[0:00] tonight shall we thank you Linda and please find the the prophet Isaiah and chapter 52 so Isaiah chapter 52 and I want to read the entire chapter with you so please follow along in your Bible Isaiah 52 verse 1 awake awake put on thy strength O Zion put on thy beautiful garments O Jerusalem the holy city for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean shake thyself from the dust arise and sit down O Jerusalem loose thyself from the bands of thy neck O captive daughter of Zion for thus saith the Lord ye have sold yourselves for naught and you shall be redeemed without money for thus saith the Lord God my people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause now therefore what have I here saith the Lord that my people is taken away for naught they that rule over them make them to howl saith the Lord and my name continually every day is blasphemed therefore my people shall know my name therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak behold it is I how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings that publisheth peace that bringeth good tidings of good that publisheth salvation that saith unto Zion thy God reigneth thy watchmen shall lift up the voice with the voice together shall they sing for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion break forth into joy sing together ye waste places of Jerusalem for the Lord hath comforted his people he hath redeemed Jerusalem the Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God depart ye depart ye go ye out from thence touch no unclean thing go ye out of the midst of her be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord for ye shall not go out with haste nor by nor go by flight for the Lord will go before you and the God of Israel will be your reward behold my servant doth deal prudently he shall be exalted and extolled and be very high as many as were astounded at thee his visage was so marred more than any man and his form more than the sons of men so shall he sprinkle many nations the king shall shut their mouths at him for that which hath not been told them shall they see and that which they had not heard shall they consider this chapter contains a prophetic look at the return of the king of kings to Israel and it deals a little bit with the recompense that is going to be meted out upon the oppressors of Israel which is really a common theme of prophets and of prophecy and of the to the nation of Israel from these major prophets and is also as common in much of the prophecies it contains a reference to the past the history of Israel back in verse 4 going to Egypt and being oppressed there it also contains reference to the Lord Jesus Christ and a prophecy of him in verse 14 and then it contains much of a theme of there being a peace and a rest in the land in the future when the Lord is exalted as he should be it covers a lot of material in just this short chapter
[4:02] and it's all just sprinkled together all these different thoughts and themes just all intermingled into one message as it were from Isaiah now recently I read through this a little bit ago and as I read verse 7 I'd like you to look back at verse 7 where the Bible says when I read through that verse right there my heart latched on to a few of the words in that verse I think this is the first time I've ever read the verse that I didn't think about the Apostle Paul applying it in Romans chapter 10 to the spreading of the gospel and preaching the gospel where he quotes Isaiah 52 but this time for the first time ever I didn't even think about that as I read that verse because something else just caught me it resonated with me where I read things like
[5:10] I read things that that somebody's bringing good tidings and publishing peace and they're bringing good tidings of good publishing salvation and as an inside my heart I just yearned for that thought and I prayed God I want good tidings I want to hear some good tidings of good I want to hear some peace I'd love for some good things to happen in my life in my home in this church some good things to show up and I'm not here to complain I'm not here to as they say in the south mully grub I'm not here to fuss about things the way they are the way they could have been or this and that none of that but as I read through that chapter it just it stirred my heart to think and to pray and to ask God for some good tidings bring some good tidings by my way father because I want to be what I read in the next few verses
[6:20] I want to lift up the voice I want to hear the singing in verse 9 I want to break forth into joy and sing together with the redeemed of the Lord I want the comfort that's promised in verse 9 and the peace that's mentioned in verse 7 I think we all do to some extent and I desire this for this church I desire this for you and your homes and your families and your lives I desire this for my life and for my home and my wife and my children and I desire it for my heart my own heart to just hear some good tidings from God to have some peace life has a way of wearing on you and I don't always talk like this so I feel confident that I can say these things and that you've been around long enough to know me and know how I speak and what I think sometimes life does have a way of just one problem arises and you focus your attention on it you get consumed with it and you try to fix it and maybe you get past it just to sit down and feel like there and not realize that you're going to wake up tomorrow morning and there's going to be something that's new for the next morning there's so many things in life that go wrong so many things that we have to deal with there's financial situations there's emotional situations there's situations in relationships whether it's with your children or whether it's with your parents or with your neighbors or even your friends or your boss or co-workers or just people and dealing with interactions with them sometimes there's problems that arise problems with your health problems with your vehicles a daily grind of getting things done and thinking ahead and making ends meet and making sure everybody's happy and making sure everybody's healthy and everybody's safe and worrying about the things in life that's on your plate to worry about giving and being there for others and what did I forget
[8:34] I think I'm forgetting something did I write it down let me check and let me look on the calendar what's coming up tomorrow what's coming up this week and it goes on and on and on and it can be exhausting to the mind and life has a way of being a grief to the spirit and taxing even on the body life can bring stress because life isn't easy not in this one not this life it's not easy and you can feel captive you can even feel much like Isaiah 52 in verse number 2 where in the middle of the verse he says loose thyself from the bands of thy neck you could even feel like life has a band around your neck and there's nuisances there's inconveniences that we all face and deal with even daily but then there's burdens and then there's afflictions and trials that are even heavier than that they all add up they can all crush they can all be heavy on your heart in Proverbs chapter 12 and verse 25 the Bible says heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop but a good word maketh it glad and that's what I want that's what I pray for that's what I ask God for a good word send a good word God send some good tidings of good would you please publish some peace in my heart in this church some salvation some comfort some good things so that we can break forth into singing so that we can collectively praise the Lord our God
[10:34] I'm thinking on these things and in some ways with some heaviness and the Lord led my my mind to a passage of scripture I'd like you to turn to with me to just kind of show you how this is resolving in my heart after reading that passage look at Hebrews chapter 12 I feel like the Lord just led me to this today and I saw some things learned some things was reminded of some things that I need look at Hebrews 12 and let's see the first three verses the Bible reads wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God for consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds there's some things
[11:52] I picked out of here the Lord helped me with and when I'm calling on him and I'm just asking him for some help and I'm just asking him for some good things and just asking if he would be merciful and caring and kind and would do some good things I believe he led me to this and it's been a help to me just even in this day and I want to share it with you and the first thing I noticed the Lord's reminding me of is that I need to have faith in verse number one of Hebrews 12 he said seeing ye also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses and those witnesses are the previous chapter he started the chapter 12 wherefore well what in the world that connects back to chapter 11 this is not a reference of some Old Testament saints that are seated in heaven in a cloud looking at us they're not witnessing our lives that's not the statement the statement is their lives were a witness their lives described examples of men and women that obeyed God by walking in faith and they got their names recorded because of it and so when the chapter the hall of faith is closed in chapter 11 verse 40 the next word is wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight in the sin and let us run with patience the race that is set before us so I realized
[13:22] I too like them need to have faith I have a great cloud of witnesses I have a lot of examples that are examples to me to encourage me those who have gone before me those who have walked with God and obeyed the same God that I walk with and serve and call out to they called out to the same one they did it in faith look back at chapter 11 and verse 1 the Bible says now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen for by it the elders obtained a good report they obtained a good report and that's what I want I want to hear a good report I want good tidings of good things to come from God and these elders by faith obtained a good report from God in verse 4 we read that Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain by which he obtained witness that he was righteous how's that?
[14:26] God testifying of his gifts Abel offered a sacrifice but then he got good tidings about that sacrifice that he was righteous in his offering God witnessed and testified to that I want some good tidings I want God to offer them to me I want to hear a good word look at chapter 11 move a little past some of this and go to verse 32 and let's notice some of these these men women that walked and displayed faith in their life in verse 32 we'll read to the end to 39 it says and what what shall I more say for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and of Barak and of Samson and of Jephthah of David also and Samson or Samuel and of the prophets who through faith subdued kingdoms wrought righteousness obtained promises stopped the mouths of lions quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword out of weakness were made strong waxed valiant in fight turned to flight the armies of the aliens women received their dead raised to life again and others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection and others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings and moreover of bonds and imprisonment they were stoned they were sawn asunder were tempted were slain with the sword they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins being destitute afflicted tormented of whom the world was not worthy they wandered in deserts and mountains and dens and caves of the earth and these all having obtained a good report through faith received not the promise and so some some had great things happen some had just endured and suffered and even died but they all received a good word a good report as they trusted God with their life they haven't yet received the promise they haven't yet been resurrected but they trusted God through their life and they acted in faith and I realized
[16:42] I need to have faith I need to trust God when it's easy and I need to trust God when it's hard I need to walk with him by faith I need to rely on him completely I need to rely on his word I need to depend on his strength these examples that we just read that I think they've had it harder than I ever have had it and probably ever will and there were different circumstances there were different times of course but it's the same God and they had faith and they're commended for their faith they received a good report because of their faith I realize I need to have faith I'm asking God for a good word I'm asking God to just send some peace and some comfort and the Lord says you just need to trust me you need to have faith you need to trust me and then I notice something else that I need in verse number 1 at the end of that verse of chapter 12 again
[17:45] I'll read it again we're foreseeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us the Lord showed me I need to have patience let us run with patience the race that is set before us patience I'm learning from the Bible goes hand in hand with problems look at James chapter 1 you can keep your place just turn a page or two to your right and you'll see James chapter 1 in verse number 2 my brethren count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations those are those are trying times there knowing this that the trying of your faith worketh patience but let patience have her perfect work that she may that ye may be perfect an entire wanting nothing
[18:54] I noticed and I ran some references on this through the scriptures they're plenteous that patience goes hand in hand with problems suffering and patience is really a bit of a theme in these latter epistles and there's good reason there's a thread of tribulation doctrine that covers these latter epistles of your Bible but it's also some very helpful insight to us when we're enduring affliction and trials and the pressing things in life or the heaviness of your heart you need patience in Romans chapter 5 Paul said we glory in tribulations also knowing that tribulation worketh patience in 1 Thessalonians 1 he said again we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure in 2 Corinthians chapter 6 in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God in much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses running the race that we're called to run the race that's set before us running in that race we could
[20:06] I could easily get tripped up I could easily you ever see somebody get their feet going faster than their body or their body faster than their feet I've seen it recently in some of the the qualifying things going on for the Olympics he's seen somebody get to almost the finish line just a face plant and they're just they're trying so hard they can't keep their feet under them and they go down that could happen to me in this life I could fall and get hurt I could even fall out of the race if I don't have patience the Lord showed me you need patience you need to see beyond this very moment you need to see beyond the trial and you need to remember that God knows and that God sees and that God's completely okay with having you right where you are and that helps me to run the race with some patience I need to understand that the cross comes before the crown
[21:11] I need to understand that the rigor comes before the rest and the pain precedes the peace the Lord showed me I need to have faith and I need to have patience and then there's another thing that I saw in this passage and it was in verse 1 again where I read the very last portion of that verse it said let us run with patience the race that is set before us I noticed that I need to be focused I need to stay focused on a few things the first one is to stay focused on my race he said let us run with patience the race that is set before us and as I read that the Lord said you have a race that is set before you you're in one you're in a lane stay in it and run it's not the same race that Joseph ran in the previous chapter it's not the same race of Rahab or of Samson or of David or of Daniel or any of them this one's my race this is a race that God gave me to run
[22:18] I need to focus on what God has given me to do because I'm going to answer to him for what he's called me to do and if I'm hurting or if I'm struggling then I need to remember this is my race that's what God has for me in this race just part of it there may be a better time around it may get better it may get worse this is what God has for me so run it with patience and stay focused on your race I notice something else I need to stay focused on my future in that verse it says the race that is set before us but then it says in verse 2 looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame and is set down at the right hand not only am I staying focused on my race I'm staying focused on what was set before me my future and I notice that what Jesus
[23:19] Christ had set before him was a cross but that was temporary for the joy set before him he endured the cross because there was joy set before him right now he's seated at the right hand of the throne of God as verse number 2 says he endured the cross and now he's sat down at the right hand the cross was horrible but it was temporary and the blessings and the benefits of that cross are eternal I need to stay focused on the eternal keep your place but look back at 2nd Corinthians 4 I want you to see a verse here 2nd Corinthians 4 and look at the very end of this chapter speaking on staying focused on the future on what's eternal 2nd Corinthians 4 and verse 17 and 18 for our light affliction which is but for a moment now I'd say
[24:25] Christ's affliction was more than light but it still was but for a moment our light affliction was but for a moment temporal worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory while we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal and what is before me in the moment is temporal but living for God is working out something far greater a far greater weight of glory something that's eternal I need to stay focused on that focused on the future and there's one other thing come back to Hebrews 12 that I need to stay focused on and that is my Savior in verse 2 looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God for consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds if things weigh on my heart it surely doesn't compare to the weight that he bore when he bore my sins in his body on the tree if things weigh on my heart it's never as much as what he's done for me he took far more than I've ever been asked to take if living for God consists of some suffering and of some pain and of some struggles
[26:07] I'm reminded that my suffering doesn't compare to the eternal weight of glory it doesn't compare to the glory which shall be revealed in us Romans chapter 8 and so I need to stay focused on my Savior He did it He endured it and He's seated at the right hand of God I need to stay focused while I'm waiting for God to send some good tidings of good things and it's a prayer of my heart it's a true honest prayer of my heart for God to send some good things and so while I'm praying for those days of peace and comfort and joy it's not to pretend that everything's terrible please don't misunderstand me but what I realize is while I'm praying for that I need to have faith I need to have patience and I realize
[27:11] I need to stay focused focused on my race and that whatever's in that lane God has allowed it and so I just need to keep running I need to stay focused on my future on what God has promised for me what's eternal and then focused on my Lord and Savior it never gets old to me still it hasn't gotten old to think about what Christ has done for me I haven't gotten over it and I'm not just saying that I mean it it's real and by heart I'm in love with Him because He gave His life for me I'm thankful for that so tonight I'm just testifying from my heart a little bit I'm sure you can hear that I hope that if you can relate then that this is helpful and encouraging to you as well to consider that while we desire those better things and those good days and that peace and and dealing with these hardships of life and the heaviness of heart and the wearing the weariness of your mind perhaps there's some things that God can help us with and I hope that as the
[28:22] Lord helped me this day with studying this out I was trying to go a total different direction and this is something where my heart was this afternoon and I just the Lord gave me these thoughts and I'm thankful for them because I needed them and maybe you did too if not I'm just telling you what I got today and I'm thankful for it and so I hope it can be a help to you as well before we close I want to remind you please be in prayer for this coming weekend please pray like seriously put some time in it and pray that we'll have some friends come that we'll have a good Sunday here at Silmar at Bible Baptist Church I'm confident in the preaching I'm confident in the preacher coming I'm confident that he's going to bring the zeal and energy and the word of God so let's bring open hearts let's bring a friend let's bring good attitudes let's bring a good spirit I think we'll have a good day and I'm anticipating a good day but please pray with me about that maybe
[29:25] Sunday will be the good tidings of good things so let's see what the Lord will do let's be dismissed together with a word of prayer then Father thank you for this evening thank you for the meal that we enjoyed thank you for those that helped to put that together we appreciate them thank you for the the servants here in this church though we be few we have good good attitudes here good hearts Lord I pray