We depend on you and we echo the words that Nate shared with us today. We depend on you and Father we come before you and we open your word and we depend on you for proper understanding of your great word that you have given to us. So Lord, humble us, fill us with your spirit and awaken us to what is true. In Jesus name we pray, amen. watched several times and enjoyed watching was the first star wars movie called and it was called anybody know the name of the first star wars movie it was episode four back in when i was growing up it was called what a new hope it's called a new hope and The reason it was called A New Hope, you find out, and even as some of the later movies were made, that all of the Jedi, which are the good guys in the movie, were systematically and virtually wiped out. And there was an evil empire that was taking over the universe. And there was someone or something that needed to happen. And there was Princess Leia sending out a message saying, help me, Obi-Wan, and they'll be your only hope, which ends up being true. But she's looking for this new hope in light of the despair that the universe is under. Now, keeping that in mind, if you are reading with us through the Bible this year, you reached Isaiah chapter 40. In fact, you read it yesterday. And I told my Sunday school class, I was fully prepared and ready to preach through Isaiah. And yesterday, as I read through chapters 40 to 43, worshiping, as I'm reading and listening to them, driving in my car, I thought, this is it. This is what we're gonna talk about tomorrow. So this morning, Isaiah chapter 40 comes and it is a new hope for a people who have been overtaken and overcome by the world around them. If you have your Bibles, I'd love for you to open up to Isaiah chapter 40 and as you're turning there, Know that this comes about a hundred years before the new hope ever comes. This comes even before the reason they need hope comes. And if you follow the Star Wars movies, you know that at the end of the episode three, that all of the good guys, quote unquote, are wiped out. And what's coming in the book of Isaiah is Assyria is coming. And the Babylonian invasion is coming. And all of Israel and Judah will be wiped out and brought out of their own land into a land of captivity. And in chapter 40, Isaiah transitions from the destruction that's coming due to their sin and rebellion to a hope and a light that will bring them restoration and redemption by the hand and by the power of God. Let me start with a concept here to get us to Isaiah chapter 40, and it's this. Sin is not overlooked by God. The Lord our God does not overlook sin. And while he is patient with sinners, we understand that. Any sinners in the house today? While he is patient with us as sinners, he does not overlook our sin. And it was the same back in the days of Israel. While he was patient and didn't immediately judge them for their sin, he did bring swift and even unspeakable at times judgment upon his people for their sin. And we have 39 chapters of Isaiah bringing this bad news. You need to repent, change, and seek God or bad things, unspeakable things are coming. And as I'm thinking yesterday, thinking through this, one of the ways in which I think sin can be described is this. It is an attempt to fulfill our hopes apart from doing it God's way. So think about this. Sin is an attempt to satisfy or fulfill our hopes, but doing it in an inappropriate or in a godless way. And you can take, for example, ambition to succeed in business, let's say. Well, I want to do well in business. And there are shortcuts and there are people you can cutthroat along the way, and there are dishonest things you can do to build your business. And you go about it in inappropriate ways to fulfill something that is not a bad thing. Or maybe it's just the desire to be full. And so we eat improper things, or in an improper way, or too much of a thing. And the Bible speaks of gluttony or treason or whatever things you can fill in the blank. Israel had done so many of these things, trying to be successful in their land, they had taken advantage of the widow, taken advantage of the fatherless. They had harmed their neighbor. And while all along the law of God is saying, love your neighbor as yourself, love God, Above all other things, they had found inappropriate ways and had become trapped in the spiral that many of you know that addiction, that sin brings to our lives and brings us to a place to where God finally comes and deals with it, and he sends even an evil nation to come and to judge them. But then enter chapter 40, and we read these words together from Isaiah chapter 40. Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and cry to her that her warfare is ended. that her iniquity is pardoned and that she is received from the Lord's hand, Yahweh's hand, double for all of her sins. Let me stop right there. If you're here this morning and you are a Christian, these are words that should echo to your soul, that you should hear them and you should hear yourself go, yes, I remember the day that the Lord comforted me. Because as Christians, we reach a point in our lives where we say, I am pursuing things that I shouldn't be pursuing. And we come to a place where we realize that I need to give myself to Jesus and be saved from the shackles that sin has upon me. I need to be drawn out of the miry muck that sin has placed me in. And so Christian, when we read Isaiah 40, and as I'm listening to it driving down the road, my heart just sings to God. Comfort, comfort, my people, says your God. Your sins have been paid for. And it wasn't an army that paid for my sin. Christian, help me out. Who pays for our sin? It was Jesus Christ on the cross paying for my sin. Comfort, comfort to you, Christian. Your sin has been dealt with. Not just overlooked, but dealt with at the cross of Jesus. Jesus doesn't, and God the Father does not just overlook our sin and say, boys will be boys and girls will be girls. He says, no, I will pay for your sin. For God so loved the world that he did what church? He gave his only son. Jesus Christ has suffered for sinners. Rejoice, O Christian, rejoice. Verse 3 of chapter 40 says, this is a voice of Christ. In the wilderness prepare a way for the Lord, make straight the desert for a highway for our God. God did not just sit around and let sinners sin, but he prepared a way for Jesus Christ to come. And look down in verse 5. and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see together the mouth of Yahweh has spoken. We rejoice in this. This is what we celebrate every year. Praise God for Christmas. Because at Christmas time, Christians can say, yes, this is what we celebrate, that every mountain has been flattened, every valley has been raised, and there is a clear path for us to see Jesus. And we celebrate the Savior who has come to the world. The glory of Yahweh has been revealed, and this is it. The creator, the maker of heaven and earth has revealed himself. He has wrapped all of it. And all, and Frank shared this with us a couple Wednesday nights ago, so good. All of who God is was wrapped and incarnate in the person of Jesus Christ that the world might see this is God. Oh Jerusalem, herald of good news. Lift up the good news. Fear not. Say to the cities of Judah, behold your God. I love this. We sing multiple songs that say behold your God. Church, this is what we need to be doing. Let me say that again. Church here. This is what the Church of God needs to be doing. Behold your God. Gaze upon God. Focus upon God. Put your effort into seeing who God is because it is in that moment that we fall on our face and we say, holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is filled with his glory. And that's exactly what chapter six of Isaiah tells us happened. And church, we gather every Sunday morning. And we gather together and we sing songs and we read scriptures and we pray to God to behold his majesty. And so church, I wanna encourage you this morning, we're halfway through our service. If you have not beheld God, if you have not gazed upon him, take a moment now, read these words, engage your spirit and behold God. You are not here to finish church, you are here to behold God. says, Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him. Behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. Listen, church. He will tend his flock like a shepherd. Who is it that said, I am the good shepherd? Who was it? It was Jesus. He will gather the lambs in his arms. He will carry them in his bosom and gently lead those that are with God. We think of Psalm 1. He will lead you beside still waters. He restores your soul. He makes a table before you in the presence of your enemies. He anoints your head with oil. His rod and his staff, they comfort you. Good Shepherd, John chapter 10, you know it. So let's talk about that. Let's behold him this morning. Isaiah 40 moves us to a new home, a place of comfort, and that comfort comes when we behold our God. The comfort comes not because of but because God is near and He is the ultimate solution. We'll talk about that in just a moment. So let's talk about Yahweh. Let's talk about our God. Let's talk about who God is this morning. Isaiah chapter 40, verse six through eight. Yahweh is exalted. Yahweh is exalted. A voice cries, a voice says, cry. And I said, what shall I cry? And listen to the message. All flesh is like grass, and all of its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the breath of the Lord blows on it. Surely the people of grass, the grass withers, the flower fades, but the word What will the Word of the Lord do? Stand forever. God's Word is eternal. It stands. We are not. I told you I was at a wedding yesterday. Weddings are so good. Times to celebrate new families being born. Children will come from that family and a God rearing family that loves the Lord and will raise up children and a hope for a future. Parents, you may have your, you may have been married. We get to celebrate 29 years this year. Beautiful. We've done our best to raise children under the teaching and admonition of God. Children that want to honor and glorify God with their gifts, with their lives. Celebrate. But with all of that, 29 years we went to a wedding yesterday and 29 hours now. Not even. And some of you have celebrated 50, 60 years with your spouse. But that will be gone. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our Lord will stand forever. There are things that matter. Just think back with me. Think back with me five years. Think back with me five years. Y'all remember 2020, anybody? Most of you have tried to forget. Let me give you a few little reminders. Tyler remembers these, murder hornets. That was 2020, remember that? Murder hornet, they were coming to kill all the bees. Remember that? How about the locusts? Remember, they were coming out of hibernation, the locusts? Protests. Protests. Brady was drying up. There was this new disease coming out to kill Tom Hanks. Everything was racist. And there was no toilet paper. That was five years ago. Seems like forever ago. You know what? We have toilet paper. And all the bees are still alive. And I don't know what happened to the locusts. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of the Lord abides forever. And you know what? We're in 2025 and we're in the house of God and we're celebrating his word because his word in 3035 will still be true and people will still be worshiping. And whether or not Jesus has come back by then or not, we don't know. But what we do know is God's truth is God's truth. And God is God. And we and you, Christian, will still be worshiping and enjoying God forever. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of the Lord abides forever. What a beautiful thought. So let me give you an application here. Have you done anything this week that will abide or be around 50 years from now? Let's say 10 years from now. Let's say five years from now. Are you investing into the kingdom of God? Are you doing things, saying things, making decisions that are going to matter in the future to draw people to worship God so that when the whole earth is filled with his glory, people can say, I'm here because Stephen Ballmer took me to camp. And we have two souls that can say that because Pastor Stephen brought us to camp. and because people gave to youth camp, and because some pastor chose to make a decision to be at camp and preach the word, and because somebody drove my van to camp, and because chaperones chose to go to camp. And all of these things, all of these people put together to be part of eternity changing for the scope of two young men who gave their lives to Jesus Christ. and countless others whose lives were also influenced by that. The word of the Lord, Yahweh is eternal. Secondly, Yahweh is like no other. Yahweh is like no other. Y'all with me this morning? Let's talk about the Lord. Let's behold our God. Yahweh is like no other. Isaiah 40, beginning of verse 18. To whom will you then liken God? Or what likeness, what image will you compare him? An idol? Verse 21. Do you not know? Did you not hear? Has it not been told to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he who sits above the circle of heaven and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers who stretch out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them like a tent to dwell in. Who brings princes to nothing who makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness. There are powerful people in this world. but they cannot compare to the power, the glory, and the majesty of Yahweh. As I shared earlier, Jesus is the one who represents all of that. We understand him today, we hear his word, we read about him in the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. We hear about him in the epistles, Colossians, Philippians, even the book of Hebrews and Revelation. And I want to proclaim if you're here this morning and you are searching through Hollywood or Nashville to Silicon Valley or to the pharmacy or the doctor's office to find solutions for your problems, those are but temporary solutions. And there is an eternal solution and his name is Jesus. Jesus is the eternal solution who makes the rulers of this world look like grasshoppers. the most important people in our culture today, the most innovative people, the most intelligent and talented people look like grasshoppers. Jesus is the answer. Isaiah 40 verse 25 continues here this church to whom then will you compare me that I should be like him says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and say Who brings out the stars, the hosts by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might? And because he is strong in power, not one of those stars is missing. God is a God who made all of the heavens and all of the earth, even to its depths, places we have not explored. Christian, God is like no other. And so let me speak practically to you for a moment. Some of you in this room may have medical problems. Some of you may have emotional problems, problems or family members with addictions, financial problems, work problems, relationship problems. Let me read the next few verses in light of those problems that we have. Listen to verse 27 and following. Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak arrogantly? O Israel, my way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God. He doesn't care about me. I'll put it into our words today. Does God not care? Verse 28, have you not known? Have you not heard? This is what we sang this morning. What does it say, church? The Lord is what? The everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint. He does not grow weary. He is the unsearchable. His understanding is unsearchable. He is the everlasting God. Jesus, who is the embodiment of God, said, the birds don't worry. The grass doesn't worry. And yet God does what? What does he do? He cares for them each and every day. Hey, Christian, God does care. And he's able to act on his care for you because he's the everlasting God. He's the eternal God. And I want to reassure you and encourage you that your problems are not bigger than your solution. Your problems are not bigger than your God. And while the Lord allows difficulty and even things that are hard for us in our lives, oftentimes that's to bring us to a place of dependence upon Him, or a place where we worship God on the other side and say, thank you, God, for providing that great solution for me. Because God wants you to know him, not just know about him, but to know him, to abide in him, to take our hope and our joy in him, to find everlasting joy in God. And oftentimes that doesn't happen because of our hardened hearts until we hit hardened times. And so, Christian, as the Apostle Peter and James both say, when you encounter trials in this, you rejoice, because those are opportunities for you to meet the living God. Romans, Apostle Paul says this in Romans 16, 27. Take this away, church. Capture this one. At the end of the book of Romans, the great theological treatise that he gives to us. The Apostle Paul says this, to thee, read this with me, to thee what? Only wise God, may glory forevermore. God is eternally and infinitely wise. And though we think we have things figured out, We think we have good plans and solutions, and we ought to plan those things. Just know that sometimes the best laid plans of even you fall submissive to the only wise God, and He knows more than we could ever think to know. Jesus is the author and the perfecter of our faith. We look to him. He knows the beginning, he knows the end, and he knows everything in between. So let me give you this practical advice then. T G D W R. TGDWR, if you're a guest with us, you don't know what that means. But Mr. Wayne's gonna help you because he's got it up here. TGDWR, trust God and do what's right. If you trust in the everlasting God, the only wise God, and just do what you're supposed to do, the Lord will work it out. Ask Abraham if he worked it out. Remember Abraham? Abraham brought his son. to Mount Moriah? Did God work it out? Yeah, He sure did. He brought a sacrifice to be sacrificed there, pointing to the greater Son that would be sacrificed, and His name was Jesus. Did God make a way for you to be saved? Did God draw you to salvation, Christian? Yes, He did. to my next point. Yahweh is strong. Let's behold our God. Yahweh is strong. Yahweh is strong. Isaiah 40. This is what Colby read for us this morning. Isaiah 40, verse 29 through 31. Hear this one. Behold your God. He gives strength to the faint. And to him who has no might, he increases strength. God is your strengthener. Christian, even youths shall faint. You know, the strength of the young is their strength. The gift to the young is their strength. He said, even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men, they will fall and be exhausted. But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and what? not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Christian, this is such a powerful passage for us. The Lord brings us strength, and where does it come from? So here's your application. Sometimes we get weary, spiritually, physically, emotionally. Where does that strength come from? What is that? Well, it comes from God, and the answer to that is yes, you're right. But sometimes tapping into that strength is where we fail. I know God is my strength, but I just don't feel it right now. It's kind of like having all that electricity run through your house, but you're not plugged into the wall. So your hairdryer won't blow. But those who, what? Wait for Yahweh. Those who wait for Yahweh. And if you listen to the Bible Recap, you've probably heard TLC talked about the word wait there. And I dug into it myself. The word wait, Hebrew word, it means to bind together. And literally, it comes from a rope. And if you know, if you've ever dealt with rope, it's bindings of different cords of strings that are bound together. And as they pull, as you pull a rope, the tensile strength is stronger because it's multiple ropes that are bound together. And so they pull together. So this word to wait on the Lord is to be bound up in God. That's literally where that word comes from. means that you are resting in the binding that you're in. Those who are bound up in the Lord will be strengthened. Are you catching what I'm throwing out? In life, if you are bound up in God's will and God's wisdom and you are wrapped up in the kingdom of God and eternal purposes, you will be strengthened to accomplish those things. Those who wait, those who are bound into the Lord, those who are intertwined will receive the strength of the one they are intertwined with. So if you are waiting on God, you are intertwined with His own strength. And that is why when others around grow weary from the pressing that this world puts upon every human being that walks its earth, that a Christian filled with the Spirit of God why they can be strengthened, because it is a supernatural strength that comes inside of a Christian. And it is Holy Spirit power bound up in us that strengthens us to rejoice when trials come. You shall rise up from wings like eagles. You shall run and not be weary. You shall walk and not faint. Yahweh brings strength. There are so many more, let me just hit a couple more and then we'll tie this all together. Yahweh is with us. Yahweh is with us. You are not alone. You are not alone. Often times people in this world, they feel alone. It's the cause of depression. for many people. It's the cause of great sadness. It's the cause of a lot of issues for people feeling alone in this world. Isaiah chapter 41 says this, but you are Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend, you whom I took from the ends of the earth and called from its furthest corners, saying to you, You are my servant, I have chosen for you. I have chosen to not cast you off. Verse 10, fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my mighty right hand. Wayne, I'm gonna jump down a little bit, because I want to read this next passage to you. Notice he says that he is with you. Fear not, for he is with you, said 1 Tim. If you're not a Christian today, maybe you're just observing, and when we went to camp, he asked people to kind of put yourself into a category. There's the unconvinced. Meaning, I'm not convinced that Christianity is true and that God is real and that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I'm not convinced. Then there's the uncommitted. Uncommitted would be, yeah, you know, I think that's true, but I've never made a formal commitment to move forward and follow Jesus fully. But I'm convinced. And then there's the faithful. There's the unconvinced, the uncommitted, and the faithful. Some of you are here today, and you're unconvinced, and you say, nothing you said changed my mind. I say this, thank you for being here. I encourage you to continue reading God's word. It is an eternal treasure box of truth, where things connect that you couldn't even understand or comprehend. And the message is, ultimately, that Jesus says, so is everything. And I encourage you and pray for you and hope you will be convinced one day. If you're uncommitted, I want to encourage you this morning to know that God has not called you to merely be convinced, but to be committed to his purpose and his calling for your life. God has called you to know that you are not alone, that you don't have to fear. And oftentimes it is fear that keeps us from committing to Jesus. I want kind of a way out in case something later comes down the road and it changes me. I want to be able to take that step back off the pier. I've got one foot in the boat and one foot on the dock. Yes, no, yeah. Christianity is getting in the boat with Jesus. And knowing that because Jesus is in the boat when the storm comes, he can raise his hand and say, peace, be still. He can command the wind and the waves. Jesus is with you. And listen to what he told the people of Israel in chapter 43. But now thus says the Lord who created you, O Jacob who formed you, O Israel, fear not for I have redeemed you. If you commit to the Lord Jesus, if you get into the boat, he redeems you and calls you his own. I have called you by my name, you are mine now. You're no longer a land dweller, you are a water dweller. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you. And when you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, and the flames shall not consume you. Notice, rivers are tough, fires are tough, but you will not be burned or overcome. Verse three, for I am Yahweh, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Sheba, in exchange for you. I bought you. You are mine. Fear not, verse five, for I am with you. I will bring your offspring up from the east and the west, and I will gather all of my people together. Verse seven. Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, who I formed, and who I am. If you are uncommitted, I want to encourage you to take that step, get in the boat, commit yourself to Jesus. Make a formal declaration that you are his. that he has called you for a greater purpose, and begin to fill your life, let your life be fulfilled in the purposes for which God created for you. In chapter 43, verse 10, he says, you are my witnesses, declares the Lord. The Lord calls his people for a purpose, and that is to be his witnesses, Acts chapter one. Verse eight, for you will be my witnesses. And he'll send his spirit to fill us, to bind us up, that when we wait on the Lord, we are bound up in him, filled with his spirit to be his witnesses. So there it is. Here's your application as you leave here today. Bind yourself up in the Lord God. Commit your way to him. Commit your life to him. Isaiah 43, 25, I am he who blots out your transgressions. Look at this church. I am he who blots out your transgressions. Why church? For what? For my own sin. God has a purpose for you in Christ. Go fulfill God's purpose for you in Christ. Talk to the people you need to talk to. and enjoy the people you're with. But know, five years is coming. And murder hornets and toilet paper, all that stuff, anything you talk about that's not eternal is just gonna be gone. Have conversations that matter with people. Do things that will matter 10, 20, 30, 40 years from now. Establish plans that are gonna lead to eternal life and eternal treasure. You were called for a purpose, for his purpose, for God's purpose. So I close with this. Obi-Wan Kenobi is not our only hope. Jesus Christ is our only hope. God will fill you with his spirit. Verse 3 says this, Isaiah 44, 3. For I will pour water on a thirsty land and streams on the dry ground. I will pour my spirit upon your offspring and my blessing on your descendants. May the spirit of God fill you as you fulfill your purpose in a life filled with new hope. Comfort, comfort my people. Be filled with the comfort of God. for the comfort you bring us in Jesus. Help us to fulfill our purpose, to know what you've called us to do, to raise our families in godliness, to branch out to those around us who need Jesus, to function as a church that's a gospel light in this community. God, to give ourselves over to kingdom work and to investing into other people and other families. God, help us make a difference in this world that we live in. Spirit has filled us and empowers us to do so. In Jesus name we pray, amen.