Isaiah 49:13

0:00 good evening tuesday i received a bulk email from baptist health the subject was 10 ways to cope with stress during a crisis i must tell you it was disappointing exercise eat right get rest blah blah blah all worldly wisdom basically pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. That's the best the world has to offer, but the Bible has the real remedies that we need. Our verse for this evening is a helpful thing for us to consider when we are faced with affliction. You can find our verse, Isaiah 49, 13, printed on the front of your bulletin, and it can also be found in your maroon pew Bible on page 610. It reads as follows. Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth. Break forth, O mountains, into singing.

1:04 For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted. Here's the main idea. God can be trusted to both comfort and deliver his people. Respond to that truth by singing praises to him. God can be trusted to both comfort and deliver his people. Respond to that truth by singing praises to him. There's going to be two points to the sermon. Point one, trust him in your storm. Point two, praise him with his people.

1:42 First, a little background on our verse. God inspired Isaiah to write the book of Isaiah 750 years before the birth of Christ. The name Isaiah means God is salvation. This book is a prophecy about God sending his son Jesus Christ as Messiah to save his people from their sins. The book correctly predicted that God's people, the Israelites, would be held in captivity by Babylon.

2:14 They would need God's deliverance from that captivity. Ultimately, they would need God's deliverance from their sin. God did deliver them from their captivity in spite of their sins, just as he predicted. God always does what he says he will do. He is trustworthy. Point one, trust him in your storm. There is a wide range of emotion in this voice. We see words like sing, joy, exult.

2:47 These evoke high positive feelings and emotions. The verse contrasts that with the word afflicted. It's such a heavy word. So serious. I know that I'm speaking to many right now who are dealing with profound affliction. Serious illness, the loss of a loved one, relationship stresses, financial pressures, even injustice. We are all either dealing with profound hardship or surely will experience it in the future.

3:21 Jesus said that in the world you will have tribulation, but take heart. I have overcome the world. This is a similar thought to our verse tonight. In light of what Jesus has done, worship him, take heart, sing for joy. What are some of the remedies that God has given us as believers that we can use to avoid fear and despair and have joy in our affliction? Here are six ways that come to mind, six R's, if you will.

3:54 Remedy one, run to the Father. Philippians 4, 6, and 7. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Pray to your heavenly father. When I, as an earthly father, know that my children need me, it makes me eager to help them.

4:26 It actually brings me joy to do it. How much more joy must it bring God to help us when we are in need? Also, consider 1 Peter 5, 7, casting all your anxieties on him because he cares for you. God is not indifferent to our struggles. He loves us perfectly and always does what is best for us. Remedy 2, rest on God's promises. Here are just a few of the many of his promises from Scripture.

4:59 Never will I leave you nor forsake you. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Romans chapter 8 is such a huge encouragement to us as believers. The truth of verse 28. And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose also verse 38 for i'm sure that neither death nor life nor angels nor rulers nor things present nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of god in christ jesus our lord there are so many great bedrock verses take some time in your home groups to So open up the floor to sharing verses that you have used to bring comfort in your affliction.

5:57 Also, be ready and willing to share verses with people you know who are suffering among us. I think we can have a tendency to think that because our church is so biblically literate, it's not necessary. We come together to remind each other the truths we are learning in the Word. Remedy three, reach out to others in the church. I think our church does a great job of this, but sometimes we might be tempted to think, I don't want to burden others with my problem, or I'm ashamed of my situation, or I just don't want to talk about it, or even think about it.

6:36 God has given us each other to help one another. He has called us to bear each other's burdens. Remedy 4, realize that there is a purpose in your suffering. James 1, 2 through 4, count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

7:08 My son-in-law, Lucas, who is a member here, reminded me of that verse recently in the context of a struggle that I am enduring. It was kind of him to share it with me and a great comfort to me. It was the right verse at just the right time. Also, 2 Corinthians 1, 3 through 4. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who comfort us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

7:43 We are extending God's comfort for us to others. This is powerful. Remedy five. Remember when the Lord has delivered you through hard times. It is helpful to look back at what the Lord has done in your life. He has brought you out of darkness into his marvelous light. He has brought you to a healthy church. He is sanctifying you and improving you. We all have amazing stories of his grace.

8:18 God is working constantly to bring us grace. His track record is perfect. He is for us. Remedy 6, rely on the gospel. The promises of our verse, comfort and compassion, are for his people, Christians. That's us. If you have faith in Jesus, your problems are only temporary. 2 Corinthians 4, 17 through 18. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.

8:54 As we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. If you don't yet believe in Jesus Christ, you are going it alone. You have no help from God above, no help in your earthly problems. Ultimately, you have no hope in your destiny after you die. But the truth of the gospel is this.

9:27 God is holy, righteous, and just. When he created us, he had the same expectation of us. That in order to be able to appeal to him, to be with him forever, we will have to be sinless. We all have the problem of sin. It's everyone's affliction. In fact, all other afflictions are as a result of sin. The Bible says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

9:59 It also says that the wages of that sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus. Christ came to earth to live a perfect life, die a death that we deserve, death on a cross, and conquer death so that those who believe in him would live forever. He calls us to die to ourselves and believe in him, to turn from our sin and turn to him in faith and repentance. For our sake, he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

10:37 When we believe in Jesus, he takes away our sin. In its place, he gives us his righteousness. That is amazing grace. This gospel truth is a glorious thing for a Christian to consider when enduring an affliction. It should be a terrifying thing to consider if you're not yet a Christian. Consider your need for a Savior. If you do not yet believe in Jesus, you won't receive any of the benefits of God's power in this life or the life to come.

11:10 Jesus is the only way. Put your trust in him. The Bible says that if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Point two, praise him with his people. In tonight's verse, the first statement is a command. It ends in an exclamation point. God doesn't suggest it as an option. Singing for joy in the midst of our suffering demonstrates to God, ourselves, and those around us that we have faith in what he has done and what he has promised he will do.

11:52 Our singing demonstrates our faith. Notice the second sentence of the verse. He has comforted. He will have compassion. He has demonstrated himself faithful, and we can trust that he will continue to do so. The word for is the hinge of the entire verse. It could also be translated because. We sing for joy because of his comfort and compassion for his hurting people. That is not a call for us to have joy about our affliction.

12:24 We are to sing for joy because of what God has done, is doing, and will do in our affliction. Let's look closer at the first sentence of the verse. Heavens, earth, mountains. This shows the entirety of creation that God is calling to sing. All of creation, all of God's people, that's us. And think of this. It's not an individual call to sing a solo. This is a call to worship him corporately together.

12:59 When we come together to worship him in song, it is so comforting, so fortifying to our faith to see brothers and sisters in our church family showing up to church, singing in their desperation. It gives us all inspiration to do the same. Can you remember an emotional time when a song moved you to tears? I've had moments when I couldn't even get a sound to come out. There are many places in Scripture where we see singing as a response to God.

13:32 Think of the Psalms. They're songs. The Song of Mary, the Magnificat, more singing. Zechariah's Song, and many other places in Scripture. Singing is an elevated form of communication. It's more beautiful than mere words alone. And it's most powerful when sung together. Here's an excellent quote I heard recently from St. Gregory of Gilbert. Songs are war anthems, declarations of allegiance to our king.

14:13 We are in a spiritual war against the world, the flesh, and the devil. So we should sing together, heartily. One more quick thought. There's no footnote in the Bible that says sing for joy if you have been gifted to do so. We should all sing, especially in this gathering. Our church family is so encouraging. No one is judging anyone else on how their singing sounds. This is a safe place to sing, so let it rip. I'm going to make a statement of praise to God right now, and I'm going to do it several ways.

14:50 See which way you think is the most magnifying. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. I'll say it again, but I'll say it like an old country preacher might. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Can I get an amen? I always wanted to do that. Now I will sing it myself. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

15:29 Now it's starting to carry a little more weight. Finally, I'd like for you to stand now and sing it with me. Consider our verse as you sing it. Sing for joy, O heavens, and exalt, O earth. Break forth, O mountains, into singing. for the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted. Here we go. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

16:06 Praise him all creatures here below. Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

16:43 Amen. Let's pray. Father, thank you for your compassion and comfort for us, your people. We trust you. We ask that you help those among us who are sick and hurting. Please continue to have your way with us. I pray this in the name of Jesus and always to his honor and glory. Amen.