Isaiah 40:28-31 “Weary but Worshipping” June 7th, 2020

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for 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.” -Isaiah 40:28-31

INTRO> The Oxford English dictionary defines the word weary as “very tired, especially after you have been working hard or doing something for a long time.” The history of the word has it’s source in a German word that means “to be tired from wandering…..”

CONTEXT> The context of Isaiah chapter 40 is that Israel is in captivity. They are not at home, in their land, they are sojourners, wanders. Isaiah uses the word “weary” more than any other book in the Bible. I want to use this text as a spring board for our time together. Why? ….. Because I don’t feel at home here either… and I am weary. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted;

• I am weary of all the sickness right now. (370,000 + cases)
• I am weary of all the poverty right now. (20 million jobs in the US)
• I am weary of all the fear and anxiety right now. (Mental Health, Suicides)
• I am weary of all the hate right now. I am wear of all the shouting right now.
• I am weary that this is the 13th week of not gathering as a body of delivers.

But like the people of God in Isaiah 40, I am weary of being in a foreign land, namely, this world. In these days more than ever I am reminded that this is not my home and I am weary of that fact.

1. I am weary of not having a home socially.

• • • • • • Sitting down with black pastors, police officers, highway patrolmen and police chiefs and realizing how big the problem is.

2. I am weary of not having a home politically.

• • • • • • Weary of getting hit by both sides, democrats and republicans.
          • Speak truth to power. “Fear comes we seek comfort not truth.”
          • We worship a brown skinned man who was murdered by the state.

3. I am weary of not having a home theologically.

• • • • • • Realizing that heroes of mine like Whitfield and Edwards owned slaves. Orthodoxy vs Orthopraxy.

APP> So what am I to do? What are we to do? For we are a weary from wandering.

Big Idea > I am weary but I choose to worship!

1. I am weary but I worship a God who doesn’t get weary.

“28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.” Isaiah 40:28

2. I am weary but I worship a God who is still working.

“29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength” Isaiah 40:29

3. I am weary but I worship a God who will come again.

“31 but they who wait for 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.” -Isaiah 40:28-31

• • • • • • Isaiah’s prophecy of John the Baptist at the beginning.
          • God sending a Messiah

APP> Now we wait, not passively but actively!

Application:

“34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35

Big Idea > I am weary but I choose to worship!