← ArchiveIsaiahLessons from a stumpDateOctober 13, 2019SpeakerDr Josh BurnhamTextIsaiahPassages in this sermonIsaiah 100:54Isaiah 115:54Isaiah 913:05Revelation 213:16James 313:342 Corinthians 514:14Romans 918:31Genesis 626:13Romans 534:05TranscriptMachine transcribed. Click any line to jump there.0:00Music How are you doing?0:29I got to wait this section. Okay. I'll take, I'll take, I see, I see, right? So my name is Josh. I introduced myself earlier. And it's just exciting to open up the word of the Lord with you. So we're going to continue our summer series through the book of Isaiah. So if you had your Bibles with you, and I hope that you do, join me in Isaiah chapter 10 this morning. Isaiah chapter 10. Beginning in verse 20 is where we're going to pick up today.0:59If you don't have a Bible with you, we have some in the pew in front of you. So if someone could do me a favor and give me a page number. If you don't have a Bible, that is a gift. That's our gift as a church to you. So anyone using the pew Bible? 6-0-9. Excellent. 6-0-9. So if you want to follow along, same version, CSB. I'm reminded often that what we do on Sundays is a sacred gathering.1:29There are millions of people throughout the world gathering in churches like this, in languages that you would not recognize. And what a powerful thought to say that this is a sacred. Lord, what we're doing here, they will do or have done in China, and Iran, and Afghanistan, and in Mexico. And Lord, your gospel is being proclaimed all around the world right now.1:57What an honor it is to come together before the counsel of God's holy written word. Isaiah means the Lord saves. So this sermon series is called Yahweh Saves. And what we've already seen is Isaiah prophesying to a nation that is in great economic prosperity.2:19Stock market is at an all-time high. And Isaiah is given a message by God. And God says, go to a people who are difficult of hearing, and when you give them this message, it's going to make them more blind and more deaf. Wow, what a difficult dilemma Isaiah has.2:48So now he goes to this people, and he's told by the Lord to tell them, hey, I know everything's really good right now. I know retirement is awesome. But disaster is coming. You don't see it right now, but Assyria will destroy the people of God. God is judging you because you're wicked. Yes, you're rich, but you're living unjustly to the poor,3:18and to the hurting, and to the marginalized, and the refugees. You've turned your back on the refugee. You've turned your back on the needy. And Israel, because of that, destruction is coming. And he's talking to people that are saying, come on. Look at our bank accounts. Look at the stock market. Yes, we see some moral decay, but Isaiah, things have never been better.3:45And Isaiah say, no, God is judging you. Wake up. Wake up to this dilemma. Now, Isaiah, to practically illustrate this, God gives Isaiah at least three sons that we know about. The first son is named Mahershala Hasbaz. So if you still, like, if you are looking for a boy name, there you go.4:12Right? Mahershala Hasbaz, which means quick to the plunder, hurry to the spoils. It means judgment is coming. That's not Isaiah's way of saying even the prophet knows that the youngest kids are spoiled. Isaiah is saying, look, Assyria is coming to take the spoils from Israel. Things are going to get bad.4:40Second middle child. His name is Iman Yuel, right? God with us. And then the oldest child who we will meet today is Sha'er Jashub, which means a remnant will return. So can you imagine being the youngest child in this family? Like, middle brother is God with us. Older brother, a remnant will return back to the land. And here I am, youngest brother, quick to the plunder, hasten to the spoils.5:09But that was a visible reminder that God's judgment was upon his people. So today's message with all that is simply called a message from a stump or lessons from a stump. And so what God is doing here in his word, right, a stump is the leftover part of a tree that once was living that has been cut down. So I'm a son of a forester.5:38And I'm a grandson of a forester in South Mississippi. Like my granddad, he marked timber his whole life. So he's probably cheering me on right now. Go get him, grandson. Tell him about that forest. That's exactly what God is doing. And he's saying, look to the stump in Isaiah 11. And this is a profound image. It's not some catchy phrase. Isaiah is saying in 1019, look at this lush forest and see everything that was cut down. Because the forest was so great that now even a child could count.6:10Like how many few trees are there in verse 19? Now, I coach soccer. I coach four and five-year-olds and six and seven-year-olds. So the youngest ones always play a game and they have a cone with the ball and they have to count the cones. And these are how, this is how a four-year-old counts. You ready? One, two, three, 14.6:37And I'll say, no, you have four. Count again. One, two, three, 14. So I don't know how few trees are here in Isaiah, but there are so few that even a child could count. So there's probably less than 14. This is the destruction that God is bringing upon his people.7:04And there are times in our life that only difficulty would bring us back to see the light of Jesus Christ. And so I want you to think about two things as we read the scripture. One, the timber mercies of God. When I say timber, I want you to think, timber! Like trees falling God's judgments.7:32But Isaiah doesn't only want you to think about God's judgment. He wants you also to think about God's tender mercies. God restoring back to life what was once cut down. So we have two streams of thought this morning. God's timber mercies, God's judgment, and then God's loving, rejoicing restoration. So with those two thoughts, let's read the scripture and then we'll apply it to our lives.8:01Isaiah 10, 20. I've already read verse 19 to you. Isaiah says, But on that day, the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no longer depend on the one who has struck them down. But they will faithfully depend on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. Right? Oldest son. Ready? The remnant will return. The remnant of Jacob to the mighty God.8:30Israel, even your people, if they were as numerous as the sand of the sea, only a remnant will return. Destruction has been decreed. Justice overflows. For throughout the land, the Lord God of armies is carrying out a destruction that was decreed. After I pray, we're going to read chapter 11. But this is the timber judgment, the severe mercies of God.8:56Let's pray. Father, without your illumination through your Holy Spirit, Lord, how could we even understand who you are? So we desperately need your Spirit to awaken our minds, awaken our hearts. Lord, we don't want to be hearers only of your Word. We want to do what it says. And Lord, we know that there are times in our life, there are times in my life, where the only way you can get through our thick skulls is to bring difficulty our way.9:24So Lord, for those of us who might be walking through difficult times right now, may we look up to you. May we look to you, the author and perfecter of our faith. Lord, may we never lose sight of the glories of Calvary, the rock of ages in our life. Lord, we ask this in Jesus' name.9:54Amen. And amen. I want to give you some more forestry and then we'll jump into this passage. So in California especially, and there's a wildfire raging right now. But what scientists have determined in California fires especially are something that they call snag forests. So a snag forest is a forest within a forest. It's these forest fires where there has been intense burning. And what they'll find after the fact is that in the places where there was the most severe destruction in the forest after a fire10:23are some of the most lush filled places that have returns. Let me say that again so you don't miss it. Right. These snag forests, the places of the most severe intense heat and destruction in the forest fire, when they go back years later, are the places that are the most green and lush. It's as if God is saying the places that receive the most severe difficult destruction10:53are the places where I will raise up the greenest flourishing life. What we see right here in this text. So why are timber mercies needed? I believe for several reasons. One, if all of you, if all you hear day after day after day is God loves you, he wants to be your friend, keep going, there will be hope, there will be heaven, do it.11:22Come on, let's go, guys. If that's all you hear, then there is often a tendency in our lives to be lax and not be held accountable. Right. It makes sense. If all you hear is God only loves you and he only wants for what is your good, you're thinking, well, I don't need to live in righteousness. I don't need to struggle through this life because, hey, it's going to be rainbows and unicorns one day.11:52And on the other side, if all you hear is hell and destruction and judgment, it's easy to lose heart. It's easy to say, well, why am I still striving to honor God if everything is going to be blown away anyhow? And so Isaiah marries these two for us. And in the process, as we look at the same mercies of God, Isaiah reminds us of several key truths.12:21So look at verse 20. The first key truth we see in the word of God this morning. On that day, a remnant of Israel will return. So the Lord awakens us up to this candid revelation. God's righteous judgment is coming. Now, church, are you ready for this statement? The same statement that Israel had to digest first, right? God's judgment is coming and God's judgment always comes to his people first.12:48Some of you are thinking, well, I'm out. I didn't sign up for this. God's judgment always comes to his people first. Isaiah 9, 14 says that the Lord cut off Israel's head and tail. You go to Revelation, and before the plagues and the bowls and the judgments, the trumpets there, you have, in Revelation 2 and 3,13:16you have these letters to the churches. But do you know what those letters actually are? God is, through Christ, is judging the church. Judgment always comes to his people first. James 3 says, I do not suppose that many of you should want teachers, because you know that he, this teacher, will receive a stricter judgment. Judgment always comes to God's people first.13:46And it's easy for us to sound to the world as if to say, you will be judged. God is coming for you. Look at your sin. But we should actually speak in ways that say, look at our sin. Church, are we cleaning our house first? Am I cleaning my heart first? 2 Corinthians 5, verse 10 says that we will all,14:14we, all of us, will sit before the throne of God and will be a judge according to our works. So do not think because of Christ, you will avoid judgment. That's not what the Bible says. Because of Christ, you will pass through judgment. Now what a glorious truth that is. But you, you and I will not escape judgment. And because of 2 Corinthians 5, 10,14:45that we will all be before the throne of God. Now we can speak 2 Corinthians 5, 21, that says God has given to us the ministry of reconciliation. And so we, we cry to a world. We say, turn back to God, be reconciled back to him. So what the world does not need to hear from us is you will be judged. They need to hear this. We will be judged. And we will be judged first.15:16And so the timber, the severe mercy that Isaiah is issuing to the people of God is this. Timber! God's judgment is coming to his people first. Israel, wake up. Church, wake up. Don't sit idly by. God is going to clean this house before he cleans others. Oh, that we would be found faithful15:43that God has given us this ministry of reconciliation. Secondly, this severe mercy of God. Isaiah says this. He says, on that day, on this day of judgment, that's coming to who first? We, us. The survivors of the house of Jacob will no longer depend on the one who struck them. Isaiah is saying, guys, wake up. Do not depend on your strength. Do not depend on your folly.16:12Israel, don't depend on this treaty that you have with Egypt. They're so weak. It's like a bent reed that when you lean on it, it's going to fall. Israel's not going to save you. Aram, this treaty is not going to save you. Assyria is sent by God to judge his people. Quit relying on your strength. God is saying, church, it's not this building. It's not your wealth.16:40It's not your talent. It's not anything that you have that you find your strength. Isaiah is saying to us, wake up, church. Remember the names of God. Wonderful counselor. Mighty God. Not mighty church. Not mighty individual. Mighty God. It's not your strength. And when we understand that deep truth, we can say, thank God. It's not my strength. Thank God. It's not your strength. Thank God.17:11Thank God. He is mighty. And so Isaiah says, timber. Trees are falling. Wake up, church. Find your reliance on the mighty God. The mighty God, not your strength. He continues, though. Because on that day, a remnant will return. We're reminded here in this passage that yes, biblical faith is communal faith, but it's not a mass faith.17:39Here's exactly what Isaiah is saying. This is a stark reminder for the Western church. Written 700 B.C. Applicable in 2019 A.D. Isaiah says this. He reminds the people that it is not ancestry that assures anyone of salvation. It is the mercy of God. I don't know who your daddy is, but he's not Abraham.18:09That's what Israel was counting on. Look, Isaiah, we know that Jacob is ours. We know that Joseph and Moses, they are ours. We know that Abraham is ours. And we will point to the faith of the patriarchs that we have now just assumed. And Paul in Romans says it doesn't work like that. Paul says this in Romans 9, 6. Now it is not as though the word of God has failed because not all who are descendant18:37from Israel are Israel. Let me give you the modern translation. Let me read it again. Now it is not though the word of God has failed because not all who are Southern Baptists are saved. Not all who are Evangelicals are saved. Neither are all of Abraham's children his descendants. This is what Isaiah is saying here. Only a remnant will return.19:06Isaiah is looking at the community of faith and saying, look, I know that not all of you are part of God's community. You think you are, but you're not. And I can imagine today just as in Isaiah's day, some of you are puffing out your chest and saying, well, who are you to tell me that? Isaiah is not speaking this truth to Israel to say, look at you. He's saying, break, church, break your hearts. You would come back to the one true God. Faith is intentional19:37and it is accountable. God would say this, Timber, listen up. It's not those who claim new birth or claim it is by birth. It is those who live out their faith by the new birth of Jesus Christ. This is true faith. So I don't want you to ever live under the impression because you have been under the teaching20:06of any pastor, this pastor, or any church that you are saved. Only Jesus Christ can do that. But what a glorious salvation. That is. Wake up, church. This is a severe mercy of God. He also says this, verse 23. He says, for throughout the land, the Lord God of armies is carrying out destruction that was decreed. I think the fourth severe mercy20:36that we see of God here is sometimes in our life, the path of hope runs through a dark valley. Sometimes for us, the path of hope, look at what's said here in verse 23. Throughout the land, what land? The land that is carrying out destruction. Throughout this land, you will find hope one day. Sometimes the path of hope is found through the valley of the shadow of death. This is what we see21:06in the story of Horatio Spafford. You might not know that name, but in the great Chicago fire, he lost his two-year-old son, burned to death. Years later, his wife and family are in England. They're coming back to the United States to meet him. And he gets a telegram from his wife in England and says, Horatio, there's been a shipwreck and all four of your daughters have passed away. And so he does21:35what any father would do. He jumps on a ship and he goes to England. And as the story goes, when he's nearing the spot where his daughters have died, he writes these words. Listen to the words of a broken man. He says, Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight. The clouds be rolled back22:05as a scroll. The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend. The original poem says this. Listen. A song in the night. Oh, my soul. This man is looking at the clouds and he's saying, God, all I see is darkness. But I long22:34for the day. Oh, this is a severe mercy, but I long for the day where my faith will be sight. I long for the Lord. I know that I'm walking through this valley of destruction, but God, I know that if I walk through this, you promise me hope. And so, Lord, this is a timber. This is a severe mercy, but God, I will look to you. Church, what a great lesson for us.23:04for us. And so, with all of that, with all of this destruction and trees falling, now let's look at the stump. Let's look at 11.1 real quick. Oh, that we would be like this man. Lord, a song in the night, oh my soul. And so God says, okay, you get it? You see that this forest has fallen? Now, Israel, watch this. Church, Bethel, wake up. Watch this. St. Clair County, watch this.23:33watch this. See that stump right there? Verse 1? Watch the stump. You ready? Verse 1, chapter 11. Then a shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from its roots will bear fruit. The Lord will rest on him, a spirit of wisdom and of an understanding, a spirit of counsel and strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord. This man24:03This man will delight, and he will be in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge with eyes that see like we do, but he will not execute justice with ears that hear, but he will judge the poor righteously, and he will execute justice for the oppressed of the land. He will strike the land with a scepter from his mouth, and he will kill the wicked with a command from his lips. Righteousness will be on his belt24:33around his hips. Faithfulness will be a belt around his waist. Listen to this. The wolf will dwell with the lamb. The leopard will lie down with the goat. The calf, the young lion, the fattened calf will be together, and a child will lead them. Sound familiar if you were here last week? For unto us a child will be born. An infant will play beside the cobra's pit, and the toddler25:02will put his hand into the snake's den. They will not harm or destroy each other on my holy mountain, for the land will be as full of the knowledge of the Lord as the sea is filled with water. God, make this happen quick. This is what I want for our lives. So let's talk about some lessons from a stump. We've seen the severe, tender mercies of God, so let's look at the tender, compassionate mercies of God.25:31of God. Verse 1, there will always be a remnant. Right? So Isaiah's looking at community and saying, look, there's only a small part of you guys. Most of you claim the name of Abraham. Most of you bear the mark of the covenant, but you are not of God's. Isaiah's saying, I see your life and Jesus is going to judge, not as someone who sees or hears, but he knows your heart. But the positive26:04perspective is that there will always be a remnant. Remnant is a critical Old Testament theme. When God looked at the world in Genesis 6, 7, and 8 and saw the wickedness of man, that our hearts are always wicked above all. And God said, I'm going to destroy everyone. But he found one that was righteous, just one. And so there was a remnant in the house of Noah. And God spared Noah and his family. And he says26:34the same for the church, that there will always be a remnant of the people of God upon the earth. Jesus at Caesarea of Philippi looks at the gates of hell, like the deity of Pan. They believed that these were actually the literal gates of hell. Sometimes they would smoke and it just looked like a hellish place. And Jesus points at that place and says, not even the gates of hell will do what? Will prevail against the church. Not even the gates of hell will prevail against the true27:03remnant of God. So here's the question, church. Are you in or are you out? Like, which part are you? I don't know who you are, but I know my heart. I'm praying right now, God, you test me, God. Know my heart. God, I want to be yours, God. See if my words match my identity that I say. See if my words27:33on Monday match what I said on Sunday. Lord, see if my likes on Facebook match my identity in Christ. God, see if my relationships, what I'm doing with my boyfriend or girlfriend, Lord, see if that matches what my heart says I need to be doing before you. God, see if I'm honoring my spouse as I should be honoring you. God, see if I am a true remnant. And praise God28:02that he will hold us fast. Praise God of that truth that he will sustain the remnant no matter how bad it might ever get. God says, look at the stump. There will always be a remnant of my grace in this world. I have to thank God for the security I have in my faith. That's the power of the gospel. I don't have strength in my works. I don't have strength in my church membership. I don't have strength in my baptism. But I have hope that Jesus Christ28:32died for my sins. That he rose again. I have hope that I have not earned my salvation. God freely gave that to me. So if I have not earned it, then I cannot unearn it. I thank God for this assurance. Secondly, this is a tender mercy of God. God works and grows when and where you least expect it. Okay, let's read verse one. I'm a simple guy, right? look at the stump. And from the stump29:03will what? A shoot will grow. Like from this stump, a stump is what? It's a tree that was living and now is dead. Anyone want to argue that point? Okay, good. Dead tree. God looks at the dead tree stump and says from this dead place something will grow, something will arise. This word tender shoot means to grow green. It's almost a word of the Nazarene. So when they say29:33Jesus is a Nazarene, yes, he is from Nazareth, but the words very clearly link to this passage. This tender shoot will be growing from this stump. And God is reminding us that he works and grows when and where you least expect it. Where I grew up in Mississippi, the stump was what you avoided when you were playing tackle football in the backyard. That's the thing you didn't want to hit. Watch the stumps, watch the roots. And God says from this,30:02from this, I will raise up the Messiah. So what's the hope that we have? Are you small? God says, watch what I can do with your life. Are you weak? God says, watch what I can do. Are you, you feel like you're just dry and you're dead this morning? Well, God says, well, look at the stump. Watch. Have faith in me and watch what I can do in your life. This is the power30:33of the gospel. He takes things that were dead and he makes them alive. Like God doesn't make good things better. He makes dead things live again. I don't know what God you worship, but that's the God I want to serve. This is his tender mercies for each and every one of us. Now, I'm reminded, church, listen, God didn't say that he works miracles on bumps on logs. He said he works on stumps. So don't be a bump on the log.31:03Be a stump. Say, God, I'm dead. But you promised me that from what was dead you rose the Messiah. And what was dead, Lord, you can call forth out of the tomb Lazarus. And God, if I will commit my life to you, if I surrender, you will raise me up to new life. God works and grows where you least expect it. So just as a way of application for you, what in your life right now you say, God, I don't know if you can work here. Maybe that's exactly31:32where God is going to grow in your life. Maybe that's exactly where God is saying, if you would buy faith, if you would give me this, maybe your marriage is crumbling, maybe your kids have run away and maybe you have cancer, maybe there are these severe mercies in your life and you just say, God, I hate this. God, this is brokenness. God, you cannot use this. And God is saying, watch me. Watch the stump. Watch me work.32:02Josh, you trust me enough. You trust me to work. Thirdly, we see this about God's tender mercies. Look at verse two. From the stump of Jesse, it doesn't say David because I believe this is an indictment on the current King Ahaz. from this stump, a branch will bear fruit and the spirit of the Lord will rest upon him. Him. Who is him? It's the Messiah.32:32It's Jesus Christ, spirit of wisdom and understanding of counsel and strength of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight will be in the fear of the Lord. Isaiah is reminding us again, Jesus Christ was always God's plan A to save the world. Like the Messiah from the beginning was God's plan to redeem everyone. Like God doesn't look at sin and say, uh-oh, we got to figure this out. No,33:02No, from the foundations of the world, God sent his son to give us life and freedom. And by the way, I'm not selling anything. It's free. You don't have to tithe to get freedom in Christ. You just have to surrender your life. But because it's free doesn't mean it was not costly. This is God's plan A. This is why Jesus can proclaim to the world. Jesus can look and say, I am the way,33:32I am the truth, I am the life. Jesus is really saying, I was the stump. I was the branch. I bore the fruit. If you trust in Jesus Christ, you will have redemption. If you've ever wondered how much God loves you, look at this stump. While we were still sinners, God demonstrated his love towards us.34:01towards us. That's when Jesus died in Romans 5. This was God's plan A. Wow, what a tender mercy in our lives. And then finally, I think we see this about God's tender mercies. Look at verse 2. The spirit of the Lord will rest upon him. Who is him? Jesus. Who is him? Church, it's okay to say the name of Jesus when we worship him,34:31right? God is not gonna judge. I know I've been preaching about God's judgment. Some of you are worried. God, are you gonna judge me if I say your name? He's not. He's gonna say, yes, say. So, the spirit of the Lord will rest upon him. Him is? That's right. Satan, are you listening? Right? This is who we worship. The spirit of the Lord will rest upon him. The same spirit in Christ, the same spirit that descended as a dove in his baptism is the same spirit that lives inside of everyone who had been renewed35:01and found new birth in the Messiah. So quickly, what does that spirit look like? By the way, the spirit of God changes everything in our lives. The spirit on Jesus is a spirit of wisdom and understanding. Wisdom is a general knowledge. Understanding is the ability to look at the heart of a matter. Jesus was the one who could walk into a room and look at someone's heart. He could look at a lady who had five husbands and he said, really, that's not your issue.35:31You're living with someone you shouldn't be. Just go and sin no more. He looked at our heart. He didn't look at the list of things. He looked at our heart. I pray that we would have wisdom and understanding. The spirit of the Lord also gives us counsel and strength. Counsel is the ability to make right paths and strength is the ability to actually walk those paths and see it through. If we need anything36:00in this world right now, it's the ability to finish the task. Many people cheer, but many people flame out. I don't want to be someone who flames out in my faith. I want someone that says, God, give me the spirit of counsel and give me the strength to walk it out, to work out my salvation. God also gives us through his spirit, knowledge, and the fear of the Lord. You see, true knowledge of God always leads to reverence.36:28Always leads to reverence. You show me someone who says, I don't want to worship God. I'll show you someone who doesn't fear God. Now, let me say on the opposite side, just because you go to church doesn't mean you fear God. But it's a pretty good indication. Oh, that God would work in our lives. And verse three, the spirit of God upon Christ and in us, his delight will be in the fear of the Lord. This word means a pleasing aroma. How do you smell today?37:00Jesus knows who we are. Jesus knows who we are. Our sin, you know what church life looks like to Jesus when we sin and we just mask our sin? It's like a seventh grader, seventh grade boy emptying a whole bottle of ax on his body, thinking he's going to get that girl's attention. not realizing37:29not realizing when she comes into his presence, it's like, oh, oh, oh, oh. For some of us, that's what we do with our religion. We have all this sin and instead of pouring it out before God and saying, God, heal me, God, forgive me, we just ignore our sin and we're spraying that ax. Sunday school today, shh. Right? Church, Isaiah, God, he preached out of the Old Testament. I should get credit for that.37:59Shh. And God is saying, Josh, that's not pleasing. That's not the aroma I want in your life. I want you to delight in me. I want you to love me. I want you to live out the tender mercies of my son. And in all of this, one day, if we follow Christ, one day, this is what's going to happen. In verse five and six, one day,38:28one day, the wolf will lie down with the lamb. Something that gives me the creeps, right? I have young kids. Verse eight, one day, an infant will play beside the cobra's pit and a toddler will put his hand in a snake's den. What Jesus is telling us is that ultimate peace is found in him. One day, the peace that we have been looking for and longing for is found in Christ. It's right there.38:58It's what we long for. It's what we need. This is the language of the Garden of Eden before the fall. Jesus says, if you follow me, if you follow me, one day, I'm going to make everything right again. And Josh, if you trust me today, I'm going to start with you. I'm going to start with you. What a tender mercy of God that he would give us who are enemies peace. Peace that the wolf and the lamb would lie down. Peace that my four-year-old39:29could play and like a den of copperheads. Jesus says, yes, Josh, one day, that peace will be throughout the whole world because that's the power of the tender mercies of our Savior. How can we respond to this? First, I just want to ask, have you surrendered your life to Jesus? Jesus doesn't judge40:00with eyes that we have or ears that we have. He knows your heart. If you're here right now and you're thinking, man, everything you were saying was hitting me right here and did someone set me up? Pastor, did you know who I am? I have no clue who you are. But the Spirit of God has been working in you and he's called you here to hear this glorious message of redemption that you, that you might be loved and forgiven and that you might be brought into a peaceful relationship with Jesus Christ. If you never surrendered your life to him, please,40:30please, please do so. God loves you. He loves you so much. He sent his son to take your place. Do not leave here and take your judgment upon yourself. This morning, Jesus is saying, Josh, give me your judgment. I'll take it from you. I've paid the price. If you by faith, believe in me. If you by faith, follow me. If you by faith, believe I died and rose again for your sake. Josh is free. It wasn't costly,41:01but it's free, but it requires faith. Will you trust him today? Oh, that you would know the Jesus that I know. Maybe today, you are walking through that forest that's been cut down and you, everything in your life has been horrible and difficult and you just say, God, like the forest is cut down. I only see stumps. And God is saying, okay, well,41:31well, look to the stump then. And if you look hard enough, you'll see the shoot. If you look hard enough by faith, you'll see the fruit. So maybe today as you respond, you want to come to the altar and you just pour out your life before God. You say, God, I don't, all I see is darkness, but I know there's light. So by faith, Lord, and quicken the day where my faith will be sight. Because Lord, today I don't see it.42:00I believe there are times in our life where God says, Josh, I don't want you to see it. I'm not asking you to see it. I'm asking you to look at me. And if that's you, I just want to pray over you this morning that God would stir your heart. Maybe you want to sit and just sing and prepare your heart for communion. But praise God for the timber mercies. Praise God when the word comes to us and says, timber! Because then we can look42:30to the stump and we can say, praise God when he says, come back to me. May we respond to the Holy Spirit's call in our life each and every one of us let's pray father← Previous in IsaiahAn Unexpected KingdomNext in Isaiah →Weep So You Can FeastMore sermons on Isaiah →
