Greetings my friends. It is Sunday May 22ND 2022, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ.
Starting with this #SundayScripture – and running through the end of June – I’ll be transcribing one of my recent sermons that I preached to my church family at the end of February – “Stones & Stumbles”. It’s the follow-up to “Holy & Redeemed” which I presented on here in December and January. “Stones & Stumbles” covers 1 Peter 1:23-2:9.
Here’s Part 1 of my sermon:
Today I want to continue my journey – our journey – since we’re in this together – as a church family – just like we saw in that last song – doing what we can – to expand God’s Kingdom – in our own unique ways – in everything we do, and everywhere we go.
I want to continue our journey through The First Letter Of Peter. This is my 3RD message – out of the past 4 – that I’m preaching from First Peter. I’ve preached on “Salvation & Hope”, and I’ve preached on being “Holy & Redeemed”.
Last time I preached from First Peter I left off with my existence statement. It’s why I exist today. 1 Peter 1:23. And I like to personalize it by changing the pronouns:
For (I) have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. (My) new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal living word of God.
That’s why I exist today. Right there. Right there. Born again. New life. Last forever. Living word. Of God.
Read that verse right there often – and personalize it for yourself – to remind you of why you exist today.
So the first chapter of First Peter ends like this:
As the Scriptures say – “People are like grass. Their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. But the Word of the Lord remains forever.” And that Word is the Good News that was preached to you.
That’s from the Apostle Peter – and it’s also from the Prophet Isaiah. Isaiah was a prophet for more than 50 years in Jerusalem during the times of King Uzziah, and King Jotham. (I preached on those two good kings of Judah in my last message.) Isaiah continued as Prophet under two more kings after Uzziah and Jotham, and that was Ahaz and Hezekiah. Ahaz was a bad king. He was evil – unlike his father and his son. His father was Jotham – good king. His son was Hezekiah – good king. The prophet Isaiah – well he had his hands full dealing with King Ahaz. That’s a message all on its own right there – “Ahaz & Isaiah” – coming later this year.
So God gave the Prophet Isaiah a vision during those times of trouble for the Kingdom of Judah. Isaiah’s message was consistent through the years, and that message to the Kings (good and bad) – and to God’s people – was this – God is dependable. Trust only in God. That was more than 700 years before Christ.
You know The Book Of Isaiah is like a mini-Bible in its own – by itself. In fact – consider this: There are 66 books in the Bible, and there are 66 chapters in Isaiah. And each chapter of Isaiah correlates in some way (or even in many ways) to the same book of the modern bible in numerical sequence. For example – Isaiah 1 has references to Genesis (the 1ST book of the Bible). Isaiah 2 is to Exodus (the 2ND book of the Bible). Isaiah 3 is to Leviticus (Pastor Bob’s favorite book). Isaiah 19 is to Psalms. Isaiah 40 is to Matthew – the 40TH book of the Bible, and the start of the New Testament. Isaiah 66 is to Revelation – the final book of the Bible.
Now get this: The first 39 chapters of Isaiah mostly deal with the Jewish people, and the law, and rebellion, and God’s judgement. Sounds like the Old Testament.
The last 27 chapters of Isaiah mostly deal with God’s comfort, and His forgiveness, and the coming of the Messiah. Sounds like the New Testament.
Check it out for yourself. It’s an interesting study of the Bible through one book – Isaiah – the mini-Bible.
If you wish to learn more about the God I know then stay tuned to #SundayScripture. The best is yet to come !
Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:
The LORD bless you, and keep you.
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.
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