UMBC WED. NIGHT 07-22-20

Good evening. So good to be in the Lord's House. Are you being so good to see each one of you?

Love the music tonight.

You know when and I and I will say this, I trust that that everyday you are Desiring that closer walk with him. cuz I promise you this he ain't designed that of you and

you know, sometimes I think of a minister feels like a broken record and record maybe more broken than others, but that's okay. I know sometimes sometimes we sound like we say the same things and and and that's okay in it when the when the Lord led me to these scriptures. I kind of felt that way.

but after I get here tonight, and I listen to you I realized that that I he knows what he's doing and and that that we're going to find ourselves right where we need to be tonight. The stern is a book of Isaiah chapter 40.

You know David said something in the Book of Psalms.

I know I've preached on it before I'm sure brother Jimmy and brother Robert and Freestone it. I'm sure each one of you read it, but they haven't made a statement one time in the Book of Psalms when he said restore unto me the joy of thy salvation.

David what did you mean by that? Did you mean that that it that it didn't mean anything to you know anymore? That's not what he meant. Did you mean you didn't care about anymore now? That's that's not what he meant.

You and I are real people that live in a real world. That's always throwing real problems out of and and sometimes it gets real heavy. And in and we tend to as Peter did we tend to look at the storm instead of the one who was standing on the water amen end and so in the midst of Life's real problems? We need to remember. That we have a real God.

and

and and I love the way he moves and he works and I actually was knelt down by the bed and was praying and and I was just I was asking Lord for some help.

Need you. I need you Lord, and you know, I think sometimes maybe it's just the preacher. but I think sometimes we want him to when we call on him, maybe sometimes we want him to take that mountain and I mean cast it out of cider. Are we wanting to part the Red Sea of make a way of Escape forest. And now I'm going to be honest with you in the middle of my little broken pray. He did just what I asked him to do and you can say how I did it. He just reminded me. He loves me.

Vanessa m***

In the book of Isaiah 40th chapter. Let's read a little bit.

Now I'll sell you this in this portion of scripture where we're going to read tonight is Isaiah is is talking about the emptiness. The smallness the the disappointment of someone that gets caught up in idolatry versus a life spent serving the one true God and in and so we're going to read a little bit just really they're just really the work ourselves right up to to a truth that that I don't know in my spirit night. I feel like we need it. But we're going to begin reading. reverse number 18

I would love to act up to verse 12 and and even even actually the whole chapter, but we're going to start with Verse 18 and night.

God's word speaks through the old prophet Isaiah that says a man. He has to such a great question tonight to whom then will you liken God? That's a good question or what likeness will you compare on to him?

The workmen melt is a Graven image and the Goldsmith spreaded it over with gold and cast of silver chains. He that is so impoverished that he have no ablation chooses the tree that will not rot. He's sick of them to him or cunning Workman to prepare a Graven image. That's still not be moved. In in so he's talkin about. Going to these great extent to to Fashion these these statues these these altars these these these these these false God these false religions and then he gets down there and I love what he said. He said have you not known and have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the Earth? Alright, Isaiah. Tell us then. He says is he that sits upon the circle of Earth? And the inhabitants thereof or as grasshoppers. That stretches out the heavens as a curtain and spread of them out as a tent to dwell in that ring of the princes to nothing. He make up the judges of the earth as vanity. Yay. They shall not be planted. Yeah, they shall not be soon. Ye their stock shall not take root in the earth and he also And he shall also blow up on them and they shall Wither in the world wind still take them away as stubble. To whom then will you liken me or shall I be equal says the Holy One? Lift up your eyes on high and behold who has created these things that bring us out their host by number. He called up them all by name by the greatness of his mind for that. He is strong and Power Boss. Somebody say Amen on this not one favorite. Amen. Why say a style o Jacob and speakers or Israel? My way is healed from the Lord and my judgment is passed over from my God. Hast thou not known and hast thou not heard that the Everlasting God the Lord the creator of the ends of the Earth. Listen to this rain is not neither is he weary there is no searching of his understanding. Now don't close your bible. Let me say this note for a read on it further, you know when we get here and we read this I don't know about you but I was a sudden. I have a rekindled appreciation for the the the immenseness for the the the power for the the sovereignty of the god that I call my God and in and I love it Isaiah has reminded us that hey He Reigns on high and everything is under his footing and if you compare it to him with there's really no comparison what he says if you compare it to him, I mean it even though we're as Grasshoppers and he's being very generous and said that I need you to set up our fire ain't that that might have been better?

And and and he even goes on to talk about the emptiness of of the the manner in which men try to worship and serve other gods in in if we think back to the camp there that day while Moses was up on up on the mountain getting the the tablets getting the Commandments were down in the count. They ran out of patience didn't last long. They said surely something has happened to Moses. He's been gone way too long and they go to Aaron and they're like hated we got to do something. We need something to worship. We need something to focus on we need something that we can see something we can pay something we can feel and they brought in all the other ear rings in their jewelry. And and and I love the field that Aaron told when Moses got down there and and Moses seen them dancing around this.

golden calf

just a pile of metal. And Moses is like what are y'all doing, man? I just I just left somebody who's up there sitting on the circle of life. When what are you what are y'all doing? This this is not going to deliver y'all from anything. That's not going to strengthen you he's not going to provide for you. He's not going to deliver you from your enemies. He's not going to do nothing, but sit there and stare at you and let flies and does land on him and air is great filled with high. Hey look man. They wanted something all that done with through some earrings in the fire and a cat jumped out of there must have been a Tuesday when he came down off of the mount that day and and boy just really angered Moses and it should have

Because he left moments to go to the one true God.

And and he's seen how quickly they had lost their focus and had grabbed a hold of something that was more peeling to the eye.

Isaiah reminds us of The Emptiness of that and and and as he reminds us of just how empty that is, he reminds us that we have a God and I love what it said. It says who fails not Amen a God who sustained the God who provides a God who ordained by God who frames to heaven? But God who formed the Earth and if we back up in this chapter, we even found where it talks about how he's he's sculpting every area of of the planets in order of our planet here and in as you read that there's I don't know about you but there's just like I said earlier rekindled sense of reverence comes over me and and and and I am reminded and in the end. I'm renewed and refreshed in in my appreciation for the fact that I have a relationship with this one that sits high and exalted a menu tonight. Amen by who you belong to and it's always says all that and then we get down here and

And we're going to finish these few versus up, but I want to say this before I started reading tonight. I mentioned is this real world that we live in? These real problem that we that we face and and I honestly believe tonight is as I look in the in the congregation that I see a group of devout Christians. I believe that I've got I believe in you. I've got faith in you and I'm also aware of this true that there is not one of us. superhuman

We all have a pair of knees that sometimes gets. week We all have a set of shoulders some bigger than the others, but eventually no shoulders get tired of carrying a heavy load and end. Sometimes we grow faint. Sometimes we grow weary. Sometimes sometimes I almost just dumb or just going to say it. Maybe the only one dumb enough you're going to say it but sometimes the struggle takes a toll.

Let's see what the word says.

I've never red We're God went to someone.

And said, I'm so disappointed in you and your effort. I've never read where he said don't come to me. I gave you everything you needed wants don't come with me the David after David and Ben Up on the Rooftop and allow that thing to to manifest and he told David he said I've gave you everything you wanted and if there was anything else you wanted. Why didn't you just come ask me? I think I think sometimes. I said I think you do with this what you want to but I think sometimes it was in our sails we don't want to. Go to the Lord.

And bear are our innermost parts that he already knows about. and And just confessed, you know Lord. I I've had a rough time. I've grown weary. I've I've been

You know, it'll low spot. I think I think maybe we're worried about being a disappointment in his eyes. Maybe maybe we choose that route instead of just being honest. And and I'll say this old Lane Noble. I used to tell him all the time. Look at me shaking his head. He think before I can't wait to get away from here where he can't use me for a sermon even if he ain't here, but right don't you think God is the same way I think about think about Jesus when the when the dad brought his son to the disciples and they couldn't cast out that that that Spirit of convulsions seizures is what it was and that's where Jesus comes walking up and and we spoke it. Picture of work a miracle in his life and it didn't work. What what did we do wrong? And she said well, he said some things come only by prayer and fasting and then the dad runs up and he said Lord, I besought your disciples to heal him and what they could not you know, and then Jesus said this to him he said and he put the ball in his court. He said he said do you believe that I can do this? Now hear this daddy is with is the apple of his eye. and he said oh I believe

And in the scripture we read right on through it like it's happening like that. I would imagine the time Stood Still for that dad cuz then he got on it. and he said but Lord help my unbelief. What did he say? He said?