Would you pray with me as we begin?
Our Father in heaven, our eyes are so often on ourselves
and it's quite overwhelming when we just focus on ourselves
and we pray that you would speak to us this morning through Isaiah 40
and just lift our eyes above to look at you, to see you clearly.
Lord, we can't do this by our own strength.
We need your help to do this.
So please show us your glory this morning.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Well, do you feel the burden of trying to create paradise on earth?
You know that mirage that is just up ahead of you
where everything in life is finally sorted and in place.
Your health being under control, enough money in the bank
for bills and lifestyle and then a buffer.
Succeeding in your work or study, feeling competent, important,
but not too stressed.
Having that intimate relationship with not major arguments.
Your children respecting you and thriving at school,
feeling like you belong in the church community.
Having that perfect balance between family and church
and leisure and work and sleeping well at night.
And maybe you really want people around you to come to know Jesus
and you want people to be integrated in the church,
growing in their faith and love,
and you want society ordered in a way that pleases God.
It can be overwhelming at times, can't it?
Sounds pretty good.
Sometimes we feel close to getting it, don't we?
We're just on the verge of that mirage.
Like when we get accepted for that job,
we think everything else will just fall into place.
But I think the rest of the time,
our usual experience is we're just striving
to create this paradise.
And it can just feel like a burden.
It can feel very heavy.
Especially when one of two things happens.
First, sometimes we encounter people
who have a different idea of paradise
and their idea of paradise just gets in the way of mine.
Or just things beyond our control.
Just make all our efforts useless.
So do you feel the burden of trying to create paradise?
In the time of Isaiah, speaking chapter 40,
Israel was meant to be Yahweh's unique covenant people,
living in Yahweh's promised land,
with him ruling and protecting them
through their king,
and having Yahweh dwelling among them,
represented by the grand temple that Solomon built.
But at this point in time,
because of the seemingly unstoppable force
of the Babylonian empire,
they lived outside the land.
Their last king to sit on the throne
had his eyes plucked out.
And the temple is burnt down and demolished.
If you were living then,
how confident would you be
that your God alone created the heavens and the earth?
How confident would you be
that God's plan for his world is on track?
How confident are you today?
that God alone created and rules all things,
and therefore his plan is on track?
We need to appreciate who created all things.
This morning we're not going to spend our time
looking into the details of how God created the world,
the debate, the discussion,
whether it's seven literal days or not,
the age of the universe.
These questions are fine to investigate.
But to live well,
we need to know what God's purpose for his creation is.
We need to know the who and the why.
So that's why we're looking at Isaiah 40,
because Isaiah 40 just has these brilliant images
that help us look up and see the who.
So let's do that.
Verse 12.
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand?
And marked off the heavens with a span.
Now, I've used this illustration a couple of years ago.
The average hand span is somewhere between 15 and 25 centimetres.
And if you imagine our sun in the sky,
if its diameter is represented as one millimetre,
then the distance from the sun to Earth is about 10 centimetres.
There are hundreds of millions of stars in our galaxy alone.
And if you were to measure the distance
to our nearest neighbour,
on the scale we're using,
it would be 30 kilometres away.
And God measures the entire universe.
It's about that.
All the earth,
all the heavens are simple
and easily held
with a single hand
by the Lord alone.
Verse 13 and 14.
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?
The Lord did not need a training course.
He didn't need a YouTube video.
He didn't need a second opinion
to check his calculations.
He didn't need a team of labourers
to do the heavy lifting.
He didn't even need a Bunnings.
He did it
all by his own power and wisdom.
Verse 28.
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the creator of the ends of the earth.
Do you not know?
And it's not like God began all things
and then just sat back
and let it run its course.
No, our creator continually sustains
and governs all things.
Have a look and listen and imagine
verses 21 to 26.
Do you not know?
Do you not hear?
Has it not been told 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 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 tempest 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 all these.
He who brings out their hosts by number,
calling them all by name,
by the greatness of his might
and because he is strong in power,
not one is missing.
Do you struggle like me to remember names?
Now people are important to me
but I just, I struggle.
You might have heard me last week
call Jamie's Cosima Cosumi.
Each of the millions of stars
in the billions of galaxies,
God knows them fully.
He knows them individually by name
and they are in the exact place
he wants them.
Isn't that good news?
If he can do it with the stars,
surely he knows us as well.
I'm reminded when I look at the Southern Cross
that one of those stars
is about 88 light years away.
That's probably longer than,
as in 88 years,
that's probably longer than I'm going to live on this earth.
And if God is sustaining that star,
it just reminds me that God is sustaining me.
It's in its place.
He's got me in my place as well.
What about society
and human power and politics?
Did you see the image there
that he used?
That unstoppable Babylonian army
that took you away, Israel?
They're like a single drop
in a bucket to me.
They're like the dust on the scales.
They don't even register.
All the might of human power
is like our herb garden at home.
We've got coriander and parsley.
But all of a sudden,
our basil turned from green to black.
There are forces much bigger than us
that we feel is just beyond our control,
but not to God.
To our Creator,
all flesh is like grass.
He easily controls them,
rules over them.
Do you think you're in control?
We often speak as Christians
as if it's a choice
whether we live dependent on God
or whether we try and strive
by our own strength.
And in terms of our own attitude,
that's a really good question
to reflect on.
But in terms of what just is,
our existence,
there is no choice.
You are utterly dependent
on your Creator.
You and I are dust.
We are grass.
We are extremely limited
and vulnerable
and utterly dependent.
Therefore,
life
and this world
should all be seen
as a gift,
not as something
we can
control.
The Lord
is the only one
who created
and governs
all things.
In year 12
at school,
for my design
and tech project,
I made this coffee table
and it had lights in it
and it's meant to flash
to the beat of the music
and I poured hours
and hours
into that project
and I needed a lot
of help with it as well.
Every millimetre,
I was so careful
and I put this
custom-made glass top
on it
so that it protected
the lights
and so that it could be
used as a coffee table.
Now,
fast forward
to a youth group event
at my house.
You already know
it's not going to end well.
And during a Bible study,
some boys decided
it would be a good idea
if this coffee table
was used as a chair
and the glass cracked
and so did my heart.
Because I made
the coffee table,
I had the right
to say what its purpose was
and what it wasn't for.
If it was one of you
who broke the table,
I really don't care that much.
I've moved on.
So what is God's purpose
in making human beings
and the entire cosmos?
We really need to know
the answer to this question
and amazingly,
God has revealed it to us.
Now,
we could
glean the answers
from Isaiah 40.
It is
very clear
in Isaiah 40
but let's flip back
to Genesis 2.
So could you turn back
to Genesis 2
with me?
To get to the heart
of God's purpose,
how would you answer
this question?
Whose home
did God build?
Is earth
a home for people
or is it a home
for God?
If your first thoughts
are anything like mine,
you might be thinking
God doesn't need a home.
The whole universe
isn't big enough
to contain God.
And you'd be right.
The Bible says that clearly.
And then you consider
the precision
and the complexity
of this world
and it's just amazing.
Life thrives.
The ocean is full
of weird
and wonderful things.
The earth
is just covered
with plants
and animals
and people
and the sky
is full of birds.
We might think
it's clearly
designed
for physical
beings.
And again,
the Bible says
that clearly.
It is a home
for us.
But Genesis 2
gives an even
fuller explanation
for why God
made everything.
The key
is in the first
three verses.
Thus the heavens
and the earth
were finished
and all the host
of them.
And on the seventh day
God finished
his work
that he had done
and he rested
on the seventh day
from all his work
that he had done.
So God blessed
the seventh day
and made it holy
because on it
God rested
from all the work
that he had done
in creation.
Now God does not
grow tired or weary.
He didn't need
to have a sit down
because he was tired.
For God to rest
means something
along the lines
of God enjoying,
God having the purpose
for which he made
the world.
God
so
like a car enthusiast
who after putting
the engine back together
goes for a drive
after all the work
of construction
enjoys
the car
or like sitting
around the family
table after cooking
a home
home cooked meal.
It's enjoying
your creation
or like a builder
and his family
moving in
to his home
after the construction
is complete.
Notice that
unlike
the other six days
of creation
that there's a
definite finishing point
with those.
There was evening
and there was morning
the first day.
There was evening
and there was morning
the second day.
But for the seventh day
there is no finish.
The theme
of God's rest
runs all the way
through the Bible.
For God to rest
is for God
to enjoy
the purpose
for which
he made the earth
and the entire cosmos.
So have a listen
to John Walton's
explanation.
I think he helped me
understand this
a bit clearer.
This is what he says.
On the seventh day
we finally discover
that God has been
working to achieve
a rest.
God does not
set up the cosmos
so that only people
will have a place.
He also sets up
the cosmos
to serve
as
his
temple
in which
he will find
rest.
to serve
as
his
temple
in which
he will find
rest.
It is the place
where God
can be known
and related
to
by his
people
who gladly
live under
his rule
and enjoy
the blessings
of his presence.
we're told
that the heavens
exist
to declare
the glory
of God.
If they're just
a place
for us to live
you've got to say
the billions
of galaxies
is a bit
of overkill
but
if the heavens
exist
for God
in all his
glory
to be known
by his people
then a universe
full of stars
that makes us
feel so very
small
and yet
so full
of joy
as we
stand in
awe
underneath
them
then they're
about the
right size.
The earth
you walk
on
is a place
for God
to be known
and worshipped.
How does
that sit
with you?
I hope
you have
mixed feelings
things.
On the one
hand I hope
you feel
a sense
of peace
and joy
knowing that
everything
exists,
your life
exists
for a greater
purpose than
yourself.
There's a joy
in that.
On the other
hand I hope
you feel
threatened
that if
life is
pure
gift
and it's
up to
my creator
to decide
how I should
live my
life
and my
purpose
is to have
God at the
centre
of everything
and for me
to worship
him
and for him
to get
all the
glory
it threatens
us being
at the centre.
this earth
and the
entire
cosmos
is a
temple
a home
for God
to get
all the
glory.
Now perhaps
you're wondering
why I'm using
the word
temple
it seems
a little
religious
but
temple
gets across
the idea
of
the divine
dwelling place
and temple
gets across
the idea
that it's
from this
place
that God
rules
and temple
also
pictures
us people
as priests
whose job
is to
worship
the Lord
and whose
job is to
represent God
to one
another
and as we
rule this
world under
God's
authority.
So although
we are
creatures
mankind
is unique
in all
God's
creation.
We're told
in Genesis
1 that
God made
people male
and female
in his
image.
To be in
God's image
it doesn't
just mean
that we
are persons
who have
the faculties
to think
and to feel
and to
communicate
to make
choices
to have
relationship
all these
things are
true to
be in the
image of
God
but all
these
things
serve a
greater
purpose
to reflect
God's
very character
as we
live in
relationship
with him
as we
worship
him
as we
represent
him
to the
rest of
creation.
God's
rest
God's
purpose
is for
God to
be present
with his
worshipful
people
his image
bearing
people
in
paradise
and all
this
for his
glory
to fill
the earth.
God
But this
isn't our
usual everyday
experience of
life is it?
The blessings
that flow like a
river from God's
presence are
often far from
our everyday
experience.
So I watched a
movie recently
based on
the 2004
tsunami
that hit
in Indonesia
and it
just pictures
a family
on holiday
by the
pool
and the
parents
are arguing
about
whether they
should move
house when
they get
back home
when suddenly
the tsunami
hits.
All their
plans come
to nothing.
Sickness
hunts us
down.
our
environment
is more
exploited
than
protected.
And this
week our
attention has
been drawn
to the
abortion
laws in
Australia.
We live
in this
society
that pours
so much
money into
healthcare
and yet
at the
same time
says that
we can
decide to
destroy
life.
And then
there's our
relationships.
Would you
say that
your usual
experience
is that we
treat one
another with
the character
of God?
God's
presence
and the
paradise that
flows from
his presence,
his rule,
is just not
our everyday
experience.
God says
in his
word there's
a very
good reason
for that
and we're
going to
explore this
more next
Sunday.
But let
me say
for now,
ever since
the first
man Adam
reached up
in direct
disobedience
to his
creator
and he
didn't do
it by
accident,
he wanted
to become
like God
even though
as God's
priest and
image bearer
in God's
temple,
he already
enjoyed the
greatest status
and purpose
and relationship
possible.
Adam and
everyone
descended from
him since
has tried to
usurp
God's place
in the
world.
Kick him
off the
throne.
As if
you and
I can
control
our
world,
creating
our own
version of
paradise
and all
this
without a
need to
know God
or worship
God.
And the
consequences
of this
have been
felt
ever since.
When
mankind
was kicked
out of the
Garden of
Eden,
do you
think
paradise
was the
greatest
thing we
lost?
If
paradise
is the
greatest
thing we
lost,
then we're
going to
spend all
our effort
trying to
get it
back.
I think
we try to
do this
individually
and as
a
society.
Or do
you agree
with John
Walton
again?
He gives
this answer.
In the
aftermath
of the
fall,
the
greatest
loss was
not
paradise.
It was
God's
presence.
God's
presence.
God's
presence.
God's
presence.
God's
presence.
God's
presence.
God's
presence.
God's
presence.
God's
presence.
God's
presence.
God's
presence.
What was
the greatest
thing we
lost after
the fall?
Paradise or
God's
presence?
We come
to the
question,
will God's
rest,
his purpose
for creation
be achieved?
God's
presence.
Those who
first heard
Isaiah 40
would have
had no
circumstantial
evidence to
give them
confidence that
God's rest
will be
achieved.
And they
knew that
they were in
such desperate
situation because
they had
rejected God.
God's
desire God's
presence,
most of
all,
then these
words of
Isaiah 40
will be the
best news
to you.
From
verse 3,
a voice
cries,
in the
wilderness
prepare the
way of the
Lord.
Make
straight in
the desert
a highway
for our
God.
Every valley
shall be
lifted up
and every
mountain and
hill be
made low.
The uneven
ground shall
become level
and the
rough places
a plain.
And the
glory of
the Lord
shall be
revealed.
And all
flesh shall
see it
together,
for the
mouth of
the Lord
has spoken.
the
one who
said,
let there
be light,
and light
flooded the
darkness,
says,
although you
have chosen
to live in
darkness,
I will
come near
to you.
The
glory of
the Lord
shall be
revealed.
And we
would never
have imagined
what God
meant by that
until we
read in the
New Testament,
in John's
Gospel,
and the
word became
flesh,
and dwelt
among us.
And we
have seen
his glory,
glory as of
the only
son from the
father,
full of
grace and
truth.
earth.
The one
who sits
above the
circle of
the earth
became like
grass with
us.
Seeing God
in the
flesh is
so much
clearer than
the old
temple building,
but he also
came for
another reason.
If you
think and
picture Solomon's
temple in
Jerusalem, it
was surrounded
by basins of
water for
washing.
The smell
of death from
animal sacrifices
for sin would
have surrounded
it day and
night.
And only the
high priest,
one person,
could enter
God's immediate
presence once a
year and
he couldn't
muck around.
That building
loudly proclaimed
that sinful,
God-usurping,
idolatrous
people could
only come so
close to God.
But in our
creator's
death,
on the
cross,
we are now
invited,
come near.
Come near.
Know that you
are completely
cleansed.
God is
coming near.
God is
coming near to
us by making
our bodies
his home,
dwelling in
us by his
spirit.
As we have
come to see
his glory in
the Lord Jesus
Christ, we
worship him.
And we no
longer live for
ourselves, we
live for him.
God is
going to be
renewed day
by day in
the image of
our creator.
As we reflect
the character of
the God whom we
worship, we
bring his
presence into
every aspect of
our life.
Every arena that
you walk in, we
can reflect God
in.
And we can fill
the world with
his glory.
glory.
We don't want
paradise without
God's presence.
We still
desperately want
paradise.
But we're
waiting for it.
We're waiting for
God's paradise.
Not our
version.
And we know
it's not yet.
It's coming, but
it's not yet.
we will wait
with certain
hope, knowing
that our
creator, who
does not grow
tired or weary,
will fully and
finally achieve
his rest.
And this is what
he says in
Revelation 21.
Then I saw a
new heaven and
a new earth.
For the first
heaven and the
first earth had
passed away, and
the sea was no
more.
And I saw the
holy city, the
new Jerusalem,
coming down out
of heaven from
God, prepared as
a bride adorned
for her husband.
And I heard a
loud voice from
the throne saying,
behold, the
dwelling place of
God is with
man.
He will dwell
with them, and
they will be his
people, and God
himself will be
with them as
their God.
He will wipe
every tear from
their eyes, and
death shall be no
more.
Neither shall
there be mourning,
nor crying, nor
pain any more, for
the former things
have passed
away.
And he who
was seated on
the throne said,
behold, I am
making everything
new.
Would you pray
with me?
Lord God, Father,
Son, and Holy
Spirit, we worship
you alone as the
creator and ruler
of all things.
Thank you for
coming near to
us.
Father, help us to
live for you
alone.
help us live
patiently, trusting
that you will
achieve your
purposes.
And Lord, use
us individually
and together as
your people for
your glory, we
pray.
In Jesus' name,
amen.
Amen.
You
amen.
So, you