefit in the hearing good news unless we have first understood the nature of the bad news for the news that cons of salvation is because of the reality of sin, the news that cons of life and life eternal is because of the reality of death. The news that cons of the miraculous intervention is on account of the fire that we can fix ourselves and so once you have received the message that you want to do what we're told to do here a little over told to do.

First of all go up on a high mountain go up on a high mountain well resourced a glop on a high mountain some and I love it when people say what I just like to take the Bible literally is okay so where are you heading for every store. What was your plan.

I go to Ben Nevis as a smaller one. I can point you in that direction. No obviously, although the the literal possibilities of a vantage point on a hillside are clear it straightforward. Make sure that you put yourself in a position where the message can be heard. Why don't you writing a broadcast on the radio is quite a mountaintop.

Are you to get on the Internet. That's quite a mountaintop in Solon go up and then lift up lift up your voice, lift up your voice and only going around is mumbling in your beard for spring saying I'm sorry, I don't really like to mention this but said no, no, no, it doesn't mean it doesn't mean bravado doesn't mean shouting your people. It doesn't mean calling people down. It doesn't mean that's all the means like it's a very, very hard.

Then you find a van that was moving through the neighborhood, but Isabel wasn't working, and you discover that it was selling ice cream and you got a nice Griffin is going to let the people know there's something wrong here that as ice cream, you'll love this ice cream. Trust me, I've already had to. That's the spirit of I have discovered that there is comfort there is joy there is peace and salvation that is restoration and I want you to know that there is an I'd love for you to hear about. That's the mission.

Lift up your voice and look fear in the fear not, don't be afraid. Don't be afraid proclaim it.

Fear of Leslie we need in our game.

What was needed in Isaiah's day, people who were prepared to declare the word of God in the power of the spirit of God without fear and part of the problem.

This that there is a loss of confidence in the pool. It's of our churches where the trumpet sounds somewhat uncertainly and as a result, very few go out to battle now. You see, we don't look like much this morning will move that much on any morning now compared to the vast area of Cleveland, Akron, Canton, how many out of a thousand are concerned about the word of God, the gospel of God, the son of God in comparison to whether the Browns would be the Steelers starting up 12 or 1 o'clock is no judgment in that it makes perfect sense or what am I living for its let's watch the game course sponsor then what know. You see, we better realize that the message we have to proclaim is a straightforward message. The behold your God.

This is for you to say.

In contrast, the behold your God in contrast to the gods of the nations which were absolutely hopeless. As we saw last time to no chestnut but I like it further curate in the Anglican church has now going to be given the opportunity to preach for the first occasion in the absence of the vicar and he somewhat unsettled by it, and he sends a postcard to the to the local Bishop. Any system dear Bishop, what shall I preach about and the bishops enema. One sentence reply dear curate, preach about God and preach about 20 minutes. In other words, this is the message tell them about God, tell them two things about God number one.

His greatness is greatness below the Lord God comes with Mike and his arm rules for him. His reward is with him.

His recompense is with them. He brings he brings his children with it.

He brings the fruits of his labors with him. He cons and the redeemed of the Lord return and come with singing and desire are the rewards of his work, he's great. He has no need of support. The flock that he tends he has worked for, and he now holds in his care well and so it goes from his greatness to his gentleness, and there you have it in verse 11. The same arm that rules is the arm that carries he will attend his flock like a shepherd. Note I want you to notice that verses 12 and following. See verse 11. This is going to sound strange from itself. In verse 11 saves that the assertive transcendent view of God from making us think only of a God who is so far removed and is not involved with is a tall in the one respect. What happens is it all becomes very cozy and we we forget the greatness of God that he is he he he presides over, that the nations of the world that did that the nations of the world are like a drop in a bucket to.

That's the same thing you have to keep these new two things intended. God is great and here is his gentleness. Look how he deals with us. He tends his flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in his arms he actually carries in his bosom all wrapped up in close to his heart and those who are fragile. He doesn't drive, but he leads all of course is impossible to read this without coming immediately to Jesus as the good Shepherd is the one who seeks is in tenderness is the one who puts his on his shoulders. Remember he puts it on his shoulders. He found the sheep was lost and he came back and there was great rejoicing. What a wonder, so an actual fact from verse one to verse 11. You get to verse 11 and you've gone full circle, comfort, comfort my people, says your God all the way through that and here we come back and what is this picture we have look upon his people, intending them in this way while the message is God's word and not our word of the substance of it is the frailty of our life's God's penalty for sin and his provision for us in that predicament. Our mission is to go up to lift up don't fold up and be bold and seize the opportunity of our day in a way that many are many all of us are increasingly fearful to do me just tell you if part of my reading this week as reading again. JC Ryle in his book on what happened in 18th century England, when England was at its is absolute absolute lowest point. And of course the story of the people that God raised up Whitfield and Wesleyan soul and JC Ryle of the Bishop of Liverpool is then writing in 1868 and in 1868 he saying now what are we going to do now is there any hope for us now and then.

Essentially, his thesis is straightforward yes as a remedy that was there in the 18 century is the remedy for us in the 19th and he actually says we want nothing new, no new systems. No new symbols of teaching no new gospel, we want nothing but the old truths mightily preach, and rightly brought home to consciences mines and Will's there never has been good done to the world except by the preaching of evangelical truth. So what is happened while he says I'm sad to announce that the preachers of our day. Now this is 19th century England. The preachers of our day are neither serve full nor so distinct nor so bold nor so uncompromising they are afraid of strong statements letters than he says lay hold of the evangelical truth of God and never, never be ashamed to confess that is the message at this is the mission and tomorrow is the future. The message is clear to message God has given us. Our mission is to share that message that's Alastair big Truth for Life can close today's program with prayer in just a minute, so please keep listening Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones once said the good news of the gospel is to be proclaimed loudly and fearlessly from the mountain tops for Joan sermons on Isaiah chapter 40 squeeze every bit of truth out of this rich passage of Scripture.

They explain why salvation is only possible in and through the Lord Jesus Christ today were recommending a book that contains nine Lloyd Joan sermons from Isaiah 40.

The book is titled the all sufficient God. When you read through these chapters, you will gain a clearer description of the gospel and you'll be motivated to share the good news with others. Be sure to request your copy of the all sufficient God. When you reach out with a gift of any amount. Visit us online at truthforlife.org/donate or click the book image you see in the app if you'd rather mail your donation along with your request for the all sufficient God right to Truth for Life PO Box 39, 8000, Cleveland, OH 44139. Now let's join together with Alastair in prayer. Father, thank you that in many ways what we're doing now is putting our food in the door in order that the young man that come behind us will be so gripped by these truths. So convinced of the authority and sufficiency of the Bible so stirred by the message of comfort in a world of weakness and of Majesty in a world of individualism. So convinced that they are prepared to take this mission out up onto the mountains. I would onto the airwaves lifting up their voices feeling no being for all raise them up. Lord, we pray in our generation in order that the children that sit around us now may be under the tutelage of such matter and that we will understand why it is that Jesus said heaven and earth will pass away, my words will never pass away.

So God this week trying to in Christ's name on them and Bob Lapine for YouTube grasp the enormity of the Grand Canyon have to see it with your own eyes. So how can we comprehend the immensity and majesty of God for tomorrow Alastair big gives us a unique perspective on God's incomparable greatness. I hope you can join us.

The Bible teaching of Alastair big is furnished by Truth for Life where the Learning is for Living