God's Comfort For His People (1)
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God Gospel Comfort And Freedom
God Gospel Comfort And Freedom
Last week we finished our study about how to live when life is a mess.I felt to do that series because of what most of us are facing right now due to daily living in Zimbabwe.So As I prayed about what to teach on now to follow up that series I started to realize that Zimbabwe is not the only place that is a mess.The whole world is a mess.Personally I believe it is because the end is getting closer.I know that people have always said this since the time that Paul started writing letters to the churches.They were right. According to the book of Acts the last days did start way back then when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the early Christians. You find that in Acts chapter 2.That happened for a reasonAccording to
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
When the Holy Spirit came upon the early church it was for the purpose of making them witnesses to share the gospel.It was so that people would get saved, discipled and multiply.That has been going on for 2000 years now.What we need to know - very seriousThere will come a time when God says “it’s finished.”Where He wraps us this age known as the church age.You can look at a lot of Scriptures that talk about what the signs will be leading up to that final word of IT IS FINISHED.I think we can see it is happening now.For me one of the most important ones is that there will be a big falling away and rebellion against God.It is where people will turn against God, His Rule over their lives and the teachings of Scripture and pay no attention to truth, and believe lies.I believe that is becoming more obvious right now.If we are truly in the last of the last days, we need to learn how to live in the last days. Does God give us advice about that?Let me read a couple verses to show why I believe this.
Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers,
not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.
Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders,
and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.
Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false,
in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
I have read this before about the rebellion against God and God sending a strong delusion. That strong delusion is JUDGEMENTOh my do we need to see that this is happening NOW.This will lead into why we will study what we are going to study.In the last few weeks it has been taken to new levels.Let me just give you three and we will then get into our study.One of the two parties in America on August 24th decided to vote on the GOD Problem. THIS IS FOR THE NATIONAL AGENDA
"Religiously unaffiliated Americans overwhelmingly share the “OUR” Democratic Party’s values," said the resolution, which adds they should advocate for "rational public policy based on sound science and universal humanistic values."Sarah Levin, director of governmental affairs for the Secular Coalition of America, praised it as a way "to ensure that policy is driven by science and evidence, not sectarian beliefs.” MEANING CHRISTIANSThe Wisconsin-based FFRF "is optimistic that the DNC resolution is a sign of bigger and better things to come for freethinkers, and would like to see every party at every level of government adopt similar resolution. It also described their Boo God time during the opening prayer. THE VOTE TO ADOPT 100%
Basically this is saying that we don’t want God BUT humanism.In case you don’t know what humanism means it is a system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than GodAnd can you imagine booing God. Just last week.Also this past week. Sept 3 Planned Parenthood
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Planned Parenthood has rolled out some new online guidelines for how to talk to preschoolers about gender. According to a web page titled "How do I talk to my Preschooler about their body?" Planned Parenthood suggests teaching kids that genitals don't indicate their gender."While the most simple answer is that girls have one type of parts and boys have another, that answer isn’t true for every boy and girl. Your genitals don’t make you a boy or a girl. “ Kate Hudson, Will Smith, Bryce Howard from JP - I am waiting for my child to guide me in a certain direction. Parenting. Megan and Harry
What is strange is first they make the point that science must guide us. Well that is true until we don’t agree with science. You decide what you want to be. Crazy.Finally A pastor at Baylor University (huge texas college 17,000) prayed “that it is time to reject the old keys we have tried to give people and to give people a “Moral Imagination.” to guide them.”All this is scary. Not God, not His word but your imagination. If you imagine something and it seams good then it’s ok.Here is why I share this.All of what I just read is not to say God will judge us for that. If you read the texts this is a sign that Judgement is happening.When people don’t believe or love the Truth but get to make up their own laws and rules it is a sign that:God’s Judgement has already started.We are living in this. It is defined by the rebellion against God,(check) By a falling away not a revival,(check) and total rejection of the Bible (check.) That truth doesn’t matter(check)If those are the signs that judgement has started is the then We need to learn, how do we live if we are living durning God’s judgement?Which leads me to our new series.It’s called “God, Gospel, Comfort and Freedom”Our study will be in the second half of the Book of Isaiah.Chapters 40-66.We learn the truth about about all of these and they are what is needed to help us know how to live in the last days.We need to know and understand God, Know and understand the gospel, see that God wants to give us comfort and freedom no matter what we go through.
Let me give you a little background on this section and what we will be learning and why this is so important.The first 39 chapters of Isaiah were written with God waring people that Judgement was going to come.Like all the prophets it was given to warn people that if they didn’t change, turn back to God then He would do what He said and bring an end to them and the nation. Judgement.It was almost a pleading to repent and follow Him but it came to nothing and so Isaiah said judgement will come.Sadly the majority of the nation wouldn’t listen.But then comes chapter 40.It no longer told them about Judgement coming but was to tell tell them how to live when the judgement came.It was for those that were following God, who listened to the warnings and and now telling them what to do.That is why this is important for us to learn.If we are living in the same situation, what should we do and how should we live?This is for the people that want to follow God in the last days.This isn’t to try and turn people around but how to follow.I think what will surprise you is to see the heart of God in these chapters.Because you don’t see God focusing on the people He is judging but on His people, those that want to follow and obey Him.He tells them how to live and what is important to know.Although this is written for the nation of Israel what is taught here is so much for us.So today’s take home will be to see God’s heart for us who want to follow Him.
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, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.
Let me give you the background.The people that God was speaking to here had been warned.Judgement is coming - and now it had started. No turning back.They were about to go through 160 years of a very tough time as God did what He said He would do in the first 39 chapters.I don’t think it is written to those that rejected God but to those that want to follow Him. Big Difference. A different message.Even they were not being judged They would have to live through 93 years of wickedness, of suffering, of famine, of political turmoil only to end in 70 long years of captivity.You think we have it tough.What God wanted to show them was His heart for them. It was comfort comfort not judge judge or punish punish.Punishment was coming to the others but you would have to live through it. He isn’t taking pleasure in what was going to happen but was calling out to those who wanted to follow Him and say,I want to comfort you, meaning I will be here to help you as you go through this. But it’s not because of you but it will affect you. It can’t be avoided but I will help you. So first comfort comfort. Yes there will be pain and turmoil but LEARN I want to help you and comfort you.Then He says, speak tenderly to my people.I think this is where we can get it wrong when it comes to the evil around us.We get so frustrated and discouraged about the evil that we fail to see God and His heart for us - His children.Sometimes we even get upset with Him for not helping and stopping all the problems. He wants us to know that all of this has to happen so that salvation could come. Without the judgment there would be no salvation.That’s why when we see the things we are seeing today in the world.We have to be careful that we don’t let all of that stop us from seeing God reaching out to comfort and help us through it.We want Him to stop it.He warns us that we need to expect it.The darkness will get darker, the rebellion and rejection of God isn’t going to ease off but it will get bolder.The blazoned lies that people will believe will get more bazaar.I think the pastor’s prayer about letting your imagination guide you has been answered.I mean come on. 10 years ago if people told you that the day was coming when body parts would not determine if you were a boy or girl, you would have laughed.You would have laughed and said that’s not possible.Yet it is.It is just a sign that judgement has started.There is no turning back. The wheels are set in motion.Just like they were in Isaiahs day.We need to learn how to live during these last days of the last days.So that we experience the comfort that God wants to give us.How do we live so that we are led by Him and not overwhelmed by the evil around us. SO THAT WE DON’T GET BITTER OR MAD AT GOD
What we must learn is”First of all we should recognize that the judgement from God has started. It took 93 years from start to finish for Isaiah.But it is here.According to Isaiah the important things to learnWe need to know God, how good and in control He is.We need to know the gospel - The good news of our salvationWe need to learn about how God wants to comfort us as we go through these tough times.He makes all the difference.And even though there is chaos or a mess all around us, we do not have to be slaves to it, miserable through it.There is a way through Him that we can have freedom no matter what is going on.