Isaiah 40:27-31 [ 32:54 ] Play in Popup | Download

Here are the notes for the preaching at the meeting of the two congregations together, based on Isaiah 40 – fly, run, walk. Don’t forget you are free to take any of Graham’s preaching material and preach it yourself.

Fly, Run, Walk.

Isaiah 40:27-31
Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God?
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no-one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Intro
Compare Isaiah 40:27-31 with Exodus 19:4 You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.

This referred to them being carried out of Egypt in the great exodus from slavery into a land of their own. The prophecy through Isaiah speaks not of flying on an eagle but flying like and eagle. Not just flying, but soaring, which implies height and lift. By leaning on God, trusting and believing, they could experience this. Remember though, we are New Testament people. We now have God in us, not far from us.

Last time at our Together meeting on 22 May 2010 I talked about praying or waiting on God using the quote, “behold he prays!” Now we will see the consequences of waiting on God, flying, running and walking.

Who is this to?

  • First to the nation, God’s chosen people long ago.
  • It then is addressed to the experience of the individual then.
  • I take this dynamic to be applicable to the “children of Abraham according to the promise” – the followers of Jesus.

Look at context. The greatness of God is emphasised before this great declaration.

This scripture is often quoted as though to soar is the goal. You must ask yourself how you see these verses, are they different dynamics at different times or are they a mixture of life styles and experiences that we all experience all of the time?

For the benefit of unpacking this scripture I limit myself to presenting these verses as they express different phases of a believer’s life. Sometimes we soar, sometimes we run and sometimes we walk. I see soaring as the special experiences and special times. I see running as the times when progress in unimpeded, and the way is clear, there are no obstacles and do halts to ponder direction. I see walking as the normal life with its problems, decisions and obstacles. Walking is about how we keep on going, how we endure.

(1) Fly (soar)
Don’t get too carried away with wanting to spend your life flying like the eagle, untroubled by the problems of life below ideas. I can tell you something about eagles, a soaring eagle is solitary and selfish.

I think this section is about the type of movement or progress that is possible, not being like an eagle.

These are the special experiences and encounters with God. Some would like this sort of life style to be the norm but I think that would be the vain hope that there is a way to avoid suffering in this life.

Compare Romans 8:35,38.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What special experiences and encounters with God of yours can you think of here? What memories come time mind?

Firstly, it is important that we are sure we are thinking of an authentic encounter with God. There is now much counterfeit in the global church currently. The answer to this is to know God better. The better we know our God the more able we are to recognise his handiwork.

Secondly, these experiences are great but we must not get dependant upon them. What would life be like if we only had these times? If we lived in them all the time they would not be special any more. If they were all the time, would we not want special times too?

Seen recently “What some people call revival, and others call a special visitation, you can live in all the time.” We discussed this at our men’s meeting. We decided it depended what you meant by revival.

Some Christians get dependent upon the flying, they chase novel preachers that can bring sensation or the superficial. These are the sorts of Christians that are most likely to be led astray by the odd and the bogus.

It is by trial and trouble that we put muscles on our faith.

See:
Matthew 13:21 But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.

John 16:33 I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

Romans 12:11-13 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practise hospitality.

2 Corinthians 1:4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

2 Corinthians 7:4 I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.

Ephesians 3:13 I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

Where would we place gifts of the Spirit? They are not ecstatic experience, they come under the heading of “walk”.
(2) Run
Don’t judge running from the perspective of your sofa. For a moment try thinking like a runner.

To a runner running is enjoyable and in some ways it is relaxing and effortless. It is a pleasure and not a chore. After running a few miles a runner will feel that they can run longer and further. When they finish they are left with a feeling of exhilaration and well-being.

Running represents a period in life when all is going well and we would like it to continue for a long time. This is when we are making good progress, when life is easy and the way is clear and unimpeded, when there are no obstacles or delays.

Envy?
You may envy someone else’s life because yours seems one long walk, or trudge. You don’t remember much flying and you don’t remember much running either.

If you look at someone else and all you seem to see them running effortlessly though life, and you are tempted to envy them, I suggest the following:

  1. You don’t know their secret struggles or their past troubles. You may think they run through life, they think they may trudge.
  2. Perhaps it is true that they are running through life. But you do not know their future and the challenges they will yet face, the things that will bring them to a sudden halt.
  3. Before you envy someone else’s lot think of the words of Jesus to Peter when you thought John was to have a good future.
    John 21:21-22 When Peter saw him, he asked, Lord, what about him? Jesus answered, If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.
  4. Eternal reward
    See 2 Timothy 2:12 if we endure, we will also reign with him.
    You might wonder if you will never achieve anything before you die. A Christian believes there will opportunities beyond the grave. Your greatest achievements may lie ahead in that kingdom.

(3) Walk
If you look at a person who is enjoying a ‘running’ time of life it can appear that they are a person favoured by God. Don’t be mistaken, running is a phase and not a life-style. I think walking is the normal life style.

In the book of Acts the Christian life is describes as a way or ‘The Way’.

Acts 18:26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.

Acts 18:25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervour and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John.

Acts 19:9 But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way.

Acts 19:23 About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way.

Acts 24:14 However, I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect.

Endurance
For thousands of years walking has been the main method of making a journey. This walking speaks to us of a life-style of endurance.

See
2 Thess 1:4 Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.

Hebrews 12:1-4
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

1 Corinthians 4:12 We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly.

2 Timothy 2:3 Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 2:12 if we endure, we will also reign with him.

2 Timothy 4:5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

1 Peter 2:20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.

I think we fly that we might run, and we run that we might walk. The walk of endurance and the walk of experiencing God in the ordinary. When Jesus promised abundant life he was not suggesting that the believers would never know trouble or the boring and mundane. He was promising that he would be with us there and that there we can have fullness of life.

God in the ordinary. Quote from ‘The Mantra of Jabez’ by Douglas Jones.
This part of the book is a spoof incident where the writer is supposed to have no wisdom and has been sharing faith with a women who replies to him:

“Doesn’t the incarnation mean anything? … Show me how to see the glory of God in the ordinary things of life; show me how to be faithful and find meaning … Show me how to ‘eat me bread with joy and drink my wine with a merry heart’ like Solomon says. Show me how to raise children so that generations from they will rise up and count me blessed. Show me how to live life artfully. Show me…”

She kept shouting at me as I wandered off. There was no helping her. She just didn’t get it.

If you are not confident that the Holy Spirit is with you in your walking, in the ordinary, you will crave more of the moments of flying no matter how short-term or superficial the effects. Why will you crave the things? Because you will see little value in the “walk” and you will have no confidence that you will ever again have periods of running.