Sermon Central
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God's Answer To Our Weariness
Contributed by Richard Tow on Nov 24, 2003 (message contributor)
Summary: In our busy culture weariness is a common challenge. This sermon explores incidents of people’s weariness in the Bible and God’s solution to the problem.
God’s Answer to Our Weariness
9-1-02
Intro:
You know you’re too Stressed if…
10. You achieve a “Runners High” by just sitting up.
9. You say the same sentence over and over, not realizing you have said it before.
8. You pop your popcorn without putting the lid on.
7. You make a list of things you’ve already done.
6. You use your Master card to pay your Visa.
5. You explore the possibility of setting up an IV drip solution of expresso.
4. You can actually hear mimes.
3. You drive to work in reverse.
2. You have an irresistible urge to bite the noses of the people you are talking to.
1. You say the same sentence over and over, not realizing you have said it before. (1)
In 1965 U.S. Senate commissioned a Study that predicted a bright future for America.
The study concluded that because of the advent of the Computer—by 1985 Americans would work 22 hours/week and retire at age 38.
How many know that did not happen?
Today leisure in our country has declined by 37% since 1965.
The Work Week has increased from 41 to 47 hours/week. (2)
I have entitled the message this morning: God’s Answer to our Weariness.
By way of preview let me just say—the answer is NOT Computer!
We take our Text from Isaiah 40.
1. Chapter Begins with Command from God to Isaiah in verse 1 “Comfort, yes, Comfort My People.”
a. Whole chapter filled with words of comfort & promise from God.
b. That encouragement came at time with the needed that very much.
These people were going through some hard times.
They were processing some major disappointments.
Life had not gone way expected it to go.
c. Since they were God’s people they expected success not failure. They expected to be the head not the tail. They expected to prevail over their enemies.
Instead the ungodly nations around them rose to prominence and power.
The northern ten tribes of Israel had gone into captivity to the Assyrians. The rest of Israel was about to be defeated by the Babylonians
It did not make sense to them. They were God’s people. These Babylonians didn’t even know God.
d. Their future did not look good. They were extremely discouraged.
That is the historical Context of Isaiah 40
Isa. 40:27-31 “Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: "My way is hidden from the LORD,
And my just claim is passed over by my God"? 28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable. 29He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. 30Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,
31But those 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.” NKJV
2. In this passage of scripture I find
I. A QUESTION God Asks His People
II. A REMINDER God Brings to His People
III. A PROMISE God Gives to His People
I. The QUESTION is Asked by God in verse 27
“Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel (God speaking to His People) my way is hidden from the Lord, and my just clam is passed over by God?”
The Living Bible says “O Jacob, O Israel, how can you say that the Lord doesn’t see your troubles and isn’t being fair?
1. How many know, we don’t have to actually speak those words for God to know that kind of struggle is going on in our hearts?
a. These people felt God had let them down. They felt God had not answered their prayers. They wondered why God had not protected them more from trouble.
b. In fact, they looked at the world (people who didn’t even know God) and wondered why in some ways they seemed to be doing better than them.
2. Have you ever felt like God let you down?
a. You asked God to save your parents—and your parents rejected the message of Christ.
You asked God to lead your children in paths of righteousness, and your children got rebellious.
You asked God to prosper you and your car broke down the same day plumbing sprang a leak.
b. These people were baffled by what was going on in their lives.
Lest we be too hard on them, consider others in Bible who had similar thoughts.
1. Elijah was great prophet of God (greatly used by God). He had prayed earnestly for revival in Israel.
He had courageously confronted prophets of Baal and called Israel to repentance.
