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[MUSIC PLAYING] [ Music ] [ Pause ] ♪ His Word ♪

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♪ Our ♪ ♪ Every Sunday the choir would march down the aisle ♪ ♪ Rockin' from side to side ♪ ♪ They were singing step to Jesus ♪

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♪ And everything is gonna be all right ♪ ♪ Oh, the Holy Ghost you could feel ♪ ♪ And the sisters they were shocked for real ♪ ♪ For they were just having ♪

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♪ Just having church praise ♪ ♪ Yes, they were ♪ ♪ Praising his name ♪ ♪ The deacons they knew how to pray ♪

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♪ They knew how to call on the name of the Lord ♪ ♪ The congregation was all same men ♪ ♪ And they were all on one accord ♪ ♪ Oh, the preacher, he knew how to preach ♪

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♪ A dying world, he was trying to reach ♪ ♪ But they were just having ♪ ♪ Having church praise ♪ ♪ Yes, they were ♪

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♪ The saints knew how ♪ ♪ How to praise him ♪ ♪ Thanking him every day ♪ ♪ We need to learn how to praise him in the old time ♪

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♪ For they were just having church praising ♪ ♪ The saints knew how to praise him ♪ ♪ Thanking him every day ♪ ♪ We need to learn how to praise him in the old time ♪

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♪ Oh, they were just having, having church ♪ ♪ Praising his name, praising his name ♪ ♪ Now let us have ♪ ♪ Talk with Jesus ♪

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♪ Let us tell him ♪ ♪ All about our troubles ♪ ♪ He will hear ♪ ♪ Hear our pain describe ♪

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♪ And he will ♪ ♪ Pass it by and by ♪ ♪ Yes, he will ♪ ♪ Pass it by and by ♪

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♪ Oh, they were just having church ♪ ♪ Oh, they were just having, having church ♪ ♪ Praising, yeah, praising his name ♪ ♪ The saints knew how ♪

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♪ The saints knew how to praise him ♪ ♪ Thanking him ♪ ♪ Every day ♪ ♪ We need to learn ♪

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♪ We need to learn ♪ ♪ How to praise him ♪ ♪ In the old time way ♪ ♪ For they were just having ♪

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♪ Just having church ♪ ♪ Praising the Lord ♪ ♪ I imagine they would say ♪ ♪ Praise his name ♪

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♪ Now let us have ♪ ♪ A little talk with Jesus ♪ Let us tell him He will hear And he will Yes, he will They were just having church They were just having

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Yes, they were Yeah Let's have a little church We ought to have a little church this morning ♪ Let's have a little church ♪ ♪ Let's have a little church ♪

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♪ I don't know about you ♪ ♪ But I can testify this morning ♪ ♪ I know the Lord has been good ♪ ♪ Do you know he's been good ♪

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♪ Somebody oughta tell somebody ♪ ♪ That the Lord has been good ♪ I don't know about you, but I'm not ashamed to tell it. My Lord has been good.

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My Lord has been good. Has he done something for you? Has he ever made a way? I know he's made a way.

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I know he's made a way. He's been my mother. ♪ Blessed are we ♪ ♪ He's been my father too ♪

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♪ Blessed are we ♪ ♪ You may have had a loss in your life ♪ ♪ Blessed are we ♪ ♪ But still the Lord has been good ♪

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♪ Blessed are we ♪ ♪ You may have sickness in your family this morning ♪ ♪ Blessed are we ♪ ♪ But still the Lord is so good ♪

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♪ Blessed are we ♪ ♪ I know he's been good ♪ ♪ Blessed are we ♪ ♪ Oh, they were just having ♪

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♪ Blessed are we ♪ ♪ Having church, praising ♪ ♪ Praise, praise and his glory ♪ ♪ Praise and his holy, holy, holy, holy name ♪

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♪ Yes he is ♪ (congregation applauding) - And all the people said, amen. Amen.

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(Audience Agrees) The Scripture which was read in the service earlier is the Scripture that should be read for the next service. So we've got the Scriptures mixed up. I invite to turn to Isaiah chapter 40, the first five verses.

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"Comfort my people, bring comfort to them, says your God. speak kindly to Jerusalem and proclaim to her that her term of bondage is served, her penalty is paid for she has received at the Lord's hand

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double measure for all her sins the voice cries clear a road through the wilderness

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for the Lord prepare a highway across the desert for our God that every valley be raised, every mountain and hill be brought low, uneven ground be made smooth,

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and steep places become level. Then will the glory of the Lord be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. The Lord

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himself has spoken it. The end of the chapter reads, "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.

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They shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint. I want to talk about waiting on the Lord. Waiting.

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In the 40th chapter of the book of Isaiah, we have a word which comes to us through the biblical prophet who has been named by scholars of the Bible Deutero-Isaiah

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which means really second Isaiah the way some interpret it. They represent three different ideas that have said to contribute to the book.

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But he speaks as a prophet in exile. He's with the people of God who are in exile. So he speaks to them as they draw nigh to the end of the exile experience. He has them to know that the end is at hand. This is considered

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one of the most comforting chapters in the Bible. It begins, "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished,

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her iniquity is pardoned." This long night of captivity, of bondage in Babylon, is ended. The announcement is made to the captives that now you are free to go home. They may depart from the waiting room.

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This is often a painful experience if you've ever been in the waiting room. someone that you are deeply concerned about has undergone surgery and the physician comes out meets with the family. The family has been in the waiting room for some time waiting to receive word concerning the outcome of

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the operation. But now comes the word to those who've been in the waiting room, you can go now. You can depart from the waiting room. You know, brothers and sisters I hate to wait. I hate to wait. When you're just sitting there not knowing that when the person or the event will take place and you wait and you wait. I still don't understand

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what the Psalmist was talking about when he said, "I waited patiently for the Lord." And they interpret this as being this way, "I waited and I waited." But I hate to wait because of the uncertainty, because of the anxiety involved. I hate to wait because it is burdensome and tiresome.

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I hate to wait. I've watched persons in the airport who were waiting. And the person for whom they were waiting was supposed to arrive on the flight and they looked at every passenger as the passenger deplaned and didn't see that person.

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And they went up to the agent and asked, "When would the next plane arrive?" And they wait and they wait. Sometimes they have little signs that they put because they don't even know the person for whom they wait.

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And I can remember sitting in the airport in Rome all day waiting for the flight home. I hate to wait. The audience for whom these words are addressed by 2nd Isaiah announces that they don't need to wait any longer.

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The eyes of the Lord are upon his people and they need not become disillusioned in waiting. Because you see, our disposition toward waiting is conditioned by the promise on which we depend. and it said they would arrive at a certain time.

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There's a play called Waiting for Godot that was popular some years ago and a person waits and waits and waits and Godot never arrives. But they that wait upon the Lord, even though I hate it, I hate to wait, I think God has certain discipline that is arranged for his disciples in the process of waiting.

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can't really understand what God has for you and how God is working in your life until you learn to labor and to wait. So the prophet announces here that the King is coming. You should wait, be patient. Time is almost out now. The King is coming, but you need to prepare a highway for his coming. Make it clear. Remove the

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bushes, the stumps, the stones, the obstacles and those distractions and make straight a highway in the desert for our Lord. Some people busy themselves while they wait to arrive at a certain destination some get books and carry them along so that they can read while they wait some knit do other things to

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sort of fill in the time. Second Isaiah describes what is to be done while they wait for the coming of the Lord. He describes how they should manage the stewardship of their time and what the preparations for the King's coming should include. He said every valley shall be exalted. You want to prepare for

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the Kings coming every valley must be exalted. Those low places in the roads over which the King must travel must be filled and then every mountain and hill should be made low. There are some high places that need to be leveled and prepared for the King's coming. So we should work not on the low, but we should

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work while we wait for the arrival of the King we should work on the valleys that are in the way to be sure that we have the humility that is necessary. Wait with humility and And most of us, if we are honest with ourselves, need to work just a little bit on our humility. Then we need to work on those high places because every one of us has a tendency sometimes

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to think more highly of himself or herself than one ought to think. we need to work the valley must be exalted and the mountain and hill should be made low. And that should be done with some grace if it's done in the name of God it should be done in great, you don't boast of your humility. We had a classmate every morning he would

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come to breakfast when we went to seminary talking about that he had washed himself with humility and he had dried himself with a towel of pride. But how we wait, how we wait is important. The waiting is the preparation for the coming of the king, the coming of King. Emperor Halas the last of Ethiopia

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is said to have made certain visits into various neighborhoods from time to time and when his chariot would come he would throw out bills

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money to those subjects that gathered around when he came. I don't need to tell you that they always rejoice to see the Emperor coming and here John

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is telling, not John but the prophet Isaiah is telling Judea to be prepared for the coming of the King. Prepare the road

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over which he is to travel because the King is coming. Prepare the road. You may not hear the sound of his chariot, but he's coming.

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The King is coming, he's coming. You may not see him now, but he is coming. The King is on his way. Be ready.

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The King is coming. Judah, Babylon, Assyria, Persia, and all of the nations of the earth will see it. The King is coming.

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So the time is at hand. Shout, get ready. The King is coming. It's time to be prepared.

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So hurry up and wait. Hurry up and wait. That's strange advice. But this is the advice. We ought to be in a hurry about doing the things that are necessary, those things that

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are required of us by God. We ought to be in a hurry to do them. But as we wait on Him, we should hurry up and wait. Second, how long

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must we wait? How long? This is a perennial question. How long must we wait? Sometimes we wait and watch for a long time

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but we must be patient enough to wait. How long must we wait? Israel waited 430 years to be delivered from Egyptian slavery. How long must we wait?

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Our ancestors waited almost 250 years looking forward. This year, this year, next year, doesn't happen this year, next year, next year. How long

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must we wait? I know that they have waited a long time in this case and the Prophet comes announcing that

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it's the end of your waiting time now. Remember the old hymn that I waited for the Lord no doubt they shared it. We sang that hymn in the temple, I waited for the Lord

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but how long must we continue to wait? Do you not know, do you not understand that the time is at hand? The time doesn't really matter when you're hooked up with eternity. You're hooked up with God and God is the Father of all time.

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And we wait for him and for his divine action. And the prophet goes on to say, "Those that wait on the Lord shall mount up with wings as eagles." First of all, he says that they won't faint.

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Many times we wait, but we faint by the wayside. We know the story of the five wise and the five foolish virgins. The foolish ones waited, but they really weren't ready when the bridegroom came. How long?

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And will we really be ready when the bridegroom comes? How long must we wait? They that wait upon the Lord will not faint. Be faithful to him.

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keep waiting well I know he's coming that's the faith by which the church lives we wait now for the second coming of the Messiah we know that he will come and how long will it we have to wait so well it's like a thief in the night you don't know when he may come but you must be ready whenever he comes wait on the Lord wait the psalmist says here

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in his hymn of faith wait wait on the Lord the youth will faint they fall by the wayside even even the strong young men will give up and become impatient But wait on the Lord. Keep waiting.

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Those who are in the prime of life, those who are moving toward the evening of their years, wait. Regardless of what stage you may be in the waiting process, just keep waiting. There's a good word that will come to you if you stay in the waiting room.

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It's just keep waiting keep waiting and no no no matter how The trials may come and go Keep waiting Joe

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waited With all of the reverses in his life. He just kept waiting on God Just kept waiting. He said a wall the days of my appointed time will I wait

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until my change comes. And when you're waiting on the Lord, you're waiting on the solution to every problem. You're waiting on the healing for every ailment. You're waiting on the help for all of our weaknesses when we wait on the Lord. So, while you wait, prepare the way of the Lord. Make a highway in the desert.

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Make it straight. Make it clear while you wait on Him. Highway. Highway in the desert. I remember years ago, I wanted to go to California but I'd heard so much about the desert. They said when you get to the desert be sure that you arrive there at night because the desert is so hot. Well my wife and I were

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driving together and we got to the desert just about evening, well night. We had not yet come. In fact, the truth of the matter is we got to the desert in the heat of the day. We had hoped to get there in the evening but we got there at the heat of the day and as we approached it I remember a sign that said last stop

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before the desert so we stopped went into the filling station filled up our water bags, checked the tires, filled up the gas tank, did all of those things that we knew to do. And then we started on through the desert in the heat of the day. Well we talked to one another and we said you know the desert isn't so bad if

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If you prepare for it, and if you have a good companion with you on the journey, Desert's alright! And we rode through the desert. There's some deserts, my friend, that we must come through.

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But we need to prepare for them. Desert of disappointment is there. But be able to ride through that desert, and to ride in the heat of the desert, of disappointment right through the desert.

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There's a desert of discouragement. Discouragement say well you can't, you really can't make it but you can make it if you prepare for it and if you have God as your guide and as your companion. So be sure, be sure that you are ready

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"Prepare, oh yes, prepare ye the way of the Lord." Because this is the way that God comes. This is the way many times He comes into our lives and strives us for the challenges that we face. And then we have at last to pass through the desert of death.

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It's there. We don't like to talk about it. But it's there for every one of us and we need to be ready for the desert of death. Comfort ye, the word of comfort, comfort ye my people, speak ye comfortably unto Jerusalem

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and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is ended. can overcome, we can be ready, and we can be comforting if we travel through the desert with God as our guardian and our protection. So we sing with confidence Guide me, guide me over thy great Jehovah.

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Pilgrim through this barren land, I'm weak, but thou, almighty, hold me with thy powerful hand. If you're here today and you do not have a right relationship with Christ and the Church, we invite you to make that decision now the decision to travel with

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the Christ of God through the deserts of this life we come. Unite with this church by letter, by Christian experience on profession of faith [Music]

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The door of the church is open. Would you come? [ Music ] [Singing] ♪ Old crown, great yehova ♪

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♪ Build on good and fair ♪ ♪ High and weak but power mighty ♪ ♪ Old New York our humble land ♪ ♪ Hail, heaven ♪

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♪ Feed me till I want no more ♪ ♪ Hail, heaven ♪ ♪ Feed me till I want no more ♪ ♪ Only now my crystal world is clear ♪

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♪ With her healing waters flow ♪ ♪ When you're weary, worry pillow ♪ ♪ Leave me on the journey home ♪ ♪ Strong deliverer ♪

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♪ Lead us to thy strength and shield ♪ [ Music ] ♪ And strength and shield ♪ ♪ When I tread the verge of Jordan ♪

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♪ With my anxious fists so aspired ♪ ♪ Bearing through a swelling hurt ♪ ♪ Let this birth of Jesus ♪ [ Music ]

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