S70E3 |GOD In Distress | When we are Overwhelmed, God is SOVEREIGN | Rev. Richard Chogo

My name is Richard Cho'Go, for those of us that are visiting for the first time. One of the pastors here serving in their adult care ministry specifically assigned to help when it comes to marriages, the marriage ministry. And so I'm glad to be here standing before you and talking about marriage ministry also all of you who are married and suspect you're married. Remember November the 6th, I'll tell you more about it next Sunday. Alright November the 6th. Alright why were you laughing? Because some people are suspecting they're married. We are walking through the book of Isaiah, is it Isaiah or Isaiah? Isaiah, the book of Isaiah. And the book of Isaiah or Isaiah presents a very interesting narrative and we've been doing this since the beginning of this month. It presents a very interesting narrative in the scriptures. It helps us to appreciate the circumstances that the people Isaiah was prophesying to our first with and were living in. And it also invites us to consider what God had to say about those circumstances. And in doing so it kind of introduces us to several aspects of God's character and those aspects as they are held in tension against the reality of the prevailing circumstances that they were living in. And hopefully they can also help us reflect on our own circumstances. It's also important to note that throughout this series we are addressing ourselves to the possibility of the same circumstances that Isaiah and the people was prophesying to were living in the same circumstances being reflected in our time and day and being realities in our time and day. And if God's character still holds against those circumstances or in response to those circumstances. So we are saying our circumstances God's character. Our circumstances God's character. Say that after me. My circumstance God's character. And in the first summon God in our distress the first installment is it an installment or an episode? The first installment Reverend Bella eloquently tackled chapter one to chapter six and I emphasize eloquently because I tried to polish my English so that I don't confuse you after you have been used to good English the first two Sundays. You see there are people whose English reflects because they went to group of schools. But there are those like us who went to school in groups so you... And she was very clear and she said when our world is shaking God is still on the throne. Amen. God is still holy. God is cleanses. God sends. And last Sunday which was the second installment chapter seven to chapter twelve of the book of Isaiah. God's message to his people back then and it's the same for us today is that when we are afraid God is what? Emmanuel. God is present. Kind of reminds me of Psalm 23 verse 4. It says I love the King James version. It says yeah though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me. Sounds very powerful there. And as you have noticed we are not trying to get through the book of Isaiah verse by verse. We are trying our best by God's grace to paint the story of the book of Isaiah in broad strokes as it unfolds and we're trying to extract the highlights some of the key points and the main truths that you find in that portion of scripture. And so for today I hope you did your homework. Those of us who are part of this congregation I hope you did your homework. You remember your homework? It was to go through each chapters. Alright we were to go through chapters 13 to chapter 27 14 chapters. I won't ask you to check with your neighbor if they went through that because we don't want embarrassment in the house of the Lord. Amen. And so we're going to cast a bird's eye view over those 14 chapters as we continue to discover some amazing things about God. And one of the most amazing things we will discover about God as we you know look across those chapters is that for every human circumstance or condition there is some aspect of God's character that is designed to respond to that situation. There's some aspect of God's character that is designed to respond to it. And no wonder in Moses had an encounter with God and God was telling him I want to send you to go and represent me before the children of Israel. And Moses was like God do you know those guys they have been hardened by slavery? How can I go and represent you to them? In fact if they ask me who has sent you what will I tell them? And then God says just tell them I mean that kind of answer is a very I mean Moses at a difficult time. God says just tell them I am who I am you know. What kind of introduction is that? But then if you kindly you know look at those words it's like God was telling Moses go and tell them that I can become whatever I need to become to respond to their situation. And that's the kind of God we serve. I can become whatever I need to become to respond to your situation. There is no circumstance or situation that you will ever encounter in this life that God's character cannot respond to. And so before we enter into this section of the book of Isaiah allow me to bring out some highlights in chapter 13 down to chapter 27. Very difficult portion not my favorite but you know the pastors decided you know you look like you'll do this. And so bear with me as I fumble through this. See this section is sometimes called the oracles of Isaiah or God's burden against the nations. And it's like God is having beef with nations. He is taking on nations and Isaiah moves beyond Judah and Jerusalem which was the focus to some extent from chapter 1 to chapter 12. And it begins to address the nations around Israel from Babylon to is it Babylon or Babylon? Okay from Babylon to Assyria to you know Moab, Damascus, Kush. Even Africa is addressed there. Egypt and Kush. And you know the message throughout those chapters is unmistakable. That Israel's God and I think God was just saying look here chapter 1 to chapter 12 have been addressing local matters but make no mistake I am not a local God. Because in those days nations used to have their local deities but God is saying make no mistake I am not a local deity I am a global God. Okay are you sitting next to somebody you like? Just tell them this is the preacher for turn to your neighbor. So you'll need to endure that for this Sunday and next Sunday. So next Sunday I hope you'll still come back. So you sit next to somebody you like tell them my God is global. He's a lot of other nations that will become critical at some point. This section begins with Babylon or Babylon and it's interesting even though Assyria back then was a dominant force, dominant superpower in Isaiah's time and this is striking because back then Babylon was not yet a key player in the global stage. Babylon was some small nation at some corner of the world but God begins to address Babylon and it's like God is stretching Isaiah's horizon beyond the immediate crisis because the immediate crisis was the nation of Assyria. It was the biggest threat but God says let me take you beyond Assyria because I'll take care of Assyria. He's stretching his horizon beyond his immediate crisis to powers that will shape the future and somebody glad in this place that we serve a God who is not restricted to our here and now. He's not just Emmanuel in our here and now. He has the ability to sneak into your future and begin to reorganize things there for your good. That's the kind of God we serve. He says you are threatened by Assyria. I'm already dealing with Babylon that is about to come and so God is in your future. He is Emmanuel in your tomorrow. He is in man. Kenya. God is Emmanuel in 2027. Amen. He stretches Isaiah's horizon. Isaiah mentions superpowers, wealthy commercial centers, military powers, small neighboring nations and in modern language the prophet was speaking about political capitals, military powers and regional neighbors all in one someone. God was addressing everything and everyone all in one someone and it's as though God was telling Isaiah nobody is outside God's field of vision. If I was talking to my young friends in the eastlands part of Nairobi they would have said God you corrada. You corrader you're a vampire. Okay now translate to your neighbor what that means. Alright for those of us who are very old because God you corchoge. See God, God, I mean there is nothing that can sneak up on your life that has escaped God's attention. He is watching over you and everything nothing can have escaped God's attention. And in chapter 19 Egypt is mentioned and something interesting about Egypt. Egypt appears both powerful and vulnerable and in chapter 19 the social, political, economic space of Egypt the Bible begins God tells Isaiah and paints how that will collapse, that will fall, that will break down and but remarkably that chapter does not end simply with Egypt's judgment. It pictures Egypt and Assyria whom God has already dealt with. It pictures them coming alongside Israel to worship God and it's God was simply telling Isaiah my purposes in the nations includes not just judgment but also redemption and that's why I believe God has a plan to redeem Kenya. That's why we must continue to pray for Kenya. Amen. And then verse chapter 20 in a rather bizarre occurrence which you need to very interesting. Those of us who read very interesting. We are introduced to a half naked barefoot prophet and God tells I'm so glad God has called me to preach in the 21st century. I'm so glad because I don't know what I would have done with this instruction because God tells Isaiah I want you see that market where there are many people that market yeah that's the market I want you to go and spend put your pulpit there for the next three years and I have a dress code for you. Okay remove that okay remove that remove that remove that okay then remain with your let me use Bible language loin cloth remove all your clothes and remain with your loin cloth because they need to see your natural yeah bath suit and for three years Isaiah was preaching with his natural bath suit with only a loin cloth can you imagine would you have come back to that church hallelujah oh Lord oh Lord the prophet needs psychiatric evaluation but he was delivering God's message and what was God's message in Isaiah 20 he was driving a point home and this was the point that every time our trust in God is misplaced we become dangerously exposed every time and I was a message God wanted the children of Israel to hear by seeing this man exposed naked says whenever we misplace our trust in God we become naked and we become exposed I hope your faith and I love the song that Barack Apollo have sung at the end that my eyes are on you not on my bank account not on my this and that because when we focus on those things what we do not know is we're exposing ourselves dangerously exposed and so in chapter 24 suddenly God as I said earlier God goes global and he says in verse one the Lord is going to lay west the entire earth and it's like if the camera zoom from individual countries and now God is dealing collectively with the nations and chapter 24 to chapter 27 are sometimes called Isaiah's apocalypse in Greek it means revelation or lay being laid bare and it and in the language there is sweeping and cosmic and God is declaring judgment upon the nation's nation after nation and the powers are being shaken they are being judged that that is being swallowed up but it concludes by God reigning and his people being restored it points beyond the prevalent geopolitical crisis towards God's ultimate victory ladies and gentlemen ultimately God wins I said ultimately God wins and right in the midst of all the chaos in that portion of scripture 13 to 27 right in the midst of all that chaos of judgment and nations collapsing and all this that is happening around a very interesting thing happens in chapter 25 Isaiah 25 verse 6 says in the midst of all that chaos God is preparing a feast of rich food for all peoples I think God is Kenyan because he loves Kenyan Kenyans begin to party on what they they go to work Monday they are nursing hangovers and then Tuesday they begin to work and then Wednesday is ladies night okay so they begin to party and it's party after after so God there's all these chaos all nations are collapsing but God is preparing a feast may God prepare for you a feast in the midst of the chaos that could be surrounding somebody's life in this place because he's able to do that is able to do that somebody say amen one of the Bible's greatest promises is found in this portion of scriptures is a promise that God will swallow up death Isaiah 25 verse 8 Paul later draws from this fast Corinthians 1554 death is swallowed up in victory when he's celebrating the resurrection of Jesus ladies and gentlemen God is sovereign not over the nations not just over the economic crisis but he's sovereign over even death and lastly chapter 13 begins with judgment but by the time you get to chapter 27 it's not judgment it closes with God God the ring is scattered people verse 13 and they all come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem chaos does not get to have the last word God does amen chaos does not get to have the last word God does good people in a nutshell when the world feels totally out of control and I do to be honest chapter 13 to chapter 27 feels like you know you're scrolling through evening news in Isaiah's time you know wars and governments falling economic uncertainty international you know tensions powerful leaders being brought down you know people afraid of what tomorrow holds and the names are changed you know and the actors have changed but the feeling is the same fear in Isaiah's message is this when everything on earth appears to be out of control heaven has not lost control because God is sovereign imagine you're in a flight for those of you who fly because the way you look like you look like you you fly you know I don't really tell people the moment I'm the most spiritual is when I'm in a flight that's that's where I'm really closer to God nearer my Lord to see and in a sense of nearer I'm like oh God have mercy on us forgive all the murderers in this flight don't don't don't make this flight to crash because of God have mercy I plead with God and you know especially when we hit what we call a turbulence and the plane is shaking and you know drinks are spilling and there's a little child crying there and you know I try to look out of the window and it's dark clouds normally it's normally almost at night when these things happen turbulent but then most of us who fly will do what I would do you would look at the cabin crew if the cabin crew because sometimes we hit some turbulence that is just too much if the cabin crew is still you know working around checking on people's seat belts you know and you know then you know ah ha ha ha they must have been some communication from the cockpit to these guys are to that worry this turbulence will take care of it it's okay that's why they are still working but if you see them rushing to that little seats they have and they strap themselves then pray harder if possible pray louder because you may you know when you're on that turbulence you're not in control there's nothing much you can do about the turbulence you cannot see the cockpit you cannot see the instruments you do not know the altitude you don't have the flight path all you know is that your world is shaking it's turbulent and sometimes it feels exactly like that in life the fact that your world feels out of control does not mean that God has lost control and that is exactly what Isaiah is telling us in these chapters that we have read nations are shaking kingdoms are rising and falling powerful leaders are making unpredictable decisions that have cost some of us jobs it almost seems like nobody can tell with certainty including God's people what tomorrow holds good people Isaiah chapter 13 to chapter 27 is turbulence but the good thing about Isaiah's story is that by and all that turbulence we may be experiencing there's a God who is still in the cockpit so bring over the nations so bring over history so bring over even your personal history so bring over judgment at work and both in the present and in the future and so allow me to introduce you to this God says things may be totally out of your control but they have never been out of God's control when our world feels out of control our circumstance God is sovereign God's character when our world feels out of control God is sovereign say after me out of my control does not mean out of God's control and so allow me to pick out three things quickly from this bunch of scriptures and I may not go through everything I prepared but I'm pick three things and then we can we can wrap up our service today three things and as I do so it's important to remember that one of the things that jumps out strongly out of these chapters is that the God who rules over his story let me say it better the God who rules over his story rules over your story the God who rules over his story rules over look at your neighbor your story the sovereignty of God means his rule over the universe absolute authority supreme rank none is like him and unrestricted power and say three things that jump out of this and I'll move quickly to those things number one when the world seems too much to handle because if you read chapter 13 to 27 it's just too much stuff that is being that's popping out of those chapters when your world seems too much to handle God is too great to be overwhelmed God is too great to be overwhelmed imagine living through it you know nations are being mentioned and you know there are rumors of wars the all that stuff is happening and for some of us that's you know the feeling because it's not that you have a problem you have problems hello you have problems the business is struggling school fees is due someone at home is isn't doing well meanwhile your marriage needs attention your children the school your children go to they are calling you you have several missed calls from your mom at up country and if that's not enough your job is demanding more of you and you know how hard is it to get a job after 40 especially those of us who are 40 and above having some making demands on you and when you turn to the news you discover the country as problems to Ebola is it Ebola or Ebola Ebola I don't know now it's the third patient victim El Nino is coming we don't even know the shape and the size of this El Nino a brah is doing its thing and then there is elections oh God and you're like Lord this is too much you can't allow these things can't you allow these things to come in manageable portions and God's response through Isaiah is that it may be too much for you but it's not too much for me it's not too much for me it's not too much for me this is what the Lord says in Isaiah 14 verse 24 in response to the world these things looking too much he says look here relax surely I have planned so it will be I have purposed so it will happen God is saying this God is not saying you know I hope things work out for you God is saying relax when your world feels it's too much to handle God is saying relax I have a plan hello I have purposed I have set aside somebody say Nime Tenga God has a plan when life feels overwhelming remember God is still overruling God is still overruling see the most we can do is take responsibility for what is in our hands and trust God for what is beyond our hands and I pray that we will find peace in the fact that what overwhelms you does not necessarily overwhelm God and for some of you are saying pastor my problem is not just that you know there's too much happening my problem is that I never know what's coming next I never know this leaves me terribly anxious you know and because you know my world is not just overwhelming but also unpredictable number two when the world throws too many surpri