Alistair Begg preached this two-part sermon for the New Year, to orient his congregation in accordance with God’s purposes in this world.
Sermon series title: Behold Your God
He had two points, the message and the mission: those need to be the chief concern of the individual Christian and the church.
We are not to listen to some new prophet claiming to have a new, improved message for the church… but commit, recommit to God’s gospel message and its propagation.
Sermon text: Isaiah 40:1-11; and Psalm 90:1-12
[King James Bible] Isaiah 40:1-11
[Prepare the Way for the Lord (Matthew 3:1-12; Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-20; John 1:19-28)]
1Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
2Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins.
3The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
5And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
[The Word of the Lord Stands Forever (1 Peter 1:22-25)]
6The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
7The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
8The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
[Here is Your God!]
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!
10Behold, 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.
11He 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.
Sermon highlight points [emboldening and underscoring are mine]:
- Even though Apple is building a new car, and Elon Musk says he will be taking people to Mars in 2026, we are to continue proclaiming God’s gospel message, just as it was when given to the church in the days of the apostles; and we are to continue with the mandate given us by Christ
- [Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.]
- The story of the Old Testament can be summarized via two events, the Exodus and the restoration from the Babylonian captivity: references to God’s salvation and restoration of His people
- The intentions of God for His people triumph over their frailties: for example, people who have strayed far from God, into a wilderness (after knowing salvation) are able to speak most favorably of the wonders of God’s merciful embrace upon deliverance from that
- THE MESSAGE: verse 5 …for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken
- Calvin said that God deigns to consecrate to himself the mouths and tongues of men in order that his voice may resound in them
- Begg, on the infallibility of scripture; and it’s testifying to its own validity
- All flesh is grass…the flower of the field withers…
- The breath of the Lord blows upon it (judgment for sin); the word of the Lord stands forever
- Scripture is living and active: Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
- We cannot submit to it or understand it by reason or persuasion of will power; the Spirit of God must open us to it and illumine it
- 1 Corinthians 1: 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
- The source of the message is of Jesus Himself; what is the substance of the message?
- And what is the messenger to cry? Is it, “It’s going to be a great year, believe!”
- Or like Eve did in Eden, believing the following, “Hath God said…you will not die”
- No, “believe” will get you nowhere. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ
- Jeremiah 23:16 Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD.
- Back to Isaiah 40: regarding the frailty and brevity of life seen in the prophets words about the grass and flowers, people often do not notice the reason for withering and fading, it is the judgment of God, portrayed by the statement “the breath of the Lord blows on it”
- Usually, when Psalm 90 is read at sermons, verses 7-12 are skipped because they speak about God’s anger at sin; Begg gives an example of a preacher skipping those verses and then reminiscing about the person’s life and favorite activities
- Psalm 90:1 {A Prayer of Moses the man of God.} Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. 2Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God… 7For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled. 8Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance. 9For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told. 10The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. 11Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath. 12So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
- God’s judgment against sin was not part of His intentions concerning the lot of His creation
- All flesh is like grass that withers; like a flower that fades; but the word of the Lords last forever: that is, the cure for finite, temporal flesh is the eternal word of God
- Peter calls the gospel message a “living hope” in 1 Peter 1:10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.
- Once you receive the message, you’re told to –
- Isaiah 40:9 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!
- THE MISSION: get into a high place and lift up your voice without fear, propagating the message of Christianity, the good news about salvation, forgiveness, eternal life via the grace of God because of Christ’s atoning work and righteous life
- 40:10 Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand… 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.
- Even though He is angry and punishes sin via His great strength; He is gentle, caring lovingly for His sheep
- Begg closes with a story about J C Ryle, writing in the late 18th century about the problems in the church of England, saying – we want no new systems, symbols, gospels; just the old truths , mightily preached, rightly presented to consciences, minds and wills; but that the preachers were afraid to make strong statements about the true gospel
- Let us not be afraid, profess the one truth about God’s mercy in Christ
Sermon 1: 24 minutes each
Sermon 2:
Truth for life, with Alistair Begg can be heard twice a day on Family Radio, check their website for a radio station in your area, or use their smartphone app. Begg has an app also, I went there to download the sermons.