Sep 16 – Isaiah 38, Isaiah 39, Isaiah 40 Galatians 2:11-21, Galatians 3:1-9 Psalm 107:33-43

Isa 40:30-31

Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted;  but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. 

Where does your strength come from? It is from your own drive and desire to push through? Because that will fail you. It’s not just old people that get tired – Isaiah rightly says even youths shall be weary – even young men shall fall exhausted.

In today’s culture this is particularly true. We have an “always connected” culture, where we are constantly on the go and let’s be honest – it’s tiring. Even outside of our jobs, we are still connected to everyone all the time no wonder we grow weary.

In the middle of the “Go! Go! Now! Now!” world it’s good to take time and stop. Just stop.

Wait on The Lord. Spend time with Him. It’s easy to miss, we are so busy.

Stop. Be still.

It’s ok to get tired. it’s ok to be weary. But when we are, we must take time and wait on God. For He is the one that renews our strength. He is the one that brings light. When He is your fuel you can run without weariness – so long as He continues to be your fuel. He doesn’t faint. He doesn’t grow weary – so He can sustain you.

Gal 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Did you know that you are dead?

Paul realised something. From the moment He was saved he was dead. Everything that came before ceased.

What happens in his life now was no longer His life – but Christ living in him. When he was saved he became a different person.

When we say we’ve given our life to Jesus we are saying our life has ceased. It’s expired. It’s done. And from that moment on we are a new creation – a Christ vessel.

Me is gone and is replaced with He.

As Christians sometimes we are so excited when someone says the sinners prayer, or responds to what we’ve shared with them, or raised their hand we proclaim that it’s job done, without ever checking – has this person actually died?

You may not be able to answer that – but you can at least check their pulse!

Have you died? Because when you’ve died and then been raised into a New Life, you are not your own.

I honestly believe there are a lot of people in churches that call themselves Christians but they never died.

Some of them don’t stick it out as a result. Some of them do, but instead of Christ living in them, they are still the ones who are living and they’ve masked the reality with religion, good works or outward appearance.

We need more death in church. And please don’t’ take that quote out of context. Because it’s a death followed by a resurrection.

We die to self – but we come alive in Christ.