Sermon Notes
10 December 2006
Morning Worship
EARLY MORNING SCENES
A. THERE ARE SOME BEAUTIFUL EARLY MORNING SCENES:
1. Sunrise
2 The white glitter of a “frosty morn”
b. there are some early morning scenes that are not very pleasant:
1. Seeing damage done by an overnight storm
2. Inspecting the remains from a fire
I. The Offering Up Of Isaac Is A Scene Of Great Faith:
A. Abraham Had Waited More Than Twenty-eight Years For This “Son Of Promise”
1
Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy
kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee:
Acts
7:3
2
And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy
name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3
And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and
in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Acts 3:25
Gal
3:8
1
After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying,
Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
2
And Abram said, LORD God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and
the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
3
And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in
my house is mine heir.
4
And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be
thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be
thine heir.
5
And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell
the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall
thy seed be.
Rom
4:18
6
And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
Rom
4:3
Gal
3:6
James 2:23
Genesis 16:3,4
3
And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had
dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to
be his wife.
4
And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had
conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
1
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram,
and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou
perfect.
10
And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of
life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the
tent door, which was behind him.
1
And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he
had spoken.
2
For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time
of which God had spoken to him.
3
And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah
bare to him, Isaac.
4
And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had
commanded him.
5
And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.
note: “So Abraham ROSE EARLY IN THE MORNING”
3
And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two
of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the
burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told
him.
to do as God had commanded!
B. This Scene Is Surely One Of The Greatest Scenes of Faith Of The Whole
Bible
15
And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
16
And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done
this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
17
That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy
seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea
shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
Heb
6:14
13
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen
them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed
that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14
For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
15
And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came
out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
16
But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is
not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
17
By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had
received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
18
Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
Gen
21:12
Rom
9:7
Gal
3:16
19
Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from
whence also he received him in a figure.
13
For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater,
he sware by himself,
4
Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar
off.
5
And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and
the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.
6
And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his
son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of
them together.
7
And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said,
Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is
the lamb for a burnt offering?
8
And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt
offering: so they went both of them together.
9
And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an
altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid
him on the altar upon the wood.
10
And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
11
And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham,
Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
12
And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto
him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy
son, thine only son from me.
II. The Destruction of Sodom And Gomorrah:
A. Ten Righteous People Would Have Saved This Terrible Scene Of Destruction:
1. The Lord had told Abraham,
‘The out cry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave
2. Abraham knew that his nephew Lot and his family were in Sodom- Genesis
13:1-13,and he pleaded, “Wilt thou destroy the righteous with the wicked;
wilt thou not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it –
Genesis 18:23-25?
23
And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with
the wicked?
24
Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also
destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
25
That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with
the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from
thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
3. The Lord answered, “I will spare the whole place for their sake -
Genesis 18:25
4. Abraham continued to reduce the number down to ten
32
And he said, Oh let not the LORD be angry, and I will speak yet but this
once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy
it for ten's sake.
5. There were not ten righteous people in the cities, but the angels gave
Lot and his family opportunity to escape. Lot’s wife looked back and she
became a pillar of salt
12
And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy
sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them
out of this place:
13
For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great
before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.
14
And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his
daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will
destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.
15
And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise,
take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed
in the iniquity of the city.
16
And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of
his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful
unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.
17
And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said,
Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the
plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
18
And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my LORD:
19
Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast
magnified thy mercy, which thou hast showed unto me in saving my life; and I
cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:
20
Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let
me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.
21
And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also,
that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken.
22
Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till thou be come
thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
23
The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.
24
Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from
the LORD out of heaven;
25
And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of
the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
26
But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
32
Remember Lot's wife.
B. Think How Terrible This Scene May Have Been To Abraham:
1. Notice what Abraham say EARLY IN THE MORNING
27
And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before
the LORD:
28
And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the
plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of
a furnace.
2. Do you wonder if Lot and two of his daughters would have been saved had
it not been for the prayers of Abraham
16
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be
healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
17
Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly
that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three
years and six months.
18
And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth
her fruit.
19
Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
20
Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way
shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
C. What Caused This Sad Scene Of Destruction?
1. Remember that the Lord said, “The outcry is great and their sin is very
grave”-
Genesis 18:20
2. What was the grave sin of the people of these cities? Does not Genesis
19:4-13 give the answer?
4
But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom,
compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every
quarter:
5
And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in
to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.
6
And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,
7
And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.
8
Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray
you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes:
only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of
my roof.
9
And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to
sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee,
than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near
to break the door.
10
But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and
shut to the door.
11
And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness,
both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.
12
And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy
sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them
out of this place:
13
For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great
before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.
1.
Jude 7
7
Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving
themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth
for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
Conclusion:
a. early morning scenes
b. early mourning scenes for the lost
c. what about a new start this morning?
Behold Your God
Isaiah 40:9-31
9
O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O
Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift
it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!
10
Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for
him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.
11
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his
arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with
young.
12
Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven
with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and
weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
13
Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath
taught him?
Rom
11:34
14
With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the
path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of
understanding?
1 Cor 2:16
15
Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small
dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
16
And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for
a burnt offering.
17
All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than
nothing, and vanity.
18
To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
19
The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with
gold, and casteth silver chains.
20
He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that
will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven
image, that shall not be moved.
21
Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the
beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22
It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants
thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain,
and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:
23
That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as
vanity.
24
Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their
stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them,
and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.
25
To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.
26
Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that
bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the
greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.
27
Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the
LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God?
28
Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the
LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary?
there is no searching of his understanding.
29
He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth
strength.
30
Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly
fall:
31
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall
mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they
shall walk, and not faint.
INTRODUCTION:
A. Isaiah 40:9-31
provides us with a picture of the power of God
B. MANY THINGS OF MAN ARE POWERFUL:
1. machines
2. weapons
3.
bombs
I. Behold, God’s Creative Power
12
Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven
with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and
weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
1
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his
handywork.
19
Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath
shewed it unto them.
20
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly
seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power
and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
A. Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand
B. Who hath meted out heaven with a span
C. Who hath comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure
D. Who hath weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance
II. Behold, God’s Wisdom and Knowledge
13
Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath
taught him? Rom 11:34
14
With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the
path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of
understanding?
1
Cor 2:16
A. Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD?
B. Who, being His counselor, has taught GOD?
34
For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Isa
40:13
C. Who taught God KNOWLEDGE?
D. Who showed God the way of UNDERSTANDING?
5
Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.
III. Behold God’s Power Over the Nations
15
Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small
dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
16
And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for
a burnt offering.
17
All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than
nothing, and vanity.
A. The nations are as a drop of a bucket
15
Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small
dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
B. The nations are counted as the small dust of the balance – Isaiah 40:15
C. He taketh up the isles as a very little thing – Isaiah 40:15
D. All nations before him are as nothing
17
All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than
nothing, and vanity.
9
Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be
laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.
10
Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase,
set not your heart upon them.
11
God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto
God.
IV. Behold God’s Power Over Idols
18
To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
19
The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with
gold, and casteth silver chains.
20
He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that
will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven
image, that shall not be moved.
21
Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the
beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?
A. What likeness can be compared to God? Can man made image represent God (a
Spirit)?
18
To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
29
Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that
the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's
device.
B. A workman’s craft (mere product of human hands)
19
The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with
gold, and casteth silver chains.
C. If a person could not afford a metal god, then a wooden god would do
20
He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that
will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven
image, that shall not be moved.
D. These gods are powerless whereas Jehovah God has all power
V. Behold, God’s Power Over Men
22
It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants
thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain,
and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:
23
That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as
vanity.
24
Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their
stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them,
and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.
25
To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.
A. Great men (Nebuchadnezzar, Julius Caesar, etc.), are as grasshoppers in
God’s eyes
22
It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants
thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain,
and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:
B. As we would stand upon a globe, God looks down upon the earth – Isaiah
40:22
C. They are not permanent, but will sink into oblivion
23
That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as
vanity.
24
Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their
stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them,
and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.
D. No man can be compared to God
25
To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.
CONCLUSION:
A. Behold the power of God
B. BEHOLD THE POWER OF GOD TO SAVE
15
So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at
Rome also.
C. GOD IS ABLE
21
Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and
receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
