Sermon Tone Analysis

*Scripture: Isaiah 40:27-31*

*/Isa 40:27/**/  Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: “ My way is hidden from the LORD, And my just claim is passed over by my God”? 28 Have you not known?

Have you not heard?

The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth,      Neither faints nor is weary.

His understanding is unsearchable.

29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.

30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary,/*

*/      And the young men shall utterly fall, 31 But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

(ISAIAH 40:27-31 NKJV)/*

/ /

/In a different translation: /

*/Isa 40:27  You people of Israel, say, "God pays no attention to us!

He doesn't care if we are treated unjustly."

But how can you say that?

28  Don't you know?

Haven't you heard?

The LORD is the eternal God, Creator of the earth.

He never gets weary or tired; his wisdom cannot be measured.

29  The LORD gives strength to those who are weary.

30  Even young people get tired, then stumble and fall.

31  But those who trust the LORD will find new strength.

They will be strong like eagles soaring upward on wings; they will walk and run without getting tired./**/

/**/(ISAIAH 40:27-31 Contemporary English Version)/*

The message today is “Stand on the Power of Jesus”.

*Introduction - *The Atheist Professor at a College Campus

 

This is a fictional story of a event that happened just a few years ago at a college campus.

There was a professor of philosophy there who was a deeply committed atheist.

His primary goal for one required class was to spend the entire semester attempting to prove that God couldn't exist.

His students were always afraid to argue with him because of his impeccable logic.

For twenty years, he had taught this class and /no one/ had ever had the courage to go against him.

Sure, some had argued in class at times, but no one had ever really gone against him because of his reputation.

At the end of every semester on the last day, he would say to his class of 300 students, "If there is anyone here, who still believes in Jesus, stand up!"

In twenty years, no one had ever stood up.

They knew what he was going to do next.

He would say, "Because anyone who believes in God is a fool.

If God existed, he could stop this piece of chalk from hitting the ground and breaking.

Such a simple task to prove that He is God, and yet He can't do it."

And every year, he would drop the chalk onto the tile floor of the classroom and it would shatter into a hundred pieces.

All of the students would do nothing but stop and stare.

Most of the students thought that God couldn't exist.

Certainly, a number of Christians had slipped through, but for 20 years, they had been too afraid to stand up.

Well, a few years ago there was a freshman that happened to enroll.

He was a Christian, and had heard the stories about his professor.

He was required to take the class for his major, and he was afraid.

But for three months that semester, he prayed every morning that he would have the courage to stand up no matter what the professor said, or what the class thought.

Nothing they said could ever shatter his faith...he hoped.

Finally, the day came.

The professor said, “If there is anyone here who still believes in God, stand up!"

The professor and the class of 300 people looked at him, shocked, as he stood up at the back of the classroom.

The professor shouted, "You FOOL!!!  If God existed, he would keep this piece of chalk from breaking when it hit the ground!"

He proceeded to drop the chalk, but as he did, it slipped out of his fingers, off his shirt cuff, onto the pleat of his pants, down his leg, and off his shoe.

As it hit the ground, it simply rolled away unbroken.

The professor's jaw dropped as he stared at the chalk.

He looked up at the young man, and then ran out of the lecture hall.

The young man, who had stood, proceeded to walk to the front of the room and shared his faith in Jesus for the next half hour.

300 students stayed and listened as he told of God's love for them and of His power through Jesus.

The student was afraid, didn’t have the worldly tools, but held strong to his faith.

When he stood, he didn’t stand on the power of man, but stood on the power of Jesus.

Are you afraid?

Are you shaky on your faith?

Are you standing on the world or on Jesus?

Let’s talk a little today about the Transcending Power, the Amending Power, and the Never ending Power of Jesus.

\\  

 

*Transcending Power*

 

What’s this Transending Power?

The Word says:

 

*/54 When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works?

(Matthew 13:54 NKJV)/*

 

Jesus is the Living word!

Jesus is God in the flesh!

Jesus spoke and performed mighty works through His Heavenly Father.

What Jesus did transcended this world we live in.

*/ /*

*Transcending Definition**: To climb over, to go beyond the limits of, to exceed, to surpass.*

/ /

The world does not define you!

You are a child of the Heavenly King.

The world says and the evil in the world says you are (1) “A product of your environment.”

The Word says:

 

*/20 So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.”

(2 Chronicles 20:20 NKJV)/*

 

Whatever you put your mind to do that is of God, God will see you through!

Abraham was just a childless nomad, but became the father of nations.

Moses was born to a people in bondage, raised by the oppressors of his people, but he led the Jews out of bondage as God’s ambassador.

God knew you before you were born.

What is man’s knowledge compared to that?!

While the world seeks to minimize, God seeks to maximize.

The world says and the evil in the world says you are (2) of a ‘Genetic disposition.’

The Word says:

 

*/6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

(John 3:6 NKJV)/*

 

Brothers and sisters, genetic disposition has *nothing* to do with your spiritual position!

God is the potter, man is the clay.

He does the molding, shaping, and reshaping of the spirit.

You were perfectly made!!

The flesh you are in came from the earth and will go back to the earth.

The world says and the evil in the world says you are (3) ‘an oppressed people’.

The Word says:

 

*/12 “ I, even I, am He who comforts you.

Who are you that you should be afraid Of a man who will die, And of the son of a man who will be made like grass? 15 But I am the LORD your God, Who divided the sea whose waves roared—The LORD of hosts is His name.

(Isaiah 51:12 and 15 NKJV)/*

 

What God has for me and you is for me and you.

No weapon formed against me, or you, shall prosper.

Says that in the Word!! Are you standing on that?!!