Banking Our Lives Upon the Rock that is Christ!

A voice says, cry.

And I said, what shall I cry?

All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.

The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows on it.

Surely the people are grass.

The grass withers, the flowers fade.

But the word of our God will stand forever.

Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news.

Lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news.

Lift it up, fear not.

Say to the cities of Judah, behold your God.

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.

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and marked off the heavens with a span,

enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighted the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?

Who has measured the spirit of the Lord, or what man shows him his counsel?

Whom did he consult, and who made him understand?

Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?

Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales.

Behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust.

Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering.

All the nations are as nothing before him.

They are accounted by him as less than nothing in emptiness.

To whom, then, will you liken God?

Or what likeness compare with him?

An idol, a craftsman, casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold, and casts for it silver chains.

He who is too impoverished for an offering chooses wood that will not rot.

He seeks out a skillful craftsman to set up an idol that will not move.

Do you not know?

Do 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 the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,

who stretches out like the heavens, like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in,

who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.

Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown.

Scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth.

When he blows on them, and they wither, and the temptus carries them off like stubble.

To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him, says the Holy One?

Lift up your eyes on high and see.

Who created these?

He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might,

and because he is strong in power, not one is missing.

Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel?

My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God.

Have you not known?

Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth.

He does not faint or grow weary.

His understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might, he increases strength.

Even youth shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted.

But they 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.

This is the word of God.

Great.

Thank you, Jeremy and Julie.

And good morning, Watermark family.

It is great to be with you, as it were.

Welcome to our third Sunday of Church Online.

I want you to know that we are recording this live as we speak, as you're watching it.

This isn't some pre-recorded production that we have neatly put together.

This is about as real and as raw as it gets,

as we as a church family are across the city gathering together,

primarily to worship our God and King.

In our homes, to lift our voices,

to raise our sights onto who God is,

to bring Him the worship that He is worth,

to adore His name,

and to hear Him speak to us from His word.

And so it's great to be with you,

and we're so glad that you have joined us this morning.

Before we do anything else, let's pray.

Let's come before our Father in prayer,

and ask Him to speak to us this morning.

I need it.

You need it.

We need it.

Let's come before our Father.

Lord Jesus Christ,

Sovereign God,

Majestic Father,

Holy Spirit,

God, we come before you this morning in such need of you.

God, as Dan reminded us,

God, our world is so full of angst and anxiety at the moment.

We are full of angst and anxiety.

God, the foundations have been shaken.

So many things,

so much uncertainty all around us.

God, we come before you this morning

because we are in such desperate need of you.

God, you are the rock upon which you can build our lives.

You are a sure and steady anchor for our souls.

Christ, this morning as we come to your word,

we pray, God, speak to us.

Take these words which are on the pages of Scripture

and write them on our hearts, God.

God, for those of us that are anxious and weary,

those of us that are exhausted

and are feeling faint,

Christ, won't you come and scoop us up, God?

Won't you carry us in wings like eagles?

Won't you bring us to your throne room, God,

and open the eyes of our heart to see you,

to behold you,

to gaze upon you?

God, we're in such desperate need of you today.

Come and minister to us, we pray, God.

Come and have your way.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

This last week,

as I have been thinking about this morning

and praying for it and preparing for it,

I really have carried this burden on my heart

for us as a church.

And I feel like God is wanting to do something in us

as a church community during this time.

In some senses, it's almost like a felt God saying,

don't waste the season that you're in.

What a pity it would be if,

as followers of Jesus,

we hunker down,

we do what we need to,

we get through this difficult season

that we as a city and as a world are facing,

get through the other side,

and then just carry on life as normal.

I feel like God is saying,

there's something I want to do in you

as individuals and as a church.

I want to shape you and your heart

for my mission in the city.

And so as we've been thinking and pondering about this,

one of the things that I feel like God wants to do with us

is to call us back to himself

and to call us to root and to anchor our lives

and our souls in who he is,

in the bigness and the majesty

and the sovereignty of our God.

And so in Matthew chapter seven,

Jesus tells this very famous parable.

He gets the end of a sermon on the mount

and he tells this parable where he says,

those that listen to my words,

follow me, love and trust me,

like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

And the rain fell and the storms came

and the wind blew and the floods increased,

but that house rooted on the rock of who I am

stood firm.

Conversely, those that trust or hope in other things,

like a foolish person,

built their house on the shifting sands.

And the rain falls and the storms come

and the winds blow and the floods rise

and that house comes crashing down.

Jesus unequivocally, unashamedly calls us

to bank our lives on him,

to root who we are in him,

to find our hope and our confidence in him.

Friends, it's not hard to see that

the time in which we're living,

not just with the virus around the world,

not just with the deep division

that we experienced last year as a city

and as a nation,

not only with the typhoon of economic uncertainty

that's coming our way,

but just with general uncertainty,

we're very aware that we are in the storm,

the storm that Jesus spoke about.

And so the question is,

how are we going to weather the storm?

Jesus makes this radical claim

and he calls us to bank our lives on him,

to build our lives on him,

to find our hope and our confidence,

to anchor our soul in who he is.

And he says that in doing that,

we get to weather the storms of life.

Now the question is this,

why do we find this so hard?

If you are a follower of Jesus this morning,

this won't be new to you.

Throughout the scriptures,

Jesus calls us to find our hope

and our confidence in him,

to anchor our lives to him.

But it's one thing to say that,

but to actually do it is so hard.

Why do we find it so hard?

I don't know if you've ever been hiking

or maybe walking along the beach

and you're walking amongst the rock pools of the beach

and you step on a rock

and as you step on it,

you think it's secure,

but as you stand on it,

it topples a little bit

and you suddenly realize,

oh my goodness,

it's not as secure as I thought it was.

In times like this,

times of uncertainty reveal to us

the certainty or the steadfastness

of the rocks upon which we are building

and banking our lives.

The life of the Christian

is really a life of growing

in certainty and confidence

that the rock of Jesus is rock solid

and we are able to carry,

he's able to carry the weight

of our lives and our hopes

and our expectations.

Jesus is a rock

that is not going to topple over

when we put the weight of our lives upon him.

But as we grow in our faith,

we grow in conviction

about who Jesus is.

And so this morning,

as we do that,

I want us to look at this passage

in Isaiah chapter 40.

Isaiah 40 · chapter mention

And it's an amazing passage

that helps us to see something

of who is this rock

that calls us

to put the weight of our lives

and our hope

and our expectation upon him.

And so let's examine this rock

and see why it is

that Christ calls us

to anchor our lives in him.

Now, the context of Isaiah 40

that Jeremy and Julie read to us earlier

is very similar to the context of Habakkuk

that we looked at last week.

The context is that Isaiah,

this prophet,

is speaking to the nation of Israel.

The Babylonians,

this hasty and ruthless nation

from the north,

are going to come down.

They are, in the years to follow,

going to attack Israel,

destroy Jerusalem,

bring down the temple.

And most of the Israelites

are going to be taken back to Babylon

as exiled slaves.

And so things aren't looking good.

Isaiah is warning Israel

about this situation.

But that doesn't mean

that God has abandoned his people

because God promises

this is only going to be the case

for two generations.

In 70 years' time,

I will bring you back to Israel

and I will restore my people.

And so while this promises

to be a difficult time,

a time of pruning,

a time of refining,

all of this is under the watchful care

of the sovereign God.

And so look at what God says here

in verse 27 of Isaiah chapter 40.

Isaiah 40 · chapter mention

He says,

Why do you say,

Oh, Jacob?

Why do you say,

Israel,

My way is hidden from God.

My rights are disregarded by my God.

Friends,

have you ever felt like that?

Have you ever felt like your way

is hidden from God?

That he's abandoned you?

He's forgotten about you?

That your life has fallen off

of his agenda?

Maybe God has fallen asleep?

God, where are you?

My way is hidden from you.

Can't you see what's going on here?

Have you disregarded me?

That's how Israel felt.

In light of the storm

that they're staring into,

God's people feel like

he's forgotten them.

He's abandoned them.

He's completely disregarded them.

But into this context,

God brings a word.

And it's an amazing word

of surety and confidence.

And so look at verse 9.

Look at what he says.

He says,

Go up on a high mountain,

O Zion,

O herald of good news,

lift up your voice with strength.

Jerusalem,

herald of good news,

lift it up.

Fear not.

So God gives them a message.

And he says,

Go on a high mountain

and declare this message

to the people of Israel.

I've got a word for them.

A gospel.

He calls it good news.

And what is this good news gospel

that he's going to bring them?

Is it,

Don't worry.

The stock market is bad now,

but it's all going to be fine.

I promise you,

you won't lose any money.

Is that God's good news message?

Is God's good news message,

Don't worry,

the Babylonians are only going to get,

only going to take out

the really bad guys.

But you guys,

your lives will be uninterrupted.

Don't worry.

Everything's going to be fine.

Or maybe the good news is,

What doesn't kill you

only makes you stronger.

Is that God's message?

No, friends.

That's not the good news.

Look at what he says.

He says,

O herald of good news,

lift up your voice with strength.

Say to the cities of Judah,

say to the people of God,

Behold your God.

You see,

when Isaiah comes with

a good news message,

it's not a message of health,

wealth,

and prosperity.

It's not a message

of comfort and ease.

Don't worry.

Everything's just going to be fine.

He calls the people of Israel

to lift their sights

and to take note.

Behold means to look,

to see.

Look at who your God is.

See who it is

that's in the heavens.

Behold your God.

He's not a puppy dog God.

He's not a genie

that you rub the lamp

and he gives you three wishes

and makes sure

your life's all fine.

He's not a God

that is a servant

that's trailing behind you,

picking up all the pieces,

making sure that

your life is neatly manicured.

No, friends.

Behold your God.

And what about this God?

Look at verse 10.

He says,

Behold,

the Lord God

comes with might.

His right arm

rules for him.

His reward is with him

and his recompense

goes before him.

It's a picture

of a military king

that's just been

on a campaign

and he's won.

He's defeated his enemy

and now

his spoils of war

are trailing behind him.

The defeated enemies

are in procession

going before him.

He comes with his reward

with his spoils of war.

He is a victorious,

mighty king

and nobody

can defeat him.

Behold your God.

And in the rest

of this passage

in Isaiah,

Isaiah is going to employ

imagery after imagery

after imagery

showing us

the bigness

and the majesty

and the incomparableness

and the unrivaledness

and the sovereignty

of who this God is.

The word sovereign

means that God

is totally

in control.

There is nothing

in all creation,

in all of life,

in all of the history

of the world

which is outside of

or beyond

his control.

There's nothing

about which God

looks

or thinks about something

and wishes

that things could be different

but he doesn't know

how to bring that about

or how to change things.

God

is sovereign

and in this passage

he invites us

to consider

who he is

and he compares himself

to ourselves

and the things

that we hope

and trust in.

Look at what he says

in verse 13

and 14.

He invites us

to consider his wisdom.

Look at verse 13.

He says,

Who has measured

the spirit of the Lord?

Some translations say,

Who has directed

the mind of God?

Who has told God

or given him advice

about how he should

go about things?

What man shows him

his counsel?

Who did God consult?

Who made him

understand things?

Who taught God

the path of justice,

what's right and wrong

with the world?

Who taught him knowledge

or showed him

the way of understanding?

In other words,

has God ever needed

advice or counsel

on how to handle things?

Has there ever been

anything in which

God needed somebody

to show him

how to go about it

or how to do things?

No, friends.

This God is sovereign.

There is nothing

about which he is confused.

There is nothing

which catches God

off guard

which he didn't see coming.

Furthermore,

there is nothing

with which God

needs our help

or our assistance

because it's beyond him.

And what about

the nations?

What about

other nations

that disregard God

and are bent

on destroying

the gospel,

wiping out

Christians

and destroying

God's people?

What about

those mighty

superpowers,

the nations

in the world

that have no regard

for God

and want to trample

him and his people

and are bent

on destroying

the work of God

and the nations?

What about them?

Look at verse 15.

He says,

Behold,

the nations

are like a drop

from a bucket.

They are accounted

as the dust

on the scales.

The imagery here

is,

imagine you go

to the wet market

and you want to buy

some fruit

and some vegetables

and so the fruit seller

gives you a basket

and you pile up

the basket

with your vegetables

or your fruit

and you give it back

to them

and he puts it

on the scale

to weigh

how much

the vegetables are

so that he knows

how much to charge you,

how much you must pay.

Now imagine you've got

a big basket

of oranges there

and as he's weighing it,

you say,

Hang on,

hang on.

You haven't cleaned

the basket.

There's still some,

there's some specks

of dust in there.

You're trying to rip me off.

You're trying to make it heavier

so that I will pay

more money

so that you can get

more money.

No,

you must clean

the dust

off the basket.

I don't want to pay extra.

Nobody does that.

Why?

Because specks of dust

are so insignificant,

they're so inconsequential,

they're not going to

make any difference.

If there's one speck of dust

or two specks of dust

or five specks of dust,

that's not going to

change the weight.

It's not going to change

how much you pay.

It's utterly meaningless

in the consequence,

in the grand scheme

of what's happening.

Friends,

look at what God

is saying here.

He's saying,

all the military

and political strength

and the might

and the determination

of the nations,

at the end of the day,

they are like dust

on the scales.

They are utterly

inconsequential.

They have zero significance

as to whether God

is going to accomplish

his plans or not.

All the nations

are as nothing before him.

Their power

is accounted by him

as less than nothingness

and emptiness.

This God is sovereign.

Look at what he says.

What about other gods?

Things that we are tempted

to hope and trust in.

Sometimes you might think,

okay,

I'll worship and trust Jesus,

but I'll also have a plan B

in case God doesn't

come through for me.

Maybe I'll worship

and trust Jesus,

but I'll also pray

to my ancestors

because I don't want to

bother the spirits.

I've got to keep them happy.

Maybe I'll trust Jesus,

but I'll also burn

some jostics at the temple

just in case.

I'll trust Jesus,

but I'll also just keep

this other thing

on standby in my life.

Look what God says

about those other things

that we're tempted

to trust in.

Verse 18.

To whom then

will you liken me?

What likeness

compares with him?

An idol?

A temple?

A jostic?

Oh, an idol,

a craftsman casts it.

A goldsmith overlays it

with gold

and he casts

for its silver chains.

If someone is too impoverished

for gold,

he chooses special wood,

wood that won't rot.

Then he goes and seeks out

a skillful craftsman

and he sets up the idol

and he makes sure

that it will not fall over,

will not topple down.

God is pointing out

the irony here

that we look to these gods,

these man-made gods,

but then we've got to watch them

very carefully

to make sure

that they don't fall over.

If the craftsman

doesn't make it well,

maybe in the wind

it'll fall over,

it'll topple down.

And so we've got to watch it

and keep a steady eye on it

to make sure

that the god

that we trust in

doesn't fall over.

Friends,

maybe we don't

go and burn incidents

at the temple,

but what are the things

we hope and trust in?

What are those other plan Bs,

those other gods

in our life

that we think,

I just got to keep

that on standby?

Friends,

are we not the same?

Do we need to watch them,

keep a steady eye on them,

carefully manage them

and analyze them,

stay up late

to find out

how they're doing

in the US

or wake up early?

Are these things

that we hope and trust in

not man-made gods

that are just as fallible

as the gold

and the silver

of ancient days?

And yet,

contrast that to Yahweh,

the sovereign God,

who is the maker

of heaven and earth.

Look at verse 21.

He says,

Do you not know?

Do you not hear?

Has it been told you

from the beginning?

Have you not understood

from the foundation

of the earth?

It is he

who sits above

the circle of the earth

and its inhabitants

are like grasshoppers.

He says in verse 26,

Lift up your eyes

on high and see.

He's asking them

to look at the stars

in the night sky.

The Babylonian culture

used to worship the stars.

They were an integral part

of their mythology

and their worship

and they would ascribe

to the stars

divine status.

And God says,

Lift up your eyes

in the heavens

and see these stars.

Who created all these?

Who brings out

their host by number?

Who calls them by name?

And by the greatness

of His might

because He is strong,

not one is missing.

Friends,

in contrast to the gods

and the idols

that we're tempted

to hope and trust in,

the sovereign God

doesn't need our assistance

to manage and make sure

that He's still on the throne

and He doesn't topple over.

Rather,

it is He

who is holding

the universe together.

It's He

who's holding

the cosmos together.

The stars

and the galaxies

are held together

by Him.

Friends,

do you not see

what He's saying here?

In times like these,

we may feel like,

God,

I've got to keep

my life together

and God is inviting us

to see He's the one

who's holding

our lives

in His hands.

Look at

verse 23 here.

He talks about

rulers and nations.

He says,

this God brings

princes,

kings and premiers

and presidents

to nothing.

He makes the rulers

of the earth

as emptiness.

There's this amazing passage

in the book of Daniel,

Daniel 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5.

Daniel was a young man

and he was taken

to Babylon

as part of

one of the exiled slaves.

And so,

Babylon attacks Jerusalem,

they take all these

young men,

or they take everyone

as slaves,

but they take a bunch

of the young men

and enroll them

in the palace

of Babylon

to teach them

Babylonian mythology

and ways

and to try and get them

to adopt the culture.

And so,

Daniel is one of these

young men

that is in the palace.

And he lives

in the palace

70 years.

And Nebuchadnezzar

is the king

that brought Israel

to Babylon.

And Daniel

is having a conversation

with Nebuchadnezzar's son,

a king called Belshazzar.

And he says to Belshazzar,

he says,

O king,

the most high God

gave your father,

Nebuchadnezzar,

kingship and greatness,

glory and majesty.

And because of the greatness

that he gave him,

all peoples,

all nations

and languages

trembled and feared

before your father.

Whomever he would,

he killed.

Whomever he would,

he kept alive.

Whom he would,

he raised up.

And whom he would,

he humbled.

So Daniel's saying,

Belshazzar,

don't you realize

your father,

Nebuchadnezzar,

was sovereign

over the known world.

He was the king

of the superpower.

Whatever he said

went.

If he wanted somebody

dead,

they were dead.

If he wanted somebody

alive,

they were kept alive.

There was nothing

that your father

wanted

that didn't happen

in all of the known world

throughout the

Babylonian empire.

talk about supreme

authority.

But then look at

the next line.

He says,

but when his heart

was lifted up

and his spirit

was hardened

that he dealt

proudly,

he was brought down

from his kingly throne.

His glory was

taken from him

until he knew

that the one

true God,

the most high God,

rules the kingdom

of mankind

and sets over it

whom he will.

That happened

to Nebuchadnezzar.

At one stage,

he stands

on the balcony

of his palace

and he looks

over his kingdom

and he says

to himself,

ah,

my great kingdom

that I have made

by the greatness

of my hand.

And God says,

Nebuchadnezzar,

I'm going to humble you.

And he drives him

from the throne.

Nebuchadnezzar

is taken off the throne

and he goes

and he wanders

for seven years

until he acknowledges

that God is God

and that he is not.

And God restores him

to the throne

of Babylon.

And Daniel's saying

here to Belshazzar,

he's saying

even the most powerful,

most important monarch

on the planet,

even his life

is still subject

to the sovereign God.

I am God,

there is no other.

I am God,

there is none

like me.

And friends,

this passage,

Isaiah 40,

we've just skimmed over it.

I mean,

we really should have done this

in four or five weeks.

But the Bible

is full of these passages

exclaiming

that the God

that we worship,

the God of Abraham,

Isaac,

and Jacob,

Yahweh,

is the sovereign God

over all the world.

There is no one

and nothing like him.

He is in control

of everything

and everyone.

And the Bible

is full of this.

Isaiah 46

says this,

I am God,

there is no other.

I am God,

there is none like me.

I declare

the end

from the beginning

and from ancient times

things that have not

yet been done.

In other words,

God is saying,

I know what's going

to happen next year.

I know what's going

to happen in Hong Kong

in three years time,

in 30 years time,

in 300 million years time.

I know it all.

And friends,

sometimes we can think,

yes,

God knows everything.

He foreknows things.

But that doesn't mean

he's in control

of everything.

Well,

look at what he says here.

I declare the end

from the beginning,

from ancient times

things not yet done,

because

my counsel

will stand,

I will accomplish

what I have purposed.

Friends,

God foreknows everything

because he is sovereign

over everything.

And again and again

and again,

the scriptures proclaim,

this is the God

that we come to.

Behold your God,

the sovereign,

majestic one.

Friends,

this is the God

we read about

in the scriptures

and we've sung about

this morning.

This is the God

we pray to

and we worship

and that we put

our hope in.

And whose glory

we live for.

God is not

slightly better

or stronger

than the other gods

around us.

He's not a slightly

better or stronger

version of the other

things we tempt

to hope and trust in.

He is the uncreated one.

He is the incomparable one.

He is the rock of ages.

There's never been a time

when he did not exist

or he was not sovereign.

He is the sovereign

God of all.

And therefore,

friends,

we can bank

our lives on him.

We can put the full weight

of our hope

and our trust

and our lives on him.

He is a steady rock

upon which we can stand

because he will not

topple over or fall

when our weight

is placed upon him.

He is the rock of ages.

Joel Spurgeon

said this quote.

He said,

I've learned to kiss,

to love,

the waves that drive me

back onto the rock of ages.

I'm so grateful

for these times,

these storms of life,

says Spurgeon,

because they remind me

once again

what is the one true rock

upon which I can build

and bank my life.

Now,

as we come towards the end,

I want to just tackle

one or two things.

This truth about God's

supreme sovereignty

is an anchor for the soul.

But if we're honest,

it also raises

some difficult questions

because if God is sovereign

over everything,

why does he allow

hardship to happen?

Why is there so much

wickedness and brokenness

in our world?

What about disease

and cancer

and death

and famine

and war?

Why does God

allow these things

to happen?

Those are big questions.

The Bible

doesn't give us

a simple,

neatly packaged answer

with a ribbon

and a bow tied on it.

There's no Bible verse

that in one sentence

says,

here you go,

here's the answer.

In fact,

if we're honest,

it's one of the difficult

things in the Bible

that the Bible

leaves it,

it's a bit of a mystery.

And God says,

I'm asking you to trust me.

And so friends,

it's a big question

and we don't have

simplistic,

neatly packaged

answers for it.

The Bible does say

a lot about it.

It does,

God gives us

the resources

to lament.

He does give us

a vision for the future

of an eternity

where there'll be

no more pain,

no more wickedness,

no more sickness,

no more anxiety,

no more anxiousness,

no more angst

in our heart,

no more saying goodbye

to loved ones,

no more tears.

C.S. Lewis said

that this life

and this world

is like the contents page

of a great novel

and the story

hasn't even yet started.

It's about to start

one day in eternity.

But why eternity

takes so long?

Why are we not there yet?

Why God doesn't

click his fingers?

God doesn't tell us

the exact answer

for why he's doing

exactly what he's doing.

But he calls us

and he says,

in the midst

of the storms of life,

you can trust me.

But here's another thing

that God says.

While we don't know

why exactly

he allows these things

to happen,

we do know

or we can be certain

of one of the reasons

why it's not the case.

We know that it's not

because he doesn't care.

Throughout the scripture,

if there's one thing

God tells us again and again,

it's that he is sovereign

and Lord,

but it is a father

who cares for his people.

And so,

look at how Isaiah 40 ends.

Look at verse 27 with me.

He says here in verse 27,

Why do you say,

O Jacob,

and speak,

O Israel?

My way is hidden

from the Lord.

My right is disregarded

by God.

We spoke about that earlier.

Have you not known?

Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the creator

of the ends of the earth.

He does not faint.

He does not get weary.

Dan read that scripture

to us earlier,

Psalm 121,

about the Lord

never sleeps.

He never slumbers.

He never gets tired.

He never needs

to take a rest.

He's never put

his phone on silent.

He never says,

I just need some time

to myself.

I can't help you.

He never grows faint

or weary.

He's never exhausted

about what's going on

in the world.

His understanding

is unsearchable.

But,

oh,

don't you know,

he gives power

to the faint.

To those that have

no might,

he increases their strength.

Friends,

do you feel like that today?

You feel faint.

You feel tired.

You feel worn out

about what's going on

in our world.

He promises to come

alongside us

and to strengthen us,

to give might

to those that feel weak.

Even youths

shall faint

and be weary.

Even young men

fall down exhausted.

Those who look like

they've got it all together,

those who look strong

on the outside

and they'll persevere,

even they get

to the end of themselves.

Even they eventually

don't have what it takes.

But God,

the sovereign God,

never tires.

He never gets worn out.

Those who wait

for the Lord

will renew

their strength.

They'll mount up

on wings like eagles.

They'll run

and not be weary.

They'll walk

and they'll not grow faint.

It's a picture

of someone

who is on a long journey

and they start off

confident and strong.

They're going to get

to the other side.

They've got this thing.

But by the end,

they're exhausted

and they're weary

and they can't take

one more step.

They're absolutely finished.

Friends,

how many of us

feel like that?

After nine months

of difficulty

in our city

and who knows

when it's going to end,

feel exhausted.

And God comes

and He swoops up

underneath and He says,

I'll carry you.

I'll get you

to the end.

You don't have

to rely on yourself.

You don't have

to look to yourself.

Look to me.

I'm the sovereign God.

I'll carry you

to the end.

Charles Spurgeon said,

He who counts

the stars

and calls them

each by name

is in no danger

of forgetting

his own children.

Friends,

this majestic

sovereign God

is in no danger

of forgetting

your needs

and where you're at,

of being unaware

of your challenges

and your fears

and your anxieties.

He's the sovereign God

who cares

for His children.

Friends,

this rock of ages,

this is Christ,

the solid rock

upon which we stand.

Yes,

He is rock solid

and He's trustworthy.

But don't you see

He's also tender.

Yes,

He's a warrior king.

He's vanquishing

His enemies.

But He's also a shepherd

that gently cares

for His people.

And so let's finally

look back at verse 9.

We read this earlier.

It says,

O Zion,

herald of good news,

lift up your voice

with strength.

Say to the cities of Judah,

behold your God.

Your God comes with might.

His arm rules for Him.

But then look at verse 11,

the next verse.

He says,

He will tend His flock

like a shepherd.

He will gather the lambs,

the young ones,

in His arms.

He will carry them

in His bosom.

He will gently lead those

that are with young.

Friends,

the sovereign God

who is sovereignly

in control

of the whole world

is the same God

who in His sovereignty

will take care

of your soul

in the midst of challenges

and the midst of difficulties.

Verse 10 speaks about

this warrior king

who defeats his enemies,

who has the spoils of war

trailing behind him.

There's no one and nothing

that's too powerful for him,

that's too strong for him,

that causes him anxiety

or uncertainty.

There's nothing over which

he does not have control,

but this majestic warrior king

is also a shepherd.

And He lifts up those

that are weak.

And He comes alongside

those that are weary.

And those that are exhausted

have come to the end

of themselves.

He swoops them up

and He picks them up

and He carries them home.

Friends,

this great and glorious God,

this anchor for our soul

is also gracious and tender.

He's compassionate

and kind

and caring.

He knows the fears

of our hearts.

He knows what bothers us.

And He comes alongside

and He says,

I'm with you.

In the Gospels,

Jesus picks up

on Isaiah chapter 40

Isaiah 40 · chapter mention

when He describes Himself.

And He describes Himself

as the sovereign God.

He says,

I've come

and there's nobody

that can control my life.

I have utter control

of my life,

even over life

and death.

He says to His disciples,

I'm going to die.

But it's not because

Pontius Pilate

is taking my life.

It's not because

the Jewish people,

the scribes and the Pharisees

are jealous of me.

It's not because

the Romans are tired of me.

I have authority

to lay it down.

No one takes it from me.

I lay it down

of my own accord,

He says.

I have authority

to lay down my life

and I have authority

to take it up again.

I will die,

says Jesus,

on the day

that has been determined

by me and my Father

and I will raise

on the day

that my Father

and I have determined.

We are utterly sovereign

over life,

over death,

over everything.

Nobody takes it from us.

It's in my hands.

But then He also says,

I'm a gentle shepherd.

And so in verse 11

of John chapter 10,

John 10 · chapter mention

He says,

why is He going to die

on the cross?

Why is His life going to be,

why is He going to lay

His life down?

Because I'm a good shepherd.

The good shepherd

lays down His life

for His sheep.

I am the good shepherd,

says Jesus.

I know my own

and my own know me.

Just as the Father knows me

and I know the Father

and I lay down my life

for my sheep.

Friends,

Jesus,

the sovereign God,

sovereignly went

to the cross

and chose

to give us grace.

Jesus went

and died on the cross

because He knew

this was the way

for Him and His Father

to rescue and redeem

a broken world.

A world full of anxiety

and anxiousness.

A world full of fear

and brokenness.

A world full of sinners

like you and I

because He loved us

and He's calling us

to Himself.

Friends,

why does God

allow these things

to happen?

We don't know exactly

but one thing we do know

it's not because

He doesn't care.

It's not because

He doesn't care.

The cross of Christ

proves it.

Jesus loves us enough

to go and lay down

His life on the cross

to be nailed there

and to die for us.

And this majestic tender God

promises to carry us home.

Friends,

this morning God

is calling us,

each one of us,

to build and bank our lives

on Christ the solid rock.

Christ the solid rock.

And why should we trust Him?

Why should we do it?

Well,

because He's the sovereign God

of all.

He's Lord of all creation

but also because

He's a tender shepherd,

a Father that loves

His children.

We can trust Him.

Let's come to Him

in prayer.

Let's pray.

Oh,

great and glorious God.

Father,

we confess that

so often we read

Your Word,

we read scriptures

like this

and we just gloss

over them.

God,

we don't often

give thought

or time,

consideration

to Your majesty

and Your sovereignty.

Father,

forgive us.

Father,

forgive us

for the times

when we want

to control our lives.

We've trusted ourselves

more than You.

God,

forgive us

for the times

we've trusted our idols,

our man-made gods

rather than You.

God,

forgive us

for the times

when we've trusted

our own wisdom

more than You.

God,

this morning,

forgive us

but don't just forgive us.

God,

pour faith into our hearts.

Oh,

Jesus,

I pray,

God,

pour faith

into our hearts

that we will be those

that see the bigness

and the majesty

and the sovereignty

of our God.

God,

show us what that means,

I pray.

Lord,

I pray that these

won't just be words

that are in a theology textbook

or words that are

in our Bible

but these are words

that are written

deep in our hearts

that God,

our hearts

will sink their anchors

deep into the rock of ages.

God,

open our eyes

to behold our God.

Open our eyes,

God,

to see You

for who You are.

God,

help us to see

that You're not

just a puppy dog,

God.

You're not just

a genie

that wants to

give us three wishes

to make our lives

slightly more comfortable

and convenient.

You are the sovereign God.

There is no other like You.

Oh,

God,

we pray,

give us faith.

Open our eyes

to see that,

God.

God,

help us to pray.

O Lord,

we need You.

God,

we need You.

God,

this morning

we confess

that

we are full of fears

and anxieties,

full of worries.

God,

we bring those fears

to Your feet.

We bring them

to the foot of the cross.

God,

Watermark Church

does not need

me

or the other elders

or the other pastors.

God,

no pastor

is going to get us

through

the challenges

we face.

We need You,

God.

God,

God,

God,

God,

God,

Christ,

I pray

once You do

something profound

in us

as a church,

God,

take our hearts

and drive

our anchor

deep into You.

God,

change us,

shape us,

mold us,

call us

to You,

we pray.

God,

come and have Your way.

Christ,

thank You

that You are

a cornerstone.

You're not just

a stone

in a building.

You are

the cornerstone,

the rock of ages.

You're the sure

foundation.

You're a sure

and steady anchor

for us all.

God,

we look to You.

We look to You,

God.

Holy Spirit,

as we sing

these next two songs,

we ask You

to come and minister

to our hearts

and souls,

God.

God,

won't You

still the

voices in our head,

still the anxiety

in our minds

and our hearts,

God?

Won't You

quieten the fears,

God?

Holy Spirit,

come and minister

profoundly,

we pray.

Come and have Your way.