Welcome to Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. In Ephesians 1, Paul prays that the eyes of God's people would be opened to the immeasurable greatness of God's power toward us who believe. Today, let us consider from Isaiah 50 the power and omnipotence of our great God.
He has the authority and power over all creation, and He has chosen to use that power for our benefit through His Son Jesus. Let's listen in. This is part three of a message first preached on June 9, 2013 at Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. To hear more sermons, you can go to www.delightingrace.com.
I am willing. I could not mistake the way his voice broke as he cupped the leper's face. And he again said, I am willing. His thumbs brushed over the boils of the leper's cheek, over the lesions rimming his mouth like the uneven stones lining a well in the desert. It was not the touch of one giving to an abomination nor the perfunctory graze of the physician, but the caress of one moved to weeping over the sight of something beautiful. The man dropped his head down into the Nazarene's palm and sobbed.
Be clean. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record, and immediately his leprosy left him. Behold, your God. He was doing, as it says in verse 4 of Isaiah chapter 50, he was giving a word in season to him who is weary. That compassionate, omnipotent God. The same hands that laid the foundation of the earth, the same hand that stretched out the heavens, the touch of that hand demonstrated his sovereign power and authority over nature and all of creation with compassion. So what does that lead us to understand about our God and his awesome works? We look next at verses 4 through 6, and I think what we can glean from that, I'm going to borrow the words from Michael Card's song El Shaddai, his most awesome work was done through the frailty of his son. The one who spoke and it appeared, the one who laid the foundations of the earth, the one who stretched out the heavens with his hand, his most awesome work was done through the frailty of his son.
Why is that? Because that work was the ultimate rescue of his oppressed rebels. He drew the rebels back to himself. Consider what the Apostle Paul says in Ephesians chapter 2 verses 4 through 7. But God, who is rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, did what? Made us alive together with Christ and raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness toward us in Christ.
Only an omnipotent God can do that. If we were dead, he made us alive. That's his most awesome work and he did it through this chosen servant. Not only is it the ultimate rescue, his most awesome work is also that he's the one who says, I make all things what? New. I make all things new.
Guess what? Where does that newness begin? Right in here. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. I make all things new. And so you have the work, the most awesome work of God done in the frailty of his son as read verses 4 to 6. But then look at verses 7 to 9. What we have here in verses 7 to 9 is the disposition of trust. Verse 7, for the Lord God will help me, therefore I will not be disgraced.
I have set my face like a flint and I know that I will not be ashamed. He is near who justifies me. Who will contend with me? Let us stand together. Who is my adversary? Let him come near me.
Surely the Lord God will help me. Who is he who will condemn me? Indeed, they will all grow old like a garment.
The moth will eat them up. This is the disposition of trust, first of all, of the Redeemer, this chosen servant. Because he absolutely trusts his father. He says, I have set my face like a flint. What does that mean? That means he persevered unstoppable in the face of unimaginable opposition and adversity. And it is directly prophetic of him. But listen, was there something in this passage that sounded strangely familiar to you? Like say maybe from Romans chapter 8? Who is he who will condemn? Not only is this the disposition of trust of the Redeemer, it is also the disposition of trust of the redeemed. Because he says the same thing in Romans chapter 8 verses 33 and 34. Who is he who condemns?
It is God who justifies. You see, that is our trust, our worthy trust in an omnipotent Creator, Redeemer. And when we come to the last two verses of chapter 50. Who among you fears the Lord? Who obeys the voice of his servant?
Who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his God. And verse 11, you people who cut down a tree, half of it you use for firewood and the other half you mold into an object of trust and you fall down and worship it, this created thing. He says you are bound for despair if you do that. And it is like in verses 10 and 11. The Lord seems to be saying yet one more time, explain your lack of trust. It doesn't make any sense.
Let me illustrate what that might look like for us. John Ortberg, who is a well-known pastor and author, relates a story of when he was walking in California. He was walking down the street with one of his colleagues and all of a sudden they heard a commotion across the street and it was a fight breaking out and it was two guys were throwing this one guy out and they were out on the street and they were beaten up on him and John and his colleague immediately feel the compassion. They go over and they try to intervene and, hey you guys, cut it out.
And they are not listening to him at all. What are we going to do? You guys stop this. And all of a sudden the guys were beaten up on the one. They look up with terror in their eyes and they stand up and they run away. It's like, of course, if you were there, you are like, and don't come back.
Why was that? Because when they looked around them, they saw this big guy behind them. They referred to him as Bubba.
Something like six feet, seven inches, maybe 300 pounds, two percent body fat. We called him Bubba, John says, not to his face, but that's what we refer to him when we talk about him. Here is what John says, I was a different person because I had great big Bubba. I was ready to confront with resolve and firmness. I was released from anxiety and fear. I was filled with boldness and confidence. I was ready to help somebody that needed helping. I was ready to serve where serving was required.
Why? Because I had great big Bubba. I was convinced that I was not alone.
I was safe. Because Bubba was there. If I were convinced that Bubba were with me 24 hours a day, I would have a fundamentally different approach to my life.
Isn't that true? My dog does that. If it sees a threat and I'm standing there, it's all bark. It's just, you know, but as soon as I walk away and the dog notices I'm not there anymore, it turns its tail and runs.
Right? See? Again and again, the writers of scripture pose this question for us. How big is your God? Again and again, we are reminded that one who is greater than Bubba has come.
And you don't have to wonder whether or not he'll show up. Behold your God. Is there any lack of trust that you need to explain?
There is no explanation for it. You have, loved ones, a great God. You have an omnipotent, compassionate God.
And He's called you to do something, so get on with it. That is our God. May His words burn in our hearts and minds this morning. Would you stand with me please? Thanks for joining us here at Delight in Grace. You've been listening to Rich Powell, the lead pastor at Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. The Delight in Grace mission is to help you know that God designed you to realize your highest good and your deepest satisfaction in Him, the one who is infinitely good. We hope you'll join us again on weekdays at 10 a.m.
