Sermon Tone Analysis

God Prepares A Way for His Glory

God makes it possible for ALL to see Him and His glory.

For all to bow before that glory in repentance and surrender.

On this Missions Sunday, we are reminded of the nations of the world and their need to hear the Gospel, the Good News, the best News Ever.

Because the bad news is that all are under sin.

All are condemned.

All deserve a devil’s hell.

But God is making a way where there seems to be no way for all to hear the Best News Ever.

A way for every nation, every tongue, every people group, every skin color and every culture to know Jesus.

So they have an opportunity to humble themselves BEFORE Him and to surrender their lives TO Him.

It with a sad heart I tell you that not all will bow before Jesus when they hear the Best News Ever.

Some will continue in their rebellion and sin.

They will thumb their nose at God.

Until that final day.

When as says, [Because…]:

God makes the way to Himself available by removing every barrier, every hindrance.

On Tuesday, before our time of corporate prayer, I read from the devotional Missionary God, Missionary Bible where Missionary Dick Brogden reminds us:

Missions work is not complicated; it’s just hard.

Someone has to do the difficult, unglamorous labor of rolling away the stones.

We cannot look at the amazing movement of Iranians coming to Jesus today without consideration of Robert Bruce who in the 1860s wrote from Iran: “I’m not reaping.

I’m not sowing.

I’m not even plowing.

I’m just gathering rocks from the field.”

Maybe that’s what you feel you are doing.

Rolling the stones out of the way.

Removing hindrances to the Gospel being heard in your family, in your school, at your workplace, in your neighborhood.

God has prepared and is preparing the way spiritually.

He is removing every barrier and every hindrance to the proclamation of salvation through Jesus.

Just like John the Baptist did before the public ministry of Jesus 2000 years ago.

John the Baptist prepared the way SPIRITUALLY.

He accomplished what was prophesied of him in ___ , where God says:

God continues to speak in Mal 4:5, 6 that:

We read of this scripture’s fulfillment in:

In the same way that John spiritually prepared a way for Jesus, the same way the Apostles spiritually prepared the way for people to see the glory of Jesus, the same way that WE are to prepare a spiritual path for all nations to see the glory of the Lord, there will one day be a PHYSICAL preparation for the entrance of God’s glory revealed in Jesus:

Text: Isaiah 40:3-5

In God’s economy all — everyTHING and everyONE who belongs to Him, prepares for His coming.

We have seen how EVERYONE who belongs to God, who lives in obedience to Him, has prepared and is preparing the people of this world to see the majesty and glory of Jesus.

In our text we see the earth itself preparing the way of the Lord.

Because all the earth belongs to God.

As we read in Isaiah 40:

Cooked places will become straight.

Valleys will be raised up

And mountains will be made low

All adjust to become flat plains instead of obstacles to the entrance of the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

When the earth has finished its work, then the glory of the Lord is revealed.

After everyTHING is done everyONE will see God in the fullness of His glory and majesty.

Thanks for the Valleys

To that end, that we would not only see God’s glory and goodness, but give thanks to Him, for these 3 Sundays that lead up to Thanksgiving, I would like to talk about the valleys of our lives.

They seem like huge, deep hindrances to us seeing the glory of God.

But God will lift them up in our understanding — in our sight.

No longer barriers to Jesus, they become bridges to a closer relationship with Him.

And maybe we just need the Lord’s help to see them as they REALLY are.

Places that God raises up in our understanding.

Places where we point and say:

“God did a miraculous work there.

It was ONLY in the valley that I could seen Him like I do now.

“It’s only in the valley, that I would have grown in my faith.

“I love the mountains, but I can’t live there.

“It’s in the valley that the Lord restores my soul.

One of the things that unites us together as a congregation is a love for the mountains.

Haven’t the leafs been gorgeous this year?

I personally love going to the tops of mountains for the panoramic views.

Most of the time you can’t drive to the tops of the mountains.

There is the challenge of getting to the top.

You have to walk or hike to get there.

I’ve enjoyed hiking to the tops of several local mountains to just sit and drink in the views of God’s creation.

A group of us wanted to hike to the top of Blood Mountain Friday morning.

I’m doubting it will happen.

II guess we may have to reschedule due to the weather.

I’ve enjoyed going to the top of Mt.

Mitchell, the tallest point in North Carolina and on the eastern seaboard.

You can drive most of the way to the top.

But then there is a steep, half-mile paved trail.

The same with Clingman’s Dome the tallest point in Tennessee.

Again, a very steep .6 mile trail to the top.

I’ve been to the top of Brasstown Bald multiple times — the tallest point in Georgia.

A group of ladies and I hiked 7 miles to the top of Brasstown from Young Harris College several years ago.

I’ve been to the top of Siler’s Bald once.

Wayah Bald multiple times — that’s another one you can pretty much drive to the top.

I’ve hiked to the top of Waterrock Knob off the Blue Ridge several times.

Last year when I went I was asked about a crashed plane not far from the top on the other side.

I didn’t even know about that!

And the crash is from almost 40 years ago.

So even when you have hiked to the tops of mountains multiple times you can still see something new or learn something new.

But a hike to the top of a mountain doesn’t always lead to a wonderful view of the surrounding area.

A few years ago Vanessa and I hiked to the top of Richland Balsam Mountain which is very near the highest point on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

We hiked the 3/4 of a mile trail to the top where the only thing you can see is trees all around and right up next to you.

No mountain panorama — which was disappointing.

A lot of sweat and work with no reward.

I have hiked to the top of Blood Mountain only to have clouds obscure the views from the top.

But still, those of us who live here love the views we get OF the mountains and FROM the mountains.

Another thing I like to see is waterfalls.

A consequence of mountains is that there are valleys in between.

In some of those valleys are beautiful waterfalls.

We are blessed in our area because we have “wet” mountains.

I’ve also hiked mountains out west where there are no trees or waterfalls.

In our area or out west, people don’t normally live on the tops of mountains.

We live in the lower areas.

We live in the valleys.

One of the things that I’ve definitely learned in this area is that the tops of mountains generally have very poor soil.