Get ready for God

Perhaps you know something of what it was like for the people of Judah in about 700BC. Isaiah wrote to a people who had suffered . They had experienced the trials of a godless government, of uncertainty about the future, of other countries attacking them.

They had known slavery, and drought, and disease.

They knew the ongoing despair of being a people who kept falling into sin and idolatry, being deserving recipients of God’s judgement.

Yet here, through the Prophet Isaiah, God speaks to comfort his people. He speaks kind and tender words:

Isaiah 40:1–2 ESV

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.

“Ah, there is an end in sight. Perhaps we will know peace and joy in our days?”

Really? Warfare ended? Our sins and iniquities done away with? Could it be?

You may remember what it was like a few years ago when we lived in expectation of a second range crossing. When there was talk and rumors of funding, when there was blame shifting for why it wasn’t happening, when there was nothing but hills and trees along the route.

In these days Israel is looking square down the barrel of the rising world super-powers set to dominate the region. The the northern tribes are already decimated. Jerusalem still stands, but the prophets have long predicted doom for Judah as well. And in the midst of that, God speaks these comforting words - “Jerusalem’s warfare is ended.”

There were promises made. There were routes proposed. There were land resumptions.

Comfort in the midst of uncertainty.

But there was no second range crossing.

We hoped and we waited in expectation that one day, maybe one day we might have the fabled Second Range Crossing.

Then of course, one day the money was made available, the contractor engaged and the construction started.

Our expectation became reality. And the rough terrain has now given way to a smooth highway. The grades are gentle. The speed is relatively high, and the way is easy.

Expectation has become reality. Anticipation has given way to it’s existence being normal. I’ve used it so many times now that it feels like it’s just the usual way to travel.

It’s easy to forget the days before the blessings, before our hopes and dreams were a reality. But when the way is opened up we rejoice for a time, before it becomes the new normal.

We wait eagerly for the new job, new house, new relationship, new movie, new child...

Our anticipation of

When the reality arrives, when the wait is over, the wait is usually forgotten.

Today, we have a passage that speaks of the wait, the anticipation, the expectation of God’s work. It reminds us of what it was like in the wait. Long years , decades, even centuries of waiting leave people wondering: will our expectations ever become reality?

We’re going to start way back in Isaiah and put ourselves in the shoes of the OT people of God. We’re going to see their expectations. We’re going to see three ways to set our own expectations.

Expect God’s Promises

God speaks to an oppressed and weary people, who have suffered.

But,

Soon enough war would come to them, Jerusalem will fall. They will be exiled. So how can Isaiah pronounce these gentle words?

It’s because he speaks of a future day, a day that was to come when the war would indeed be over, and when their sins can be pardoned. Isaiah announces a prophetic oracle that looks into the misty future and paints a picture of hope. These words let the suffering and downtrodden dare to dream of the day when the heavy hand of God’s judgement might be lifted.

What will that day look like? How will we know it’s coming? How can we prepare?

Isaiah’s prophecy gives the answer:

Isaiah 40:3–5 ESV

A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

When the days of God’s comfort arrive, there will be a voice, one crying out, a prophet, who will call out for preparations to be made for the coming of God. This voice will call people to make things ready for God’s glory to be revealed.

Smooth out the way, fill in the potholes, do the earthworks.

Remember what it was like before the Second range crossing was built? There was nothing but trees and hills. The terrain was rough, the slopes steep. Now though? The way is easy and smooth. They moved mountains to cut a highway through the bush. The high spots were excavated, the low spots filled. They prepared the way for us.

This voice calls out in the wilderness for such a highway to be made. In the dessert, in the wilderness where the way is hard and rough, this voice calls out!

Isaiah 40:3–4 ESV

For the wandering and oppressed people of God a way will be opened to God - for him to come to us, and for us to go to him.

In that day, Isaiah prophesies, God’s glory will be revealed to all! All peoples, both those who love God, and those who oppose him will see the revealed Glory of God!

The hidden nature of God will be shown to the world. The mystery will be revealed. The Curtain pulled back!

Isaiah 40:5 ESV

And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

This is the sure promise of God, it is his Word, and God always keeps his word.

When God makes promises, he keeps them. He did back then, and he does now. Our God is unchanging, from everlasting to everlasting he remains the same. He always delivers. He never fails. He never falters.

But his ways are not our ways! His ways our higher than our ways!

Brother, Do you believe this? Sister, Do you trust that God will come though? Or are you doubting? Do you think that God doesn't care about you because you suffer in this life? Are you borne down by the weight of your failures? Do you long for God to lift his heavy hand of affliction from you?

How long oh Lord will you fail to heed our cries for deliverance?

The way of this life is hard. The burdens are real. The suffering is great.

But God will come to comfort his people. He speaks gentle words of kindness to cheer our failing hearts.

He comes to give us hope, that this will not be our lot forever. He will not always chastise. He will deliver us.

This was the Message through Isaiah to Judah, and it is a message to God’s church. God will come. The hard ways will be smoothed. The tough going will become easy. God will come and show His Glory to the World.

But not yet. They will have to wait.

It was a long wait. A hard wait for Judah, through exile and oppression, through war and persecution, through destruction and death.

No one in Isaiah’s day would live to see this promise fulfilled. No one would experience the reality in their lifetime. Yet the promise stands, and it would be fulfilled. It was the hope of all those who go down to the grave that they would see God’s glory revealed.

They waited. Generation after Generation.

They hoped, they preyed, they despaired.

Would God really keep his promise?

Hasn’t he abandoned us?

Expectations Examined

Then, one day, there was voice, heard crying in the wilderness.

They hoped, they preyed, they despaired.

Would God really keep his promise?

Hasn’t he abandoned us?

Then, one day, there was voice, heard Crying in the wilderness.

He lifted up his voice and called out:

Matthew 3:2 ESV

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Mark 1:15 ESV

and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Mat 3:

This man was named John.

Living in the deserted areas, he preached. He called. He declared that people should prepare themselves for the coming of God.

God had waited long enough, and he sent his servant John to prepare his people. Get ready!

How are the people to get ready? Should they get their shovels and pick-axes and go to make a highway in the wilderness with smooth ashpalt, guide rails and gentle grades?

No!

The people are called to prepare their hearts. To turn from their sins, to put away their evil ways, and be cleansed, washed and ready for God’s coming.

He called people to undergo symbolic washing in the river, baptism, a bath to show their spiritual purity, ready for God’s kingdom to dawn.

The highway to be prepared is the hearts of the people.

Pharisees: Expecting the right person, wrong attitude.

The local religious big-wigs get wind of this: “What’s happening here? Are the promises of old being fulfilled?”

They send a delegation to find out.

John 1:19–21 ESV

And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”

The Jewish people were waiting for the anointed one, Messiah, the Christ? Is John the expected Messiah?

John 1:

No.

Is he the promised great Prophet that Moses promised would come ?

No.

Is he Elijah himself, returned from heaven? After all, Elijah never died, and folks were expecting that he might make a guest appearance at the end of time.

Nope, not Elijah (though he is a type, a pattern of Elijah).

They’re fed up, “you’re clearly some kind of special prophet. What’s your deal?” John sets the record straight:

Jn 1:22

John 1:22–23 ESV

So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

John owns up to being the the promised voice. The one crying out, calling people to prepare.

The religious guys still aren’t satisfied ."What right do you have to be calling people to undergo baptism?”

Prophet - promised by Moses

They’ve missed the point. If John’s the promised wilderness voice, then it is his job to get people ready. His baptisim with water is a prelude to greater things:

John 1:25–28 ESV

They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

John 1:25-

He’s prelude to God’s arrival. The prequel. The Introduction. The preface.

The symbolic spiritual cleansing is a sign of things to come!

John is a Gospel messenger, calling out for people to turn back to God. He turned up to let people know that the it was time for God’s promised to be fulfilled.

No longer do they need to wait. God is coming. His glory is about to be revealed!!

Elijah - the prophet who hadn’t died

No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground.

Messiah/Christ - anointed one

He comes to make his blessings flow, far as the curse is found!

He has come to take away the sin of the world, and he will come again. Prepare yourselves to receive him!

It’s easy to dismiss the herald. When someone brings good news to you, what’s your reaction? “i’ll believe it when I see it”. ”Prove it”. “It’s probably fake”. “Sounds too good to be true.”

We live in an age of skepticism. And in a time when scammers call us to try and steal from us. Where people online are trying to whip us up into a brainless fanaticism for the sake of the latest cause. Where “Nigerian princes” send us letters to bequeath us vast sums of money. We’re naturally on guard against the next swindle.

Same went for the Jew though. It seemed like every few weeks there was a new prophet or guy claiming to be the messiah. Some people were trying to herald the kingdom of God with a bloody war. Some thought they needed to pull away from the world and go hide on a mountain till God came back. Some thought they just needed to behave a bit better then God might return. Some thought , “God’s not coming back, just make the best of it and try and get along with our Roman overlords”.

In such a world, who do you trust? Who’s got it right? Who’s message do you listen to in this field of competing voices and scammers?

The best bet, in those circumstances, is to turn to God’s word. He is faithful and true, and his promises never fail. John came proclaiming the promises of God, calling people to turn back to Him with their whole heart and to be obedient to God.

In the cacophony of competing voices it’s always a good to listen when we are being called to obedience and faithfulness in the light of God’s promises. It will always take us forward. Even if someone’s theology isn’t quite sorted, even if they’re only a young Christian, even if they have made past mistakes, even if they’re saying it in an tactless way…*cough* Folou *cough*. If we hear voices calling us to turn to God and be obedient to him, then let’s humble ourselves to God! After all, it is God’s message that we’re heeding, not a human message!

Friends, John came repeating the call of Isaiah to prepare for the return of God, to make the way smooth. And preachers throughout history have called people to that same repentance and faith. Today, I echo that call to you once again:

Prepare for God’s coming! Repent from your sins, form all the wrong you have committed. Turn to God!

James 4:8 ESV

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Be ready to receive God because he’s coming.

But you will say, I’m not sinner! I pay my taxes. I love my family. I’m a decent bloke who help my mates. Sure, I’ve done some bad stuff in life, but I’ve never killed anyone, and as long as my habits aren’t hurting anyone I’m all good right?

Wrong. We all stand condemned if God were to come to us.His judgments aren’t measured against what we think of ourselves. He who knows all things can examine our whole lives and see the utter depravity of our hearts. He can see our failures to love, our willingness to get one up on our friends, he can see our hatred of others. He can see our ongoing failure to obey his pure commands

God will expose your wretched heart on the day when he comes to Judge the world. All will be laid bare. Your darkest secrets will be exposed to the light of God’s purity and he will crush all who oppose him.

You need to be cleansed. You need your sins washed away. You need to have your life turned around and to have your spiritual debts paid.

You’re living on borrowed time.

The patience of God is to lead you to repentance, but one day his patience will end, and your time will be up.

Will you be ready? Will you be ready for God’s glory to be revealed as one who will celebrate the manifestation of all our hopes and longings? Or will you cower in fear for the great a terrible wrath of God that is prepared for you?

Will you heed the call? Will you come into God’s kingdom with joy? Or will you run in terror of God’s coming kingdom? It’s one or the other. No middle ground. No fence sitting.

Expectations Fulfilled

Expect the Holy Spirit

The

John came as that voice, calling out to prepare people for God’s coming. He was to get them ready for the main event.

After so many years waiting, you might expect that the “main event” might be a bit further down the track, but no! one day after being questioned by the religious big-wigs, John sees the fulfillment of the promises arrive:

John 1:29–30 ESV

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’

John 1:29-

Here is the one whom John was waiting for. Here is the one who the people are prepared to receive! Here is the one who will take away their sins.

John

Jesus is the One who brings God to US. He is Emanuel.

He is the one who will tread the smooth road of our repentant hearts to bring God to us. He is the one who we need to prepare to receive.

John heralded the arrival of God, who has come to reveal His Glory. Jesus pulls back the curtain on God.

Jesus is the Glory of God revealed. He is the image and voice of God who walked the earth! He is the great prophet promised by Moses.

He is the Christ !The Messiah! The anointed one! He is anointed by the Spirit of God! look with me, John says:

John 1:33

John 1:33–34 ESV

I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

Jesus was anointed by the Spirit of God. He is Messiah.He is Christ.

He is the one who has come to end the warfare of the people. He is the one who comes to take away the sins of the people! He is the one who comes to reveal God’s Glory to all flesh.

He is the fulfillment of all the promises that God had long ago given to his people. Now, in front of their very eyes God was doing a marvelous work!

John came baptizing with water, but the symbolic washing pointed to something better, the washing of God’s spirit. Jesus was the one who would dispense God’s spirit and cleanse the people of God.

Jesus was the anointed one who would anoint us with his Spirit and lift all our burdens.

Friends, when we are called to repent, it is so that God may come into our hearts. Jesus is God incarnate, and when we put away our sins we prepare the way, removing the obstacles that keep us from God. When we turn to God for His cleansing he will take away our guilt and fill us with the Holy Spirit, sealing us for the day of Redemption!

What is Repentance?

John heralded the coming of God, Jesus Christ. Jesus came to fulfill Gods promises by dealing with the sin of his people. He came pronouncing a new and better covenant. He came to give us the Holy Spirit. He came to die for us. He came to open the New and Living Way to God through His own flesh.

He has secured for his people eternal life, but he’s not yet finished. The promises of God have not all been fulfilled yet. He came once to pardon our iniquity and to begin revealing the glory of the Lord, but he will come again soon!

First time he came humbly, gently to redeem His people, and when he comes again he comes to judge all the earth! He called his people to prepare themselves for his first coming, but we also must prepare ourselves for his second coming, ready to receive our Lord.

He has come to take away the sin of the world, and he will come again. Prepare yourselves to receive him!

HS: A seal of future promises

Isaiah 40:10–11 ESV

Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

What now?

God will not come to the rough heart. Are you creating barriers to receiving God? Have you thrown up walls against receiving God? Do you excuse yourself from God mercy saying “i’m too far gone”? “How can God love me?”

Do you feel the prickling of your conscience, knowing that you must turn to God and humble yourself but you quash that feeling, and thrust it aside? I don’t need no God-crutch. I don’t want your love. Go and give your pity to someone else.

pity someone else.

All you are doing is running from God. You’re trying to block God’s work.

WHo John IS.

It’s a good thing to fear God, but I’m here with the good news that if you make the way smooth, if you humble yourself and repent from your sins, Jesus will accept you. You don’t need to do any hail mary’s, you don’t need to atone for your wrongs, you don’t need to become an expert in theology, all you need to do is receive Jesus, God who come you you to redeem you, to save you, to lift your guilt and your sorrow.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

He will give you his holy Spirit, he will seal you, secure you for eternal life and preserve you so that when the warfare of this life is finally over, when Jesus Christ comes again, you will see the splendor and Wonder of God’s glory, safe in the comforts of Christ.

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