Isaiah Ch40v1-11

for complicated words.

Isaiah 40, 1-11.

Would somebody like to come and read that for us?

Thank you, Louise.

Isaiah 40, 1-11.

Thanks very much.

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and proclaim to her

that her hard service has been completed,

that her sin has been paid for,

that she has received from the Lord's hand

double for all her sins.

A voice of one calling in the wilderness,

prepare the way for the Lord.

Make straight in the desert

a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be raised up,

every mountain and hill made low.

The rough ground shall become level.

The rugged place is a plain.

And the glory of the Lord will be revealed.

And all people will see it together,

for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

A voice says, cry out.

And I said, what shall I cry?

All the people are like grass.

And all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.

The grass withers and the flowers fall.

Because the breath of the Lord blows on them.

Surely the people are grass.

The grass withers and the flowers fall.

But the word of our God endures forever.

You who bring good news to Zion,

go up on a high mountain.

You who bring good news to Jerusalem,

lift up your voice with a shout.

Lift it up.

Do not be afraid.

Say to the towns of Judah,

here is your God.

See the sovereign Lord comes with power.

And he rules with a mighty arm.

See his reward is with him.

And his recompense accompanies him.

He tends his flock like a shepherd.

He gathers the lambs in his arms.

And he carries them close to his heart.

He gently leads those that have young.

Thanks so much, Louise.

Please keep your Bibles open there.

As we turn a corner from Christmas time

and think ahead,

we're going to be looking at Isaiah 40.

It's perhaps a well-known chapter to some of you.

And we're going to be looking at it over the next three Sundays

as we think about the new year and what's ahead.

So I'm going to be speaking on verses 1 to 11.

And then Sam next week is going to be speaking in the middle section.

And then I'm going to finish off at the end,

the week after that.

So that's where we're going.

Let's pray.

Father, thank you for your word.

Thank you that it speaks into our lives

and into our circumstances.

And thank you that we can trust

that your word is true

and that your word will do its work

as you have promised.

So we pray that as we look at Isaiah 40 together

over these next few weeks,

you would speak its truth

deep into our lives

so that we may be prepared and ready

for all that you may bring to us

in our life in this coming year.

And it's for our good and for your glory that we pray this.

Amen.

Well, in a few days' time,

it will be the start of a new year.

We're going to leave 2024 behind

and we're going to march out into 2025.

And of course, when it comes to a new year,

if you're anything like me,

we always set out with great hope

that the new year is going to bring better days.

We're going to turn a corner

and things are going to be different.

We think that, yes, a year of less struggles,

a year of better health,

a year of new opportunities.

Well, as we look at our text in Isaiah 40,

God's people were looking into the future

and their hopes, I'm sure,

were for better days.

But it seems they're in for a rude awakening.

Isaiah, God's prophet,

is looking ahead to an event

off in the future

and he's telling the people

that troubles lie ahead.

Look back in Isaiah 39 and verse 5.

This is what he speaks to the nation

through the king.

Isaiah 39 verse 5.

Isaiah 39:5

Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah the king,

Hear the word of the Lord Almighty.

The time will surely come

when everything in your palace

and all that your predecessors

have stored up until this day

will be carried off to Babylon.

Nothing will be left,

says the Lord.

And some of your descendants,

your own flesh and blood,

who will be born to you

will also be taken away

and they will become eunuchs or servants

in the palace of the king of Babylon.

Babylon was the up-and-coming superpower

of the time.

And he's saying,

they're going to come

and they're going to destroy your city

and they're going to take you

from your homes

and you're going to live

in a foreign land.

Troubles lie ahead.

And it's with these troubles in mind

that God now speaks

through Isaiah chapter 40 verse 1.

Isaiah 40:1

Comfort, comfort,

comfort, my people,

says your God.

God will sustain you

and help you.

He will strengthen you

and he will keep you.

He will be your comfort

in all of your troubles.

You see, as we step out into 2025,

we're going to go through

all kinds of trials and struggles.

For you it'll be different.

For another it'll be something else.

Yes, there will be good times,

joyful times,

but mingled in between

the normal run of the day

will be days of trouble.

It's the world we live in.

We cannot escape it.

And yet God's message

remains the same.

I will comfort you.

How is this comfort going to come?

Well,

if I can get my notes sorted out,

I'll tell you.

God promises to bring his comfort

to his people

through his word.

God's word of comfort.

In verses 1 to 11,

we hear four voices,

each speaking a word of comfort.

So look at verse 2.

The word is,

speak tenderly to Jerusalem.

Verse 3, another voice,

a voice of one calling

in the wilderness.

And verse 6,

a voice says,

cry out.

And then down at verse 9,

you who bring good news.

So there's four words,

four voices of comfort

that will help us see

that as we face into troubles,

whatever they may be,

we will not do it alone

because God will be your comfort.

He will be your steadfast helper.

He will be your faithful father.

Listen to his word.

And I promise each and every one of you

that you will know the comfort of God.

So let's listen to each of these voices

and see the comfort

that God has in store for us.

The first one may catch us off our guard

and surprise us.

The first is the comfort

of sins forgiven.

Look at verse 2.

Speak tenderly to Jerusalem

and proclaim to her

that her hard service

has been completed,

that her sin has been paid for.

Isaiah is looking into the future

and he knows that God's people

will sin,

that they will disobey God.

But he wants them to know

that when they sin,

there's going to be forgiveness.

Verse 2, end of verse 2.

Her sin has been paid for.

Now you and I need to know this.

Because as we enter into this new year,

we'll make all kinds of promises

of being better and doing better,

that this is the time

I'm going to turn over a leaf,

I'm going to be a better husband,

going to be a better father,

I'm just going to be a better person.

I'm not going to mess up

the way I normally do.

But yes,

we will fail

and we will fall.

We will sin in thought,

word and deed.

And because of our selfish actions,

we will get ourselves

into all kinds of trouble.

It's not that we set out to sin,

but we will sin.

And when we do,

we need to know

that we have a God

who will forgive you

and that

will comfort you.

Now for some of us,

we will find that we will sin

in ways that we never thought possible.

We will be horrified

at our own actions.

Things that we pointed the finger

at others of doing

and condemned others

and sat in our holier-than-thou look

and go,

I would never do that.

And guess what?

We find ourselves doing

those same things.

And it can leave us in despair,

overcome

with a burden of guilt and shame

and think,

God could never forgive me.

How could I fall so low?

But know this,

look at the end of verse 2,

that she has received

from the Lord's hand

double for all her sins.

I don't think that this means here

that they've received

a double punishment

for all their wrongs.

Rather, it speaks of double grace.

In other words,

God is saying,

for all your sin,

I have paid double.

I have covered it twice.

You see,

what has been promised then

has become a reality

even for us today.

Just have a look at Isaiah 53

because this is what he speaks of

a little later on.

Isaiah 53, verse 5.

Isaiah 53:5

Here he is looking ahead

and speaking of the Saviour to come,

the Lord Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 53, verse 5.

Isaiah 53:5

Hear this word of comfort.

He was pierced

from my transgressions.

He was crushed

from my iniquities.

The punishment that brought us peace

was on him

and by his wounds

we are healed.

Let's go back to chapter 40.

You see,

this is the word

we need to hear.

What peace

as we step into

2020,

2025,

that as we look out

into the future,

that whatever may happen,

God has provided

the means

for the forgiveness

of all

of our sin.

hear God's word,

the comfort

of sins forgiven.

But there's more comfort.

There's the comfort

of coming glory.

Look at verse 3.

A voice of one calling.

What does this voice say?

In the wilderness,

prepare the way

for the Lord.

Make straight in the desert

a highway

for our God.

He's reminding the people

that the Lord

is coming.

And of course,

that has been

partially fulfilled.

God has already

come in the person

of Jesus.

That's what we celebrated

on Wednesday

just gone.

Emmanuel

God with us.

But there's another

coming that I think

he's pointing to

and that we can

look forward to.

The coming of God

in all his glory.

All people

in all the nations

in all the world

will see

his coming.

Look at verse 5.

And the glory

of the Lord

will be revealed

and all people

all the nations

will see it together

for the mouth

of the Lord

has spoken.

You see,

when it speaks

of the Lord

coming in all

his glory,

it's speaking

about his coming

again to restore

and to renew

all things.

He will come

and bring about

the new heavens

and the new earth.

God

God

will come

again,

Isaiah

speaks of this.

Go to the very end

of the book,

Isaiah

Isaiah 65 · chapter mention

chapter 65.

Isaiah 65.

65.

And here we get

a glimpse

of the new creation,

the glory

that will be revealed.

We'll pick it up

in verse 17,

Isaiah 65,

Isaiah 65:17

verse 17.

See,

I will create

new heavens

and a new earth.

The former things

will not be remembered.

All those troubles,

they will not

come to mind.

But be glad

and rejoice

forever

in what I will create.

For I will create

Jerusalem,

that is God's people,

to be a delight

and its people

a joy.

I will rejoice

over Jerusalem

and take delight

in my people.

And the sound

of weeping

and of crying

will be heard

in it

no more.

God's coming

will be a display

of his glory.

Every injustice

will be put right.

Every sickness

will be healed.

Every heartache

will be over.

Now,

when we go through

our hard

and difficult days

that are ahead,

when suffering

weighs us down,

when trials

cause us to doubt,

we need the comforting

word

that the glory

of God

is coming.

Life

is not always

going to be

like this.

Look at verse 4.

every valley

shall be

raised up.

Every mountain

and hill

made low.

The rough ground

shall become

level.

The rugged

places

a plain.

It's like

the new

motorway

being built

to ring a skiddy.

Every hindrance

and obstacle

is being removed

to make a

straight road.

Where there's a dip,

it's filled in.

where there's an

obstacle in the way,

it's taken out.

Well,

the first coming

of God

in Jesus Christ,

if you like,

with all that

preparation work,

all the obstacles

and all the

hindrances

are removed

as Jesus comes.

For sin

is paid for

through the cross.

Death

is defeated

by the resurrection.

A highway

has now

been cut

through

for the coming

of God

in all

his

glory.

and when

he comes,

he will

restore

this

disordered

world

and renew

our broken

lives.

What joy

as we

step into

2025

that a day

is

coming

when

suffering

and sorrows

will be

no more.

It'll all

be over.

Hear

God's

word.

The comfort

of coming

glory.

So the

promise

of sins

forgiven,

the promise

of God

coming in

his glory,

and then

third,

the comfort

in enduring

promises.

Look at

verse 6.

Here's the

third voice.

verse 6.

A voice

says,

cry out.

And I

said,

what shall

I cry?

All people

are like

grass.

All their

faithfulness

is like

the flowers

of the

field.

The grass

withers,

the flowers

fall,

because the

breath of

the Lord

blows in

them.

Surely

the people

are grass.

grass.

The grass

withers,

the flowers

fall,

but the

word of

God

endures

forever.

Do you see

the contrast?

our life

is like

a withering,

dying

flower,

but the

word of

God

endures

forever.

You see,

our lifetime

is short.

2025

will bring

us all

closer

to our

demise.

We don't

live

forever,

but the

promises

of God's

word

remain.

You see,

the one

thing that

we can

count on

in a

world that

is full

of decay

and trouble

and death

is God's

word.

His promises

will not

fade or

fall.

God's

word will

never

wither or

die.

God's

promises

will be

our

enduring

comfort.

The

promises

of sins

forgiven.

The

promises

of God's

coming.

But there's

more promises

than that.

Maybe

there's one

of these

that you

will

link

to.

The

promise

of God's

presence

when our

loved one

is taken

from us.

The

promise

of God's

grace

when we

are confronted

with our

own

weakness.

The

promise

of God's

peace

when we're

overwhelmed

with worry.

The

promise

of God's

provision

when we

feel we

can take

no more.

The

promise

of God's

steadfast

love

and

faithful

commitment.

What

comfort

for his

people.

You see

this is

what we

need

as we

receive

news of

a cancer

diagnosis.

This is

what we

need when

we discover

our child

is struggling

in school.

This is

what we

need as

we care

for an

aging

parent.

This is

what we

need as

our own

physical

bodies

fade

and fall.

That

God's

word

endures.

His

promises

remain.

He will

sustain

you and

he will

keep you.

Here is

encouragement

for us

as we

step into

a new

year.

Hear

God's

word.

The

comfort

in

enduring

promises.

The

fourth

voice

that

brings

comfort

is the

comfort

we

receive

from

gentle

strength.

Verse

nine.

You

who

bring

good

news

to

Zion

go

up on

a high

mountain.

You

who

bring

good

news

to

Jerusalem

lift

up

your

voice

and

shout

lift

it

up

don't

be

afraid

say

to

the

towns

of

Judah

tell

the

people

of

God

here

is

your

God

but what

is

your

God

like?

What

is the

God

that we

trust

in?

Well

God

is

both

strong

and

gentle.

Do you

see in

verse

10?

See

the

sovereign

Lord

comes

with

power.

He

rules

with

a

mighty

arm.

And

then look

at verse

11.

He

tends

his

flock

like a

shepherd

and

gathers

the

lambs

in

his

arms.

Now

we

don't

usually

put

tenderness

with

power

do we?

Or

gentleness

with

might.

But yet

God

declares

that I

am

both.

He

is

strong

and

caring.

He

is

sovereign

and

loving.

This

is

our

comfort.

You

see

God

has

no

weakness

or

frailty.

Let's

read

verse

10

again.

See

the

sovereign

Lord

comes

with

power.

power.

And

he

rules

with

a

mighty

arm.

See

his

reward

is

with

him

and

his

recompense

accompanies

him.

He

never

sleeps.

God

never

tires.

He's

never

taken

by

surprise

or

he's

not

surprised

at

anything.

He

rules

over

all.

He

has

authority

over

all.

He

is

sovereign.

So

no

matter

what

happens

in

your

life,

no

matter

how

big

or

great

the

trouble

might

be,

no

matter

how

hard

or

difficult

or

overwhelming

the

year

may

be,

God

is

mighty

and

he

is

in

control

and

he

rules

over

everything.

God

is

tender

and

gentle.

Verse

11

He

tends

his

flock

like

a

shepherd.

He

gathers

the

lambs

in

his

arms.

He

carries

them

close

to

his

heart.

He

gently

leads

those

that

have

young.

You

see,

God

is

filled

with

compassion.

He's

not

going

to

break

you

or

crush

you.

As

Isaiah

says

in

chapter

42,

a

bruised

reed

he

will

not

break

and

a

smouldering

wick

he

will

not

snuff

out.

He

is

a

shepherd

who

holds

his

lambs.

People

like

you

and

I

who

are

vulnerable

and

fearful

in

this

world

and

he

holds

us

close.

This

is

the

God

who

will

comfort

us.

Do

you

see

what

it

says

in

verse

10?

God

rules

with

a

mighty

arm.

And

then

in

verse

11,

God

gathers

his

lambs

in

his

arms.

Arms

of

strength

and

arms

of

gentleness.

I'm

always

amazed

at

watching

rugby

players

after

the

match.

I

think

of

Bundy

Aki,

that

international

rugby

player.

You

ever

look at

his

arms?

They're

huge.

He's

got

biceps

the

size

of

watermelons.

And

with all

his

power

and

with

all

his

might

he

bashes

and

tackles

the

opposition.

But

then

after

the

match

you

see

him

walking

around

holding

his

young

daughter

in

his

arms.

Tender,

caring,

gentle

strength.

You

see,

when

we're

overwhelmed

by the

terrors

of this

world

and the

troubles

that

come,

when we

are

struggling

with our

fears

and our

worries,

we

have a

God

who is

both

powerful

and

mighty,

but

tender

and

caring.

What a

blessing

as we

step out

into

2025.

Hear

God's

word,

the

comfort

that

comes

from

gentle

strength.

You

see,

this

year

I

trust

will

bring

good

times

and

joyful

times.

We

will

laugh

together,

but

mingled

through

the

months

and

the

weeks

will

be

days

of

trouble.

Some

of us

will

go

through

hard

times,

some

of us

it

won't

be

so

bad,

but

yet

whatever

we

go

through,

we

are

all

going

to

need

the

comfort

of

our

God.

He

is

for

you

and

not

against

you.

Do you

see the

second

part of

verse

10?

see

his

reward

is

with

him

and

his

recompense

accompanies

him.

The

picture

there

is

of

a

king

who's

conquered

his

enemy

and

as

he

returns

in

victory

he

shares

the

riches

and

the

spoils

with

his

people.

He

blesses

them

in

abundance.

Well

our

God

is

victorious

in

our

troubles.

He

is

never

overcome

and

he

will

share

of

the

rich

resources

that

is

his

and

he

will

pour

out

his

comfort

upon

you

every

moment

of

every

day.

How

will

we

experience

this

comfort?

Well

have

you

got

your

little

card?

that

puts

together

the

theme

of

what

we've

looked

at

this

morning.

Just

pick it

up

there

and

have

a

look.

You

can

take

it

home

and

pin

it

up

somewhere

or

keep

it

somewhere

and

remind

yourself

throughout

the

year

just

that

little

phrase

at

the

bottom

the

comfort

of

God

will

sustain

the

people

of

God

as

we

listen

to

the

word

of

God.

This

new

year

be

comforted

that

all

your

sins

have

been

paid

for.

Be

comforted

by the

fact

that

God

is

coming

in

glory.

Be

comforted

by

His

enduring

promises

and

be

comforted

by

His

gentle

strength.

Comfort

comfort

my

people

says

your

God

and

my

God

Let's

pray

our Father God

we do not pretend to know the future

we dare not

say what is going to happen

or what's not going to happen

other than the fact that we know

that you have promised that as we walk this life

there will be hardship

but you have also promised

that your comfort will be sufficient

so Father help us to step out in faith

to trust you

that you will be our comfort

in everything

you will not forget us

and you will not fail us

help us to be those who listen to your word

that we may experience your comfort daily

Lord for those who are needing your comfort this day

please pour that into their life

be that gentle

mighty shepherd

hold them close

and do not forget

as you have promised

in Jesus name we pray

Amen

so a helpful song to bring together our thoughts

as we've looked at the beginning of Isaiah 40

when I fear my faith will fail

Christ

will hold me fast

he is our comfort

he is our strength

let's stand together as we sing

through the전

Thank you.