isaiah 40: comfort
DESCRIPTION
Isaiah 40: Comfort. Eric Messelt Timberline Baptist Church October 28, 2007. Introduction. Speaker: Eric Messelt- student at Western Seminary, Portland. Introduction. Speaker: Eric Messelt- student at Western Seminary, Portland - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Isaiah 40: Comfort
Eric Messelt
Timberline Baptist Church
October 28, 2007
Introduction
• Speaker: Eric Messelt- student at Western Seminary, Portland
Introduction
• Speaker: Eric Messelt- student at Western Seminary, Portland
• Isaiah 40 – God wants you to be comforted by understanding who He is!
First Proclamation (1-2): Comfort
• Why the phrase, “Comfort Ye?”
• Context:
First Proclamation (1-2): Comfort
• Why the phrase, “Comfort Ye?”
• Context:– Judgment!
First Proclamation (1-2): Comfort
• Why the phrase, “Comfort Ye?”
• Context:– Judgment!– Hezekiah’s goof
First Proclamation (1-2): Comfort
• Why the phrase, “Comfort Ye?”
• Context:– Judgment!– Hezekiah’s goof– You’re going to need comfort!
• This introduces the Messiah
Comfort: God’s Got A Plan
• Vs. 3-5:– God will do something spectacular
Comfort: God’s Got A Plan
• Vs. 3-5:– God will do something spectacular– Who’s the preparer?
Comfort: God’s Got A Plan
• Vs. 3-5:– God will do something spectacular– Who’s the preparer? John the Baptizer (Matt.
3:1-3)
Comfort: God’s Got A Plan
• Vs. 3-5:– God will do something spectacular– Who’s the preparer? John the Baptizer (Matt.
3:1-3)– How do we know all this will happen? God
has spoken.
Comfort: God’s Got A Plan
• Vs. 3-5:– God will do something spectacular– Who’s the preparer? John the Baptizer (Matt.
3:1-3)– How do we know all this will happen? God
has spoken.– What’s so special about God speaking?
Comfort: God Speaks!
• Vs. 6-8– God’s word is strong and …
Comfort: God Speaks!
• Vs. 6-8– God’s word is strong and …– God’s word is permanent
Comfort: God Speaks!
• Vs. 6-8– God’s word is strong and …– God’s word is permanent– We can rely on it
Comfort: God Speaks!
• Vs. 6-8– God’s word is strong and …– God’s word is permanent– We can rely on it – Compared to God, humanity is ‘dust in the
wind’ (Is. 17:13)
Comfort: God Speaks!
• Vs. 6-8– God’s word is strong and …– God’s word is permanent– We can rely on it – Compared to God, humanity is ‘dust in the
wind’ (Is. 17:13)
• What’s so special about God?
Comfort: God is Great
• Vs. 9-10 – God is Important
Comfort: God is Great
• Vs. 9-10 – God is Important
• Vs. 11 – God is Loving (Ex. 34:6-7)
Comfort: God is Great
• Vs. 9-10 – God is Important
• Vs. 11 – God is Loving (Ex. 34:6-7)
• Vs. 12 – God is Big
Comfort: God is Great
• Vs. 9-10 – God is Important
• Vs. 11 – God is Loving (Ex. 34:6-7)
• Vs. 12 – God is Big
• Vs. 13-14 – God is Smart
Comfort: God is Great
• Vs. 9-10 – God is Important
• Vs. 11 – God is Loving (Ex. 34:6-7)
• Vs. 12 – God is Big
• Vs. 13-14 – God is Smart
• Vs. 15-17 – God is Supreme
Comfort: God is Great
• Vs. 9-10 – God is Important
• Vs. 11 – God is Loving (Ex. 34:6-7)
• Vs. 12 – God is Big
• Vs. 13-14 – God is Smart
• Vs. 15-17 – God is Supreme
• Vs. 18-20 – God can not be completely
understood
Comfort: God is REALLY Great!
• Vs. 21-24 – God is In Control; Why is that?
Comfort: God is REALLY Great!
• Vs. 21-24 – God is In Control; Why is that?
• Vs. 25 – God is Incomparable
Comfort: God is REALLY Great!
• Vs. 21-24 – God is In Control; Why is that?
• Vs. 25 – God is Incomparable
• Vs. 26a – God is Creator
Comfort: God is REALLY Great!
• Vs. 21-24 – God is In Control; Why is that?
• Vs. 25 – God is Incomparable
• Vs. 26a – God is Creator
• Vs. 26b – God is Sustainer (Col. 1:16-17)
Comfort: God is REALLY Great!
• Vs. 21-24 – God is In Control; Why is that?
• Vs. 25 – God is Incomparable
• Vs. 26a – God is Creator
• Vs. 26b – God is Sustainer (Col. 1:16-17)
• Vs. 27 – God Knows Everything
Comfort: God is REALLY Great!
• Vs. 21-24 – God is In Control; Why is that?
• Vs. 25 – God is Incomparable
• Vs. 26a – God is Creator
• Vs. 26b – God is Sustainer (Col. 1:16-17)
• Vs. 27 – God Knows Everything
• Vs. 28a – God is Powerful
Comfort: God is REALLY Great!
• Vs. 21-24 – God is In Control; Why is that?
• Vs. 25 – God is Incomparable
• Vs. 26a – God is Creator
• Vs. 26b – God is Sustainer (Col. 1:16-17)
• Vs. 27 – God Knows Everything
• Vs. 28a – God is Powerful
• Vs. 28b – God is Smart
Comfort:
• Finally: vs. 29-31 – God is With Us!!!
Comfort: God Is With Us
• Finally: vs. 29-31 – God is With Us!!!
• What does this mean to the audience?– A generation in exile
Comfort: God Is With Us
• Finally: vs. 29-31 – God is With Us!!!
• What does this mean to the audience?– A generation in exile– Exile will be long and exhausting (v. 30)
Comfort: God Is With Us
• Finally: vs. 29-31 – God is With Us!!!
• What does this mean to the audience?– A generation in exile– Exile will be long and exhausting (v. 30)– “You need to wait for me” (v. 31)
Comfort: God Is With Us
• Finally: vs. 29-31 – God is With Us!!!
• What does this mean to the audience?– A generation in exile– Exile will be long and exhausting (v. 30)– “You need to wait for me” (v. 31)– THEN the people will be delivered and…
Comfort: God Is With Us
• Finally: vs. 29-31 – God is With Us!!!
• What does this mean to the audience?– A generation in exile– Exile will be long and exhausting (v. 30)– “You need to wait for me” (v. 31)– THEN the people will be delivered and…– God will be with them (41:10)
Isaiah 41:10
I will strengthen you and help you;
Do not be dismayed,
For I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Comfort?
• What do we do when we are distressed and need comfort?– Anesthetize
Comfort?
• What do we do when we are distressed and need comfort?– Anesthetize– Activate
Comfort?
• What do we do when we are distressed and need comfort?– Anesthetize– Activate– Accommodate
Comfort?
• What do we do when we are distressed and need comfort?– Anesthetize– Activate– Accommodate– Affinity
Application
• Example of Christians in post-Christian society
Application
• Example of Christians in post-Christian society
• What should we do?
Application
• Example of Christians in post-Christian society
• What should we do?– We should live in and love our city and state
Application
• Example of Christians in post-Christian society
• What should we do?– We should live in and love our city and state– But aware that our efforts will never ultimately
prevail
Application
• Are we looking to the right places for comfort?– Political over spiritual reality
Application
• Are we looking to the right places for comfort?– Political over spiritual reality– Ideology over Bible
Application
• Are we looking to the right places for comfort?– Political over spiritual reality– Ideology over Bible– Self-protection over glorifying God
Application
• Are we looking to the right places for comfort?– Political over spiritual reality– Ideology over Bible– Self-protection over glorifying God– Independence over One-anothers
Application
• Are we looking to the right places for comfort?– Political over spiritual reality– Ideology over Bible– Self-protection over glorifying God– Independence over One-anothers
• God is Powerful to Comfort us in His Greatness!
Concluding Thoughts
• We can comfort one another with words
Concluding Thoughts
• We can comfort one another with words
• God’s Plan is working!
Concluding Thoughts
• We can comfort one another with words
• God’s Plan is working!
• God is Great!
Isaiah 40: Comfort
God wants you to be comforted by understanding who He is…
Isaiah 40: Comfort
God wants you to be comforted by understanding who He is…
Our comfort must be in God’s greatness.
Be Comforted
Blessings to you and yours in this next week.